Snow and Sickies

Allison woke up in a funk this morning. She's feeling a little sick but since she's been sick once before, I'm not as panicked as I was the first time. Today KC was covered in a foot of snow. I wanted to help Nathan out as much as I could so each time I put Allison down to nap, I would shovel the driveway. I figured it was easier to shovel 3 inches 4 times than a foot at once. The weather was mild so it wasn't a bad job- it was actually my first time ever shoveling snow !

I took these pictures at 9pm and the snow was still coming down (and the temperature dropped dramatically) so I'm sure I'll have more work to do tomorrow!

Doctor

I took Allison to see her doctor for her 9 month check up today and he had no concerns. She got her second round of the Hepatitis B vaccine (she SCREAMED) and then we headed home.

I really like Allison's pediatrician but I get so frustrated when he asks me questions based on her actual age, not her adjusted age. He reads from a check list, things like, "is she saying mama and dada yet?", "is she pulling herself up on things?", "is she crawling?"

I just told you she can't sit up on her own, no she cannot crawl!

I told Nathan about my frustrations and he just said how he'd never want to be a pediatrician because you have to treat the parents as much as the kids - which is totally true.

The doctor's office is moving towards and electronic system so you can access your child's medical records online, manage appointments, medications, etc. I thought it was a cool idea and signed up (mainly so I'd get email notifications of upcoming appointments).

Superbowls

Well today was the women's lunch at the church, and I have to say it - it was awesome! I was really looking forward to it and I had a great time. April Mitchell did a great job at putting it together. It's so difficult to organize these types of events but it ran smoothly. I was stressed on Sunday morning because besides lugging Allison, her bag, my crock pot, and the biscuits I made, I also had to get us both ready and out the door. Nathan had to work, but to my surprise, he showed up at 9:30am to help me get out the door. He rounded on all his patients and then came home to get me to church, carry everything in, and then go back to work! He's such a romantic guy!

Even though the theme was 'soup' only 4 women brought soup, the rest brought desserts and salads. It was perfect because I wondered how we would eat 20 crock pots full of soup!

After the lunch we played a great-to-know-game. We each reached into a jar and pulled out some M&M's. Based on the color you pulled, you had to answer a question. For example, red was a question about your future goals, blue was about family, etc. After a few rounds we switched tables and sat with a new group of women. It was a great way to have some face to face time with women that I've seen in the church but don't know very well.

I sat with a friend named Megan, and we were laughing about taking pictures but never being in them. She graciously offered to take a few pictures so it would look like I attended this event. I'm so thankful to have another picture of Allison and I!

After the lunch, Allison and I came home and I put her straight to bed. I didn't get home until 3pm so the nap was a little late for her but since we were heading out for a bit, I decided it wouldn't hurt for her to get some extra sleep.

We went over to a 3rd year resident's home (that Nathan works with). He lives with his wife and son (who was also a preemie) just a few blocks away from our place. They invited us over for a first-half superbowl party because we all understood our babies wouldn't last into the second half. They ordered pizza and I brought a nacho dip and it felt like a play date for us as much as the kids. Allison and Max are about the same age, but he was only 5 weeks early and I couldn't believe how much more he can do than Allison! I know she'll catch up but it's so hard not to compare babies.

As we were leaving they asked if we wanted a toy for Allison. They had been given two and weren't able to return them so we got a parting gift! I remember Scarlett and Tanner having one of these things at my parents house. They loved it but when I came home and put it together I quickly remembered how annoying the music and the popping balls are. Oh well...we'll just have to put that away for a little while...

Foodies

I've been working on trying new recipes- especially since I got my Canadian Living magazines last week and tonight I made white fish cakes. I thought they were just OK- I didn't like the idea of pulverizing the fish, it just made the texture weird.

When I visited Sarah a few days ago, we were talking about recipes for the upcoming soup day and she brought out her copy of Midwest Living to show me where she gets her inspiration! I thought it was funny that we were using similar magazines!

Even Steven

Have you ever seen the Seinfeld episode where Jerry calls himself "Even Steven" because his life always balances out? Well, his examples are quite literal, he throws $20 out the window and then finds the same amount in his wallet. My balance is that when I start to have a carefree willy-nilly day, something bad happens. Like today, I went over to my friend Sarah's house and we had a delightful day. We chatted in front of her bay window and it was so hot (with the sun shining in) that we had to open the window! Then she treated me to chai tea and specialty cookies while Allison napped in her car seat.

Then tragedy struck. For dinner I made baked fries in my Pampered Chef 9x13 pan and after I had served dinner I put the pan on top of the stove. I had used the back burner to heat a dressing for another part of the meal and didn't think anything of putting the pan on the cooling burner. Well, after sitting there for 20 minutes, I heard a loud CRACK! The pan split! I couldn't believe that so little heat (albeit direct heat) could destroy the pan. When Nathan went to take it out to the trash (and I dried my tears) he noticed a small bubble on the inside of the pan. I don't know if that would affect the quality of the pan, but there's nothing I can do about it now.

I was so sad because when I bought the pan I thought I would have it for years and instead I didn't even have it for a month. I'm sad but trying not to let it ruin the great afternoon I had.

KCTV

Maybe it's Allison's age or my home-body personality but I don't like to get out much. When I went to the endocrinologist on Monday I was so frazzled that by 1pm I needed a nap. I have a friend April (that I met at Wornall) and she is so plugged in to the community. She has a two year old boy and she takes him everywhere. They have constant adventures and she often invites me along. Today she suggested we head over to the Matt Ross community Center (about 5 minutes from my house) for toddler time. Allison just sat with me and watched the kids but she still had a great time because other little kids kept coming over to take a look at the BABY!

The center is gorgeous and they have a really cool indoor pool with a wave section and a water slide. We stayed for 2 hours and then headed to Chick-a-Fil for lunch. I'd never been so April said I HAD TO TRY IT. It was really tasty and I was really impressed with the customer service and cleanliness. Whenever I tell Nathan a good review of where I've been he asks, "are you going to right a letter?" I think I might!

While we were at the playgroup, a Fox news team was there to report on the center. You can see Allison and I in the background of the initial screen shot and again at the 45 second mark. I can't stay off KC TV!

See it here:

http://fox4kc.com/2014/01/28/program-for-toddlers-works-to-ease-eventual-transition-into-classrooms

Teething

I was sure that Allison was teething but she didn't have any symptoms. Her cheeks got a little red (but they're always pretty rosy) and she hasn't fussed at all. Then today the drooling started. I popped open her mouth and there were two little teeth fighting to make an appearance. I didn't think it was possible but she's going to get even cuter with two little bottom teeth sticking up!

Braids and Sweets

I've been following Mindy McKnight on YouTube (Cute Girl Hairstyles) for awhile and love how easy to follow her hair tutorials are. They only thing that's tricky is that she demonstrates the braids using her daughters as models, not doing it on her own head, so often you need more than one pair of hands. Thankfully, I had Nathan around and after giving him a bit of a crash course he helped me with my first attempt at a 4 strand zipper braid. It's a little too messy but by the end I felt like I was getting the hang of it.
Nathan had to work today so I took Allison to church by myself. Allison lasted through 3/4 of the service before she got restless so I took her to the nursery to play until it was time to go home.

There was a church member meeting at 6:30pm tonight and Nathan and I had plans to attend. Nathan told me his shift was over at 5 and that we would have a quick dinner before we headed out.

John Mark had asked for volunteers to bring snacks for the meeting so while Allison napped I made these maple butter tarts.

I was all ready to go (with dinner keeping warm in the over) when Nathan called to tell me that he had a new admit and wouldn't be home on time. He didn't get home until after 6:30pm. When people ask me how I handle Nathan being gone so much, I say that 90% of the time I'm okay with it. I don't make plans around his schedule because it usually changes. Tonight was a 10% moment because I had baked 30 butter tarts! Oh well, he'll be able to take them in to work tomorrow and I put a bunch in the freezer so it all worked out.

As much as I might get frustrated at plans change, I'm so thankful for how hard Nathan works and his dedication to building a reputation that give our family stability in the future.

A  resident at the hospital has a few chickens in her yard and told Nathan she could be our egg supplier! Nathan brought home 2 dozen mulch-colored eggs last week!

The Soup Off

Look what came today! These magazines from Marlene (Nathan's mom) couldn't have come at a better time. Next week is the women's luncheon at the church. All the women are invited to bring a crock pot of soup for a big taste testing session. I've been trying to come up with an original soup idea (although the squash and apple soup my mom and I made when she was here was delicious!) and now I have some new inspiration!

I call the meeting a "Soup Off" but I don't think it's a competition (mainly because I know EXACTLY who will out-soup me). But we'll see, maybe I'll through in a basket of biscuits to bring the ladies over to my pot.

Asian Food Night

Last week I picked up a package of egg roll wrappers at Walmart. I'd never used them before but I love egg rolls and thought I'd give them a try. I decided to make it a theme night since the felafel night went so well.

The rolls cooked perfectly but I couldn't believe how bland they were compared to the sugary taste they have when you buy them in takeout. Thankfully we had plum jam that Heather (Nathan's sister) sent us for Christmas and we used it for a topping.

Camera, Action!

I've been working on putting together a few actions for photoshop. An action is like a photo filter, think of turning a color photo into black and white or sepia. It's a way to make pictures uniform and define a photography style. I've been looking through the portfolios of some photographers I like and picking out elements I like and don't like. I like a yellow/gold tinge to the image, but I don't like them overexposed.

In order to play with the actions I needed some photos! So when Allison woke up from her nap today I propped her near the window and we had a mini-session. She is growing so fast and changing so much everyday that I wanted to take a few body pictures to remember this stage. I can't remember how tiny she used to feel when I first brought her home from the hospital!

Now she's sitting up (supported) and loving mashed up bananas and should have her first tooth by the end of the month! She's constantly smiling and wants to go-go-go! She's simply the best!

 

 

  

T.J.

Every year, the local paper (back in Ontario) The St. Thomas Times Journal, puts an insert in the January issue with all the babies born the previous year.

It's been a stressful issue to recieve in the past because the year Michael was born, my nephew Tanner was also born, and his picture was in it, so I felt left out, and then last year was another loss and although I would never have put their pictures in the paper, it was just another reminder that life was moving on.

My mom put Allison's picture in the paper and Shelley emailed me a copy this morning. I'm so thankful to feel be able to feel the pride in seeing her looking back at me in print.

LOOK AT MY GIRL! SHE'S GORGEOUS!

Cozy Kid

I thought that after we had a warm day on Sunday that winter might be on its way out- however, this week has been windy and really cold. Allison hates to be cold but it's a game to her to kick off all her blankets. We don't spend a lot of time outdoors in the cold weather but I wanted to make something to cover her when we go from the house to the car.

I saw a car seat cover on Pinterest and it was selling for $64 in a woman's etsy shop! I thought that I could easily make my own. I went to Joann's (coupons in hand) and bought:
3/4 yard of white fleece - $4.25
1/4 yard green - $1.50
1/4 yard purple - $1.50
Zipper - $1.75
Elastic - $2.00

For a total of $11! It was an easy project because fleece is really easy to work with, however, it was my first time using a zipper and it was a bit of a disaster. I watched a few youtube videos in preparation and even though I had a good understanding of the process, it was challenging to work with a zipper that was a little too long for the project, plus the fleece was extremely thick so I had  hard finding the teeth through the fabric folds, and the fleece had a lot of stretch to it so I had to be conscious of my pulling on the material.

I put Allison in it and she seemed to really like it. She just makes everything cuter!

Sunday

Nathan has been working on Sunday's this month but today he was free because he is preparing for the 'days to nights' turnaround. It was Ordination Day at the church today and 2 pastor leaders (Eddie and Travis) were ordained. John Mark had approached Nathan about Nathan getting ordained but Nathan doesn't feel like it's the right time since he's been so busy and hasn't had time to prepare for such a big responsibility.

Allison has been getting antsy in church lately. She loves the music and will quietly sit on my hip while we sing but as soon as it's time for the sermon she starts to act up. She's in a stange where she needs to move and be entertained. Sitting on my lap and quietly playing doesn't cut it. I left Nathan onstage and headed to the nursery. There is a jumper there and Allison had a great time watching the other babies cruise around while she stood in her toy. I haven't put Allison in the nursery because I think she's too young (she needs constant attention) and I'm so worried about germs. I know she could get sick from anything but I'm just nervous, every cough sends me into a panic.

There were two other mom's in the nursery and I had a great time getting to know them both better. Luckily, Wornall uploads all the sermons online so I can catch up during on one Allison's naps later this week.

Tonight was our gospel community group meeting at the Moore's house. Nathan and I were 1/2 hour late because we both thought it started at 6:30, not 6 (forgetting that the food is served at 6 and the study starts at 6:30). Oops- we'll know better for next time.

Allison was a sleepy and stayed in her car seat the whole time. Nathan rocked her and she fell asleep about half way through the meeting. I was able to pay attention the whole time! Most nights I'm so distracted and it takes a real effort to pull my focus back to what we're talking about, and then I feel like I'm rude because I'm having to leave the room but everyone there has kids and I know they understand my girl.

I decided to make lasagne cups to take to the group. I decided on a heartier appetizer because most people (me included) bring desserts and snacks and I knew I'd need something to hold me over.  I made them with wonton wrappers instead of noodles and although I wanted them to be as cripsy on the bottom as they were on the top (they weren't) they still tasted great!

TGIF

It's been a quiet week since the weather is still cold. April (a friend from Wornall) invited me over yesterday for tea. We were supposed to go for a walk but the wind picked up and there was NO WAY I was going out in that weather.  We sat and chatted for just over 2 hours and it was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. April was able to answer all of the questions I had about starting Allison on baby food. I think she's ready for it- just a little mixed in with her formula so she can get used to different tastes.

Today I did the grocery shopping because our fridge only had 1/2 loaf of bread and cream in it. Which could last me a few days but I had a couple of new recipes I wanted to try so I bundled up Allison and we headed to Aldi and Walmart. As I was leaving Walmart, Allison fell asleep. I took this as a sign to cross the street to Maj-R-Thrift. I gently put her in the cart and she gave me 20 minutes of uninterrupted shopping. I was shopping for our next family portrait look when I saw this baby bath chair. It is exactly what I needed! It has 3 levels and it's practically brand new! Allison is just too big for her bath. She like to feel the edge of the tub for security but she doesn't have enough room to squirm and play. I snapped it up and was so happy with my find!

Now that Allison has the whole tub to herself, it's created a new issue - wasted water. I wish there was a tub seperator so that you could seal off a selected portion of the tub to fill with water. It's just so wasteful, especially since her new chair sits higher up that her previous wedge so she needs more water to cover her. Speaking of ideas for baby stuff...I wish that in every pack of diapers there was a sample pack (just one or two) of the next size up of diapers. It's hard to gauge when your baby is ready for the next size because baby's carry weigh differently and a too big diaper can make just as much of a mess as a too small one.

The first recipe I wanted to try was falafel. Nathan and I used to eat at a tasty restaurant across the street from the NICU (my brother recommended it) and that time has been on my mind so I thought I'd give it a try. I used canned chick peas instead of dried beans (I couldn't find them at any of my usual stores) but the recipe still produced perfect falafel. I served them with cucumbers, pickles, tomato, lettuce and yogurt sauce in a pita- it was delicious!