All the Little Bits

Diamond in the rough...or so

2010-05-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last fall we cut down three of the big Evergreens in our back yard. One was leaning at about a 45 degree angle towards our master bedroom, one was "diseased" with blister rot (or so we were told by two arborists) and one was too close to our property line and the neighbor was complaining about pine needles falling onto their RV shed, so we cut it down too.

Where they cut the tree next to our property line there was a pile of wood chips, sawdust etc.

Well low and behold last week when we were out in the back yard planning our our garden we looked down and saw these beauties!

Beautiful Morel mushrooms. Morels are like finding a four leaf clover sometimes and I was a giddy fool when we had this treasure right in our back yard!

We researched and made absolute 100% sure that they were true morels so that we didn't risk death by eating false morels.

To share what I have learned. A true morels cap is connected from the top to the bottom and cannot be twisted off. It also has a hollow stem with NO white cottony fibers.

See the picture below. It looks gross, but it has the most delicious, intense mushroom flavor.

See what I mean. Gross looking. We made a cilantro lime cod with broccoli, and morel topped brown rice. Yumbo city!

Today Gabe ran bloomsday and Abigail and I took the opportunity to go up to dad's property with dad and Sarah to look for more. We found one but the rest eluded us.

It was still fun to get out in nature and explore the woods. Abigail loves doing that too!

We got home just when Gabe did and we all took a family nap then drove back out to deer park to go to the nursery by dad's house only to arrive just after they closed. Oh well.

We headed back to town, to Costco and picked up some geraniums for the baskets and had some greek food to top off the day. We are both exhausted and ready for bed.

A new week awaits - - along with my first mother's day. It is SO exciting.

Again soon - make it a great week.

6 months and counting

2010-02-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, can you believe how fast the time has passed! Abigail turned 6 months old on the 4th of Feb. She is getting so big and every day when I get home from work it seems that she has something new to show me. There is nothing better than coming home from a day at work and having my little nugget beaming from ear to ear to see her momma!

She is sleeping and napping like a dream child, sitting up all by herself, rolling all over the place, eating solid foods, and she even has her first tooth coming in!

Of course she is the highlight of our days. We love watching her play and bounce in her bouncy chair. She bounces and dances to the rhythym of songs and will even sing, well, hum along with you. Great Grandma and Abigail have quite the time singing together. I sure hope she can carry a tune better than GG though, hee hee.

She really loves to rock out to heavy metal. Thanks to daddy introducing her to Metallica and Megadeth. The girl has rhythm. I need to have her listen to more jazz and horns. Balance is always good.

I think that Abigail just loves to hear herself make noise. Gabe likes to refer to one of her sounds as "calling her dolphin friends". We will be recording these to digital files because they are too precious. I love her "bra bra bra brah" talk. But she is talking in what sounds like complete sentences full of all kinds of p, t, b, m, d, e, i, sounds.

She is making duh duh duh sounds, and it would be quite fitting if she says dadda first. Gabe is not only working from home, but he is a full time daddy and helps out tremendously around the house.

I am beyond blessed to have such a wonderful, supportive, dedicated, hard working husband and daddy to Abigail. We really lucked out!

Below is a purple heart that I felted for her for her first Valentine's Day.

A couple nights ago we were eating Asparagus and out of nowhere Abigail all but yanked a piece out of Gabe's mouth! She watches intently as we eat and wants to start feeding herself, although, I think it might be a little early for that. She has liked everything she has had so far - sweet potatoes, squash, avacado, bananas, apples, pears, mangoes, rice cereal, peaches….. We even have introduced the sippy cup.

She wasn't sure about avacados at first, but we mixed it with pear, applesauce and a little rice and she will gobble it right down. Gabe swears that she will eat anything if it is mixed with applesauce! I am looking forward to the next month as we start to introduce more complex grains into her diet. Getting a blank slate for healthy eating has been fun for us too. It is more work, but eating fresh whole foods is so satisfying. And baby food could not be easier to make! I love being able to put any combination of foods together on a whim for her.

Thankfully with the introduction of solid food we have been able to take her off the acid reflux medicines she has been on since she was 3 weeks old. She is still using AR formula, which I think we could probably start weaning her off of as well, but will need to check with the doctor and see what he thinks. As long as she continues to grow and gain weight I would think it would be ok.

Abigail weighs 19lbs and is 26.5 inches long already! She has been 95% for height and weight since birth so that isn't really too much of a surprise. She is healthy and happy and that is what is most important.

Last night I looked at her feet and I am pretty sure they grew a 1/2inch overnight. Her baby feet are officially gone and have been replaced by little kid feet!

Abigail loves anything with a tag and snuggle time. We think it is a fun challenge to see what games we can play with her to get her to laugh, and she usually laughs when we least expect her to! A baby's laughter sure is music to our ears. We are blessed to have a happy, laid back, healthy little girl that enjoys being in the moment as much as we do!

Well that is it in a nutshell. The love of our lives all wrapped up in a few paragraphs.

Much love,
Kelly, Gabe and Abigail

Santa (well sort of)

2009-12-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we met up with Chris, Misty and Reece to see the local fire department "Santa". It was very cold out, probably around 10 degrees. We bundled up our little munchkins and headed out for pictures.

Abigail looks scared, but she was taking it all in. Lots of commotion and lights to distract her. This was the best one we could get of Reece. I think his stranger danger radar kicked in with dear old Santa.

Happy mamas = happy babies. I love how Reece is looking at Abigail, "What the heck is going on here?". Abigail says "I have NO idea!"

This picture has been a long time coming. I look forward to the many memories, and family pictures we will be taking in the coming years.

Homemade Goodness

2009-12-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

My coworker Danita knitted Abigail a hat and a hooded sweater. They are now my favorite two things she wears. There is something special about homemade knitted goodies from friends.

Bebe Pod

2009-12-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

Abigail's neck is finally strong enough for her to use her exerciser and Bebe pod. God bless the Bebe Pod.

First Food

2009-12-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

Last night was Abigail's first experience with solid (pureed) food. I pureed sweet potatoes with a little added water. Simple and delicious.

It was hilarious. Not because of any funny faces, but because she thought it was the greatest thing! Once she got a taste she was hooked. Every time I brought the spoon closer she started to giggle. She didn't spit it out and actually chewed and swallowed. Towards the end she was going for the spoon.

You can't tell she is our daughter or anything. She is such a blessing!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Ovo8tbU5Y

Here is a link to youtube to watch the video.

Mouth

2009-12-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

It amazes me that babies discover with their mouths. I am curious about it. Everything now days makes it to Abigail's mouth.

She will sit in her exerciser bouncy activity chair thing and open her mouth and use mind power to will an object to her mouth. Well not exactly but she thinks she is doing that. It is hilarious.

We introduced her to her first toys. Ones that make that great crinkle sound. This was her first toy and she had sheer delight written all over that adorable little face.

Here she is with her beloved monkey. Well maybe he needed a bath.

She is even holding her own bottle. Silly girl!

Here is the link to the youtube video of her demonstrating her fascination with her tongue. Excuse the laughter, I couldn't help it. Enjoy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71qmHrNaFVs

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

I know this is late...but better late than never right?

We celebrated her first Thanksgiving. We went to Caleb and Ashley's new apartment and had the most amazing Thanksgiving dinner to date! We had a deliciously moist turkey, skillet fresh green beans with mushrooms and prosciutto ham, crazy delicious dressing with carrots and prosciutto (loving dressing was a first for me), twice baked potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon and other yummy spices, cream biscuits, ambrosia salad and Grandma Hanson's rolls (my contribution). It was a great dinner with family.

Beckett was fascinated with Abigail. It was quite adorable. Here they are comparing finger and toe sizes.

Then we went up to Grandma's house to introduce Abigail to my cousins Rebecca and her beau Scott and KK and Rowan. Uncle Dick, Aunt Susan, Aunt Julie and Kelvin were all there too. We stayed for a few hours so that everyone had a chance to spent time with Abigail.

Grandma bought her the cutest dresses for Christmas and a faux fur coat. She looks like a mini pimp in it. My favorite was a cranberry red dress with a ruffle duster shawl. It barely fit so Grandma was going to see if she could exchange for a bigger size. I am crossing my fingers. Second place is a red corduroy with little Scotties on it.

Someday we will be able to teach her about all the things we have to be thankful for. There are so many things in our life that we are grateful and thankful for this year particularly, but the one that stands out the most is Abigail. Life got a whole lot sweeter when she came along.

The big 4

2009-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

Abigail is a hair over four months old already, well 17 weeks.

Our little baby is growing up so fast!

She had her 4 month check up today, with shots. She weighs 15 lbs 11oz (four lbs more exactly since her 2 month check up) which puts her in the 95th percentile for weight. That surprises me that she is high on the percentile for weight because she doesn't look like she should be. She is long and evenly healthy but I don't think she is big per say. She is now 25 inches long (she grew 2 inches in two months) which puts her in the 80th percentile for height. Sheesh!

We were complimented on her nicely shaped head again today. I think that is a funny thing to compliment you on. Makes me wonder what they are used to looking at!

I am glad that she is healthy and happy. She is still on her medications for Acid Reflux and she had some constipation this month. But all and all she is doing great. Thank heavens for that. We are blessed.

2009-11-08T15:57:00.000-08:00

I made it through my first week back at work. Other than being really tired when I got home and getting to bed too late, I think it was ok.

I was really busy which helped keep my mind occupied. Gabe and I skyped a few times so I could see Abigail at lunch.

Going back to work actually is helping with my breast pumping too. It keeps me on a schedule and we have top of the line symphony pumps.

The weekend is almost over and it has gone by MUCH too fast, as always.

Giggle Proof

2009-10-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

I told you she giggled and here is a little proof. We got a snippet of one on video.

VCUG Scan

2009-10-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today Abigail had her voiding cystourethrography or VCUG scan to see if she has Vesicoureteral Reflux or VUR. To do the scan they put in a catheter and then fill it with a liquid that shows on xray. They fill her bladder and wait until she empties it to see where the liquid goes. The point of the scan was to see if she was refluxing urine back up into her kidneys which could be the source of her UTI a few weeks ago.

I did not see any reflux happening, but I am not a doctor. The RN that did the scan said that if she was refluxing we would see a dark line go up to her kidneys and make a flower pattern. No dark lines went anywhere but out her catheter.

The only thing that I think might be a problem is that when she does urinate she doesn't empty her bladder. She goes and stops, goes and stops. But maybe that might be caused from the catheter.

She was such a trooper. Little punkin was smiling and talking to the nurse while she was getting the catheter. The nurse said that almost never happens and thanked Abigail for being such a sweetie.

In order to get a good scan they had to strap her with her arms up above her head and her legs down. She did not enjoy that part one bit, but once she was done being strapped she was fine. Of course I was right there and she was holding onto my fingers. At least she had lots of stickers to look at while they scanned her.

After the scan was done, they pulled out her catheter. She wanted nothing to do with the RN after that and wanted out of the hospital ASAP. It must have hurt coming out. She was fussy for awhile after that.

This is a picture of what she looked like strapped to the board.

I noticed that it looked like she had a smiley face on the scanned image. It was her spine and intestines of course! The RN got a kick out of that.

The conclusion might be - she received a UTI from bacteria in her stool. At least I hope that is all it was.

Three months and counting

2009-10-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Abigail turned three months old yesterday. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by!

Abigail continues to become more active and engaged in our every day activities. She is talking to us all the time and we treasure those moments where she is giving all her attention.

I go back to work on Monday and dread the time that I will be away from her. I am hoping that the pictures and videos can help me feel connected while I am gone.

We are getting ready to leave for her VCUG scan now. More to come later.

KB

Sweet music to my ears

2009-10-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

Abigail giggled for the first time today, not once, not twice but three times. It was the cutest thing I have ever heard!

I was in changing her, which she always likes, and I was getting her into her jammies when she giggled at me. I screamed with delight as I ran into the living room (no worries about her rolling off the changing table yet)to get Gabe. He came back into her room and she giggled again! That made me cry because I knew I didn't imagine it. And then she did it again, just to show off.

It was awesome. She is growing up so fast!

I love this face

2009-10-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

It makes me happy to see her smiling again. I love her smile.

Immunization time

2009-10-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Abigail had her 2 month immunizations this morning...although two weeks behind schedule.

She is my hero. One tough little cookie. She was all smiles right before the 3 pokes. One big cry and lots of pouty lip was all there was to it.

Such was such a trooper.

A bump in the road

2009-10-13T19:24:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday Betty and I took Abigail to the doctor because her urine was smelled really strong, like ammonia. Doctor said that she was probably dehydrated and for us to give her Pedialite. We also switched her formula to one specific for Acid Reflux (it is thickened with rice starch to help it stay down). He said there was a possibility of a urinary tract infection or UTI. But it is hard to diagnose because if she cries or is fussy we check her diaper...so if there is pee we assume that that is the cause for the crying.

I took Betty to the airport on Saturday and came home, exhausted, so Abigail and I took a nap. When we awoke from the nap she was BURNING hot. I took a rectal temp and she was at 104.5!! WHAT? I fed her and took her rectal temp again, 102.5! Oh no! At her age anything above 100.4 is considered a fever and justifies a trip to the ER.

I packed an overnight bag because I had the feeling that she was going to end up getting admitted.

Well I was right unfortunately. If you have to look on the positive side, at least it happened on a weekend when it was less busy, and that Gabe was able to stay with us too. It would have been more difficult had he not been able to do that.

She did have a UTI and we ended up having to stay until Monday afternoon. She had to have the IV put in through a vein on her head. The ER nurse couldn't find a good vein in her hands or feet and I just couldn't bear the thought of them poking at her over and over to find a vein, so I said "she has two good veins on her head if you want to use one of those."

The nurse later thanked me for being so calm (I guess she figured that because I didn't cry and freak out?) and for offering a head IV. She said it made it much easier for them to get the IV going. Apparently that is the last resort for them most of the time because parents are usually really upset by seeing an IV in their child's head. I figured, you gotta do what you gotta do, and it was better than her getting poked multiple times. Poor baby.

They gave her IV antibiotics and fluid to hydrate her and to get her temp to come down. She had an ultrasound done of her kidneys and bladder to check for any anomalies, which there were none found. She still needs to have a VSUG test done, which does a reflux scan of her kidneys to make sure that no urine is going back up into her kidneys, causing infection.

I don't think they will find anything. My gut feeling on this is that she got an infection from the three blow outs she had that went out the front, completely covering her little vagina with poo. There just wasn't any way that I thought that would end up being a good thing.

We are thankful to be back home again. I celebrated by baking an apple pie. I am also thankful that I work at the Children's Hospital, so we both knew our way around and we felt 1000% confident in the care that she was receiving. The team of nurses on the pediatric unit are GREAT!

Poor little baby. She is ten weeks old today, and missed her two month vaccination because she was hospitalized. We are going back to the doctor tomorrow morning for a follow up and to hopefully get those vaccines.

Thanks for all the prayers and support.

Meeting Nicole

2009-09-13T23:46:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back, Abigail met Nicole for the first time. She came into town for a surprise visit the weekend before Labor Day. She has been in Dominica and in Miami for medical school. She is going to save babies lives!

Oh boy did Abigail LOVE Nicole. Big eyes, her best attempts at a smile, and all kinds of expression in her face.

We were even able to have time for Nicole to feed Abigail. Although breast feeding is the ideal, let me say, that pumping and having the flexibility of a bottle is very nice. It allows others to feed and bond with her too!

Nicole brought her boyfriend and fellow medical student, Farley along this time. I stupidly did not get a good picture of Farley, that's him in the background petting the attention hog Harley. He is very nice and I think that we would have quite the time with those two next time we have the opportunity and can go out.

Someday, after she gets done with medical school and has a moment to catch her breath, she might decide the time is right for her to have a baby, until then, she can enjoy mine anytime she is here and has the notion. She definitely has a way with the wee ones. I think it is because she is so kind, gentle and easy on the eyes. See what I mean?

All at once

2009-09-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

Well it was bound to happen, as it does with all parents. That one day, that one time that everything happens all at once. Let me explain just what I mean.

Gabe offered to help feed Abigail by bottle so I could get lunch made. I put a pot of water on the stove and started getting everything ready for a pasta salad.

After a few minutes I went into the living to see how things were going with the feeding. Abigail was faced away from Gabe and he hadn't noticed that she had slipped down and was scrunched up (TV has a way of distracting him).

I start to say "that position isn't good for feeding because....",

Well, Abigail felt it was better to show him why, by projectile vomiting out her mouth and through her nose.

Of course she started to choke on all the milk that had just come out of every hole in her face so I grabbed her and rushed to the kitchen sink with her face down, as she chokes up all the milk that is left in her airway and I basically washed her down clothes and all. By the time I got her washed off and peeled down, Gabe had come into the kitchen with a towel for me to dry her off.

The water at this point is boiling on the stove, splashing over onto the burner, she is screaming her face off because she is now very mad at what just happened, and she is cold, wet and naked. Then it happens, she pees on me. It goes all the way down my pants and all over the floor.

Of course, this left us with vomit in the living room, and pee in the kitchen. Gabe was SOAKED, I was SOAKED. It was a little like a Chines fire drill with us both running around trying to "fix" things, and if it was caught on tape, The Entertainer would be the appropriate choice for the soundtrack.

It was quite the ordeal. Needless to say, lunch was finished, the house didn't burn down and we all made it through. Phew.

Great Grandparents

2009-09-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Although her great grandparents will not always be alive - she will always know how special they are and how their love and generosity impacted the lives of those around them.

This is her first time meeting GG Joe and GG Charlie. GG Charlie may not remember that he met her, but I will always have this picture and the memory of this time that he was able to see her for the first time.

After this picture was taken we all headed back to dads for lunch. I stole a moment alone with GG Charlie. He talked lovingly to her, rubbed her tummy and she smirked when he kissed her hands. He most certainly loves his great grand daughter.

GG Joan lights up when she sees Abigail. She says "you have such beautiful long legs", "what a sweet sweet little girl" and "you are just darling!" You practically have to pry Abigail from her arms, and all the while this smile never leaves her face.

It is a very special thing to see so much love for my child, but that is what you get when you have special Great Grandparents!

The Girl and Her Monkey

2009-09-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

Looks like a special bond is forming between a girl and her monkey. Many secrets this monkey will hold. I wonder what this one is?

Together they will conquer the world.

A most trust worthy companion.

And she will never be without her friend Monkey.

Crappy days can end in a laugh

2009-09-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

Well even crappy days can end in a laugh. I was in the kitchen cleaning up and I hear this comes from Gabe in the living room "Oh, LOVELY!"

When I came out - this is what I found - along with the look of disgust from Gabe. Apparently liquid came out both ends in an explosion. Abigail didn't know what all the fuss was about.

This still makes me laugh.

Her first month

2009-09-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my baby is already a month old! Well technically today she is five weeks old, but lets not go there yet.

There is NOTHING in the world that can prepare you for having a baby. Even if you had a perfectly happy, healthy, easy baby - which Abigail did not bless us with the good fortune of being easy.

The first three weeks were so very hard! She developed a pretty bad case of acid reflux which made things almost unbearable. She was only sleeping about 6 hours a day, spitting up most of what she was eating and crying the rest of the time. Seeing your baby writhe in pain and not know why is heart breaking. Then add to that the one - two hours of sleep a night I was getting (five minutes here and there) was maddening and I really had doubts whether or not I was even cut out to be a mom. Those moments laying awake at night, sleep deprived, feeling helpless in comforting my child made me feel like a failure.

Realizing that people would not willingly go through child rearing again if this were "NORMAL" we sought help from our Pediatrician. And just in the nick of time!

Abigail is now on some medication for acid reflux and it has made all the difference in her little life. No more writhing in pain, and she is sleeping again. She fusses when she needs to tell us something, and that is what we call NORMAL.

Although her size is still small (9 lbs or so) she has made some big progress in her development. From the first moment she arrived she made a statement that she was ready to take on the world.

She has stayed true to that her first month. Her hands are always in motion, open and exploring. Her typical poses are what we refer to as jazz hands and drama queen hands. She often is found with her hands folded together resting on her chest. She has also discovered that she can fit parts of her hand in her mouth to comfort herself. This is a discovery that we sure hope doesn't develop into a "sucking" problem.

Abigail is very alert and will follow objects, and her look of surprise is precious! There is nothing quite like your baby looking right into your eyes. I wonder what she thinks about when she does.

There was lots of practice time on her smile. She gave us a few good ones.

Spending time with her during her quiet and calm time, usually after feeding her, makes the thought of leaving her to go to work almost unbearable. It breaks my heart to think that there will be milestones and development happening and I will miss out those "first time" moments. Someone else will experience them and probably not even think twice about it. There must be a better solution! I am working on that and I think about what I can do to prevent her going into daycare. It is on my mind most of the day. I am open to suggestions by the way.

I know that she will never be this age again, and I am definitely soaking up as much of the wonder and amazement that she offers while I can.

She is pretty awesome.

Meet my dream team

2009-08-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

Gabe

Gabe was ahold of my left leg when I was pushing. He was able to witness his daughter being born. I can't even imagine what that must feel like since I was on the other end of things, but Lisa tells me the look on his face was PRICELESS! I love hearing him tell the story. I love that he is now a dad.

My Dad

My dad was ahold of my right leg. I was so thankful that he was able to be part of this experience and share in the joy of bringing Abigail into the world. It will always be very special to me that he was there. Some people think it is very odd that I would ask my dad, and to describe the reasons other than in simple terms is difficult because the reasons go beyond words for me.

Lisa

My good friend Lisa was my "coach" if you will. She was the voice that kept telling me to breathe, push, and that I could do it! Lisa has been one of our biggest supporters from the very beginning, and it was fitting that she be there to witness us become parents. Things came full circle that morning. Man was I glad to have her there.

And there you have it, my dream team. I could not have done it without them. And thank you just doesn't seem like big enough words.

It's time!

2009-08-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

The picture above, is our last photo taken before our lives changed forever.

On August 3rd at 8:30am I started labor. I awoke to a contraction that I knew was NOT a Braxton Hicks contraction. Gabe and I tracked the contractions all day long waiting for them to get closer together.

Around 6:30pm I called the on call physician, which was Dr. Kelley Mathia (my regular physician was on vacation wouldn't you know it!) and asked her what we should do as I did not want to go through another 12 hours of this since they were intensifying just not getting closer together and I was getting increasingly more uncomfortable. There was no way for her to determine if I was indeed in labor and told me to hold tight since there was a good chance that if we went to the hospital I would be sent home. Great.

Mom came over around this time and graciously wanted to make me something to eat, as she knew that I had been having these contractions all day and was probably hungry. And I was! She made me some comfort food - spaghetti noodles with butter and parmesan chees like my grandma used to make me and some tortilla chips with cheese melted on top (virgin nachos). While mom was here Gabe finished doing some last minute things around the house, like watering the garden, just in case we ended up going in to the hospital.

Well as luck would have it, while mom was here my contractions got farther apart! They went from 9 minutes, to 15 minutes to 20 minutes. But all the while intensifying. I was making plans for ice cream later since I was sure at this point I wasn't going to the hospital.

Gabe made his way back in and my dad called and then I had a DOOZY of a contraction. Except this time, I felt like her head moved down and I thought to myself "this is it - I think my water broke..." I didn't want to cause alarm, since I didn't feel that "gush" that everyone describes, but I was laying down. So I calmly said, "Well I am going to head to the bathroom." Gabe hung up the phone with dad, it was 8:18pm.

I got up and walked around to the foot of the bed and sure enough I was right. I felt a warm liquid trickling out. I looked up and said, "Well, my water just broke, so I guess we are going to the hospital after all."

Mom exlaims "I knew it, I knew it!" She helped us get the house closed up and load up everything into the car and off we went. I called my mom, grandma and dad on the way there.

Once my water broke, my labor jetted into hyperdrive. I just wanted to get to the hospital and get that epideral going because the pain intensified by leaps with each contraction, which were about 5 minutes apart now. I about ripped the door handle off my car as we approached the parking garage and hit the notorious Spokane potholes.

We got inside about 8:50 and checked in at the desk and were asked to head to the waiting room because all the rooms were full and we had to wait. What! Are you kidding me?

A nurse did take me back to try and get a slide of fluid to confirm that my water broke. She came back a few minutes later to inform us that she had to do an exam because the slide didn't confirm anything. The exam was one of the most painful experiences of my life. There was no way to hold back those tears! It felt like she went in with the jaws of life and then used a mortar trowel to dig a hole to China. It was awful. She confirmed that my water broke and that I was dilated to a 4 - no kidding! Really?

Not long after that I was shown to my delivery room 2041. They knew my labor was progressing quickly and I made sure they knew that I wanted my epideral STAT! They called Anesthesia and they were on their way as the nurses worked on getting me admitted. Within 45 minutes I had dilated to a 6.5 and having contractions about 3-4 apart and I was praying for relief by this point.

Once I got the epideral life was good. Night and day really. It took awhile for it to kick in but even with part of it, labor was bearable. Why in the world women CHOOSE to labor without pain relief is beyond me. I didn't need to earn that badge thank you very much. Give me drugs!

Grandma came down which surprised me. She said "you told me to wait, but you are in labor for heaven's sake I am not going to sit at home and just wait!" I guess she would rather sit at the hospital and wait with the rest of us. Dad, Lisa, mom, Caleb, Ashley and Beckett joined the party, ahem, I mean waiting game.

There was a lot of waiting involved in the process now. I could feel when I was having contractions and kept confirming with Ashley, since she was keeping watch on the monitors. I loved it when she would say "yeah this is a bad one, it is off the chart!" and all I felt was pressure, it was great!

At 2am on the 4th the nurses adviced us to try and get a nap. The cafeteria was open for the night shift and we suggested everyone head down and get a bite to eat, since they had already been at the hospital over 4 hours and had to be hungry. We TRIED to sleep, but who can sleep when you know that your daughter, which you have been waiting for over the last 39 weeks and 6 days to meet, is on her way! Yeah, right.

The nurse came in around 3am and wanted me to let her know when I felt the urge to push. Well I didn't, I just felt the pressure of each contraction. At 4:24am she comes back in and says, "let's try some practice pushes".

Equipped with Dad on my right leg, Gabe on my left and Lisa at the helm coaching we gave pushing a go. My practice pushes were effective apparently because her head started to crown and we were on our way. Dr. Mathia was called and then we waited some more. I pushed for I think around 5 contractions and then the rest of the time (about 30 mins) we waited for Dr. Mathia and I had to just breathe through the contractions and not push. Funny thing is, that your body is designed to deliver a baby and my uterus was pushing her out all on it own. It was a really strange feeling. And thanks to the amazing Anesthesiologists we have I was able to FEEL that, and the pressure of my contractions. I had a perfect placement on the epideral.

Once Dr. Mathia arrived and got set up, it was a one, two, push and she was out. Bam! At 5:35am Abigail Laurel-Josephine Strine made her debut to the world. All 7lbs 13 ounces of her. She was a beautiful 20 inches long with lots of hair. And she came out sunny side up! Which was why I didn't feel the urge to push, she was facing the wrong way!

Dr. Mathia was very impressed that I was able to deliver her that way, as a first time mom, as 90% of them she said end up in c-section. The trick was this, in my head as I pushed I screamed "GET OUT!!!". I am convinced that made all the difference, hehe.

Because Abigail came out so fast, I did have a partial 3 tear and required some stitches, but all that mattered to me was that it wasn't a c-section. Stitches heal MUCH faster than a c-section and I knew I could deal with that, plus I was within moments of seeing my baby girl.

We had lots of visitors in the next 24 hours between family, friends and coworkers and we were looking forward to going home and starting the next phase of our life as a family.

Her room is ready and waiting....

2009-08-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

The nursery is done. We went with a bird theme, if there is a theme. We painted the walls Baby Blue Bird blue, added the white beadboard and moulding then added the finishing touches.

The crib is actually the second crib we went with. The first one was supposed to be a natural color and it looked more like some kind of recycled yellow plastic McDonalds outdoor toy. We returned it and opted to go with white. I don't know why we didn't just go with that to begin with!

Gabe made the all the art in the frames from some pieces I had seen on Etsy that I liked. He customized them just for Abigail. For example, he added a map of Spokane behind two birds sitting on old fashioned wood board swings. Then the five birds above the bed are a Cardinal (because Gabe is from Ohio and that is the state bird), a Chickadee, a Robin, a Northen Flicker Woodpecker and a Quail. All birds that Abigail will see around our house someday. This is by far my favorite piece Gabe has ever done. He added the Elm branch by hand for the birds to sit on. I love it!

With some help from dad, they built the moulding shelves above the dresser.

After trying to make roman shades for the fourth disasterous time, I opted to just get the curtains I had seen at Walmart. I should have done this from the beginning because they match perfectly with all the colors in the art pieces and pull the tan in from the carpet. Lesson learned.

We went to Mels nursery and picked up two small birds nests to go with the little chicks we found at Pier One on clearance. Aren't they cute? They sit on some box shelves we found at Goodwill and spray painted white to match the room.

Now the only thing missing is a baby.

Our First Glimpse

2009-08-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

Here is Abigail at 37 weeks! Not much longer to go now. The ultrasound department was slow this day and the tech offered to give us a 3D glimpse of what our little baby will look like. Pretty crazy isn't it?

My placenta measured at 3.1cm from the cervical osp. After speaking with our physician he suggested that I try laboring and not go for a c-section. He explained that while my condition isn't very common, another patient of his is in the SAME boat and just delivered vaginally over the weekend without problem. He feels pretty confident that I can do it, and since I trust him, that is what we are going to do.

Now we just wait for her to decide when she is ready to meet us. Tick Tock!

Abigail at 33 weeks

2009-06-17T10:52:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest ultrasound shot of Abigail.

It is pretty grainy looking, but that might be because she is so big, who knows. Any how the blob above her forehead is her hand, kind of looks like she is giving us a thumbs up!

This last ultrasound tech was a different person than normal, and it was a guy, so I am glad that I didn’t have to have a vaginal scan done as that would have been a little awkward.

He took the time to show us things we hadn’t seen like her: bladder, kidneys, lips, nose, hair on her head, eye sockets (her face was creepy looking like something from a horror movie poster, but cute too….), diaphragm, heart vessels, brain, tongue, along with the usual, legs bones, spine, stomach, head, etc. We saw her sucking with her mouth and apparently she emptied her bladder during the scan, so it looks like that is working 

She is estimated to weigh 4lbs 8oz already, which is right on target for 33 weeks. Her heart rate was 143 beats per minute, again perfectly normal. If she gains the estimated half a pound a week from now until, let’s say 39 weeks, she would be around 7 ½ pounds at delivery.

Abigail is head down and ready to go. The tech did not see anything that would indicate a cord around her neck and felt that we were “in the clear” as far as an accidental umbilical cord death, being that she doesn’t have much room to move around now. Yes, of course I think about those kind of things!

Her movements have changed because she has less room, and because she is head down. The other day we felt her foot clear as day! That was pretty ____ (fill in the blank). It is those kinds of things that really blow your mind and make you feel like you have an alien in there.

The other good news is that my placenta has moved 2.8 cm from the cervical opening, and from that the technician didn’t feel that a c-section would be needed. Looks like I will have to come to grips with the fact that she is going to be pushed out of my body. Lovely.

My OBGYN took me off the “restrictions” that I have had the whole pregnancy. YAY!!! Been waiting to hear that for a LONG time, it seems. Obviously it isn’t like I am going to go do a marathon or lift hay bales, but it is nice to know that I could take the dogs for a walk if I wanted to without feeling like I am putting myself or Abigail at risk.

All an all things are progressing as they should. Mere weeks left to go! Let’s hope she keeps baking for at least another month.

A year has passed...

2009-06-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

A year has passed since performing with the cast of Tony n Tina’s wedding and it is hard to believe that much time has passed.

Looking back on that experience, I can honestly say it was some of the best times I have ever had! By the time the show was over it our cast felt like family.

Most of us still keep in touch to this day. However, because of the show I met two amazing guys that have become very good friends of mine. Our time together made last summer one I will never forget! And we will never be able to recreate that magic either. We were all living in the moment and taking full advantage that it wouldn't, well couldn't last forever. The friendship will last a lifetime, but the lack of sleep and alcohol consumption would take its toll no doubt.

We spent many a days and nights together after that hanging out, laughing, going on adventures, and getting to know each other. It was so much fun! We began to refer to ourselves as the threesome because we were spending so much time together. In fact, the guest bedroom became known as Jeff and Andrew’s room.

But things change – life goes on and we will always have our memories. Oh what memories we have!

Bamboletta Dolls

2009-06-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

In my constant searches for homemade lovelies and how we can incorporate the good old fashioned way of life into our growing family I found these dolls.

They are Bamboletta Dolls, which means ‘little doll’ in Italian and is a term of endearment that parents use for their children.

All their dolls are handmade. They use a wonderful thick cotton interlock from the Netherlands for their ’skin’. It hardly pills, it retains its shape and it is oh so soft. They use wool for the hair of the doll that has been cleaned and carded using eco friendly methods. And then top all that goodness off with the most adorable hand made clothes I have ever seen.

Just take a look at this doll? I would love for Abigail to have one of her one. I should start saving now so by the time she is old enough to properly care for one I can afford it!

If you too are charmed by the unique adorable-ness of these handmade dolls you can visit their website at www.bamboletta.com.

My dad is on Facebook!

2009-06-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

I know it probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to most of us that have been online with various accounts for what seems like forever. But I think it is pretty cool.

A great thing has happened because of his efforts. He found Carol, a foster child that lived in their home growing up! They have since reconnected and Carol has also been in contact with my grandparents.

I have always thought that my grandparents are above and beyond special, but Carol who lived with them until she was 18 months has always felt the same way. She wrote them and to say that she has also considered them to be her second parents and she has told people that her entire life. She even wanted to find my grandpa a few years back when she was engaged, so he could walk her down the aisle since her adoptive parents had both passed away.

Although Carol was very young when she knew them, she never forgot their kindness and they were always in her mind and close to her heart.

Like I said, my grandparents are very special people. Someday I will blog about the wonderful things they have done together.

Caleb and Ashley Strine

2009-06-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

May 23rd, 2009, Gabe married his brother is true Strine tradition at the Alexis Hotel in Seattle.

It was a small, private ceremony that included a few close friends and family, only 14 people including the bride, groom and the two boys.

Caleb’s vows were beautiful. Poetic, thoughtful, and pretty much everything a girl dreams about. There was not a dry eye in the room, including Caleb. In fact, the sweetest part of his vows in my opinion was that he got “I have never” out before he was so over come with emotion that he couldn’t go on. Not for awhile anyways. He was a trooper and kept going, taking breaks momentarily to catch his breath and wipe away the tears.

Then the icing on the cake was when he finished his vows to Ashley and he turned to the boys, who at this point were playing a game of “destroy the daisy” in my lap. He made a vow to the boys. It brought the room down, not in a bad way, but if you weren’t already having your heart strings yanked, there was no way getting around it now.

Ashley started to audibly sob, which scared Kiernan because he didn’t quite understand that they were happy tears. He curled up into a ball on the floor and started crying.

It was a big bawl fest all around and it was lovely! Just what a wedding is supposed to be – full of love and raw emotion.

I am thankful that the two of them found one another. I am thankful that we now have two beautiful, fun and unique nephews to play around with and one pretty awesome sister in law!

The day was long but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!

Reese Emery Myers

2009-06-02T08:41:00.001-07:00

Oh what joy, oh what fun! May 19th our family was blessed with a little bundle of cuteness weighing 5lbs 11oz. My older brother Chris and his wife Misty became proud parents of Reese Emery.

It has been a long time coming for these two and I am elated for them! It brings me to tears each time I see pictures.

This is the first time in my life that I have seen my brother look this happy, and that is something that touches me on a deep emotional level. The “tough” outer shell that he puts up has disappeared and the joy of being a dad is beaming from him.

When I saw the picture below of my dad holding Reese, with my brother looking over, I was over come with emotion and I cried and cried. Tears of joy.

After what Gabe and I have been through, I can’t imagine the pain, disappointment and emptiness that Chris and Misty must have shared over the last 8+ years of trying to conceive. My heart ached with them.

We are so excited for them. Excited for their family, our family and for the future. Excited for next summer up at the lake cabin watching Abigail and Reese get to know one another!

I can’t say it enough – what a blessing. And now all is right in the world!

Numb

2009-04-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

I found out yesterday that my very dear friend Dori passed away unexpectedly this past Saturday.

She and I shared a unique friendship as she was someone I considered to be family, like a mom, like a sister, and someone that just got me.

I met Dori a few weeks after Dustin and I moved out to Day Mt. Spokane. And our friendship was pretty instantaneous. We spent countless hours on her porch swing sipping on iced tea or iced coffee whichever she had a craving for that morning, many nights playing 10,000, which earned me the nickname "bone dry" and her "dice bitch"(it is the only time that losing money was ever fun), many days out on the 4 wheelers riding through the countryside stopping for beer breaks, lunch (pbnj), to listen to fairy falls and to look at rocks that would be a cool adornment for her porch, and just countless hours "shooting the shit" I think she called it.

She and I understood eachother perfectly. Although I only had the pleasure of having Dori for 6 years of my life, we had the understanding for one another that would normally take a lifetime to figure out.

We joked that our souls were connected and that our knowing each other now, was only for this lifetime. But even in my belief that she and I will know eachother again it stills hurts that she is physically gone from my life.

Dori lived a private life in the country with a laundry list of animals over the years. Several of which have specially hand picked rocks marking there place under various trees. She always said that she would die in her beloved little house, and by god that is what she did.

After her dogs Char and Peekaboo died, she "vowed" not to have animals again because it was just too hard on her when they die. Then Lilly came into her life and stole her heart away. Without going into a whole long story about the two of them, I will just say that they were meant to find eachother. I always knew that someone like Dori, who had a heart so full of love for animals wouldn't be animaless for long.

She would count out her daily treats to Char and Peekaboo..."one, two, free". She always swore that Char would count to make sure she got the same number as Peekaboo, but she snuck in an extra piece on the third count for good measure. That was just how she was.

She kept a vase of flowers I gave her early in our friendship on the table she sat at everyday. I gave them to her Spanky had died. I picked some flowers and left them in a vase with a note on her porch just so she would know that I was thinking of her. It meant something to her, and it meant something to me after years of her keeping them close to her. It was a nice reminder of the little things that can mean so much to someone. I always say it is the little things in life that matter.

I will always remember her courageous decision to have weight loss surgery. She and I talked at great length about the pros and cons. She wasn't going to do it, then she was. When she finally did it, it was hard not to see her. She went through quite a bit physically following the surgery and struggled getting away from the house for any length of time. Several months had passed with just phone conversations and then I got to see her.

When she came out of the house to greet me, I sobbed and sobbed (like you see people do on TV...yeah that was me). I was so proud of her, she looked on the outside like the Dori she was on the inside again. She beamed with happiness and I shared in that happiness through my tears of joy as she hugged me tight.

Dori helped me through many life changes like finding myself again, through my divorce, through faling in love with Gabe, and through the trials and tribulations of getting pregnant. I will always regret that she wasn't able to hold Abigail in her arms.

I hear her voice and her laughter in my head and she will forever remain close to my heart. I know with time that hearing her in my mind will fade away, and that brings me grief. She had such a wonderful mischievious laugh.

She was beautiful, kind, courageous, loving, compassionate, and a tough as nails no non sense kind of wonderful woman. I feel grateful and honored that I had a chance to know and love her.

I will miss you always,
Your Kellygirl
@}~-----

2009-04-28T13:25:00.001-07:00

You can't fly a kite unless you go against the wind and have a weight to keep it from turning a somersault. The same with man. No man will succeed unless he is ready to face and overcome difficulties and is prepared to assume responsibilities.
William J.H. Boetcker

Ch..Ch..Ch..Changes

2009-04-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

The Strine world is full of change lately.

Gabe was laid off of work a few weeks ago and we are looking at this as the push needed for him to do his freelance graphic designing...full time. Which was the plan all along by the end of the year. It is scary, and financially trying, but I pray that it will work out for the best in the end.

Lay offs are also happening at my work. And for today, I still have a job, and I am thankful for that.

We decided to add Gabe onto my insurance...which is costing us $300 out of pocket every month. Our monthly budget has been cut by $2300! That is scary if you think about it. But thankfully while Gabe is seeking work, unemployment counts for $1000 - for now. SUPER SCARY.

We started and finished the nursery. Pictures and details will be posted soon.

We ripped out the main floor bathroom and have replaced the cabinets, sink, and faucet so far. The we will be puttin on our 4th coat of paint on tonight. The first two coats were St. Patrick's Day green, I kid you not. Gabe wanted something bold and I thought why not try it. But in the end having my eyes stop bleeding was more important that having a bold choice of wall color. The green was nixed last night and we coated the walls with primer in preparation for the stormy blue we will be painting later tonight. What can I say, blue matches everything if it is the right shade.

Dad and Gabe worked all day yesterday getting the new cabinets, the sink and the faucet installed. It was a nice surprise to come home to yesterday! What a huge difference that has made already.

SIDE NOTE:
While normally working on house projects is totally my thing at our house, I am limited with my pregnancy in doing things I would normally do, such as no heavy lifting, nothing strenuous, and an over protective dad to be. I will admit, I lack a certain patience with Gabe when it comes to working on projects, especially if they need to be done quickly.

I try really hard, but we think differently in that way. He is an artist,a dreamer, a creator, I am hands on, get dirty and get it done kind of gal. Most at home projects just make sense to me and come easily, but for him it is a longer process. Now add into the mix: pregnancy hormones, my feeling of uselessness and it can make for a nasty cocktail. We did pretty well working on the nursery, even though we had to stop to have several conversations about how we were not working as a team.

The good thing is we can recognize our differences, and we make an effort at communicating and trying to work with what we were given.

CONTINUED:
We have the flooring picked out, but need to finish painting first. The floor is next, then the toilet, the toe kicks and the moulding. We should easily be able to wrap this up this weekend. And then we take a break!! A nice long break sounds nice.

I will post pictures of both of our latest projects soon. Maybe next week after all is said and done project wise.

That is all for now folks. Stay tuned for another gripping episode of the Life of Strine's.

The latest on Abigail

2009-04-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

We had another ultrasound on the 23rd. See?

I admit there has been some doctoring on my part. I really wanted to have a profile-ish picture and her hand was moving along her face, so I photoshopped it out. I am a bad mom.

I am happy to report that she clearly has a nose and lips i.e. a face. That is a relief. You may be asking "was that really something to be concerned about?" The answer is "yes". If you are me, "yes". I couldn't tell from the last ultrasound that she had a defined nose and set of lips, so of course, it made me wonder.

The GOOD news:
Abigail is right on target and is doing great. She is 1lb 12 oz. of activeness right now.

The BAD news:
The doctor has now classified my "condition" as placenta previa. Which means the chances of my placenta moving away from my cervix and allowing for a vaginal delivery are pretty slim. In other words, I will almost certainly have to have a c-section.

The GOOD news:
There is a slight chance that things could change. I still have a lot of growing left to do and another ultrasound in 4 weeks. Until we see no change again in a month, there is still hope.

The bottom line is that Abigail is healthy and my pregnancy is continuing to progress. That is what matters in the end.

Hard Time Getting Up

2009-03-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. I hit snooze too many times, which caused me to have to rush to get ready to catch the vanpool for work.

I was having a very pleasant dream that I went and visited Ree Drummond and her ranch she shares with Marlboro Man (her husband) and their kids. Ree is the author, photographer, cook and writer of one of my favorite blogs The Pioneer Woman. View it at www.thepioneerwoman.com. I think she is amazing!

In this dream I picked out my horse for the weekend. A beautiful Grulla mare with a long mane and stocky build (like the one pictured above). In the lodge the smell of freshly baked bread was in the air as Ree had baked some rustic sourdough bread.

The funny part to me was that Marlboro Man (MM) was teaching me how to cook a piece of salmon that was coated with some type of crumb and cheese mixture. When he flipped it on the griddle he made sure to explain that I needed to scrape the cooked crust that formed around the fillet and then place it on the top of the salmon, as this was "manna from heaven".

I thought it strange for two reasons, Ree is the one that cooks in their family and they raise beef, so salmon is not something they would normally eat. Must have been a special occasion!

Getting away from Spokane, if only in a dream to smell the country, be around horses again, see the grasses blowing gently in the breeze and to meet Ree Drummond is TOTALLY worth rushing through my morning once in awhile!

Another Milestone

2009-03-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

Abigail is becoming stronger with each week that passes and her kicking/movements have become increasingly more noticeable. So much in fact that sometimes it almost hurts a little in a shocking strange ticklish alien way!

She is most active in the mornings and anytime after I eat. Drinking juice or eating anything with sugar makes her crazy too! Well each night I have been placing my hands on my belly hoping that I could feel her on the outside when I feel her moving on the inside. And finally Friday night I felt the first little thump. Only one, but it was still a thump.

Then on Saturday Gabe was able to feel her for the first time. Again only one little thump. But by Sunday morning he was able to feel several little thump thump thumps and I was even able to feel her pushing me with what was probably her little foot!

On a side note, I am definitely "showing" now. My belly seems to have popped out in the last two weeks.
It was pretty neat. I am glad that Gabe was finally able to feel his daughter. Each micro event like this makes it more and more real that she is there and making her presence to us known.

We are now at 21 weeks, which is more than halfway ~ another little milestone that was important for us to reach.

It's A.....

2009-03-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

March 10, has been a date Gabe and I have waited for, for what seems like an eternity. As the date drew near the waiting became more and more unbearable. Like being a kid and waiting for Christmas morning.

This was the date of my fetal survey. A little over an hour of looking at different parts of our baby, it was revealed with 99% certainty that we are having a baby girl. The one and only time we prayed for

Although it should have been quite a shock to me, in my heart I kind of already knew. A few weeks prior to the survey, I woke from a pretty heavy sleep and a peace came over me in which I just knew her name and that our baby was a girl. It was really strange, and could be a complete coincidence, but her name was decided before we knew she was a girl.

What name did we choose?
Abigail Laurel-Josephine Strine

Why this name?
For, what seems like forever, I have always thought I would name a girl Isabella. But as my pregnancy progressed it seemed that name wouldn’t suit. And then, like I said, I woke up and knew she was Abigail.

The more I pondered Abigail, I realized that this was the name that Gabe chose for his little sister. Unfortunately, his sister had fatal complications, came early and lived for only a few short hours.

So not only did I love the name, Gabe already chose it for someone close to him, and it is a way that we can honor his little sister.

The middle name Laurel-Josephine is hyphenated because it honors both of my grandmothers, Laurel (Joan Degerstrom, mom’s side) and Josephine (Joe Myers, dad’s side). Both of whom have made a substantial impact on my life and whom which I admire and idolize in many ways. They are very strong, caring, giving, and self-less, loving women that put family first. I am glad that they sound nice together.

I am getting excited about having a daughter. It will melt my heart to hear her call Gabe, “Daddy”. And I can’t wait to see my own dad with her. Thinking about that always get to me and it brings me such joy knowing that she will have two of the most amazing men I know in her life.

Other than finding out that we are having a girl, we learned that she is exactly where she should be for growth, weight, and all her development was normal with no visible abnormalities. It was really interesting to see the four chambers of her heart, her brain, kidneys, stomach, etc. My friend Nicole would have loved to see it (since she is in Med School right now learning how to save lives)!

The downfall is that my placenta has not moved AT ALL and I still have previa. Which means another ultrasound around 30 weeks to see if we will have “complications” with that. But I am not worried too much as long as Abigail stays healthy! The next ultrasound will hopefully give us a profile picture to show off. When we did the last ultrasound she was facing my back and moving around too much to get a good profile shot.

Make today count!

WICKED

2009-03-18T08:37:00.001-07:00

The first weekend in March some of my friends (Lisa, Tricia, Katie, Quyann, Emily) and I flew to Portland to see WICKED, the off Broadway show that is the most mind blowing-ly amazing show I have ever seen in my life, hands down.

Think of the complete opporsite of story of the Wizard of Oz and you might be on the right track. It is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba). Of course you couldn't tell Elphaba's story without also telling much the story of Glinda the Good Witch because the two have parallel stories and their lives are intertwined, and it showcased how great a story can be when you place two perfect opposites together on a stage. How nicely they compliment one another. So far in my lifetime, it is the best show ever written about friendship, sprinkled with a little love, lies, betrayal, forgiveness, and hope.

I will keep this brief since I could go on and on about it I will spare you from the babble.

Wicked was so so so so good! The Portland cast was superb, the singing was phenomenal (better than the original soundtrack in my opinion), the lighting and sets were insane and the music was fantastic.

I have listened to the soundtrack everyday since and each time I hear it something else will catch my ear and put me in awe of the composers.

I laughed, I gasped, I cried and by the end of the show every single person in the audience was in tears, men included! I started getting emotional about 3 songs into the show and I was hooked in almost immediately. I knew it was going to be amazing after the first song started and the curtains opened and I heard the cast and saw the sets. BINGO! Twists, turns, suspense - this show had it all!

If you haven’t seen it, you simply must go. If you have seen it, then you get it and know exactly what I am talking about. I am now in the cult following of WICKED and intend on seeing as many times possible in my lifetime!

I have a playlist on the right hand side of the blog that has a snippet of songs from the show. Although the original cast are great singers, I think that the Portland cast did a better job!

Visiting Portland, one plate at a time!

2009-03-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Along with girlfriends in tow, we took Portland by storm and had the most fantastic weekend.

The flight down was quick and I think I spent the entire flight laughing. If I were to have died, at least it would have been next to the two funniest women on the planet!

We checked into our newly remodeled Kimpton Hotel Vintage Plaza that we were able to book at a discounted rate thanks to my best friend Betty's friends rate. The room was spacious with nice linens and Aveda bath products. We weren't there very long and heard the neighbors crys of passion. Ackward? Yes.

The first order of business was to hit happy hour at Jake's Famous Crawfish. Now those of you that know me, know of my fondness for food, especially good food. Well, I have had Jake's on my mind since Dustin (my ex husband) and I visited in 2001. Of course everyone else in Portland also had the same idea. We waited for about 15 minutes and it appeared the happy customers eating were going no where anytime soon.

I have learned that it never hurts to ask. I asked if there was any way possible to have our group of six sit just outside the bar, but still enjoy the happy hour pricing (which is OUTSTANDING by the way) "since we came all the way from Spokane and have had them on the radar since 2001," I pulled all the cards!

A short wait later we were sat in a cozy little nook just outside the bar. And the fun began! We feasted on Calamari, 2 or 3 orders of BBQ Ribs, 2 orders of Salmon Cakes, 4 orders of Sweet Potato Fries, Potstickers, Fish tacos, and a California roll. This is what I could remember off the top of my head. It was fantastic! And the most food I have been able to eat since becoming pregnant. I was one happy girl.

We walked around for a few hours, burning off some of our dinner, visiting the local erotic shop, and looking for dessert. We ended up at the little restaurant just off our hotel for coffee and dessert. I ordered the "replacement" dessert that was a Pistachio and Caramel tart with Vanilla Gelato. It was to die for delicious, and so rich that I insisted on sharing with Emily. Who was more than happy to oblige me. We are food soulmates, I am pretty sure.

After all the walking and eating, we were all more than happy to part to our rooms for the night. Well, I should have known better than to eat that much food, and I suffered ALL night long thinking I was going to have to dash out of bed and see my food again. But thankfully I did not, and just suffered aimlessly throughout the evening, without much sleeping in between.

The next day we all got up and headed out for breakfast at a local favorite, Mother's Bistro. They were booked out three weeks, and we decided not to wait that long and continued on our journey for our second choice, the Bijou Cafe.

On our way we found Voodoo doughnut, which is famous for their crazy doughnut combos like Maple and Bacon bars (ew!) - Tricia wanted to snap a picture of Marcel (the sock monkey) with the sign.

This had to be the BEST breakfast I have had since my breakfast at Multnoma Falls Lodge or the Breadline Cafe.

I became very excited when seeing the food coming out. I got up from the table I and asked the man at the bar that was happily reading his morning paper,
"How is the muffin?"
"Very good", he replied. And then to my suprise and utter delight he offered me a generous taste of the crown (which is the best part of a muffin. And it was delicious!

Nothing makes me happier than a complete stranger coming to my level of excitement about food and wanting to share that experience with me. It is strange, I know, but you have to be one of us to get it. The girls all thought it was quite entertaining. Lisa likes to relate me to Sally from When Harry Met Sally.

I ordered sides - skillet potatoes, thick cut hickory smoked bacon and that freshly baked oatmeal muffin. The coffee was good, the company was great and the food was top notch. A half plate of potatoes and 6 pieces of bacon, enough to share! Everyone at the table was more than happy with their breakfast and had nothing but compliments. Sometimes, a blessing comes when your first choice isn't available!

Off to the Saturday market. By now the frigid winds picked up and the items purchased at the market included scarfs for Quiyann, Lisa, Tricia and a wool hat with ears for me. Completely worth the $8 and lack of style that comes with it.

We split up from Katie, Quiyann, and Emily while they went back to the hotel to get ready for Wicked. Lisa, Tricia and I walked to Starbucks, then across town to the theater.

I will post about Wicked in a different post later.

After Wicked we headed back to the hotel for a complimentary wine hour to start the evening off with a bang. We made reservation the night before at Typhoon, which is Emily's favorite Thai restaurant that happened to be located 10 steps from the hotel's main entrance. Our waitor was adorable and had a perfect personality to match our lively group.

I couldn't decide between the Yellow Curry and Phad Thai, and since becoming pregnant, I just don't know what will taste good on any given day anymore. I asked our waitor for a sample of the Phad Thai, and that was what I wanted. I ordered the Calamari, Phad Thai and Thai Iced Tea. The tea was brewed fresh and on the house because I had to wait, which was really no big deal, but appreciated nonetheless. Everyone else ordered something different and share amongst themselves. Happy eaters once again.

After a few bottles of wine and 3.5 hours or so, we thought it time to move on. I was exhausted from the fun and festivities of the day, and called it a night. The ladies went on to Rite Aid for more wine, and headed back to Katie's room for more chit chat.

The growling of my stomach woke me Sunday morning, and I had to get up and eat. Although all I wanted to do was be lazy and stay in bed, but my stomach had other plans for me.

I wanted to give Tricia and Lisa some time to get up leisurely since they had a late night, even later with the time change. I went off for breakfast at Pazzo by myself. I ordered the Sourcream coffee cake and potatoes and bacon. Real variety in my breakfasts, I know. As I was waiting for my food, Katie, Quiyann and Emily came down and I joined their table. They were flying out at 1pm and were leaving right after breakfast, so I was glad I had the opportunity to visit a little while longer.

One last stop at Starbuck's with Lisa, back to the room to pick up Tricia, and then we headed out to Whole Foods, the Container Store, Sur La Table and then back to the hotel. While waiting for the Max Line to the airport Lisa, Tricia and I helped the bell hops rearrange the furniture in the lobby area. What a marked difference that made!

Then off to the airport we went.

I have to say, it has been a long time since I have laughed that hard as I did throughout that weekend. I woke up Sunday morning and my stomach muscles were so sore from laughing! It was such a fun, exhausting weekend with a group of women that I am SO lucky to call my friends. I would do all over again, anytime!

Shopping

2009-03-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Gabe and I spent the entire day shopping. I was EXHAUSTED by 8pm and was done for the night. We ordered our bedroom furniture, so that our furniture can go in the baby's room.

And then we went maternity clothes shopping. Gabe was a saint for being so patient, and he helped me pick out some cute tops. Pants are going to be challenging to find, because I am big already even the XL maternity pants are too tight for my comfort with gigantic waists. Argh.

We are going to try Motherhood in the valley mall the 21st since we will be out at Direct Buy that day anyways. They have a plus size maternity section that I hope to find pants.

*Sigh

2009-02-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

My lovely friend Andrew had a probation violation, and will be in jail until August. That makes me sad on several levels, and mostly because other than me writing letters to him, and sending him pictures, he will miss out on my big belly stage :(

But he should have a fun surprise when he gets out.

Still waiting on the details of what happened, but I think it was because he was out past curfew. Pretty stupid.

I already miss him.

Let's talk about Sex

2009-02-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

I think a boy would feel more natural for us to raise.

If we have a girl, she will no doubt be a Tom-boy because that is how I am. You can bet that mom will teach her how to garden, cook, fish, love animals and of course use a hammer, drill, and tape measure and soon as she can understand what those things are!

It thrills me to have a little one that I can TEACH how to grow food, cook, build, and to create. Have a young imagination around us will bring such tremendous joy.

We are most excited to find out the sex because then we can start to narrow down names and stop saying “little one”, “the baby”, “he/she”, “it” and we can use a name.

Believe me this has not been easy task to date. Since the beginning of our relationship we have discussed names, and this year will make it four years of discussion. No pressure.

We are pretty solid on a girl’s middle name being Laurel Josephine after my grandmothers. And for a long time we settled on Isabella. But my heart thinks that we should name her Abigail in honor of Gabe’s little sister that didn’t survive. I have always like the name Abigail, and I also like Abby as a nick name.

Boy name have been a real struggle. We both want to honor our grandfathers, this is of key importance to us. His grandfather was Harold, and mine is Charlie (legally Charles). Since the very beginning of our relationship Gabe asked that Harold be the middle name. But you wouldn’t believe how hard it is to match Harold Strine to a first name we both like.

I love the name Charlie, but do not like the name Charles, and especially do not like Chuck. All advice to us has been to not name our child something that we don't like or that could have a nickname we don't like. Well that pretty much takes Charles out of the picture. And Gabe is against putting Charlie as a legal name on the birth certificate.

Charlie Harold Strine doesn’t strike me as a good name.

It occurred to me the other night, why not combine Charlie and Harold into Harlie as a middle name. Clearly I already love that name and it sounds good: ____ Harlie Strine.

Some other considerations:
Oliver (Olly for short)
Jack
Samuel (Sam for short)
Logan
Avery

Ruled out names:
Montgomery (although I still love this name) (Monte for short)
Jackson
Owen (I still love this name, but Gabe’s best friend’s little boy is Owen)
Abraham (yeah this lasted about 2 seconds)

I am open to your suggestions!

Forward Progress

2009-02-27T10:00:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note...

Through the series of ultrasounds we found that I have marginal previous or in lamens terms a placenta that attached too close to the cervical opening. More times than not this problem will resolve itself as your uterus grows, and thus pulling the placenta up and away from the cervical opening.

However if the problem does not resolve it can be dangerous to both me and the baby, so let's all remain optimistic that things will work out. I won't expand on it unless I need to at a later date.

We go into our detailed maternal fetal survey ultrasound on the 10th of March at which time the sex of our baby will be revealed. That is unless, legs are crossed or the baby decides that we should not know yet. Most people seem to think that we are having a boy. Grandma Degerstrom is holding out hope for a girl, and I have one other friend that voted girl. Otherwise to my knowledge all votes are for a boy.

I have no idea what we are having at this point, and honestly don't care too much as long as my pregnancy is successful and our baby is healthy!

The Trials of Being Pregnant (Episode 1)

2009-02-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

This post is for those ever curious family and friends that can handle the "Too much information" category of being pregnant! Read no futher if you can't handle the truth. Otherwise, proceed with caution.

Being exhausted, nauseated, averted to anything with a scent and hormonely out of balanced is just the beginning.

Things were progressing fine until about week 11. I started bleeding and cramping. I was convinced something must be wrong, but an ultrasound showed us our first look at our little one and that everything was fine. I quickly overcame the fear of crying in public or becoming hysterical around someone I have never met, because as soon as I saw that little heart beating I immediately started to cry. And I cried and cried, I think the whole way through the visit. We saw our baby move, we saw it's heart beating!

We had crossed a huge obstacle that stopped us in our tracks with my first pregnancy. Instead of seeing a little heart beating and life beginning when we had our first ultrasound, we saw a life that had ended. It is something I will never forget. That image reminds me every day that successfully passes with this pregnancy what the TRUE miracle of life.

Another episode of bleeding and cramping at week 13 sent me back to the doctor and yet another ultrasound. And still things were fine. Then later in that week, as the bleeding continued, I passed a blood clot. I thought for sure, that was the end of this little one's journey. Something was wrong.

I had yet another ultrasound at 14 weeks 5 days to try and determine where the source of the bleeding was coming from. I have a low-lying placenta. Which means instead of a placenta attached near the top of my uterus, as it usually is, mine has attached dangerously close to my cervical opening.

Monitoring will take place and the hope is that by my next ultrasound at 19 weeks - it will have started to move with my uterus and away from the cervical opening. If it does not, it poses a threat to both baby and mom. But I feel confident that this will all work itself out.

But all an all, I am feeling SO much better. I can eat again, and the smell of garlic is starting to have its appeal once more.

Now those of you that know me, know that I am somewhat of a foodie, and I LOVE to eat. This has been a very challenging part of being pregnant for me. Foods that I would normally eat and enjoy, no longer taste good to me. It is like my taste buds and brain on on different tracks and heading opposite directions.

The things I do like are: Raw spinach, low fat cottage cheese, oranges, apples, pears, peaches, ARBY's roast beef sandwiches (madly), any kind of ice cream, cheese, and hashbrowns, hamburgers (which is really weird) and pasta. Thank god spaghetti has still tasted delicious. Oh and I am wanting the Koerper's Venison saugsage like nobody's business!

Not so keen to: Garlic, onion, peppers (sadly they will have to wait), olives, rye bread (this was a hard one), chicken noodle soup, peanut butter, strawberries, eggs (totally out of the question), anything sweet-spicy, BBQ sauce or BBQ smell - just to name a few things off the top of the list.

My belly is starting to show that I am pregnant, my breasts are slowly starting to get bigger, and I no longer can wear belts with my pants, or anything that is tight on my legs like nylons, or knee highs. I feel like I am turning into a giant ball of goo, although I have only gained a pound. I swear it looks like more - unless my body is shifting weight...to my butt and belly. :(

I feel VERY fortunate to have friends and family, near and far that are willing to be open and honest with me about their experiences, what they learned, how they adjusted their lives to meet the ever changing lifestyle of having a child, and what I should know about going into motherhood. It was perfectly stated in a book Emily gave me that says "The things the doctor won't tell you!".

The Cat is Out of the Bag

2009-02-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

That's right, the Cat is Out of the Bag and I can finally publicly announce that we are expecting!

Our little one is due on 08/05/09 and time will fly by between now and then. So much to do, and it seems like so little time to make it all happen.

With all the trouble I had in the past year, we made the decision to wait until we were at least 14 weeks along to announce to anyone. Not even our parents knew! As of today I am 16 weeks 4 days along and things are going pretty well.

We found out the day after Thanksgiving that I was preggers, and it was one of the most confusing moments of my life. I took a two test leading up to Thanksgiving and they were both negative. I supposed I didn't really want to accept that I wasn't pregnant and took one more, for good measure.

I went into the bathroom without telling Gabe what I was doing, and after what seemed like forever two little pink lines appeared on the test. It was positive. I covered my mouth and started shaking, and then the tears came. The first few seconds it was joy, then it turned into pure panic and fear.

I ran downstairs to tell Gabe. He was coming out of the bathroom and I handed the test to him without saying anything, my hand still covering my mouth and tears rolling down my face. He embraced me a giggled a little, and then I melted into a sobbing mess.

"What are we going to do now? What if something happens? I don't think I can go through that again?" I was terrified, excited, but terrified that we were blessed with yet another little miracle that could be ripped away from us at any moment. I wasn't sure I was ready for that in those early moments.

After about an hour, I realized, that I was in for the ride no matter what this time.

After an ultrasound at 14 weeks 5 days showing us a healthy, kung-fu-ing little baby, we felt that it was about time to tell our friends and family. Better late than never, I suppose. Especially since my belly is starting to show signs of pregnancy! You can't hide that forever.

I will continue to post throughout my pregnancy so if you want to keep up with the Strine's check back often!

If you look carefully you can see that the little one is sticking it's tongue out! Pretty funny kiddo already!

Not exactly the same, but close enough

2009-02-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

We did get a Great Dane - we had made the decision not to get a puppy at this stage of our lives after all. And then fate intervened when we received a phone call from a coworker of mine. She called to tell us about a friend of her step-mom's that just told her that she has a GD that she was looking to find a good home for. We got the details and called Carolyn and Bob right away.

Her name is Brandy. And she sounded exactly like what we were looking for over the phone, but without meeting a dog in person you never know. We turned the truck around and headed out of town to Sprague to meet her that night.

I figured there must be something wrong with her because she sounded too good to be true. When I knocked on the door a beautiful fawn face poked out from behind a couch. I turned to Gabe and whispered with pure excitement "She's gorgeous!"

And she did not disappoint. She was perfect for us. Period.

Gabe said "Let's sleep on it." and we headed home. Well we got about 5 miles away and I was on the phone calling Carolyn letting her know we would be back the next day to pick up Brandy.

I am pretty sure I didn't sleep a wink that night because I was so excited.

Here is a picture our beautiful Brandy with Dad and Harley on one of our walks.
She is small for a GD if you know GDs, but most people say "oh my gosh, she is a horse!", which makes me laugh, because they really don't realize just how big GDs really are supposed to be. She weighs about 130 and is the best dog that either of us have ever owned.

Brandy is well behaved, well mannered and a truly loving dog - the perfect example of the gentle giant breed of Great Danes. She was very loved by Bob, and he was thankful to find her a loving home with us, but had tears in his eyes when we left. We called frequently to give updates on Brandy to Carolyn and Bob.

Not long after we got Brandy, Bob suddenly passed away. He left behind the love of his life, Carolyn and their two other GDs, a Harlequin male named Chief and a black female named Spanner. He was only in his 60s.

Our little secret

2008-12-04T11:27:00.001-08:00

Gabe and I have been wanting to bring another dog into our home for some time now. At our old house, we tried a few dogs, Tucker and Jack, but they were just too big for our little home.

Well now that we are settled in our new home with lots of room, we are both ready again to bring home a BIG dog.

Here is a sneak peek at what we are looking for - -

HOW COULD YOU SAY NO TO THIS? I CAN'T WAIT!!!

My little side job - -

2008-12-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

I sell high quality stering silver jewelry for a fun side job. I got my first big bonus with Silpada this week. I earned $500 in free jewelry! I have also earned well over $1000 in cash in the last four shows. Not bad for a few hours of work. If I could consistently do shows like this, think how much extra income we could have! I have a craft fair this weekend, and I hope that will boost my customer base.

You can view my catalog online at www.mysilpada.com/kelly.strine

Whooosh

2008-12-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it is only three weeks until Christmas! How could this be? It seems like summer was just here.

Nicole comes home from Dominica in a little over 2 weeks already. I am excited to hear all about the really cool things that she has learned while away at Med School. She is one of the smartest people I know and I love talking with her. She is able to retain so much information, like a sponge. I am quite jealous of that ability. She has let her hair grow, and I am sure has a gorgeous tan. Don't let that tan fool you into thinking that Med School in the Dominica has been all roses. It is still a third world country!

We soon will have a new year upon us, full of change and opportunity. I sure hope this year starts off better than this year did!

Live for the little things,
Kelly

My friend Lisa

2008-11-19T11:07:00.001-08:00

Words that describe my friend Lisa
Inspiring
Hilarious
Dedicated
Quote taker
Motivated
Caring
Beautiful inside and out
French Chef
Creative
Mom
Camp Director
Entertainer

I could go on - but I will stop.

I was touched that Lisa thought of me the other day. She had flowers delivered to me at work. At first I couldn't understand why she would send me flowers that said "Thinking of You - Lisa"

It took 15 minutes or so of me asking, why would Lisa be thinking of me....how strange...how out of the blue...how wonderful...how touching...how thoughtful...how unexpected and delightful!

Then it hit me, just the magnitude of what Lisa did for me.

She in three words told me "I know what you are going through, I get it, I've been there, I know how hard it is, don't give up, it will happen for you, I am sorry you are going through this, I am here for you whenever you need me! . . . I am thinking of you."

Those flowers meant more to me than any others I have ever received. They more than lifted my spirits that day. They allowed me to forgive, to refocus, and to jump in with both feet again! Try, try again.

Lisa, is someone that I look up to, that I aspire to be like, and I hope that one day I can give one of my friends what she gave to me, the day, I received "Thinking of You" flowers.

You just never know...

2008-11-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I called a friend that I (re)met through Tony and Tina's Wedding. Her name is Joan Ambriz, she played Mrs. Vickie Black. And she was the most hilarious woman there. She made me laugh every night, and she is just a firecracker.

She told me that she just found out that she had a brain tumor and was going to be going to have surgery at the UW.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joanambriz

Check out her story and post in her guestbook.

Wishing her a fast recovery.

All the Things...

2008-11-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

The Things I Am Not:
mother
addicted
athletic
fake
business owner
college graduate
runner
dishonest
Lavish
Feminine

The Things I Am:
In love with my husband
desperately wanting a child
homeowner
wine drinker
lover of dogs
food lover
appreciative
thankful
laughable
clumsy

The Things I Love:
Gabe
My family
My friends
That we own our home
Dogs
Horses
Food
Wine
Swing dancing
Music
Performing
Entertaining
Poker
Dreaming
Natural Beauty
The smell after it rains
Camping
The ocean
Suspension in water
Great customer service
Money
Things that are soft
Thai food
Sushi
Egg Nog Lattes on the first day that it snows

The Things I Want To Be:
mother
Pregnant
business owner
runner
athletic
chef
in check with reality
better gardener
Artistic
On Stage
Unafraid of Flying
mini-van owner
graceful
accomplished
acknowledged

The Things I Wish I Was Better At:
Gardening
Cooking
Cleaning
Organizing my Time
Being a Friend
Being a Sister
Improv
Singing
Dancing
Sewing
Knitting
Corresponding with friends and family
Showing my appreciation of others
Loving unconditionally

The Things I Wish I Had:
children
a guarantee to have a long happy life with Gabe
my grandparents closer to me
forgiveness
understanding
successful business
a better relationship with my family
financial security
a cottage near the beach
my nose pierced
musical talent
an athletic body
healthier lifestyle
a good digital camera
a video camera
a month each in New Zealand, Italy and England
a chance to see Journey in concert again
gym membership
cable
Bouvier
Great Dane
Property in the country
mini-van
new kitchen
large outdoor living space
new moulding in our home
a finished basement (wood burning stove,carpet, furniture, guest room)
landscaping in the backyard
A better appreciation of what I have
Lazy Sundays

Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
Be a mom
Have a long happy life with Gabe
Have my grandparents know my kids
and my kids to treasure them they way I do
Own my own sucessful business
To see Gabe succeed
Fianancial security
My own night club
Spend a month in New Zealand
Spend a month inIreland
Spend a month in Italy
Spend a month in England
To fly without fear
Work on a ranch
Learn to Ballroom dance
Skydive
Zipline
Meet my grandkids
Live in the Country
Wake up when I want to
Become a Runner
A bikini body
Perform in something BIG
Win a poker tournament
Meet Ellen DeGeneres
Live in Chicago
Race JetSkis
Catch a swordfish
Swim with Sting Rays again
Hang Glide
Do Burlesque
Whale Watch
Snuggle with a Lion
Learn how to play the drums
Tattoo my thigh
Climb a Mountain
Spend time in Glacier National Forest
Dive at the Great Barrier Reef
See my children get married
Have my grandchildren to our house for Christmas Eve
Be an auntie
Learn how to make stained glass windows
Have my nose pierced
Sing Cabaret
Run A Bed and Breakfast
Meet Ming Tsai
A weekend with Gordon Ramsey

The year without a baby

2008-11-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

The year of no baby started back on January 1st. That is the day we found out that we lost our baby. That is not how you want to start of the new year. It was tough.

We went out for Sushi and Tsing Tao beer. And then spent the rest of the night in quiet, in bed, under the warmth of the electric blanket and each others arms.

The next week I had a DNC and with that came complications that took me into the following week. And more doctors visits and more ultrasounds. My OB asked that we abstain for 2 months to gives things a rest. Yeah that was 2 months of hell. I won't go into details, but not being able to comfort each other in such an intimate way was difficult.

We went to the first of many fun get togethers at the home of Caleb, Adam, and Tod. We sang and played Rock Band in the SubMarine lounge until the wee hours of the morning.

In January we bought a house,put our house and the market and started moving. It doesn't look like a lot of work on paper but when you consider that Gabe and I work full time then have to come home to organize, pack, prime, paint, clean, etc. you can imagine the hours put out.

Right after we moved, Connor (Gabe's brother) went through a tough time and "ran away" from home. We talked him into staying at our house while we sorted this out as a family. Mom and Connor got back on track and Connor stayed at home again. And later in the year started dating Autumn.

We went to Hawaii for a quick weekend get away with my grams and my two aunts. It was a long distance for a short stay.

But it was well worth the trip. We boogie boarded (well sort of), and spent an entire day under an umbrella on the beach relaxing. We had fantastic dinners every night with my aunt Caroline and Gramma. We took an OutRigger ride out off Diamond Head, one of the highlights of the trip. We hung out with strangers on the beach, I got pushed down and rolled around by a wave in all my clothes. After that we decided to go swimming and swam in the dark water for 2 1/2 hours listening to the live bands and watching tiki torches flicker. We snorkeled at Waimea Bay and walked for miles. And my family got to know Gabe a little better.

I got pregnant again.

This time my OB said "don't get pregnant for at least 3 months, give your body some time to get back to normal". This was a doubled edged sword. It hard to hear him say "you can't" but at the same time I knew it gave us 3 months to get things in order.

We auditioned and were cast in Tony and Tina's Wedding an improv show at Northern Quest Casino. It was the funnest show I have ever been a part of and I met the most amazing people!

This began 40 some days straight of absolute fun and adventure and pure exhaustion with Andrew, Jeff and various friends. There was a spark in me that lit a fire that has burned hot for several months after the show. Andrew and I had many fun play "dates". We hiked mineral ridge, rode the hottest Gondola ever, drank wine, took tons of pictures, snuck into the cemetary and enjoyed getting to know each other better. Jeff and Andrew stayed many weekends with us and we have designated a room just for them.

Jeff and Andrew have become lifelong friends and brothers of choice. I love them. We have such Fun together!

Gabe and I started dancing. Swing dancing to be exact. We love to go out and dance to Hot Club of Spokane (HCoS) and Six Foot Swing. (SFS) - I'll post more about this later with pics.

Kristina and Rowan had one of our favorite bands, Six Foot Swing, play at their wedding. We had a blast!

We spent the 4th of July up at the lake cabin for the first time in a LONG time. Gabe and I bought a tent and camped with Jeff. It was tons of fun. Stephen, his girlfriend Chelsea, and dog Charlie came over from Seattle. They joined my brother Chris and wife Misty, Aunt Julie, Kelvin, Aunt Caroline, Alix, Melissa and Gramma. We gave gramma her violin for her mother's day gift. She was so excited to start playing. We had fireworks and a new boat to celebrate the 4th. Aunt Julie took my cousin Alix and me out for a fast and high flying ride in the pull toy. We almost flew out a few times! And we played Rock band with Alix and Melissa.

Caleb, Adam and Tod started a rap band called Debutante Savant (Hip Hop for Perverts) and I love them. No details here, but if you want to know more you can google them. They would like that...ha ha

I took a girls weekend with Tricia, Lisa and Katie Kerby to Leavenworth. It was the first time I have really felt like I had a girls weekend. At least as an adult! More details/pics on this later as well. Cheers!

We finally got unpacked and hung pictures on the walls. We had our house warming party and have several get togethers throughout the summer.

We said good bye to Tom Olson who went to Chicago to do improv.

Now we are into the fall.

My brothers Chris and Teddy helped us get wood ready for the winter.

We spent a fantastic night at the Glover Mansion dancing the night away to HCofS and SFS. They had their first annual Monster's Ball. We will definitely make this a yearly tradition. Then we went to the Halloween Hangover party at the SubMarine lounge, played Rock Band and got a private Debutante Savant performance.

And the long and short of it is that it has been one hell of a year, with no baby. And we now have the green light to start trying again.

Wish us luck!

It's only the beginning

2008-11-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

This is post #1. The beginning.

I had to start somewhere and well here we are. Welcome.

I made the decision to begin this blog for two reasons. One I have too many friends and family scattered about that I would like to keep in touch with. Let them get to know me a little better and keep in the loop about my happenings in life. And two I take a lot of pictures. I post to my facebook and myspace, but not everyone gets to see them because they don't have accounts. This is another way for people to see what is going on and to have All the Little Bits (of me).

More to come later . . . .