Play doh cookies

This morning we are making cookies. I'm doing the edible kind and Finn is making some out of play doh.


This snowman is "for Momma, okaaaaay." He also made three heart shaped cookies for Momma. That kid. Gotta love him. Then he told me the plate of cookies was for Eva's house (where we are going tonight to celebrate NYE). Well at least they were mine for a little while.



Check out the ornaments on the trees. Okay I helped with the red tree but he did the ornaments on the yellow tree all by himself.

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Easy like Sunday morning

We are taking it easy today. Watching movies. Playing with Christmas presents. It's nearly time for dinner and we are still in our p.j.'s.

Finn wanted to watch his fave Christmas program and insisted that Sawyer lay next to him.



Sawyer is happy to hang with his big bro.



Until Finn takes his paci.



Seriously. Give me back my paci.

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Xmas Tree Hunt '09

On Sunday we braved near freezing temperatures to seek out the tree of our dreams in the Santa Cruz mountains. We thought Finn would have a blast running around the mountain and cutting down a tree. But it turns out that when you are on the verge of losing your fingers to frostbite you kinda just want to go home. Afterward Grandpa treated us to lunch where we had a chance to relax and catch up while blood flow returned to our outer appendages.

Momma and Sawyer pre-hunt. I'm just thrilled I actually got in a photo!

Someone is in the holiday spirit! Maybe we should start calling her Candy Cane.

Let the hunt begin. Scout is ready to lead the charge despite the fog.

Finn helping J cut down the tree.

Here we are with our trophy.

Hangin' with the Brownings

Finn had an evening playdate with the Browning twins. The night ended in jammies but not much sleep.


Finn getting snuggly with Jack & Nora.



Scout crashes the party.

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Martha ain't got nothin'

on the Frietzsche women!


Gorgeous flower arrangement by Karol & Muti.



Dining room table



Overflow dining room table


The kids table (complete with a bouncy zebra in case anyone gets bored during dinner)

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Yesterday Finn was going on about Bun Bon. In Finn-speak that means Sponge Bob. I gave him one of my French kitchen sponges, the flat kind that expand in water. He put it under the tub faucet and watched excitedly as the half under the water expanded. I was impressed when he immediately, without any prompting, turned it around to wet the other side so the whole thing would expand. I told him that was his Sponge Bob. He looked up at me and said, "where are Bun Bon's eyes?". Rats. That kid is too smart.

Later I drew eyes on a dry sponge. Then he needed feet and so on. The result is our homemade Sponge Bob Square Pants below.



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Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Not the movie. Tagging along on Finn's "adventure" tonight. First stop the "airplane" park to watch the planes fly overhead. Then a stop at the train station to watch the choo choo train and inspect the depot. How does the automobile fit in? Well, that's how we got to these places of course.




Finn and Jason waiting to see the train.


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Nightie, night

Here are the boys snuggled up in our bed. They looked so sweet I wanted to curl up next to them. But I thought better of it and put them in their own beds for the night.

The next morning Finn wanted to help Sawyer get dressed.

Happy Halloween

Sawyer at his one month check up. This kid is growing like a weed. He is already 11 lbs 7 oz and 24 inches!

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I made this

and it was delicious. Truth be told I thought the cake was a little on the dry side but it was very rich and decadent.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Get recipe here.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Finally . . . some photos of the Great Pumpkin Hunt of '09. The patch we visited included a petting zoo and train ride. Pretty cool.

Learning how to feed the goats.

Checking out the prize pig.

Round and round on the train.

Finn's pumpkin.

Hercules! Hercules!

Bringing home a bale of hay (to Daddy's dismay).

3 weeks

Momma and Sawyer at 3 weeks (and Momma is wearing her pre-pregnancy jeans- Not bad!)

Two weeks old: Mr. Big Stuff

Sawyer had his two week appointment yesterday. He weighs . . . 9 lbs 15 oz and is 23 inches long.



They say big babies are mellow. Could be that or his yoga/meditation pose.

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One Week Old

My three boys

Sawyer is one week old today. So far (and I am about to jinx myself) he is a good eater, a good sleeper and and generally only cries when he is cold and getting a diaper change. He loves to be held - but really, what baby doesn't want to be held and snuggled? He is very sweet. And big brother Finn is adjusting well. He likes to gently pat Sawyer's head and say "Don't cry baby." Of course, that is only when Sawyer is not actually crying. He also likes to give Sawyer kisses, including Eskimo kisses (you know, nose-to-nose). Sawyer reminds me a lot of Finn at this stage. I just want to hold him in my arms all day long and snuggle. It's pretty awesome. Except for the sleep deprivation thing.

Here are some photos from his first few days:

A few days old

Finn loving on Baby Sawyer

Sawyer and Auntie Kawol

(at least that's how Finn pronounces her name)

Reading with Daddy

Yes, that is Jason snuggled in my hospital bed. The nurses got a kick out of that.

Snuggling with Momma

Looking sharp in his going home outfit

One Ringy Dingy

There's a new face at Fluent Wealth's reception desk.

Be right with you.

I told you to buy low and sell high.

Do you have an appointment?

The Beauty of Pregnancy: Or How Pregnancy Turned Me Into An Old Man

My pregnant days are numbered. Just two to go. Yippee! It's not that pregnancy isn't miraculous and wonderful. It is. But it has a lot of side effects. And they aren't always pretty. I think it started with pregnancy congestion and a nasty hacking cough I had for weeks. It reminded me of an old man's cough. Deep and guttural. The kind that sends your co-workers into a vitamin popping, purell over-using panic. And then as the alien in my belly started taking up more space I noticed other things that reminded me of the male geriatric set. Like getting out of chair. Once a simple motion, now a major event accompanied by groans. There is strategy in pushing yourself out of a chair, standing up nearly straight, teetering into the final position and then walking away from the chair. And there are lots of other things too:

-Young people (under 25) look at me funny and don't know how to relate to me
-Old ladies love me
-Dinner at 5, in bed by 9
-I listen to NPR a lot (that one is probably a coincidence)
-Acid indigestion, acid reflux, the whole acid inducing family
-I spend a lot of time at the doctor's office
-I use the bathroom as often as an old guy with an enlarged prostate
-I move at a snail's pace
-I drive slow and cautiously and yell at other drivers
-I have lost my patience for small children (including my own)
-If something falls on the floor it is bound to stay there for awhile or I may find myself also stuck on that floor for good while.
-My pants have 2 fits: hiked up over the belly or sitting just under it
-I'm cranky and expect everyone to do things my way
-I'm tired
-A good day is spent lying on the couch in front of the tv

Let's face it. The biggest miracle here is that my husband has not run away screaming. I'm looking forward to losing my old man traits and despite his protests that I am not bigger than I was with Finn and assurances that yes, I am beautiful, I am sure Jason is too.

Nesting has officially begun!

By 10:oo am Saturday I had accomplished the following:

-washed several loads of laundry

-washed a load of dishes

-baked a batch of cupcakes

-made homemade chocolate frosting for said cupcakes

-cleaned the kitchen

-tidied up the playroom

-made to-do lists for myself and Jason

-went grocery shopping and put all of the groceries away

-took out the garbage and recycling

-sorted the mail from the past week

And somewhere in there I fed Finn, myself and the dog. The latter is kinda a big deal since Scout's meals have gone from 2 square a day to "hey, did anyone feed Scout today?"

* Nest painting borrowed from RozArt on etsy.com

The 7 week itch

Hmm, that sounds like some horrible, dermalogical disorder or maybe something you can contract from a loose woman. But actually I'm referring to a different afflication. Of the third trimester kind. Baby Bruddah will be here exactly 7 weeks from today. 7 weeks. In some ways, I am over this pregnancy and the little treats that present themselves the last couple of months- back pains, swollen hands and feet, heartburn, exhaustion beyond belief. But I also know it's easier to care and protect him in utero, rather than out of utero (I'm pretty sure the latter is a medical term). Plus there is still so much left to do before the next little one arrives.

1) Pick baby name. Scratch that. Nag husband some more to pick out some baby names. I'm about to hand the task over to the 2 year old and the dog. And I'm pretty sure Finn's first choice is Elmo. Or maybe Rooster.

2) Buy 50,000 size 1 diapers.

3) Hire baby nurse to change the 50,000 diapers. Ask about whether she provides wet nurse services. What? Some sleep would be nice.

4) Buy myself a push present. My husband's idea of a push present is a 100 year old house that needs constant work and maintenance. I'm thinking of something a little less stressful and sparkly.

5) Teach Scout to walk and feed herself. Her status is about to go from generally ignored to seriously neglected.

6) Come to terms with the fact that no matter how exhausted I am now, it's just gonna get worse.

7) Potty train Finn. I can dream.

Dearest Little One

Dearest precious little one residing in my belly,

What are you doing in there? Do you have a case of disco fever? Are you training to be a Navy Seal? Your Momma is getting beaten from the inside out. My belly is jumpin' and jivin' all over the place. When I turn on my side, little pointy baby parts (hands, feet, elbows?) dig into the mattress. They say a baby that is active in utero is also active out of the utero. I'm starting to think you will require a harness and a helmet.

Please be nice to your Momma. We've got just 10 weeks left together til we meet face to face and you are growing exponentially.

Stay Cool Momma Style

Oh man, it has been hot around our house lately. We are using every trick we can think of to keep cool.

Finn-style: Demand to be let outside. Strip naked poolside. Sit on first step and splash around like you are in the world's largest bathtub. Go inside but refuse to wear one stitch of clothing, including a diaper.

Scout-style: Find the spot of ground with the most concentrated sunrays. Lay in it. Cook til done.

Momma-style: Complain that "I am heating for two, you know." Seek out ice cold non-alcoholic beverages. Complain some more. Sit poolside next to naked boy. Chase naked boy around house trying to wrestle a diaper on him. Get over heated again. Resume complaining. Drink ice cold water in front of open freezer. Collapse on couch.

Jason-style: Make irritating comments to your overheated, pregnant wife, such as, "It's not hot. In fact, I'm cold. Throw me a blanket."

River '09

Per tradition, we spent the 4th of July up at the Russian River.  It wasn't quite as warm as we had hoped but we certainly had fun and lots of relaxation with good friends.  For some reason, nearly all of the photos are of Finn.  Funny how that happens. 

Finn and Eva at the beach.

Doing some important digging.

Feeding the ducks at our campground.

Finn was eager to throw food for the ducks.

Watching the ducks eat lunch.

 

Proof that I was there!  At least I got in one photo. ;)

HapBirDay Muti!

Finn was very taken with Sponge Bob.  He carried that toy around for days and named it "Manimaux."  I think he was trying to call it "animal."

Muti and 3 of her grandsons.  Finn could not peel his eyes away from Sponge Bob to look at the camera.

A glimpse

Last weekend it was sooo hot.  Africa hot.  I am heating for two, you know.  So on Sunday, I packed up Finn and Scout and we headed up to the City.  The ocean breeze never felt so good! By the afternoon, my siblings in the East Bay had joined us. 

Finn was napping when his cousins, Drew & Matt, arrived.  But it didn't take much to get him riled up and before long the boys and the dogs were wrestling, screaming, giggling and such in the entry hall.  A glimpse of what it will be like with two boys in the house.  Oh my.  I'm not sure I'm ready for this.  Is it too late to change my mind?

Poor Drew played the part of the horse with Matt and Finn as his passengers.  

Gee, it would have been nice if they had taken turns.

Drew is on the bottom of the pile up, smiling and laughing the whole time.  

Note Scout, sneaking away before the boys get any ideas of piling up on her.

What?  We're having fun.