The Karras Family

Alise Emma Karras

2011-09-06T09:01:00.005-05:00

Alise Emma Karras was born 8:51 am Monday, September 5th (Labor Day!) 7 lbs 12 oz and a head full of hair.

Welcome Home Parade

2010-06-21T08:03:00.004-05:00

We drove up to Steven's Point this weekend to attend a Welcome Home Parade and Celebration for the 32nd Brigade. Though they returned in late January this parade was to honor their service in the past years deployment. I guess they waited until the weather was nice.
All 3000 or so troops marched in a parade which was followed by a festival with food, music, kids activities, military vehicles and of course speeches from Wisconsin politicians :)

waiting for daddy

here comes the parade

nate is the far soldier in the last row if you can't tell :)

with daddy after he marched

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T19:09:00.000-05:00

To a great Daddy who finally got to spend Father's with his son!
This pic was from Memorial Day weekend

Poor Baby

2010-06-18T20:39:00.000-05:00

Aside from his brief mowing of the lawn, this is what Finley did most of yesterday and today. He was feeling very yucky with his fever getting up to 104 degrees. A mystery to us as he had no other symptoms beside being miserable?

Lawn Boy

2010-06-17T20:23:00.003-05:00

Nate went to mow the lawn and Finley happily grabbed his mower to help. Lawn mowers are one of Finley's favorite things. Would you believe he was running about a 103 degree fever in these pics? He was feeling pretty yucky but I guess his obsession with mowers is pretty serious.

Potty Pooper!

2010-06-14T19:38:00.003-05:00

Though in hind-sight we should have taken a few photos of our big boy doing his very first business ON the potty, in the midst of the excitement (and some disbelief) we did not. This is however a picture of the scene of the historical event...
Nate said I just had to blog about this since it was a "milestone" - I think it was also due to the fact that it was Nate's quick thinking and supportive coaching that led up to what would be Finley's first potty experience. We were very exicited for him and he was too very excited for himself. Only time will tell if this is the "real" start of potty training or just an lucky isolated event. What a big boy we have!!

Fresh Start

2010-04-27T07:18:00.002-05:00

After much thinking the last week I really decided I need to get back to blogging! I have heard numerous comments from friends and family on how they miss seeing what Mr. Finley is up to and keeping up with our life.....so here goes nothing :)
I did in the last few months start many posts but just never got the time to upload the pics to go with them so we'll see if I get time to go back, in the meantime I am just going to move forward and try to catch you up to this point.
Since January when Nate arrived home things have been a whirlwind but a good one. Our first mission was FAMILY time. In January we booked a couple days at a local waterpark hotel in the WI dells to take Finley swimming and had a blast.
February rolled around and Nate and I headed off to beautiful Hawaii for a week long much-needed vacation. Finley stayed with my mom and dad and had his own vacation. When we returned from Hawaii we used the rest of February to do fun family things with Finley before Nate was due to start his new position with the WI NG. This included hanging out with family, friends and a trip to Chicago to the Shedd Aquarium and even Ikea (where oddly Finley perhaps had more fun than the Aquarium?)
March brought the start of a new job for Nate and we also hit one of our other goals hard which was shopping for a new house! We put most of our free energy into looking at homes for the whole month of March and into April. I am sorry to say we have not found it yet. We know we need to move as our first home is getting seemingly smaller by the day but we aren't willing to settle for a house we don't love. For the moment we have cooled down the house hunt and just keep our eye on new listings. We are trying to enjoy the time that we do have to spend in our house and know something will come along in due time.
As May approaches we are keeping fingers crossed that our family stays healthy after a long run with cold viruses, strep throat and pink eye!! Envious, I know you are :)
Mr. Finley is doing AWESOME as usual. Talking up a storm, cracking us up and just learning from us like a sponge. He is quite the personality. Since the weather has warmed up some of his new favorite activities are playing in his sand table (with diggers), high-altitude swinging for hours while watching the dogs run crazy around the yard, sliding at the park (all by himself on the big slides!), long walks in his new all-terrain wagon and just helping mom and dad around the yard with what needs doing. He has recently acquired a Lighting McQueen "quad" that he is learning to ride. Thanks to all the Grandparents for all the new cool equipment!!
The next few months promise to be a busy time for us with weddings, trips and Nate's busy schedule. He likes his new job and has already traveled a bit. We are enjoying life the way it is now and knowing the the rest of the year is sure to bring changes for us.
See you back here soon!!

Touchdown!!

2010-01-13T23:32:00.006-06:00

That's exactly what we watched a plane do at Volk Field carrying 250 soldiers from the 32nd Brigade. The plane that was carrying our soldier, our hero, Nate! He landed around 6 pm this evening. Though they still have to complete several days of demobilization we got to spend a little more than an hour with him and are looking forward to having him home, for good, in a few days!!
The unfortunate part is that most of the pictures taken with my camera were distorted as somehow it got bumped on a different setting. All of the ones where we first met up with Nate are pretty hard to make out - we look like we are on fire in some of them!! All said it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. We still have a few photos. The totally ironic thing is the same thing happened four years ago when Nate arrived home from his deployment. The pictures at the welcome came out all distorted from another camera error so I guess we are just following tradition?
Myself, my sister, Nate's mom Patti, my friend Erin and Finley all headed up to Volk to see they guys fly in and see Nate. It was COLD!! Combo that with waiting on a tarmac and a little boy who doesn't understand the necessity of mittens or hats? You can't hold onto cars with mittens on!! Geesh. Finley did good for the circumstances but wasn't the happiest camper.
The whole 32nd Brigade has been coming in for a little over a week now and the rest are to follow till all 3200 are home safe and sound. It has been a long, sometimes difficult year and I am so grateful that this deployment is over.

Waiting on the Tarmac...it was COLD!!

First hug from Daddy

Weird Family picture...

My sister and my friend Erin (whose boyfriend comes in with the Torch party in a few more days!)

Awww... bottle baby... OK, I know. We are working on it. Poor Finley was on a napless bender and very tired.

Together again

Patti, Nate and Finley (pitching a fit)

Boys!!

What Finley did for most of the hour

There was an ambulance and buses outside..need I say more?

Passing Time

2010-01-11T12:33:00.000-06:00

Just the things we do counting the days till Daddy is home!!

Oh Boy...

Yep, It's a hat

Fits pretty well...

Opsec's turn

How about you Howie?

Nope, guess it's just right for Finley

Saturday Visit

2010-01-09T23:08:00.003-06:00

Erin, Jason and Lauren came over for a little visit today. Actually it was to exchange Christmas gifts for the kids so I guess it was our little Christmas! While I only snapped 2 pictures I just thought I had to share them with you. Here is Lauren in the Coupe, Cheetos in hand. Precious! Both Finley and Lauren were enjoying thier Cheetos from lunch.
We had fun, the kids played well and I was able to catch up with Erin and Jason. Thanks guys for the company and the great gifts too. Finley loves his Little People Farm and new book!!

Cozy Coupe!

2010-01-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

Finley got a Cozy Coupe for Christmas from Nate's parents. Since it's freakin' cold out I am allowing the use of the Coupe indoors (though we really don't have room for it!!). He really enjoys it. See for yourself...

Good Morning!

2010-01-05T22:03:00.001-06:00

What morning typically looks like these days!!

I may blog again some day...

2009-12-16T23:08:00.000-06:00

NO really...things have just been kind of crazy since Nate left and honestly will all the holiday shopping and such I haven't had a lot of spare time unless it's late at night when I am too tired to write anything coherent....let alone upload photos successfully. Really I am spending those wee hours Christmas shopping online or mind numbingly catching up on my DVR'd shows :)
So.. be sure to scroll down periodically as I am back posting as fast as I can ( I really honestly mean that). I plan on playing catch up for a while so be patient young grasshoppers and you too will be rewarded.

ps scroll down to see Finley and Santa....

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2009-12-03T22:39:00.004-06:00

Nate flew out early this morning headed back to Iraq. He is actually staying the night in Atlanta before heading on his international flight(s) tomorrow. Long story short he got very sick these last few days of his leave and as of last night we weren't even sure he was healthy enough to travel but we tried everything in our power to postpone his trip back and also to get him to in to the doctor and nothing worked. If you know anything about the Army you know that everything is ass-backward (for lack of a better term??) and that things just don't happen without as struggle. I'm just saying.. not trying to dis the Army but geez. The good thing is that Nate was feeling a little better as of 6 am today (no more fever) and when I talked to him this evening he had regained some of his voice. I just hope the long flights don't take more out of him.
Anyway, we had a great 2 weeks despite of the sickness and Finley and I already miss Nate a ton. We know it's only about 5 weeks or so before he should be heading home for good so that is keeping our spirits up. More later as I am pretty beat from our early morning and heading to bed!!

Santa Claus...

2009-11-30T22:08:00.003-06:00

One thing Nate and I decided to do on his R and R was take Finley to see Santa. We took him to East Towne Mall here in Madison, the same place we took him last year. In fact, it was the same exact "Santa"...ok, I know there is only ONE Santa...duh :)
Anyway, I will let you all be the judge of this one.

Who is more scared? Nate and my vote is for Santa... like a reindeer in headlights...

Every time I look at this picture I can't help but laugh. Figures our child would scare Santa and not vice versa. I will say I was proud of Finley for doing so well. The kicker was when Santa handed Finley a "digger" to hold. Finley then knew Santa spoke his language. It all went bad when I walked 2 feet away because the photo lady asked me to come preview the photo as she would take it. Then Finley started to melt- you can see a little trepidation forming on his face as the picture was being taken... he was thinking I might leave him there with Santa and Nate. What can I say, I have a momma's boy!!

He's Home!!

2009-11-17T21:57:00.005-06:00

Hi Everyone. Yes, I am still a blog slacker but just wanted to put out there that Nate arrived safely this afternoon after starting his journey from Iraq on Sunday. After a "small" glitch yesterday everything is A-ok and we are home together as a family. Finley is very happy with his Daddy so that is great. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening hanging out and playing and had dinner with Nate's parents who came up to see him and brought us dinner. Nate is pretty tired and jet lagged so we will keep it low key for the next few days before heading up to see my parents, both sets of his grandparents and also going to the Packer game on Sunday with Nate's best friend and his girlfriend. We are looking forward to the next 2 weeks of fun and just being together!

Here are a few pictures from today.

Happy Family

Nate, Finley and Aunt Chris

Already playing with trucks

and reading books

Still here...

2009-11-10T21:29:00.003-06:00

Yes. I am a total blog slacker. And for no good reason really? This last week and half have just been tiresome and kind of boring, aside from the daily grind and anticipating Nate coming home on leave. He will be home around this time next week!! He leaves for his loooonnng journey home on Sunday the 14th. Yay!
My mom is coming down to stay with me tomorrow and help me out a bit. Friday night Finley is spending the night at Nate's parents house so that I can go to some bright and early Army briefings on Saturday. And there you have it. I am back posting a couple things to make up for the absence.

Did I mention I am totally excited for Nate to come home? So excited I have myself worn out with trying to get things done (yeah, that I haven't done in the last 9 months- whatever) So I can't promise many posts honestly for the month of November as we will be pretty busy by next week and enjoying being together as a family!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T23:08:00.011-05:00

Bzzzzzzzz....

Happy Halloween to everyone. We had a pretty good one. I must add first that Finley was a bit moody all day, in fact I found myself wondering why he was a Bee and not a Crab for Halloween...anyway.
Our friends Jessica and Bree came over to spend the evening with us and do a little trick or treating. The kids played and we had some dinner and got them dressed up in their costumes.
Finley the Bumble Bee and Bree the Chicken. I must say both were just adorable. We headed out in neighborhood for some trick or treating.
The kids couldn't handle a lot but we got go around the block and visit a few houses. It was fun but a lot of work for us mommies as we mostly just carried the kids (while pushing the strollers) between houses. It was Miss Bree's first Halloween so that was special. Finners was too little to trick or treat last year so it was his first time doing that. Altogether we had a good time, a bit chaotic, but fun. Here are a BUNCH of pictures from our night.

Before all the fun started in his Halloween shirt being silly

Getting dressed on the couch pre-Bee. Finley looks like a stagehand at this point.

A little action between the Chicken and the Bee

Mommy and the Bee

Just squeezable!!

What it looks like when you strap a Bee into a stroller...

and a Chicken...

Loot

Mommy and the Bee on the street

Jessica and the Chicken

I just thought this shot of his "stinger" was hilarious

The Bee is down

Going through their loot

Mom, can I have this Kit Kat??

Watching Sesame Street winding down after the festivities were over...all buzzed out.

Playing before bedtime...

Playdate With Isabel

2009-10-29T22:07:00.004-05:00

Today we had a fun playdate with Mary and Isabel. Finley actually fell asleep in the middle of it on the floor...he had not napped beforehand after having a really crappy nights sleep last night.
The kids interacted some but mostly just parallel played but at one point both were playing with the activity table... do you like Finley's "baba"? Seriously, this kid is addicted to his bottle. Anyone have any pointers? He refuses to take his milk from a sippy cup. He still takes his milk in three bottles a day and only water in a sippy cup besides that. He still hates juice.
Anyway, my bottle challenge will continue but we had a fun day catching up with Mary and seeing how big Miss Isabel has gotten.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T23:09:00.000-05:00

I ♥ Trucks

2009-10-26T22:09:00.007-05:00

Finley's true love these days is trucks. Digger's, to be more specific...

Can you believe I got those adorable Truck pajamas for $1.00 at a garage sale this summer??
They were brand new, never worn too. They found just the right kid to appreciate them though.

He was watching Sesame Street all the while...hence the deer-in-headlights look?? Finley's second love...Elmo.

What The?

2009-10-24T23:04:00.000-05:00

As you can see I was busy changing up my blog. Well, as I scrolled ALL the way down when previewing I see the my yellow ribbon widget says 1st Sarge Mike?
What the hell? I am pretty sure it did not say that before? Please, tell me if I am crazy or if you noticed this? Who the heck is 1st Sarge Mike? Ummmm, I am pretty sure someone hacked the general HTML code on the widget site for this because I tried to create a new one 3 times and they all came out saying 1st Sarge Mike...
Sorry Top, I don't know you so I guess I am going to give up my yellow ribbon for now till maybe I can figure this thing out?? Is that unpatriotic? Oh boy.
I support all of our troops! (I just don't want random 1SG names on my blog?)

Created at MilitaryWidgets.com

Catching Up

2009-10-23T23:08:00.002-05:00

Well I realize I have not been keeping up with the blog very well lately. Actually, I have been starting a post almost every night however I just never had the time or energy to finish them. Let me tell you why...

#1 Many a things need fixin' around here...this adds to my busy days. I have been forever trying to get our garage door fixed, a new front door installed and various other household projects done.

#2 Finley decided to boycott napping this week. I think his entire nap time probably equaled about 2 hours all week! At least he slept ok at night. A few wake ups lately. I am pretty sure this is a lot due to teething.

#3 See post Mommy's Little Helper

#4 Finley and I graciously came down with a cold this week. Fun!

#5 Finley has perfected the art of throwing a tantrum. He has been practicing for awhile but this week I think was Oscar worthy.

So there you have it. My top 5 reasons to keep me off of blogger for a week!

If you scroll down you can catch up with us this week as I have finished and posted all of my back entries. Enjoy!!

Mommy's Little Helper...

2009-10-22T22:10:00.002-05:00

I will just let you judge for yourself. Note, all of these things happened over the course of this last week. He loves to "help" when I am cleaning (ironic?) or trying to cook...
Sorry for the blur but my iphone is the fastest way to record these precious moments...

yes that is Howie EATING the rolls Finley has thrown out of the freezer...

Just a day in the life folks...

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-21T23:06:00.006-05:00

Well its that time of year and since Finley and I hadn't yet gotten our pumpkins... and just HAD to take advantage of the beautiful day we had today, nevermind the fact that he decided yet again NOT to nap today, we headed over to Schuster's Playtime Farm... aka the pumpkin farm.
We skipped the cornmaze this year... seeing as though I did NOT feel much like getting lost for hours with my 14 month old kid in a bunch of corn and going crazy (we do plenty of going crazy at home). We did opt this year to do the kids zone/petting zoo part.
I am seriously not kidding you when I say it was awesome weather out! Like all of a sudden amongst the rain and cold we get this 65 degree day! Just a perfect day to cruise around the farm. We spent 2 hours there looking at animals, running around and picking out our pumpkins.
I think Mr. Finn had a pretty good time. I know I did.

Pumpkin picking

Wagon Pushing

The wagons getting full.... Finley helped choose the pumpkins but he picked out his pumpkin, which happened to be a white one. Guess I did not get a picture of this?

These two were just too cute

Chicken Chasing

Boy gripping tire

Smiley

Hey donkey. (ps I now want a donkey- seriously. they were so cute and sweet)

He yelled at the goats a lot. I think he thought they looked like Opsec?

Posing in front of the "Catty-Shack".

I had a special place in my heart for this guy (girl?). He too was too cute. Finley loved watching the kittens. I (of course) wanted to take this little one home.

This is what back at home an bored again looks like. He really liked Schusters. So sad.

Feed the Birds

2009-10-19T20:46:00.003-05:00

We had to refill the bird feeders for our little friends. Finley was a big help. He only ate one small pinch of birdseed...I know but that is miles for us. Ask how much dog food he consumes daily? Ok, don't, I am ashamed. He could keep Mounds in business.
Anyway, Finley loves to watch the birds (and chipmunks, and squirrels and rabbits) all enjoying the seed from the feeders so rightful that he could help mommy with this.
The pile of bird seed that ended up on the patio was just more chipmunk bate (ok that came from Howie and Opsec) :)

Tailgating with the Troops

2009-10-18T22:00:00.006-05:00

The Brigade threw a party at the Coliseum this Sunday. They had live feeds from Iraq and invited families to come watch the Packer/Lions game and enjoy some food and fun. We attended with Erin and Lauren and my sister - Aunt Chris. Apparently the kids weren't all that thrilled to be in their strollers during the opening National Anthem and remarks by the MC and the Generals and Colonels in Iraq, not to mention the Governor.
After the presentation we got to see live feed of the guys in Iraq also watching the game over there and enjoyed some lunch and yummy Culver's Custard. Families were also able to talk to their soldiers via web cams but Nate and I opted not to do this since we are lucky enough to talk daily and have Skype ability at home.
The highlight? Borders donated 50 boxes of free childrens books for the military children. Finley and I seriously came home with 17 books! And these were really nice books, not just crap they could not sell. We had fun looking through the mounds of books and everyone was able to take as many as they wanted with plenty leftover to distribute to families that weren't able to attend the event. Again, I am impressed with Borders and will gladly give them my business everyday. Afterall Mr. Finley LOVES to run around in their store.
The kids had fun once they could eat and run around a bit but they were too little to take part in many of the events. There were lots of "mascots" walking around like Chester Cheeto and Scoopie (from Culvers). We called it kind of short since both kids needed naps by 1:00pm. It was a fun little day though.

Trapped in the stroller but looking at his new "Cars" Golden Book

Lauren getting a snack

Now this is more like it

A boy on the loose

14 Months

2009-10-14T21:25:00.004-05:00

Finley is 14 months old today!! What a big boy! He amazes me everyday with showing me more and more of his personality which is so fun. He is just hilarious most of the time with a big sense of humor. He has added a few new words to his vocabulary like raspberries, watermelon, banana and digger. Yes these are big words....for some reason Finley does not choose to say a lot of simple words but he will burst out with one of these here and there? I am totally stumped by this but whatever. In general he is not a big talker and 9/10 times if you ask him to say a word he knows he won't but then 10 minutes later when he thinks you are no longer listening he will say it!! Again, just a mystery to me but we'll go with it. He also has become quite a fan of Sesame Street and I usually turn it on every morning. Since he doesn't tune into it like a zombie I think its a good program for him. He tunes into certain things but reads his books and plays with his trucks all the while it's on. He also likes a show called Word World on PBS which I don't mind as well. I have to say that I honestly welcome a little break when he will tune into something for a little while I just don't want him glued to the TV all day long.
Finley's newest favorite activity is playing hide and seek in any curtain or hanging coat? he can find. This is especially great since I am in the process of hanging new curtains in our living
room :)

I think I can say I am loving this age so far the most. Everyday brings a new adventure...

Would you like my truck?

Sticky tag from new truck shirts I found at Target

Dream Park

2009-10-08T22:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was finally a nice day among a bunch of rainy ones so I took the opportunity to walk Finley down to the park to play. We went in the early evening (the time he needs entertainment the most and usually when I am tired/out of ideas!) and though it started getting a bit chilly Finley ran around like a crazy man. He followed kids, kids followed him. He climbed, pushed tire swings, slid down slides and just had fun.

This is how you step down...

He's petting the serpent/dragon thing that's coming out of the ground - I am pretty sure he thinks its a really large dog

Whoah, you're tall

Action shot

Seriously, you're really tall...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T12:06:00.001-05:00

Phone Talker

2009-10-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Finley has taken to pretending to talk on my phone these days. Yeah yeah, I realize kids are like sponges and I may be slightly responsible for this behavior :)
He gets most interested in doing this after we talk to Nate in the mornings. He likes to pretend to talk to Daddy quite a bit but will take EVERY opportunity to snatch my phone away for some chatting...

Can't you see this is important business Mom?

Apparently he uses his hands to talk also...

He still does PLENTY of this too.

Go Pack!

2009-10-05T21:07:00.003-05:00

I am currently watching the Packers v. Vikings game- the big rivalry game since Brett Favre sold out (for the 2nd time?) and joined the evil Minnesota Vikings (it's an NFC North thing, ok?). Anyway. Finley got ready for tonight's big game by wearing his Packer gear today and his Packer pajamas tonight. He has a cute little Ryan Grant jersey Uncle Jake bought him at Lambeau when he went to a game earlier this season. Finley is sound asleep now and I am having a hard time not yelling loudly at the TV...damn turnovers!

All I can say is Go Pack and PLEASE pull this one off??

Telling Opsec something (pointing)

Sucking on a bottle top...

Oh?

Complete with an appropriately green night night bottle

Based on that face the game must have been intense monetarily

The suspense is killing me... (nice diaper showing too :)

Bring on October

2009-10-01T23:36:00.004-05:00

I really can't believe October is here already. I am excited as I love the month of October. It's probably my favorite. I love the weather and I love Halloween. I love the fact that it means we are closer to the holiday season and this year I love the fact that it means we are closer to Nate's leave dates and the end of this whole deployment! Today was not exactly the epitome of the perfect October day- it was chilly and rainy outside all day with some thunderstorms this evening. Good thing Finley and I had the chance to enjoy some time outside over the last few days which were cooler yet sunny. Here he is enjoying some backyard play this week.
Our house is welcoming October and fall - here's hoping that the rain stops though!!

To Daddy From Mommy

2009-09-30T23:51:00.005-05:00

Finley found my mailing labels for Nate's packages today...
The picture is kind of crappy since I took it with my phone and right after Finley got cranky for his nap...

The Fountain Bandit Strikes Again

2009-09-26T23:28:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-23T12:45:00.002-05:00

Library Fun

2009-09-21T23:22:00.006-05:00

Today turned out to be another beautiful day so we took advantage of the nice weather. This afternoon we walked down to the library and park with Lisa and Anna. Finley enjoyed running around at the park and checking out other kids...I forgot to snap some pics of that but I did get a few of him playing with his favorite things at the library. We also enjoyed some time in the back yard as well. The dwindling warm days are so nice.

The much loved Lego table...he has stolen trains from the train table to use on the lego table...

He just loves the lego car base...really its all he does at the table is make car sounds and push the car?

Picking up bricks that are probably too heavy for him?

What Mom? I am playing?

Oh and I found Finley some "Truck" videos at the library. I am hoping that he may like to watch them for longer than the usual 5-10 minutes of his Sesame Street viewing so that I may get a few things done.. especially since they may be calling for rain all day tomorrow! Keep your fingers crossed.

Crazy Busyness

2009-09-20T21:53:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't posted for a week! It's one thing to not be able to post and another to be just too darn busy to post! This last week was one of those busy weeks for us. Stay tuned with me as I will be back-posting about all the things that we did as well as moving forward with posts! It's catch up time! You can look forward to Finley turning 13 months, a trip up North to Grandma and Grandpas, massive teething and stranger-anxiety!! Oh Boy... we have a lot going on!!

Tonight we just got home from a trip to Nate's parents house. Greg did some maintenance on my Highlander for me (thanks!), we had dinner with everyone and then got the grand opportunity to drive home after dark in the MONSOON that it is tonight. Okay, maybe a little dramatic but it seriously hasn't rained here in like 3 weeks so the fact that's its been steadily pouring for hours makes it a monsoon. Add that to trying to see on the interstate...I am glad to be home.

Trip to Grandma and Grandpa's

2009-09-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

Finley and I headed to my mom and dad's house for a couple of days. We went up to Minocqua to an animal park that was part zoo and part wildlife reserve for lack of better explanation. Finley had fun seeing and petting the diverse population of animals they had there. He also enjoyed running around as much as possible and got his first skinned knee (minor, just a scratch really).
We finished up the day with a nice dinner and headed home. The rest of the time at my mom's I failed to snap any pictures but you can be damn sure Grandma and Grandpa have plenty on their camera :)
The rest of the trip was pretty much just hanging out. My mom and I took Finley out shopping a little on Wednesday where at Target he tried to stash a tricycle in a box into the bottom of our cart- yes, the box was bigger than him. I am telling you, he is one strong boy!
Finley mastered the art of climbing stairs too. My parents have carpeted stairs... all we have at home are the basement stairs so Finley hasn't really had the opportunity to climb them. It took about 3 minutes for him to learn the up part and he still thinks you should get back down by just jumping...ahhhhh.
The only bummer about our little trip was that Finley did not sleep well at all. I have no idea why but the second and third nights he woke up screaming and was inconsolable unless I held him. This also meant not going back to sleep unless it was with me in the bed! This was the first time (since he was a tiny baby) that he has shared a bed with me and I do not intend to make this a habit! He also decided he did not want to take naps which made for an overtired cranky kid at times! I know it was just getting used to a new place and sleeping somewhere different than he's used to. When he was smaller he really did not know the difference sleeping somewhere new but now that he's very aware of everything I think it makes a huge difference.
Anyway, Finley and I had a good time "getting" away for a few days but getting back home is always refreshing too. It's where we are most comfortable and where our everyday life keeps on chugging...

13 Months!

2009-09-14T19:00:00.003-05:00

Seems like his just turned 12 months? My how time flies. The toddler thing is good for Finley for the most part. He just runs around like a crazy man most of the day. He must be entertained though at all times or he is NOT happy. Boredom comes with a hefty price for Mom....basically whining and dragging on me?? I can say I am not getting a lot done these days save for entertaining Finley.
Finley also got a new chair with some Target gift cards he got for his Birthday (Thank you Mary and Izzy and Nanny and Pappy). I guess maybe I will try to take a picture of him in this chair every month though I missed a chair photo for 12 months? Oops?
His love is trucks (drucks), and cars. Anything with a picture of a truck or other vehicle is super exciting to him. I lost count of how many truck books we now own. Every once in awhile he will branch out and look a book containing something other than trucks... oh boy.
He has been talking more and more though chooses to be quiet or just grunt, ooh, ahh or scream for the most part. Words he can say are Truck, Car, Up, Opsec, Ella, Kitty, Baba (bottle), Mama (rare), Daddy (not really dada its more daddy? don't know why), Bye Bye, and of course making Vroom Vroom noises for the cars and trucks...
At this point he understands pretty much everything. If you say no no he shakes his head no no. He doesn't say no but I expect that to come soon. He knows to hand me things he's not supposed to have, he comes when he is called (most of the time), he knows what things will get my attention.. fast.., he knows how to play with his dogs and give them things, he imitates pretty much everything I do. He also understands many more words than he can say. He can bring you things if you ask.
He has taken to a security blanket... or 20. In a pinch pretty much any blanket or piece of cloth will do. He has a few special "woobies" (ask someone in the Army if you don't get why we call it that). His preference is something that is both soft and fuzzy and silky. He has 4 of these types of blankies and 2 blankets with heads (you know what I am talking about- a doggie and a bear) that are more special than anything else.
He continues to eat a great variety of foods but has days where he eats hardly anything at all and just wants "babas". That which I am having trouble eliminating. He is still on half formula/half whole milk bottles but I am working towards all milk by a week or two. Currently he takes at least 3 bottles a day still (morning, afternoon and night). Some days it's more (I know I know). The only other thing he drinks is water. He still hates juice.
Well, that is Finley in a nutshell. I am sure I could type all day and night about my crazy little man! He is such a funny, adorable, active little boy and I love being his mom, despite those hard days. I just can't wait for Nate to come home and start experiencing all the fun and love Finley has to offer (and vice versa).

Last Days of Summer

2009-09-13T11:28:00.005-05:00

All week long we have had gorgeous weather topping near 80 degrees everyday. A bit unseasonal but since we had such a cool summer its like a little extension of some of what we missed. Though I look forward to Autumn (I LOVE perfectly crisp fall days!!) Finley and I have been taking all that we can from the sun and warmth. This week we did A LOT of this...

We also enjoyed our nightly walks (with Lisa and Anna) taking them into the last minutes of the evening as it starts to get dark again earlier and earlier.
We capped the beautiful summery week off with a trip to the Farmer's Market yesterday. It will probably be the last time we go this year. We joined Erin and Lauren again for a few strolls around the square, some yummy baked goods and fresh produce (I picked up a yellow watermelon for us-interesting. We have never had one before).
Here's to the last days of summer!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T22:57:00.003-05:00

Should Have Named Him Dexter

2009-09-08T22:16:00.004-05:00

What you are seeing is just so WRONG on so many different levels....

Today while I was cleaning out our living room cabinets Finley found this Army guy toy that crawls via battery. For some reason we have had this guy since college. He was a joke gift to Nate I think...anyway... I admit anything that was keeping Finley busy was good enough for me as I tried to accomplish my organizing. He was enthralled with this dude and after I wasn't paying attention for a few minutes he came back over to me and gave me this:

I was mortified.
Don't worry though. He is all better and ready for action. (poor dude's been through hell though)

Seriously? Gotta watch every move this kid makes! Geez.

No Internet!!

2009-09-07T21:38:00.002-05:00

You might as well have cut my right arm off for the last 4 days. I have been without internet for that long. It caused me great anxiety and suffering. Okay, that may be a little over-the-top dramatic... but....
I couldn't email with ease or Skype or IM with Nate...and I couldn't blog.

I am also a "Google" girl. When I need to know something, I need to know it that instant and that's where Google comes in. Whether its checking to see store hours, a phone number etc... presto...
Google comes through. It's been a rough 4 days.

Thank goodness for my iPhone as I did have that to rely on for emergencies but it truly gets old typing on the tiny keypad and reading the little screen. It was worth it to email Nate but other than that I don't bother unless I am out and about and need knowledge fast... you get it.

Turns out a freak turn of events including a power outage here (damn City of Madison workers digging in my neighborhood), and a wireless Router which was WAY in need of some updates caused my problem. And if you knew our house and where my husband (and all his blessed computer knowledge) has rigged our modem and router you'd know why I couldn't just plug it in and go wired...its way up high (step ladder needed) in the basement to not only run up to the office but used to accommodate running TV (via a computer) on a projector down in the basement for our workout equipment....I know. It's all very complicated. It's life at our house. Greg came up to fix it today... thankyoumuch.

Anyway. We are back.

My Neighbors Rock!

2009-09-04T08:05:00.001-05:00

My neighbors Brenda and Yvonne got me these beautiful flowers for my birthday yesterday!! Seriously, how sweet is that? Since I was in Janesville all day and did not get home until after 9 pm I was not able to get them till last night when I stopped over at their house. They are just awesome! Thank you so much... you really made my day special!

Being 29...

2009-09-03T22:11:00.003-05:00

Today was my 29th Birthday....
I got to renew my driver's license (in the nick of time- it expired today). After Finley's morning nap and lunch we headed down to Janesville. Patti watched Finley for me for a bit so I could renew my license and run some errands. Heather and I also ran to a shoe store in town in search of some new shoes but weren't lucky to find anything we had to have. We had pizza for dinner and they got me my favorite- carrot cake.
Just a mostly normal day with a little bit of extra fun and time with family. Perfect as I am not a person that likes to make a big fuss about my birthday. Everyone (including my husband) gave me "Spa" money for my birthday so that is cool. Looking forward to putting that to good use.
I am tired now and getting ready to head to bed. My little Finley is also pooped after playing with his cousins and having fun with Grandma and Grandpa.
Another year older... hopefully wiser. I can wish?

Finley's 12 Month Check Up

2009-09-01T22:40:00.003-05:00

Today we had Finley's 12 month check up. All is good besides a little bout (his first) of diaper rash that he just developed yesterday . His weight was 22.7lbs (40%), 30.5 inches tall (66%) and 46.5 cm head circumference (50%). He received only 2 vaccines today (the max I will allow him to receive at a time). We will be going back over the next few weeks for 3 more. He also had to have his finger pricked for the lead test and to test for anemia. Poor guy. He was champ with the shots but that needle prick of his finger was it. I really did not care how loud he screamed and was not apologetic to the rest of the people waiting in the lab. My poor kid was poked and prodded and squeezed blood from. He could scream as loud as he wanted. I don't know why the needle for the finger had to be spring loaded and practically hydrolic? I was just glad to be done and get the heck out of the clinic. Enough for one day! Finley fell asleep on our 10 minute drive home- too much excitement and screaming I guess. I am glad he is well and know that the pokes and prods are necessary evils but I can still hate it right?

The End of August...

2009-08-31T21:34:00.006-05:00

Whoah? Where did the summer go? Now, for most people they are probably bummed to see the last day of August come and go. I myself am okay with it as it just means I am that much closer to seeing Nate and having him home for good too. We welcome September and all the fall has to bring....
Here are just a few random pictures from the last few weeks.

Howie's butt is an awesome book rest...

Making an entrance

Oooo...this is his new face when he sees a truck (wearing his t-shirt from our Albuquerque NM trip) It's covered in watermelon juice from lunch.

Wearing his t- shirt we got him in Key Largo on our "babymoon" vacation last year when I was about 28 weeks pregnant. He is holding a shark finger puppet that goes with is shark t-shirt.

Reading about his favorite thing, trucks...

Would you like a raspberry? (that's yogurt all over his head)

Sleep Reader?

2009-08-28T20:54:00.003-05:00

Sleep walking is something that runs in my family. I myself have been known to do all kinds of weird things in my sleep... such as turning on every light in the house, walking out the door and talking all kinds of nonsensical things. Scary huh? Just ask my husband all of his experiences with my sleep walking. I am beginning to wonder if this is something I may have passed down to Finley...
The other night... at 12:37pm (I remember as it was so strange) I woke to Finley "talking" in his crib. I now keep a few little board books in the corner of his crib for when he wakes up. He loves to look at books in the morning and will stay content in his crib for 20-30 minutes before needing me to get him.
The picture on our video baby monitor told me what was up. Our child was "reading" books in the dark. What the? He was paging through his books pointing and talking to the pictures.... in the dark? Either this kid has some imagination or he is following in his mama's footsteps...

I snapped a few pictures of the monitor with my phone so I could show Nate...
Look closely, you can see Finley sitting up against the side of his crib and the book...

Cookies in the Cat Fountain

2009-08-27T22:45:00.003-05:00

Just in case you were all wondering what it looks like when someone (Finley) puts his Nilla Wafers in the cat's drinking fountain while mommy is trying to make dinner...
I thought he was feeding them to Howie because he kept quickly coming back for more...all I was thinking was whatever keeps you occupied while I try to make dinner...little did I know.
Later that night, after he was sound asleep I discovered what really happened to the Nilla Wafers.

He actually topped it off with this cup that he had been playing with...

Go Go Go and Other Random Thoughts...

2009-08-24T22:54:00.007-05:00

It seems Finley and I have been sort of busy these last few days. Actually, since Friday night. We traveled to Janesville for dinner at Nate's parents house. Finley highly enjoyed playing with cousins Gavin and Olivia and the attention of everyone. Saturday we did dinner and Borders with Aunt Chris. Sunday we traveled to Johnson Creek to meet Grandma Patti and Aunt Heather at the outlet mall for some shopping- by which Finley wasn't exactly game for the afternoon of shopping but with the help we made it. Today we had a playdate with Anna and Lisa for some "Splash Table" fun and backyard play. Then Finley and I headed over to dinner at their house. Since Nate is not here I don't ever grill out. We have a nice gas grill and the propane tank has sat empty all summer. It's hard enough to cook in the house with Finley underfoot let alone prep and cook and go in and out with Finley. He screams every time you open a door. I think he is going through his version of separation anxiety. He just thinks you are going to leave him and wants to make sure he gets to go with you. Well, my point is, we don't grill at home and I get my summer grilled food fix only when we are invited somewhere for a cookout. Tonight it was a burger and it was great!
The busy-ness continues...I have a "date" for dinner with Aunt Heather. It's a "stay-at-home-mom's much needed dinner out without the kids once in while" date. Patti and Greg will be graciously watching all three kiddos for a couple hours of our "decompression" time.

The beauty and gem of all this busy-ness? I haven't had to feed Finley dinner at home for 4 going on 5 nights!! You know what that means? I haven't had to clean up from dinner for 4 going on 5 nights!! A much needed break from the monotonous 3 times a day meal cleanup!! I feel liberated! Ha... okay my reality will come crashing down on me on Wednesday night. Oh well. It's been a good run. (secretly I am trying to see how many more days in a row I can plan things for dinner out (or not at OUR house) so I have no dinner cleanup...sick isn't it?). Such a silly thing but when you clean up from baby/toddler meals a 3 times a day, everyday, solo, you too would be celebrating this.

In the meantime...
Hopefully I can get some cleaning done around here tomorrow morning. It seems my house is the "self-destructing" type. Like the moment I get things picked up, cleaned and vacuumed it takes about an hour before it looks like I never did any of those things? Mom's of toddlers? Are you also experiencing this phenomenon? Some days I just don't bother...then regret it later when I look around at the mess and think what I have to face in the morning!!

Saturday Night at Borders...

2009-08-22T20:29:00.006-05:00

I know what you all are saying upon reading the title... whoo hoo- sounds like a hot Saturday night...well it was for Finley!
My sister (Aunt Chris), Finley and myself all headed to Avenue Bar tonight for dinner. These days dinner time out is all of 5:00pm (even 4:30pm sometimes) to avoid the busy hour so that service may be quicker for Finley's sake. He is really well behaved at restaurants for the most part but can be pretty messy and just loud and there is still a time limit before that behavior changes. The occasional meltdown does occur, again, hence the earlier dinner hour less people to annoy. We joked that we are part of the early bird dinner crowd now in our old age...
Finley did well at dinner though most of his meal consisted of Bugles which I brought from home and french fries. He did eat some broccoli and a carrot and some steak. Hey, some nights are for letting go right? At the end of the meal my sister was giving him tiny drops of Coke from her straw to keep him happy till we got the check... again some nights are for letting go...put your judgments aside. I am pretty sure no child was ever truly harmed from a teaspoon of carbonated sugar water... HA!
After dinner we decided to take a trip to Borders bookstore. I LOVE that place. Tonight we thought it might be fun to unleash Finley and let him run some energy (and Coke) off and play in the Childrens section. Our coffee in hand, we let him go wild and boy did he. He ran around oohing, ahhing and screaming (sort of quietly?) for at least an hour. He was CRAZY. He followed a few other kids around and played with all kinds of books and toys and whatever else they had (furniture, metal signs...letting go remember?). He kept pulling this sequined Red Dragon stuffed animal out of the the shelf every time he walked by it. Too funny. I am sure a few people thought he was obnoxious but he's only 1! Seriously, if you want to read in quiet go to the library... and if you choose to try to read in quiet at Borders you probably shouldn't choose the chair that's 5 feet from the Childrens section! People never cease to amaze me. Last time I was at Borders this guy had taken his shoes and socks off and made him self (super) comfortable in a chair there with a pile of books. Really? Did you need to remove the socks too buddy? Ok, I digress but.... Finley enjoyed himself running around so much he was pooped by the time we got home. It was bath, bottle and sound asleep by 8pm. We may have to make a weekly night of Borders? I wonder how they would feel about that??

ps....ok, so Finley too off his shoes as soon as we got to Borders too. But he's 1? At least he kept his socks on.

Finley's Uncle Jake

2009-08-20T23:15:00.005-05:00

I think I mentioned that Nate's Bro, Uncle Jake, came along to help me out for Finley's 1 year portrait session. He was a lifesaver, he even took Finley for a stroll around the mall and got me a latte from Starbucks while I waited for the pictures to be ready to pick out.
After the photos, Jake, Finley and I went out for some dinner. We don't get to see Jake often as he goes to college in northern Minnesota and it's quite a drive. It's nice to spend some time together and for him to be able to play with Finley when he is in town on breaks and what not. Finley is thrilled with both Nate's brothers and just loves being around guys. I know Finley misses Nate a lot and his Uncles come in close second. After all, they sound a lot like daddy too!
Here is a quick photo I snapped of Finley and Jake at our house...festive with the leftover party balloons in the background..lol. Also Finley is getting kind of squirrely but hey, he made it through a photo shoot AND dinner in a restaurant (barely)!

Jake is back off to school on Saturday and we probably won't see him till Thanksgiving! Thanks for helping out Jake!!

12 Month Portraits

2009-08-17T22:07:00.006-05:00

Here they are- besides the ones I have already included on my page (some are similar but different effects etc). It went super well this time. Nate's brother, Jake (aka Uncle Jake) came along with us so that helped ALOT. Finley was almost all smiles....when he wasn't running off. Man, the energy that little boy has is exhausting! I am so proud of him and how awesome he did today. He was just loving be the center of attention.

Finley's Private After-Party

2009-08-16T23:17:00.004-05:00

Last night after I started the post about his 1st Birthday Party, Finley decided to wake up refreshed from a "nap" at 7:45pm. Ok, so the party made his schedule a little off but I thought he was so tired (I was?) he had gone to "bed" at 6 pm to stay asleep all night!! Not so much. So from 7:45pm to 9:45pm my little toddler partied like a rockstar. It was so hilarious watching him as he was HYPER. Guess that is what cake does? If it wasn't nailed down he was dragging away or pulling it down. He even surfed the kitchen counters trying to reach things on them? Seriously? This kid had a massive sugar induced mission last night. What you are seeing folks is 3 rolls of toilet paper, one box of tampons and whatever toys and household goods he could find to throw around. I was just too tired to fight that battle last night. Finley rarely entertains himself happily for 2 hours, I guess this was a small price to pay.

The evidential pictures where taken with my iphone so they are a bit blurry.

s

1st Birthday Party

2009-08-15T19:15:00.018-05:00

Warning... This is a LONG Post! So many nice pictures were taken and this is just a sample (seriously)

Whew! It was a super fun day and Finley has been fast asleep since about 6 pm (not sure if it's for the night) after an afternoon of partying with all his friends and family. He had a great time at his 1st Birthday Party and made it till about 5pm when he had a bath and got in his pjs as he was indicating that he had his fill of partying and playing. I must say that the party was a success and I think everyone had a good time. I know I did and Finley did. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us. Also a big thanks to my mom and dad who I don't know if I could have pulled this off without them and Nate's mom and dad who also helped out a lot.
I tried to include a picture of everyone at the party to really capture the mood of the party. It was a bit chaotic at times with about 10 kids running around!! Finley did the traditional Book, Bread and Dollar choice (Nate's families tradition). If they choose the book they will be a scholar, if they choose the dollar they will fall into wealth and if they choose the bread they will work hard for a living? Something like that. Greg can tell you. Anyway, he first touched the bread, then grabbed the dollar and a minute later paged through the book! I guess we will say half and half dollar and bread. He was equally interested in both. He will work hard for part of his life and fall into money?? LOL
He did enjoy his smash cake. No real smashing he just ate it bit by bit methodically and actually was about falling asleep as he did that. Uncle Josh helped him eat his cake too. After cake we opened gifts and Finley enjoyed the help of some of the bigger kids. That was nice because if we would have let Finley do it all by himself we could have been there for a year. Our friends and family are EXTREMELY generous and Finley got so many nice things. We are very appreciative! Again, thank you all. He is just thrilled with all of his gifts.
Over all it was a fun success. Our little guy rang in his one year with a super fun time. Beautiful weather, family, great friends, good food and good cake! Can't ask for much more right? Well, we only wish we could have had Nate there with us. I know Finley would have had an even better time with his daddy there!!

I am now exhausted from the party and this post (which I just finished and it's actually Sunday morning now)

Mommy and Finley

Happy Birthday Boy

Just having fun

Grandpa Bill and Finley

It's a Party

Cakes
`
Lisa, Anna and my Cousin Kelli

Erin and Lauren

Jessica and Bree

Grandma Patti and Finley

Uncle Josh and Finley (Finley is eating a truck?)

My Mom and Aunt Sue enjoying lunch

Leslie and Melissa

Cousin Connor

Grandpa Greg and Olivia

Mary and Izzy

Playing with Isabel

Lisa and Anna

Getting ready for cake

The bread, the book and the dollar

Smash?

Green and blue make turqoise

mmmm

Lauren enjoying her cupcake

The remainder of the cake

Gift opening time

Hugging his new puppy dog

Presents with his two great helpers Gavin and John

Presents with Aunt Heather and the boys

New Splash Table

Soaking wet from playing in the water

Happy First Birthday to Finley!!

2009-08-14T21:15:00.007-05:00

Today Finley turned the big ONE!!! Wow, the last year has gone by fast if I may say so myself. Kids grow up so fast you can't blink!! I am only going to do a quick post since I am tired and still getting ready for tomorrow's festivities. I want to post some of his newborn pictures and do a little comparison and of course, have to get the 12 month chair photo! I will work on all my posting goals after the Party tomorrow!! We had pizza for dinner (a Finley favorite) and also I had gotten him a little cheesecake for today. To be honest he ate one raspberry off of it and only wanted to pick the whole thing up and throw in on the ground for the dogs. No interest in the cake what-so-ever other than throwing it? Needless to say we ended up taking his cake before we had a massive cheesecake mess on the floor and gave him a smaller piece which he then did feed to the dogs. We will see what tomorrow is like as he has a true smash-cake? I took a few pictures today and overall Finley was in kind of a serious mood most of the day? Maybe he is at odds with turning a year old and becoming a toddler? Ha?
All in all Finley is a healthy, fun, funny, crazy, lovable, and sweet little boy (with the occasional tantrum!). Happy Birthday Finley! Mommy and Daddy LOVE you so much!!

One Year Old!!

Birthday Boy this morning

Birthday Cheesecake...

Hmmmm I love Raspberries

Not wanting his cake

Present Opening

Playdate

2009-08-11T20:54:00.006-05:00

We had a playdate with Mary and Isabel today. Though Finley and Izzy are over 6 months apart in age they are both interested in one another. Izzy also likes to check out all the different toys and Finley just enjoys having company over (someone other than boring old mommy). Finley can be overzealous though and we have to be careful he doesn't bop Izzy on the head too much... he plays rough with our dogs and cats so he thinks he can play like that with everyone. I am really working on "be gentle" and "be nice" but they only go so far? I just took a couple pictures today but they turned out cute. (Mary - you can steal them for your blog too!).

Mary, Isabel and Finley

Finley the sippy cup thief... the yellow one is Izzy's... his is the red one.

Sidenote: I don't really know why I haven't been blogging this past week? Just not a lot of excitement- that's a good thing!! We have just been living and keeping as busy as we can. I think also because I have been busy planning a little party for Finley's upcoming big birthday (FRIDAY!). I am sure I will pick up with the posts here...

Visitors!

2009-08-05T22:21:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday my sister Tina (from the UK) my nephew Gareth and niece Megan all came for a visit to Madison to hang out with Finley and I and my sister Chris. They have been over here on vacation staying with my parents. Tina is my dad's daughter from a previous marriage. We don't see each other often at all due to the distance and I just met Megan for the first time. The last time they all came for a visit Megan hadn't even been born yet and Gareth was just a little boy (so were his two brothers, my other nephews who did not make this trip). Gareth was here last summer so we had seen him about a year ago. It was nice to catch up and visit though too short of a time. We decided on going to the Zoo and had a good time seeing all there is to see. All of the exhibits were actually open which was nice. Megan and Finley and I all went on the Carousel and Finley was terrified to sit on his Cheetah. I just stood and held him.
After our Zoo trip we headed to lunch and a little shopping. All in all it was a fun day and I wish we lived closer (not across the Atlantic) so that we could spend more fun days together. I think a trip to the UK may be in our future!!

Tina, Megan and Gareth at lunch

Being silly. Tina, Megan and my mom

Group Picture in the Best Buy parking lot... hence the Kohls behind us and Finley being pretty much done for the day

Gareth feeding the goats

Tina and Megan (and Tapirs I think?)

Gareth and Dad

Howie's Owie

2009-08-03T22:15:00.005-05:00

Well, we just got back from the Emergency Vet at 10:00pm tonight. Howie basically ripped his dew claw off (being stupid in the backyard jumping at the fence). It was severed in half and hanging - graphic and gross I know. He was in a lot of pain and bleeding. I figured to avoid him fully ripping it off later tonight (and more blood) I would just take him to the near by Emergency Vet clinic and get him fixed up. My sister came to help and since it was only 8:30 pm by the time we could go we just took Finley thinking the appointment wasn't going to take that long. Finley wasn't acting very tired anyway with all the excitement. Finley was CRAZY at the clinic. What fun. They were pretty efficient as they did have other patients too. Howie had to have local anesthetic and have the nail removed. He cried so loud when they did the procedure we could hear him in the waiting room. Poor guy. He was also given an antibiotic shot to ward off infection. He got a pretty red bandage and a lovely cone collar thing which he is not tolerating but he must not gnaw on his bandage. He should be okay in a few days to remove the bandage. Let's hope for a good recovery and NO complications. Boy oh boy not exactly what I needed this Monday night but what do you do?

Rock County Fair

2009-08-02T22:19:00.006-05:00

Today I took Finley to the Rock County Fair. We met up with friends, Leslie, Al, Melissa, Erin, Jason and little Lauren (Finley's buddy). It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a few hours of walking around checking out the 4-H exhibits, animals, carnival and of course, enjoying our fair treats. Finley is in love with Lauren and the two of them played with each other even strapped in their strollers. The kids got free frisbees and of course balloons to make their day. What a fun day.

Ummm...whatcha doing goat?

Nice Goat

Mmmmm mini donut

Happy kid... mom's diet Pepsi bottle makes for that

The kids full tummy's and getting antsy

Lauren and Finley playing at Leslie's afterward

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

(taken with my iphone)

New Kicks

2009-07-28T16:27:00.002-05:00

Nate is constantly wearing out his running shoes so I take full advantage of a website called www.joesnewbalanceoutlet.com to pick up running shoes for him when they are at a good price. He also takes a size not commonly found in the stores (the 2E width-not too wide but a little extra room). I had just ordered him 2 pairs a few weeks ago but couldn't resist another order when I found a pair for 35 bucks... ok, and I found a pair that I thought I would like to have also. To seal the deal Finley had to have a pair too (for later in the fall). I think I got all three pairs for around 80 bucks and free shipping. Now that's a steal! The box arrived yesterday, a giant mood booster by the way- to get shoes in the mail. Apparently we are a New Balance family. I wanted to add that yes, today is one of those days when I should be cleaning something or working on something when my child is napping but instead I found the need to photograph our new shoes... I say whatever gets me through my days...

A little over-the-top? Maybe?

Aren't Finley's little brown shoes cute? And they have Wide widths for children- for Finley's little "Fred Flintstone" feet.

Splish Splash

2009-07-27T21:25:00.005-05:00

Finley woke up feeling better this morning so I decided to take advantage of the early afternoon sun and fill up his baby pool for some splashing. It was pretty warm out today but VERY humid so a perfect afternoon to play around in the pool. He also ran around the yard a bunch as I watered and checked out my plants and flowers.

The Beauty of Summer

See Ya Later...

It's Bright!

I can reach Howie

Weekend Activities...

2009-07-26T22:32:00.003-05:00

In an attempt to get out of the house and try to make the best out of a somewhat icky situation, my friend Erin and I decided to take our kids and meet at the Farmer's Market yesterday morning. Her daughter Lauren was suffering from a cold and since Finley had a mystery virus we decided that since we'd be in open air it would be ok to take the kids out and also have an opportunity to buy some fresh produce, yummy baked goods and also catch up with each other. Actually Finley and Lauren seemed to quite enjoy their time spent in the strollers walking around in the fresh air and also when we let them play on the lawn of the capitol. They even enjoyed a treat of spicy cheese bread and pastries. Umm, the only bad part was that of course they managed to drink from each other's sippy cups... bummer. We can just hope one virus cancels the next right??
Here are a bunch of pictures from the capital lawn

A little too short yet buddy...

Erin and Lauren

Me trying to capture some of the Capitol in the picture...

These are not our strollers but Finley was obsessed with their balloons

Perspective... little boy, BIG building

Lauren making an escape.

The kids

After we got home playing with his balloon (that Erin and I went to great lengths to get from Capitol Kids toy store)

Balloons make sick little boys feel much better!

On Saturday evening my sister came over and Finley, her and myself made a quick trip to Woodmans for some groceries and picked up Noodles and Company for dinner. Finley enjoyed his Penne Marinara (although it made a second appearance later that night).

Today was a crazy yet lazy day. Finley did not feel well at all in the morning after his bad night. We just cuddled until he took a long nap and I got much needed chores done. Later Grandma Patti and Grandpa Greg came for a quick visit and we all headed to the Coyle Carpet/Tile store (more on that later, big things are coming for my living room). Finley and I had a nice walk after his dinner and long bath. He actually settled down nicely after a very fussy/crabby day. I am sorry to report that Finley is still sick as I type this but so far tonight is proving to be a little better than last night...long story but it involves a rash, vomit and very little sleep. My poor kid. If his is still not feeling better in the morning I will be making another call to the Doctor.

Another Summer Virus!!

2009-07-24T21:56:00.002-05:00

Well, another summer virus appears to have gotten my child. Yesterday when my Mom and Dad were down for a visit we ended up having to take Finley in to see the Doc as he was extremely fussy, lethargic and running 102 degree fever. Per the Dr. his throat was red and probably sore but no ear infection was present (which is what I suspected?). Another summer virus! I feel like we just got over the last cold/virus merely weeks ago to now start all over again! I am getting tired of sickness all around. What is up with this year? I can't recall another year where everyone I know, including us, has been sick so often? Oh well. Guess there is not much we can do but nurse back to health. As for Mr. Finley, he was still feverish today and I had our babysitter scheduled so I could get some errands done. Finley ended napping almost the entire time she stayed with him- lucky girl. Being sick doesn't seem to be disrupting his nighttime sleep ritual of 12 hours too much so that is good. During the day he does not feel like walking or playing much and just wants to cuddle. I am good with the cuddling as I know there will be a day when my baby boy no longer needs his mommy to feel better :( . I hate seeing him sick though and it's like having an entirely different kid!! We can only hope he is back to his normal, healthy, crazy self soon! Feel better Finners!
ps- I just checked on him in his crib and he is all covered up by his blankie. It looks like he tucked himself in. So sweet.

A Birthday Playdate

2009-07-23T05:15:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Finley's friend Anna turned 1! We attended a little BBQ party for her on Sunday but knew that we would be have a special birthday play date with her on her birthday. There was one other little girl there who is a few months older named Kate. The three kids played really well and us three mom's chatted over lunch and birthday cake (ok, really we scarfed our food while feeding our kids and then chased them all over the house and out of kitchen cabinets, lol). But it was fun none the less. Happy Birthday to Anna!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T06:45:00.001-05:00

Suck It Up

2009-07-21T13:00:00.003-05:00

Finley is just in love with his toy vacuum. It sings songs as well as makes "vacuum noises". He plays with it so much and now really walks around making passes with it just like mommy does with the big vacuum. Some days I really wish it would suck up the dog hair. He is quite the little copy cat these days and this is just one of the many things he sees me doing that he has to do as well.

Garden Update

2009-07-20T22:21:00.005-05:00

The garden is doing awesome. They only thing, sadly, that didn't make it was my spinach but everything else is doing well. So far I have only harvested some green beans and a green pepper. Finley and I enjoyed the green beans for dinner on Saturday. I can't wait for more to be ready. Also my tomatoes are crazy big but so far no ripe ones. Any day now. The pumpkins and mystery squashs are all doing really well and I am super excited for all the flowers they have. I want pumpkins and gourds for the fall!!

I took a few pictures of my flowers as they looked so pretty.

Fruits (errr veggies?) of our labor

See more green beans?

These were just so cute

All the pumpkin flowers

Red Lilly

Yellow Lily

Cherry and Grape tomatoes going crazy

The Roma's are also doing great

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2009-07-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

Nate turns the big 29 today. Though he won't be able to celebrate much in Iraq we are here thinking of him in celebration of his birthday.

Happy Birthday Babe!! Hope you have a great day. We miss you and love you so much!!

Zonked

2009-07-18T22:39:00.003-05:00

This is what effect lunch at Zu Zu Cafe, a stroll around the Zoo, swinging in the park for a bit and a ride home has on kids....

11 Month Pictures of Finley

2009-07-17T21:15:00.005-05:00

Our neighbor, Matt (Lisa's husband, Anna's daddy) has a really nice professional camera and dabbles in photography. He took some pictures of Finley the other day outside their house. I think they look pretty darn good. Perhaps after Finley's 12 month photo shoot I will just have Matt take pictures of Finley here and there as he does a nice job.

The string of drool in this one is clearly not anything Matt could change (LOL)

Just Ducky

2009-07-15T21:20:00.006-05:00

Finley got a new bath towel.

Today we had a busy day! We picked up and organized the house more this morning and Finley took a nice nap so I could get some much needed cleaning done. We visited with our neighbor, Brenda for a bit around lunch time when she stopped by and after lunch Mary and Izzy came over for a play date for a couple hours and the kids had lots of fun playing with our many toys.(bummed I forgot to get some pictures!) Finley was worn out from his busy day and took another nap this after noon till after 6 pm!! I used that time to relax and actually read one of my magazines and took a quick nap myself. Our neighbor Lisa stopped by to pick something up this evening and peeked in to say hello and since Finley had such a late nap he was still up to see her for minute. Just a good day with lots of visitors! We always like these kind of days.

11 Months Old!

2009-07-14T22:22:00.007-05:00

I can hardly believe Finley is 11 months old (I know I say they same thing each month but it's true). I recall being pregnant this time last year eagerly anticipating his arrival as my due date grew closer... and now he's a rough and tumble 11 month old with a lot of spirit (an understatement). Finley in his 11 months is doing fantastic as usual, aside from the temper tantrums I guess?? He is pretty much running around like a crazy man lately and has proven to walk in shoes (which we were having trouble with). He decided to ham it up today for the camera and I was able to catch photos of him this morning in his pajamas as well as this evening before bed. I did get a "chair" photo but he was taking his bottle for it. Since the big 1 is near I won't give a long list of his milestones this time. I will say his all time favorite activity these days is stealing the toilet paper out of the bathroom and literally stringing it around the whole house!! I have to be extra vigilant about keeping it up or it's yet another roll destroyed. Also his favorite food right now are raspberries and he could literally eat a pint if I let him. I love watching our little guy grow up and learn about his world and lately it's been cooler than ever seeing what he discovers and realizing how much he understands and can communicate. Nate and I think the world of our little "bug". Happy 11 months Finley!!

What a goofy kid! So cute.

I just love these pj's

Finley and his Vacuum

11 months chair photo

Just a Little Boy in a Yellow Romper

2009-07-13T21:29:00.005-05:00

With a big ATTITUDE. People, he looks sweet and innocent but ask the staff at Walmart SuperCenter today and they might tell you otherwise! I really dread taking Finley to places like Walmart and Target as he seems to just become this little monster. I think its the high ceilings and lighting or something. I was on a quest to get some organizational stuff for the house (after the garage sale I kind of have an organizing bug) anyway, our trip was cut short today. For some reason Finley did fine taking a package to the post office and also for a quick trip into Farm and Fleet but Walmart must have been his boiling point. How dare I take my child on 3 errands?
He was making a fuss in the cart so I decided to try letting him down to walk around a bit or just play in the isle I was in. Big mistake. He proved to me that he could in fact walk in those new Nike sandals from Grandma Patti. Actually, he could push the big shopping cart in those sandals and if you corrected him from pushing the cart into anything he freaked out!! At one point he fell down so I was helping him back up and he thought that I was trying to stop him from pushing the cart and he threw himself onto the floor slamming his fists down and kicking his feet!! Total tantrum!! A Walmart employee actually came over and asked if everything was alright? Yeah lady, it's just peachy. As my almost 11 month old is on the floor screaming his lungs out and the sound is echoing through the place. My bad mom move was that I could not help but laugh at Finley because the drama he was exhibiting was just too much. He HATES it when I laugh and he is upset. I just couldn't help finding the whole situation somewhat hilarious. Boy, if this is 11 months what will 2 be like?? Nate? When you come home bring an extra dose of patience and humility...you're gonna need it!

Sidenote: Just so everyone knows Finley still weighs less than that cat. Yeah, the Coop man still has at least a pound on Finley. Sad but true. We know he's big, but if you have ever tried dieting a cat (in a multi-cat household) you'd know it's hard. And if Coopers food is gone he will just eat the dog food. No big deal for him. We are working on it.

Garage Sale Days!

2009-07-11T21:58:00.006-05:00

Today and yesterday we had our garage sale. It was actually my first garage sale and my sister and I combined forces to do this since my neighborhood was having their annual garage sale weekend. We had a little iffy weather yesterday when I took the pictures... we kept most things inside the garage in case rain threatened but today we were able to move things out and spread out a bit. My mom and dad also came down to help out and that was a big help since my sister and I juggling Finley yesterday was a bit much.
I learned a few things- garage sales are a lot of work and the work pays off!! Finley and I made some cash (the"we need new living room curtains fund" as I like to call it) and got rid of some things we no longer needed. I sold a lot of Finley's baby clothing and items. Nate and I came to a decision that we don't plan on having another baby any time real soon (lol for that one anyway) and even if we did decide after he was home for good it would still have to be a combination of factors to reuse a lot of our stuff anyway. Also for the fact that who doesn't want some new stuff for a new baby and there is always something new being made for kids. I feel like we were drowning in baby stuff around here anyway so it feels good to clear some things out! It was sad to see to see things go, but happy to know they went to new babies who were going to enjoy them!! Also, I kept all of my favorite things and most sentimental things of Finley's anyway. Selling your stuff is good therapy!
The Garage sale was fun and we met a lot of nice people, mostly neighbors. I hope that others could find a good use in the stuff we no longer needed and walk away feeling like they got a great deal. I found some books for Finley at my neighbors garage sale so that made us happy!! Finley also got a new toy courtesy of my dad. Nate say's I might try to garage sale our entire household since I had such a good time...

Getting Set up on Friday

That's a lot of baby clothes!! (and diaper boxes??)

Finley had to be in his walker or he was all over the place

Cute pictures from Saturday afternoon.

Ok?

He found a nuk I was packing away...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T22:18:00.003-05:00

Video Post

2009-07-07T21:13:00.005-05:00

I am just beat tonight after having my mom and dad here all day helping me get ready for the garage sale!! I decided to post some videos I took of Finley last week that I just actually viewed.
He is just obsessed with the vacuum- sidenote: you see the vacuum in practically every picture or video, this is because my menagerie of pets never stop shedding and I literally vacuum everyday. It also is because Finley is love with the vacuum so it's an activity that puts him in a good mood too.
I found him the other morning trying so hard to push it around any we he could. So funny to watch trying to figure the world out. He since picks up his play vacuum and copies me and follows me around when I vacuum. The other videos are peek-a-boo. There is never a bad time for a game of peek-a-boo these days! I love wear he just starts shouting things at the TV. I think it may have been his morning cartoons?

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-05T20:31:00.010-05:00

Finley and I had a pretty good Fourth of July weekend considering all things. I can't say I was exactly in the spirit of celebration due to things that have happened over the last few weeks but regardless we did some fun things and enjoyed our weekend. Holiday's really make me miss Nate even more as it's sometimes hard to see families enjoying each others company and knowing that a BIG part of your family is not there to share it with. Sorry being "Debbie Downer" but I speak the truth. We miss Nate and we miss our Sealy cat and that is just a reality.
Finley and I started our holiday weekend on Friday and hung out with my sister (Aunt Chris) a bit and did some errand running. Friday night we were invited over to our neighbor's for dinner and a playdate. They have a little girl a few weeks older than Finley and Lisa'sf husband was out of town over the weekend. We enjoyed a nice dinner and the kids got to play a bit.
On Saturday, the 4th, we kept it low key all day. Actually Finley was pretty sleepy and kind of crabby all day. We took a nice walk with Lisa and Anna (our neighbors) and then Patti and Greg came up to have a fun dinner at Ella's Deli. Finley LOVED Ella's Deli. For anyone that doesn't know, it's a crazy fun place full of weird and cool kid paraphernalia and everything is on a motor... basically everything around you is moving and the tables are fun and unique. You can't even really explain Ella's Deli but kids just love it. The fact that it has good food and ice cream helps too!! Finley was just in awe and took it all in while also enjoying his food. Afterward he got to play with his Grandma and Grandpa at home for a bit before crashing... umm, about 30 minutes before the big fireworks display near our house. If he had made it I was going to walk him down to see the fireworks but I know better than to keep a sleepy kid up. Maybe next year Finley!! (He didn't make it up to see any of Rhythm and Booms from the airport either). I tried.
I actually watched some of the fireworks from my back yard though which was nice that I can see them from the comfort of home. Howie on the other hand does not enjoy our close proximity to a large fireworks display as he is deathly afraid of them. Poor baby! He hid behind the furnace in the basement pretty much all night.
Today we had a nice day. The weather was beautiful. I started getting ready for my upcoming garage sale this weekend (it's neighborhood wide) and also cleaning up things that have gotten lost in the shuffle of things lately. We had a playdate with Lisa and Anna again, this time the kids splashed around in Anna's pool for a bit then played inside. Our theory is if we both have crabby kids that are awake might as well get the together to have some fun. It usually works and the kids end up in better moods. We then decided to take a picnic dinner down to the big park nearby and let the kids swing etc. It was such a nice night for a walk and picnic in the park, many others had the same idea!! It was so much fun Finley just plain wore himself out and fell asleep swinging. So a good weekend all in all. I decided that it doesn't matter what we do as long as it's a good day. I no longer worry about things like what we "should" be doing. If the day or week is uneventful yet we have our own fun, everyone we love is happy and healthy and my kid is content then life is good. Life's too short to sweat the small stuff anymore. Oh, and Happy Birthday America...

Pictures from our Weekend

Playing with the light... on, off, on, off. Oh what fun.

We call this the "Shit Look" and everyone says he gets this from me...

And this is just a big happy face

Looking around at Ella's Deli

With Grandpa Greg at Ella's Deli Carousel

Looks a little snug Cooper?

Getting a package ready for Daddy

Tasting what we are sending for quality control

Lisa and Anna

Sleeper in the swing

Sealy

2009-07-02T22:58:00.009-05:00

12/29/2001 - 7/2/2009

I am posting this with a sad heart tonight. My Sealy cat was put to rest today after enduring all of the illness she could. Her little heart could take no more and it was time to let her go be at peace.
Nate and I acquired Sealy as a tiny kitten back in our college days and she was our first cat together as a couple. She will forever be in our hearts. Her short life was the best a cat could ask for and we loved her very very much. I miss her so much already.

Some Favorite Pictures of Sealy

Baby Sealy, and yes that blurry little white rat in front of her is Ella...

She had a beautiful tummy that she hated anyone to touch!

My spunky girl

Giving her "Seal" of approval to our kitchen remodel

In Finley's closet exploring... before Finley was born

She adored Finley's crib, with or without the baby in it

Goodbye my sweet and sassy girl.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

Sharing Lessons

2009-06-30T21:05:00.007-05:00

Finley has learned how to share his meals with the dogs these days. He is in love with feeding Opsec and finds it pretty much hilarious. At lunch today I caught him letting Opsec lick what he had in his hand, only to have Finley also put it back in his own mouth. YUMMO! I guess I have to watch very carefully now, no more rinsing dishes during meal time!

We are pretty sure Finley says Opsec. Actually it could very well be considered his first word besides babbling ba ba and da da.... You can hear him say it in video number 2. I don't know but it sounds awfully close!! Oh the irony if it is Finley's first word (those of you who know Opsec personally can agree here?)

Just More Pictures

2009-06-28T22:15:00.003-05:00

Fun and Games Videos

2009-06-27T22:31:00.008-05:00

Here are some videos of Finley this week. He is walking all over and into everything. He highly enjoys his games of peek-a-boo using the doors. It's a miracle he doesn't smash his fingers but he is very careful. I am pretty sure after pinching them once he learned a technique to minimize the danger of this so that he can continue with his fun game. He is also vocalizing more and more. Sometimes he is just plain loud!!

Week Update

2009-06-26T23:29:00.005-05:00

Things have been a roller coaster around here this week. Since my last post (Sunday) Sealy cat spent 3 and half days at the Vet school. We finally found out after countless tests, x-rays, ultrasounds and an ECG, she has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and the cause is most likely genetic. It's a fancy way of saying heart failure. Her heart muscle is increasing in size putting pressure on her chambers to adequately pump her blood. Due to being sick for so long untreated (probably for more than a year- she had a bad spell last year that we never were able to diagnose but was probably due to this) she has suffered a lot of damage and has now started to develop Congestive Heart failure as a secondary condition. She is amazing because she is still alive and fighting, though weak. I took her home to continue to treat her here vs paying the vet school. I figured she would be happier and more comfortable too. At this time the vets are unsure what her prognosis will be. She has improved slightly since coming home as she is drinking on her own but I am giving her Subcutaneous fluids, 2 medications daily and syringe feeding her food to stimulate her appetite and give her calories. It really could be days to years at this point. We are just striving to get through each day and hoping each one is better than the last. We realize there will come a point where we no longer can remedy the situation and what were doing will not prolong her life anymore but I am going to give her the fighting chance she deserves.

Upon all this life goes on in our house in different ways. Obviously we are still trying to do things as normally as possible. We had a lot of help/company this week which was great. My sister, my parents and Nate's mom all stepped in to help. Also our babysitter is wonderful and understanding not to mention flexible for all the chaos. Without everyone I would not have been able to keep up with some of the little stuff to keep us running smoothly here so SHOUT OUT to you all. As for Finley man. He is doing awesome. The weather is so hot here the only choices for him are to stay in the AC and play or to go in his baby pool outside. Well he LOVES his baby pool. Grandma Patti and Grandma Erika and Grandpa Bill all took him swimming in his baby pool this week while I cleaned up, ran errands and tended to a sick kitty. I don't think Mr. Finley is suffering in any of this? So many people giving so much attention and fun!! He has also began to walk so well he now carries things to me or the dogs or even Cooper. Nate laughed that it wasn't good enough to just take it easy and master walking, you have to carry things now too? That's our little strong willed boy (hmmm? I wonder where he gets his perseverance from?). He has been pretty happy and super well behaved this week. Although his top teeth are coming in so he's been a bit fussy going to bed at night but ultimately sleeps through the night pretty well. I think he knows we have a mission to tend to our Sealy cat, after all, he loves her too. He figured being on good behavior for mom would be how he could help out.
Nate is doing well too despite all the crisis at home. I talk to him daily and he has been as involved in decision making of Sealy's treatment and course of care as he can be. It's been a roller coaster for him too but he knows I've got it and he doesn't need to worry or be distracted. We have had sad and happy moments all week and ultimately we all just wish we could be together, especially for these tough times. I know he misses Finley and I, but he misses the pets too and at the end of the day we are all a family and every member counts.
I have some videos and pics of Mr. Finley from the week. Hope to get those up soon!!

Hiatus

2009-06-21T22:44:00.004-05:00

Maybe you have noticed my hiatus from blogging this week? Well, let me explain. It's pretty much been a week from hell for lack of a better way to put it. You know that Finley was pretty sick earlier this week and just as he was feeling better I was lucky enough to come down with the same thing!! I ran a fever for 3 days and felt pretty miserable with a sore throat and all. I can't believe what a trooper little Finley was to deal with that and now know how he must have felt!! On top of this Finley has been teething hardcore and somewhere in the midst of my feverish confusion (lol) he cut his second bottom tooth! I have been trying to get a picture of his first tooth for 2 weeks and now he has two!!
To add to the week our cat, Sealy, fell very ill and had to spend the night at the vet on Thursday. I picked her up on Friday and she actually took a turn for the worse over the weekend. She is currently at the UW Vet School hospital. I took her there via emergency appointment this morning. At this time we do not know what is wrong with her and can only hope for good news and that she will get better. I know she is in the best hands now and that gives me some relief yet it is still very stressful and I am not sure how I juggled everything while feeling crappy myself?
Here are some of the only pictures I took of Finley this week in a cute romper. Oh, and it's finally summer here. The weather turned hot!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T07:59:00.005-05:00

Happy first Father's Day to Nate. You are a GREAT daddy. We love you and miss you.
We know you have a job to finish up but we look forward to everyday closer to having you home with us!!

10 Month Chair Photo

2009-06-15T21:38:00.006-05:00

Well the good news is after Finley took a 4 hour nap this afternoon his fever had completely broken! Yay. The bad news? He is clearly feeling better as getting him to sit still was near impossible. Here's what I got!!

So maybe we have graduated to standing next to the chair??

Tonight Finley ate 4 frozen melon cubes for dinner. I am pretty sure he was especially digging them due to his sore throat. Hence the double fisting??

Notice in this picture he has now swapped feeders?? Too funny.

Sick Little Monkey

2009-06-15T13:21:00.003-05:00

Well, after a LONG, pretty awful night, my sick little monkey went to see the Doctor this morning at 10:00am. My mother in law, Patti, who came up to help me last night actually ended up staying the night and sleeping on the couch as Finley was so inconsolable last night. He cried and whimpered until 1:00am then finally cried himself to sleep in his crib. He would not get comfortable being on a lap or being held and walked around.
Well, the verdict is that he has a virus.... the Doctor called it a "summer" virus as he says he sees it every summer. Kids come pouring in with the same thing. Besides the high fever, Finley has canker-sore like blisters in the back of his throat. He said it lasts about 5 days, oh boy. Ok, I can now understand the discomfort that he was in and I am sure crying it out did not feel great either. His fever has dropped to 101.6 as of the Dr.'s office and this is without any tylenol in his system. Poor guy!!
I am supposed to switch him to Ibuprofen for his pain and fever and also push liquids as he is dehydrated. He did drink some water and pedialyte and has had 2 bottles today. He at a tiny bit for lunch but wasn't really interested.
After visiting the doctor I hated to do it to him but we had to make a quick Target run for the childrens Ibuprofen (Doc said use that NOT the infants??) and I also picked him up some sippy cups with straws to entice him to drink more. Finley is in love with straws. He also got some more of his new favorite treat, his yogurt melts as that is the only thing he is interested in eating now. The straw sippy seem to be a big hit and he sucked on his water for awhile which made me happy. I am glad for my quick thinking to get those...
I hope we are on the mend!! More later and maybe a picture!!

10 Months!!

2009-06-14T22:59:00.005-05:00

Today Finley is 10 months old and he has been running a mysterious fever all day. Actually it started last night. He slept all night but was restless and woke up to fuss at least once an hour but would put himself back to sleep. He has been pretty miserable since he woke up today and has spent the majority of the day either asleep on my lap or in his crib. His fever topped out at 103.7 degrees and though I called the on-call nurse at UW Health they assured me that unless the fever goes to 105 degree or above that I should just keep giving him Tylenol to keep him comfortable and push the liquids. He has no other symptoms besides the fever at this point. He will be going to the doctor ASAP tomorrow!! Poor guy. These pictures were of a rare 10 minutes of playing today. I did not get his "chair" picture today due to Finley's feeling poopy, but definitely will get one later this week when he is feeling better.

Family, Friends and a Baby Shower

2009-06-13T20:47:00.005-05:00

Today my parents came down to spend the day here and also to babysit Finley for me while I attended a friends baby shower this afternoon. My sister Chris also stopped by for a bit to visit too and brought her dog, Gus, who I think I mentioned before just went through a pretty traumatic period of being diagnosed with diabetes and going into diabetic shock. He spent many a night at the UW Vet School and though he is now getting stable he has gone blind from cataracts due to the diabetes. Poor Gus!! He does well though despite all the challenges he has faced lately.
My friends Leslie and Erin came over too so that we could all ride to the baby shower together. We had a good time and I regret that we did not get a picture taken with Shannon... whose shower it was!! She is due at the end of July and the baby's gender is a surprise!

Finley fell asleep on my dad- the only napping he did all day!!
l
Chris and Gus

Leslie and I

Leslie, Erin and I

Walking!

2009-06-12T22:02:00.005-05:00

Finley has been walking all over today! The YMCA child care staff said he was walking a lot there as well... without using something to hold onto. I tried to capture him tonight on video and got a little of what we saw all day. He just seemed to have gotten the confidence to take steps out in the open without the safety of furniture to hang on to. I am sure this is the beginning of even busier days for me!!

In the first video it was right before dinner time so Finley was getting pretty crabby
The second video was before bed time tonight...

Photo Hunt

2009-06-10T22:23:00.003-05:00

Does anyone else see something WRONG with this picture? I tell you, with 5 pets and a baby someone is always doing something naughty around here? I can't win if I try. This was the scene when I walked into the kitchen...

Zoo Day Tuesday

2009-06-09T21:31:00.006-05:00

This afternoon we headed to the Zoo to meet up with our friends Mary and Isabel. Izzy is only 3 and half months, so tiny!! I remember when Mr. Finley was that little. Now he is a big boy!! We had fun catching up since the birth of our children and seeing what animals were out and about.
Finley also helped me clean this afternoon and he decided to try and clean the pets too. His new thing is trying to dust-bust the pets and chasing them with the Dustbuster. Of course! It's combining his two favorite things, vacuums and the pets!! I am not sure the cats and dogs agree with this new entertainment? I also including a picture Finley lounging on the couch... he loves to get up on the couch and just fall backwards onto the pillows and chill for a minute then do it again, and again and again....

Penguin Boy

Mary and Izzy

That's a BIG Kitty

Big Kitty going...

Couch Lounger

Big Boy Walking

Come here Ella?

Finley looking calculated with that Dustbuster and Howie looking worried...

I Hired a Babysitter!!

2009-06-08T21:15:00.003-05:00

,
Whew!! Yes, it's been a long time since I posted about my ad for a babysitter. Well, search no more will I. I hired a GREAT girl today. Since I am not sure if she will want to be on the blog I won't name her yet but she is going to be awesome, Finley and I both know this. Finley loved her the minute he met her so that was the most important part! I am excited to get some much needed time each week to do things and run errands without Finley. At this point I am only committing to a 4 hour afternoon each week and then as needed hours as well as some nights and weekends. Hope she's not afraid of a little messy eating? (Ok, a big mess!!) I am sure it will be great!

On the Move Videos

2009-06-06T23:01:00.007-05:00

Here are a few videos I had taken this week of our little ball of energy on the move. I have a hard time capturing his walking steps as he likes to walk from person to person and it's just me most of the time. He loves when my sister comes over (Aunt Chris) and does a ton of steps for her!!

Garden 2009

2009-06-05T22:03:00.012-05:00

Tis' the growing season around here and I decided to try my hand growing quite a few vegetables this year on top of what we regularly plant. This post may be a little boring for most but I know Nate will enjoy it as he misses Wisconsin summer and was curious to see all the flowers and plants we put in a few weeks ago. Everything is growing nicely, even the seeds we planted. Finley helps me take care of our garden and flowers daily and enjoys the time outside. Tonight we took a nice walk before dinner time and then snapped these pictures. Mind you I was carrying Finley and taking the photos at the same time...quite a tougher task than I thought considering he grabs the camera constantly. We can't wait for all of our veggies to be ready!! You cannot beat your own home grown organic vegetables! Now... lets hope it's not going to turn into "Bunny wars" as the rabbits may have their eye on my veggies. I don't believe in harsh tactics to keep them away so this should be interesting considering our back yard seems to be an exclusive meeting place for neighborhood rabbits and squirrels despite the doggies. Wish us luck!! Oh, and check out pictures of the little dog food eater at the end... gross but it's life.

Nate: Your beloved Hibiscus after a winter of dormancy in the basement. Mom clipped the dead branches but it's making a good comeback.

I chose to do fun, bright colored flowers for the patio this year.

Our tomato, pepper and herb pots mixed with some flowers

The perennial garden is doing well, thanks mom for weeding it! We added a few new species of Sedum as they do so well here. Oh and I bought the patriotic pinwheels for the pots as I thought Finley would like them.

The far right is zucchini, the middle is some random melon or pumpkin that's coming up from last year (Nate?? what did you put in there last fall?) Next in line are the gourds and then one of our way abundant rhubarb plants. I don't know why these pictures did this but didn't want to risk messing things up to fix it. So there is Finley on the patio...

A side view of the back garden where most of the veggies are planted

Broccoli in between more rhubarb and the chives

The gourds! So excited about these! We have had poor luck with these in past seasons. Wait. I just blew this picture up and see rabbit bite marks on the leaves! Not my gourds rabbits!

Green beans...

Can you see the tiny shoots of spinach?

Also, tiny shoots of Mesclum lettuce coming up. Rabbits...stay away!! Oh and more random melon/pumpkin too? Nate you must be thrilled.

The front yard flower pots (I always do red, white and blue for the front)

Close up...looking good and the humming birds love those red flowers

My new shepherds hook and hanging baskets. An addition this year- oh and the Yew bushes we put in two years ago are doing great aside from the last two on the end. Not sure but those just are not making the winters?

So this is what a reaction to NO! looks like...he kind of throws his body around. Appropriate No as he was helping himself to the dog food.

Mmm. dog food flavor is just as good as cat food. Finley has tried both. I figured it would happen one of these days.

Projects

2009-06-05T09:10:00.015-05:00

As most of you know that Erin and I always seem to have projects going. Fortunately most of the home projects were finished up before I had to deploy. It just so happens because I like projects so much that I get to do them here as well. One of our most recent projects was to open up a road for the Iraqi's. This will be a common theme throughout the deployment as we turn back more property and control land back to the Iraqi's.

This is one of the most common pieces of equipment that is used in our line of work. The movement of barriers is accomplished through the use of contractors. Most of the equipment operators are highly skilled at operating the machinery although I am not entirely positive they always follow OSHA regulations. This picture shows the barriers that are going to be moved to open the highway.

This photo gives a little perspective on the size of these barriers. They are 12 feet high and are about 12,000 pounds. It is best to stay clear when they are moving.

Since this project was in "The Red Zone" we needed to work with Iraqi security. The Iraqi soldiers love getting their picture taken. If they see a camera they ask you to take their photo.

These two photo are of the other side of the barriers. I have no idea why they call it "The Sunken Highway".

This is just one of the projects that you will probably get to read a blog entry on. The project that I am currently working on is a water leak. Erin you can stop laughing now! I know plumbing has not always been my forte, but I think I am learning some new techniques from the Iraqi's. I will try to get some good pictures to share this experience with you. Until the next post...masalama (good bye in Arabic).

Day with Grandma and Grandpa

2009-06-02T22:21:00.003-05:00

My parents came for a visit today and helped me by doing a bunch of stuff around the house. I also had my first Babysitter interview and have more the rest of this week. The process has been extended as things had gotten busy around here for a bit.
Here are a few pictures of our casual dinner on the patio this evening. Finley highly enjoys dining outside as I enjoy the easier clean up.