Engel Family

Fairyland Christmas Winterland

2011-12-18T22:58:00.000-08:00

The kids love Fairyland in Oakland. All the rides are just their size, the rules are loosely enforced so heights that are "almost" are allowed to ride. The park is just small enough that it is totally walkable for a 3 year old. So when we heard that they were hanging lights and having a parade and Santa we were in for sure! The park was not nearly as full as in the summer, so there were little to no lines. It was great! Even with the funny fuzzy animals with Christmas hats running around. A Christmas Siberian Husky and Chipmunk.....OK.

Mini Carousel just Mason's size!

Christmas Siberian Husky? OK.

The boys giving Nana some love

Wyatt and Pop-Pop

Mason with a Christmas Chipmunk, Husky, and Reindeer

Snowflake the Elf gave us a fun Magic Show that held both boys attention for 30 minutes

Santa!!!! I have to say how awesome it was to have a Santa without white skin. I have to say that was even more amazing to me is that Mason didn't even bat an eye. He accepted that this was Santa. I really strive to raise the boys so that people are just people no matter what minor differences we all have. Maybe he never even saw his skin color because it was just Santa to him. Whatever it was I love that my son at 3 doesn't even notice!

Squishing pennies

Dickens Street Fair

2011-12-18T22:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.dickensfair.com/

This was one of those things that we heard about last year but just couldn't fit into our schedule. We made it happen this year. The stalls of the Cow palace are transformed to England around the time of The Christmas Carol. There is saw dust on the floor, people dressed in costume, talking in old English, all the food and drink is of the correct period. There is music playing, and people dancing. It was a ton of fun! The boys really had a great time. I can say that next year we be sure to go again.

Throughout the day Scrooge is on stage and walking the event with different ghosts. Here he is with the ghost of Christmas past:

Some ladies sitting around the local drinking pub:

Mason and Wyatt loved the food....especially the sweet nuts....that is pretty much all they ate for the day :)

To my surprise Mason really enjoyed watching the dancers.

The merry go round was all safari animals. Instead of being held to the ground like modern day ones this one suspends from the air, and has plush animals to sit on. As the kids go around the "safari leaders" would toss a foam rock up the air and warn the kids of "falling rocks". It was ridiculously over priced, but Mason loved it!

Here is scrooge with Christmas present watching some dancing.

By this point Wyatt was done. When Wyatt is done, the day is pretty much over. There is not much convincing this child that there is more fun to be had. He does love Santa, but his patience for pictures, even with mom was over :(

UPDATES :)

2011-12-17T21:14:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a year plus since I last posted. Guess I have been a little bit busy. Here is the quick version of what has been going on in our lives since the last post.

I am a birth doula. I absolutely LOVE it. I have met some amazing families who have blessed me by allowing me to be present while they became a new family. I also realized that too much of anything is too much. So I am limiting myself to one client a month. It isn't that the births themselves are the hard work, that is what I LOVE. It is all the interviews, and meetings that need to be held on nights and weekends, which is MY family time. So limiting myself allows me to be fully present for those families and also for my family.
I am now teaching Hypnbobabies Classes. Check out my website! I wanted to be able to really get to know the families I work with, and also really prepare them for what they going to encounter while bringing their new baby into this world. Deciding what class to teach I thought would be really easy but it wasn't. There were so many classes out there that seemed like not a great match for me, or were missing just a few elements that I deemed essential. However when I came across this class series it was a great fit.
I am still an Occupational Therapist. I found a great little community hospital where I could treat patients who really needed it, and not have my clinical decisions dictated by the all mighty dollar. I don't know patients payer sources, I provide the treatments that my patients need. I wish I could be a stay at home mom. That just isn't in the cards now. But I know that my time away from the family is worthwhile.
The boys are amazing. Mason is 3-- he is sensitive and detail oriented. He loves building things and following directions and really understanding stories. He is also getting adventurous and love running so fast, jumping, and loves his soccer classes. Wyatt is 19 months old now. He is our emotional, opinionated, and fiery one. He is funny and silly and the instigator of all kinds of mischief in our house. It is so funny how two children really require two totally different types of parenting!

We have been so so busy doing so many fun things lately. Hopefully I will be better about posting those things, and be on here in the next couple of days to show them!

Mason's first haircut!

2010-08-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

He could have gone longer without one, but he had some very long curls going on behind his ears and on top of his head. At "school" he has even gotten pony tails put in his hair (by request) when the girls were getting their hair done too. So today was the day. I googled and found a place that looked like a lot of fun. We settled on lions and tigers and hair.

When we walked in they had Mason play for a while to get comfortable. Train tables, a tunnel type playing area with big wooden blocks and trucks, and a play kitchen in back.

Here he is getting in the chair, not looking so sure of what is going on.

Magic cape going on, and a fun basket of toys - Elmo, bob the builder, and many i didn't recognize:

At first they cut off they big curls so that we could save them:

Eventually Mason ignored the cutting and got to playing with the stuff in the basket

We got a certificate:

And the finished product:

(check back...he is napping right now)

The start to Mason's 2nd Birthday

2010-08-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

Mason work up asking to play with trains. So we figured this was the perfect time to give him half of his presents...since they were trains! He understands opening presents now, but he does ask for help in getting them started.

Wyatt was very interested in what Mason was doing. Mason was happy to show Wyatt his toys, but did not want to give Wyatt one to play with. Oh the fun of sharing that will develop once Wyatt starts reaching for and wanting toys.

Mason is opening his new Thomas back pack that was picked out at The day out with Thomas

Proud backpack owner trying it out...although he is reluctant to put things in it yet. He is still carrying his treasures in his hands.

Mason's favorite breakfast food...and well food in general is waffles. So this being a birthday breakfast it needed a little embellishment: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sprinkles, a little vanilla ice cream, and of course syrup. We put a candle on top and sang happy birthday. I was getting ready to tell him how to blow out the candle, and he did it on his own without any prompting!

Here is the birthday boy enjoying his wonderful birthday breakfast. And with a breakfast like this, who has time to use a fork?

This is the first birthday that we celebrated where it has felt like it has been understood. I don't know if Mason gets that this day is the day he was born - but he understands that today is about him and special. It is so wonderful to be able to make him smile and laugh with something as simple as sprinkles. It makes me so sad for the kids out there who don't have this ability to have parents to make them laugh and celebrate and love them. All of the kids who are waiting for adoptive or foster homes.

A day out with Thomas!

2010-08-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

A while ago i heard about a couple of really neat train events, and Mason was mildly interested in trains then. We signed up for the day out with Thomas thinking it would be fun...well he has since gotten a train table and become obsessed with Thomas. This was probably one of the best ways we could have kicked off his birthday week! If you haven't heard of it check out A day out with Thomas and the venue where it was held Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton, CA (Santa Cruz mountains) which is a great place to go to ride trains, even when Thomas isn't visiting. We are thinking of going camping and taking the train from the redwoods to the boardwalk!

My parents came up from Monterey to meet us. Mason is just short of two years old here, and Wyatt is 11 weeks, yes he is huge - almost off the charts and bigger than many 6 month olds. For 30 minutes after Thomas pulls into the station you are able to pose for photos with him, and of course we did!

In addition to riding Thomas they had all kinds of stations set up!

The stick your face into a silly picture station:

The ever popular face painting, Mason's first

Not too shockingly, train tables. I was shocked however at how all the toddlers who did not know each other shared the trains and got along with each other.

There was an art station with coloring book type papers to color/paint, and they had stamps to use...on yourself of course!

They had an electric train set up:

Sir Toppenhat was there, looking a bit strange if I do say so:

Then the main event. We were in the very last car, and the only covered car. While you are on the train they give you a Jr. Conductor certificate! Mason loved the 25 minute ride through the redwoods:

We skipped the temporary tattoo station because there was a line, and honestly Mason didn't have any skin available to get one :) I don't have a picture of the BARN that was turned into a store. They had everything Thomas you could imagine. It worked out perfectly for us since a certain little man has his second birthday coming up.

Mason had his first creamsicle that his Grandpa bought him. Mason wasn't too sure of this whole cold thing.But to be fair he is getting his molars in and his teeth are sensitive now.

and here is Wyatt enjoying a full belly

On our way out we had to sit on the inflatable Percy, who Mason knows by name.

So all in all, it was an awesome day. I highly recommend it to parents of all toddlers - both boys and girls will enjoy it, but especially Thomas fans. We spent probably about 4 hours there, but you could do it in 2 or 6. We for sure will be back for this next year, and we may even be visiting roaring camp before Thomas comes back.

In case you forget our birth order

2010-07-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

I'm the big brother. I have a shirt to prove it. I also like to yell alot these days:

I'm the little brother, my shirt says so.

We like hanging out together:

Cheese Factory

2010-07-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

Looking for a small adventure today we headed out to the cheese factory, about 15 minutes from my house.

They have a grassy picnic area and a lake - perfect for a two year old to explore and run around for an hour or two. It was so nice out there today, quiet and breezy!

I have no idea if these wheels have any use in cheese making- but they are on a pivot of some sort, and on a cement track. Mason enjoyed pushing them around, and walking along the track:

Then we headed over the lake area. We walked across a bridge, played on fallen logs, heard crows cawing, and ran up and down hills:

Since Wyatt is always attached to me in the Moby he doesn't get in too many photos of our adventures:

Mason kept saying choo-choo and I had no idea why...until I looked at the shape of this tank. He learned today that this is a propane tank. But I can see how through his eyes it would be a train car...right shape!

Cloth Diapers

2010-07-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

BumGenius - our current diaper!

When I was pregnant with Mason I did lots of research on cloth diapers and hybrids. I even bought G diapers. But as a first time mom just leaving the house and diapering my kid in general seemed like a large task. So the environment had to suffer - because the thought of poop that I couldn't throw away was just too much.

When Wyatt was born I reconsidered my options. I realized that I was more organized and could handle the cloth. So we bought Bum Genius diapers. I have two different styles. One is called an all in one - it is sized to fit and has the cloth insert sewn in. It is very easy to use I never have to touch the wet cloth. However I have to buy specific diapers for both boys as they are not in the same size range. The second is one size fits all. This works well because it can go on both kids - but the inserts must be inserted by hand and pulled out when they are "ucky" as Mason says. So my current stash in 6 Large diapers for Mason 6 small diapers for Wyatt and 6 one sizes. Wyatt goes through the supply of his and the one sizes. I could probably use another set of 6 one size diapers. THat will have to wait until I go back to work.

Washing them is pretty easy, but to be fair I have an HE washer that is all high tech. I just push buttons and it will run 3 cycles for me. You need to pre-wash in cold to remove the solids, then you wash in Hot water with 1/3 as much detergent as suggested by manufacturer, and then you do an extra wash. Why you ask? because detergent build up will decrease absorbency of diapers. With my current supply of 18 diapers for two boys i need to wash them about every other day. If i bought more diapers then this would obviously decrease.

I am not full time cloth diapering. When we go out often I put the boys in disposables (we use Seventh Generation). Honestly it is because i haven't bought a wet bag for my diaper bag yet. Also it is because cloth diapers do need to be changed more often. And when Mason is at day care twice a week he uses disposables too. I also use disposables at night, to avoid leaks and waking kids.

Have you all caught on to Diapers.com? For my seventh generation they are about 30% off and I get free 2 day shipping. Can't beat that.

Wyatt smiles

2010-07-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

He started smiling at 6 weeks, and it took me two weeks to capture it on camera:

Rush Creek Tot Hike

2010-07-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

This morning was a fun story time at the library today. Mason's attention at these things is hit or miss. Some days he is into it, and some days he has a 15 minute attention span (the program is 30 minutes) . Today was the latter. Thank goodness he loves the hand stamps and can be cajoled along to get those.

This afternoon we needed to get out of the house, and I thought I would try out a pretty flat walk that I use to do with my dogs all the time Rush Creek. We left the stroller behind because a tired toddler is a good toddler, and Wyatt and I rocked the MOBY WRAP.

It was so fun walking at Mason's speed and seeing what he sees, and learns. He was actually looking for butterflies today- and he told me so by saying and signing! We learned our sign at Kindermusik, and it is so awesome to see him still use it to communicate. He also is talking in 3 word sentences very often - on this walk he was telling me "I threw rocks" - and it was into the tall grasses which is an approved activity in our family. He also now tells me "I got _____". Him using "I" is an accomplishment as he has been talking in the third person for quite some time referring to himself as "MayMace". Just this week we have been working on asking nicely "May i please ________", he needs to be fed about half of the words..but is getting it!

It looked like someone had just been around clearing the trail, and Mason enjoyed playing with the cleared branches:

We gathered rocks and put them into our pockets:

Mason LOVEs to spit. So we have decided that outside it is OK to do so. He takes advantage of this!

Mason telling me "I got rocks" I replied "Yes, you HAVE rocks"

Playing with the long grasses - he wanted to eat them so bad!

Not too far into our walk we found this blackberry bush with tons of ripe berries on it! We stopped and had a snack on the way out and the way in. Mason is a HUGE fan of this activity. Unfortunately with my iPhone you can't see the berries - but be assured they are right behind where Mason is proudly posed.

And here is the resultant berry mustache:

All in all a great day! We will repeat this walk again, probably quite often!

Guess Who!

2010-07-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Guess which one is Mason and which is Wyatt:

Pizza Night

2010-07-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to be one of those families with game and movie nights. So we have started doing homemade pizza and movie night..once so far. Mason is a great helper at eating ingredients faster than they can be put on the pizza, and the movie lasted about 20 minutes before he lost interest....but it was fun. I don't know that we will do it every Friday - but maybe once a month or so!

Adding the cheese:

Adding the toppings:

The finished product:

We got into jammies before the movie just in case Mason fell asleep during the movie. He got bored before that happened...but he did insist on his rain boots being a part of his movie watching attire. Quite a nice look I think:

Snuggling with Dad while watching Cars:

How does Mason get along with Wyatt?

2010-07-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

I keep getting asked how the boys get along, and how Mason feels about his brother. Here is a photo answer to that question.

More Tahoe

2010-07-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

In our family both Kurt and I have a camera, and both go along and shoot the same series of events...i don't like this system but it is a battle i have not yet won. So here are some of the Tahoe highlights that came from his camera.

Our second night in Tahoe we all went out to the toll house store to get some fresh baked cookies. Mason said he wanted to walk, and Wyatt had been asleep in his car seat. However things change quick when you are parents to an almost 2 year old and a 6 week old! Wyatt woke up and wanted to be held...Mason was walking a but slowly while eating his cookie and it started to rain....so into the infant seat he went. He never seemed to notice that he was about a year and a half too big for this seat.

On our way to get cookies we found this hand chair sitting outside a spa. What almost two year old boy could resist sitting in it? Well, certainly not this one! What a cutie!

Baby Body

2010-07-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

I know when I hear other mom's who have just had kids complain about how they look I roll my eyes. You just brought a new life into the world...of course you look different. That said, spending three days in a bathing suit in Tahoe was not good for my self esteem. In photos of me and the boys i see the belly rolls before I see what is going on in the photos

After I had Mason I told myself for an entire year that my body had "just" given birth and that it was just a matter of time. Then I got pregnant again.
It's not a matter of weight..that is the same as before Wyatt. But I am in jeans that are 2-3 sizes bigger than before. I have basically no muscle tone anywhere in my body. So this time, 2 months after having Wyatt, it is time to get in shape.

After coming home from Tahoe I was watching TV and on came an infomercial for P90X. Those of you who know me know that I am a sucker for good marketing. I wanted to try it and have 6 pack abs in 90 days. I felt ridiculous for wanting it. I posted something similar on facebook, and was shocked to hear that people had positive things to say. Before I spent $120 I figured it would be good to prove that I would follow through with this. So I went to my on demand exercise TV and chose a 25 minute Jillian Michaels program. I figured this would be easy - I am out of shape - but 25 minutes would be do -able. I was wrong. I couldn't get through it. And the following day i was sore.

So starts project get my body back. I don't expect to be in the shape I was when i got married and could spend 2 hours at the gym everyday..but I do want to be healthy and toned. So, when I can get through a silly 25 minute workout of jumping jacks and push ups without taking a break i will splurge on the TV infomercial and spend 90 days confusing my muscles.

Trip to Tahoe!

2010-07-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Some friend's of my in laws had a time share in Tahoe for a week, and didn't want to go for that long! So we got to go to the awesome Marriott's Timber Lodge at Heavenly in South Shore.for free. From Novato to South Shore it only took us 4 hours (with an hour stop for lunch). It was gorgeous - we had a bedroom and separate living area that had a full kitchen complete with washer and dryer! The resort layout is awesome within a 5 minute walk we had a grocery store, spa, movie theater, restaurants, coldstone, and toll house cookie shop. Perfect for us! I forgot to take photos...but here is one of the boys snuggling on the super comfy bed.

Having an almost 2 year old and 7 week old with us, we skipped the bike riding, horseback riding and river rafting that I am used to in a Tahoe summer vacation. Instead we spend the mornings at the beach digging in the sand, making sand castles, and playing the VERY cold lake.

Then we would head back to the hotel for lunch and nap time for the boys, during which Kurt and I watched rented movies..we saw "It's Complicated" and "My best friend's girl". Great chick flicks and thoroughly enjoyed by us!

The afternoons were very overcast, but still warm. So we would head down to the pool - which is heated to 85 degrees year round! In addition to the adult pool there is a kiddie pool and 3 separate hot tubs. As you can see Mason loved the pool and water:

For dinner two out of three nights we went the restaurant at the hotel: Fire and Ice . Not because it was convenient but because it was DELICIOUS and awesome.

You walk in get a bowl and pick all the raw ingredients that you want: Meat, Veggies, Noodles, Sauces

Then you take your ingredients to the cooks/chefs/ entertainers who slice, dice and throw things in the air. All the items in your bowl get laid out in a line on the grill along with a ton of other people. The cooks put on a show and you get to chat with the other patrons:

Then for dessert you can order S'mores!!!! Crazy fun and delicious..as Mason seemed to agree.

All in all it was a fun and relaxing trip...we hope to go back there when there is snow in the area. None of us ski or snowboard, but it would be so fun to just relax and play in the snow.

I still have some more pics to add...but it is late, so they must wait.

Guess Who!

2010-06-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Both boys at 6 weeks, can you tell who is on the left and who is on the right?? I will take more in the same outfits..i think this is a fun game!

Library and Cookie Time Wednesday!

2010-06-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

So as previously mentioned I LOVE being home with Mason and Wyatt. When I was home on maternity leave for the month before Wyatt was born, I looked forward to the days that Mason went to school. I was so huge and uncomfortable and wasn't able to be energetic or play with Mason, and my patience was very short. It made me worried that in general my passion for being with my kids was gone.

However, after losing 20 pounds in the 2 days after having Wyatt, and another 10 in the following week - i found that as i felt great, my enjoyment of being mom was back, and more than ever! I love being with them so much that part of me weans to pull Mason from his school so i can spend more time with him and save money to boot. But he is settled there, loves it, and it gives him some big boy time with kids his age - as well as Wyatt and I some time to be alone - and for the time being to run errands too!

One of our pretty consistent routines is to go to story time at the Novato library on Wednesday mornings. Getting two kids ready for leaving the house by 9:30 is a little hectic. Two diapers changed, one diaper bag packed, one baby nursed, two sets of clothes on and shoes on. And yes, i need to be dressed and have shoes on too. We sing songs, have books read to us, and do some dances with Librarian Carla.

But we aren't done there! After story time we go to the bakery across the bridge. They give the kids a free "library cookie" Mason loves it because there are sprinkles on it! I get an almond croissant. However today was a special day! Grandpop-pop came over and so did Dad - their office is just next door! and when mason looked in the display case there were cupcakes with green frosting and a football on top. How could we say no...here is what happened with poor cupcake

Playing in the sprinklers

2010-06-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

It was so hot today. The plan had been to go to the beach for the first time...but I was feeling under the weather and decided with only half energy that it wasn't fair to adventure out. BUT when we were watering the lawn tonight Mason decided it would be fun to run through. Most days when he "helps" mom set them up he gets upset with the cold water getting on him. But today was hot enough that loved them

Discovery Kingdom Outing

2010-06-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

About a week ago we took a trip to Vallejo to enjoy Discovery Kingdom - when i was younger it was called Marine World - and i loved this place! Present day version did not disappoint. We have season passes that paid for themselves in just one visit - score!

We started off with the elephant show and arrived just in time to see the star getting herself ready:

The boys had matching outfits for the occasion.. I know it is pathetic, but for as long as they are willing and they are in the same size category I can't help myself!

Unknown to yours truly they even have a Thomas the train town there - Mason was in love. we took a ride on the train, but didn't make it to all the rides because Mason found the Harold the Helicopter ride! Now here is the thing...Mason doesn't watch TV. He doesn't know these characters except that he just got a train table and Grandpa Jim just sent him a Harold the Helicopter figure. Since this outing he has seen one or two shows and couldn't believe his friends are on TV.

We only scratched the surface, but needless to say we will be back - it was a hit and only 30 minutes from our house!

Career Change?

2010-06-24T21:02:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo of Mason reaching up to hold onto Wyatt during a walk. He pretty much always wants to hold his hand when they are both in their stroller

I have always wanted to stay at home with my kids to capture these kind of moments...but my salary and benefits have been safe and needed. When i was on maternity leave with Mason i loved hugging and holding him and couldn't imagine leaving him with someone else so i could work. But i did. And now that i am home with Wyatt and Mason i love the cuddling and hugging - but i love seeing mason interact with his world, i love having fun with him, and i love building a relationship with him that honestly i can't do in the same way on just the weekends. I can't make what I make working at a restaurant at night, or most other hourly jobs so I have felt a bit trapped for the past year of so doing what i do. Kurt could find a more stable job - but we both believe in Real Estate turning around - his earning power is limitless potentially, and giving that up for a temporary change doesn't seem to make sense.

For a number of reasons I am not going to be returning to my old job when i go back to work. That gives me some flexibility in timing about when i go back to work, it has also given me a chance to explore other options.

Since i gave birth to Mason I have wanted to be a doula (birth attendant or coach). For both of my birth experiences my doula Kari made my birth experience possible. She has become a friend, and member of my family as only someone who has gone through that with me can. I want to be able to provide that experience to other women. She let me push my body past what i was convinced were it's limits. She provided comfort, compassion - and i could trust her. But, this is not a sales pitch for her :)

So the question is do I return to what I was doing but for a different company - a job and industry that I have lost a passion for and have become a bit disillusioned with but that provides for my family, or take a leap for a change?

I think that answer is both. I will do the training to be a doula, and work "on call" in my previous field as much as i need to to pay the bills. With the hope that as the doula work increases that my on call status could decrease. Being a doula you only work a few nights/days a week depending on how many clients you take and how long their births take.

But a change is scary, and letting go of a career that I was very good at is a bit daunting. But to be able to spend time with my kids - that is so worth it!

Catching up

2010-06-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

I knew I was behind in my blogging, but didn't realize it was 6 months behind!! So much has happened - trip to Disneyland, moving back into our house, and a new baby was born!

Wyatt James vonHartmann Engel was born May 15, 2010 at 6:45 am. He was 9lbs 7oz, and 21.75 inches long. He was born after 7 intense hours of labor without any medication. It was the birth i had hoped for and wanted and only able to be acomplished because of my wonderful doula Kari who has become not just a friend, but like family to me!

Here is Wyatt about 5 hours after being born:

Although we got to come home 12 hours after Wyatt was born, we didn't have Mason come home that night. The next morning Mason got to meet his brother. He had his choice of Wyatt and a present on the bed. He chose to unwrap his truck, gave some of the wrapping paper to "baby" and then wanted to hold and hug Wyatt. They have been buds ever since!

I was terrified of being home alone with both boys - but I have been loving it, they are great together for the most part - and fun! And Mason is a great big brother, and loves Wyatt. Here is a picture of me and my little monkeys!

As i get more time with both boys napping at the same time i will try to go back and post some of the fun things we have done, before and since Wyatt has come!

Weekend in the CIty

2009-12-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

We decided to start a new family tradition this year of spending a night in San Francisco during the Christmas season. We booked a hotel room at the Grand Hyatt, and loved it! We did it because my energy level is pretty low these days, mason's attention span is short these days, and we thought that over the years it might be a fun thing for us to do as a family!

The view from our room - this isn't the best shot, but we could see coit tower, the bay, and Alcatraz - it was gorgeous!

The tree in the lobby of the Hyatt:

So we really wanted to go a nice restaurant in the city for dinner. But, with a 16 month old, we realized that Rainforest Cafe is fun, nice, and no one cares if he gets a little bored. Plus, we were in the fish room so he got to watch fish all night, which seems to be one of his favorite pastimes

It rained most of the first day we were in the city, but by the evening after dinner it was actually

really nice. So we decided to take a walk through union square. There were many carolers in the square, people ice skating and it was just super christmassey!

Inside of Macys it was nice and empty, we were able to shop for our 50% off ornaments, and get some cute pics too!

Sunday when we woke up Mason was feeling silly with his PJ's. We went over and tried to see Santa. But after being in line for an hour and not moving, and hearing 3 moms get upset about how they had waited an hour after seeing Santa to get their photo CD's (so they can print their own copies....which we wanted too), we decided to call it a day and head home!

Horse Drawn Carriage Ride!

2009-12-08T21:27:00.001-08:00

For the past 4 years Kurt and I have always said we wanted to do a horse drawn carriage ride when we have seen it go down the street. And this year we did. It was a 6 person carriage so we got some of our friends to go with us. It was a VERY cold night, but tons of fun. It was an hour long ride looking at lights, even the christmas house! and at the end mason and the other kiddos got to feed the horses carrots. SO FUN!!!!!

Snow in Novato

2009-12-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

It has been so cold the past couple of nights that it has snowed in Novato on the mountain tops!

Setting up the Christmas tree

2009-12-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

So we got a 7.5 foot tree from Target of all places. Maybe next year we will cut our own tree. But in any event, Mason was quite the helper with setting up the tree:

And he loved the finished product:

Mom's idea of cute..........

2009-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

THis is what happens when Mom goes shopping the day after thanksgiving at Gymboree with the 30% sale and a 20% off coupon...
As a side note Mason has never wanted a pacifier - but when he is playing every once in a while he will find one and decide he likes it for a few minutes.

Mason's first starbucks

2009-12-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

We got up and out this past Saturday to pick out our christmas tree, but first we made a stop at starbucks. As we stood in line we decided to buy an non-hot-chocolate for mason. In starbucks terms this is a "kids hot chocolate 100 degrees. As you can see Mason loved it!

Halloween

2009-12-02T21:02:00.001-08:00

Again, sorry for the delay!

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch to get a pumkin which today remains uncarved:

For Halloween Mason was a monkey and we were zoo keepers! Mason didn't fully understand trick-or-treating. He understood that you go up to houses, knock, they give a small thing that you drop into a bag, and mom and dad clap.

Little Monkey Cooking:

I'm Back!

2009-12-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it has been a while since I have posted here, so I will try to update you on all the fun things that have been going on. I have been absent for a while because since basically the last post I have been pregnant! I am due May 17 2010 with a new little ENgel.

But back to Mason: We went to a bithday party where mason got to ride his first pony - and he LOVED it!

He is signing for "More" at the end of the ride:

We took another trip to Monterey to see Grandma Penny and Grandpa Jim, and to go to the aquarium to see the great white shark that was there. It wasn't all that impressive - but neat to be able to say that we saw it. We did time it just right to see the fish feeding at the outer bay exhibit. That was really neat to see the Mahi Mahi turn gold as they eat!

I like to sit in things

2009-09-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Mason for the past couple of days has been practicing climbing into and sitting in various containers: baskets with and without toys, his inverted drum, this box - pretty much anything that will hold him. He will sit there for quite a while, often times piling toys onto himself. Today he decided to read a book, even if it was upside down.

Kindermusik Birhtday Party

2009-08-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Birthday dinner at Rainforest cafe

2009-08-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

for mason's first birthday, on the actual day we went to the rainforest cafe and were sitting in the fish room. he loved it, and we did too!

oh no!

2009-08-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Mason had been playing with his cars, when one flipped over--

Peek a boo

2009-08-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Visit to the Zoo

2009-08-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

THe SF zoo all in all is a bit sad and depressing..small cages, none of the animals that i remember growing up like elephants.....but for Mason it is fun....and who doesn't love your baby as an animal pics!

Fun in the fountain

2009-08-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

It was such a hot day, and the mall at corte madera has fountains...so we were off to play in them. How do you keep an almost one year old from not getting full on in? I have no idea - and he loved being in the water, so i let him get him. you can se the water shooting out of the frog's mouth, as he put his hand on it he would manage to redirect the water and shoot other kids in the fountain with water and even people walking past - and most importantly himself in the face!

Watching this video back i could see my terrible parenting skills - removing him and then letting get back in....and although i didn't want him shooting other people, i was a bit rough in the taking his hand out of the stream...

learning opportunities....

Cal Acadmey of sciences

2009-08-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

I had a day off from work and so mason and i went to the cal academy - so fun

Cruising with the baby walker!

2009-08-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

look at the big boy walking with his car! ok....this is from a month and a half ago, but i am catching up on my blogs!

Mason's first visit to the monterey aquarium

2009-08-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

These are not floating leaves....but seadragons! Both of my (hattie) parents live in monterey and on the most recent visit we mentioned we wanted to go to the aquarium, that we though mason would like it now. Like it, he loved it. He is very into fish and birds, and there were plenty - as well as the AMAZING seahorse exhibit. we went on both days we were down there we loved it so much! there is lots of hands on, so much fun stuff to play with!

Here is video of the seahorses:

and of the seadragons that i am so enthralled with:

My favorite food.....

2009-08-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

is chicken salad that mommy makes

Happy Father's Day Kurt!

2009-06-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

Kurt is the who stays home with Mason during the day (grandma bonnie helps out a few hours a day too). He doesn't just stay at home and work while mason plays on his own. Kurt plays with Mason, sings to him, dances with him. Kurt teaches mason sign language, and how to clap and dance. Kurt takes Mason to kindermusik every week, and also on fun field trips to exotic locations like brokers opens.
Kurt doesn't just stay with mason during the day because it saves us money, or because right now it makes more sense for me to work - although those are two true statements, kurt stays with mason during the day because he loves it and he loves his son. The two of them are pals and have so much fun together. When i walk in the door Mason is excited to see me - but that is boobie effect. Seeing Mason and his dad together you can tell they are a team. As soon as mason can talk they will have inside jokes, and secrets to keep from me.
Kurt also has the difficult task of balancing all the guilty mommy musts in throughout day - must have two naps, must have a certain number of bottles, must not watch tv, must have cute matching clothes on. and then when i get home, he is off to work to try to finish what he didn't get done in the morning - but always home in time to be there and give mason his bath.
You would think that being the full time parent and working, when night came he would be glad to be off duty. However he takes the night shift too. Ok, maybe partly because when the monitor starts going off I don't hear it to wake up. and maybe partly because if i do wake up i literally bounce off the walls on the way to mason's room and back. (i don't wake up easy or well). But every night or morning (depending on how lucky we are) when mason wakes up kurt goes and gets him, and brings him to me so i can nurse him.
On my bad days i am jealous and sad that i don't get to be one with Mason during the day, that i can't be a stay at home mom and love on mason full time. But on the good days and most of the time I feel so lucky that mason has a father who is so present in his life, who is in love with him, and enjoys spending time with him.

To celebrate our first father's day we went to the academy of sciences. Mason LOVED it. He couldn't get close enough to the open top aquarium tanks - he would have jumped in if we let him. And we got to take a look at the albino alligator - i think that thing was around when i was a little kid. We had so much fun, but are looking forward to going back on a day when there aren't quite so many people around, holiday weekend makes for quite a few people out!

Mason's 1st music video

2009-06-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Since mason was about 5 weeks old we have been going to kindermusik. at first it was because i had cabin fever and needed to get out of the house, and now it is because he loves it. he has learned so much about rhythm, movement, motor skills and he watches the older kids to figure out what to do. it is so fulfilling to see him as on of the "big kids" crawling around, and interacting with others. it is also sad, to see him grow up and not be my baby anymore. i remember having him as a floppy newborn sitting on my lap just watching. However to be honest - i see this very rarely, Kurt is the one who gets to take him almost every week. i get to go just every once in a while when work is real slow and i can sneak away for an hour or two. it breaks my heart to not be there for his every new discovery - but kurt gets to see and report back. anyway.... Mason loves just about every instrument he can get his hands on, and will figure out a way to make most toys an instrument. the most recent addition is his xylophone. even since it has joined the toy box, it is the first one to be played with every day.

Novato Art and Wine Festival

2009-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite events all year long, being able to stroll the street, look at the art vendors and drink wine or beer - and eat. it is just a wonderful event. Last year i was 9 months pregnant and it was so hot, it was actually the weekend of my baby shower last year, that i could only make it two blocks and decided to go home. This year it was cold and i wore a sweatshirt. Murphy's law. But this year i have my little monkey!

Mason can dance

2009-06-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

He has been in music classes since he was 5 weeks old...and he can boogy and get down like the best of them! this is not the best example of his dancing - but it is what i have now

How Big is Mason?

2009-06-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

When we were at the picnic at the cheese factory my Aunt Juli taught mason this trick....it is so cute and he gets on a roll and doesn't want to stop - he gets so proud of himself that he can make us laugh! P.s. i was able to take the movie on my new digital camera that kurt got for me for my birthday! (he got it for me before i decided i wanted a "real" camera) we have a fancy HD video camera - but those files are too big for a blog lol

Photo Shoot results

2009-06-10T23:10:00.001-07:00

One of the members of our church took photos of our family out at the palace of fine arts. there were 115 shots, all of which i loved - but here are a few of the highlights:

you should check her out at mattandkellysummers.com

Going through the shoot, seein how much fun she had, and seeing the result gave me the photography bug....but where to start or what to learn, or what camera to even get? i need one for my birthday and was going to get a cheap $100 digital - but maybe i should get a "good" one? HMMMM.........

Bay Area Discovery Museum / 10 months old

2009-06-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

The first Wednesday of every month the Bay Area Discovery Museum is free. All the good, free, fun stuff is always on the weekdays - and as a working mom i tend to miss all those types of things. But i have a ton of paid time off, around 2 weeks, so what better day to take off than a day where Mason and i can have all kinds of fun? We spent the majority of our time in the "tot room" but this place is massive. The next time i go i will join - it is well worth it for a year of fun. Here are some of the highlights:

Cheese Factory Picnic

2009-06-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

Kurt and I are always looking for fun things to do with our little monkey, which use to be so easy when he was a passive observer. However now that he is active and either wants to be always on the go or in the ergo snuggled up to one of us it can be a bit challenging. One day we were out at the Cheese Factory, of curse we arrived just as it was closing, and we thought what a fun spot it would be to invite people out for a picnic - with wine!

Of course the date we picked was overcast and a little on the cold side - but with a sweat shirt on it was fun. We had some new friends from kindermusik there and some friends that we have known for a while - it is so fun to get to know new friends, and reconnect with friends we have known for a while. Since moving to marin i have struggled with meeting new friends, and really connecting with people. I have found that having a child is a great reason to meet people!

Mason and his great Aunt Juli:

The fun that 5 babies can have with a picnic basket:

Mason and his friend Harry, from Kindermusik:

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

It seems as Mason gets older our weekends get busier...which i love - but it seems like my time with him, with my baby, just watching him be who he is, is getting shorter. I don't know what the answer is, because i love doing things with him - but i love the quiet of just watching him. It really hit me this weekend that he has a personality, he is growing up and has likes and dislikes, he is not my tiny infant anymore. I suspect that part of it is living with the in laws, and needing some time as a family of 3 - that we look for many opportunities to be out and about. We will find the way to balance better. Learning to be parents and to be a family has such a huge learning curve!

Saturday started with swimming lessons, and then some friends of ours organized a family picnic as Howarth Park in Santa Rosa http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/departments/recreationandparks/programs/howarthpark/Pages/default.aspx. For those of you in northern California who have not checked it out...you need to. It is a kids wonderland. it has picnic areas with BBQs that you can reserve, a lake with boats to rent, a train, a carousel, pony rides, a killer park with a water play area. Tickets for the train and carousel were like $2/ adult. it was so much fun. Much of it mason just watched. the carousel he thought was fun for about 30 seconds of moving- but then wanted to be held instead of ride on the horse going up and down. the train ride he slept through. But it was well worth the drive to santa rosa!

Sunday we ended up skipping church - we just needed some downtime. then it was off to a friend's son's baptism and party...and family portraits at the palace of fine arts. We had wanted to get married there - but it was under construction. we wanted to take our engagement photos there - but see previous problem. so with an almost 10 month old we took the photos of our dreams thanks to our friend kelly. http://www.mattandkellysummers.com/ . It was so cold and windy out there. Mason was trooper. He didn't get to bed until 9pm - poor kiddo.

Monday we went to the zoo!!! and we became members of the zoo too. if we go just 2 more times this year it will pay for itself. surely in the next year we will go twice. I can't believe that we are such parents and adults and are members now. I didn't know how much Mason was going to be aware of what we were doing and what he was seeing. He was completely aware. he pointed at and watched the animals. In the petting zoo he touched and petted everything that would stand still for a 9 1/2 month old to do so.

9 months old

2009-05-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

May 5th Mason was 9 months old, weighing a big 20.3 pounds. I was pregnant for 42 weeks - which according to my math is more than 10 months old, but the medical community says that is 9 months. It felt like i was pregnant FOREVER! Mason has been in my life for 9 months now, and it has gone so fast. He is eating pretty much what we eat - thai, burritos, everything except for honey and peanuts! He is crawling up on his hands and knees, he can pull himself to stand and cruise on furniture for a few steps. He "swims" underwater. He has slept through the night for 7 nights in a row at most. He has 4 teeth, with more on their way in. And with about 90% accuracy he will say NANA for bannana. yes his first word, the most exciting thing in his life is a food item....sigh.

I wish i could stay home with him. I wish that i could work less than i do. But desire #1 isn't an option, and try as i might i can't get option #2 to work out for me. But that is a work in progress, and in this currenty economy i just can't say no to an awesome job that is flexible for my own needs. I just know that before i realize it he will be in school and all grown up.

I want to have more babies - but then Mason wouldn't be THE baby anymore - he would have to grow up. But the longer i wait, the more difference in age the two of them will have!?!?!?!?!

Swim Lessons

2009-04-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

When Mason was first born i started researching what kinds of things a baby can do, and how old you have to be to do certain activities. Swim lessons were 6 months, gymnastics is a year old, soccer is 3 years old. Well, as has become normal for my life...i found out how to sign up and 2 months later finally got my act together and registered. So at 8 months we started classes. I had no idea what to expect at baby swim lessons. it was advertised for mommy and me, for 6-18 month olds. We showed up and there were 4 of us - and i was the only mom in the water. Which is highly unusual for baby activites - generally it mom's who do all of the activities. One baby girl is 6 months old and cute as a button. The other two boys in class are no where near 18 months old. One has got to be 6 years old. oh well. It was super fun! And Mason is fearless when it comes to water. we had these games to play - put baby on your chest, kick his legs and have him move forward so he learns that kicking makes him go forward......which means there were 4 adult walking backwards in a tiny section of pool trying not to run into each other. The whole time Mason was laughing, and splashing and didn't care when water got in his face or eyes.

3 months worth of catch up

2009-03-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

December 20th is the last time i wrote. So much has happened!

I went back to work. I still wish i didn't have to work. Pumping 3x/day is intense and takes up an hour of my work day. I hate that i don't get to see every thing happen with him. But, the more i get use to work, the less i resent it. ANd i love the look on his face when i come home.

He is eating 3 meals a day and even some non-mashed banannas and pears

He sits up

He started crawling - in an army creeping sort of a way, and the tv remote is the most crawled towards item.

He has three teeth in various states of coming in.

First Solid Food

2008-12-20T01:22:00.000-08:00

I REALLY wanted to wait until he was 6 months old to try solid food. At first this started happening:
At first we attributed it to him just reaching for things in general. Then he started sucking on the glasses we would drink out of. Then finally he started grabbing food out of our hands. So i pulled out the book i had been reading about what and how to feed baby Baby Super Food by Ruth Yaron. http://www.amazon.com/Super-Baby-Food-Ruth-Yaron/dp/0965260313/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229902032&sr=8-1
I would have liked to make my own rice cereal, but apparently until 6 months old he isn't ready for that. so, reluctantly at 4.5 months we tried some commercial rice cereal. He couldn't get enough of it!

Day two i pushed the envelope and made it too thick and it just wasn't happy for anyone. Two more days of cereal and we get to move on to either sweet potatoes, avocado, or bananas. hmmm.....decisions!

Bedtimes

2008-12-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

Upon becoming a mom I discovered that I have hippie tendencies - no offense to the hippies out there at all, because i am becoming one of you. I tried to have an unmedicated birth (made it 18/21 hours), i have only breastfed Mason and hope to continue with that for a year, i prefer a baby sling instead of a baby carrier, i chose only the most important vaccines and excluded most of them, and i like to co-sleep with Mason. However, Mason and i are alike in many ways. We are not morning people, we are cranky when we wake up, and we stretch out while we sleep (and keep in mind there are often 6 of us in the bed). I know he is only 17 pounds but he stretches to take up a HUGE amount of space, and when he is next to me he wants to eat about every 2 hours. We both sleep better when he isn't in the bed. However...... it was a bit of a fight, ok a lot of a fight, to convince Mason that falling asleep in a crib is better than a bed cuddeled up to mom. (it sounds silly but i learned with dogs that what you start at a young age gets continued into adulthood where it is much harder to undo trainings aka, i decided to fight the fight now because it would only get worse when he was more mobile and had more of an opinion)

So I did what I do best, and I took to the internet to reasearch baby sleep. And i decided that i needed a routine for Mason. He needed a bedtime, a bathtime before that, and to read a book, then get fed and be put to sleep drowsy(it took three weeks of hour long bedtimes to get him ok with that). The book just got re-introduced. the first time we tried he had no attention to the book. Last night we started with the books again and he is so into it! he looks at the pictures, reaches for the pages, even turns the pages! He is a book reader!

And he now goes to sleep with little help - if you don't count the sleep sheep, twilight turtle, and rainforest music thingy. But sometimes it takes none of that.

Mason's favorist thing

2008-12-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

Mason loves to roll over to the right. Now here in lies the problem: once you roll over you are on your tummy, which is enjoyable for a short time, but long term isn't his favorite. He can not roll back to his back once he is there. He is thus far a one way roller. Isn't this kinda his first life lessons - sometimes the action is more fun than where you end up, and it isn't always as easy to undo what has been done.

And, he rolled over to the left for the first time today too. My little baby is all growns up!

p.s. i have dogs

2008-12-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

So.......... before the baby(and in the case of Murphy before the hubby) i was a dog lover.

Murphy (in the middle) is my perfect shelter dog from the Monterey Shelter. I went in to get a license, and walked out with him....he would hide under the car when people tried to meet him. you would not know that now, he is a perfect dog - with some minor flaws that i mostly ignore. He is probably part German Shepard, part cattle dog, and whatever else you see in him. I guess that he is 4 years old.

Then came Bentley the golden retriever. I got him when he was 6 weeks, he was born the day that i got Murphy. he is 3 and acts like he is 6 months still....to be fair he is 6 months mentally and the dumbest dog i have ever had. i love him dearly and will always have to have a golden....but he is not too smart. I think he is described best by the words oaf and goof ball.

Then came Hailey. she played flyball, and so did i for a year. i adopted her and we became the 5th home she has had. she is a border collie and crazy as all get up. she runs in circles all day, literally. i could get on my soap box and rant about people that get cute puppies without researching breeds. a dog that is bred to work 8 hours running cattle on a ranch, might not make the best back yard dog. she is 6. i love her but she gets on my last nerve. We will keep her, but some days i dream what my life would be without her crazy habits. you think i am exaggerating but i am not. she is OCD. i have had Friends cry over how sad it is - that normal neglect could turn a dog literally crazy. and of all the border collies i have met she is the mild version.

So that is my dog family. I use to be super active in dog classes, and helped train dogs at the shelter. We even bought our house where we did so i could be close to the off leash trails. They were my first kids. they sleep in our room and sometimes our bed. so yes, for those of you keeping track, that is 6 bodies in one bed or room. good thing kurt LOVES me!

He rolled over

2008-12-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Today we went to a cookie decorating party at our friends house (Don and Alexa)...so fun! And afterwards at home Mason rolled over to the right for the very first time all by himself. He has been doing it with some help/nudging/pushing, but this was his very first time all on his own! He is growing so so much and so quickly too!

A day in San Francisco

2008-12-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

So because it is Christmas, and we live so close to the city we decided to go see the tress and lights and decorated windows. We also wanted a few more photos for our Christmas card. Yes, we just finished it today - so you will be getting yours a little after Christmas - but with oh such cute photos! I have to say, Mason going 3-4 hours between feedings makes my life functional. For example when we parked i fed him, and then spent probably 3 hours window shopping and having fun. and when we got back to the car i fed him again.....but he didn't ask for it. So nice to not be constantly feeding him!

We spent the day in union square. Our first stop was Macy's to see the trees and pick out an ornament. We had gotten this totally adorable and ridiculous Santa outfit for him, and i would say we got 30 comments on it. Here i am helping Mason hold his two ornaments:

In Macy*s they had a whole room of santas....so we had to add Mason to the bunch...like a where's waldo book:

Then as we continued to walk around we kept seeing photo ops.... With a huge bear with Dad,

And a nut cracker with Mom:

It is amazing how many photos are super cute with a baby - i am sure we were bugging everyone in the store who was actually shopping, as we kept stopping and parking the stroller around every cute photo appropriate object.

Then it was on to Neiman Marcus with the 1000 foot tree in the entrance. we had to go UP to get to the perfect photo spot (the rotunda - where on trips without the baby we have had LOVELY lunches before). We would be a bit passive aggressive, start taking photos of each other with Mason and then some nice passerby would offer to take a photo with all three of us.

And of course we took photos with the HUGE 80 foot tree in the center Union Square, with and without the Grinch.

We walked around and saw the windows with all of their decorations. I have to say that the windows weren't quite as grand as previous years. True, we did not go off the square proper to see gumps or some of the other normally wonderful windows. But the ones we saw were a little more quiet. Maybe it is the economy - maybe it is just my child-like remembrance of them? We did go into Tiffany's where they had a tree with tiny blue boxes. Good things did come in small packages this year!All in all it was a great day. No rain, lots of photos. I even ate my very first chestnut - verdict says: soft, mushy and not all that great all in all!

The state of my wardrobe.

2008-12-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

So let's be brutally honest.... I gained 50 pounds with mason from start to finish. In the beginning of the pregnancy i lost weight because i was so sick. so really i gained close to 60 pounds. i don't know how it happened...i didn't eat anything but soy milk protein shakes hardly. i had lost 30 pounds by the time i got home from the hospital. i was lucky if i ate 2 meals a day while i was pregnant. but it happened none the less. More brutal honesty, at my skinniest ever i was a size 4. This happened exactly twice in my life...when i was crazy depressed after a break up and went to the gym 2 hours a day every day, and also for my wedding.

For a month after Mason was born i wore my maternity clothes. But after 4 weeks i just couldn't handle the elastic anymore - oh yes they are comfortable, but i needed to feel human again, and they were just getting TOO big. But being frugal i figured i should try on my old clothes "just to see" before i went and spent money. well here is a lesson....if you have gained 60 pounds and are in the process of loosing it...don't "just see" with your tiniest clothes first. i started with clothes i had worn on my honeymoon. i don't know what i was thinking. Kurt came in during this process and laughed at me, i couldn't get the pants up to my hips. it was funny in a sad sort of way. i was able to salvage some shirts and i think sweat pants. even the jackets and most shirts wouldn't fit over my enormous breast feeding self. So off to gap outlet to find clothes that would fit. i had no idea where to start...i think i brought in like 4 sizes to the dressing room. i knew i was not a size 4 LOL...but not much beyond that. i settled on some VERY tight size 10 pants and size LARGE tops. this was humbling. i think i got 2 pairs of pants total, and 4 t-shirts. i refused to invest in this new size.

Currently 10's didn't fit, they are too big! so i decided to weigh myself. I was back at my pre-baby weight....but my body is just not the same....i Have padding on my hips that i never had before, and the flab just seems to be everywhere. I never had a tight body - but i also never jiggled before quite like this. I am not sad about these things, they are just facts of the current state of being. So i am now in size 8 jeans - barely. it is a tight fit, and they must be air dried! Ok, and being honest - there is a bit of me hanging over the tops. but i am in them.

Today i am going through all my pre-pregnancy looking for a red turtle neck to wear to the city on Saturday. and i am finding all my cute size 4 and 6 clothes. And i am coming to the conclusion that i will probably not wear them again. I just don't have the time that it required to be a size 4....and the 6's - well....i don't have the time for those either. i know i know, it took 10 months to get this way, and it will take that long to get back to normal, and it has only been 4 months. But it isn't just the number of pounds that i am....my body truly is different than ever before. it did the task of a century in carrying and birthing a human - a think that is to be awarded. But it will be awarded in non size 6 ways. Besides, the time and effort that it would take to get to those sizes would be ruined when i have the next baby. That said i just can't bare to part with them. so we have 4 piles of sorting going on:

1. I can wear you now
2. i can't wear you and/or don't want to anyway- you are getting donated
3. Size 6 to be saved "just in case"
4. Size 4 to be saved "in case of body miracle".

you will be proud to know that i did not try on the sizes i knew would not fit -but just put them straight into their correct bin home for safe keeping - just in case.

Size update

2008-12-10T09:11:00.001-08:00

as of 12/3 Mason was 16.6 pounds, 26 inches long.....in the 90th percentiles still!

Trial Run

2008-12-09T23:27:00.001-08:00

SO in order to save my job after the FMLA and California bonding leave, i had to change my official status to per diem, until my return. Somewhere during my leave i had a conversation with my boss and said, if you need help let me know. Weeks later he called me on it....to help train a new manager who needed some TLC. I said sure.
The day before i was going i started feeling mad at myself for agreeing to do this. I have only a finite amount of time to be home with Mason before i must go back to work almost full time...why would i volunteer to be away during this special time? But i had agreed, and a practice run so to speak would be nice. so sunday i had to get bottles ready - defrosted out of the freezer, get the breast pump ready (yes, mason has only had breast milk so far), inform the hubby on mason's schedule - complete with instructions for the gymboree class that he was going to encounter, find clothes that i could wear to work that also fit. My current size 8 jeans weren't going to cut it, nor my pre-pregnancy clothes :(.
SO off to work i was on Monday. Leaving Mason was horrible. It isn't about not trusting my husband...i figured out what mason has needed in these past 4 months and he will be able too. It is about me not being with him. i have only ever left him before for pilates and my 6 week check up. And if i am honest, what if kurt can't figure out what the baby needs? Once at work i have to say it was a blast to be back in the work mind frame. My teaching style has changed so much - things that were once black and white (i tend to be the rule follower) seem not so important when compared to having a child whose future well being depends on me. I still know policies need to be followed, but i don't feel it in my gut like i use to. It was fun to be able to teach, and help someone - to make their life easier. it was wonderful to hear people say i looked good, as if i had never had a baby (flattery will get you places).
So after 2.5 hours at work, and 2 hours of travel time i was back home. And i was a bit hurt to know that mason didn't miss me. he had a hard time napping - but seemed to accept his dad as his caregiver as readily as me. So me going back to work will be ok on him and me. But i still don't want to. Freaking America that gives women 12 weeks off total (including pre-pregnancy time off). we are supposed to nurse our babies for a year. Countries around the world give women a year off - if not paid they at least save your job. we wonder as a civilization why our kids are failing, yet we don't value them enough to let their parents parent them. I digress. I will survive going back to work. so will mason. But it will break my heart. Not being able to be with my little baby and see every aspect of his growth, to not support his every need, to miss things is horrible! oh to be a cavewoman and be able to carry and be with my baby all the time. It just feels like as a mother i was created to feed and care for my baby and by nature of not being with him i can't do that.

I chose to have a family before we were financially free. I knew it meant i would have to go back to work. But that does not make going back any easier. It makes me sick to think about being away from him. Darn this two income society that we have created.....and the lifestyle i chose before i knew what i was choosing. i chose to buy and remodel a house, and have a lavish wedding before i met mason and knew how hard it would be to be apart from him. i figured it was the norm so i would be fine with it. I hate the norm and i am not fine with it.

Please know that i am not judging women who want to work. If that is you, i applaud you. it is important to know your strengths and what makes you and your family healthy. I don't think we all made to LOVE to stay at home.and i think that we have to be happy first before we can be good caregivers. I thought i would be someone who wanted to work, but as it turns out i am not. I just hate not having the option but having to work to survive.

Christmas time is offically here

2008-12-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Kurt said to me, so are we going to go have pictures taken with Santa? It hadn't even occurred to me. But of course we had to! So this morning we showed up at the Village Mall to wait in line at 10, even though Santa didn't make it until 11. We HATE waiting in lines, and not surprisingly we weren't the first ones there. We thought that the Southern Marin Santa was bound to be better than the san rafael version...who knows?!?!

Here we are at 10am waiting in line. Mason loved playing with my furry scarf. It was actually cold enough today for him to need to wear a hat today. My little baby man bear.

Here is Mason with Santa. Because Mason is so little Santa felt ok being his non-santa self and told us he became a father at 67, 9 years ago.....hmmm. Don't worry - we have a better version for the Christmas card, still to come.

After Mason told santa what he wanted Kurt and i went over to the apple store to oogle the apple tvs.....decisions....do we ask Santa for a HD camcorder or an Apple TV? yes, there is quite a price difference. But being able to capture those moments of Mason seems priceless. And the HD, because i don't see us ever buying a non-HD tv from here on out, is probably well worth it.

Next we were off to the chirstmas tree lot. Kurt and i realized that we had never had a tree together. yes, this is our 3rd christmas together...but excuses about Dogs and being out of town etc always seemed to have gotten in the way. What started out as a search for a little first tree turned into a 6-7 foot noble fir tree. It is pretty. And putting lights on it, and picking out the perfect spot for all the ornaments....makes it seem like christmas season.

Then to complete the evening we went down to old town novato's tree lighting festival, it was advertised to start at 4:30....i didn't bother to read the schedule, which noted that santa didn't arrive until 5, and the tree wouldn't get lit until 6. so we stayed long enough to enjoy the free cider and coco, buy some baked goods to support a dance team, listen to some carols, and have Mason tucker completely out. So before santa arrived we headed home. We will plan our arrival differently next year. Having a baby makes all these Christmas time activities so much more meaningful and fun...even though he does not appreciate them yet. And i am all to aware that all this fluff is not what christmas is really about, but the festivities to support the commericalism, are so fun and make me happy!

Good things about living with the inlaws...yes there are some!

2008-12-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

These are mason's two great grandmas above, BJ Ellis (step grandma) on the left and Jackie Ellis on the right. You can also see great uncle David on the right

Here are both sets of grandparents Carl and Bonnie Engel on the left, and Jim and Penny Slater on the Right

So....i was not the most positive about the prospect of moving in with parents, i thought it was going to be functional and horrible. I know that around the world this is how families work, and some would argue better than the western model...i however tend to be a bit independent and like my space and to do things my own way. So, in the spirit of the holidays, here are the positive aspects of living with extended family, which has actually turned out to be kind of nice:

1. Coffee in the mornings is hot and ready when i come up, with fixings close by.

2. Often on weekends if we are running late for church there is toast made for us to go.

2. If i cook dinner (since i am still home with mason i usually do) i don't have to do clean up - i get to just leave the table and get mason ready for a bath and bed

3. Sometimes dinner is made for me, and all i have to do is help with clean up!

4. The one time that kurt and i had date night, mason was able to stay with nana and stay in his own room too.....when i go back to work this will come into play again.

5. mason shifts (nana 8-11, dad 11-3, mom other times) will be much easier on mason when i go back to work.

6. In the mornings when we are trying to get ready....and really pretty much all the time, there always seems to be an extra set of arms ready to hold onto and love the little man - the time in the bouncer and swing are almost non-existent now.

7. On a selfish note, the house is bigger and so is the yard from the one we were in before....with a usable guest suite when family comes to visit.

8. My father in law Carl has an AMAZING wine collection that i am able to utilize on those teething/shot days that i need some time to unwind once the baby is in bed.

9. On the occasion that i have a baby care question, Mother in law bonnie is the baby expert!

It is really nice to have family close by! When i do go back to work, it will be the best possible situation with him being able to stay with grandma and dad - and not having to juggle his location. Not that i want to stay here until he is 3 and goes to preschool......but for the time being it is all working out well. We have quite a bit to be thankful for, that is for sure!

I am a bug person!

2008-11-15T22:07:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying i am a bug person. I am the person that captures and saves spiders and frees them to the outside. My uncle is a herpatologist. I grew up playing with newts, and snakes, and other creepy things. I am a bug person.

Until i came face to face with this:

Here is the aerial view:

This is taken from my i phone so let me point out: It is as thick as my pinkie and probably half as long, it has two huge eyes on the head, it has a mouth that you can see, the mouth has two pincers/fangs. The eyes are looking at me. And it looks hungry and mean and dangerous

I am a bug person and this one made me scream. i was cleaning, moved a blanket, and saw it - we came face to face. It was HUGE and dangerous looking, and based on size i thought it was fast. fortunatly it was not fast. But that did not negate the scariness of it.

My husband was out playing poker and this bug and i and my son were home. I almost made him come home to check out this bug and have him decide if it was deadly. It was that scary. Remember that i am the bug person in this relatioship. Instead i kept the bug in prison with frequent security checks. This bug although HUGE was not fast or strong. We sruvived us three, until my mother in law came home to declare it a harmless potato bug.

I take her word for it......but it is still scary. But should i come face to face with a huge fanged potato bug again i will take him outside. I will be the potato bug person next time - but i won't like it!

Our First Holiday

2008-11-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

When Mason had just been born on one of our first outings we saw costunes....and with the excitment that only new parents can have about dressing kids up in stupid costumes before they have an opionon to fight otherwise, we bought this little monster costume...poor kid! He started out growing it before Halloween hit, so we had to dress him up and snap some shots of him! As he started moving his hands those little monster hands moved up, and was just too cute!

Apparanlty not only parents buy ridiculous outfits...this one is from grandma Bonnie. At 10 weeks he looks like a stuffed sausage in this halloween outfit - 100% purely breast fed huge baby. ...mini version of fat man in a little coat. The onesie has feet, and socks over it - not pictured were the shoes that came with the halloween hat that would not stay on the feet. We were laughing at the number of layers and ill fitting outfit - and our laughing never ceases to make him happy. It is amazing that our joy can become his. But, we had to take the outfit off right away because it just did not fit at all.

Here is the final version of Halloween.... Kurt obviously got to pick the theme. I am princess Leia, Kurt is Han Solo, and Mason is a tiny chewbaca! What a cute little star wars loving family we have become. This is probably our last Halloween that we get to choose his costume - in the course of this next year he will change so much. He will learn to walk, to eat, to talk. He will become more of my little man each day, and less like my baby boy.

12 weeks

2008-10-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

12 weeks ago today i became a mother for the first time. He will be 3 months on 11/5/08. People say and it is so true that time goes by so quickly. He is going to be a baby for such a short period of time. And yet, it feels like he has been in my life forever. I can't imagine what i would be doing right now if he wasn't in my life(ok, i would be at work). i look at his baby pictures and he has already changed and grown so much. I know him so well that when he is sick or out of sorts i can tell without him being able to speak. I love how i can make him smile and laugh. I love the faces he makes when he is tired and doesn't want to wake up in the morning. I love the cuddles. I love seeing him figure how to reach for a toy, or kick in the bath water. I love watching him see things for the first time. I love his little personality and own identity - he is growing and isn't just a baby anymore, but a person! I love how much i love him. Being a mom in many ways is very healing. we all have pains from our pasts and we have all felt injustice in some way. But knowing no matter their faults that my parents must have loved me in this same way is healing. Knowing that they tried their best all the time, as i try my best, is healing. Mason is not just now a part of my life, he is my whole life now. I have loved in the past, and i love Kurt as i have never loved someone else before. But your child - that is a whole different ball of wax.

I really wish i could stay home with him full time and be his mom. But in January i must go back to work. It will break my heart! But living with the in laws and me working full time are all to get rid of the debt so that maybe i can stay home more and be more of a mom. Because really, that matters so much more to me than my career. I use to be so driven to get to the next level, to be promoted, to be the best at what i do. and i just want to be the best mom. i want Mason to know that he is loved and important and supported. I don't ever want him to doubt that his parents are there for him.

Kindermusik Outing

2008-10-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.musicwithmelissa.com/

Today Mason and i went to Kindermusik.

I am tired of sitting in the house, or going shopping, or for a walk. These are all good things to do - but every once in a while i need something different to do. There are exercise classes where you take the baby with you - but that ends up being neither fun or mom or baby, how can you do yoga when the baby wants to be rocked? (Besides when is exercise fun? i have signed up for a pilates class all by myself - but i wouldn't call that fun - just necessary! since my body is in a state of never before seen flab) so i started googling and looking for classes. This class was geared for babies (birth -20 months) which is unusual and they offered a FREE trial class, which is great these days.

It was so much fun! there is singing and dancing and signing and instruments and flags. Most of it is done by the parents with the kids participating as they are able. But it was awesome to interact with mason differently, see him watch the other kids, to be with other moms - and just get out of the house. I am sure Kurt is glad that i will learn new songs - i have been singing the same 3 songs that i only remember half of for the past 10 weeks - often with my own words made up - a change in that department will be nice.

Of course after 4 days of no poop, in the middle of our class Mason decided to end that issue - 3 times. Murphy's Law!

So starting October 30th Mason and i are enrolling in our very first mommy and me class. And i am so excited!

4 daily tasks

2008-10-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Everyday there are 4 things that I attempt to do, however i think only once have i gotten all 4 done. I am not short on time, but somehow just as i start doing one task that is the moment Mason needs my undivided attention - and when that moment passes i must start again with the task.

1. Go for a walk: This means Mason must be full, clean, and dressed. I must be dressed. I need to choose which dog gets to go. (With three dogs, i can't take them all - and i don't want just one to feel like the reject so one gets to go. Depending on where we are walking, and what i expect to encounter - horses on a trail, other dogs, loose cows on a hillside, horses behind a fence - i either stick with the rotation or skip around to set myself up for success. Of course if i choose the non-dog friendly dog i will encounter dogs where i never have before!) THen mason must be strapped into the jogging stroller - much easier to push than regular stoller especially on trails! Then we walk for an hour. With my current very out of shape condition this is quite the task!

2. Shower: To decrease the chance of a screaming baby mid shampoo - mason needs to be recently changed and fed. The bouncy chair needs to brought into the bathroom. Then hopefully i will get about 30 minutes to shower and get ready.

3. Eat Lunch: I am lucky enough to have Kurt work only 5 minutes from the house with an incredibly flexible schedule. More often than not he is able to come home and either make lunch for us, or hold mason so i can make lunch. On the rare occasions that he is not here i try to make lunch for myself while mason is asleep around 11:30. ABout half the time i choose to skip lunch during a nap time and check e-mail or do one of the other 4 tasks that need to be done - or i will pay bills or check e-mail and have Hattie time. on those days i eat a yogurt or something that can be picked up easily! If i choose to actually make a sandwich, i must not only make it, but eat it and clean it up before mason wakes up.

4. House chore: I try to pick one task a day to get done: clothes laundry, change the sheets, vacum the house, sweep the hardwood floors, clean a bathroom, baby laundry, put laundry away. More often than not this does not get done. Often i say, when kurt gets home i will do the laundry. Then when kurt gets home i say, i think i will go to the bathroom, or brush my teeth - or something that has also been neglected in that day's list.

Extras: Things that must be fit in some way into this daunting list of 4 tasks include - play time for mason, tummy time for mason, bathroom time for mommy, cooking dinner - i need at least one meal a day.

Now that i am starting to go out the world more - to grocery shop, or go to babies r us, or some of the classes i have signed up for, or church - a shower is a must (darn social standards lol) - but it also means less of the necessary 4 tasks get done. Oh well. I think it is better to have a normal life than a clean house! Thank goodness i have a very patient and understanding husband who after a full and busy day at work comes home to a disaster of a house and takes no notice. He says you have been busy keeping the baby alive. Which is such a big task i do understand....but shouldn't i be able to have clean clothes too? I mean it is just one not very mobile baby. Women manage to care for multiple mobile children and get all this done - plus make their own baby food.

I use to feel successful and fufilled when i was able to make budgets, and develop programs, and help old people learn how to get dressed again, or out of bed, after an injury. Now - just being with mason, even if i don't accomplish half of those tasks makes me feel fufilled. I in some ways do want to go back to work and have that working identity again. However - i really just want to stay at home and raise mason to be a happy, healthy kid!

Vaccines and procedures

2008-10-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying i work in health care. I support Western Medicine. i use antibiotics, and get my shots. However....people do your research and ask questions. I don't necessarily think there is a right or wrong answer as long as you are well informed, and the decision is yours. It is the people who don't know better and just to what doctors suggest that frustrate me. They don't know any better - and it would never occur to them that one should independently research - after all, don't doctors know best? Doctors make us sign informed consent waivers - but really how informed are we?

Here is an example - after i gave birth the doctors wanted to give Mason eye antibiotics to prevent chlamydia in his eyes. Mind you i am married, and they tested me for this in the beginning of my pregnancy. They know i am negative - yet they want him to get antibiotics. And then people wonder where these super bugs who are immune to antibiotics come from.

Another example - after i gave birth the doctors wanted to give Mason a hep B shot. Hep B you get from sexual activity or IV drug use. I know kids do things SUPER early these days - but as an infant i am reasonable sure he will not be sexually active. I will bring him in to get the shot at 12, heck even 10 - before these issues come up - but when he is bigger and older and his body can better process all the toxins in the vaccine.

Now i get that it is a public health issue. That women who can't afford health care may never come back in when the child is 12 to get the shot. I get that women who say they are healthy are actually not - and you want to protect the child. I understand why they make these things mandatory. But - they are not needed for the average child. And very few people do the research. When medicine is needed it is wonderful - but when it is not, we are exposing ourselves and children to things they don't need. i had to sign waivers for 4 (as i deemed them) unnecessary vaccines/ procedures.....but the nurses all agreed with me

Mason is scheduled for his first vaccines today. I am not anti-vaccination. But i have done my research on the risks and benefits of each individual vaccine as well as the combos they want to give...how they are made, what metals and preservatives are in them, in addition to what they are meant to prevent. Some i have opted not to expose him to - the risk in my opinion is greater than the benefit. Some he will get as scheduled. Some he won't get at all. Maybe after you research you decide to follow the AAP recommended schedule - great! All i am saying is do your research, know what you are exposing yourself and your kids to. Don't leave it to the well paid doctor to decide what is right for you and your family.

8 weeks old

2008-10-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

so, 8 weeks have passed - amost 9, and today he is 2 months old! So much has happenedand changed that i honestly can't believe that it has only been 8 weeks. He sleeps through the night about half the time (10 pm - 7am), the othr half he wakes up once. He is smiling and cooing and singing. Kurt and I feel like our life is complete now, and perfect. not that it felt empty before - - just so much more full now.

We have made the decision after much discussion and prayer to move in with kurt's parents. The past two years of real estate and the ever ellusive promise of it getting better any day now have caught up with us.We bought and remodeled a house, planned and paid for a wedding and honeymoon, and had a baby, all while thinking any day now it will have to get better and the pay day will come....so far it hasn't. We would like for me to be able to stay at home with mason and his siblings eventually, to get a bigger house, to allow Mason the ability to do all the extracirculars his little heart desires.....so we will take the next year to pay off bills and become financially more free - for the sake of our family. There were all kinds of reasons not to do this - but they were all selfish. We are keeping our house, and renting it out to our current roomate, and he will find roomates. At the end of a year we may sell this house or continue to rent it - if it makes sense. I know debt is the american way now - look at the failing banks - but it makes me feel like i can't breathe. knowing that there is a way out - even if it means living with parents - allows me to breath again!

Mason is one week old

2008-09-28T16:41:00.001-07:00

I will spare you the birth story, when i was pregnant i saw a t-shirt that said "spare me your birth story" and i loved it! Mason was a week late. My doc wanted to induce me at 41 weeks - but i opted for the non-stress test instead. It showed that everything was fine - but it also showed that i was having contractions i couldn't feel. I started feeling them at noon, and by 11pm i was in the hospital. 18 hours out of 21 i was able to do it without medication. Meeting Mason was amazing - to realize that this human, this person had just moments before been inside of me - was now an independent part of our family.

12 hours after he was born we were able to go home and spend the first night as a family in our own room. Both sets of grandparents came to meet him on day 2, and Kurt was home this whole week. As we started feeling better this week also included Mason's first bath in the sink tub, his first outing to church, his first doctor's appointment (just a weight check), and first walk around the block.

Before Mason

2008-09-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a highlight of the 3 years before the baby came:

Kurt and Hattie met at the Wedding of their friends, Marci and Ralph Montes on June 4 2005. It took us a few months and a few phone calls - but our first date was in September. Hattie was living in monterey in an apartment right on the beach. By January 2006 we had moved in together in Novato, CA....we knew it was quick but we knew it was right too. May 2006 we went to Mexico for a vacation and....got engaged! January 2007 we bought our first house, remodeled it and moved in Febuary 15, 2007. We got married May 12, 2007, and then found out we were pregnant November of 2007.

Hattie came to the relationship with a dog - and now we are up to a total of 3. Yes, it is a lot of dogs - but we love them. And no, we aren't planning on adding to that number, legally we are only allowed to have 3 dogs in Novato.

Kurt is in Real Estate with coldwell banker , and Hattie is an Occupational Therapist with PeopleFirst Rehab