Walsh World

Happy New Year!

2012-02-20T21:45:00.001-08:00

Yes, yes, I know it's late February- but I haven't blogged about our lives since Christmas! Sheesh!

What have I been doing all this time?! Oh, right, working, chasing a toddler around, growing a baby AND knitting! No wonder I haven't blogged in over two months.

Here is a picture of me taken in early January, where I'm roughly six and a half months pregnant. I look totally different now and I'll post more recent pictures as I work my way through my back log of photos.

Back to the New Year...how was yours? We didn't do much as far as ringing in 2012, which was nice. We were both exhausted from the fall semesters at our jobs and flying though the holidays right after that. So if I remember correctly, we watched a little dvr and went to sleep. It was wonderful.

After our *huge* New Year celebration, I skipped town for a night to visit my even-more-pregnant friend Brooke. We met up halfway between our towns and spent a night talking. Oh, and we had a delicious, leisurely, child-free meal. The only thing missing was a nice bottle of wine...

As soon as I returned, we jumped in the car and drove to Santa Cruz to visit Adaline's Grandma and Grandpa. We took a long stroll along West Cliff Drive and enjoyed the fresh sea air.

The next day we tried to go to a beach, but finding a beach was hard to do. This is a huge wave winter for the coast and most of the beaches were being sucked out by the currents. So we kept our distance and watched the 10-12 foot waves from the park in front of the beach.

Grandpa checking out the waves

As soon as we returned from Santa Cruz, we went back to work. All in all, it was a great holiday break, but we were all exhausted by the end. As all you parents know, traveling is hard, but traveling with a child (and two dogs!) is even harder.

Christmas Weekend

2011-12-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

As busy as the Christmas holiday is for us, I look forward to it every year. We spend Christmas Eve with my grandparents, my parents and my sister and her family. This year, Adaline's cousins showed her how to open her own presents. She was fascinated watching them tear through the paper and soon learned it was okay for her to do the same. It was non-stop fun!

Christmas Day breakfast is the one time each year that we get to see my extended family all in one place for a few hours. This year we were only missing one person!

Meet the Tornquist Family...

This is my dad's family: his parents, three brothers and one sister, their spouses, children and grandchildren. My dad and his siblings had a total of 10 children. We, the grandchildren, are currently up to 13 great-grandchildren (the newest being 5 weeks old) and still counting (our new April addition will be the 14th!)
It was wonderful to see everyone and I wish we could have spent more time with each family, but there simply wasn't enough time.
After packing up, we headed to the Walsh cabin for a cozy Christmas dinner. Adaline really enjoyed opening her presents and spending time with the family. The only thing missing was the snow :) Unfortunately, none of our pictures from that evening turned out- but trust me, we had a great night!
Merry Christmas! I hope your holiday was as enjoyable as ours was.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

~Happy holidays to you and yours~

I hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as Adaline enjoyed hers :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:45:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you! I hope you are able to spend today doing exactly what you want to be doing surrounded by people that you care about. Have a wonderful day!

Weekend Entertainment

2011-11-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

At some point in the weekend, we run to the window to watch the backyard show.

It never gets old for any of us :)

Pictures Taken on November 12, 2011

2011-11-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Doesn't everyone harvest tomatoes in November?

This year's weather has really messed up Travis' tomato season. He didn't get any tomatoes until August and now it's November and the plant is STILL producing.

Granted, it's a monster plant...

Travis calls it his beanstalk...

It's so tall and heavy it pulled the support spike over.

He planted six tomato plants this year, and only this one took off (thank goodness!) I love tomatoes as much as the next person, but could you imagine SIX of theses beasts?!

Halloween Weekend

2011-10-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Adaline was finally old enough to partake in the Halloween festivities this year. We crammed as much as we could into the weekend and she seemed to really like it! She was beyond exhausted at the end of every evening, but she still ran to put on her costume the next night, so I think she enjoyed herself.

We started Friday night at the local farmer's market trick-or-treat event. Adaline was really leery of the whole thing until her cousins and their friends showed up- then she was completely willing to follow them around to all the booths!

Thanks for the great event, Turlock! Perfect for our little family :)

The next night we joined my sister and her kids at a local church for a Trunk-o-Treat event. So many churches in our area were putting on similar events it was really hard to decide which one we should go to. One of my friends told us that her church (a really large church) puts on a huge event; that was the one I was interested in, but it sounded a little overwhelming, so we opted for my sister and her friend's church which is much, much smaller. It was wonderful! Since the weather was so nice (78 on October 30th!), the event was mainly held outdoors and consisted of cute little game booths that were adjustable to any age- even Adaline was able to do them! She tried every one (except throwing darts at balloons...just a little to much for her) and even looked like she was having fun. Amazing since we were almost an hour past bed time! I wasn't able to take any pictures of that event because I had to help Adaline with the games, but we had fun.

Sunday afternoon we visited our local pumpkin patch to pick out a few pumpkins and take some pictures. We were successful with the pumpkins, not so much with the pictures...

Picking out the perfect pumpkins

obviously she takes after her Grandpa Great, the Tractor Guru

This was the perfect spot for a few pictures...

but she was not having any part of it.

Trying to find her pumpkin...

Found it!

Helping decorate the front porch

Again...I think she had a good time!

And finally, the actual Halloween night went by much to quickly. Being that bedtime is 6:30 and it didn't get dark until about then, we did not go full on trick-or-treating like we had planned. We visited our cousins, stopped by a party we were invited to, and went to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Travis borrowed Trace's costume at Hayley's house

At our second stop we realized it was a little confusing to Adaline to only trick-or-treat at friend's houses. She walked right into every house we stopped at! We'll work on that next year :)

Hanging with the big boys :)

and waving to Grandpa who was mowing the lawn at our last stop.

It was so fun to see Adaline experience the whole thing, but I have to admit I'm a little nervous for next year when she's going to want to actually eat her candy! Happy Halloween, everyone!

Addicted

2011-10-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

I know she's a bit young for an addiction, but I don't know how else to describe her relationship with the swing. The moment she wakes up in the morning, she asks to go outside to swing. The moment we get home in the afternoon, she asks to go outside to swing. And boy do we swing...she asks for more and more until I cringe at how high Travis can get her to go. She LOVES it!

On a side note, did you catch a glimpse of those shoes?!

Aren't they the cutest things ever? We picked them up this summer when we were on vacation in SLO at the cutest sock store ever. The owner has recently expanded into the world of the internet, so now we get to shop from home (which I did just this morning, in fact! I'm expecting part of Adaline's Halloween costume in the mail Thursday from them.) The Sock Drawer has everything...in fact some of our Halloween decorations are from them, too. Who doesn't smile when they're looking at a sock monkey dressed as a pumpkin?

About Face...

2011-10-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was never a mom that wanted my daughter to wear bows or clips and things. It's not that I didn't want her to wear them, it's that I didn't really think about it. Well, until Adaline's hair was long enough to cover her eyes. Then I tried to put clips in her hair to keep the hair aside so I could see her beautiful eyes. Why? Not because I wanted bows or clips in her hair, but because I really didn't want to give Adaline bangs. She has this funky cowlick and all bangs do is highlight it. But I had to give her bangs because she refused to leave clips in her hair. She would pull them out, and hair would come with it. So I stopped putting clips in. I mean, really, she doesn't have that much hair to lose!

But then...my dad came over one night to visit. He was talking to Travis about his day, when Adaline walked up and handed him a clip she found in her room. It was a cute, blue and white polka dot bow clip. He looked down, took it, and put it in his buzz cut hair, never stopping his conversation with Travis. Adaline just stared at him in wonder. He left it there for the rest of the visit and only gave it back as he was leaving. It was funny but we didn't really make a big deal of it.

An hour later as we were getting Adaline ready for bed, she reached for the cup of clips that she likes to play with (and not wear) while we're on the changing table. This time, she picked one up, handed it to me, and said, "Help, Mama!" So I put it in her hair. She looked at it in the mirror, then grabbed another and did it again. She repeated this process until her cup was empty and her hair was full! I grabbed my camera to document it; she spent so much time looking at herself in the mirror and reaching up to touch her clips.

Ever since that night Adaline has allowed me to put clips in her hair. She still doesn't wear them all day, but she leaves them in for much longer than before Grandpa wore her clip. I can't believe I didn't realize it before that night- why would Adaline leave clips in her hair? She had never seen anyone around here wearing clips before. Thank goodness my dad is such a playful grandpa!

Practicing...

2011-10-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Look at our big girl!

As I've said before, she loves her baby dolls.

She kisses them,

and rocks them.

I hope all this practice pays off in April when we bring home a real live baby!

I'll Never Understand...

2011-10-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Tanner has a big bed outside where he sleeps most nights.
Tanner has a big bed inside where he sleeps on cold nights.
Dotti has one little bed inside that she never sleeps in.
Which bed does Tanner decide he wants?
The little itty-bitty cat bed, of course.
Look, he fits in it just fine! He even looks cozy! I mean, a dog doesn't really need to keep his tail in bed, does he?!

Reblog This

2011-09-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I follow is the spouse of a person with depression. He posted it today with the request that his readers reblog it. As an educator, I feel the need to share. I ask my readers to please do the same!

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433

LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272

Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

The Kids

2011-09-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

When we're talking of my niece and nephew we call them "The Kids." So whenever we see them, Adaline calls out, "The kids!" Then points to each one and tries to say their names. She has Trace's name down, but the L in Laura's name gives her a lot of trouble. Doesn't stop them from having a good time :)

Who doesn't love coloring?

This was the quietest they were for the whole visit. Everyone shared, and everyone had a good time. I hope we get to visit again soon!

Thanks, Hilary!

2011-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

When Adaline was around 6 weeks old, she received this beautiful hand-knit bunny from an old friend, Hilary. Adaline LOVES it! She carries Bunny around the house by the arm or under her arm, puts him in the chair next to her when it's time to eat, and even puts Bunny down for "Nigh-Nigh" with a little blanket. She loves him so much his little pom-pom tail is getting lose. He is just the right size for a toddler :)
Thanks again, Hil!

Ducky Derby 2011

2011-09-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we spent a few hours in Twain Harte at the annual Ducky Derby. We knew there were afternoon thunderstorms headed our way, but we chanced it anyway. I'm so glad we did. Personally, I love thunderstorms, and watching one quickly blow in over the mountain range and over the lake was amazing. We went from calm, warm weather to windy, cold weather in minutes! Didn't stop us from having fun, though...

The storm just off the lake, when we arrived.

Adaline LOVES little yellow duckies- her eyes lit up when she saw this giant one!

I love how this captured Adaline and Sara chatting on the beach.

...and this captured Ed and Travis chatting on the bridge/dam.

The storm picked up speed as it dropped over the lake.

Travis and Adaline charging across the dam at Adaline's full running speed.

Just in time to see the duckies being released.

The smallest shirts they had were children's smalls, which is still a few years off for us. I hope we're still going in a few years so we can get one for Adaline.

Just after the ducks were released the storm hit us and thunder and lightening were right over us (a little scary, but so amazing to see!)

We took shelter on the beach to watch the rest of the race and the storm.
I loved it- and I think Adaline did too, once we had her wrapped up in her sweater and blanket. Here's to next year's derby!

Smile!

2011-09-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Adaline has been working on her smile the last couple of days. When I pull the camera out, she smiles dramatically and says "eeezzzeee!"

I don't know care which smile she uses...I love all of them.

September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

It has been 10 years since September 11, 2001 but it feels like it has only been days.

Everywhere I turn I hear people talking about where they were when they heard the news of the attacks on the towers. I can't help but remember where I was. I don't want to say too much about the event or where we all are now, because I think a lot of people have already done that. What I write below is what I choose to remember and keep in my heart.

I was in my junior year at UCSC, living off campus with a friend. My boyfriend woke me up with a phone call and the words, "We're under attack. Turn on the TV." I responded- still groggy- with, "What? Why? What channel?" He said, "It doesn't matter."

He was right. It was on every channel. I saw the first tower go down, and I asked him, "When did this happen?" He said, "Now. It's happening now."

Thinking back to that day, it was the last comment that was the most powerful for me. Seeing such a tragedy in real time made me experience it in such an emotional manner. So much so that when Travis and I visited Ground Zero a year and a half later, just seeing the steel cross made me cry. I didn't know anyone who died as a result of that day, but I think we all lost a piece of our innocence.

My heart and prayers go out to all the victims and survivors of September 11, 2001.

"Nummmmm"

2011-09-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

That's what Adaline says when she thinks something's yummy...

...who doesn't think a chocolate chip cookie is yummy???

Lazy Sunday...

2011-08-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

...well, lazy Sunday afternoon. I had such a great weekend! Things are so fast-paced at work right now that all I want to do on the weekends is stay home and play with my daughter. Real life prevents me from doing that all weekend, but we're doing a great job at reserving at least part of the weekend for just the three of us.
We started our weekend on Friday evening at Ironstone Vineyard watching Allen Jackson. What an amazing show- and such a beautiful venue! It was my first time to Ironstone and I was blown away at how perfect it was for a small concert. It's the same idea as Shoreline Amphitheater, but much smaller (which, I think, makes it much better.) It had been something like 97 in Murphys so we were prepared to sit and be hot, but it was perfect! As soon as the sun went down, it was a pleasant mountain evening.
Alan Jackson was a great performer, too- because he didn't perform- he sang. It wasn't a big dance-around-the-stage-to-entertain kind of show. It was a stand and sing like-you-really-enjoy-your-job kind of show. He sounded as good as, if not better than he does on the radio.

You can't see much in the video, but you can hear how great he sounds. We had lawn seats and we didn't get to see a lot of the stage because so many people were up dancing, but it was still a lot of fun. Going to any concert is fun for me :)

Saturday we slept in until EIGHT!! I haven't done that in two years!!! That was almost the best part of the weekend ;P
We spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning doing all of our typical weekend things just so we could spend Sunday afternoon lounging in our new pool.

Technically, the pool's not new- it's 60+ years like the rest of the house...but it feels like new after all the hard work my dad put into it. It's the first time the pool has had clean water in it for at least 5 years. When we moved in, it looked like a lagoon (and smelled like one, too.) Now, the water is crystal clear and so refreshing!
We're still trying to get Adaline comfortable with being in big pools. She loves the little wading pool that we have, but she gets really clingy anytime we swim in a big pool. After some time she relaxes, but it takes awhile.

Go, Dog, Go!

2011-08-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, my Grandma Laura had a tattered copy of Go, Dog, Go! that my sister, cousin, and I would ask her to read to us as often as possible. I don't know why I loved the book so much, but to this day, my sister and I reference the book in normal conversation more often than I'd like to admit.

Anyway, now that we own our own copy of the book, I love it all over again- and this time I know why!

It's such an educational book. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, conversation turn-taking, counting, colors, sizes, and more, I'm sure. I want to go get the book and flip through it now so I can write all of it down, but it's in the same room as a sleeping child and that's just where it's going to stay ;P

I think Grandma Laura would be happy that another generation is enjoying Go, Dog, Go!
I know I am.

Yippee!

2011-08-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

We will have a functioning pool by the time I get home from work today! Whoo-hoo!

Summer Fun

2011-08-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

First off- LOOK AT ALL THOSE TEETH!

(Don't pay attention to any other part of the pic- this doesn't look a thing like her, but it shows her teeth!)

While looking through my pictures, I realized I never posted on these beauties. I took them two weeks ago and intended on posting them, but time got away from me. Well, actually, school started and I'm swamped...and will be until at least October.
During the school year, we both work full time so the weekends are incredibly special to us. Our social lives get put on hold (yeah, I know, we DO have social lives....really, we do!), we don't see family as much as we'd like to, we don't get to do fun things (brewing, knitting, taking pictures...) and we're exhausted from the busy demands of the week. In other words, we're just like every other working family :) If you have little kids now, or ever had little kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Always too much to do and not enough time to do it. So when theses small moments creep up on me, I try my hardest to capture them to share with all of you, since we're not always available to share them with you in person.

Anyway, back to the end of July...it wasn't particularly hot (which is unusual), but we dragged out the mini pool and spent an afternoon playing in the water. Adaline LOVES it! She climbs in and out in and out in and out, then sits down and plays. Then calls the dogs over to play. Then calls the cat over to play.

Here, Adaline is showing me how her elephant (aka- "Alphnt") can spray water.

I savor every moment I get to spend with this precious little girl.

Here's to a few more warm-weather weekends!

While Mommy's Away....

2011-08-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

...Daddy and Big Girl Play :)

I've been back at work for 3 weeks now, and Travis is just now going back to work. Lucky duck had NINE WEEKS OFF this summer. *SIGH*

Any-who...Travis and Adaline have commandeered my laundry basket and made it a spaceship (complete with sound effects from both parties.)

Now, every time Adaline sees the laundry basket she climbs inside, holds on to the side and calls out...

"DADEEEEE!!!!"

He come running and flies her around the house a couple of times.

She squeals and laughs and asks for (and gets) more.

After a looooong day of work, this was just what I needed to witness.

Nothing rejuvenates me like my family laughing.

This gave me goosebumps...

2011-08-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

The Most Aggressive Defense of Teachers You'll Hear This Year

I saw this video on Facebook and wanted to make sure my non-Facebook friends and family (can you believe there are still people who fit into that category?!) were able to see it.

I LOVE this man's conviction. I hope every teacher I know shows this to their class on the first day of school...well, at least the older kids.

Little Weekend Warrior

2011-08-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of desk work, I asked Travis if we could hike around Pinecrest Lake so I could stretch my legs. We arrived at 10:30 in the morning and snagged the last parking spot (it was so busy!) Adaline was so excited to see all the people and dogs hanging out on the beach.

After our hike we pulled off our shoes and soaked our feet in the freezing water. Adaline has just recently decided she likes water and she splashed around so much she fell down and soaked herself. She didn't cry, just sucked in a breath- I think because the water was soooo cold! This late in the summer the water is usually chilly, but this was just plain COLD!
We met up with my family for an early dinner on the deck of the cabin. Of course we played for some time before dinner...
My dad picked up a tent at a yard sale for the kids to play in on the deck, only to find out it was missing the poles! Would my dad let that stand in his way of a good time? Of course not! This was the result...

Hours of fun...

What could possibly get a little boy to laugh like this?

A grandpa ticking him like this!

Dinner was delicious AND entertaining :)

Nothing says summer like watermelon~

After dinner we went to the Twain Harte Concert in the Pines and listened to a great Blues Bayou Band.

(Yes, I finally broke down and cut bangs on Adaline; as much as disliked my own bangs growing up, I couldn't stand not seeing her eyes anymore. Mom, I understand now.)

Love this young girl playing in the band- she was good, too!

Our concert buddies

Can you see the family resemblance?

Trace was rocking out on the blanket, and was the first one ready to dance.

Adaline's first time on the dance floor; she was a hit. She had so many people come over to give her high-fives.

I really enjoy going to the concert in the pines. I love being surrounded by people who just want to visit and enjoy good music. Everyone is friendly and happy and you can have a really nice conversation with any stranger sitting next to you. By the end of the event, I always walk away feeling like I've gained a few more friends. These days, we don't get to stay for the whole thing because it starts AT Adaline's bedtime, but we try to stay as long as possible. This time we were able to make it all the way to 8pm! There are only a few more concerts left and I hope we can make it to at least one more.

Back to Work

2011-07-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

I just completed my first week back from vacation, and as much as I love my job, I love vacation, too. It was really hard for me to get back into the work routine because none of my kiddos are around AND because Travis and Adaline are still at home.
I spent the entire week in the office doing research and reviewing cases for the upcoming year. It's so hard for me to sit at a desk all day everyday. During the school year, I'm all over the place: at one of my school sites, doing assessments, on the floor with the kids, joining in at recess or circle time...It's not until after school hours that I sit down at a desk to write my reports, check my email, create trainings or collaborate with my co-workers. So, as you can understand, I get antsy when I sit in front of my computer or my files for 40 hours. Ugh. My muscles even hurt from being in the same position allllllll day.
Travis tried to help lighten up my first week back by bringing in Adaline- and it worked! They only stayed a few minutes, but just holding Adaline and taking her around to say hi to my current office-mates put a smile on my face.
Speaking of Miss Adaline, she had quite the busy day! She went out to Travis's school for a quick informal meeting with his department, came out to visit me, went to the bike store, the post office, the grocery store AND played with Grandpa Walsh! What a day! Travis said Grandpa and Adaline had a great visit; Grandpa came in and said hi to her, but then spent some time talking to Travis so Adaline could warm up to him and warm up to him she did! After a couple of minutes, she was talking and playing and generally showing off for Grandpa. How exciting :) Wish I could have been there to see it!
Next week will be better, now that I'm back in the work-mode, I'm ready to go. I have quite a few upcoming projects to do and I'm ready to do them! Until then, I'm going to enjoy my weekend with my family...
Happy weekend to you!

My Definition of SuperDad:

2011-07-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

The ability to multi-task: Live, Love, Laugh, Comfort, Clean, and Create.

aka: Travis

YUM!

2011-07-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Travis's tomatoes are in!

Good thing his basil plants are healthy, too...

Who Wants Sum Beer?

2011-07-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

And what kind do you want???

As much as I hate the smell of beer brewing, I love the results.

Typical Sunday Morning...

2011-07-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Next thing you know, she'll be asking us to pass her the business section.

Stan Co. Fair 2011

2011-07-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my dad, we were able to go to the fair on opening day as the gates were opening, without waiting in line for our tickets. I LOVE that we were able to take Adaline to the petting zoo while it was still clean, the staff were still happy, the animals weren't too stressed, and there wasn't an overwhelming amount of people milling around. Perfect for us!

We quickly searched for our entered items and discovered that we did well for first timers! Travis took first place for his fish stamp (pictured below) and was awarded two honorable mentions for his home-brews (California Common and a pale ale).

I picked up honorable mentions for all three of the photos that I entered! Pretty good for my first time entering photos, if I do say so myself!

I knew my pictures weren't great photography-wise when I entered them and I didn't expect to win anything, but all three of them are special to me and represent touching moments in my packed life. I love how the photos turned out and I love that the one of Adaline and Maddie was displayed at the entry to the photography area. Within minutes, I overheard three different people point to it and say something along the lines of "Awwwww, how cute!" I know I'm tooting my own horn, but it IS a photo of my baby, and I LOVE IT. Warmed my heart to overhear others commenting on it, too. I also love that I can hear Clint Black playing live at the fair from the couch in my living room as I write this post. Who doesn't love the fair?!
*Thanks again, Dad, for making it easier for us to experience the fair while the weather was cool!

7.4.11

2011-07-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

This year, we spent July 4th doing almost the exact same thing as last year (when you think about it, doesn't everyone?)

We tortured ourselves with a hot, dusty, strenuous 5K in Murphy's at Twisted Oak's Hernia Hill. The actual winery/tasting room is at the top of a pothole-filled drive. There are multiple courses (5K, 10K, and 1/2 marathon) but we stick to the the short course. It's *only* two laps, which means we crawl up Hernia Hill not once, but twice, which gives us even more time to ponder why we willingly signed up for this course when we already knew what was in store. Oh boy. How the heck did I run this last year just months after giving birth?! I don't remember what my actual time was last year, but I think I did better back then than I did this year. Of course I had Tanner running with me this year. Oh yes, my usual running mate Tanner decided he didn't want to stay in the truck bed with Belle like he did last year. As I started the second lap, I passed by our truck and waved at the dogs. Next thing I know, the dogs in a truck in front of me are being restrained by their owner as I near him. Strange, they didn't seem bothered by the runner in front of me going by, so I look back and sure enough here comes Tanner, high-tailing it (hahaha) after me looking so proud of himself. I had two choices- 1) stop and back track, struggle with the tailgate, try and convince Tanner to jump back in the truck because it's way more fun in there, struggle to close it, then rejoin the race, or 2) keep going. After a moment's thought, I realized Tanner would be experiencing his own punishment by continuing the run with me. So off we went. He did pretty well, too! He kept trying to run up to the guy in front of me- I think he thought it was Travis, because as soon as the guy would look down and smile, Tanner would totally slow down and keep pace with me. I kept laughing (which must be the real reason for my slow time, yeah, that's it!) and kept trying to keep him by me as we passed the cheering crowds. It was all worth it when we rounded the last corner and saw Travis with a look of surprise on his face. I wish we had a picture of Tanner crossing the finish line...

Anyway, after the eventful morning, we spend the day relaxing at my parents' cabin; my dad barbecued some delicious ribs and my mom created some mouth-watering side dishes. We filled up then headed out to the Twaine Hart Concert in the Park.

Adaline had fun showing her patriotism...

We had some tasty wine, thanks to Les!

After sufficient time spent waving the flag, Adaline curled up for some chair-dancing.

This last picture was taken at last year's July 4th concert- I still can't believe it's only been a year.

It was another great holiday! I hope you enjoyed your holiday as much as we did.

P.S. Travis placed second in his age division! Congrats to him!

Happy (Belated) Anniversary to Us!

2011-07-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

*I know I'm jumping all over the calendar with my posts, but we've packed so much into the last four weeks that I'm having trouble documenting it all in an understandable way! The July 4th post is still waiting in the wings- but for now, I want to back up to mid-June to revisit a special day...

June 19, 2004 was the day Travis and I publicly admitted what we have known since March 1999.

We are meant for each other.

Look how young we were!

Our anniversary fell on Father's Day this year, so we celebrated Father's Day all day. We actually spent the whole week celebrating our family, and honored our day of marriage one evening with this amazing wine from our secret stash.

As much as I love spending our time and attention on our little family, I still really enjoy making time for just Travis and myself. We both work so hard to make other people happy that it feels like such a treasure to spend one night on ourselves.

Here's to 12.5 years of TravisandMargo, eight years of schooling, seven years of marriage, one year of pregnancy, 16 months of Beautiful Adaline, and the last 4 weeks of vacation. I love you, Travis, and I look forward to the next 60+ years of our lives.

Fair Season

2011-07-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

We met up with Aunt Sara in Sonora for her birthday yesterday. There's not much to do in Sonora, so we decided to take Adaline to the fair. She went with us last year to the Stanislaus County Fair, but she was so little we didn't really get a reaction from her. Sonora was perfect for this year! It was big enough to have all the fair "must-haves"but small enough that all the FFA kids were willing to share their animals with Adaline for a few moments.
Here are a few pics Travis took with his cell phone camera-
Adaline and the "kitties" (what she calls all bunnies in our books)...

Adaline, my hat, and the one goat that wanted to visit.

Birthday Girl Sara, Adaline, and the goat...

It was such a great experience~ the perfect size to introduce Adaline to livestock. I can't wait to take her back to the Stanislaus County Fair next week and see what she thinks of the Big Fair.
Again, Happy Birthday Sara! We were so happy you were able to share your day with us!

7.9.11

2011-07-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

Not only is it a mathematically beautiful day (so I'm told by my husband), but it's my favorite sister-in-law's birthday!
Happy Birthday, Sara; thank you for spending your afternoon with us!

Avila Beach, Continued....

2011-07-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

The one request I had for vacation was beach time. I didn't care how long or how many days we spent at the beach, I just wanted to sink my toes in the sand and soak up the warm sun. I was a little worried that Adaline wouldn't like the sand, but she was all for it!

True to form, she spent a few minutes assessing her situation.

Then she started waving at everyone passing by.

Daddy sat down next to her and confirmed that that they both have the fairest skin of all.

Adaline dove right into the sand with her new toys. I didn't even have to show her how to use them!

She let Daddy play with her, but notice who has the big shovel and who has the little one...(we all know who's in charge here!)

Venturing away from the towels...

...yep, more sand.

This is what happened when I said we were going to go soon. She dramatically threw her toys and dropped down on the blanket with a wail of protest.

Turns out she really does like the beach :)

Avila Beach

2011-07-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoons, Avila Beach hosts a charming little farmer's market. It starts at four and is filled with fruits, veggies, sweets and meats. We met up with our friends, the Phares and their darling little girls. The live band was great, but the real entertainment were the dancing girls :) After a few days alone with us, Adaline was thrilled to play with other kids- and we were thrilled with the adult time!

Makenna is just one month younger than Adaline, and Maddie is two years older. They had so much fun talking and dancing...

Michelle and Makenna~ the crowd and band loved her moves!

Travis and Mike~ friends since 1993

Snack time at stroller corral

Thank you, Phares Family! We had a blast...hope to see you again soon!

Summer Vacation 2011

2011-07-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

This year Travis and I picked Los Osos as our vacation destination. We knew next to nothing about it...just that it was minutes away from Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, and backed up to Montana de Oro State Park. We didn't know much, but we knew enough about the surrounding areas to be confident that we would find plenty of places to visit if our vacation rental was less than enjoyable. We were happy with the rental, but we still found plenty of time to explore the surrounding areas. We took the whole family (almost, we had to leave Dotti at home) in the truck with Travis's new self-built lumber rack to carry all our stuff, baby stuff, dog stuff, and surf boards.

Adaline quickly claimed "her" chair at the house.

We stopped at Morro Bay a couple of times to play on the beach and so Travis could surf.

We even found a couple of baby sand dollars.

Still more to come!

Happy Birthday, Travis!

2011-06-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been packed full so I'm a *tad* bit late posting about Travis' birthday... It has actually been birthday month for the old guy, so I'm not feeling so bad :)

We kicked off the month celebrating with Travis's family in Sonora. We had a great dinner at Diamondback Bar and Grill (always delicious!) No one had a camera, so I don't have any pictures to post of the little gathering :(

The week of Travis's birthday, my family helped me throw Travis another birthday dinner. I say "helped," but what I really mean is hosted. I was in my last few days of work for the school year (which are always so busy my head spins) and we already had plans to leave town for the weekend (more on that later), so my mom helped me out with alllll the preparation. The dinner was incredibly enjoyable, and Adaline hung in there like a champ, even though we were a half hour past her bed time (that girl is routine oriented!)

Here are a few of pictures I was able to take from the evening.

The Birthday Boy (why yes, that is a tractor behind him...)

The big kids teaching Adaline how to ride a bike- I LOVE Laura's expression here. It looks like she's going to crash, but I took a quick succession of shots, and she didn't. She must have expected it, though.

Here we are, matchy-matchy again.

Don't you love the alligator on the table?

Laura was brave and tried cucumbers (and liked them!)

The Lauras... Isn't it amazing how much my mom and sister look alike as they're both looking at Laura?

Adaline "helped" Daddy with his piece of cake- and by helped I mean ate the entire thing...

...and Trace thought it was funny that she made such a mess :)

Laura helped Travis open his gifts...

...an awesome shirt (Dads Against Daughter's Dating)...

...and the BBQ he has been drooling over for months!

It was a great night!

Happy Birthday, my love, I wish I could have thrown you a birthday party where all your friends and family are together, but it just wasn't in the cards this year. I fear your friends would think us strange if I invite them all over then say, "But you have to leave by 9 because that's when we fall into bed exhausted." Hopefully we'll be able to stay up later in the years to come ;P

Dancing shoes

2011-06-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Look who put on her first pair of Converse...

No really, she put them on herself!

...maybe not on the right feet, but she still managed to get them on :)

Swimsuit Season

2011-06-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to cousin Laura, Adaline has a plethora of swimsuit options this year. Laura passed down the first two suits and I picked up the last suit for full days in the sun.

Up until now, Adaline has had Travis's skin tone. Instead of tanning, Travis burns then freckles. I turn a little pink, but it fades into a nice tan after a day or so. I've been slathering on the sunscreen every day for fear of Adaline burning her porcelain skin. After a week on the coast, she came home with a great little tan! I was a little sad about it, too. Her unmarred skin has now been sun-kissed.
More vacation photos to come...

Spotted!

2011-06-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Adaline was playing and laughing and dancing around with her toys until she spotted me with the camera...then she played coy. At home, she's such a playful little girl; she laughs and talks and becomes so silly. But as soon as anyone else watches her, she runs to Travis or my side for safety. Not that many people see Adaline's true personality. I find that she responds much better to people when they sort of ignore her...when people-anyone-comes right up to her and expects a response from her she pulls back. When people approach us, say hi to her, then turn and talk to us, she spends the time studying them and assessing the situation. After a few minutes, she initiates interactions...waving hi, or sharing a toy. It's nothing personal, she's just slow to warm up. I, for one, am happy about it. It's a natural safety precaution that I will not try to get her to change. I'd rather her be shy and safe than teach her to override her instincts. So, if you see us around, I recommend you nonchalantly say hi to her, then ignore her for a little bit...trust me when I say she'll come around quickly.

Happy Father's Day and Happy Anniversary!

2011-06-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful, supportive, loving father- a man I know I can always turn to, whether it be to help fix the whatever (because he really can fix everything) or to listen when I'm having a hard time with life. My dad always has the best answer for me, and I know his answers are based in love.
Happy Father's Day, Dad! I love you!

I also get to wish my husband of 7 years (today!) a Happy Father's Day! He is the natural father I knew he would be. He loves Adaline with all his heart and it shows every time he looks at her.
Happy Anniversary, Travis, here's to another wonderful, eventful year!

Hair troubles...

2011-06-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

I still don't know what to do with this hair.

Dolly

2011-06-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Adaline loves her Dolly. She makes sure Dolly says hi to the dogs by holding her up to the door...

She takes Dolly dancing...

And when Adaline's done playing with Dolly, she gently lays her down.

If only we all had best friends like Adaline.

The Mother of All Teddy Bears...

2011-06-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Adaline doesn't discriminate. She loves all stuffed animals and dolls...even the ones 5 times her size!

You never know what you'll find in your local Costco...

Memorial Weekend 2011

2011-06-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to post these pictures! Over Memorial Weekend, I cashed in a Mother's Day IOU to the new ice cream shop down the street. Adaline had her first taste of ice cream shake, and she LOVED it.

After our shake, we took a break to soak up some rays in the backyard.

Usually we hike around Pinecrest Lake on Memorial Weekend, but we had other things to do this weekend, so we stuck around Turlock. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I think Adaline and Travis did, too.

Play time!

2011-06-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Who needs toys when you have empty boxes around?

Memorial Weekend, Continued

2011-05-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

We had an evening playdate with the Hall's today. Travis and I really enjoyed ourselves (I think the kids did too!) Jen and Brian cooked us a delicious dinner and Adaline played nice with the boys. Jackson was ever the gentleman- he took Adaline by the hand and gave her a tour of the house. He kindly shared all his toys with her and made sure she was happy at all times. Austin also shared his toys (much harder for a two-year-old, but he did it well!) and his big-boy bed...uh...that sounds kind of bad...what I mean is, he kindly allowed Adaline to crawl all over his toys and pillows and even showed her how to jump off the bed...hmmmm....that still sounds bad. Guess you had to be there...

I loved my non-stop gabfest with Jen, and Travis enjoyed playing with Jackon's Transformers.

...apparently, this is a really hard Transformer, and Travis finished it in a matter of minutes- much like he does with the Rubik's Cube. These are the times where I tell Travis his math is showing.

This was by far my favorite photo of the night- all three kids playing together.

We love you guys, and look forward to our next family playdate :)

A good book stays in my mind always...

2011-05-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

When I was in grade school, I feel in love with books. I would take out as many as our school librarian would allow and then go to the city library and take out as many as they would allow. My mom still talks about how I would routinely have four books going at once and still manage to keep all the story lines straight; she was also somewhat amazed that I would reread certain stories if I was ever *gasp* out of books. I still do that. I have a stack of books on my nightstand, a few in my car, and one in my knit bag. I don't know why... it's not like life would end if I didn't have something to read (...right?!) It takes me longer to get through books these days, but I still agonize over what book to start reading next. Anyway... back to grade school books... one of my first favorite books was Barbara Cooney's Miss Rumphius. I loved the illustrations and the thought that one person could make the world a more beautiful place.
Why am I telling you all this, you ask? Because I've found it! I've found where Miss Rumphius must have lived...

Okay, so they're not lupines but these wildflowers are still breathtaking. This is the path to one of our favorite beaches in Davenport. We have fallen into a delicious routine of stopping at Whale City Bakery Bar and Grill for a couple of coffees and fresh pastries on our way to this dog-friendly beach. If you're ever in the area, check out Davenport Landing. It's small, secluded and surfable (but sharky!!!)

Beach Time!

2011-05-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

The weather has finally started to warm up here. In one week we went from 80 to 67 and back to 81. We're taking a week-long trip to the beach this summer, so we decided we should expose Adaline to the sand before we go (how depressing would it be to get there and find out Adaline doesn't like sand?!) Even though it was warm back home, Santa Cruz was chilly.

First steps on the beach! Not sure what to think...

Then we saw the dogs running and playing~ everything was suddenly much better :)

More dogs! This beach thing must be okay...

Never too early for Travis to start teaching ocean safety

Hopefully Adaline will grow to love the beach as much as we do.

Weekend Getaway

2011-05-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip to Santa Cruz this weekend. We learned long ago to visit SC before or after Memorial Weekend, so this year we opted for before. We played with Grandpa and Grandma Walsh, played with the new toys, took a trip to the beach, and visited old friends. Adaline had such a good time she even slept through the night (she's not the greatest traveler and usually wakes repeatedly when we're away from home.) It was a fast trip, but a lot of fun!

Ed has been hard at work updating their house and every time we visit we see new beautiful things all around. This trip, we were able to see the new flooring in the front room~ it's so pretty!!!

*The big boxes in the middle of the room are actually bookcases that will flank the fireplace. Can't wait to see the final product, Ed!

We had lunch with one of Travis' oldest friend's family. Thank you, Lynn Family for the tasty lunch and long-overdue visit!

Pictures of the rest of the trip will be up soon...

Happy Birthday, Laura!

2011-05-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

My niece is 5 years old! Hayley had a great little princess birthday party for Laura's 5th birthday party.

Well, I think it was a great party...we spent most of the event chasing Adaline around the house (while she was chasing after the big kids!) The only time we could get Adaline to sit still was when she discovered Trace's big-boy bed. She LOVED it.

If she didn't move around so much in her sleep, I'd get her a big girl bed tomorrow!

Happy Birthday, Laura! It's going to be a great year :)

Hello, Dolly! Goodbye, Renee :(

2011-05-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

Travis and I went out to the Big Ol' City of Modesto to enjoy our friend Renee's musical voice one last time before she moves out of state. We've left Adaline with a sitter before, but now that she's older, I was afraid she'd be more upset with us leaving right before bedtime- nope. We have a *fantastic* babysitter who clicked with Adaline when she was an infant, and she has always done well with her (knock on wood for next time!!!!) Tonight was no exception, and Adaline had a great time at home while we had a great time listening to jazz.

We were pleasantly surprised with a visit from Carol Channing and her husband, Harry Kullijian. Apparently, they are close friends with Renee and her family and came to hear the farewell performance. It was not advertised that Carol would be there, but when she walked in, she still did her rounds and said hello to all the patrons. Harry was a crack up. He came over to say hi (even though Travis said, "Who's Carol Channing?) to us and even snacked on our sweet potato fries. He asked first, of course, but who would say no to Mr. Carol Channing (I wonder if he dislikes being called that? No offense intended, Mr. Kullijain!) I see Carol and Harry in Trader Joe's every once in awhile, which is sort of strange since I only go to TJ's once a month or so. Makes me wonder if we're on the same schedule or if they go A LOT...Anyway...

It was an enjoyable evening out and we came home to a sleeping baby~ what more could we ask for?!

Hope your Friday the Thirteenth was as happy as ours :)

In response to Hilary's comment in the last post...

2011-05-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I picked up some frowning smiley-face cookies on the day-old rack awhile back and thought it was so funny I took a picture. At least I knowingly purchased these boo-hoo-ers. How sad for you, Hil, that you received your's as a surprise!!!!

If I ever see them again I'm sending them to you, Hil!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

I had such a wonderful Mother's Day.

Woke up to a smiley baby and a loving husband,

then met up with my family at our favorite coffee shop/bakery.

Trace showing Travis the best cookies ever.

Adaline's first smiley face cookie (which she wouldn't even taste).

Grandpa and Grandma Great joined us for some pastries and coffee.

Hayley helping Trace and Laura make the hardest decision...what to pick?

And the rest of my day was spent playing with my baby and my mommy.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there...but especially to mine.

~Happy Early Mother's Day~

2011-05-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

Travis and I kicked off Mother's Day Weekend (yes, we get a whole weekend!) with one of our favorite hikes- around Pinecrest Lake. We tried to document the day as best as possible, but carrying around a camera is getting harder and harder as we find ourselves carrying more and more baby gear.

Beautiful day for a hike...

Pinecrest, 100 years ago (just kidding...I was just playing around with editing-I'm new at it!)

Some before shots

Adaline waved at every car arriving and leaving the parking lot- and almost everyone waved back.

Who wouldn't wave back to a beautiful child?!

During shots...the south fork of the Tuolumne River was amazing.

Thank you, Nancy and Casey for the perfect backpack!

The after shots- we had a delicious dinner with Travis' family at their cabin.

(Thanks for letting me wear your jacket, Ed! I'd forgotten how quickly the mountains cool off...)

Asleep by the time we hit the highway :) That's proof of a good day.

I saw this sign as we passed through Sonora; we missed the parade, but we had a great day.

Hope you have an enjoyable Mother's Day with your loved ones!

Did you hear?

2011-05-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

It's Friday!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter in Santa Cruz and Adaline had her first "egg hunt." Many thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Walsh and Auntie Sara for the fun and fantastic dinner!

Travis is really liking my camera~ if I'm not careful, he's going to take all the photos from here on out!

Happy Birthday, Hayley!

2011-04-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

My sister asked for a picnic in the park and a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Travis, Adaline and I didn't make it to the aquarium, but we were able to meet up with the family for lunch at this awesome park (Dennis the Menace Park). We had a blast~ Happy Birthday, Hayley!

(thanks to Hayley for this pic!)

(thanks to Travis for this darling shot and the sunglasses pics!)

And check out those teeth! She has 8 right now and four more coming in :)

Love, Love, Love...

2011-04-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

looking into these baby blues. I would stare at them for hours on end...if Adaline would sit still long enough for that :) This one is constantly on the go. She's cruising all over the place and taking steps here and there. She's up to four steps at a time, but she's so cautious she sits down before she makes much progress. We're working on it (for all my fellow Behavior Analysts...yes, I am fading my physical prompts...) and we're slowly moving forward. Haha!!!! Did you catch that? I just made a funny :)

*update* Adaline's decided she can walk now. She will walk clear across the room it there's something she really wants, but she still spends most of her time and energy crawling- and MAN is she a fast crawler.

Relay for Life 2011

2011-04-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

The last time we attended Relay for Life, it was five houses down the street from us at the THS stadium. Now, it's a few more blocks away and it seems to be bigger than it use to be. There were so many people and tents!

We were too late to buy a luminary bag, but I still enjoyed looking at all the other ones on display around the track.

I loved these tents:

This little guy made me smile; he was walking around the track with his display board, hawking raffle tickets.

These next pictures captured the feel of the event for me:

This group of relayers were doing group exercises- after already being at the event for 9 hours!

(Of course I had to include a picture of my favorite pair!)

Kristin~ this year's Relay for Life was the best yet! You are amazing and I'm so thankful Turlock has you!!!

Spring Time!

2011-04-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can go outside and play!

What am I going to do?

2011-04-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

How am I going to teach Adaline to "do" her hair with that swirl?!

I still haven't mastered doing my own hair... all suggestions and tips are welcome!

Big Girl

2011-04-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

Adaline's new favorite perch is the one step at our place.

Makes her look like such a big girl but she's not...she's my baby.

Time to pull out the sandals-

2011-04-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, it WAS time to pull out the sandals last week when I took this picture :)

Look who's wearing her first pair of Saltwaters Sandals...

Thank you Grandma Laura!

What's that old saying?

2011-04-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Curiosity painted the cat?

This is what happens when your black cat looks into the white paint can...

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-04-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

My mom's birthday was last week and we had a great little brunch for her. Again, I found myself without my camera (boo!) so I have no pictures to post of our enjoyable morning. All three of the cousins had a great time playing with each other and with Birthday Girl Grandma :)
Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you had as much fun as we did!

Just Like Mommy...

2011-03-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Travis called me at work this afternoon to tell me Adaline was definitely my daughter, that she had my personality- for sure.
"Why's that?" I asked.
"Because day-care said she slammed her finger in a cabinet door today," he said.
"Oh. You mean just like I did to my finger last night?"
"Yep."
"(Sigh) Poor thing."

Swimming Pool Progress

2011-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

The rain has finally stopped! At least for the week...

My dad has been waiting for this or a few months so he could tackle the pool.

After much research, he found that painting the pool was a better deal than resurfacing it. Who knew you could paint a pool? There's even special paint for that exact purpose!

It may have stopped raining, but the wind is still blowing, and it keeps knocking tree debris right onto the target surface. What's a guy to do? Make a cover, of course! While it worked great, it was a bit erie to see (kind of looked like Dexter had set up shop in our back yard-yikes!)

Adaline wasn't too sure about the whole thing...

But when we told her she'd be able to go swimming soon, she warmed up to the idea :)

Tanner did, too :)

Happy Anniversary, Ed and Linda!

2011-03-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

March is a big month for me at work, and throwing a big birthday bash for my dad on top of that has left me with VERY little time for anything else. I usually write my blog posts late at night after Travis and Adaline go to bed, mainly to document what is going on in our lives but also to keep family updated. Right now, I'm out of town at a work conference and just sending out week-old anniversary cheers to my in-laws. It's only 8:35pm! Maybe I'll get to bed before 10 tonight :P Amazing how much time you have when you only have to care for yourself!

Travis's parents, aka Grandpa and Grandma Walsh, celebrated their 41 wedding anniversary this year. How amazing is that? Last year they went on a week-long trip to Mexico to do some deep sea fishing and this year they went back to New Jersey to one of the family's old vacation spots, Cape May. I haven't talked to them since they returned this week, so I don't know how it went, but I imagine it was great. Who doesn't love going back to a known vacation spot? You know where all the good places are, know your way around town, and get that great "we belong" feeling. We're so happy for them and hope to celebrate together as soon as we can. Since I'm on my work computer, I don't have any pictures to post tonight, but I'll put some up ASAP :)

Happy 60th Birthday, Dad!

2011-03-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

My dad's 60th birthday was Friday and we celebrated by visiting a local bakery/coffee shop for cookies and coffee. On Sunday, we had a great family birthday party for him at our new house to show off all of my dad's hard work. Unfortunately, it was still raining so we could only really show off the inside of the house (though the backyard is looking great!) The house is perfect for Tornquist family gatherings. We comfortably fit over 30 people inside the house...imagine what we can do this summer when the pool is full and we can set up all the patio furniture! It was amazing having the whole branch of the Tornquist clan in one place. We were only missing a few people (one cousin, his wife and three kids, one aunt, and a few husbands/boyfriends, and a few cousins' children). The oldest person was 87 (I think) and the youngest was 7 weeks (we're all so happy to meet Ava!) It warms my heart to know we had four generations in one place at one time.

I didn't get to take as many pictures as I wanted to because we have entered the separation anxiety stage, and Adaline was attached to my hip the entire party. I did manage to grab one shot of the cake before we devoured it (Olde Tyme- YUM!) I tried to take a couple of pictures of my dad giving beautifully touching speech, but I had it on the wrong setting (due to said baby on hip- or perhaps the tears in my eyes), and the pics were too dark. I noticed my uncle had his camera out...so I've put in a request for a couple of pics from him. Hopefully, I'll post a few later this week.

I did get a few pictures of the birthday boy with grandbaby #3 on Thursday. One of my co-workers swears that Adaline looks just like my dad and you can totally see it here.

Those eyebrows have Tornquist written all over them :) Happy Birthday, Dad!

Future Cowgirl

2011-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Next thing you know, she's going to want to ride to Starbucks.

Baby Chic

2011-03-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

Auntie Jen picked out this trench for Adaline's birthday.

Obviously, Adaline approves.

Play time!

2011-03-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our big one-year-old has kept us busy the last couple of days. She loves playing with her new toys!

Adaline tries to be patient while I take pictures, but she always ends up trying to look into the lens of the camera which turns into an extreme close up...

We have a yard!

2011-03-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning my dad told us he was having sod delivered that afternoon. A welcome surprise to us all! With the help of Travis and Uncle Del, we had three pallets of sod down in 2 hours. The dogs were so happy they immediately began chasing each other around and rolling all over it.
Thank you Dad, Uncle Del, and Travis for helping on such short notice!

Music Child

2011-02-27T19:18:00.001-08:00

Apparently Adaline likes to dance...

Adaline's First Birthday

2011-02-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we had a small party for Adaline's birthday. Of course Adaline had her first piece of cake and "opened" her presents. She is such a people watcher, she spent most of the time watching her cousins and her best friends play together. This morning, Adaline went straight to her new toys and really enjoyed all of them. Thank you, everyone!

Giggly Girl

2011-02-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

Adaline really enjoys her meals...

What a great way to end the day.

Weekend Work

2011-02-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Adaline spent most of the weekend like this, pounding on the window and screens trying to get Daddy to stop and wave (which he always did!)

Who wouldn't want to stop working on the backyard and look at this smiley face?!

Happy First Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

My two Valentines

We had a fantastic Valentine's Day together...

Hope you did too!

Weather Report

2011-02-07T20:28:00.000-08:00

This was taken 10 days ago, when the high was 55.

This was taken today, when the high was 70.

Postpartum Care Reflections

2011-01-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

I found this article online that does a really nice job outlining a few points on postpartum care. From recent experience, I found I could relate directly to a couple of points.

If you want, please read...I've put my comments on my own experience at the end of this post.

www.birthspool.blogspot.com

The Void that is Postpartum Care in America

I just started reading a most phenomenal jewel of a book called After the Baby's Birth by Robin Lim. Two quotes just from the preface and opening chapter have struck me:

"...I came to see more clear how my sisters in the West could expect little or no postpartum care or support, either from health-care providers or from friends and family. The modern lifestyle, embraced by the West, sought after and imitated all over the world, has so fractured families that postpartum women today accept and expect to be isolated. [bolding mine] I wonder at a culture that decades ago put men on the moon, yet chooses to ignore the most significant life passage of women." (xi)

"All too often, the only postpartum care an American woman can count on is one fifteen minute appointment with her doctor, six weeks after she has given birth. This six week marker ends an arbitrary period within which she is supposed to have worked out most postpartum questions for herself. This neglect of postpartum women is not just poor healthcare, it is abusive--[bolding mine]particularly to women suffering from painful physical and/or psychological disorders following childbirth." (4-5)

In cultures across the world, newborns and postpartum mothers are viewed as sacred and in a vulnerable state of being of both body and spirit. As such, they are nurtured and cared for. I suspect that now that puerperal fever is largely a thing of the past due to a better understanding of germ theory, more sanitary practices, and antibiotics, that as we lost some of the physical vulnerability of this time period (mercifully, the vast, vast majority of women in the West survive postpartum), we also lost respect for the spiritual and emotional vulnerability.

There are many interesting, beautiful traditions for postpartum women across the world. "Warming" the mother is common to many cultures. Some bury warm coals under the postpartum woman's bed. Some women are to sit on a fire warmed rock every morning, and it is also common to place a warmed rock on the woman's abdomen. There are taboos revolving around certain foods, and it often requires that the mother consume only warm liquids like tea and soup. These practices not only warm the body, but the soul. Touch is also a familiar component to these rituals. In some cultures the responsibility falls to the midwife to come give the mother a massage or rebozo treatment designed to "bring the bones back together." In others, the mothers or grandmothers of the postpartum woman provide this life affirming touch. In America, we too have our warming ritual, if you are lucky enough for someone to bring you a warm blanket after birth. The difference is, whereas the aforementioned traditions go on for weeks, women in our culture are "cared for" (and I use that term very loosely) for a few days or less.

Today I was reading a post on a message board for moms from the mother of a 2.5 week old who was feeling overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and isolated, looking to reach out to other mothers. She got some wonderful suggestions, but what stood out to me was the comment from one poster that said "If you are feeling depressed, don't worry, there are many antidepressants compatible with breastfeeding." While this is certainly true, and I would never ever advise against someone going on such medications if they feel like they need them, it made me wonder if we are handing prescriptions out to women who are really seeking encouragement and camraderie. Much as a laboring woman asking for drugs is sometimes actually asking for more support from those around her, I can't help but feel like we are ignoring a mass of women when we hand them a pill instead of loving guidance and help.

I have been working as a hospital doula now for 2 weeks and have spent a few shifts shadowing another doula on the mother baby unit. What has been eye opening for me is how little rest these women are getting in their very brief stay at the hospital. I have seen mothers drifting off falling asleep while they try desperately to pay attention to the presentation of how to put together their breast pump. I have seen a mother who had a cesarean not 12 hours earlier whose hospital phone rang no less than 5 times in the 15 minutes we visited with her. This same mother was distraught and exhausted and told us she had had visitors all day long. These mothers are also struggling to get to know their baby, learn how to breastfeed and recover from birth which for many also means recovering from major surgery. What I have also noticed is while these rooms may be brimming with stuffed animals and flower arrangement, I have yet to see a care package for mom, a stack of magazines or her favorite food or drink. The focus is on coming to see the baby, and respect for the mother and her passage is lost. It is no wonder we have a whole generation of women suffering alone through isolation, a sudden, crushing loss of identity and postpartum depression.

What can we do to improve the state of postpartum care in America? I believe it's obvious we need better medical care including at least one home nurse visit in the first 2 weeks after birth. For a greater discussion of this, see Ina May Gaskin's article "Masking Maternal Mortality" in the March/April 2008 edition of Mothering magazine. But aside from that, what can we women, birth professionals, mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and friends of postpartum women do to help fill this void? And what can the postpartum woman herself do to create the support system that is so sorely lacking for them?

First, I believe we need to address the early visitor issue. Everyone loves to see and hold a new baby. But again, we are talking about women who are in the hospital for 24 hours, not getting to rest because the nurses are checking in on them and their babies every few hours, learning to breastfeed which can be highly challenging, and often recovering from surgery. We wouldn't expect to go see Aunt Sally 4 hours after her appendectomy, and the same respect should be given a woman who has had a cesarean. I propose that no visitors come to the hospital the first day, and if they do, be limited to immediate family and the closest friends for less than an hour. Remember, in most hospitals rooming in is standard, and these mothers are not going to get a full night of sleep. There will be plenty of time to meet and cuddle this wonderful new blessing once the new family is settled at home.

How can the postpartum mother enforce this? Some tips are quite simple. Don't call anyone while you are in labor except for those you want with you either at or immediately after the birth. When you do call to let family and friends know you've had the baby, tell them you will be happy to see them once you get home. This alerts them to the fact that you are not inviting them to the hospital. What about those who will show up anyway? Tell your nurses to mark you down as "do not announce" and they will not tell anyone you are there. Let them know you would like your visitors cleared through the nurse's station and have them place a sign on your door when you are resting/feeding and prefer not to have visitors. Please realize this is not a hardship for the nurses, they actually like to limit your visitors. It is their job for you to have a full, speedy recovery, and they realize that you resting is the best way to get that. They will not mind at all being your gatekeeper.

I realize this all probably sounds harsh. But I assure you that once you have given birth, you will understand more of what I am saying. And I will also tell you that the most crucial time to your postpartum healing is 8 days after birth. The more rest, relaxation, and general being taken care of you can arrange for, the quicker the rest of your recovery will go. You are not denying people access to your baby. You are ensuring that you are healthy enough to care for him/her in the very demanding weeks to come.

Birth professionals, I implore you to impress the importance of these 8 days on your clients prenatally and encourage them to set forth the rules I have suggested for postpartum visitors.

This post will continue with more tips on how to build your own network of postpartum care, but for now I must sign off!

First, I have not and probably will not read the book reference. I just don't have time; what I was more touched by was the discussion that followed the quote. My connections to this piece are on the emotional well-being of the new family, not the state of medical care.

I had a great birth experience. I loved my group of midwives. I loved having only my husband and my support person present for the birth. I loved the hospital that we gave birth at. Let me start there. We had our daughter at the height of the H1N1 scare in California, so all local hospitals were closed to visitors before, during and after birth. I LOVED THIS. My husband, my baby and I were left in a little cocoon for 3 days (one day of birthing and two days after), where the fantastic nursing staff doted on us, anticipating our every need. I felt so supported that I didn't really want to leave. I felt like Travis and I were allowed a special bit of time to met our daughter and begin being a family. We didn't have to worry about anything. Then we came home and had the expected line of visitors. I'm happy that everyone was excited to meet our daughter, but it's stinking exhausting having people in your home when all you want to do is curl up with your baby and get to know her.

I love the tips the blogger listed. Travis and I are already discussing what we will do after the birth of our next child (no, we're not pregnant), and I think we're going to use some of those tips. One of my closest friends had a home birth almost two years ago. I still think about how wonderful her postnatal experience was. She and her husband told all friends that they were not accepting visitors, but they would let us know when they were. They spent over a week tucked away in their bedroom with their baby, experiencing everything together. No one was offended (or if they were, they were smart enough not to say anything!) and we all eventually met the baby. It's not like the parents said, no one can come visit until the baby is one year old. No, they were putting their needs as a family above the wants of other people, as they should have.

The transition from married couple to family is difficult. Not only did I have to learn how to be a mom, and my husband learn how to be a dad, but we had to accommodate visitors at the same time. We said no when we needed to, and most people understood, but it was still hard to make the transition. I know what we'll do differently next time, and I know people will understand. Our friends and family love us and they want to support us, so they'll understand. After many discussions with my mom, my sister, my husband and my midwife, I KNOW I did not experience postpartum depression; I can only imagine how hard it is for women who do.

I will make the distinction between the "isolation" the blogger writes about and the self-imposed isolation that I write about. I'm interpreting the blogger's term isolation as neglect; the hardworking woman and her husband/support person being overlooked by medical staff or pushed aside by family and friends so people can met the baby. I know that comes from love, but it can still be hurtful to the new family members, physically and emotionally.

I write about a self-imposed isolation, not related to medical care. I write about a voluntary bubble that the new family may enjoy, if they so choose. I know it's not for everyone. I know there are people out there that want others around because they feed off their energy. Great! It works for you and that's fantastic. But it doesn't work for everyone. But if your loved one or best friend says, give us some time. Please listen to them and honor their wishes. It's not about you. It's about them. Get over it :)

2010 in Photos

2010-12-31T21:26:00.000-08:00

What an amazing year.

Best wishes to you and yours in 2011!

Play date with Jack

2010-12-27T21:49:00.001-08:00

Christmas season brought us a play date with the son and daughter of a childhood friend of mine, Sarah. Well, it was more a play date between Adaline and Jack, not so much Reese. She's much older than the babies, and had her own toys to play with :)

Adaline spent most of the time chewing on the toys, and Jack spent most of the time trying to show Adaline how to crawl.

Jack is such a happy boy!

This is how it works, Adaline. First you lift yourself up...

Then you pull yourself forward like this.

See how it makes you go forward?

Jack has the best clothes.

Seems like he liked Adaline's socks, too.

I think Jack is going to be a strapping young man, tall like his parents. He's 3 months younger than Adaline and almost the same size!

Miss Reese was as beautiful as ever. Such a smart three-year-old!

It was great seeing the family, and we look forward to the next visit!

Christmas Day

2010-12-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

After we had our private Christmas with Adaline, we joined the other 50 or so members of my family for breakfast in Hilmar. My grandparents, their 5 kids (my dad being the oldest), their 10 children AND all their families (of which we added Adaline as the youngest member!) It's always warm, busy, loud and filled with love and laughter. We had a great time showing off Adaline to all the family that had yet to meet her in person (facebook just doesn't count), but it was really overwhelming for Adaline. She's a slow-to-warm up baby and she did not want both Travis and me out of her sight at once. We spend as long as we could there, and left right before a meltdown.

Julie (the next youngest great-grandchild) and Adaline.

It looks like Adaline is hugging her, but I think she was really pushing her away!

We raced home, packed up the car as fast as we could and headed back up the hill to have Christmas night with Travis's family. Adaline only slept 30 minutes in the car and was pretty groggy and cranky, but she did her best to stick it out with us. She seemed to really like opening her gifts and playing with her new toys and stuffed animals.

Look, I really was there!

Adaline's first Christmas dress (thanks Cousin Laura!)

We had a rough night (not surprising after all the exciting events) but woke up to snow on Sunday. Well, Adaline woke up to snow, we were still up when the rain turned silent and everything turned white :) We took her out to see it, but didn't play in it yet. We came home and spent the rest of the day resting and putting away our Christmas decorations.

A busy couple of days, but really fun! Hope you all had an enjoyable holiday, too!

Christmas Eve-Eve

2010-12-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

We spent December 23 getting ready for Christmas and baking a little bit. Mid-afternoon we headed up the hill to Sonora for Travis's mom's birthday dinner. Sara picked a fantastic restaurant, Diamondback's, and we had tough decisions for our entrees. Travis picked the skirt steak with a blue cheese/horseradish sauce and shoe string sweet potato fries (my favorite!) I picked the Alaskan Salmon patty served on an english muffin, topped with wasabi dressing. It was soooo good. I ate somewhat quickly and didn't get to really savor my food (we were eating with a baby), but what I tasted, I like! It was Adaline's first dinner in a restaurant and she did fine for being up past her bedtime and being overstimulated with sights, sounds and smells. I didn't take my camera so I have no pictures to post, but the restaurant was really cool. I'm looking forward to our next visit to Diamondback's so we can take a little more time and fully enjoy ourselves.
Happy birthday, Linda and Grandpa Hank!

Baby's First Christmas(es)

2010-12-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

We had so many holiday celebrations this year that we're exhausted!

I documented as many of them as I could:

First was Christmas Eve with my immediate family:

You want to know how hard it is to get three kids to smile at the same time?

Almost as hard as getting three kids and two adults to smile at the same time.

It is so fun to see Christmas through the eyes of little children. My niece and nephew were so excited to see the tree full of presents that is was reallllly hard to wait until after dinner to open them.

We had our first Christmas morning as a family and it was fantastic!

Adaline was ready to go:

She loves her bath time rubber ducky so "Santa" knew this would be a hit...and it was ;)

Lots of new books AND a pair of shoes:

I received my first Christmas gift, too (as a mommy):

Then Adaline helped Daddy open his gifts:

Tanner was feeling a little left out, so he inched his way onto Trav's lap for a hug:

More of Christmas Day, later...Baby just woke up so my blogging time has ended.

Fundraiser for Turlock Baby

2010-12-27T14:18:00.000-08:00

Friends and Family,

A girl I went to school with, Monica Summerlot-Woods, posted this on facebook Christmas Eve. With her permission, I repost it here. As the mom of a healthy baby girl, I ask you to please take a moment to read and pass on if you can:

"If you are not doing anything for dinner Janurary 7th, think about coming out to a fundraiser in honor of my newborn son. We have not shared this before via FB, but he was born on Dec. 13 with multipleheart defects and had open heart surgery on Dec. 15th. We have known about this since I was 20 weeks pregnant. Currently, he is alive and doing well. My aunt has set up the following fundraiser:

What: Tri-Tip Sandwich with Chili and Salad.
How: Dine in or Take Out.
Cost: $7:00 a ticket
Where: American Legion Post, 75 Bothum Road, Turlock
When: January 7th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm

You can purchase tickets by calling Lisa Stuart at 209-404-5497 or Penny Shabazian at 209-678-8200. Tickets will also be sold at the door of the event.
Penny is my aunt. If you would like flyers, I think you can contact her and she can get you some."

~Please forward this to all the Turlockians you know!

More boxes

2010-12-22T22:16:00.000-08:00

We moved into our current house in September and people told us (with completely straight faces) that we'd still be unpacking at Christmas. We laughed and shrugged it off.
*sigh*
Guess what I did today? Unpacked another box. And there are still so many to go!
Our "guest room" is really our still-growing yard sale pile.
The "office" has turned into a realllllly big closet.
The formal living room/front room has turned into my yoga/pilates room (the one room I'm not complaining about!)
It's not so much the unpacking as it is the organizing. Where the heck do we put everything? Will it ever end?! Will I ever be able to park in the garage?

Photo time

2010-12-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

It's so tiring being this cute.

See what I mean?

Oh my gosh...

2010-12-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

it's December. DECEMBER!!!!

Leftover Pumpkins

2010-11-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

We live half a block from a field that was rented by a pumpkin farmer. He buys pumpkin seeds from around the world and plants multiple varieties of pumpkins. There was a hopping pumpkin patch for the month of October (R.A.M. Farms), you could borrow the wheelbarrow and pick your own pumpkins! We visited the pumpkin patch multiple times, but never walked the isles.
It rained off and on all day today, but we were able to squeeze in a quick walk during the one and only sunny part of the day.
Our front yard:

The canal across the street:

Leftover pumpkins every where:

Adaline stayed warm in her weather guarded stroller:

Belle put all those pumpkins in the stroller herself!

The most unusual pumpkins I've ever seen:

Last rays of sun before the next shower started made the raindrops sparkle.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

My parents hosted a fantastic holiday feast this year! We gathered at their house along with my sister, her kids, Travis' parents, and his sister. The weather was great- we were able to take a brisk walk down the street to the coffee shop, and take family photos outside (a huge thank you to our out-of-town neighbors who loaned us the beautiful yard as a backdrop!) It was a long day and Adaline was awake for most of it!

Stuffy Love

2010-11-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

My great-aunt gave Adaline her first stuffed animal at my family baby shower and Adaline has taken it as one of her favorites. Just look at this series of photos...

I love her to pieces!

Seattle 2010

2010-11-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

I had a 3-day conference in Seattle last weekend and couldn't even entertain the idea of leaving my baby for that long. Bless my lovely husband because he understood and decided to join me so the family could be together! I love him so much! He and Adaline had a great time hiking all around the city while I was learning more about Precision Teaching. I was able to join them one afternoon after my sessions ended early. We enjoyed walking around Pike's Place Market and the waterfront. What a beautiful place. We're already trying to figure out when we can go back. Oh...and we discovered that Adaline loves to fly! She did so well on all the flights. Wish I could say the same for sleeping in hotels....

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

We had our first Halloween with Adaline this year. I know I had more fun than she did, but she'll thank me for the photos one day ;P

Our good friends made scary jack-o-lanterns this year:

Next year, maybe we'll be able to go door-to-door with the rest of the kids! We were just too tiny this year.

Not only did we have a great afternoon, we had the most trick-or-treaters ever! I think we had 5 groups, with a total of at least 15 people! That makes it way more fun than in the past where we sit in anticipation and only have 1 or 2 people stop by. Hopefully it will continue next year :)
Happy Halloween, everyone!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

2010-10-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Happy 34th anniversary, Mom and Dad! We had a great dinner celebrating my parents' anniversary last night. Lots of laughs and lots of love.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for showing us a wonderful model of a marriage!

Guess who...

2010-10-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

learned how to look around and find things! Okay, she actually learned this over a month ago, around the time Travis took this picture, but it's taken me forever to get it online. What?! We've been busy...CRAZY busy.

Extreme Indian Summer

2010-10-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Friday it was 90, AGAIN, for the third day in a row. Doesn't Mother Nature realize it's October 15?! We're all waiting ever so patiently for fall to come.
We had a quick photo shoot by Liz Evans of LizEStudio at a local pumpkin patch (and by local, I mean the one that's 5 houses down the street!) It was much to hot for the hooded-fleece ladybug costume, so I ran to Target and picked up a couple of items for a makeshift costume. Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

Poor Adaline, our appointment time was AT her bedtime. I think Liz was able to get a shot or two before the Meltdown. We'll see in a week or so, when the pictures are ready!