tadpole adventure

Yesterday, a friend of ours invited us to take a hike in Meiners Oaks to search for tadpoles.


Even though we started out around 4pm, it was still pretty hot out there. Mind you, I was carrying baby Logan on my chest inside a black Ergo - whew!


When we finally reached the water, it was as if the angels were singing (at least for me). I was hoping that the watering hole would be a bit larger so that we could all cool off a bit - well, at least there was some shade.


We scooped up a few little guys and brought them home. Our mission is to keep them alive until they turn into frogs, at which time we plan on taking that hike again and returning them to Meiners Oaks.

organic mother's day

For a long while now, I've been thinking how nice it would be have a vegetable garden. I can imagine going out there with my kids, watering and watching the harvest grow and then picking them for our dining pleasure. I also secretly hope that this will encourage my daughter to eat more vegetables.

Well, today, my wonderful husband and daughter built a container garden for me!!!

Here is Ray sanding the edges of the posts that he had cut at 45 degrees to make the container more esthetically appealing


Dylann helping Dad - she is soooo strong!



Here it is, almost done. They are going to build 2 of these. Each one will be 4' x 6'.


And here are some of the vegetables we will be planting



Stay posted - we'll continue this project next weekend. Buying soil, planting the veggies, and getting dirty.

baby hats

Near the end of my pregnancy, I couldn't seem to keep my hands off of anything sweet so I decided to keep my hands busy knitting instead of shoveling fists full of chocolate biscuits into my mouth.

I think I knit about 5 hats that last month. Here are a couple of them:




I made a really cute hat for Dylann too, but I can't seem to get her to put it on for a quick photo.

First Beach Day of 2009

Yesterday was our first trip to the beach in months. Yes, we could have gone to the beach before April, but the weather was either too cool or I was just too pregnant, or baby Logan was just too little. It was also my birthday (yes, I'm 29 again).

Here is Dylann loving the beach and visiting me in the shade for a moment:



And here is Logan enjoying his first trip to the beach:



I swear, he does smile - I just can't seem to get it on camera yet.

love for baby brother

dylann has always been a very nurturing little girl, and now she has her own little real live baby doll.



sometimes she wants to help out a little bit too much, but i guess i can't complain - she loves her baby brother!

and baby makes four

Wow - has it really been 5 months since my last blog? How sad.

So much has happened, but the most exciting news is the arrival of little Logan. Dylann has baby brother! He came into the world on Friday, January 30th.


Here is my birth story:

First, let's just say that I wasn't the most pleasant pregnant woman. I was uncomfortable all the time - hot, swollen, and miserable. So by the time January rolled around, I was done being pregnant - even though my due date wasn't until February. And to top it off, during the last few weeks of January, Ventura got a heat wave. The normal 50-60 degree weather was nowhere to be found, only 80-90 degree, not good for me, weather - UGH!!!

I had my regular appointments with my midwife, Kathy Wingland (the best btw), and the Thursday before Logan arrived, I asked her if there was a way to get things progressing. She offered to strip my membranes, to which I said, yes, PLEASE!!!

That night I started having contractions at around 11pm. First every 10 minutes, but by 12am they were 3 minutes apart! My husband was in a panic thinking I might have the baby at the house or in the car on the way to the hospital - it was pretty funny.

After arriving at CMH, labor was progressing steadily and my midwife showed up at about 3am. She stayed by my side, as did Ray, until Logan was born at 7:32am.

I had the birth I had always wanted - drug free and allowed to move freely without an IV holding me down. Amazing what the human body can endure.

My Baby Turned 3!

Can't believe it's been 3 years since life without Dylann!



She turned 3 on the 7th and had a fabulous princess castle birthday party on Saturday. What a gorgeous day! I was ready for the weather to be on the slightly cooler side with some cloudy skies, but it was easily in the mid 70s with bright blue skies! Perfect weather for my little princess' party!



I had been planning her party for nearly a month and felt like I was running my own little sweatshop as I made tutus and knight tunics for all of her invited friends. But it was sooo worth all the effort!