The trip to Georgia

Well, I think that most of the people who knew I went to Georgia to visit my family know that a couple of days into the visit I got some VERY nasty food poisoning. Starting at 11pm at night and all through the next day I was throwing up every 45 minutes. Then I slept for almost 2 days straight and then we drove home. I don't think it is an overstatement to say that the visit could have gone better---just a bit.....

What really bums me out is that I was so excited about going to the Georgia Aquarium but I got sick the night before we were to go. I hate that.

Oh well. No good pics of the trip either -- shocking, right?

So, it's been a while, again, since I've blogged. What can I say? I am a terrible blogger.

November is flying by, I just got back from a trip to Georgia which I will probably write about later.

I know Halloween was 2 weeks or so ago, but I wanted to post Evan's Halloween pics. He didn't go trick-or-treating b/c we don't really live in a good area for that, so we took him to a Halloween party at our Gym and he had a Halloween Parade at his MDO Program. This year he was a Bumble Bee.


There were some good costumes at the Halloween Party. I liked the Storm Trooper-very realistic.

Evan and his Daddy both chowed down on popcorn. I couldn't get a good pic of Evan in the Moonwalk Castle (behind them in photo), but it was hysterical watching him get bounced around by all the other kids jumping. He loved it! I don't know if you can see him in the photo, but there's a kid who looks like he's trying to escape the moonwalk. I can almost imagine him yelling "let me out of here!"

This kid was a little too scary looking for me.

Evan had a great time. He didn't choose his costume this year but I'm pretty sure that by next year he will be old enough to have a strong opinion about his choice of costume.

Evan, the 2 year old toddler!

My baby is 2!!!!!!!!!!!

He had his birthday a couple of weeks ago. It was a very small affair; daddy, baby and mommy. We thought about a party but things have been a little off lately so we decided against it. We did have a cake, balloons and presents. That was plenty for my little guy.

He is into his "bossy" phase now. I mean REALLY bossy. He tells me, daddy, the pets, kids at the playground, everybody what to do. If I'm in the wrong frame of mind, it can be a little annoying....

He's awesome, though, and I love him terribly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost 2

Here is probably one of the last chances to see Evan as a One year old. He turns 2 shortly. I cannot believe he's growing up so fast.

He's quite the talker now. It took a while but now he repeats everything he hears--which is not always a good thing. He has cut down on the use of the word "sh*#" because we have made a monumental effort to stop saying it but we still hear it from him occasionally. I guess the good news is that he knows how to use it in context. For example, he might trip and drop something he's holding and the word will pop out. I wince on the one hand, and feel an irrational pride that he knows how to use it, on the other. Like I said, though, he is using it less and less--thank goodness. Cross your fingers, he hasn't used the "F" word yet.

Chicken Growth

Well, my newer chickens are growing up. I think the last time I reported on "Coop News" I had purchased some americauna chicks. They are almost full-grown now and they dwarf my bantams. Scott says they look a bit "hawkish" and more like predatory birds rather than chickens. I cannot wait until they start laying b/c they are supposed to lay blue eggs. These are 2 of the 4 americaunas.
This is what they looked like as babies:







I gave away the other set of chicks and all of my roosters except for Teddy, my black cochin. He's such a sweetheart. He never gets aggressive and is pretty quiet for a rooster.



I really didn't need any more chickens, BUT, back in May I was buying some feed and I saw the cutest little bantam chicks. There were only seven left and I knew I shouldn't come home with 7 chicks, so I asked for 4. HOWEVER, they were looking to get rid of the last of them, so I got all 7 for the price of 4. Lucky me!



Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of them when I first got them and I lost one, so now I have 6, and they are cute! As they get more mature, it looks like I've got some white cochin bantams, and some mixed bantams, one in particular is looking more like a porcelain bantam. I don't think any of them are purebred, though.






Everybody gets along great. Ever since I got rid of the other roosters, it has been very peaceful.

Fish Bowl

This post is for Jeni because she wanted to see my fish bowl. It's not for fish, per se, but they seem to like it well enough. I've had the bowl for years and didn't know what to do with it b/c it's so big. I had been wanting to get some fish and one day it dawned on me that I already had a home for them. It turns out that the bowl holds 10 gallons of water and is perfect for fish, in my opinion. The only thing is that the curve of the bowl distorts the shape of the fish and makes them look so much bigger than they actually are, but I think this just adds to the enjoyment. I've had them for about 5 months now and they seem to be doing well.

I put Nina beside the bowl to give people a point of reference as to the size of the bowl. Then, of course, Evan wanted his picture taken too. He's so cute!

If you look close you can see my blue Beta and a couple of other fish swimming around.

Chick update

My chicks seem to be doing well. They are feathering out and getting bigger.

This is what the chicks look like at approximately 2 1/2 weeks old. You can see their feathers sprouting out. They are kinda gangly-looking at this age. It's sort of an "in-between stages" look but they'll turn pretty over the next few weeks.


I've also added 4 ameraucana chicks to the group. They look very different from the others. I've never had ameraucaunas but I am very excited. They lay BLUE eggs. So far, my chickens have just laid the regular brown and beige, so I can't wait to see some blue ones in the mix!

Here's what they look like as chicks. Very different from my

other chicks.

Rodeo Day!

Evan's "Mother's Day Out" Program has an annual "Rodeo Day" where all the kids get to enjoy some outdoor fun. There's a petting zoo, hay rides, pony rides, llamas, horse shoes and other fun games.

Even though the day was overcast, the weather was mild and it was a lot of fun.

Evan adored the animals in the petting zoo and loved the pony ride. He cried when he had to get off the pony and give another child a turn.

I found myself wandering back to the petting zoo several times in order to cuddle with the bunnies and hang out with the goats and pigs. Evan wasn't terribly interested in the llamas, but one of them, in particular, was incredibly soft. I enjoyed petting him, too.

I wanted to scoop up a bunny and hide it in my purse, but I don't think bunnies and cats mix very well. Maybe I can do some more research on that.... Also, I think we should get Evan a pony. I know Scott will not allow that to happen, but I still think it would be a great idea.

Trip to North Carolina

Henry with his mommy

Aunt Cristin holds a sleeping Henry right before we traumatize him with a BATH!
Poor little guy was sound asleep and now he's being tortured by tub time. I'm sure he's going to love bathtime in a few months.
We did not force Henry to stare at the sun while we went for a walk. It kinda looks like it but this only lasted a couple of seconds and it was purely so we could get the photo of him in his stroller. Such a sweet boy!

And here is the beautiful Jeni. She is the best mom and friend!

I had a really wonderful trip to NC to see Jeni and little Henry. He was only 6 weeks old and just a tiny bundle of love and cuddles. I got to spend some quality time with my friend and that made me feel so good. The last couple of times we saw each other, we didn't have much time to get in some decent conversations. She's also very wise, even at her young age, and is a great confidante for me.

Seeing Cristin and meeting her friend Jamie was fun and watching movies and TV shows that I was totally unfamiliar with was quite entertaining. We watched "The Man Who Fell to Earth", a David Bowie vehicle that was interesting but kinda confusing to me. I loved "Robot Chicken", a cartoon network show Jeni introduced me to, as well as a couple other funny and bizarre cartoons.

We spent most all of our time just taking it easy. I loved it!

Feeling crafty again

Since Evan's toy box turned out pretty well, I decided to try my hand at more furniture painting. I picked up an old, off-white child's bench and painted it apple-green. Then I stuck some more cute little animals on it like the toy box and painted some little bugs, ants and dragon flies on it. No stencils this time, just free-hand. It's fun. I'm not quite finished with it, I still need to make a cushion for it, obviously.

Also, we've got a new batch of chicks. Only five, but they're very cute. We would have had more but eggs kept vanishing. I knew it was a snake but hadn't seen him until yesterday. Yes,I had to kill the snake. It was kinda tough b/c all I had was a flat hoe nearby and he was in a nest in the coop so I had to get in an awkward position, but I did it. Yes, I feel bad about it, please don't think I don't feel guilty, but there is plenty of food around here and the snakes don't have to go into my chicken house!

On a happier note, Evan is doing great. Cute as a button!

I'm planning to visit Jeni and Henry soon. Unfortunately, I'm one of the thousands of folks who booked their flight on American Airlines, so we'll see if I make it as scheduled.

Toy Box

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I'm not really sure why we celebrate this holiday? And by "we", I mean Americans, in general, not me specifically. I guess it's fun for small children who still love Leprechauns and dressing like little shamrocks and people that like to drink lots of Old World beer, but other than that, what are we supposed to do today?

Anyway, things are a little better on the Evan sleep front. I had sort of a "Come to Jesus" talk with Scott about getting on the program and not interfering with Evan's nighttime routine.

On a more fun note, I've been wanting to get Evan a toy box but couldn't find what I wanted that was also the price I was willing to pay. I finally decided to get an inexpensive plain white toy box that I had to put together myself. The process went very well because I actually took the time to read and follow the directions exactly.

After that, I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up some paint, stencils, big letters to spell Evan's name and a few little wooden decorations like birds, a sun, a star, a turtle, ladybug, lizard, dragon flies and frogs. I painted the letters and glued them on top with the little turtle, then glued on the other little creatures and stenciled on some leaves, flowers and more dragon flies.

I think it's pretty cute and a lot less expensive than some of the boxes I was looking at. Plus, it's made especially for Evan!

The other night I was sitting with Scott and Evan and it occurred to me that they had the same expression on their faces, so I grabbed my camera and tried to catch a photo of it. Sometimes they look so much alike. Evan is growing up fast. He's talking more, too. He says "hi" and "bye", "hot" (which doesn't really mean "hot" but more "warm"), "no" (of course), "cow" (his first word), and his favorite word after "no" is "CHOO- CHOO" ( meaning the train). It is so cute. Oh, he also picked up one of my sayings. Whenever something is mildly surprising he says "Oh wow", just like me:)

My Friend's Baby is So Adorable

Oh my goodness, Jeni's baby is just so beautiful! He was born pretty with a lovely little head of hair. This is a good sign!

Not many newborns are "attractive" in my eyes. That's not to say they aren't just the most precious little bundles of joy, but they kinda get cuter as the first couple of weeks go by. Not this little guy, though, he's cute from the get-go.

On the home front, Evan is still making nighttime strides but Scott seems to be regressing. The last 2 nights, he has tried to go to Evan (one time with pillow-in-hand) when Evan has cried. I have to stop him (kind of sternly) and tell him "no, stay out of his room". What the F*@#?!?! It's all about consistency, but Scott seems to be missing this key point. I'm annoyed b/c I feel like I have to police 2 people at night now.

Why the "Cry it out" Method is my Savior

OK, I said in my previous blog that Evan's sleep habits had been getting better. While this was a true statement, the improvements were incrementally pretty small. Sleep deprivation was taking a toll on me. Scott and I were at odds on this issue and, I think b/c of the lack of sleep mainly, it had become extremely contentious.

I was nearing the end of my rope. I went to Half Price Books (I love that place. I always have fun there and end up going a little overboard with the books). I left the store with 6 books on getting children to sleep, 2 books on raising healthy children, 1 book on disciplining children and, just to make me feel that much better and soothed, I got a couple of cookbooks and a gardening book.

It is amazing how quickly I can read when I really want to. I got through 2 sleep books in one day and did some speed reading/major skimming of 2 others. I didn't get to the last 2 books on sleep but that's OK b/c by that point I had gotten the common thread. Consistency and self-soothing are of the utmost importance if you want your child to sleep by himself in his own bedroom. The easiest and most successful transition takes place between 4 and 8 months of age. Yes, I had heard this before, but now I was finally ready to engage!!!!

I missed the 4-8 month window, and I already knew this was no cake walk, so I steeled myself to doing what had to be done.

I'm glad I spent this last month trying a more gentle way to get Evan to sleep on his own b/c I think that's what it took to show me that I needed to be more disciplined in this endeavor.

I wrote and printed copies of my sleep plan and posted them throughout the house to help remind myself of precisely what I'm doing when it's 2 am and I'm only half conscious and can't remember much of anything.

The GOLDEN KEY, the little gem of information that saved me was something that I had been dreading doing and something that Scott refused to do---let Evan CRY IT OUT!!!!!!!!!!

If he wakes up and walks over to his baby gate, I kiss him on the head, take him back to his bed and I leave. If he goes right back to sleep, that's great, if not, he has to cry it out. The first time lasted about an hour, but in the following nights, it's been 5-10 minutes tops. Last night was just once and it lasted only a minute or two.

Scott slept in his truck the first couple of nights. He needed to be out of the house b/c he can't stand to hear Evan crying and I needed him out of the house b/c his lack of support of the program just added to my anxiety and stress.

I think he's shocked that Evan has come this far this quickly. He was certain that Evan's sleep problems would never be fixed without medical intervention.

So, I'm feeling significantly better and I think I might have gained some power in my husband's eyes. Maybe he will acquiesce some power here and we can move forward in a more equitable manner.

Haven't blogged in over a month

I am so bad at this it's not funny. First of all, I am NOT a writer. I find it mildly tedious. But, I think it's probably a good idea to write down a few things that happen in my life, from time to time, even if they aren't particularly interesting just b/c I know I will forget so much of my life as the years pass. Now that I have Evan, I would like to be able to keep track of dates and milestones in my life so that I can better put it into context of his.

This past weekend I took a trip to see my dearest old friend and attend her baby shower. Eventhough it was a quick trip (left on Fri. returned on Sun.), it was the longest I've ever been away from Evan. I missed him but fortunately one of Jeni's friends, Lindsay, brought her 4 month old so I got to lavish him with all of my "baby love".

I really enjoyed the baby shower, too. It was, by far, the best baby shower I have attended, to date. The only downside, was a nasty hangover the next morning. Oh well. It was worth it!

I feel especially lucky to have been able to spend some quality time with Jeni's very close friends that she made over the years. They are all truly sweet people.

I think it's funny that I was her oldest friend at the shower. We've been friends since the 80's. Wow, I feel old. Hopefully, I can get in some more time with her--and her BABY!

Evan is doing very well. He now says "cow", "no" and "bye". He's coming out of his shell, too, and gets along well with other kids. I'm so glad he's not as inclined to have a "separation" breakdown as he used to be. He's still a handful, though. Extremely active.

The nights are getting better, too. Scott went on a ski trip with some guy friends a few weeks ago and while he was gone I implemented the new sleep routine where Evan sleeps BY HIMSELF in his OWN BED. It's been a little rough but I think a couple more weeks will make all the difference.

Oh, and my sister, Stephanie, got a paid internship with a gaming company in downtown Austin. I think it's hysterical b/c she is absolutely NOT a gamer but she bullshitted her way into it. Good for her. She is a graphic arts major so they put her skills to good use once she got the gig. Her telling of the interview process is so damn funny. All they really wanted to know was what she thought of their games as opposed to other games and if she was as "game crazed" as they were. She was smart enough to check out their product before hand and completely fabricated any real knowledge of it. She is one of those people who can take a train of thought and totally go with it wherever it leads. I'm impressed. This is a photo of her at my house right after the interview and job offer. She's still a little shocked.

Chicken Names

Jeni asked what I call my young chickens. Well, I feel like the black and gold rooster is Cleveland and the burgundy rooster looks like Fillmore. My 2 black hens are Claudia and Ladybird and my lacy brown hen is Nancy.

I'm keeping up my Presidents & First Ladies theme for their monikers.

Chicken Update

Well, I gave away a few more roosters. They are the first 3 photos here. The last 2 photos are the chickens that remain. I also got rid of Chester a while back b/c he was so aggressive toward people. These last 3 roosters I gave away were way too aggressive with one of my hens, Eleanor. Poor girl! The chicks are almost completely grown up and are very cute, I think. They have interesting color variations.