Happy Halloween...from Clifford the Big Red Dog!

Reading...

What? I'm just reading...

The first week...

Well, we've made it to Friday...and without any major catastrophes might I add! Just jotting down some random thoughts about my first week as a stay at home mom...

-Zay is REALLY fun to hang out with all day long! I feel like we've bonded! :)

-Zay can also be a handful and a headache. We've had quite a lot of timeouts and testing the limits this week.

-Zay is the happiest in the morning. When he wakes up refreshed from a full night's sleep, it's a ton of fun to just play and read and hangout with him!

-My house is no cleaner than it was when I was working...however the dishes are done and laundry is caught up. Yea!!!

-I notice what our neighbors are doing all day long...I'm not trying to notice - it just so happens that I'm around to see what goes down in our neighborhood throughout the day. Thankfully nothing more than a little house remodeling and taking walks!

-It's actually HARD for me to take a nap during the day. Although I'm exhausted because Zay is still waking up crazy early each morning, I feel like when Zay is down for a nap I need to hurry up and do anything I want to do before he wakes up!

-It's a great feeling when Shane gets home, we eat dinner, clean up, and there are still HOURS to hangout and just relax as a family.

-And I'm not really sure how we all got fed most days/nights when I was working. Actually making nice dinners for BOTH Zay and us is WORK...but I'm enjoying it for the most part!

-Daytime TV isn't worth watching. I haven't had the TV on too much, but I'm even disappointed in the Today Show. How many times can you see segments on fall fashion?

-I think I much prefer doing a little laundry everyday, rather than letting it stack up into unmanageable piles and tackling it all in 2 days!

-I need a schedule! I like lists and knowing what I need to accomplish for the day. I've gotten plenty done each day, but somehow I need to figure out a routine for us.

-And most of all I've found that our home truly is where my heart is. Shane made the comment last night that it is fun for him to see me in this new role - he said I looked like I was in my element. That's always a nice thing to hear when you are starting something new and unknown!

I'm so thankful that God put the role of being a mother in my life and on my heart, and that Shane has encouraged me to fulfill it. What a huge blessing and not one I take for granted!

A little walk...

Today was a great day for a walk! Zay and I had quite a fun time being out and about in the neighborhood!

Getting ready to go...I told Zay he had to wear a hat since it was a little chilly outside...he went and found his UNI hat, and was walking around with it on top of his head...

Our walk started out with eating an afternoon snack...apples!

Towards the end of our walk, Zay was needing a little more entertainment. So we started to gather leaves - all different shapes, sizes and colors!!! Zay was like a manual-mulch machine...he would tear each leaf into tiny pieces.

Zay - bringing it home for me! Once we got to the driveway, Zay got to push the stroller to the garage.

After our walk we played in the backyard for awhile. Zay was testing me...he'd go to the back of our yard, take off his hat...then he'd put his hat back on before he'd come back to me. Most of the time his hat would be pulled over his eyes on his way back!

A final farewell to INVISION Architecture

..."beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most."

-Hope Floats

Yesterday was my last day as a working mom.

Oh man...it was harder than I thought it was going to be! I was so sad to leave there for the last time.

I feel so blessed to have worked for such a great company for the last 4+ years. I've built some great friendships and will miss seeing everyone so much!

I can't believe how much they spoiled me during my last week!

I enjoyed not one but TWO farewell lunches...one of which was a celebration with the entire office! Coffee at Cottonwood Canyon with my boss on my last day. Multiple treats at breaktime! And even gifts!

So many people said so many kind words, which makes it so hard to leave. But an email from my husband brought me back to the reason for the change..."You will be missed there by everyone, but their loss is Zay and my gain. I love you."

A final picture with me and (most) of the crew! (Notice the conference table...yes that is a makeshift ping pong table - that is how fun our office is!)

Our administrative team out to lunch.

A picture with one of my favorite coworkers - Hovey!

Hovey is one of the original partners of the firm. He is 85 years old and still comes to work EVERY day! (Before we moved to our new office, he WALKED 10 flights of stairs to get to our office everyday!) He is an amazing guy and I hope that when I'm in my 80s, I am still skiing, running, working, and making a huge difference to the people around me like he has!!! His words to me...

Jackee – I have more “thanks” to give you than you can ever have for me. How many times have you fixed my computer problems? Let’s see:

4 years x 10 months x 20 days x 7.50 hours = 6,000 hours you were there to solve my problems. So I have at least 6,000 hours to thank you for. It was great to have you here.

I wish you good luck in your new situation and know you will make to most of it.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank

( you get my response to your stay with us)

And on my last day my coworkers gave me this framed art...hard to see but everyone's picture is on there and it says:

"We can no other answer make, but thanks and thanks." - William Shakespeare

Grateful to have worked there, thankful to have met so many fabulous people, and excited to stay in touch with everyone!

Farewell INVISION!!

22 Month Update!

I have been meaning to write a little update on Zay for months now, but somehow time just keeps getting away from me! Sorry this is such a long post, but I want to try to get all the fun little memories down while they are fresh in my mind!

Isaiah James – you are getting to be such an independent little boy. And where did the time go...you are closing in on your 2nd birthday! You continue to figure out your fabulous little world one day at a time. I love your innocence, your smile, your charm, your curiosity, your humor and your determination.

You are fantastic at sharing – but it is usually with the dogs, so you get in trouble for this. The dogs make you SO happy, but usually make Mommy SO frustrated. All three of you get in cahoots together and some days it’s all I can do to stay sane.

You continue to be such a happy little boy. There just isn’t a lot that gets you down. Even when you get in trouble and have to go stand in the corner (timeout), you do so willingly. We generally will give you a warning that you are doing something you shouldn’t and if you don’t listen we say “Corner!”, and off you trot! I’m amazed how HARD it is to discipline you consistently, however I can already see the rewards we have reaped because of our consistency. A lot of times it is hard for me to keep a straight face while correcting you. And it hardly seems fair that I laugh at you and then discipline you for doing it! Somehow we have found a good balance and Mommy is continually working on her maturity as well! Overall, I think you are growing up to be a very polite and well-mannered little boy.

Some other things that you have been up to, is talking. At least more than you were a few months ago! Recently your coined phrases include:

“my daddy” (about the only thing you are really possessive over is your daddy)

“mama, dada, mama, dada” (you will say this constantly until one of us comes and looks at what you have done or what you want to do)

“daddy vroom” (meaning, daddy drives)

“mama vroom” (mommy drives)

“Vroom” (tractor, train, big truck, semi)

“Bailey – haha!” (somehow everything Bailey does is really funny to you)

“Ball!” (you can spot a ball anywhere, and if it’s round it’s considered a ball. It’s clearly your favorite thing to be on the lookout for, and you get so excited when you find anything round!)

“Ball-ball” (This means football, because we watch football 24/7 in our house!)

“Thank you” (This isn’t recent or new, but you say it all the time without being told…accomplishment if you ask me!)

Side Note: Zay’s words are still not where they should be, but he is gaining more everyday and I’m so proud of him! I literally think he learns a new word each day. I’m realizing that Zay is definitely Shane and my child. If any of you know either of our histories, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that Zay doesn’t say a lot of words correctly or even at all. Shane had a speech impediment when he was young, and only said about 5 letters of the alphabet correctly when he entered kindergarten. Meeting him as an adult, you would NEVER guess this. And I, well I didn’t say any words when I was young, not because I couldn’t but because I was shy. I was hoping that maybe we would skip this challenge with Zay, but I’ve come to terms that this will be a little bit of a challenge for us. (Like we can’t handle a challenge or ten!) Overall, Zay just doesn’t talk a lot, and when he does say some phrases you have to know what he’s talking about because a lot of the time it really doesn’t sound anything at all like what it is supposed to. I will be meeting with our AEA teacher this Friday and she is giving me some suggestions on when we should get a Speech Pathologist involved. In my opinion it will be sooner rather than later in order to give Zay as much of a head start on learning how to say things correctly as we can. In the past I’ve been told we need to wait until he is at least 2, so we will see!

Despite the fact that you don’t say many words, you are as smart as a whip! It’s amazing the ways you can communicate without saying anything! You use your creativity to get your point across, which is quite impressive. Generally, you only have to be shown a new sign once and have it mastered the next time! We haven't introduced too many new signs, because we want you to speak, but I think you would rather use sign language in all cases. And I would say that you throws less temper-tantrums than most kids your age, which is surprising to me because you don’t even use language which is how most kids work through their frustrations. I think you completely understand almost everything we are saying. You follow multiple-step directions, and like to help out whenever and wherever you can! Your problem solving skills amaze me…and scare me! You are not afraid to do anything and anytime! Gives me a heart attack some days!

Potty time…well, we aren’t really there yet. But you did pee on the potty a month ago! Surprised us both! You thought it was the funniest thing and laughed so hard when mommy yelped in surprise to your little stream spraying all over! I hope I’m not ruining our ‘window of opportunity’, but I haven’t pushed this at all yet. I’m really just waiting until we are home fulltime together. I feel like I can be more consistent then. Right now, diapers are easy and they make me think you are still my little baby! Ha!

Outside time – wow, you LOVE to be outside!! It is a battle to get you inside when we get home from work/daycare! You chase after the dogs in the backyard, then want to swing, then want to sit at the patio table, our outside activities never ends! You love to be outdoors, and on beautiful days like today I just can’t blame you!

This leads to another favorite. Baths and showers…generally necessary because of massive amounts of outside time. Daddy and Mommy talk in a secret code around home. We are VERY careful when speaking of taking a bath or shower. Generally as soon as those words are spoken you are running to the bathroom and taking off your clothes! Hard not to love a little boy that likes to be clean!

Praying – we pray before dinner each night and you love to partake! You clasp your hands and hold them proudly above your head so everyone can see that you are praying. The other day, we were having breakfast together and Grandma Judy joined us at the table, but she wasn’t eating. I asked you if you would like to pray with me, and you quickly folded your hands and we began to pray. Suddenly you stopped us, and scowled at Grandma Judy because she wasn’t praying with us!!! Watch out people! If you are going to sit at our table you are going to have to pray…EVERYONE prays in this house! :)

Reading - I'm still amazed at how long you can sit still and let us (or insist that we) read a book. It’s the first thing you run to go get in the morning. This is another thing that will be so nice when we are home together – we won’t be rushed to read our books in the mornings! We can just read, read, read, and then read some more! Fine by me! My new favorite saying is "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents", makes me think of you and your love of books!

TV - Zay = big fan of the TV; Mom = not a big fan of the fact that Zay is a big fan of the TV! We limit the time you watch tv, but wowzers – you sure like your Sesame Street! You can tune out every other thing if that show is on. For this reason, I’m hoping that when we move, we will have a separate family room to put our gigantic TV in, so we won’t be so tempted to even turn it on during the day. And dare I say we skip getting cable in our new home…….? I’m not for sure, but it’s been discussed! HGTV and ESPN we will miss you, not to mention DVR! Don’t worry Zay, we should still be able to get Sesame Street! Eeek!

I can’t think of too many other things at the moment, but everyday is an incredible adventure with you, Zay. Never a dull moment! You make me smile each and every day. And at the end of the day you still like to cuddle before bedtime and are a champ about going to bed! We still a regular early morning risers, but like Daddy says - you are just excited to hang out with us each morning! :) Love you, Zay-Zay!!!

So long, folks!

Prayers for a stranger…

I’m all shook up. And I don’t mean in the kind of Elvis singing shook up way. I mean in the kind of way that I just witnessed a man laying on the ground minutes after he took a jump from the 3rd tier of a parking ramp in an attempt to commit suicide.

It’s funny how to some this will be just another news day in Waterloo. But today will undoubtedly influence me for some time to come. I observed so much in 15 minutes that it is hard for me to even put it into words.

I mostly learned about people.

I learned that there are people that will run to the nearest business to get help for an unaided man laying helplessly on a sidewalk.

I also learned that there can be a half a dozen people that will walk right past a debilitated man laying on the sidewalk, as if he weren't even there.

I learned that there are people that have the comprehension to call 911 in an emergency and stay calm and collected while providing whatever information they can discern.

I also learned that there are some people that will watch from the sidelines, unable to fully absorb the situation.

I learned there are people that will hold the hand of a stranger while he is hurting, helpless, and alone.

I also learned that there are people who won't come within an arms reach of a person in severe pain and who appears to have life issues.

I learned that there are people who will be overcome with emotion when moments of tragedy strike and chaos begins.

And I learned that there are people in this world who may not have the hope that I have in Jesus. People are desperate. People are fragile. People are helpless. People are in pain. And people are alone.

The entire situation made me think...next time I am walking by someone on the street – maybe all they need is a smile and maybe I can say just a little prayer for that person. Because you never know where they are at. They could be standing on the edge, ready to jump and you could be the difference for them...

Please pray for my stranger-friend.

Kisses

I LOVE...

getting and giving kisses from a cute little red-headed boy, named Zay! :)

Graham Crackers!

Last weekend I made Zay some homemade graham crackers! He loves them, and they are an easy snack! I think next time, I'll make more and keep a stash in the freezer for him!

My cutting skills aren't great...very uneven crackers!

Fresh out of the oven.

And ready to cool and then eat!

PKU Cooking Class - 2011

Last year we attended a cooking class to learn some tips, tricks, and tactics to cook lo-pro style! In case you don't remember - Zay looked like this....

Well this year we attended another one, and it was nice because Zay actually is old enough to eat the food we were cooking. Plus, this year's speakers/presenters had much more kid-friendly recipes for us to cook.

We made everything from a basic fruit salad, to yummy pumpkin donuts (baked, not fried...a little bit better for ya, right! Ha!)

We also made a cranberry dish that will go along with our Thanksgiving meal, and a fabulous squash dish. Plus, garlic bread that was AMAZING! Every single one of the dishes we made was fantastic and could easily be made for the entire family, not just the PKUer in the family. Lastly, we sampled some strawberry-mango ice cream - yumo!

Shane and Zay...during the nutritionist's presentation.

Smiling after trying some tasty food!

We received a cookbook for free since we attended the Lo-Pro Cooking Day, and then we bought Gina's first cookbook as well.

Some other random notes I took during the dietitian's presentation...

-90% of PKUer's protein is from their medical food and formula

-Simple carbs, are less nutritious, however have low phe. Complex carbs which are better for most of us have higher phe, so not as common in the PKU diet.

-Fats provide more energy that any other food and protects the body from colds and illness. Fats aren't all bad!

-Canola oil is better than olive oil, because it contains both omega 6 and omega 3, whereas olive oil only contains omega 3. These oils also contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are the good fats...unlike saturated fats.

-Trans fat = BAD...ok, we already knew that!

-Phytochemicals - part of fruits and veggies that help protect against heart disease and cancer.

-Trace metals help the body run smoothly (found in soil, so these are found in fruits/veggies that grow in the soil)

-www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org - website to check out!