The Results are in...

and we still don't know the flavor. "Little Stinker", as it will now be known, had the cord between its legs so the technician couldn't get a very good view. He made a guess that he didn't sound too confident about, that it was a BOY! I was shocked and still don't believe it. I am waiting until I know 100% which could be on D-Day. My new plans are going to have to be neutral and puts a wrench in my personal need for planning. Oh well. Graham was relieved and shocked and has decided that it is the Universe's way of pulling the rug out from under him...Let him believe its a boy and then, whoosh! It's a Girl! He is freaked out about the possibility of a girl...the future full of boys knocking at the door.

We got a pretty good Profile shot after a lot of wand wiggling and prodding. I think it looks very feminine. But who knows maybe its a feminine Boy. 

 

We are going to pick Boy and Girl names to have ready and unless I have an ultrasound later in the pregnancy, then we won't know the flavor until it's arrival. So Stay tuned...

Happy Turkey Day!! 

Too Soon.

This week Oliver turned 14 months and already he seems to be showing signs of the Terrible Twos. Now to some people, these incidents might not seem that bad, but to me, having my sweet even tempered little boy go spastic, red in the face and screaming is a lot to deal with. The tantrums usually don't last long, not even a minute and seemed to start with the teething, so maybe it goes hand in hand and my swee tboy will be back once all 6 teeth are in. (crossing my fingers...) He has also really started to develop that Boy personality which is quite cute. He is getting pretty independant but still likes to check in with Mama every once in awhile. He is pretty bossy and has been getting frustrated easily, thus causing an angry eruption. Having to start disciplining is quite interesting. This evening he was banging on Roxy's dish with a mallet from his drum, but then tried hitting me. I told him no a few times and he stopped. He then decided that Roxy was the perfect target for some drumming and after many forceful No's and threats to take away the mallet, I had to do it. Of course he cried and screamed and pointed to where I had put the mallet. I tried, in vain I believe, to explain to him why I took it away. Someday he will understand me and consequences.

On a happier note, this week he started signing. Finally after 11 months of signing he has picked them up along with the meanings. Right now it is Eat and More. He signs to me when he wants to eat and if I ask him if he is hungry he will sign. Now we are starting on Milk, Sleep and my made up Night Night. He copies pretty good and they are all signs I have been doing since he was 3 months old, now we just have to work on them and show him the connection of the sign to real world actions/items.

He is a little chatter box as well, not many actual words, but a lot of chatting. He points and says some unintelligble phrase that I decipher as "what's that" and I tell him, even if that isn't what he means or what he is pointing at.

That's my latest update and rant. I am working on a post from a few weeks ago (for those wine lovers in our family, you know who you are...) but there are so many pictures and so little time in the day. Hopefully it will be coming soon, if not tonight. 

xoxo
E

A Fall Day You Dream Of.

Actually, the last 3 days have been perfect Oregon Fall Days. The ones you cling to during the months of greay clouds and rain. Today we finally got  a chance to go on a walk with Oliver's Birthday Wagon. He had a great time and would throw a fit if I stopped for a second. 

 

Ready to go! (Hat is still too big...)

 
 

  

Holding on.

 
 

A Beautiful Fall Day.

 
 

A happy Roxy Roo enjoying the walk.

 

Riding Backwards.

After we got home, it was lunch time for Oliver. I stripped him down and we started to watch the Beaver Game. Another reason the day was so great, the Beavs beating Cal and moving to the #1 in the Pac-10 Standings. Now they just need to win 2 more games... 

** as you can see, Oliver is wearing is Sammy Stroughter jersey. Oddly, every time he does Sammy has a great game...**

 

 

TOUCHDOWN!

Oliver showed off his latest teach, Touchdown! Though it was pretty funny that if I got excited or cheered he looked at me, threw up his hands and said Touchdown (though of course only a mama's ear can hear it..) He even yelled touchdown when Cal scored, i then tried to teach him "Boooo..."

 

Dancing Soul Machine

Oliver Loves music, and he loves to dance. Yesterday I discovered that he really likes Soul Music, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Gladys Knight & The Pips, etc. I caught a little dancing action, I think it's pretty darn cute myself, but I am biased...He sure knows how to move those hips!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

On the hunt...again.

Today was the day, the ax finally fell and I was cut. When Columbia announced last week that they were laying off 75 people as a result of bad 3rd Quarter results, I knew I was on teh short list. They were nice enough to drag it out for a week and a half. They sent the email out during lunch on Monday of last week, a great thing to come back to. Volunteers were allowed to give notice up until Friday and then the rest would be cut by today. I had barely gotten to work and was in the midst of rading all my emails, I only got through half before our Director came to get me. He asked if he could have a moment, I said no. Unfortunatly that doesn't work. I had been joking yesterday that I wouldn't answer my phone and hid in a dressing room. I had a fitting scheduled from 11:30-2:30 with a 1/2 hour lunch and was looking forward to seeing these garments I worked so hard on. I was also looking forward to developing and completing my first line of clothes for Dick's Sporting Goods. Poor Cathy gets to deal with it all now.

Now I am back on the job hunt. Hopefully something will come up. Many apparel companies are doing lay offs or have hiring freezes in place so prospects are slim. Also being almost 5 month pregnant isn't going to do me any favors. Next is also worrying about health care, yeah I can get it on the first, assuming Graham's insurance will take me, but that means changing my Doctor half way through and Oliver's Dr. It is so hard to find care and doctors you like so we may be trying to purchase another Kaiser plan for just us two. My Insurance through Columbia was amazing, this baby wouldn't have cost us anything. Now I can't even imagine how much it is going to cost. I also can't imagine how we will buy a house when we were planning or even upgrade to a larger car.


Oh Well, C'est La Vie. Something will come up, or we will make it through like we always do.

Howl-o-ween

Friday marked Oliver's First "Real" Halloween. Last year he was only about 6 weeks old and his daddy refused that he get a costume...

This year I left work a little early and drove across town to pick Oliver up at the sitters. Her little girl was already dressed in her Snow White costume and patiently waiting to go trick-or-treating. Oliver was still eating lunch, apparently his new favorite, Popcorn Chicken and Tater tots (well we already knew he loved tater tots...) It was also Brooklyn's last day has her original sitter was done with maternity leave. After visiting for a bit we got packed up in the car and headed for the Pearl where Isobel's Clubhouse was taking free digital pictures and setting up some trick-or-treating in a neighborhood complex. Oliver was a monkey this year as it was on sale (for cheap) would be warm, and he loves monkeys as well as bananas.

 After getting our picture taken, we got in the car and drove to 23 Hoyt for dinner.

 (** "Celebrity sighting" News** We parked next to Art Alexakis of Everclear fame in the parking lot. He was with his most recent wife and baby partaking in the Nob Hill Trick or Treating.)

We had a very tasty dinner at 23 Hoyt with all the special treatment expect for the Sous' wifey. Oliver had still been eating when I picked him up at the sitter's so he wasn't too hungry, but he chowed down on bread.

 

For starters, Cauliflower soup was sent out for me. It was tasty but (sorry Aaron) I like my hubby's better. Then Graham got to hang out with us a bit and the Chef sent out a taster platter for Graham. G made me taste something on the dish and wouldn't tell me what it was...turns out it was snail! YUCK!! Especially the sand. Icky. I told him it was mean. I don't think he will do it again.  Next came a very tasty Beet, Friese & Chevre salad. Unfortunately my pictures didn't turn out too well. 

I had to choose my entree, but there were 3 that sounded really good. The Papardelle (pasta), Chicken & a Rib Eye. I told Graham that he knows what I like and to pick. Of course, being giddy over the fact that I have been eating meat, out came the Rib Eye.

After the richness of the Rib Eye and all the other food, I had no room for dessert and was anxious to get to the shops before they all closed.

Oliver got back in his costume and we headed out for some trick or treating. We didn't get much as most of the shops had already closed, but we have fun and stopped at Moonstruck for some treats for Mama & Daddy. O scored a bag of 3 Milk Chocolate coins as well. 

We called it a night and we home by 8:15. He got in his jammies and we played for awhile until bed time. All in all i think it was pretty successful, even if there weren't a lot of treats or carved pumpkins on the front porch.

Flavor Time!

Mark Novemeber 26th on your calenders as Baby Chaney 2.0 Flaver Day. My appointment is at 8am and we should find out if our intuitions are correct or not. Don't forget to vote on your thought of the flavor on the side bar.