Older posts

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Where did the last 6 months go?

I cant believe Chloe is 6 months! Sitting up, still not rolling over, still no teeth, eating like a little pig, but not gaining hardly anything and with a mind of her own and a loud set of lungs to go with it!
She now weighs almost 13 pounds...still has not doubled her birthweight, but she is strong, very alert and over 26 inches long, so the doctor is not worried and neither are we. We started her on pumpkins last week (from our garden) and pears this week. Now she can begin to eat alot more, so I am kicking my baby food making into high gear.
Cloth diapering is still going great. I telll all my friends who use disposables that I probably do less loads of laundry than they make trips to the trash can. Plus we are being good stewards of the earth and saving thousands of $$$ a year! The only real hard part with cloth is when we take our week long trips to visit Jon's family in Cali. We still arent sure if it is worth doing it down there. I guess we will see in July when we go down next...and then at Christmas when we will take the train and be down there for two weeks! (Lord, save me from the MIL!)
Back to Chloe Her hemangioma has not grown considerably, but it has not recessed either. I guess only time will tell on that. We are now giving her infant vitamins in her food, which she doesnt seem to even notice. She continues to turn around in her crib. She is getting so good at sitting up for long periods of time and I dont think it will be long until she will be crawling.
In other Kaiser news, we got a lot done around the house the last few weekends. Jonathan's new lawn mower arrived from Lowes and he has been taking advantage of that almost ever day! We painted our master bath and installed new shower doors and put in a new kitchen stove as well. We are back to the idea of trying to sell the house again and will try and put it up once we get a few more things cleaned up and organized. We are going to try for sale by owner and just sit on it waiting for the price we want...which is higher than most the houses in our area, but it is also twice the lot and has more amenities than most. We've found a couple different properties that we like on the East side, near my parents in Clackamas County, but havent made any bids or anything.
June is going to be a busy month...we have several birthdays, including my father, who turns 60 and SHHHHHHH, we are having a huge suprise party for him in a couple weeks. I cannot believe my mom and I have been able to pull it off so far. Then there is Father's Day which I am taking my hubbie and dad to see Indiana Jones while mom Chloesits. Jonathan's birthday is also this month and we are having a BBQ/Bonfire at our place to celebrate with some friends. And then of course, our 2nd anniversary is next Tuesday, which my parents will Chloesit while we go party like rock stars (yeah, right).
So, that's whats going on with the Kaisers. I probably wont be online much until July!


Thursday, May 22, 2008

Chloe is 6 Months!

Today, Chloe is 6 months old, and so much has been happening with her over the last couple weeks. Her arms have grown so much that last week I caught her grabbing at the lambs on her mobile, so we had to take it down. Around the same time, we had really hot weather and since our home does not have AC, we stopped swaddling her or putting her in her sleep positioner to keep her cool. Once she realized she had control of her legs (and since she still wont roll over) she began to move herself around the crib by banging her legs and feet against the mattress. (It sounded like she was falling out of the crib from downstairs!) Every time I would go and check on her, she would be facing in a different direction, and now we sing "1 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock Chloe..." in honor of her rotations!
Now our crazy Oregon weather is back to cold and raining. We did finally get our garden in from our greenhouse, and we cannot wait to reap yummy veggies and berries in the fall. This coming holiday weekend, we plan to work around the house and yard and have a bonfire every night!


Monday, April 21, 2008

Chloe Solids

So, on our doctor's suggestion, we began solids because Chloe is a little underweight. So farm we have done rice cereal, avocado and yams.


Thursday, March 20, 2008

4 months!

Well, here it is, almost Chloe’s 4 month birthday and boy has she been growing up! She doesnt mind being on her tummy as much anymore and is getting really great at raising her head and lifting off her arms. She rarely rolls over onto her back anymore and we still have not seen her roll from her back to her front yet. She sits really well when propped, though, and sometimes she will hold herself up for several seconds before toppling over!
For those of you who dont know, my nickname growing up was "Squeaker" and Chloe is certainly falling into my footsteps in that department - she shrieks all day long now! Im not sure yet if it is out of glee or if she is trying to sing or what, but we warn people wherever we go now (especially quiet places like Bible study and church) so people will be prepared! :) She has also become obsessed with Kodi, our dog. She follows her around with her eyes and reaches out to her anytime she is close. Kodi on the other hand, has no idea Chloe even exists!
Her smiles are very radiant now and seen more often than frowns, but we have only heard her laugh a couple times and that was a couple weeks ago, so I hope she picks that back up soon. We have her 4 month appointment next week and I have a huge list of questions to ask the doctor. She may be ready to start solids, but after reading this great book from my brother Ken (HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY!) and his wife Heather, called Super Baby Food, I think we are going to wait until 6 months before starting her, barring any unseen problems. Oh, and she will also be getting her next round of shots (cringe). Ugh, I hate that part!
I cant wait for her first Easter this weekend! We have several cute little dresses too chose from and after church will be spending it with my parents and my dad’s brother and sister’s families. Since mom’s birthday is on the 25th we will also be celebrating that too. I will be sure to add pics.


Monday, March 03, 2008

Goodbye Pacifier, Hello Fingers!

Last week, Chloe discovered her fingers, and it was just about the cutest thing in the world! She mostly sucks on her middle two right fingers and makes the cutest little "i love you" sign. But other times, it looks like hang loose. Either way, it is such a relief not to have to worry about when she drops the pacifier. ESPECIALLY since Maijia lost it at Crystal and Trisha's!!!! : )


Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Home with two colds

While we had a blast in Salinas, its so good to be home! Unfortunately, Chloe and I caught a terrible cold while we were down there. I began feeling it Saturday afteroon before our flight and Chloe got really bad that evening at bedtime. Poor little thing! Her eyes are all waterie and her nose is stuffy.
Our trip home on Saturday was interesting. Just as we were getting ready to head to the airport, we got a call saying our flight was cancelled out of San Jose and the only other options were two later flights out of San Francisco, a 30-40 minute drive from San Jose. We took the earliest they could give us and even got bumped to first class, which was great! And thankfully since we were not feeling well, we spent the night at mom and dads and drove home on Sunday morning instead. We decided to skip our birthing class reunion yesterday and just rest at home. Or so we thought! We came home to a terrible mess! The cats had tracked food, hair and cat litter all over our downstairs! We spent the first couple of hours at home just cleaning the place up!
Jon went back to work on Monday and since Chloe and I are still sick, we are just resting at home.
Ive uploaded a couple pics from the aquarium and at bubbagumps. I had hoped to send some pics from the AT&T but PGA doesnt allow cameras! We did see quite a few celebrities, though...Luke Wilson, Andy Garcia, George Lopez and Kevin Costner. Chloe seemed to have a thing for Kevin Costner...right when he was about to hit a drive she squealed! Everyone stared at us in horror and then as he was about to head to the next hole, she began to cry very loudly because her diaper was wet. She and I crossed the street just as he did, wailing all the way, and, to be funny, I said "She is crying because Kevin Costner wont give her his autograph." But he just laughed and kept walking. :(


Saturday, January 26, 2008

The Littlest Kaiser: 2 Month Update

Well, its been a wonderful two months for all of us, full of growth and new discoveries. Being able to be a stay-at-home mom and watching Chloe grow each day has been such a blessing. I praise God for the chance to be able to raise this little one and the ability to stay home with her each day.

Its amazing how much she has grown and accomplished in the last two months. This week was her 2 month check up and she is now 10 lbs. and 6 oz. and 23 inches long! She is sleeping through the nights fairly regularly now, going down by 9-9:30pm and up by 5-6am. Sometimes she will wake for a 3 am feeding, but she goes back down instantly and I am confident that she will drop that for good soon enough. She also had her fist immunizations at this doctor's visit...boy, did she CRY! Poor baby!

Her personality has really developed as well. During her wake times during the day, she is full of wonder about the world around her, batting at her toys, smiling and cooing. I am sure I will hear her first giggle very soon and just this week she has begun to grasp the bottle with both hands as daddy feeds her. We even have noticed her pushing her pacifier back in her mouth when it starts to slip out while sitting in her carseat!!!


Friday, December 28, 2007

Has it really been 5 weeks?

I cant believe that my little Chloe is already over a month old! The only thing that makes it real is that she is starting to outgrow her newborn clothes! Things are getting easier as well. She takes her daily naps much easier now, which is great to get things done around the house during the day. But she is more reluctant to go to sleep at night now. I cant remember if I wrote this in the last blog or not, but she dropped her midnight feeding about 3 weeks ago (I feed her every 3 hours and have her on a 12, 3, 6, 9 schedule), making it a lot nicer to sleep. And two night ago she slept through the night! We put her down at 10 and she slept until 5!!!! It was AWESOME! Unfortunately, it was short lived, as this morning she got up at 12, 3 and 8 cranky and hungry. Hopefully the sleeping through the night will come back soon, though!
Anyway, I have posted some new pics from Christmas...and even one with the SNOW we got on Christmas Day (First White Christmas in 17 years!!!)
So, enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Thursday, December 13, 2007

Long Overdue Mommy Update

Okay, so many of you have expressed a desire to know how things have been these first 3 weeks of being a mamma to little Chloe. Apparently my lack of emailing, "myspacing" and "cafemom"ing has not been a clear enough sign for some that I am super duper busy and overwhelmed with my new job. That's okay, though. I know it is high time for an update and thank God for grandparents, I have finally gotten a couple free hours to catch up on long lost tasks. Its amazing to me how easy it is to forget normal daily routines like eating, sleeping and showering when you have a newborn. Especially when that newborn has her days and nights mixed up and/or refuses to allow you to put her down for the slightest amount of time. Lucky me, Chloe is both of those. And since Jonathan went back to work on Monday, life as Wynter knows it has come to a complete hault without help around the house.
So other than my utter exhaustion, motherhood has been a lot of fun. She gets prettier and prettier each day and I just love to hold her and watch her. We are starting to get on somewhat of a schedule. She eats about every 2-3 hours and poops or pees about every 5 minutes! Despite how many newborn books I read, nothing could prepare me for how much life has changed. I have taken to writing down the funny little things that happen each day because I am sure it will make a best-selling comical book for all new mothers to read. Im thinking of "A Diary of a SAHM: What The Birthing Class Didn't Warn You About" as a working title.
Thank God for breast pumps, though...allowing me an extra 3 hours sleep a night when Chloe's daddy feeds her. And last night we actually got to have a date away from her when my mom came over to babysit so we could go and watch the Christmas ships. Of course, all I thought about while we were out was her and we ended up cutting the date short. (sigh) Tonight we have a company Christmas party, but she is coming with because everyone wants to see her!
We took our first trip with her last weekend, driving down to see Jon's family in Redding, CA. 8 hour drive and she did pretty good. We only had to stop once to feed and change her. I think she got a little overstimulated from all the different people holding her, though, because she slept all day on Saturday and was up all night and VERY cranky all day Sunday. And just so you know, cranky baby = cranky mommy. :) I am never having a child around the holidays again!


Friday, November 23, 2007

Chloe Rebecca is here!!!!

On Thursday Thanksgiving Morning, November 22, 2007 at 6:12 am, we welcomed our precious baby girl into the world. We have named her Chloe Rebecca Kaiser and at 7 lbs 3 oz and 20 inches, she is very healthy and happy. Mom, dad and baby are doing very well and enjoying spending these first days together as a new family.
Thank you all for your love and support during these last nine (ten) months and we hope to send you more pictures and show off the newest Kaiser soon!


Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Hopefully the FINAL due date update

Okay, so as some of you know, we had another ultrasound yesterday to check for baby stress, placenta quality that sort of thing. Everything looked fine and today was a follow-up appointment with my midwife. She was very encouraged with how much I've progressed since last week. I am still only 2 cm dilated but today when she massaged my cervix it caused a little blood (a GOOD sign) and Ive had more since, so hopefully it will be tonight. If not, she has made an induction appointment for Saturday at 8pm. (Sorry, Heather, we may end up borrowing your birthday afterall!)
Another thing that was very encouraging is that my midwife believes the baby is not as large as the ultrasound predicted. This has been the cause of some anxiety for me, so it was a relief to hear.
I think that is all for now. I am now going to take the dogs for a very loooooong walk! Hope to have the good news very soon. Thank you all for your prayers, calls and emails. We love you!


Friday, November 16, 2007

Due Date Update 2

So, here we are...two days overdue. We had our 40 week appointment last night and I was much more effaced and 1 cm dilated! So, at least there has been some progression. She also stripped my membranes, which has caused me to have some mildly painful contractions since, but nothing regular yet. She said to continue with the Evening Primrose Oil and scheduled me for a ultrasound next week to check the baby's stress level and placenta quality.
I really am happy with the timing because we found out that our two favorite midwives are the only ones on call for the next week and a half because of the holiday so if we deliver antime between now and november 26th, we have one less thing to worry about!

In other news, today is my last day at work. WAHOO!


Wednesday, November 14, 2007

My Due Date Update

So my 9 am doc appointment was pushed back to 3:45 pm because my midwife was delivering our friend Senna's baby. We met her and her husband in our birthing class and we joked the whole time about our due dates being so close that we would end up in the hospital together, fighting over the jacuzzi tub and our midwife. Well, jokes on me because although she was due the 9th, she decided to deliver on MY due date, and of course, Tadpole, being the sweet, giving person that he/she is, decided to let them have the day. Oh, and Tracy, Tad also wanted me to tell you that he/she did not want to not steal Noah's thunder either, since it is his one year birthday today, too! : )
Anyway, so I just heard that my 3:45 appointment has now been cancelled because Senna is still in labor. And of course, since its last minute notice, there is nothing else available until tomorrow at 6:15 pm and it has to be with another midwife. So, needless to say, I'm dissapointed...Actually, I had a fresh batch of pregnancy hormones, because as soon as I got off the phone with my midwife's nurse, I burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably for about half an hour - while on the phone with my husband! (Poor Jonathan is more ready for this baby to be here than I am!)
I was hoping that this appointment would tell me if my cervix had progressed from last week in which I was as closed as a clam. I have been drinking Raspberry Leaf tea and taking evening primrose oil ever since to help with the dialation and effacement. If I was effaced and dialated enough today, she told me that she could "strip my membranes," which can often bring on labor, but now I will have to wait (sigh).
I guess the only other thing to report is that yesterday was my ultrasound at which they informed me the baby is now 7 pounds and 9 ounces, a good healthy size. Im just thankful he/she was not OVER 8!
So sorry nothing really great to report, but we will keep you updated if anything changes. In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers (God is teaching me so much about patience and reliance on him these days)! And as always, dont call us, we will call you! : )


Tuesday, November 06, 2007

So much for those "maternal instincts"

I dont feel any closer to having this baby than I did last week! At this point, I would take some FALSE LABOR! Seriously, what else can I do to get this baby out of me? I have tried everything the old wives tales reccommend...well, except for castor oil and having my midwife strip my membranes...they have some nasty side effects, but Im sure in another week it will be worth it!
We've tried spicy food, long walks, bumpy car rides, lunges and squats and still nothing! Everything is done now, too, so I have nothing to do but sit around the house and wait impatiently while cleaning the same things over and over again. Grrrrr


Monday, October 29, 2007
Nope, Still No Baby

Totally ready, though! Showers are done, car is packed, new camera bought, nursery is ready. I had a feeling this weekend at church that it might happen this week, though. For some reason I felt that was my last Sunday of being pregnant. We'll see, of course. Who knows, maybe I will be 2 weeks late.
GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT...sorry, just a little sneak peak of what that blog in two weeks would look like, if I were still preggo.
We had a great weekend! Jonathan got a deer, so we wont have to buy beef again for another year. And Saturday we went to a halloween party. I was an 8 ball. Very fun, thanks Rory and Jamie for throwing it! I can't believe what I've been missing the past two years you had it.


Monday, October 22, 2007

Today is the day!

I have finally burned all the pics in our camera from the last year and deleted them. WOW that feels good!
Last weekend we went to Cali for Jon's brother's wedding (to the chagrin of my midwife at 36 weeks!) Luckily, no Cali baby came home with us, so I am still preggo. We have random friends and family now calling/emailing us to find out if the baby has come or not, so I have resulted to leaving a "no baby" answering maching message at home and cell and may stop answering the phone entirely.
Seriously, though, it could happen any day. Although I do have every weekend booked until our due date November 14th, so Im kinda hoping that he/she will wait at least another 2 weeks. We have our last shower this weekend and then I can FINALLY go shopping for all the things we still need and take back duplicate gifts, use our gift cards, etc. We also are going diaper shopping for all the eco-friendly cloth diapers I plan to use. Babyworks in NW is SO COOL! It's hippy mommy heaven!
Starr is back home although my parents said they would be happy to take her back again whenever we want. I missed her so much, though, I really hope we can make it work with her, Kodi, the cats and the baby! TBD...
As promised, here is a pic of the Jeep before we said goodbye (and a little cameo of Kodi), but I still don't have a picture of the Accord...just havent taken a pic yet. Enjoy!


Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Confession:

So, I still have yet to post pics of our new car and the sad, depressing pics of my crying over losing my Jeep, but they are coming, I promise!
We've decided to stay put and will not be selling our house, afterall. Too many closed doors and we believe God wants us to stay in Forest Grove. Afterall, I love our home, our beautiful baby room and our church is here, too. Plus, I HATE moving, so I know this is for the best.
In Tadpole news, we are now 34 weeks, which means that we really could deliver anytime after another two weeks. (How on earth is it October, aready?!!!) There are 8 other couples in our Birthing class on Sundays and this week TWO of them went into labor...both at 36 weeks!!! It really got us thinking that it could happen soon for us, too. And I still havent packed my hospital bag...EEEK! But, at least the car seat has been installed! We got some great stuff at our shower last weekend. Thank you to all who came, it was AWESOME! I had so much fun unpacking it all. We have one more shower with our church at the end of this month and it is all I can do to keep myself from heading to Target and Babies r' Us right now to pick up all the stuff I think we still need. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me patience.
I officially am not wearing jeans anymore, either. My belly has exceeded the possiblility of even maternity jeans. So, its sweats and other stretchy pants every day now! Thank God my work has no dress code.
As many of you know, we will be flying to California in two weeks for Jonathan's brother's wedding. Thankfully Alaska has no restrictions about flying after 36 weeks because our midwife would not write me a note. She just said that if I am feeling even the slightest signs of labor DONT GET ON THE PLANE. We'll see. I know how much my mother-in-law would looooove for us to give birth in Salinas. And I think I would rather do that than have to give birth in Portland without my best friend and labor coach...my husband! All in God's timing. Although, I really don't want to have to miss the wedding.
Till next time! (hopefully with car pics!)


Friday, September 21, 2007

Our new nephew has arrived!

Around 5:30 this morning, our new little nephew David Chester Shierman arrived in Baltimore, Maryland!!!
My brother, Ken, called us at 8:30 last night to tell us that my sister-in-law, Heather, had gone into labor yesterday morning and was at the hospital. Her due date is not until next tuesday but since she has a history of really long and hard labors, they had scheduled to be induced today.
After 20 hours of labor, little David, weighing in at 7 pounds and 11 ounces, was born! Mom and baby are tired but doing really well, while Ken, is making all the phone calls. This is their 3rd and probably last child. They have 4 year old Hannah, 2 year old Joseph and now baby David. I dont know how Heather does it, but she is a SAHM and a wonderfully patient and selfless one at that.

I just cant believe it! It makes our Tadpole coming in less than two months seem very surreal! If I am a fraction of the mother that Heather is, I will count myself lucky!
The nursery is all ready and we have one more shower left that I know of a week from Saturday to get what we need as gifts before we go shopping for everything else.
Last weekend, we traded in our Jeep and Civic for a new Accord that is more family friendly. It was SO HARD to give away the jeep (but that is another story). And we are touring the hospital tomorrow, so this whole baby-into-fruition thing is really starting to snowball. It wont be long until I post a blog about OUR baby being born!


Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Bored Bored Bored Bored

I so have short-timers at my work. No desire to do anything productive. Is it Friday yet?
My sweet Starr turned 6 yesterday, but unfortunately we did not get to spend her birthday with her. She is taking a "vacation" at my parents house until October. She's been a little hard to handle lately and while we're fixing up the house and getting ready for baby, it really is best for all parties that she run off her energy on my parents' 18 acres in the country. Im not sure if Kodi and the cats miss her or not...probably not.
My last Oktoberfest without kids is this weekend. Boy, will next year be a different story! Unfortunately, though I cannot drink this year, obviously. Oh, how I miss wine! I have to settle for WHINE. he he he, I crack me up!
I might be saying goodbye to my wonderful Jeep, "Pumpkin" this weekend, too. Its just not a baby-friendly car and Im really tired of the monthly payments on it. We're thinking of trading it and the Honda in for a newer Honda (both are 2005s). It would be nice to have a new warrenty and less miles. The recently hot weather was nice to drive the Jeep with the top down for the last times. (sigh) I will miss it, though. It is the most fun car I have ever had!
Okay, back to work, I guess.


Friday, September 07, 2007

Baby Crunch Time

So, it occurred to me in the last week that we are rounding the last leg in our baby adventure. It is all becoming so real very fast!
We had our first baby shower last weekend while visiting Jon's family in California and got a lot of baby stuff, including a very nice Eddie Bauer playpen (complete with travel changing table and mobile!) and the Mercedes Benz of all carseat and stroller combos. Then, yesterday the high chair we ordered from Baby Tenda arrived on our doorstep! So, needless to say, we have been busy this week assembling all of our new crap and gosh, our house is quickly filling with baby stuff! Where do parents put all this stuff?!!
This Sunday is our first Lamaze/birthing class and Im not sure what to think about that. Do I get excited that the baby will be here in two months or do I get extremely nervous about the enormously painful experience I know it is going to be and the fact that I will losing my independance forever? Not to mention that I will hence forth be a mom with twice the worries that I have right now!
So, needless to say, I am feeling a bit overwelmed as November rapidly approaches. Oh, yeah, and on that note, my work has decided NOT to let me work part time after the baby comes, so I will be either completely unemployed when the baby comes or trying to find another job that will allow me to work from home 5-10 hours a week! (And how likely is that unless I want to work for some multi-level marketing scheme, right?)
And, to make matters worse, the house Jonathan and I really wanted to buy in Eagle Creek now has a sale pending, which is extremely demotivating for us to sell our house now, because we cannot find anything that we like at a fraction of how we felt about that house. Grrrr.
Okay, this is turning into a rant, and I apologize to all readers. Especially to those who have no kids and do not want to move or switch jobs. BUT NOT THAT SORRY BECAUSE I BET YOUR LIFE KICKS BUTT RIGHT NOW COMPARED TO MINE!
Can you say pregnancy hormones and mood swings?


Monday, August 27, 2007

A new week

Yesterday our three hens and two ducks arrived at their new home in Vernonia with some friends from church who have several other hens and ducks. They took over the pen immediately, much to the dismay of the older tenants. Their new owners just love them and they seem happy there, too. Only saw a couple little fights, but I think they will be fine.
I cried the whole car trip over there, but have since felt some relief. I know they will be happy and well taken care of and we are allowed as much visitation rights as we want. Who knows, maybe soon we will be in our new home and can take them back again.
When we got home it was so sad to see the rooster all alone. And of course, this morning at 5 am his newfound love of crowing continued...even more loud and frequently. We keep putting off butchering him, but I know it has to happen. (sigh). It is so cute to see my Jonathan, this manly pig, elk and deer hunter so sad about killing our rooster. He has such a sweet heart, that man of mine!
Im working from home today, which is nice and then only 3 1/2 more days until we leave for our much-needed vacation, our annual Labor Day camping trip at Big Sur in Monterey, California with Jon's family. We also have our first baby shower down there a week from today and I am sooooo excited. I will finally have some places to put whatever gifts we get now that the nursery is almost completely done! Just need to do the trim painting and it will really be done!
Everything else in our house is really coming along, too. We packed up all our picture frames and de-cluttered the living room and master bedroom to make the house appear more "showable" for a sale. Oh! and Hallelujah, the house down the street finally sold, which is great news to sell our house. Now all we are competing against is the 3000 square foot house kitty corner to us that is trying to sell for $550,000! What a deal that makes our house look like, eh?
Next on the agenda is to pack up some books (waiting for moving boxes from mom on thursday), de-clutter the kitchen and pantry, paint the master bath, tidy the garage, take some pictures and we are ready to list! The rest will just be small cosmetic changes that we can do before an open house or someone comes to view it.
We'll be live in no time! And Lord willing, it will sell quick. I feel like a walking time bomb sometimes...only 2 1/2 more months to go!


Friday, August 24, 2007

Say Goodbye...

As you may or may not know, Jonathan and I have 2 ducks (Daffy and Lucky), 3 hens (Blondie, Red and Rudolph) and one rooster (Big Red).
Anyway, a couple weeks ago we received an anonymous letter from a neighbor complaining about the ducks...they quack really loud sometimes starting around 6:15 in the morning when we get up for work. But since they didn't leave their name, we did the best we could to talk with most of our neighbors. When none of them said they left the note (and we believe them), we asked them if the ducks bothered them, too, but no one really minded them so we made them promise to let us know if they ever did.
We never figured out who left the note (but we think we have an idea, and they are not neighbors that we are really friends with) so we wrote a note under theirs and taped it to our front door for several days, explaining that we would do all we could to keep them quiet before 8am (even though quiet hours are only until 7 in our neighborhood). If they continued to be a bother, we told them to please call us.
The ducks actually have been better lately, but not enough, I guess. Yesterday we received a letter from the city saying that they received a complaint and not only do we have to get rid of the ducks, but the chickens too. Unbeknownst to us, there is a city ordinance against poultry. (Oops!) We called the city and they were very nice about it, saying they will give us two weeks to find new homes for them. So that is good.
While it is very sad that we can no longer have them and I will really miss feeling like I live on a farm, it is somewhat of a relief, too. Every time the ducks quack, we worry who its pissing off, plus, it will probably help us sell the house sooner with all of them gone. Most of all, though, it just makes us even more ready to move where we wont have to worry about having birds.
So, here are some pics I took of them this morning. The rooster, Big Red, will probably be dinner sometime soon, but we think we have found a home for our ducks hens.
This morning I let them quack all they wanted because I was so pissed that our neighbors couldnt be big enough people to leave their names or face us in person with their complaint and Big Red had his first healthy sounding (albeit loud) crow, too. I was so proud of him! Might as well go out with a bang, eh?!
Oh yeah, and I will be sure to remember those city noise ordiances when these neighbors have their all-too-often loud after hours parties. Tit for tat!


Monday, August 20, 2007

Anyone want to buy a house?

Well, this weekend, I learned a huge lesson in patience and dependance on God! We've been toying with selling our house and moving on to some property for while now. We're always looking on the RMLS site as well as in those free magazines at the grocery store, but about a month ago we found a couple houses we really thought we would be interested in, both in Eagle Creek near where my parents live.
The first we looked at was an old 1900 farmhouse on 2 acres with a large shop. The house was vacant and had been completely remodeled. We looked at it, had some questions and concerns to ask the owners, but they were very mum about it, raising a huge red flag for us. We never submitted a bid, but it continued to be in the back of my mind. The other house we never got a chance to look at until this week when our buying agent informed us that both houses had dropped in price by $30k!!!
We made time this Saturday to look at this other house and were completely blown away by it. 5 acres completely fensed and cross-fensed, barn, shop, chicken coop and a very nice garden. The house is a newer manufactured home, but in immaculate condition! We submitted a bid lower than their newly reduced price and hoped for the best. The next day we learned they rejected our bid...not only because it was lower than they were willing to go (apparently, this is the SECOND time they have dropped the price for a total reduction of $70k!) but also they do not want to wait for our house to sell, even if we guarentee less than two months.
We realize now that this could happen any time we find a house and property we like and so we have decided to put our house up for sale, trust God and hope for the best. I secretly hope that by the time our house does sell, this property will still be available, but I know that is very naiive to think. I just hope whatever else we find will be as perfect as this.
And so, we wait and continue to trust the One that promises to work out all things for good....

So, anyone want to buy a house? 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, new paint, slate tile and laminate wood floors throughout, 4 car tandem garage on a 1/4 acre with a beautiful garden, koi pond and a great neighborhood in rural Forest Grove? Let us know!


Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Sickie Poo

Ugg! I'm sick. And no, not just because I am preggo. I got some weird food poisoning or flu thing this weekend. Couldn't eat at all on Sunday or leave the house. Thankfully I got some baby-safe meds from the midwife which stopped the vomiting and zonked me out. I cant remember the last time I slept the entire day away.
I tried going to work for a few hours yesterday, but just ended up leaving around 10 am. My parents are on vacation and I promised I would look in on their dog, so I went and slept the rest of yesterday away at their house. I finally got a little appetite back for dinner yesterday, which is good cause the baby is probably starving!
Im better enough today that I can atleast be at work and look somewhat normal. Although it is hard to be motivated when you know that you are pretty much quitting in 3 months. Speaking of motivated, I guess I should probably get back to work....