I have been waiting for Friday (...to be over!!) all week! I've been so busy with things at work this week it's been crazy. I still have a to-do list that is a page long, but it seems to be easing up a bit. I don't know what it is, but I've been slammed with projects this month and it's all coming to a head this week and part of next. I'm so looking forward to my extended Labor Day weekend next week since I'm taking PTO Thursday and mandatory PTO on Friday because of my work's business closure. I've got my boss' big department-wide "All Associate Meeting" today that I JUST finished the presentation slides for (considering I just got them last night at 5:00, that's pretty darn good!) and I've got a few other things I've got to take care of before the big meeting at 2:00 today. I've got other projects on my plate besides that, but that's the big one that's been weighing me down lately. So glad that I won't have to worry about it after today. Yay!
Aaron heard back from Cobalt earlier this week but it wasn't good news. Turns out that they selected other candidates so it's back to the drawing board. He had another company, Speakeasy, contact him for a phone interview, but we are still waiting for follow-up information from them and they have yet to call. I really hope that he's able to find work soon. Financially we are surviving, but it would be nice to have him working so we can try to pay off our debt quicker so we can get into a house not to mention it will be great for his self esteem to be working again. I know he really wants to advance in his career and that's virtually impossible when you're, well....unemployed! :(
On another note, Aaron goes in for surgery tomorrow to have his lymph node removed. They were going to do some kind of biopsy that included sticking a needle in his neck, but the doctor said it could be inaccurate sometimes. So, instead of risking it being inaccurate with the 10% chance of it being lymphoma, he just decided to go through with having it surgically removed so they could perform a proper biopsy which is way more accurate. We should know within 7-10 days of the surgery what the results are. Which reminds me (side tangent, I know...) that Aaron and I came to an agreement, shook on it, all that jazz... If it turns out that he doesn't have lymphoma (which I don't think he does) then Aaron agreed that we could have 4 kids!! Yay! I've always wanted 4 (I like even numbers) and Aaron was always iffy on it. It was "Well, maybe. I'll think about it". So, I'm super excited about that. We aren't planning on #3 arriving until Fall 2011-Spring 2012, and then #4 will probably come sometime in 2014. It's a long ways off, but I'm excited that he finally said yes! :)
Well, I should get back to work. Have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!! :)
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Resolution
Ok, so I've been debating some issues regarding nutrition in our house for weeks and I've finally had it. I figured out that I just need to make a decision and find a plan that works...and stick with it. I've been going back and forth about a lot of things, but after I had my WIC appointment today I really felt compelled and rejuvenated enough to make a conscious effort for some good changes in our eating habits.
First off, Jax has not really wanted to nurse lately. As it is, he's bottle-fed during the day since I work, but even with me pumping breast milk twice daily at work, I'm still unable to keep up with his demands and we've subsequently had to supplement with some formula. To be honest, I would much rather my son be strictly breast-fed. Not that I'm averse to formula (Jayden was formula fed from 8 weeks old), but there's just a huge part of me that just feels the natural biological urge to nourish and nurture my kids that way. When I get home from work and during the night I nurse Jaxson. However, lately he has been getting angry when I offer the breast. He's arching his back, screaming almost as if he's trying to say "get that thing the hell away from me!!". I have to admit that I've been horribly frustrated and discouraged. Not to mention I'm getting over having a bout of mastitis which got infected. So who knows...maybe the antibiotics are making my milk taste funny or maybe it's because he's teething and cranky. The list of "could be's" goes on and on. Frankly, I've been so irritated about the whole situation that I've been tempted to toss in the towel on breastfeeding. It's been a constant struggle with my mind...and I keep fighting back because I WANT my baby to be breast-fed. At the same time and on the other hand, I want him to be happy...so if he doesn't want it, then so be it. As long as he's happy and healthy and getting the nutrients he needs then it shouldn't matter, right? Regardless, I've decided that I still want to breastfeed and I'm going to try everything I can to keep my supply up. Even if he won't nurse I can at least pump so that he can drink strictly breast milk whether it's from a bottle or the breast. That's step one. I want to try to completely wean him off of formula. If I can accomplish step one, then step two would be to get him back to nursing exclusively when I'm with him... no bottles. Because pumping just to feed him a bottle is time-consuming and a royal pain. We will see what happens...
Second, I want to develop better eating habits with my family. I've always made excuses as to why I don't cook. "I'm too tired", "There's not enough time", or "Eating healthy is so expensive" are the top ones on the list. One of my favorite things growing up was always having home-cooked, healthy meals made by my dad. I recently acquired a copy of Jessica Seinfeld's book, "Deceptively Delicious" and it really made me think that I could make healthy and quick meals for my family. Plus, I LOVE to cook and bake. In fact, I love it so much that I originally went to school so that I could start my own catering business or bakery. So, under this new "healthy eating" shtick, I've decided:
1. I'm going to start making my own organic baby food for Jaxson
2. I'm going to start making more home-cooked meals for my family (even if it only starts out as once or twice a week--- it's better than eating boxed meals practically all week)
3. I'm going to limit Jayden's juice intake. That kid seriously drinks way too much "nunu" or "joo" as he calls it. I don't want him to struggle with obesity or constantly be in the dentist's office with cavities. He needs more milk than what he gets.
4. I'm going to start making dinner time "family time". We almost never all sit down at the table together as a family to eat. Aaron is usually eating in front of the computer while Jayden's in his highchair and I'm sitting in the living room chair eating as I nurse Jax. I want to instill good family eating habits and I think it's best to start early while the kids are young. I don't want to be the family that pulls up TV trays in the living room to eat while watching TV.
5. Also, I want to start exercising more with (or without) the kids. I'd like for us to be an active family who likes to do things outdoors. So many people these days live sedentary lifestyles where their kids are babysat by the TV. I don't want that to be me or my family. I want to be healthy and keep my kids healthy too.
So, here goes nothing!! If anyone has any helpful tips, please feel free to share!
_______________________________________
On a side note, everything is going well with both kids. Jaxson had his 4 month check up last Tuesday and he is growing big and strong. His stats are:
14 pounds, 7 ounces
25 inches long
He's still on the smaller side of the percentiles but I have faith that he will catch up to his big brother in time...or he may just be a smaller kid. Who knows? Most important fact is that he's happy and healthy and, frankly, that's all that matters. He, along with his big brother, lights up my world. :)
In Aaron news: We still haven't heard anything back about his job situation. He had a phone interview with Cobalt on 8/17 and they told him that he should hear back by the end of the week, which should have been last Friday. Alas, he still hasn't heard anything, but he was told that apparently their HR department is running behind because some people are out of the office. Hopefully their news is just delayed because I'd personally find it rather unprofessional for a company to not contact a candidate either way. It's rude to leave people hanging, you know? Also, he got a call from his old company (well, the new company that took over control of the company he used to work for) and they wanted him to come in for an interview so he went in last Tuesday. He was honest with them that the two big components for him were the commute and pay. He doesn't want to work so late that he doesn't get to see the boys at night, so he'd want flexible hours. We honestly don't think he'll get the job and, to be honest, don't really want him to (as much as we would both like to have him working) just for the fact that our family comes first and, if he worked there, we wouldn't be seeing much of him. In any case it's a backup. Also, he received an email from a representative at Speakeasy who wants to set up a phone interview with him, so hopefully this will open some doors as well. It seems that things may be looking up in Aaron's job search. Fingers are crossed!! I have faith that a job offer is not too far off in Aaron's future.
Also, please keep Aaron in your thoughts and prayers. Lately he's been having issues with his lymph nodes and his back. He's been to a specialist twice and he had a CT scan done of his neck yesterday. At his follow-up appointment today the specialist told him that there's a 10% chance that he could have cancer (lymphoma). While I have faith that things are going to be just fine, Aaron is very upset. He's a hypochondriac by nature and is constantly worried about his health so for him to hear anything with his name and cancer in the same sentence no matter what the odds are isn't a great thing for him. He goes in for surgery next Friday to have his lymph node taken out. They will do a biopsy on it to find out if it's cancerous and then we will go from there. Please pray for peace of mind for Aaron... I try my hardest to keep him positive by looking at the bright side of things, however he and I have completely different mindsets so it makes it difficult for him to see it from my point of view and try not to worry. Obviously we would love for it to be completely benign, but I put my trust and faith in God, so whatever will be will be. I'll keep you posted.
Have a great Tuesday!
First off, Jax has not really wanted to nurse lately. As it is, he's bottle-fed during the day since I work, but even with me pumping breast milk twice daily at work, I'm still unable to keep up with his demands and we've subsequently had to supplement with some formula. To be honest, I would much rather my son be strictly breast-fed. Not that I'm averse to formula (Jayden was formula fed from 8 weeks old), but there's just a huge part of me that just feels the natural biological urge to nourish and nurture my kids that way. When I get home from work and during the night I nurse Jaxson. However, lately he has been getting angry when I offer the breast. He's arching his back, screaming almost as if he's trying to say "get that thing the hell away from me!!". I have to admit that I've been horribly frustrated and discouraged. Not to mention I'm getting over having a bout of mastitis which got infected. So who knows...maybe the antibiotics are making my milk taste funny or maybe it's because he's teething and cranky. The list of "could be's" goes on and on. Frankly, I've been so irritated about the whole situation that I've been tempted to toss in the towel on breastfeeding. It's been a constant struggle with my mind...and I keep fighting back because I WANT my baby to be breast-fed. At the same time and on the other hand, I want him to be happy...so if he doesn't want it, then so be it. As long as he's happy and healthy and getting the nutrients he needs then it shouldn't matter, right? Regardless, I've decided that I still want to breastfeed and I'm going to try everything I can to keep my supply up. Even if he won't nurse I can at least pump so that he can drink strictly breast milk whether it's from a bottle or the breast. That's step one. I want to try to completely wean him off of formula. If I can accomplish step one, then step two would be to get him back to nursing exclusively when I'm with him... no bottles. Because pumping just to feed him a bottle is time-consuming and a royal pain. We will see what happens...
Second, I want to develop better eating habits with my family. I've always made excuses as to why I don't cook. "I'm too tired", "There's not enough time", or "Eating healthy is so expensive" are the top ones on the list. One of my favorite things growing up was always having home-cooked, healthy meals made by my dad. I recently acquired a copy of Jessica Seinfeld's book, "Deceptively Delicious" and it really made me think that I could make healthy and quick meals for my family. Plus, I LOVE to cook and bake. In fact, I love it so much that I originally went to school so that I could start my own catering business or bakery. So, under this new "healthy eating" shtick, I've decided:
1. I'm going to start making my own organic baby food for Jaxson
2. I'm going to start making more home-cooked meals for my family (even if it only starts out as once or twice a week--- it's better than eating boxed meals practically all week)
3. I'm going to limit Jayden's juice intake. That kid seriously drinks way too much "nunu" or "joo" as he calls it. I don't want him to struggle with obesity or constantly be in the dentist's office with cavities. He needs more milk than what he gets.
4. I'm going to start making dinner time "family time". We almost never all sit down at the table together as a family to eat. Aaron is usually eating in front of the computer while Jayden's in his highchair and I'm sitting in the living room chair eating as I nurse Jax. I want to instill good family eating habits and I think it's best to start early while the kids are young. I don't want to be the family that pulls up TV trays in the living room to eat while watching TV.
5. Also, I want to start exercising more with (or without) the kids. I'd like for us to be an active family who likes to do things outdoors. So many people these days live sedentary lifestyles where their kids are babysat by the TV. I don't want that to be me or my family. I want to be healthy and keep my kids healthy too.
So, here goes nothing!! If anyone has any helpful tips, please feel free to share!
_______________________________________
On a side note, everything is going well with both kids. Jaxson had his 4 month check up last Tuesday and he is growing big and strong. His stats are:
14 pounds, 7 ounces
25 inches long
He's still on the smaller side of the percentiles but I have faith that he will catch up to his big brother in time...or he may just be a smaller kid. Who knows? Most important fact is that he's happy and healthy and, frankly, that's all that matters. He, along with his big brother, lights up my world. :)
In Aaron news: We still haven't heard anything back about his job situation. He had a phone interview with Cobalt on 8/17 and they told him that he should hear back by the end of the week, which should have been last Friday. Alas, he still hasn't heard anything, but he was told that apparently their HR department is running behind because some people are out of the office. Hopefully their news is just delayed because I'd personally find it rather unprofessional for a company to not contact a candidate either way. It's rude to leave people hanging, you know? Also, he got a call from his old company (well, the new company that took over control of the company he used to work for) and they wanted him to come in for an interview so he went in last Tuesday. He was honest with them that the two big components for him were the commute and pay. He doesn't want to work so late that he doesn't get to see the boys at night, so he'd want flexible hours. We honestly don't think he'll get the job and, to be honest, don't really want him to (as much as we would both like to have him working) just for the fact that our family comes first and, if he worked there, we wouldn't be seeing much of him. In any case it's a backup. Also, he received an email from a representative at Speakeasy who wants to set up a phone interview with him, so hopefully this will open some doors as well. It seems that things may be looking up in Aaron's job search. Fingers are crossed!! I have faith that a job offer is not too far off in Aaron's future.
Also, please keep Aaron in your thoughts and prayers. Lately he's been having issues with his lymph nodes and his back. He's been to a specialist twice and he had a CT scan done of his neck yesterday. At his follow-up appointment today the specialist told him that there's a 10% chance that he could have cancer (lymphoma). While I have faith that things are going to be just fine, Aaron is very upset. He's a hypochondriac by nature and is constantly worried about his health so for him to hear anything with his name and cancer in the same sentence no matter what the odds are isn't a great thing for him. He goes in for surgery next Friday to have his lymph node taken out. They will do a biopsy on it to find out if it's cancerous and then we will go from there. Please pray for peace of mind for Aaron... I try my hardest to keep him positive by looking at the bright side of things, however he and I have completely different mindsets so it makes it difficult for him to see it from my point of view and try not to worry. Obviously we would love for it to be completely benign, but I put my trust and faith in God, so whatever will be will be. I'll keep you posted.
Have a great Tuesday!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Attention: Sleep Needed!!
The title says it all!! You'd think that with my boss on vacation I'd have a bit of an ebb in my work flow, but between all of the things at work and my home life I think I'm turning into a zombie!!
My boss comes back on the 17th, but I signed up to be a co-captain this year for the American Heart Association's annual Heart Walk. I have a modest personal goal of $250 this year, but we also have team goals and company goals to meet. I've gotten together with the other captains and co-captains and we've arranged 5 fundraisers between now and the end of September to work on, so getting all of the prep work done for those on top of attending meetings (both fundraiser related and not) and keeping up with my daily list of "to-dos" for work has really kept me on my toes!
On top of that, Jaxson is in full-blown teething mode and he's having a worse experience than Jayden did. Or at least from what I can remember. Which, right now, is not very much. Jayden was always a little irritable, but nothing a little Orajel or baby Tylenol couldn't cure. Jaxson, on the other hand, has turned into an inconsolable, fidgety, screaming banshee!! I've tried cool teething rings, damp washcloths, Orajel, baby Tylenol, breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, binky, rocking, bouncing, etc... you name it! He screamed for almost 2 hours last night before finally calming himself enough to drink from his bottle and fall asleep....for all of 5 hours. Then, he was awake every hour for at least 20 minutes at a time from 3:30 until 7:00 this morning. Which meant I was awake... and very sleep deprived. You know you're past exhaustion when you fall asleep sitting up while holding your baby in your arms. Don't get me wrong... I feel horrible for Jax because I can only imagine that teething is uncomfortable as all heck, but I also detest feeling like I'm are running on fumes and there's not a gas station in sight. Makes it hard to even find the energy to look like I have the energy to keep up with my work "to-dos". So for the sanity and peace for both of us, please pray that his tooth (or teeth...who knows since Jayden cut 5 teeth in one month) comes through soon!! Oh, and that we will sleep better too. Ugh, I need a nap.
Anywho, everything else is going good. Not much has happened. Had a lazy weekend for the most part... I went and bought some new clothes which was absolutely depressing since I cannot seem to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight no matter what I do (whoever said breastfeeding HELPS you lose weight quicker is full of CRAP!) and then I went to the "Festival of the River" with my mom and her friends (and the boys) in Arlington. This weekend we are apartment touring again. I so hope that we can afford to move when our lease is up. I'm ready for a new start in a new place!!!
Well, back to my to-dos. If anyone knows of something non-caffeinated and not loaded with sugar that can put some pep back in my step, puh-leeze let me know... I'M BEGGING YOU!! Oh dear, 6...more...hours...
...and I'm spent.
My boss comes back on the 17th, but I signed up to be a co-captain this year for the American Heart Association's annual Heart Walk. I have a modest personal goal of $250 this year, but we also have team goals and company goals to meet. I've gotten together with the other captains and co-captains and we've arranged 5 fundraisers between now and the end of September to work on, so getting all of the prep work done for those on top of attending meetings (both fundraiser related and not) and keeping up with my daily list of "to-dos" for work has really kept me on my toes!
On top of that, Jaxson is in full-blown teething mode and he's having a worse experience than Jayden did. Or at least from what I can remember. Which, right now, is not very much. Jayden was always a little irritable, but nothing a little Orajel or baby Tylenol couldn't cure. Jaxson, on the other hand, has turned into an inconsolable, fidgety, screaming banshee!! I've tried cool teething rings, damp washcloths, Orajel, baby Tylenol, breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, binky, rocking, bouncing, etc... you name it! He screamed for almost 2 hours last night before finally calming himself enough to drink from his bottle and fall asleep....for all of 5 hours. Then, he was awake every hour for at least 20 minutes at a time from 3:30 until 7:00 this morning. Which meant I was awake... and very sleep deprived. You know you're past exhaustion when you fall asleep sitting up while holding your baby in your arms. Don't get me wrong... I feel horrible for Jax because I can only imagine that teething is uncomfortable as all heck, but I also detest feeling like I'm are running on fumes and there's not a gas station in sight. Makes it hard to even find the energy to look like I have the energy to keep up with my work "to-dos". So for the sanity and peace for both of us, please pray that his tooth (or teeth...who knows since Jayden cut 5 teeth in one month) comes through soon!! Oh, and that we will sleep better too. Ugh, I need a nap.
Anywho, everything else is going good. Not much has happened. Had a lazy weekend for the most part... I went and bought some new clothes which was absolutely depressing since I cannot seem to lose the last 10 pounds of baby weight no matter what I do (whoever said breastfeeding HELPS you lose weight quicker is full of CRAP!) and then I went to the "Festival of the River" with my mom and her friends (and the boys) in Arlington. This weekend we are apartment touring again. I so hope that we can afford to move when our lease is up. I'm ready for a new start in a new place!!!
Well, back to my to-dos. If anyone knows of something non-caffeinated and not loaded with sugar that can put some pep back in my step, puh-leeze let me know... I'M BEGGING YOU!! Oh dear, 6...more...hours...
...and I'm spent.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Getting up to speed...
So, it's Tuesday. I still feel like I'm waking up for the week. You know those days where you are so tired and your alarm is blaring at you and all you want to do is hit the "snooze" and go back to sleep? Yup, that's me...still in snooze mode. Can someone wake me up when it's the weekend?? :) Work is going good, steadily busy as usual, and my boss is gearing up for a 10 day vacation that starts on Thursday. I'm hoping that means that things will be a little less hectic around here next week. I could use a little time to let my brain slow down enough to function properly.
Anyway, speaking of the weekend...we had a great one! Very busy and on-the-go, but it was packed with fun. On Saturday I had an early morning dentist appointment and I took Jayden with me because he will start going to the dentist in about 6 months or so to get his teeth cleaned. I wanted him to get used to being at the dentist's so he wasn't as scared when it was his time. He actually did really well, surprisingly! I thought he'd be a lot more scared than he was. Then after that we went to meet up with my mom at the annual Hartmans' River Rat Party in Granite Falls. My brother-in-law, Jeremy, has some family who has a house right on the bank of the Stillaguamish River and each year tons of family and friends take their River Rat tubes and float down the river. There's tons of great food (they had barbequed salmon, pulled pork, hot dogs, and more this year) and a live band which features Jeremy's uncle as the lead singer plays until dark. Just a really fun time with family and friends. I'll share some pictures later, but Jayden had a blast. He loved dancing to the music and splashing around in the river. By the time the night was over, both him and Cayde (my niece) were passed out in the car. He didn't even wake up when we moved him from the car to my mom's couch, and then back into the car and even into our house when we went home that night. That's what happens when your kid doesn't take a nap: play hard, crash hard. :)
Sunday we had church and both Aaron and I volunteered with the kids after the service. I worked the babies room and Aaron helped with the 4 year olds. After church I got my new cell phone (the LG env3...love it!) and then we headed to Sammamish to see my dad for my belated birthday party. It was nice to see family and my dad and stepmom loved seeing the kids. And, as usual, my dad made a feast. This time it consisted of spare ribs, collard greens (with bacon and onions), garlic mashed potatoes, bread, corn, and salad. Oh, and then a chocolate Costco cake for dessert. I was STUFFED!
I also found out more about my cousin, Shawn. I think the intervention went well (sounds like it did). He's supposed to be coming down to Vancouver on Thursday for a rehab program. It sounds like this is the last effort the family is going to put forth to help him get rid of his habits before it kills him. It sounds like this time he may actually realize what is at stake, so I hope for his sake and those of his daughter and mom, especially, that he truly means it. I want to do what I can to help him even if it means just being there for him to talk to. It's awful what drugs do to people...and what else they destroy besides a person's body. I never imagined I'd see it firsthand in someone I knew, but now that I have I can really see the devastation and fallout. It's horrible. As I know more, I'll update with his progress.
Oh, and another side topic...but Aaron has an interview!!! They called him today and we both thought today was going to be the day for the interview, but apparently they were only calling to set it up. Better than nothing though! Surprisingly, it's not scheduled until the 17th which is a bummer since that's 2 weeks away; however that gives Aaron time to prepare. I know he's more than ready though. It's been hard for him being out so long because he feels worthless. Like his work experience and college degree mean nothing in this economy. This interview has given him a glimmer of hope, so I hope for his sake that he's able to land the job. I know it would boost his self-esteem and give him the confidence he's been lacking lately. Anyway, the company is called Cobalt and they are an automotive marketing firm. He'd be doing account/project management (which is what he's been doing) and his salary would be between $50,000-55,000. So that would be a huge increase for us! Not only is the salary great, but so is the commute. It's on my way to work as well, about 10 minutes away from home, so we could drop the kids off at daycare, then I could drop Aaron off on my way to work. We'd be saving gas money and time since Aaron used to take the Metro from Seattle and wouldn't get home until around 7pm. So fingers crossed and lots of good thoughts for Aaron on the 17th!!
And now I'm going to leave you with a pick-me-up picture of Jax. Makes me laugh everytime...
Anyway, speaking of the weekend...we had a great one! Very busy and on-the-go, but it was packed with fun. On Saturday I had an early morning dentist appointment and I took Jayden with me because he will start going to the dentist in about 6 months or so to get his teeth cleaned. I wanted him to get used to being at the dentist's so he wasn't as scared when it was his time. He actually did really well, surprisingly! I thought he'd be a lot more scared than he was. Then after that we went to meet up with my mom at the annual Hartmans' River Rat Party in Granite Falls. My brother-in-law, Jeremy, has some family who has a house right on the bank of the Stillaguamish River and each year tons of family and friends take their River Rat tubes and float down the river. There's tons of great food (they had barbequed salmon, pulled pork, hot dogs, and more this year) and a live band which features Jeremy's uncle as the lead singer plays until dark. Just a really fun time with family and friends. I'll share some pictures later, but Jayden had a blast. He loved dancing to the music and splashing around in the river. By the time the night was over, both him and Cayde (my niece) were passed out in the car. He didn't even wake up when we moved him from the car to my mom's couch, and then back into the car and even into our house when we went home that night. That's what happens when your kid doesn't take a nap: play hard, crash hard. :)
Sunday we had church and both Aaron and I volunteered with the kids after the service. I worked the babies room and Aaron helped with the 4 year olds. After church I got my new cell phone (the LG env3...love it!) and then we headed to Sammamish to see my dad for my belated birthday party. It was nice to see family and my dad and stepmom loved seeing the kids. And, as usual, my dad made a feast. This time it consisted of spare ribs, collard greens (with bacon and onions), garlic mashed potatoes, bread, corn, and salad. Oh, and then a chocolate Costco cake for dessert. I was STUFFED!
I also found out more about my cousin, Shawn. I think the intervention went well (sounds like it did). He's supposed to be coming down to Vancouver on Thursday for a rehab program. It sounds like this is the last effort the family is going to put forth to help him get rid of his habits before it kills him. It sounds like this time he may actually realize what is at stake, so I hope for his sake and those of his daughter and mom, especially, that he truly means it. I want to do what I can to help him even if it means just being there for him to talk to. It's awful what drugs do to people...and what else they destroy besides a person's body. I never imagined I'd see it firsthand in someone I knew, but now that I have I can really see the devastation and fallout. It's horrible. As I know more, I'll update with his progress.
Oh, and another side topic...but Aaron has an interview!!! They called him today and we both thought today was going to be the day for the interview, but apparently they were only calling to set it up. Better than nothing though! Surprisingly, it's not scheduled until the 17th which is a bummer since that's 2 weeks away; however that gives Aaron time to prepare. I know he's more than ready though. It's been hard for him being out so long because he feels worthless. Like his work experience and college degree mean nothing in this economy. This interview has given him a glimmer of hope, so I hope for his sake that he's able to land the job. I know it would boost his self-esteem and give him the confidence he's been lacking lately. Anyway, the company is called Cobalt and they are an automotive marketing firm. He'd be doing account/project management (which is what he's been doing) and his salary would be between $50,000-55,000. So that would be a huge increase for us! Not only is the salary great, but so is the commute. It's on my way to work as well, about 10 minutes away from home, so we could drop the kids off at daycare, then I could drop Aaron off on my way to work. We'd be saving gas money and time since Aaron used to take the Metro from Seattle and wouldn't get home until around 7pm. So fingers crossed and lots of good thoughts for Aaron on the 17th!!
And now I'm going to leave you with a pick-me-up picture of Jax. Makes me laugh everytime...
...haha! Don't know what he was doing in this picture, but it reminds me of the face he made when I tried to feed him baby cereal last night.
Happy Tuesday!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday Tidbits
This week has been a SCORCHER! Not a good week to be living in Washington State where they apparently don't know what air conditioning is!!! I'd walk around my house naked if I felt it was appropriate... it's that dang hot!
My birthday was on Tuesday and I'm officially 24 years old. Yay for me, I can legally rent a car in a year. LOL. We wen't out to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory (I got the chicken penne...YUM!) with my mom, uncle, sister and her family...and of course my hubs and the kiddos. It was nice to get everyone together. I got the Charmed TV series and Twilight on Blu-Ray from Aaron as gifts which will come in handy since we don't have cable... I'll share pictures if I ever get them uploaded from my camera. Seems to be a recurring theme in my life, right? Welcome to having two young children!! :)
Another update on Stellan... not sure what's going on with him still, but he seems to be stabilizing a bit. I know he could still use your prayers though.
Speaking of prayers... I've also found out that my cousin, Shawn, is in a lot of trouble. Both him and my step-brother, Cory, have struggled with drugs in the past. Luckily, Cory learned his lesson before he got in too deep and has been clean for almost 6 years. I cannot say the same for Shawn. He's been in and out of rehab and it's only gotten worse... he's past the "gateway drugs" and is on to the heavy stuff, the bad stuff...like heroin. I knew he had a problem, but I didn't realize how much I was in the dark on all of this. I saw him a year and a half ago at Cory's wedding and he looked like hell then; face sunken in, stick thin, pale... just not healthy AT ALL. From what my dad says, he looks even worse now...like death. And he's headed in that direction fast if something doesn't happen. Members of our family are staging an intervention this weekend as a last ditch attempt to get Shawn (and keep him) in a year-long inpatient rehab facility to try to kick his habits before they claim his life. I'm very scared for him and his family. Especially since he has a daughter, Ava, who will be a year old in just a few weeks (both he and Ava's mom were on drugs at the time of her pregnancy and birth so they don't have custody, but still...). My hope for him is that he may be able to get well, get past his addiction, and be a healthy presence in his daughter's life before it's too late. Please pray for Shawn that he gets the help he needs and that he can fight this and win. I remember the person he used to be and now he's unrecognizable...and that breaks my heart. Please also pray for my aunt and family as they are understandably torn, confused, and hurt about all of this.
On a happier note, here are the pictures from Jaxson's 3 month photo shoot that I promised last week. I've been busy as a bee at work the past few days, so I really haven't had the time. Enjoy! I know I did... he's one darn cute kiddo!!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Update on Stellan
Last Twitter update about an hour ago says that little Stellan is going to be airlifted to Boston, presumably to do another ablation, however no details have been provided on MckMama's blog so I'm not really sure. Please continue to keep this strong little boy and his family in your prayers as I am doing as well. God CAN and HAS worked many miracles with this young one...may they continue.
~Shannon
~Shannon
Please pray for Stellan!!
Ok, so this actually isn't about either of my boys...they are doing just fine (thank goodness!!). I follow the blog of a dear, sweet woman known as "MckMama". She has 4 children ages 4 and under. Her youngest, Stellan, was born last October. He was diagnosed with SVT, a dangerous heart condition, in utero and was not expected to be born alive. He surprised the doctors and was born "healthy". However, he's had many hospitalizations in his short life including surgery (an ablation to his heart). Stellan is back in the hospital yet again and it's very bad this time. He's been in SVT for the last 3 days straight, which means his heart has been beating at a very dangerous 230+ beats per minute. His doctors aren't sure if his body can handle another surgery with being so young, and understandably his parents are at a loss for words to describe the anguish they feel at the thought of possibly losing their son.
Please, PLEASE pray for this beautiful little boy!!! Please help the doctors to have wisdom and clarity to make the best decisions possible for Stellan's situation and please pray for his parents (and siblings) to have as much peace as they can during this time. We may lose this baby boy if something isn't done soon medically to reverse this. And most importantly, please pray for healing for Stellan...hopefully on THIS side of Heaven. He's a fighter... please lift him up in prayer so he may continue to fight this battle...and win it. That he may be strong enough to make it to the point where he can have the surgery he needs to save his life and get rid of the SVT forever.
As a mother of young children myself, I cannot even begin to imagine how MckMama and her family feel. The sting from the loss (or potential loss) of a child is something I don't think I could bear and I hope I'm lucky enough not to. Even the thought of my children in pain is something that is too tough to swallow. It just brings me to tears to think about this whole situation.
Thank you!! Oh, and you can visit MckMama's site for Stellan's story and updates by clicking here or by clicking the "Praying for Stellan" button on the right side of my blog. You can also follow MckMama on Twitter by clicking here.
I will update on Stellan's progress as I see more information. Thank you so much for your prayers...I know this family will appreciate them greatly.
~Shannon
Please, PLEASE pray for this beautiful little boy!!! Please help the doctors to have wisdom and clarity to make the best decisions possible for Stellan's situation and please pray for his parents (and siblings) to have as much peace as they can during this time. We may lose this baby boy if something isn't done soon medically to reverse this. And most importantly, please pray for healing for Stellan...hopefully on THIS side of Heaven. He's a fighter... please lift him up in prayer so he may continue to fight this battle...and win it. That he may be strong enough to make it to the point where he can have the surgery he needs to save his life and get rid of the SVT forever.
As a mother of young children myself, I cannot even begin to imagine how MckMama and her family feel. The sting from the loss (or potential loss) of a child is something I don't think I could bear and I hope I'm lucky enough not to. Even the thought of my children in pain is something that is too tough to swallow. It just brings me to tears to think about this whole situation.
Thank you!! Oh, and you can visit MckMama's site for Stellan's story and updates by clicking here or by clicking the "Praying for Stellan" button on the right side of my blog. You can also follow MckMama on Twitter by clicking here.
I will update on Stellan's progress as I see more information. Thank you so much for your prayers...I know this family will appreciate them greatly.
~Shannon
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Another Dose of the "Little Man"
I have a lot to catch up on as far as pictures are concerned!!! I don't think I really realized how many I had...and this is just a SMALL portion I'm sharing on my blog. It's obvious I love my digital camera. :) Here's installment #2 of the latest and greatest of Jaxson. I'll most likely share his new 3 month pictures we had taken last weekend on tomorrow's post as well as a weekend update with some of those pictures, but here's the last of my "catching up" pictures of Jaxson since his birth. I cannot believe he's rounding the corner towards 4 months old already...where has time gone??
{I just love his big, beautiful eyes...}
{Posing for Auntie Samantha!!}
{Sticking his tongue out, haha!}
{He loves to suck on his fists and fingers...}
{My happy baby! Oh, and I LOVE this Onesie! :) Boob Man indeed...}
{Look!! He can lift up his head! So strong already...}
{The jumperoo has quickly become his favorite "toy". Jax loves standing up!}
Monday, July 20, 2009
Definitely not MY child...
So, I've decided to participate in a weekly series called Not Me! Mondays created by MckMama (see her blog here). This week's installation is a slight deviation from the original theme called Not my child! Monday where we share embarrassing, funny, and brutally honest stories about things that we or our child(ren) definitely do NOT do... ;) So here goes nothing...
It was most definitely not my sweet and darling 19 month old who, not once but TWICE, managed to strip himself of his poopy diaper during nap time at daycare and proceed to smear the contents all over the wall, playpen, and himself. Nor would he rub it all over in his hair. No, not my toddler. And he surely didn't fling it all over his daycare provider's blinds and computer screen either...
It also was not my cute little boy who got so mad at mommy for trying to feed him macaroni and cheese because he wanted to do it himself that he forcefully grabbed the full bowl and chucked it across the floor. There's no way he then got so mad that he slammed his face into the couch and screamed for 5 minutes straight.
Oh, and my son also definitely does not like to color all over the bathroom floor with his Crayola crayons...or eat them (along with the tips of the non-toxic markers). Nope, not my kid at all.
The New Kid on Our Block...
Here are some pictures of our second J-Man, the youngest of the bunch... Jaxson! Hope you enjoy our "Little Man" as much as we do!
{Just days old cuddling with Daddy!}
{All swaddled in his ducky blankie...}
{Drying off after his first bath at home}
{Just relaxing...look at those big eyes!}
{ALL SMILES!! Such a happy boy!}
{Mommy and Jax saying hi to the camera!}
{Wassup??}
{Smiling with his Daddy!}
All about Jayden!!
Ok, so a lot of the pictures lately have been centered around Jaxson. In order to be fair, I think that our big boy, Jayden, needs a turn in the spotlight too. Here are some pictures of our handsome, albeit goofy, 19 month old "Punky":
{ He loved crawling in the cat carrier!}
{Jayden, the caged animal (he really can be an animal at times!)}
{Passed out in the stroller...play hard, crash hard :)}
{Trying on Grandma's sunglasses!}
{Relaxing in the baby swing...he likes it more than Jaxson!}
{All dressed up at Niki and Greg's wedding in June}
{Jayden, the wrestler of rottweilers!}
{Our goofy boy taking his nightly bath after a very messy dinner!}
Friday, July 17, 2009
4th of July!
Ok, last round of pictures for today before I go to enjoy the weekend. Here are a few pictures of the kiddos on the 4th of July. We spent the holiday with Tommy and Samantha at their house. I'm excited for when the boys get older and they can actually play with sparklers in the driveway and REALLY enjoy the fireworks... 
Happy Friday all! Have a fantastic weekend!
~Shannon
Edmonds Pier
The other day we took a lovely trip down to the Edmonds Pier with the boys where we enjoyed some delicious chocolate ice cream and french fries and then hit the beach for some fun in the sun, surf, and sand. Jayden loved running up and down the beach and into the water with Daddy. It was Jaxson's first trip to the beach too! 
{Jaxson slept for a while and enjoyed the shade...}
{...while Aaron and Jayden walked along the beach hand-in-hand.}
{Jayden started to test out the water...}
{...and Daddy gave him a jump-start...weee!!}
{Jaxson woke up to bask in the sun with Mom...}
{...while Jayden played in the sand!}
{Then we ended the beautiful day with a happy family photo :)}
Summer Fun: Part 1
A few random pictures from our summer thus far. We enjoyed a trip to Northwest Trek in June and also have recently been spending our weekends at the local Willis Tucker Park where they have a fabulous "Splash Pad" which has come in handy with all the sunny weather we've been having. :)
{Our happy little family after a tour of Northwest Trek}
{Gramma Joan came with us to see the wildlife too!}
{Aaron and Jaxson at the "Splash Pad"...too cute!}
{This was adorable...both boys giving each other kisses! :)}
{Jayden and Mommy...don't mind my ugly one-piece swimsuit. Yuck!}
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