My Poor Wasabi.

We had to take Wasabi to the vet today. Fred was putting Desmina's nighttime diaper on her. He came into her bedroom and found a lethargic Wasabi lying next to her trampoline with two huges piles of vomit. I ran to him and cuddled him in my arms. He felt so limp next to me. I tried to stand him on his feet, but he would collapse down on the floor. His breathing was labored and his tounge all pale.

Now usually his tongue is sticking out to the side, but there is some life to it. It looks very limp compared to how it usually is. I love his snaggle tooth and how his tongue hand out.

Fred was at the vet for three hours. They gave Wasabi an IV to hydrate him, chest X-rays and blood samples. The test came back with something wrong with his liver. The numbers were off the chart says the vet. Fred let me talk to the vet,whhich was not reassuring. He couldn't tell me how high of toxicity Wasabi's liver is at. I asked about his prognosis. Vet was unsure and that we have to wait a few days. If Wasabi gets better progressively over the next few days, then there is a good chance he will make it. Of course there is the negative side. The vet said that there is a chance that he may die. When I heard these words, I could hear nothing else. I am hoping that he is just giving me the worst case scenario. You know doctors.

Wasabi came home with an IV. We are taking turns staying with him to monitor. Right now he is snoring. I think that is a good sign because it shows that his breathing is getting stronger.
He drank some water which is another good sign and when I went to bed he tried to follow me. So he is able to get up. Do you think it's okay to get my hopes up now?

Wasabi is my baby. Fred and I got him together. We have had him for four years now. It will be five in September. I want to see him and Desi grow up together. I want Desi to have fun Wasabi memories. She adores Wasabi.
I have thought about what it would be like to get another dog. I cannot imagine another dog ever replacing Wasabi. He is the best doge ever. He is so great with Desmina, very patient. I cannot imagine any dog being as loving and patient with her. He is so cuddley. I cannot imagine any dog being as huggable.

Let's hope for the best for our Wasabi.

Verdict is in

My daughter has a hole in her stomach. Tonight as her appetizer she had 1/4 avocado, couple pieces of mango and chips. Ten minutes later dinner is ready. She Hoovers a whole burrito (the big sized tortillas), rice, chips and guacamole. She has now eaten a Cyn sized meal. If you guys know me, you know how much I can put in. But today Desi has me beat, she is now eating a bowl of cereal.

Head, shoulders knees and toes

and penises and vaginae!
Ever since we taught Desmina what that was hanging on Wasabi, she has been obsessed. For the longest time she thought she had a penis too. She still thinks she still has a tail, so I wasn't too worried. I kept telling her that she does not have a penis, but a vagina. She knows now that girls have vaginae and boys have penises. She still mistakes belly button outies for penises, but we are one step closer.

Yesterday, we were talking about her bear. She told me that the bear had a penis. I told her that the bear doesn't have a penis. She then concluded that the bear must have a "jī'nə."

Angel Babies

One of the women from my pregnancy forum, had her baby. He passed before they had a chance to meet him. They knew that there was a chance that they would not get to meet him. She is an exceptionally strong and unselfish woman. She gave her son the gift of a chance of living. Josheph Angel, you are in my thoughts.

Who knows Cyn

Create your own friendquiz here

New layout

I worked on it all morning. It took me forever to get it the way I like it. I had to end up using HTML because I hate how the blog doesn't allow you to open a new window when you want to click on a new link. I wanted to add pictures to the headers, but I have no clue how to do that part. I tried. I guess I'm on the wrong template.

Midwife appointment

I had my midwife appointment. I think it's awesome that she has appointments on Sunday. It was a long appointment, since it was the initial intake. She asked basic family history question, took blood for the panel and the dreaded pelvic exam. It was a very nice appointment despite the pelvic exam. Good news is that I have a good pelvis for birthing babies.


We talked about the chances of my placenta being on my scar. It's a very slim chance, since the scar is so low. I just have to have an ultra-sound to confirm it. I hate to do it, but anything to give me a HBAC.

Afterwards, we went to an awesome Indian restaurant. The chutney was the best that I've ever had! It had the right amount of spice. Any Texan transport can tell you that New Hampshire is defintely lacking in the spice department. Salsa in New Hampshire is like ketchup to a Texan. House of India in Concord knows how to bring it. If you are ever in the area and love Indian you should check it out. The owners were very nice and even gave Desi a popsicle. Which if you guys know us, we do not allow her processed sugars. It was such a nice day outside. Nice New England weather. We allowed her to eat half and took pictures of her first processed popsicle. I'm glad I didn't have the nutritional information. I don't want to even imagine how much sugar it has.

"How much of this can I fit in my mouth?"




"Who wants to give me a kiss?"




The unicorn is Desmina's power animal

Twenty-eight months

It's hard to believe that I have been nursing for twenty-eight months. She has slept with me for twenty-eight months. I have held her in my moms for twenty-eight months. I have kissed her for twenty eight months. I have been a mom for twenty-eight months. She has been in my life for twenty-eight months. Desmina is twenty-eight months today.

Starting the day off with some breakfast. She had a waffle and soy yogurt.


My big girl!


Future shutterbug.


Walking the bridge.


What a perfect way to end a perfect walk.


That's my girl!

Someday, we'll find it the rainbow connection..

I was walking around town today, trying to get pictures for an online project. I took this picture, just as drops were beginning to fall.




I put my camera in the bag quickly and walked towards the library. I thought it was going to sprinkle and I could make it without getting soaked. Just as I was crossing the street, the wind and rain got heavier. I contemplated seeking shelter under the hut downtown, but decided I get sprint a hundred more feet to the library. The wind and rain are wicked (my first opportunity to use wicked in a sentence!) cold and I am imagining how warm my fleece jacket is.
I wait until the rain dies down. It doesn't last long, maybe ten minutes. I am thinking that I should run home before the rain starts up again.

But what do I see?



I have to stop and take a picture! The wind is blowing very hard, Mary Poppins style. I don't care about anything else as long as the camera doesn't go into the creek.



As you see I still have hold on the camera. It's not going anywhere without me.

Trying to catch the rainbow.


...the lovers, the dreamers and me.

Sabi No!!!!!!

This is all I have been hearing today. It starts with a shriek, feet running in place and then, "Sabiiii noo! My sandwich!" Half of the time, she hands him whatever she is shrieking about. Poor Wasabi. He must think that she has multiple personalties. I confess, this thought has crossed my mind as well. Especially when she throws her fork on the floor and cries about it.


She woke up just in time to greet the new year with her whines. Before getting ready for bed, she selected a Santa Claus sticker and tenderly, put him on her PJs. When she woke up crying, we got her out of bed to give her a New Year's Day kiss. She then proceeded to throw Santa to the floor with such force, you would have thought that he bit her or whispering demonic things to her. As soon as he hit the floor, she started crying for her "Anta Cause sticker," which to Fred sounded like Holocaust. We picked up the sticker and gave it back to her only for her to drop it like a hot potato again.

Her dual personality peeks out again when she is playing with her friends. She will give them whatever toy she is playing with and then scream at the top of her lungs for them to give it back. I guess I should be proud that she is sharing, even though it's just for a millisecond.

Why am I gagging?

I won't name names, but I'll post a picture.

This certain nameless entity has been farting all day. I admit it, I blamed on Fred at first. But when Fred left to go to the store, the smell still kept hitting me, more like punching me. He doesn't fart often, but when he does you better duck and cover.

We may go bankrupt

feeding the child. How can someone so small consume so much? I don't know where it all goes. She is nineteen pounds fully clothed.
Yesterday she started the day with two bowls of cereal and then stole my waffle. Apparently that was not enough to feed the Pit; I had to make her another waffle.
We went to the API meeting and there was food there. Of course where there is food, there is Desmina. She ate her heart's content out on chips, oranges, and fresh home made bread. We got home and although she just ate, she insisted it was lunchtime. I heated a veggie dog, thinking she would eat half of it and I could polish off the rest. I must have been starving her because she ate two veggie dogs. The only reason why there was a break between lunch and her next feast...er snack was because she had a nap. While we were waiting for dinner, she acted as though we had not fed her all day. She was wasting away and dying of hunger. Reality: It had only been an hour since she had crackers and a big bowl of Veggie Booty.® Finally when it was time for dinner, she ate her veggie burger, fries, chili, rice and then since I deprived her of food all day, the rest of my veggie burger. For dessert because dinner wasn't enough, she had half a peanut butter sandwich and some banana with peanut butter.
It's noon now and feeding time.

I am Dog parts

I am Dog tail

Dog Paws

Dog snout.

Penis!

That is what Desi said, while playing with my belly button. I told Fred today, that if I were a man, I would have some sort of complex if my penis was that size.

Walk with me

The walking bridge

Graffiti on the bridge

Life still breathes

I spotted this before we walked inside.

Bye Bye Snow

It was fun while it lasted. The weather is crazy here. It always feels warmer than the actual temperature. I guess it's because I'm so used to the wind in Texas. The winds that make trampolines fly.
I am practicing taking pictures in manual mode. These are pictures I took today. What do you think?

I promise I didn't brainwash her!

I was just joking about teaching Desi to adore Obama. Early this morning (too early for me to fathom me even getting out of bed) she asked for me to get the "Bama" book. She loves to gaze at his picture, kiss him, and feed him. Lunch time today I caught her spoon feeding him hummus! Of course she got it all over his face, so she asked for a napkin and vigorously wiped his face. This one takes the cake. We were talking about her "BooBoo" book all of a sudden she decided to switch gears. She started clapping and cheering, "Way!!!" (She still can't say yay.) I asked her,"Yay what?" More cheering,"Way! Bama. [clap clap] Way!!!" I love this kid.

What I fear in a home birth

I was just thinking about my fears as I was soaking in the bath. Some of them are neurotic, I know. I have bathroom issues. I clean our bathroom at least twice a week. I was thinking whether or not the bathtub would be clean enough for me to labor in. Even though I take baths in them, Desmina takes baths, and the new baby will take baths I still wonder. I doubt the bathroom will be big enough for the midwife and Fred to be with me while I am laboring. Besides the shower curtains, although new look to me as though it can be a transporter of germs. I'm sure it is! My solution: rent a birthing tub from Jeanne. We can set it up in the living room. Problem solved there, I guess.

I worry that the baby will be breech and my dreams for a home birth will be stolen from me. In NH, midwives are not allowed to deliver breech or twins in the home. My solution: chiropractor adjustments.

My biggest fear is whether or not I will be able to push a head out. What if I tear? What if the baby gets stuck? I need a mantra. I believe in myself. I believe in my body.

Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-dad open sleigh!

What moves you?

The baby likes Obama! As soon as Blanket heard him speak s/he started kicking. I am going to turn my children to be Obama cheerleaders. I even taught Desi to say his name tonight. Next step, teach her to cheer and clap whenever she sees him on TV.

Poking fun at Bush

I posted this because this has Desmina's favorite so on it.

Toddler Fashion

If she had her way, she would get to wear a Halloween shirt every day. I have three in rotation. MIL just sent another pumpkin shirt to add to her collection.
This morning she wanted to wear one of her Halloween shirts. I had to convince her that a penguin and an igloo are much cooler than any of her Halloween shirts.

Yes, those are socks on her feet. I have no idea why. She just wanted them on.

Because it's Christmas,

What are your sins?

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	Medium

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

Best Christmas present ever

I'm going to be an aunt!!!!!

Safe keeping my ass

I put stuff away knowing that I would be sending it to people. Of course, I can't find it amidst the chaos we call our home. It's scrapbook hell in our house right now. I was hoping to ship them with today's last minute shipping.
So Adrianna, if you are reading this I won't be shipping of those tests I promised. I cannot for the life of me remember where I put those stupid things. I was hoping to send them and sprinkle it with good luck. Hopefully, by the time I find them you won't need them anyways.

Desmina was freaking out because she saw the Gameboy we were returning to K. She doesn't even play the damn thing, why the temper? She isn't feeling to well anyways. She has explosive diapers and projecting vomit. It's been over a week for the vomit, which is happening off and on. I was blaming on food, but I cannot think of what she has eaten that can make her sick. At least I don't have to have the guilt that I'm giving her spoiled food. Now the guilt has transfered to me not taking her to the doctor. I hope it passes this weekend. She cannot afford to lose anymore weight! If you know me, you know that this is the biggest struggle with her. Although she has a never filling pit when it comes to feeding her usually. She isn't eating as well. And everyone who knows Desmina that is she isn't eating, there is something wrong. Either she is sick or the world is ending. The sky, sun and moon are intact so we're safe from the latter.

Oh shit

Holiday baking isn't going as planned. First the banana didn't make it home. I use it as an egg substitute. I ended up using soy protein; I'm crossing my fingers that they will turn out okay. The dough tastes delicious; let's just the chemistry is right.

This morning Desmina helped decorated the cookies. Of course, I'm too busy messing with the camera to notice that she has dumped half of the colored sugar on one cookie! The cookies look great though. Some are saturated with sugar, and some barely have any.

I'm waiting for the cookies to bake now. So far it's been 21 minutes...almost twice the timea than the average cooking time. But the cookies are thicker, if I'm not deluding myself.
Good! They look done. Just have to wait for it to cool.

Tonight we are going to bake cookies. Desi is going to help decorate. Tomorrow we're going to more winter decorations and do some more baking. I think we are going to make Almond Rocca and brownies. I hope we can veganize it.
Desi will make ornaments while we work on that.
Happy Yule to you!

Ah Christmas cheer

Can you believe we only have four more days until Christmas?
I decided to start the presents tonight. Christmas presents are going to be going to the family late , but my deadline is to finish them by tomorrow so that I can send them out by Saturday. There is no well in bloody hell am I going to the stupid post office by myself with Desmina, the Cling-on. Besides we need to make baked goods to add to the box as to off set the lameness of our presents. It's just framed scrapbook pages. We may even be cutesy and have Desmina make an ornament.
Fucking printer!!!!
Why don't you just print like you're suppose to?
It ate my paper! And now it's making a funny noise. I think I broke it. I had to unplug it to get the damn thing to shut up. I plugged it in again and it's still making demonic noises.

Desmina's Menagerie

I call our bed the zoo now. She insists on them every night and now naptime. It's the Usual Suspects: Elmo (which of course it's the talking Elmo and if you accidentally lie on him it hurts like hell), Birthday Bear, Wish Bear and of course Wasabi by her feet. We just moved up from a Queen to a King, but lost space because of her entourage.
Oh and she won't go to sleep until she makes sure they have been tucked in and have their pillows. Sometimes she shares a blanket with them, sometimes they get their own.

Didn't I tell you looks were deceiving?

What do you think of her baby powder footprints? Stupid me left the baby powder on the coffee table. I am at the computer and she is in it. I don't have to turn around; I can smell it. I tell her to put it back on the table. I think she thinks I have eyes in the back of my head. Now I know how my mom knew about all the shit I did when I was a kid. Moms just knows. They have spidey senses.

Looks can be deceiving

I love watching her sleep. It's one of the rare times when there is peace in the house. She has taken to tormenting Wasabi. I think nap time is his favorite time too. You can't see him in the picture, but he is curled by her feet. I do love her toddlerness though (at times).
Yesterday at dinner Fred and I tried to coax her to eat her risotto. She flat out told us, "I don't want it!" We were so excited that she said a whole sentence so perfectly. And of course, for those who have toddlers...there is no such thing as force feeding a toddler. She ended up eating a banana instead, which of course half of it was thrown to Wasabi.

What's the difference between $.002 and .002 cents?

Bad Math

Apparently these people just don't get it.

Wasabi stole her banana

That was her dream last night. She woke up in the middle of the night screaming about her banana and that Wasabi ate it. It was so heartbreaking. I had to tell her it was just a dream. Poor Wasabi, he thought he was in trouble.

What was I thinking?

Runs through my head sometimes. Especially on the days when all I hear is screeching. Oops. Her water fell on the floor after swiped it off the table. Then of course more screeching for God knows what. Did I mention that she is destructive? As I am typing..CRASH CRASH... she is throwing shit on the floor. Oh and she stole my sock. My left foot is freezing. She doesn't remember where she put it.

Dinner and a movie

Tonight I made vegan pot pie. It's baking in the oven now. I am going to sauteé green beans with a garlic lemon butter sauce.
If Desmina goes to bed early, we are going to watch Big Night with Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci. Most people know I have a small crush on Tony as Monk. Who can resist a man who is intelligent, paranoid and clean?

I'm having too much fun!

It's okay to cry

William wants a doll

Thank goodness Desi is a girl

or she'll be gay!
You've got to love the T-shirts they sell too.

Me!

After speaking to three midwives, I think we found our perfect fit, Jeanne Brown. It was actually a toss up between her and another local midwife, Amy Healey. Amy just had this beautiful energy to her. You could tell that she was consumed with such love for children and everyone. Jeanne was great too. She also had a wonderful energy going on for her as well. She seems very enthusiastic in her practice and outlook on life. We went with Jeanne because of insurance. Honestly, I'm glad that we had a deciding factor for us. I do not know who we would have chosen. Fortunately, I will be able to use Amy as the assisting midwife. I want Amy's presence there as well. They both have such a special kind of energy that I will welcome during my labor.

Baby it's cold outside

Well not weather. It's actually pretty nice today minus the rain. I just wanted an opportunity to show off the beautiful view outside my kitchen window. This is Desmina's and my favorite window to look outside of. Desmina loves it because of the collie outside. She loves to bang on the window and call out to him or her. I love it because it overlooks the garden. Can you the little bench? It just seems like a perfect place to meditate.
Bonus: If you look closely in the reflection you can see a picture of me and my little bump.

Alas

Our camera has arrived! It's a Fuji S6000

The memory card hasn't arrived yet, so I can only take a few pictures at a time then upload it to the computer. I love the contrast in focus between these two different pictures. This was even before I had a chance to play with the aperture. I'm still trying to figure out how to change it in the program mode.

It's the Holidays

Last night we went to see Chirstmas lights. It was very heavily Christian based. I was a bit disappointed because I thought it was going to be a neighborhood of lights. Instead it was a church that put on a display of lights. It was a still impressive display though. I didn't mind the Christian aspects either.
For dinner we had baked acron squash stuffed with tofu, onions and corn drizzled with maple syrup and rice on the side. I added cinnamon and allspice to my stuffing to compliment the flavor of the maple syrup.

Okay for a little Holiday Cheer here are links to two dancing elves.
Mina
Wasabi

Happy Birthday Wasabi

Today Wasabi turns five. We didn't get to have a party like I planned. I didn't get to the planning part, being so busy with the move. We didn't even get him a present. Poor boy. He did get three treats this morning, soft food in the morning, left overs (which I try to avoid giving him), soft food with his dry food in the evening and we sang happy birthday to him several times. He got more cuddles than he usually does.
Desmina drew him a picture on her magnadoodle. Damn I wish I had the camera.

First taste of real winter

and I love it! I wish I had my camera. It was so beautiful today! It's amazing to see the trees glistening with snow. The ground was covered with a nice quilt of snow. I loved seeing the Wasabi and Desmina prints. Poor Desmina fell a couple of times while walking Wasabi. It made me realize how much we need ski pants. We were well layered so the cold didn't feel bad even though the windchill made it feel like 1 outside! So far the wind isn't as bad as Texas. Poor Wasabi was shivering his curly tail off though. I need to find his sweater, or get him a new one.

Later I put on the snowsuit that Vennittah sent Desi. She looked so darn cute in it, like a fluffy pink marhmellow. She had trouble navigating in her suit and kept falling. She didn't seem to mind though. We only stayed out for a few minutes and she got bored. She didn't seem too interest in the snow. I need to learn the secret of making snow people. I couldn't even make a ball of snow. So if anyone has any tips, I would love to hear them!

Black cloud

Virginia must have bad luck lurking about. We stopped for gas today. They only offer prepay. They don't even have a slot to put your card in. Ivy goes inside to tell the lady we are going to pay with credit and if she could turn it on. I have to bring in my credit cart. There is no way in hell I'm going to trust her to hold on to my card without me being there. I go inside. The lady takes one look at me, and walks to the other room to smoke. No greeting. No one moment please. She then comes back and walks past me to go outside, walks back in and ignores me! She then tells me that she doesn't have a changing table for Desmina. Um, Okay. That is not why I came in but anyways with that attitude I am not giving you my money.

I radio Fred and he tell him that I need to go to a different gas station. He tells me to come over where he is and of course when I drive over there I miss it and get on the interstate instead. They tell me to take the first exit I see. I end up getting back on after that exit because it goes on forever and I can't find the gas stations. I stop and wait on the shoulder and wait for my dad and Fred to radio me. They do but they are not listening. They just go right ahead and take the exit. I am yelling in the radio for them not to. And they tell me to stop on the shoulder. I am already in the damn shoulder but on 80! Finally they realize that I am not at the exit and go back to 80 while cars and trucks are flying past me.

We finally get gas. My dad now wants to drive my car because he doesn't think that I'm competent enough so I ride with Fred. We follow the directions given to us yahoo to get to the hotel. It's a long drive after we exit to get to Highway 55. I am thinking, "What kind of hotel is this place? It must be a dump." Our destination ends at a gravel road. No hotel. Fred calls the place and the directions are wrong. No shit Sherlock! He isn't able to understand the woman's direction. He is too frazzled and just wants to concentrate backing up. We tell my dad to back up first and we'll follow. Of course he doesn't listen so we have to turn the huge van instead of backing up. I call the hotel back and get the right directions. We finally find the hotel and of course miss the entrance. We are here now though. Tomorrow we leave to our new house!!!!

I have been feeling what I thought was light baby flutters. Last night I felt Blanket kick! I was on the computer, chatting with Adrianna. It was a series of short kicks. I am so excited! I have this constant worry that there is something wrong. I didn't worry as much with the first one as I do this one.

I was so excited with the first one. I took belly pictures every few weeks. Right now I only have one picture of me at seven weeks. I keep meaning to take another picture, but we have been so busy! I started a journal as soon as I found out I was pregnant last time. This time I don't even have a journal yet. I don't know if it's because I don't feel as attached or because I always have that worry setting in. I am in my second trimester though so I can breathe a sigh of relief. I guess I will feel better if I can hear the heartbeat again.

Toddler Magic

Only a toddler can manage to open the bottom of the salt container and have it all gushing out. I didn't even know that you could pop out the bottom of it. What was the company thinking? Why would I want the salt to come out of the bottom when there is a perfect spout on the top to pour? And of course my toddler decided to get a shovel to play in it.

Stow Away

"Do you think they will notice if I climb into the bag?"

Unmotivated

I am unmotivated to do anything today. I haven't even brushed my teeth yet. Well so far it's just Desi and Wasabi to smell my breath. Playgroup is coming so I need to get up and do something at least. I just wanted to post real quick. How sad is that? Computer time comes before hygiene. What am I teaching Desi?

I also need to finish packing. I should start by the shit on the table. Lots of breakables for little hands to break. We had a moving sale. Only three people came. Well at least we made money to cover the ad and then some. The left over items were given away at the potluck. Well at least that is less stuff to haul away to Goodwill.

Ten more minutes before playgroup starts...better get off my ass.

Been a while

So I'll post a picture.

Trick or Treat

Here are pictures from last night. We trick or treat for UNICEF since we still don't allow her pure sugar. She collected $11.66 from the neighbors yesterday and her Oma donated $10. We have a change bucket that we will probably just donate it to her. I think she did very well. She did get some candy. The nonvegan ones we handed it back out to the kids. We kept some vegan candy for ourselves. Are we hypocritical our what? Fred says that Mina would say thank you for money but not for the candy. He says she is money hungry. I think it's because he was holding the bag and she was holding the collection box.

She made one cute unicorn. She was saying "Trick or treat" all day yesterday. When we got to the houses, she didn't even say it. She did try to go into everyone's houses.

This is Halloween

For some reason I have to upload the pictures to Photobucket and then I have to use the HTML codes just to show pictures.

Anyways. These are the pumpkins we carved Sunday night. We made pumpkin seeds. Mina totally digs them. She painted her own pumpkin. We had purple handprints everywhere. There is still evidence on the stove because I'm too lazy to clean it off. I kind of like having it there actually. I just love her little hands. Her pumpkin took forever it to dry. It was glistening with paint.

Time with Julianna

We headed to Eugene Thursday morning. We hit the shops and then went to eat lunch. This place makes their own vegan burgers. I wasn't too impressed. It was a bit dry. Mina had tofu and rice. It was a bit bland, but it's nice they had the option.

Then we headed to see Julianna. It was a short drive. When we got there we knocked on the door. I think it was Michael on the other end who responded by saying, "knock knock." I knocked again, but still no response. Fred had to knock on the door so that Julianna could hear us. I have a quiet knock. LOL. It was cute hearing Michael.
Julianna's house is so warm! I love the hardwood floors and the windows. In the entrance, they have a mural of sunflowers. The boys were still in school so it was just Jonathon and Michael.


We chatted for a bit and then headed to the post office. Fred stayed at the house. Mina was going to stay with him, but she got upset. Julianna showed me her new house to be. It's gorgeous! It's a big project, but I know it's going to be worth it. I love the house!

Afterwards we went back to the house. Chatted, washed diapers, ate dinner, watched TV...just chilled. It was so nice to see the family get together. Mina got grumpy so we retired to the van. I think she had to nurse to sleep. She woke up several times.

Next day, we hung out some more. Julianna got the pattern from the growing green diaper. She gave me one too. I will try my hand at making a diaper. I just need to get some material. The kids colored some. Time went by fast! Julianna had to get to the house by noon so Fred and I went to the co-op. We then met her at the house. Fred loved the house too. Poor Mina fell in the driveway. She skinned her knee a bit. We then left for Portland.

Portland isn't as nice as the rest of Oregon. It's too big. We didn't get to find much. We wanted to find a cloth diaper store, but wasn't able to until the next day. It wasn't open then. We went out to eat at Blossoming Lotus. It's the sister store to the place we went to in Hawaii. The service wasn't as friendly. The server was a bit of a snob it seemed.. It was just a hoity toity place. Food was good though. We had a sunflower pate, hummus and some salad that came with it. I had the raw pasta and Fred had the BBQ tempehi. Mina had some temeph and rice.

Next day, we looked for the Saturday Market. Unfortunately, Fred had the wrong address so we weren't able to make it. We did find a good breakfast place though. The server there was really nice. She is from Arlington, Texas. She even gave us a discount at the end! I had their vegan pancakes and potatoes. Mina had potatoes and guac, and Fred had gravy and biscuits. Mina and I shared carrot juice....and she had some OJ. It was nice to get fresh juice while on the road.
Afterwards we headed to the natural baby store, but it was closed so we went to the airport. No problems at the airport. It's so much nicer than DFW though.

Coasting

After visiting Mount Saint Helens we drove along the coast. We stopped in Astoria for the night. Astoria is a very cute city. We stopped to see the Goonies House and where they filmed Kindergarten Cop. We climbed the 164 steps to the tower and looked at the view. It was a nice climb.

Next day we headed south to Tilamook. On the way, we stopped at a beach to look at the rock formations. It was so hard to keep Desmina from running into the water. She is drawn to the water. When we got in Tilamook, we stopped in for coffee. Mina had her first taste of soy steamer. She really enjoyed it. She gulped it right down. The woman working behind the counter suggested we go see a waterfall. It's the tallest waterfall in Oregon. It was only a quarter mile hike to get to the fall. It was beautiful.

Then we headed down to Salem to go see the Sea Lions Caverns. We stopped in Lincoln City to see the Devil's Punch Bowl. The tide was too low so it wasn't too impressive. Mina met a dog that loved her. Afterwards we tried to go see the tide pools but they said that the tide was too high for that. We couldn't go see the lighthouse because they wouldn't let us carry Mina to the top. She had to be 42 inches to be able to climb the steps. We just went to the Sea Lions Caverns instead. I wanted to stop so many times from Astoria to Salem, but Fred made a good point saying that if we kept stopping we would never get there. All of Oregon is beautiful.

Sea Lions Caves were fun. They took us down in an elevator town into the caverns where the sea lions come in. It was a bit eerie because it was so dark, but once I saw the sea lions I was okay. There was a few vegging on the rock. You could see them come into the cave. I paid a quarter to look into the telescope. It was so cute to see them up close. You could see them talking to each other. When we left the cavern, we could see the sea lions jumping in and out of the water. I like how uninvasive the tourist attraction was.

We stayed in Salem for the night and headed to Eugene the next day.

Headed North

After we left Grechen's place on Sunday, we headed north to meet Fred's boss and his family. They live in Bellvile, Wa. His boss was totally someone I was not expecting. He had a lot more hair! They are a natural living family. They cloth diaper and home birth. I was so stoked to find that out.

He took us out to a Mandarin restaurant. It was very yummy. I had this pickle salad and a curry soup with rice noodles. Fred had some type of tofu dish.

Afterwards we headed north more. We were planning on going to Canada, but found out that we couldn't leave the area. We stayed the night just south of Bellingham. Next day we headed out and spent the day there. We did a small hike to see a waterfall, that wasn't really a waterfall. We went to the river to see if we can see the salmon jumping, but they didn't. We played at a park with Mina. It is a beautiful city.
Washington State overall is beautiful. Fred and I just love all the leaves. We don't get to see leaves like that in the south. They just turn brown and fall off there.

We ended the day by heading down south to pick up my glasses at Grechen's. Avery was asleep so Mina didn't get to play with her. She played outside a bit with Maya though. Then we headed down towards Mount Saint Helens to stay for the night.

Mina meets Eve-re and Mikemo

When we arrived in Portland, I got Julianna's message that she would not be meeting us at the airport. We decided to stay in Portland and hang out. We grabbed some Taco Bell because we were starving since we had no time for breakfast. We left for Washington around two. We were going to meet Grechen and crew to try to make it to the Children's Theatre.

The drive to Tacoma was a long one. Mina was irritable. She is cutting four teeth. How come every time we are on the road she is teething? By the time we got to Grechen's place she was ready to get out! She was not shy at all. She totally destroyed Avery's room. Avery and Maya were at play with their dad but arrived later.

Grechen made a delicious soup. It was sooooo good! Desmina totally chowed. She had two bowls and then swiped Avery's and Maya's since they didn't want theirs. Afterwards we all hung out. Avery is so smart! It's just amazing what the girl can say. Grechen was sharing some stories that was just shocking. She knows her planets, the concept of what the universe is. I have been around toddlers who speak well for their age, but never around someone so amazing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something different about Avery. She is very intelligent. Maya is just as amazing. She just draws people to her. You want to be around her. It's not just charisma, which she has. It's something magical it seems. Maya and Avery are definitely Crystal children.

We did not get to see Julianna until the next day. Grechen and the girls left early with Austin to head out to her dad's. We stayed and took showers. Michael is such a sweet boy! Desmina was having trouble with her banana and he told her he would open it for he. It was just so cute watching him peel a banana and then hand it over to her. He is a smart boy too and very verbal. Desmina's vocabulary is actually picking up from the trip. I think she feels the pressure from Avery and Michael.

We met Grechen at Mighty 0's where we met last year. It's a vegan doughnut shop. I had a chocolate covered doughnut and a glazed doughnut. It was good, but way too sweet. Afterwards, we headed to the park. Mina napped while the kids played. She was in great need of one.

We had lunch at the Pita Pit. It was not very good, but it was what we needed. We went back to Tacoma. Fred made us all chili. After dinner we all chatted a bit and then went to bed. Grechen told us something that made me cry about Avery. She asked Avery what it was like in her womb. Avery told her she was swimming like a dolphin. I was just blown away! I wonder if Desmina will be able to remember when she is able to tell us.

Next day we hung out and then had brunch at Quickies. The food was a bit pricey, but I really loved the pancakes and French toast. We headed back to their place to pack up the car and head up to Seattle and meet Fred's boss.

Ever since, Mina has been asking for Eve-re and Mikemo. She talks about Lily too. While we were staying with them she would wake up early in the morning calling their names. It's so cute. She has new names to add to her friend inventory. Sometimes Desmina will name people she knows. We call it her friend inventory list. It's just so cute.

In the nick of time

Friday morning Desmina woke up crying. Thank goodness! We had half an hour to get ready to head off to the airport. We hustled and of course there was traffic on the way to Fred's sister, who was taking us to the airport. Fortunately she only lives ten minutes from there.

When we arrived at the airport we had about forty minutes to get our bags checked and go to security. The rule at the airport is that you have to check in forty three minutes before your flight. We barely made it! So far so good, but then there was the menacing security line. And just our luck, all but two of the checkpoint lines were closed. We were not moving an inch! I kept checking the time and holding my breath. At first I was laid back, but as it got closer to the time with our flight leaving I became more agitated. Finally they opened the rest of the lines and the line started moving faster. I had to chuck my unopened Dr. Pepper. When we passed through security we had just enough time to run to the gate. They were already looking for us. It was nice not to have to wait at the airport or on the plane for take off. But I don't think the rush and stress is worth it.

Saint Helens

When Desmina was a newborn and would have her explosive poops, we would say she Mount St. Helened in her pants. We visited Mount Saint Helens yesterday. The drive up was beautiful despite the fog. The fog actually made the view spectacular. Mountains were hidden among the fog and you can see it when the fog would lift. At one point it was so foggy, I suggested we stop because it was so hard to see. Fred said we could go on a little longer. A few seconds later the fog seemed to part and the sun was dazzling! We could finally see Mt St. Helens in the background. It was far, but we could see the smoke coming up.

We visited the two visitor centers to learn more about Saint Helens. We were only able to see the top of the crater because the rest of it was covered in clouds. It was still worth the drive. I do wish we could have seen the whole volcano. Some day...

Pictures to come!

Dreaming

I am pregnant with my ex's baby. He is a deadbeat and I am talking to his ex. He isn't taking care of her or their children. My ex promises to marry me and take care of the baby and Desmina over the phone. For some reason I believe him, but don't want to hurt his ex's feelings. So I pretend not to.

I am in a high secure area. They are guards at every entrance and exit. I am what is being protected. I am walking around holding Desmina's hand. I feel that we are being watched, but think it's just my paranoia. All of a sudden there is an alarm. Someone has snuck in. I have to hide! There is a woman chasing me. She looks like Michelle R from Lost. She is shouting making people think that it is me who broke into the area. The fastest way to escape for me is to jump over the banister and hope I don't get hurt. Desmina is still with me. She is being quiet now, but what if she starts babbling? Am I able to jump with her? I am able to rewind time and find Fred. I thrust Desmina into his arms and run. Then jump over the banister. The woman chasing me doesn't want to jump so she takes the long way down. I am able to hide in a broom closet. Desmina is on my mind. Did I really give her to Fred or did I dream that? Everything fades away and I wake up.

We have hope in our future

Our neighbor is a broker. We decided to finally talk to him, before we moved to set up accounts. After speaking with him, we are confident that we can set up several funds for our family. We decided to have a fund for life insurance, a retirement fund, and a college fund for Mina.
He was telling us that he tells his clients to have 3 "buckets:" a now bucket, later bucket and a never bucket. The now bucket you should try to set up money in account that equals up to 3 times your pay. I don't think we can do this, unless we sell our house with a profit. So we hope to use the money we get from that if we get a profit. The later means anything in the future: car, house, children's wedding...etc. The never bucket is your retirement and life insurance. He says that we can do it if we set aside 10% of our income every month. We live paycheck to paycheck now, but I think that we can make it work. We just have to budget better. Fred got a raise a few months ago and we just made increased our cost of living. So Fred and i agreed to automatically take the 10% out of his paycheck and move it. This way we have to live like that. Broker said that with the 10% you can retire with a good lump of money