New Mom Syndrome

It's amazing what changes when you have a baby. Suddenly my 2 year old looks all grown up and just last month he was my baby. In the hospital when Devon cried while I was eating lunch I had to stop myself from offering my food to him. No, he can't eat that yet. Strange little things like that remind me how fast the time goes and how quickly I forget the little moments of Motherhood. Some times I really feel like I am learning it all over again. Maybe I am. I don't feel as if I stopped being a Mom, but that I'm a little rusty when it comes to this newborn thing. Hopefully my memories will catch up quick before I make a serious blunder.
 As I look back on my time as a brand new Mom I just remember being tired all the time. Then I had my second child and I couldn't imagine what I was complaining about with only one child to look after. Now I know why I am tired all the time. I have three to look after and lack of sleep aside, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

From 2012-12-16 family pics

Devon Thorn

On the 11th of this month at 9:11 AM Devon was born at an astounding 8 lbs 13 oz. He was 19 in. and his head circumference was 14 3/4 cm. The operation went well and Devon is a little dear. The kids are happy to welcome him into our home.

Happy Birthday to Me!

On the 8th I turned the big 32. In honor of this great occasion we drove up to Bremerton to celebrate with Grandma, Papa and the Martins. Jessica made me a spectacular cake!

From 2012-12-09 mom's birthday

 Who's in the cake, you may ask... Why yes, yes it is Merida. A confectionery marvel. We had a wonderful dinner complete with Moo Goo Gai Pan! Yum! Then I opened my lovely gifts and we had cake.

From 2012-12-09 mom's birthday

 Then with the help of my Lovely Sister, Daniel and I went to see:

From 2012-12-09 mom's birthday

 And yes, the dragon did try to eat me. It was Spectacular! I was blown away. We loved it. The pictures are not the greatest, but you get the idea of how amazing it is.

Tis the Season...

From 2012-12-07 gingerbread house

 This year when we went to the Home Depot for their monthly kid workshop, we came home with a gingerbread house kit. So we put it together for Family Home Evening. I think this was the first time that we have ever put one together. It was fun, but a lot of work. I don't know if we will do it again. The kids loved putting on the candy and then taking them off. After a day or so it looked a little ravaged.

Turning 2

Thanksgiving marked the 2nd birthday of Charles. Bring on the Terrific Twos! (I can hope!) We went up to visit Grandma and Papa Gutierrez and the Martins. I love having them so close. The drive was nice, mostly foggy. After having so much rain it was a nice break. Charly was in charge of Charles cake. She did a great job decorating it. Charles didn't seem to know what to do.

From 2012-11-26 Thanksgiving

He is so cute. Here he tried to blow out the candles. He had to have lots of help, but made a valiant effort!

From 2012-11-26 Thanksgiving

This year we noticed how musically inclined he is so we got him a harmonica and kazoo. It took me a while to remember how to play the kazoo. Daniel had to help me. Charles loves the Harmonica. We inherited a hot cars race track so the Martins got him some cars to race. Everyone had fun playing with the cars. Grandma and Papa got him a new Sunday outfit. I am so glad. He grew out of his last church shirt a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to find one for him.

 Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful. I wish I could have brought some leftovers home. Alas. Rex had 2 of his men join us. It was nice getting to know them. Rex also brought a keg of root beer!  

From Online Edits

 Friday we avoided the crowds and helped Jessica move into their new house. It's a beautiful residence with a pretty park in the back. Jessica made a scruptious brunch and Charly made some wonderful cinnamon rolls. I got to help her a little. That was fun! We celebrated Mom's 60th birthday together. It was a nice weekend.
And just for fun here is a cautionary tale about frying turkeys:

Baby News

So last week I had an ultrasound. The results were that little Devon Thorn is already bigger then Lizzy or Charles were at birth. He was a whopping 7 lbs. 10oz. And I have near 3 weeks left to go. Ugh. No wonder I feel so huge. Anyway, I also got a few nice 3D pics. Enjoy!

From 2012-11-26 Devon

Fall News

So I have been procrastinating so you know what that means....Massive Download. Get comfortable.... Here it comes....
 First, we went up to Bremerton for the Women's conference. It was fun having a girls night with my Mom and Sister. Papa and Daniel watched the kiddos for us. We had a pumpkin curry soup that was amazing! I need to get the recipe. Somehow I had forgotten that the General Relief Society presidency had been changed so when Sister Linda Burton came up to talk I turned to Mom and said, "she looks different." Duh. Oh well. I loved the conference. Maybe it's because I am pregnant now, but there were an awful lot of talks both in this conference and in General Conference That mentioned losing children. I kept getting teary eyed. I know several families that have gone through that trial and my heart goes out to them.
 Since we were up for the weekend we went to the library's super hero party and checked out the Bug Museum. It was nice.
 
Next we have a fun Family Home Evening: The kids like to play with plugs so Daniel decided to teach us about electrical safety. He was able to bring home his safety gear. The kids were very impressed. 
Finally we were able to have Grandma and Papa Gutierrez down for the weekend. We took them to the Pomeroy Farm for their pumpkin days. Charles made a new friend, but that ended when she threw a rock at him. I was surprised that he didn't throw one back! Lizzy loved the water pump game. It was a ton of fun and the weather was nice. It had been raining so I was afraid that it would be extra muddy, but it was great!
 On Sunday Lizzy performed in her first primary program. She did great! She had her line memorized. It was a proud moment for me. On Monday Lizzy and Charles decorated their pumpkins. I think they did a great job. I am glad that they are excited for Halloween!  It was wonderful having my parents down.

Being Cheesey

So on Labor day we decided to jaunt down to Tillimook Or. to visit the famous Cheese Factory. I have wanted to go for some time and the day was perfect. It was about 2 hrs out there and we got there at a great time because as we were leaving a huge rush came in. Here's the kids behaving like pigs:

From 2012-09-03 Tillimook

Here they are getting in the act:

From 2012-09-03 Tillimook

Farmer Charles and old Lizzy bell. I had been on the tour at Dairy Gold a few times before, I liked this one better, even though the floor was closed for the holiday. There were interactive kiosks and we did see some cheese packaged for aging. The ice cream was great and the cheese samples superb. We had lunch at their cafe and the cheese sandwiches were ok. We all had a fun time though. Next time I hope to do a little more exploring in the town.

Camping urban style

So we wanted to go camping this summer as a family. I have fond memories of camping with my family growing up. Lizzy was super excited so over labor day weekend we decided to try our luck, not thinking that on any given 3 day weekend there will be no spur of the moment spots open. Alas. So we did the next best thing! We went out to the Battle Ground State Park on Saturday and hiked and played and enjoyed the day.
I liked it. Lizzy was more interested in running around then communing with nature, but that's OK. Maybe later she'll actually look at her surroundings instead of rushing past them. I hope!

Going to the Gear Con

So it finally happened, after months of preparation and perspiration, we finally went to Gear Con! In Portland. The kids were so excited! We went to both the Friday and Saturday events. The kids did great and we only got one nasty look form a less then gentleman in a class. The kids were not loud or disruptive at all, but he thought so I guess. I was surprised at how small this con was. Granted this is only my second con, but Steam Con made this one look like a backyard fete. We had a great time though. I especially liked the craft classes. Lizzy and I made note books look aged and we all made test tube specimens. Lizzy and I also made Christmas ornaments.

From 2012-08-21 gearcon

From 2012-08-21 gearcon

  This is how we dressed up on Friday, minus Daniel's fabulous hat. I need to get a picture of that!

From 2012-08-19 Gearcon

 I had used food coloring to dye Daniel's shirt. It worked really well. It's kind of an apple green. I made Lizzy's cameo necklace as well.  Daniel made Charles' gun. Charles wouldn't wear the bow tie, but he still looked rather dapper. On Saturday our apt. complex put on a cowboy themed lunch which we enjoyed. We feasted on hot dogs and played games and won several prizes. Afterward we dressed up in different outfits to go to the con. Here's Daniel's look, I forgot to get a pic of me alas.

From 2012-08-19 Gearcon

Isn't he adorable?  We had fun and came home exhausted, well I did at least, but well satisfied. Unfortunately I didn't get many pictures of the fun costumes, there really wasn't a good place for it.

Pregnancy woes

I wish to take this moment to complain... feel free to move on if you like. I understand.  Recently I have been contemplating the many joys and pains of being with child. This is difficult having other children to cater to as well. Some how they just don't understand that because I am working on adding to our family I can no longer be treated as a trampoline or jumping off point for their various activities.
"Hello..I have a condition! Don't jump on the baby!" This seems to fall on deaf ears. Or perhaps their ears are running away too quickly to function properly. Alas. But Paramount in my discomfiture is the annoying habit my body has taken up in recent months. Some how my brain decided to give the reigns to my bladder. I did not agree to that! I'm fairly certain the memo was deliberately misplaced. In any event let me illustrate my irritation...
 Picture this... Its night, late, the children outside have finally gone to bed. I have found the most comfortable position in which to rest my weary body when suddenly something wakes me. I look around blearily and realize that everything is kosher and begin to settle back down for the night when my Bladder decides it needs immediate attention! "I must be emptied! NOW!"
"No way It's 3:47 AM. I'm going back to sleep."  I try to resist the urge, but the brain sides firmly with the bladder and I must acquiesce. Alas. But I know that it will only be a temporary state and the rewards are far outreaching the current discomfort. So that's something.

Soft Ball

Our Elder's Quorum hosted a BBQ and softball activity. It was fun and well attended. We had to send people out to buy the paper goods, since the person who was supposed to bring them never showed up. But other then that minor detail, oh and when Charles made a beeline for the busy street nearby, it went rather well!

Visits and Adventures

We were pleased to have the Martins come visit us. We met up at the Lewis-McCord base to witness their annual air show. I left around 8 am and we arrived at the exit for the base around 10, but there was so much traffic it took us nearly 2 hours to exit. Ouch! We finally parked and followed the crowd to where the air show was taking place. It was quite the show! After a brief fainting spell, I went with the Martins through an airplane that was not, I repeat NOT designed for pregnant women. I thought they were going to have to call the fire department to get me out of there, but luckily I was able to squeeze through. Whew! Luckily for you my sister took a picture so you can witness my humiliation first hand. Hooray!

From Desktop

 Tight squeeze indeed. Oh well I lived to tell the tale! We saw some amazing planes and wonderful aerial acrobatics. It was fun. Then on Sunday we went down to the Portland Temple for a tour. I knew the girls had never been to their new visitor center and I was excited to go on a tour of the grounds as well. It was nice. We had a beautiful day and the kids loved being there. I must say though I was disappointed in the tour. The sister Missionaries took us around and didn't really tell us much about the temple at all, but it was nice.
 Then on Monday we visited the Fort here in Vancouver. I always like going there, it's just fun. The gardens were looking beautiful and they had several volunteers helping out. One of the rangers let us try eating a chive blossom. It was very strong, but good. I don't think Taylor enjoyed it.

From 2012-07-28 Martin Visit

 Later I took them to our famous library downtown. It was a fun visit!

This is what summer looks like!

From 2012-07-02 Bremerton

 Over the past two weeks we have been up in Bremerton fixing up our rental. After 3 months we finally got our squatters evicted. Huzzah. So we were hard at work turning this:

Got to love that hole in the floor and strange bed creation in the back room huh?
To this:

  Much better don't you think?  Daniel did most of the work, but we couldn't have done it without the help of my parents and sister looking after our kids. It wasn't all work and no play though, we went up to horseshoe lake and an wonderful garden on our way to the light house at Point on Point.

  Lizzy and Charles were excited to spend so much time with their cousins and Grand parents. Then we celebrated the 4th in true Martin fashion with "The War." The war consists of  opponents setting off a bunch of moving fireworks at each other. It is quite exciting and dangerous, but fun to watch. Here's the lineup:

From 2012-07-09 Bremerton

Jessica made a wonderful birthday cake that looked like the flag inside.

From 2012-07-09 Bremerton

We left before it got too late, the kids were zoning big time. It was a fun celebration.

Fabulous Forth

From 2012-06-15 Portal Party Lizzy 's 4th bday

Recently my little girl turned 4. Let me tell you how her week went... First she had to go to the dentist to have her tooth extracted. The day was fine, we went early so Lizzy could drink the magical juice to help her relax during the procedure. She drank it down like a champ. The nurse was impressed. Most kids gag. Then we let her play with a leap pad that they had. I really like our pediatric dentist office. It's called Adventure Dental and they are ready for kids, they play kids movies in the tiki reception room and have game stations for the older kids and quite a few leap pads with games that teach you good oral health. I was glad because I had my charge with me again and she was not sad at all this time. Yay! Anyway so the Dentist had warned me that a loss of bowel control was highly likely and to be prepared. So I put Lizzy in a pull up and thought that would be fine. It wasn't. She filled the pull up and continued onto the floor and I quickly grabbed my bag and Lizzy and headed to the restroom. The medicine was in full swing now so she was cognisant, but unable to use her limbs and feeling very fuzzy. I got her cleaned up and then the nurse took her away and started the procedure.
 They told me that she was getting mad at them, but that is pretty standard for this type of medication. So thy put her in a HUG, basically a strait jacket, so she couldn't bat at them and finished up. We were all happy to leave the office afterwards. Lizzy cried for a bit, but then we got ice cream so everyone was happy!
 The next day was her birthday! Lizzy had been asking for a Portal party.so Daniel made her a portal gun and I made her a companion cube.

From 2012-06-15 Portal Party Lizzy 's 4th bday

She loved them both. Charles really wanted a portal gun for himself. Lizzy was sweet and let him play with it. Here's a video of Daniel showing them how it works:

From 2012-06-15 Portal Party Lizzy 's 4th bday

Lizzy also loved the gifts she received from her grandparents. From the Gutierrez's she got a fun watch and grow planter and today we spied the first sprouts! From the Bartholomew's she got a matching outfit for her and her doll. They looked so cute. She continued to wear the outfit for the next 3 days and she cried when Daddy put it in the hamper. And from Great Grandma  Murphy she received a darling little doll. She is still talking about her gifts. All in all a successful party.

The next day she had to go to the doctors and get 3 shots. She is still upset about that. I'm glad the week is over!

Farm life

On Saturday we decided to visit the Pomeroy Living History farm. They were having a steam logging demonstration and we were itching to go. The farm is run by the decedents of the Pomeroy family. We got to talk to them about the history of the area. It was great fun. Lizzy really liked the wash board!

From 2012-06-11 Pomeroy Farm

 She kept going back to wash more. Once inside the house the theme was "Cradle to Grave" So in the master bed room was the wedding dresses of most of the Pomeroy Women who have lived on the farm including a great great granddaughter who was married at the farm a few years ago.  Mrs. Pomeroy could still fit into her wedding dress in the 1950s before she died. You can't really see the picture on the wall, but that is her. Women traditionally wore black wedding dresses until Queen Victoria wore a white dress to her wedding.

From 2012-06-11 Pomeroy Farm

The coat and hat were so she could wear the dress to other functions. On the table is her hope chest. In the dining room Lizzy and Charles tried their hand at churning butter:

From 2012-06-11 Pomeroy Farm

Also in this room was the famous "bed" it is a desk, closet, bed and dresser all in one. The purchased it form a college student. I don't know if they were common or not but it is definitely a piece of engineering. They had the pictures of Mrs. Pomeroy's funeral there as well.

From 2012-06-11 Pomeroy Farm

Upstairs was the baby cradle and clothes. In each of the 4 rooms was a different time period of when the family lived there. From the 1930s - the 1970s. It was neat to see the evolution. Then we went to visit with the farm animals. Lizzy fed the goat named Lewis, the one named Clark was too shy. Then we met the pigs, Ham and Bacon. We tried to coax the horse over, but he was content eating the grass and we didn't have anything tasty to offer. Then we loaded up on the Hay ride and headed up to the steam logging.

From 2012-06-11 Pomeroy Farm

 It was very exciting and loud!

From 2012-06-11 Pomeroy Farm

After a while we rode back to the farm and had lunch while listing to a country band. It was so fun. Lizzy challenged Daddy to a game of chess. Then we saw the blacksmith and visited the gardens before heading home. What a wonderful day!

Visiting Vancouver

My parents came down for a few days and we toured Portland. I love Portland, the bridges, the light rail, the people! It's fun to visit. First we took in the art of Chinese gardens at the Lan Su Chinese Garden.

From 2012-05-19 Portland

 They had some guests who were teaching about the Chinese dragon races. It commemorates the death of a servant of the king who tried to save the kingdom, but instead was banished and upon hearing of the loss of the kingdom and the king's death he drowns himself. Here's what the dragon boats look like.    They race on the Columbia River on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calender. The women of the racing team had a drum that they let Charles and Lizzy play!

From 2012-05-19 Portland

we saw a strange art car outside the gardens:

From 2012-05-19 Portland

 Then we went on the Areal Tram to get a good view of Portland.  It was a great day!

18 Months And Still Kicking!

From 2012-05-04 fun

Charles is officially 18 months now. He can go to nursery! Hooray! Being 18 months does come with a few consequences, IE a wellness check-up. Let me take you on our trip to the Doctor.... Recently I began a long term babysitting gig. I have a nearly 3 year old for 2 days a week. Usually we have a great time. I had thought that Charles check-up was on Wednesday when I don't babysit. Alas I was wrong. So I thought OK I'll just take her with me since trying to find a babysitter in this area is nigh impossible. What can go wrong? My two usually do fine. So I told her before we left where we were going and why and that started her whimpering ever so slightly.

 "Well, it will be quick" I try to console myself and her. Half way to the clinic her whimpers have escalated to a repeated statement of failed self comfort, "Mommy will be here." I tried to reassure her that Yes, she will see her Mother soon when Lizzy pipes up, as ever oblivious to the distress she is about to add upon my poor little charge, “Your Mommy is not coming. You will never see your Mom." Thanks Lizzy. Nothing but love for you!  Welcome to full melt down town! Yay!

 By this time we are exiting the car in a full down pour and of course we are only in sweaters because it wasn't raining when we left. Oh joy! We attempt to rush into the building. I say attempt since there was a small skirmish over who was the privileged one to sit in the stroller.

  That solved, we ventured in and looked for the office. This was our first visit. I consulted my phone and found the right room number. We get in and immediately my kiddos head for the toys, my charge needed to be held so I picked her up and while trying to be consoling, attempt to check in. I receive a stack of paperwork and try to sit down when I am informed of everyone’s immediate need to use the facilities. So we pack up and head down to the restrooms. That accomplished we return and Charles is called.  We follow the nurse into the exam room and I get Charles undressed and put him on the scale. He does a little shiver and then seemed to flex all his muscles at once. The nurse was impressed! It was quite humorous.

 He is right on track developmentally. The doctor was very happy about his results.  His height was 31.75 in. which put him in the 33%. His Weight was 22lbs.  Which is the 6.74% I was surprised at how low that was, but the doctor assured me that he is fine, just active and running though calories at an accelerated rate.  I couldn’t argue that as at that very moment he was chasing Lizzy back and forth across the exam room. He also eats all the time so I am not worried. His head circumference was 46.2 cm. so that placed him in the 11.77%. The best part of this was not having to get shots! We all got a sticker and a treat and headed home. My charge finally stopped crying when I told her that we were going home to watch Toy Story, her favorite movie. Lizzy upset her further by saying we can’t watch Toy Story because she didn’t want to. Thanks Lizzy! You are a champ. 

Simple Simon give a way

I love reading this blog: Simple Simon and Co. They are two creative ladies who have awesome advice and inspiration for sewers and crafters. Also they have awesome giveaways. Like today! Check out their blog and you may win a  $150 Target gift card! Good Luck!

The Family

 I have had growing families on the brain recently. My Brother and his lovely wife are expecting their first child. My sister-in-law recently had her 6th child, and Daniel and I are now expecting our 3rd. I just sent my brother a manual entitled:Family Guidebook, put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. The book is free and is described as follows: "This guidebook is for all members, especially new members and those who have limited experience in the Church. It outlines the purpose and organization of the family and contains information on how to teach the gospel in the family, how to fulfill family responsibilities, how the family can be a Church unit, and how to perform priesthood ordinances and blessings." I found this resource last year after a heated debate raged though our ward. The debate was over what was an appropriate way to teach your children about, specifically, moral issues and sexuality. Being a relatively new parent and not having to deal with such issues at the time I was at a loss myself.  What is too much? What is not enough? I was thrilled to find a respected source for more then just moral issues.

 
A Parent's Guide tells you how to teach your child trough each stage of development from birth to marriage and beyond.
  I only wish I had thought to look to the Church earlier. I know that they are dedicated to the family. The General Authorities gave us specific council in 1995 in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." I quote, "Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations." That is an awesome and serious responsibility. But as in all things we are not left alone to muddle it all out. So I turned to the Church's online Store and discovered a dearth of resources that are available. I got them all! Daniel and I went over each booklet and pamphlet in companionship study and I relished each piece of advice. We quickly put into practice a few suggestions to our family's continued happiness. 
  Now, because I hope that I am not the only clueless parent out there I highly recommend checking out these resources.  Use them or not, but I wanted you to know of their existence just in case you were wondering if there was any help out there. Thanks for reading my rant. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Visits

My parents we able to spend a few days with us this week. I love having them visit. We had such a good time. We checked out Vancouver Lake Park They had a strange kind of teeter-totter there:

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

Charles didn't like it much. Then we went to the Fort! I had wanted to go there for some time and we went on a rainy day. There was a school tour going on so we got to see and hear quite a bit. Lizzy held our Map.

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

The blacksmith knew quite a bit about the history, it was fun talking to him.

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

Then we went to the general store. Can you guess what is in those tied bags hanging from the ceiling?

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

It is Tobacco. Everything was valued by beaver pelts. As in, 14 salmon to 1 beaver pelt. Next we ventured in the kitchen when Mom was asked to wash the dishes. Little did we know how many other things were included in that chore! Mom respectfully declined. The cook tantalized us with Steamed brown bread.

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

and fresh apple turnovers. It smelled divine, but they can't feed the public, alas.

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

Then we checked out the other buildings and climbed the tower. Here's Charles on a cannon.

From 2012-04-03 Fort Vancouver

Then we hoofed it up the hill and had a delicious lunch at the Grant House. Next we checked out books from the Library. We ended the day by having Lumpia at home. Yum!

Added cuteness

My kids are adorable. No, no I mean it. Just take a look:
 Too cute oui? Lizzy fell asleep under her umbrella and Charles loves to play with Daddy's safety glasses. Moments like this make me glad that I am a Mom.

From 2012-04-05 Steampunk Dress

A little while ago I entered the giveaway on Simple Simon and Co.'s blog. It was for a child dress form from Mannequin Hub. And to my astonishment I won! I could think of no better way to show off my new toy then to introduce my Steam punk outfits for Lizzy and Charles. I decided to make Lizzy''s dress based on a few tutorials I found on pinterest a while back. The basis for the dress was made by wonderful Lady named Cami. Check out her blog to see the original. I tweaked it a bit by making the skirt separate to add more volume

From 2012-03-30 Steampunk costumes

and then I used these t-shirt flowers from Shannon's blog to embellish the neckline.

From 2012-04-05 Steampunk Dress

 I loved how it turned out. The only drawback is that the skirt is quite heavy, but Lizzy wore it all day, so I'd say that it is a success! Here's the back view:

From 2012-04-05 Steampunk Dress

Here is a lovey little lady:

From 2012-03-30 Steampunk costumes

And now for Charles! I wanted to do a little news boy look so Daniel found this great jumper that I promtly cut up and made into a vest and knicker combo and then added a bow tie for fun. The tie came out a little large, but I liked the look.

From 2012-03-30 Steampunk costumes

Isn't he too cute!

From 2012-03-30 Steampunk costumes

From 2012-03-30 Steampunk costumes

Here's a detail shot:

From 2012-03-30 Steampunk costumes

So this is my steam punked children's line. I had a blast making them and my kids seem to like wearing them.  I'd call that a win-win!