Greatest Toddler Toy Ever Made...seriously

Reese LOVES to wash his hands, the dishes and otherwise just play in the sink. It has suddenly occurred to him that instead of just moving the kitchen benches around at random he can purposefully put them somewhere specific, like in front of the sink. Of course the water MUST run continuously during this activity and he never wants t to end. In fact he has quite the meltdown whenever we turn the water off and gate off the kitchen -- the only way to thwart his return to the sink. Luckily we found this awesome toy with a pump to recirculate the water for a working faucet. We played outside on the sunny day.

Notice the toothbrush in his right hand...no toothpaste to muck up the water but he still likes to have it in his sink.

We have it in the kitchen now with a million beach towels around the area beneath.

It came with a whole set of dishes--pots, pans, pitcher, cups, plates, silverware--- for "washing."

This has seriously provided HOURS of entertainment. He's pretty good about keeping the water in. He periodically runs to dry his hands on the towel hanging in the fridge door handle which is mostly what spreads the water around the floor.

Eating Machine

Reese seriously loves his salad. Not with a lot of extras like mommy likes. Just lettuce, cheese, carrot strips and Johnny's Cesar Dressing. He also likes Italian.

Here is the boy eating his chinese food double fisted. He demanded a second fork and shoveled it in with both. He is an especially huge fan of the house fried rice (it has shrimp, chicken and pork.) at Mandarin Chinese in Silverdale. He wasn't really excited about General Tso Chicken, but he loved the Mongolian Beef. I was careful to remove the hot peppers from his portion.

Menu Plan Monday

I have no idea how these bloggers who feed their families of 6 on $12.88 per week are doing it. Does everyone get 2 forkfuls per meal or what? We ended up spending about $60 at Fred Meyer and $100 at Costco (I did get some staples like 10 pounds of organic sugar) and we had lots of the ingredients on hand already for last week. AND we still had to go back over the weekend for bananas, kiwis, milk and coffee creamer. We didn't buy the stuff for the Sunday pork chops because Kyle's folks invited us for dinner. Due to my sickness (I'll let you know if it turns out to be swine flu) Kyle's mom brought us our own full pan of lasagna. SO we had that Sunday and today (and tomorrow).
Our updated menu is:
Sun, Mon, Tues: Lasagna
Wednesday: Jambalaya
Thursday: leftovers (I'll be at UWMC all day)
Friday: Black Bean, Corn, Barley Burritos
Saturday: French Dip
Sunday: leftovers
wow that'a a lot of leftovers. Honestly we end up having that many every week because I always plan more meals than we need.
Another note about last week: if you make the Blackened Cajun Chicken make sure your cajun spice does NOT have salt. Wow--I used Zatarain's Cajun and it's first ingredient was salt, so I eliminated the extra salt the recipe called for. We each had one bite and snatched Reese's away before he took his first bite. We threw it out and got chinese takeout instead. Way too salty. I will try the recipe again after I investigate some other cajun spice mix options.

The Name Game

oops I'm using Kyle's computer and just realized he has no photos on it, so I can't post the ultrasound photo I was going to. Kyle informed me a couple weekends ago that he wanted to revisit the name idea. So we finally pulled out the name books again and came up with a new list. Our previous TOP 5 choices were: Dexter, Logan, Sawyer, Linus, Carter. This was whittled down from a quite large list that we haven't updated since November.
The new list in alphabetical order (pretty sure it WILL BE one of these names):
Angus
Cade
Chase
Desmond (Dez)
Dexter (Dex)
Gabriel
Jack
Judd
Lance
Layne
Linus
Logan
Miles
Oliver
Sawyer

Some of these Kyle likes more than me (Jack) and some I like more than him (Linus) but all the ones that he really likes but my friends have used (Cole, Liam, Spencer) and that I love but he just thinks yuck (Simon, Emmett, Hayden) were already eliminated. These remaining ones are all ones we could both live with. We're mulling over these to whittle further hopefully down to one before the baby comes.

What's the boy been up to?

He's been gleefully eating Easter candy.

Mommy made his ears stick out with his hoodie and laughed at him quite a bit while he begged for more candy---see the tell tale chocolate on the lip?

He enjoyed some lovely outdoor weather..FINALLY...playing soccer in the backyard.

He "washed" some dishes while Mommy cooked--until I realized how much water was spilling onto the floor.

He had a fabulous time watering the plants all by himself.

He couldn't quite figure out how to spray the hose AND drink it simultaneously.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm getting close to the magical 29 weeks mark and even though all still seems to be okay, I can't help feeling a little anxious that it's going to happen any moment. My BP is rising but it goes back down with rest at this point so "so far so good." But I still figure I better start planning better. I started working on this today so for now I've planned 2 weeks. My plan is to plan (loosely) through mid June and get some freezer meals in place for when I come home (or just in case when I'm on hospital bedrest.)

MONDAY: spaghetti and aidell's meatballs - I have diced bell peppers and diced onions in the freezer for quick sauce making.
TUESDAY:Blackened Cajun Chicken
WEDNESDAY: leftovers
THURSDAY: red beans and quinoa chili
FRIDAY: quesadilla - shredded chedder and chicken strips melted in a tortilla with salsa & beans
SATURDAY: leftovers
SUNDAY: Sunny's Apple Pork Chops--this is NOT quick and easy, but YUM!

MONDAY: Black Bean, Corn and Barley Burritos
TUESDAY: Jambalaya -- I use Zatarain's low sodium jambalaya, jennie o turkey keilbasa and shrimp
WEDNESDAY: French Dip -- use Italian Roast Beef from deli otherwise you need to season plain roast beef, I like havarti but any mild cheese will work. San Fransisco Brand Sandwich Rolls are the absolute best, but I haven't been able to find them recently, so I'm thinking they may have stopped making them. We use the french rolls as a substitute but it's just not the same.
THURSDAY: leftovers
FRIDAY: Stuffed Peppers
SATURDAY: Bagel pizzas or leftovers
SUNDAY: Chicken and Pork Risotto with veggie

Get more ideas at OrgJunkie.
Also check out the whole site for the cajun chicken, she has some yummy ideas.

The Behemoth - 28 weeks

Actually I'm referring to our baby. Though I could have been referring to myself. A lady whose blog I read is due the same time as me and has gained the same weight as me (actually I've gained about half a pound less if you can believe it). Check out the difference in our belly size.
I had an ultrasound today at 28 weeks 0 days. I only got photos of each foot, so I'm not scanning them in. At this point they can estimate weight and he is 3 pounds + or - 6 ounces. Even if it's an over estimate that puts him at 2 pound 10 ounces. So a week younger than Reese was at birth this baby is already at least a full half pound bigger. Woo hoo! They also take the measurements of the bones, etc. to estimate gestational age. He is measuring between 29 weeks 0 days and 29 weeks 5 days -- remember we're only at 28 weeks 0 days. He is a sumo wrestler!!!
At this point with Reese I was already in the hospital for 7 days, so we're definitely doing better. I feel pretty confident we'll make it further this time.

First Day of "Preschool"

So my photos didn't turn out too great but it's difficult trying to get no one else in the photo sometimes. Reese was in the "little tykes" class for up to 2 year olds at his therapy center (the speech and occupational therapists came to our house, but group play sessions were at the facility). Once he turned 2 he graduated to the 2 year old "preschool" class which we actually moved to after their spring break. So the first week of April we switched to 2 days a week for 90 minutes and mom and dad get to leave. In Little Tykes we participated in everything.
I was a little stressed at the idea until Kyle went to Everett for 6 weeks--then I thought why must we wait until April?!?? But Kyle was home long enough for me to feel like I didn't need to be saved from the trauma of being 24/7 with a 2 year old, so I stayed the whole time the first day.

They had kid sized brooms and dust pans! Reese was in hog heaven!

He wasn't very smiley, but he was having fun.

He really likes all the stuff they do that we don't do at home, like playdough and glue stuff and the outside playground. They have an indoor gym for bad weather days too, but Reese really wants to go outside no matter the weather.

He wears his glasses at school the WHOLE time! We are not as diligent at home. When he says he's done I let him have a break. He seems to really like school. He mostly follows directions though he doesn't like to stop doing one activity to move on to another if he is liking the first thing. They have a 2 way mirror thing so we can stand outside and watch without the kids knowing. So while I have left for part of the time, I watch for part of the time too.

Menu Plan Monday

Wow last week was bad. Kyle worked 5:30pm-6am. Reese's volume whether happy or mad is a 2 year old's shriek. The only way for Kyle to sleep is for us to leave so we did. We came home to wake him about 1:30 or 2pm, of course being out I didn't prepare food and by then I was in desperate need of a nap. So I have no idea what Kyle ate last week. Reese and I had a lot of PB&J and Quesadillas and we ate at my mom's. This week we're more normal.
Monday: Nachos (beef, black beans, cheese, salsa, guac, sour cream and chips--yum)
Tuesday: Easter ham and macaroni salad leftover from Easter and garden salad
Wednesday: Easter ham and macaroni salad leftover from Easter and garden salad
Thursday: lasagna
Friday: ultrasound and OB appt--leftovers or drive through at Wendy's
Saturday: steak on the grill, sweet potato fries, broccoli
Sunday: Cajun Tilapia fillets, spanish rice and a mixed veggie

Easter Egg Hunt

So glad we didn't pay money at the mall to visit the Easter Bunny. Reese didn't even want to take his candy.
After being terrorized by the Easter Bunny we headed outside for the Easter Egg hunt. The Elks Lodge sponsored the hunt (and provided lunch) for us at Holly Ridge Center where Reese gets his speech and occupational therapy.

Reese was like a mad man scooping up the eggs at a furious rate. We didn't practice at home so I figured he'd not really know what to do. Silly me. He was disappointed his basket was too full pretty quickly so he couldn't keep snagging more.

Investigating:

shake, shake, shake---he doesn't know yet that there is candy in every egg

Headed up the play ground equipment to search for more eggs.

The top ones rolled off, but he got them safely back in the basket.

All his loot in his Longaberger.

27 Weeks and Counting

On this day of my pregnancy with Reese I was admitted to UW for pre-eclampsia. Since there are only 2 hours left of today I think it's safe to say we are going to break the trend without jinxing myself. I really have no idea how much I weighed or how many inches around I was at this point. I am definintely lighter and smaller around than I was at delivery 2 weeks from now. I definitely do not have the swelling EVERYWHERE that I did with Reese's pregnancy, but I do feel way more huge. At least one sweater I wore with Reese now doesn't cover the elastic of my maternity pants--maybe it shrunk. It's uncomfortable to sleep (though now I'm taking Zantac it's easier to stay asleep and therefore not notice the discomfort), it's hard to get up from the couch and bed, I can't seem to pee in the cup at the doctor's office without peeing on my hand anymore---super gross!! I can't bend over in the car to adjust the heat and as of today it is uncomfortable to eat. Which sucks because I'm hungry, but I'm finally feeling sort of normal after my last meal digested a bit seemingly 800 years later, so I'm kind of afraid to eat again.

Here is my photo yesterday. This shirt is a little eye bogglingly busy to really get the full effect of how totally huge I am. But I think I am giant enough that you'll get the idea, just know it is somewhat camoflauged and I am actually larger than I appear. I am finding it hard to imagine women actually continuing to stand upright and move around at 40 weeks pregnant.

They say there is a good chance this baby is already bigger than Reese was at birth. At my appointment with my normal OB on Tuesday I had a high blood pressure reading. Then at my appointment at UW hyertension clinic I had a high and a normal. My cardiac output showed my blood flow is now below the low normal line. But to really have "high BP" and be treated for it with drugs it needs to be up and stay up--not go up and down. My perinatologist said they understand the disease process and the symptoms and what comes next--but he doesn't understand me and doesn't trust me. It is somewhat disconcerting that I can't even be abnormal in a typical fashion and the expert is not sure what to expect. But for now I remain drug free for BP. I was scheduled to begin going to the OB every 2 weeks but the perinatologist decided I can't wait that long to be rechecked, so as of now I will be going every week. Next Friday I have another ultrasound which will determine if there is any blood flow issues to the placenta and verify the baby's size. This week at UW was the first time I actually saw my chart notes that say severe preeclampsia and IUGR. I had to ask what that stands for -- inter uterinine growth restriction. That's actually the first time a medical person acknowledged that Reese was small even for a 29 weeker---which I already knew from my avid Discovery Health Channel watching of all these women having 27-29 weeks multiples that outweighed Reese.

So barring anything freaky in the next 2 weeks I think we'll keep this one cooking a bit longer than Reese got to.

Fun Tuesday

We started the day off with a smoothie:

hmmm...what have we got here?

YUM!
Reese finds it especially tasty from a grown up glass.
Our recipe is a handful of ice, a container of yogurt that we put in the freezer, a cup and 1/2 of frozen blueberries, half a frozen banana (leftover from a day Reese only ate half) and a handful of frozen peaches, about a cup of juice --we had white grape juice today. Blend in blender until desired consistency.

Later in the day he tried coaxing Tara to play with him. She tolerated this "hug" then she was off to find some peace and safety.

This video is Reese chasing Daddy around the house with his truck trying to ram into him. Such fun!