The Spoils

Nowadays at meal times, Howie and Opsec mill around the kitchen under Finley's highchair like Hyenas waiting for the spoils. Call them Pavlovs dogs but they catch one glimpse of me taking Finley into the kitchen and they are at my heals following us for thier share.







Opsec helping me out...sort of. After he licks it clean I have clean the doggy spit off of it!

Race for the Cure

Today Finley and I participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Madison. For anyone that does not know that is a fund raiser race for Breast Cancer. We opted for the 5k walk. Last year we also did the race but only the 1 mile fun walk as I was about 7 months pregnant! So you could say this was Finley's second year too! This year we joined the Guard Families for the Cure team so we sported our Army apparel. My friend Jessica and her daughter Bree also joined us as well at Patti and Olivia. Three strollers to push in the crowded race was interesting but we did it. I think about 11,000 people participate in this event every year between the 5k run, 5k walk and 1 mile fun walk. That's a lot of people!!
Tonight my sister Chris (Aunt Chris!) came over and we went out for dinner at one of our favorite places, The Avenue Bar (it's a restaurant). Finley enjoyed his dinner and was SUPER good at the restaurant. I was very proud!!
Here are some pictures from our fun day.

Myself, Patti, Finley and Olivia

Here with Jessica and Bree


Funny Pictures Patti took of Finley and I at home after the race... sorry for my silly weird faces but we were trying to get Finley to smile... could he look a little more like Nate in these? I think it's his Army T-shirt...

MMM...bread at Avenue

Enjoying a nice dinner

First Attempt at Blogging

Well I decided to finally try it. I am going to post to the blog. I am just hoping that I don’t mess it up…Today was my first day off since our unit moved into Iraq, so I figured why not try blogging. I realized how great of a tool it is to keep family and fiends up to date with current activates. I know I have a tough act to follow with Erin’s creativity and can only hope to be as entertaining as she is. It is always one of the highlights of my day reading Erin’s posts. So here goes nothing.

Erin previously mentioned some of my living accommodations. Here are some pictures to give you a better understanding of how I currently am living.



This is a picture of the “trailers” that we live in.

Here is the inside. You can obviously see that I have not picked up for the day (it’s my day off!!). There is never enough room.

This is the Palace right outside the trailer park which is officially called the LSA (Life Support Area). It has some office space, internet café, MWR facilities and the gym.

With this post I will leave you with a picture to ponder. Has anyone seen this dogs brother?

Finley's 9 Month Checkup

Mommy's Tough Guy...


This morning we went to the Doc for Finley's 9 month check up. Can I just say Woo-Hoo for NO shots this time? Anyway... The appointment went well. Finley's overall health is just great. I did ask the doctor about what I thought was a patch of excema on his chin (you can probably see it in photos) and the doctor said that it was not excema but just a patch of dry rough skin probably caused from constant irritation (eating, gnawing on everything) and drooling from teething. He said not to worry about it and let it run the remainder of it's course (it's been there for a month). If it gets worse or bigger I can treat it with simple Vaseline and get it checked out again? Ok, good news on that. I was beginning to think it may have been triggered from a food and starting to panic.
Also, weirdly I just noticed a birthmark forming on Finley's ear yesterday so I asked about that. The doc confirmed it certainly is a birthmark and not all birthmarks happen at birth but can in the first year. He said it may get bigger before going away? I guess nothing to worry about either. As far as development they think things are just fine though when they asked me if he could play simple games like pat-a-cake sadly I had to tell them no, my child rarely sits still long enough to listen to me teach him anything? Has he figured out how to unplug everything, toss toys for Howie and open my cabinets in the living room? Yes. Not to mention his walking. He is able to now take 5 or 6 steps on his own. So I guess Finley is boycotting some milestones like waving bye-bye, patty-cake and so on. He points to all lights, dances on command and is learning to "jump" on the couch when you put him up there. Can I get a wave bye-bye? He does love a good game of peek-a-boo though.
As for growth, here are Finley's stats: Weight- 19.9 lbs, 28th percentile. Length- 29.5 inches 82nd percentile, Head size 45 cm, 36th percentile. So his growth pattern has pretty much remained consistent and that is all that matters.
Last, but certainly not least, the teeth are emerging. Finley's gum's are jagged with his two bottom teeth and after feeling them, Doctor Yu said any minute now! Yay! I will keep you posted!
This evening we are headed out to watch my sister play a tennis match at some courts within walking distance of our house. First, I have to wake Finley up from his late nap today...

9 Month Portraits

I decided on a whim today to take Finley for his 9 month portraits. I had not found the time yet and since today was a rainy day and Finley had taken a long nap this morning I thought this afternoon would be a good time to get them done. As you can see some of them are already on the blog page. Here are a few more from the sitting, followed by the story behind the pictures...






















So deciding to take Finley to get pictures taken by myself was probably one of the worst ideas I have ever had? I do not know what I was thinking? Nate had been with me for the 2 previous portrait sessions we'd done. The actual picture taking was ok but then you have to sit there at the end and pick out what you want and Finley was having none of that so I decided in a hurry but then the studio was short staffed so I ended waiting another hour before she got my order down! As you can see Finley did not smile for even ONE picture! Though he had a great nap today he just was not (obviously) into getting his pictures taken. It pretty much looks like I was torturing him (and that was torturing me!). Another mom was there with her 4 kids (ranging from 8 years to 4 months!) and we exchanged our thoughts on how pictures are such a nice idea and then when you actually go take the kids you realize what you had just gotten yourself into. She and I were both frazzled by the end of the ordeal. I can honestly say that though I think Finley looks cute in any picture (he's my child therefor of course I am biased!) I am not entirely happy with how these turned out. Part of the experience this time was that we had a different photographer than we have had before and though she was nice enough I feel like she missed some opportunities for better shots. My smiley boy just was not there though and both of us ended up frustrated at the end. Does this mean we will skip 12 month pictures? Probably not, I will just be wiser are take along a helping hand!! Today was just one of those days that I hope I don't have many of!

Update on Nate

Tonight I decided just to give everyone an update on how Nate's deployment is going. He would like to post but has trouble with the internet being reliable. Time will tell if he will be able to post for us... I am also waiting for some photos, hint hint Nate.
Anyway, Nate as you know, has safely made it into Iraq and is settling in to what life will be for him for at least the next 9 months. He shares a trailer with a roommate and word is that they have arranged their room as they like it with what perks they could get such as a TV (for gaming?) and a mini fridge. There is air conditioning as the days are getting hotter and hotter. It's topping the low 100's currently and will rise to 120's and above soon. Low's fall in the high 80's and 90's overnight.
He is currently busy learning his new job and taking it over from the previous soldier in that position. They actually moved the location of the office that he will work out of recently.
Days consist of working, eating and hitting the gym. Fun in Iraq includes your choice of reading books, playing video games, watching movies on you PC, Internet (if it's working) and sleeping. Yes, they do provide some activities here and there for special occasions and try to keep things interesting for the soldiers but daily life can be mundane and can't we all say then same thing for here at home too on most days?
When the internet is working well we are able to chat via Skype and he has been able to call me a few time with the regular phone. If the internet is slow we will exchange email or just instant message but either way communication flows daily and I am thankful for that.
So that is life for Nate these days. I am sure he will read this and tell me something I forgot to mention. Again, I have been harping on him for some pictures of himself so hope to post something soon!

Happy Memorial Day!

Finley and I had a fun Memorial Day today. The celebration started with the parade that's just a few blocks from our house. My friends Leslie and Al came up to come to the parade with Finley and I. I am not sure Finley even knew there was a parade going by but he enjoyed being outdoors, playing in the grass and pushing his stroller around. I guess all that matters is the he had fun. After the parade our friends Erin and Jason and their daughter Lauren as well as Nate's brother Jake joined the rest of us for lunch at my house. The day was nice yet windy but we enjoyed the time outside on the patio with good friends. Erin and Jason also brought their dog Gus and though Opsec had to opt out (he could not handle all the neighbors BBQ's anyway) Howie and Gus had fun playing together too. Opsec still has a hard time in certain situations and it's best to just keep him removed from it in his kennel downstairs. He got to come out and play when everyone left and had a good dinner to make up for it. Here are a bunch of pictures from our Memorial Day...

Finley getting ready for his Memorial Day with the dogs Patriotic wiener dog toy...

Stroller Pushing

What Finley did at the Parade and proof that there really was a parade going on...

A tiny teacup puppy at the parade. Finley wanted to give it a "big" hug and it licked his hands. It weighed less than 2 pounds! Leslie is keeping it at a safe distance from Finley!!

This one is for Nate....

Lauren opening her belated 1st Birthday gift from us

Enjoying his baked beans at dinner tonight. And a big mess!

Getting his Cooper time before bed...

Farmer's Market Day!

This morning Finley and I had a fun time meeting up with our friends Kelly and Lainey (who is about one month younger than Finley) at the Farmer's Market on the capitol square here. The kids got to meet for the first time and I think could be quite a lot of (fun) trouble together if given the opportunity!! They seemed to enjoy each others company and both were on very good behavior even through a quick lunch at the Great Dane. Yes, we took the little one's to the Great Dane too. It was quite the all around Madison experience. It was great to see Kelly and catch up as it's been a long time. I forgot my camera getting out of the house this morning and was bummed that I did not get any pictures! Nate had called me on my cell phone via Skype during lunch too so that was a nice bonus. The rest of our day was not quite as fun as it included grocery shopping and some errand running but at least my sister came along to help out with Mr. Finley so I was thankful for that. We all know grocery shopping is not Finley's forte'....


*Kelly emailed me some photos of our two cuties from the day...thanks Kelly!

Kiss the Pig

Finley and I were hanging out in the living room like we normally do and he was playing on the floor while I was trying to accomplish something on the computer. Whenever Finley becomes really quiet or plays by himself contently for more than 5 minutes you know one of two things is occurring... he's either pooping or he's gotten into something he thinks he shouldn't have. He must need concentration to poop (this makes me laugh) and when he gets something naughty he doesn't want you to know. Well, as I peeked to check what he was up to I saw something I have never seen- Finley playing independently with his toys! It's a miracle! Actually, he had dumped over one of the toy baskets and I am pretty sure he thought that this was naughty and was perfectly content taking each and every item out of it one by one and checking it out. By the time I got a video he was almost done emptying the basket but I got him kissing the pig. This just cracked me up. And yes, my living room looks like Toys'R'Us vomited all over it.

* After seeing the video of Finley and the pig Nate's theory was that Finley thought the pig was a sippy cup, the arms being the handles and the snout being the spout (not meaning to rhyme). That is probably what he was thinking. Too funny...

Catching Up on the Week

So far we have a had a busy week and are looking forward to the busy upcoming holiday weekend!
My mom was here on Tuesday and Wednesday to help me buy all of my flowers, vegetables and herbs and get them planted. It was a success and we accomplished all of the planting. Finley had fun playing outside on the two very nice days as well. We were so busy trying to get things done I forgot to snap some photos!! I ran a few errands that were hanging over my head (things that are difficult to do with Finley in tow). Now I just can't wait to watch our efforts grow all summer long! I know Finley will enjoy watering them with me daily as well as filling up the bird feeder that I put up too. Today was a regular day. I played catch up with chores around the house and Finley and I ran a few errands and played outside. Oh.. did I mention we also Skyped with Daddy? Yes... that was the exciting part of our day. Nate is settled in in Iraq now and has already dove into the job that he will be doing over the course of the next 9 months. He is busy but we are trying to find a good schedule to be able to talk daily. I make sure to email him daily of any business around here and just news and things and he also keeps up with the blog. This week went by so fast I almost can't believe tomorrow is Friday and then a fun 3 day weekend to follow!

Skyping with his Dad over lunch... (Cyber Daddy)

Playing this afternoon

All smiles

Where We're at...9 Months

Well, as promised I thought I would save this for another post. Looking back on the last nine months is like a whirlwind! Finley has grown up so fast and so many changes have occurred for our family as well.

At nine months Finley is doing well. He is due to go in for a check up and vaccines so I am sure I will have more to report then.

Here are his current milestones and favorites:

Eating: Loves to feed himself though will still let me feed him. He eats a variety of things but favorites include pasta with marinara sauce, mexican food (rice and beans and cheese tortillas) green beans, yogurt and strawberries. He still enjoys his "puffs" but doesn't go as crazy over them.

Drinking: Still drinking at least 5 bottles of formula a day but takes a sippy cup with water at meals. He hates juice and pedialyte. He absolutely will not touch the stuff.

Playing: He doesn't really have a favorite toy but his preference is definitely to play with things that aren't toys or the dogs toys. When he can get his hands on things he loves my iPhone, the camera, electronics cords, the computer, the cords to the blinds and anything paper. He is not allowed to have any of these things generally but manages to find a way. He also LOVES to play with my vacuums though he has his own toy one. He also loves to just listen to music and dance. He does this all the time now.

Reading: Finley so far is not a big fan of being read to though I try and try. Once in awhile he can sit and be patient but more often he grabs the book, eats it or just plain crawls away from me to do something else. He does like to play with his books (he has TONS... thanks Aunt Chris!)

Bathing: Finley's favorite time of day is bathtime. Sometimes I think he vomits on himself or smears food in his hair just because he knows I will take him to the bath!! It's not uncommon for him to have a bath sometime in the morning besides his "bedtime bath"

Sleeping: Finley still takes a bottle before he goes to sleep. Usually he falls asleep on my lap drinking his bottle but sometimes he''ll finish it or stop drinking it and just cuddle until he falls asleep. Occasionally I can just put him down in his crib and he will go down but we are working on this for when there is no more bottle... He also will take a bottle in his crib at nighttime wake ups. Bedtime routine is dinner, playing and bath. 8 pm is the desired bedtime but this has been all over the place lately? Also he has been napping better... sometimes 2 a day though short! He NEVER napped reliably until about a 2 months ago. Sometimes NO nap at all!

Talking: Finally saying DaDa though he is choosy about saying it. I still swear he says Ella too. He likes to communicate buy grunting and growling which I am wondering if he is getting from the dogs? Yikes. He also is starting to point at things- especially lights and lamps. He has waived a couple times but isn't really into it. He gets excited when I say Hi and Bye Bye and he does know what NO means though chooses not to obey it mostly. He also knows what I mean when I say Finley Nathan Karras... can you believe I already do that at 9 months? He can be a stinker...

Walking: Almost! He pushes his toys and walks and cruises the furniture. He is brave enough to take one step between something (like 2 people) but grabs on quickly. He does try to stand using nothing sometimes and falls on his butt. I am sure it will be soon enough...

All in all Finley is doing GREAT at 9 months as always! He is a super active little guy who keeps me on my toes. He is also cuddly and loves people and his pets. He loves going outside now that the weather is nice and practically begs at the door or window. He is a load of fun and can be a load of trouble too :). He's a wonderful, funny little boy and Nate and I are lucky to have him as our son. It's all we could ask for!

All the pictures are from playing in the backyard today... it was windy!



I had to include this one because he looks so much MORE like Nate when he is pouting/crying...LOL

A Shirt For Daddy

9 Months!!

Finley turned 9 months old today...
I started this post last night and got as far as the title and first sentence. Nate called me on Skype and I was chatting with him, then Finley woke up screaming. The good part of this was Nate got to see Finley (though tired and out of sorts) the bad part? Finley projectile vomited on me and him and the computer (gross) right on the video chat with Nate. Nate thought it was pretty funny but remember, he was watching it from far away on a computer screen. He did not have vomit all over his hand and he could not smell it. Sorry to gross everyone out. Poor Finley. It was kind of ironic that Finley would throw up for Nate? Poor Nate?
Finley was very upset and decided to stay up whining and crying till midnight last night. He did not have a fever but since he threw up and was so fussy I gave him some Tylenol and that seemed to do the trick. I think this episode was due to his teething as he was chewing on his fingers too. What a night!!
My plan was to just give an update to where Finley is at for his milestones for this post but obviously I ended up having more exciting things to report. I think I will save that for my next post!

The Chair Photos...






(this one signifies Mom stops trying to get anymore pictures before someone gets hurt)


Books are for eating...


Ready for Bed (pre-vomit incident)



My how time flies... I can't believe he's nine months old!