Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Bicycle Race (or not)



I just feel that this post needs to start with that song!

Anyway! I like bike riding. I love bike riding when it involves a lot of mud, or an awesome Danish bike on flat ground (RIP FroCycle.) We want the Bug to enjoy riding, and have been tossing around the idea of buying a bike trailer for him. I was nervous we'd spend $300 for a large object to sit in our garage. On Bug's birthday we took him to a consignment shop that he likes, and to check out bike trailers (they had new ones.) They had a Burley Bee marked at 20% off, and after reading reviews, we decided to give it a try. "We'll sell it if he hates it." (That seems to be the new motto.)

With Bug being sick last week, and party-palooza this weekend, the first time we had a chance to try it out was Sunday. It took us 5 hours to actually get to go biking (naps needed to happen) but it was worth it. We bought Bug a tiny helmet and while I was SURE he'd scream bloody murder, he did okay. We practiced at home, and we showed him how his daddy had on, and he had one. He loves whatever daddy has. We put his helmet on, put him in the trailer and they went on a "test ride." His smile was totally worth it!
Everyone gets thirsty after a hard work out. Helmet off, bub in.

There is a great trail around Fairbanks, and it is away from the road, so I feel pretty safe with towing the Bug (and my husband did the towing.) We only went out for 20 minutes, but he really seemed to like it. It was only a little over a mile, but I'm hoping to be able to get him to enjoy it so we can go on longer adventures. I think part of the problem is that his helmet weighs as much as he does, but we'll get there. Next summer we'd love to bike into Denali with him in tow.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Bug's Party

Grab some coffee and get comfy...this might take a while! Also, I apologize for errors, or repeating myself....not much time to proof read with a Bug running around and a house to clean!

Bug's fever stayed around 101 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. He had his 12 month appointment on Thursday, so I figured I'd mention it to his doctor then if it didn't go away. Wednesday night I was sitting on the couch with him and tickling him. He threw his mouth open and his whole little throat was bright red. The first thing I thought of was Strep. I quickly grabbed him a bottle and threw on my muck boots and ran out the door to Urgent Care. If he had Strep I wanted to get him on antibiotics right away, and I would need to cancel his birthday party.

Long story short, after a short wrestling session, we were able to swab his throat and the test came back negative. It did turn out that he had an ear infection. His third. This also earned us a referral to the ENT. Lucky, lucky us!

After two doses of antibiotics though, my happy guy was back and the fever was gone. He weighed 23.8 pounds and is 30 3/4 inches tall (82nd %tile.) His head stays at a solid 98th %tile. He's not talking yet, but babbling and the doctor isn't worried.

On Saturday we had his 1st birthday party! I spent the week trying to figure out how to pull off a "pond theme" and think I did a pretty good job. Luckily I found large green plates at Fred Meyer that reminded me of lily pads, so at least I had that and went with it. My poor husband. I decided I wanted to make a frog for the top of his smash cake, and then chocolate lily pads for the tops of the cupcakes (more on that later.)

Let me start by saying that I am the queen of procrastination. Usually I wait until the last second, but since the Bug I have started to plan things out a bit more. It's not possible to do everything at the last second, so I made the Frog on Tuesday, and what I thought would take 10 minutes took almost two hours. The molding (pre-made) took FOREVER to kneed. I guess that's the downfall of picking something up at the store that isn't used a lot. Either that or it is suppose to be a solid brick....

ANYWAY another friend of mine helped me with dying the chocolate green and gave me great advice on how to free mold the lily pads. I made those on Wednesday, and forgot to put them in the fridge...that meant when I went to put the on the cupcakes on Friday 1/3 of them were ruined. Opps! Lesson learned! She told me to put them in the fridge and poof.....just forgot!

Thursday Bug and I ran around for some final things for his party...and to get some stuff for his dad's surprise party. Last year my hubby got the shaft because we were just home from the hospital, I felt "wonderful" <-sarcasm and just didn't.

Friday I started watching my friends infant. (Side note: Bug will be an only child.) He's so sweet, but I do NOT KNOW how people have babies close together. After his momma picked him up Bug and I went on our ninja shopping trip to get supplies for his party AND his dad's party. He was a very good helper and we got home right before his dad.

Saturday morning, hubby went fishing with a friend while Bug and I got his cake finished, and the party set up.


So a photo montage of party decorations



I ruined 1/2 the lily pads so I decided on Salmon swimming...
Bug's BFF can't have eggs. I made a recipe that I found online, and it was DELICIOUS. Egg free and dairy free, it tasted like Oreos. YUMMY. I used this recipe for the vanilla cupcakes and this recipe for the egg free. Sadly, the frosting didn't turn out how I wanted it to. I didn't put enough sugar into it, but it was 11pm when I was icing them, and I figured I was covering them with a lily pad, SO it didn't really matter. Look at me! Not being anal! See how much I've grown?! I will say WHEN I follow directions, this frosting is A. Easy and B. Amazing (but add some creme of tartar to get it to keep its shape....if that makes any sense.)

Since I ruined 1/2 the lily pads, I needed to figure out what to do with the other cupcakes. Salmon and "bubbles" (aka blue Sixlets.) I think it turned out pretty cute! AND yes! I do understand that Frog's eat Bugs! Lol. We called Bug, Frog-man when he was tiny-tiny because of how he'd hold his legs. I also want to give credit for the lily pad idea. I got it from here.



Dirt Cups, which I forced everyone to eat. I'm such a nice host! 





Before everyone got to the house, and after daddy got home from fishing, we took Bug's final month photo. He's been sick all week and I wanted him to look happy. He's such a cutie.

Happy Birthday Buddy!! We love you! 

The party was perfect! Bug destroyed his cake. I laughed Friday night as I was icing it. SO much time for something that he was going to destroy. He did eat some of it, but we took it away before he had too much.
We have some amazing friends in Fairbanks. We are very lucky. It was the perfect day. There was nothing I would change about it.




Bug's friends left around 3:30, and I had planned for hubby's dinner party to start at 6. I had told Bug that morning that it was his job to distract his dad in the afternoon. I had NOT clue how I was going to get the squash all cute up, the asparagus cleaned and cut, the steaks to room temp, the potatoes baked, etc. without making him suspicious. I figured that I would just tell him.

BUT, around 4 hubby and the Bug took a nap together....for 2 hours! I had everything done, and his friends showed up JUST as they woke up! It was perfect!

He deserves perfect. He's a great guy!

Parties were successful!

Flour less chocolate cake with dark chocolate mousse and ganache....may look weird, but was pretty tasty! 


Monday, April 21, 2014

Bug Birthday Wrap-Up

Poor Bug. He was up this morning at 6:30 with his poppa, and I got to sleep in for a few extra minutes. He tottled (is that even a word? Is that even spelled right?) over to my bed and started babbling at me. I think that is by far my favorite way to wake up in the morning. He had woken up at 4 am and had a bit of a fever, but went right back to bed. His fever stayed around the rest of the day. Maybe to celebrate? Regardless, it put a damper on our birthday celebration that I had planned. He wouldn't let me near his mouth, and spend the whole day putting everything in his mouth, so I hope it is teeth. I'm sort of over him being sick.

He got some balloons from mommy and daddy and he loved them! His great aunt sent him some balloons in an envelope and he played with those too. I'm just waiting for him to pop one.


We watched Sesame Street to celebrate his birthday, and then he took an early nap. When he woke up we met daddy for lunch at the Cookie Jar and he LOVED that.


He decided to put his french fry into the water....and then eat it. 


After lunch we went to pick out his birthday present from mommy and daddy (okay..another present from mommy and daddy.) We bought a bike trailer! It's a Burley Bee and was 20% off. We really hope he likes it. There are some really nice trails around town and I would love to be able to take him out around our house. Nothing like spending a couple hundred dollars on something your child "might" like. He seemed interested in the store.
Hello Summer!
We got home and Facetimed (is that a verb? Can I use that as a verb?) with his Grammy, Mimi, and Grey-Grey (my nephew named my dad, and it's awesome!) He opened two gifts, but was not felling well and really just wanted to go to bed. We did sing to him and let him destroy a small cake. We had planned on him destroying a corn bread cake, but we just didn't have the time today to make it. Oh well. I am making him a cake for his birthday party on Saturday.

The poor Bug passed out by 5 and woke up at 10 for a bottle and some Tylenol. Teeth or otherwise, send good thoughts he feels better tomorrow! I'll post more photos as the week goes on as his birthday, has turned into a birth week.

Happy Birthday Bug! (Bug's Birth Story)

I didn't want kids. I taught kids all day, and I was worn out at the end of it. I loved them, and figured that was good enough. My husband and I had a big discussion about kids. I had decided that I didn't want them (for the moment...I always changed my mind.) It was Tuesday, July 24th, and I had gone on about never having, nor wanting kids. I wanted another horse. I wanted to do Dressage. Ponies are expensive. I couldn't have ponies AND a kid. That Thursday I was out riding my horse that I was leasing (and wanted to buy.) It was 82 by 10 am and I was sweating like a pig. I kept stopping her because I was pretty positive I was going to puke. My trainer informed me I was pregnant. I laughed so hard that I almost fell off the horse. 

I went home, and took a test, just because I had one and just because I wanted to prove her wrong. I peed, looked at it for 30 seconds and saw one line. I threw it in the garbage and thought nothing more of it. I went about my day, and came home late that night. I was getting ready for bed and remembered the test. "OH yeah! How funny, I took a pregnancy test." I looked at the stick and there were two lines. I thought it was really weird that a pregnancy test got two lines after sitting for 12 hours. I showed my husband and we discussed how that was really weird and how companies who make pregnancy tests should REALLY put a warning on the tests. 

NEVER.DAWNED.ON.US!! 

I told my trainer/friend the next day about my test, and she laughed at me and told me to buy another one. I did

and another.....

and another.....

7 pregnancy tests later, I started to believe her. 

My pregnancy was pretty easy as far as pregnancy horror stories go. I instantly became a blimp, was super nauseous for the first 17 weeks, but only in the AM. I was convinced that we were having a girl. We found out on November 29th that our little girl had a penis. The ultrasound tech had the personality of a sponge and said 3 words to us the entire time. He didn't even tell us it was a boy, he typed it on the screen. Regardless, we were thrilled. 

At every.single.appointment I asked my midwife (I saw several of them) if "everything looks good for a vaginal birth." I was terrified of an epidural and wanted to do it drug free. It was my question at the end of  each appointment when they asked, "Any Questions." I'm pretty sure they flagged my file as "Crazy Lady." I don't have any proof though...

I was due on April 8th, 2013. My parents flew in early, March 31st, so they wouldn't miss the birth of their second grandson. My due date came, and my due date went. My midwife wouldn't let me work into April (my job got physical.) I was bored, and hated that I was spending my maternity leave not being maternal. My parents rented a house 1/2 a mile from ours and came over in the afternoons. They kept their space in the morning, I think because I was turning into a bigger bitch than normal. 

My brother had planned on flying in April 16th to meet his nephew and my neighbor offered to pick him up.  I picked him up. Sigh.

At my appointment on the 17th, the midwife stripped my membranes and we picked an induction date. I was so sad. I had these grand ideas of my water breaking in the middle of the night and waking my husband to drive me to the hospital. We picked the 19th since my parents were leaving soon there after, and I was 41 weeks 5 days at that point. I'd be almost 42 weeks by the time the date came. I had a NST (Non-stress Test) done, and happily baby looked great. 

We had an appointment to go in and get induced at 7 pm on the 19th. On the 18th I realized that the likelihood that my child was going to be born on 4/20 was a real possibility. I had taught middle school enough to NOT want my child born on 4/20. OH the horrible jokes I heard!  I Googled the date to see what good I could find to make myself feel better...it was HITLERS birthday. HITLER!  I wasn't happy. I tried to change my induction date until Monday. My midwife laughed and said she'd see me on the 19th. Great. (They added "Extra Crazy" to my chart.)

We went in for the induction and planned on staying the night. The bed was SO uncomfortable that I just wanted to go home. They used a Folly bulb to induce me and then gave me the option to go home. Yes! Please. Anything. They told me to come back in the AM when I woke up. That I "might" feel some uncomfortable pressure, but that's it. I definitely felt pressure, but just wanted to go home. We got back home around 9, and left the bag in the car. I woke up at 11pm with horribly strong contractions (uncomfortable pressure my ass.) YES! This was it. I went to the rocking chair and started timing them. They were so strong that I was convinced that the baby would be born before the sun came up. I tried to let my husband sleep as long as possible. At 2am I couldn't take the pain anymore and just wanted to be somewhere that HAD drugs. I hadn't planned on using them, but just wanted them nearby. He timed my contractions and they were 2 minutes apart with a 30 second break. We ran to the car, but since the folly bulb was still in, we figured we were safe. 

(Hey, at least I got my middle of the night run to the hospital.)

When we got to the hospital we were ushered to a room. I was so convinced I was going to be having the baby soon. My midwife checked me, the folly popped right out and I was only at 4 centimeters. The contractions slowed down and I felt less like I was being punched in the uterus. The nurse and my midwife explained that I NEEDED to sleep, and although I wanted to do the whole thing drug free, I let them give me some morphine. Let's just say I can TOTALLY see how people get so hooked on the stuff. I was OUT OF IT. The nurse (I loved her, I wanted to bring her home) kept bringing me Rocket pop after Rocket pop. I finally fell asleep around 5am. My midwife said she'd have the next midwife on call check on me at 8am to see where I was and to start the next phase. I told her I did NOT want a 4/20 baby. She smiled and said that most woman don't ask for longer labor, and she was pretty positive that I'd be a mom by noon.

My husband and I fell asleep and woke up at 11 am! My nurse had told the next midwife to let me sleep. If I had a girl I'm pretty sure I would have named her Pamela, after this nurse. I loved her. My midwife came in and checked me and I was 2 cm. 2!! Somehow I went back 2 cm, all the contractions and everything. I was so pissed. She said that this could happen with mechanical inductions. I ordered another Rocket Pop and asked to make it a double. 

At noon the midwife inserted Cervidil. I didn't want to do pitocin unless I had to. My contractions started right back up with vengeance and the only thing that made them better was walking. We must have walked the halls for hours. The anesthesiologist was hanging at the nurses station around 8pm. Now that I look back I think he knew that I would cave eventually, and he was just waiting for me to throw in the towel. Sort of like the Orca whale that watches the struggling seal pup, and plays with it before it becomes a snack. 

My midwife checked me again at 9pm. Up to this point I was super modest, and let's just say it, embarrassed, about showing off my girly parts. I don't remember what point it was but I'm pretty sure I offered to have every medial intern in the hospital system come "take a look" I no longer cared. 

My contractions were horrible and I was exhausted and miserable. I was in and out of the whirlpool tube more times than I could count. At 9:30 pm I was saying the F word every other word. It was around the same time I learned that my midwife's daughter was in the classroom across the hall from mine. I KNEW she looked familiar! I felt bad, but the F word is a comforting word to me, sort of like those sweatpants you still have from college. 

At 11pm I asked for an epidural. I gave in, I didn't care anymore, I just wanted drugs. Lots and LOTS of drugs. My poor husband was amazing. I turned into a PSYCHO BITCH (turned, have been one, whatever...) at this point. I screamed at him to touch me, and screamed at him to not touch me. Poor guy. Poor Midwife (my midwife said I was a laboring woman and it was normal....I was a bitch.) She knew that I wanted to try to do the birth without drugs and suggested that she check me, and then check me again in an hour. I swore, but agreed. She said that it might inspire me. I was 7cm at 11pm. When she came back at midnight I was 7cm. I started to scream "Get me the short little man."  (The Anesthesiologist WAS short, and I realize it wasn't nice, but at the time anesthesiologist just seemed like such a LONG word.)  

I swear the man was sitting outside my room just waiting for me. He was in the room in less than a minute (or I was so out of it, and it was 10 minutes, but I don't think so.) I was so afraid of the needle. I was TERRIFIED and kept crying. He explained to me exactly what he was going to do, what it was going to feel like and everything that would be happening. I asked him to marry me. While he was putting in the Epidural the nurse (who I was less than thrilled about) was trying to put on a blood pressure cuff. I was PISSED. I had visions of her bumping me and causing the the needle to paralyze  me. I screamed at her. My midwife distracted me with the fact that it was after midnight and that meant it was now April 21st.  

NO HITLER-DRUG-DEALING BABY! 

The Epidural was AMAZING. I wish I would have gotten it at the beginning. My sweet husband tucked me in and we took a nap. By 8am I was 10 cm and ready to push. I got ready and pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and pushed. The midwife told me I was doing it right, but the baby wasn't coming down like he was suppose to. They determined that he needed to move into the birth canal, and had me move in a weird positions every 10 minutes for an hour then I went back to pushing. Around this point the midwife brought up the C word. I freaked out. Like hyperventilating freaked out. No way, no how was I getting cut open.

Not after 30 some hours of labor. 

NEVER.

I pushed like I never pushed before. My sweet husband commented on how much hair the baby had and I pushed harder. The midwife had me to continue to push while she went to consult with the OB/GYN. I kept pushing, figured I would surprise her with a baby. I didn't. The OB/GYN came in and we talked about options. I talked about how NO WAY IN HELL was I getting a C Section. As long as the baby was fine, I was fine. He told me about the vacuum and said we could either do it then, or wait an hour. If I waited an hour, I needed to be strong enough to push. I was SO convinced that it would work that I agreed to do it right then. 

He gave me three tries. If nothing happened I had to go straight to the OR. Sure, I figured, it will work. How could it NOT work right? After the first push I knew from the look on everyone's faces that it wasn't going to work. After the third push I started to freak out. Not little freak out, like full on anxiety attack. Hyperventilating, crying, hysterical panic attack. They whisked me to the OR while my husband was getting prepped. The Anesthesiologist (new one) was really nice. I was A HOT MESS. I couldn't breath, I couldn't talk, all I could do is cry.  He was really nice and kept wiping the tears from my eyes and telling me stories about his kids (He tired telling me what they were going to do, and I wasn't having it.) My eye sockets kept filling up with my tears and everything was blurry.

Everyone in the OR came and told me their name, and what their job was going to be. It was so nice, and I was such a mess. I wish I could have enjoyed it. Instead I told them that I didn't care what their job was, just do it right. It was not one of my prouder moments. I wasn't very nice.  At this point my husband came in, and I think the Anesthesiologist was more relieved than I was. I told him that I didn't want to know ANYTHING. NOTHING. I didn't care what they were going to do, how they were doing it, just do it. He told me he couldn't give me any drugs for the anxiety until the baby was out. I didn't care about the drugs.

Then he told me to hold my breath. Why you wonder? Because I was crying so hard that my whole body was shaking. They needed me to hold my breath so they could make the incision. 

Next thing I knew, I heard them say "he's out" then it was what felt like 5 minutes until we heard him cry (in reality it was seconds) I cried (happy tears this time) my husband cried. As soon as I saw him my first words were "There was no way he was coming out the other way." 

My big boy was born at 12:49 pm on April 21st. Bug weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces and was 22 inches long (the exact stats I was when I was born.) He was facing up (the wrong direction) so he was trying to come out with the largest part of his head. Obviously that didn't work.
Going home day! (4/26)

While they were cleaning him up the Doctor came around and told me it went great, and there was no reason that my next child couldn't be a vaginal birth. I told him (with several swear words involved) that there would be NO next child. At some point the Anesthesiologist shot me up with drugs, and the next hour or so is a blurry mess. I sort of remember "stuff" but not much until after my parents showed up. I was fine as soon as he was out, and I wish I would have thought to tell the doctor that. I had other things on my mind. 

I was in love. My mom, dad, and brother (who was flying out in the AM) were able to come to the hospital and meet him. It was amazing. I couldn't believe he was mine.  Recovery sucked. It sucked so much. You get to the point of pushing a kids head out, only to get to have surgery...not fun.  On the 2nd day the pain killers stopped working, we ended up on another floor of the hospital, and I was miserable. Breastfeeding wasn't working. I felt like my body failed me, and I am still a little mad at it. Then there was him. The perfect little boy that I fell more in love with each passing minute. 

Today that wonderful little guy turns 1! ONE! How did time fly so fast? Where has the year gone? All I know is I am so grateful that I get to be his momma. Happy Birthday Bug! Sorry momma was a bitch the day you were born. 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Easter

Bug's first Easter was successful. I made his basket for him and the Easter Bunny must have thought he was really good. 


Saturday we colored eggs. Bug also REFUSED to nap all day. He really wanted to help with the coloring. We ended up with broken eggs and googling "how to get egg dye off your baby's face." All in all we had a really fun morning. Saturday afternoon we went to one of Bug's friends 1st birthday party. 



Bug wouldn't give up the eggs.


Sunday we woke up and looked for eggs. Bug found 2 and called it good. The Bunny had Bug's basket on the counter and his daddy's was hidden in the hamper. We were able to make it to Easter service only 5 minutes late, which was pretty impressive for us. 




In the afternoon we played outside. Daddy and Bug tapped some of the Birch trees to see if we could get any liquid (nada.) Bug got covered in mud, and I took the bark off of a log we had. 



We still have around a foot of snow in the backyard. In order to get the gardens ready I shoveled all but an inch of snow off the bed. I still need to finish another one, but that will have to wait for another day. 



Dinner was lamb, roasted potatoes and honey/(random spices) carrots. It was delicious!!



Hope your Easter was fabulous!! 

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Monday on a Thursday

There are some weeks that Monday feels like Thursday, and weeks that Thursday feels like Monday. That was this week. Not in a bad way though! Just in a "I can't believe it's Thursday" sort of way. I can't even remember what I did on Monday. I showered. I think. Bug's birthday is Monday, and with Easter on Sunday I have been busy trying to get things organized. Ask me what I'm having for dinner on Sunday....yeah, haven't gotten that far yet, but I've thought about it. Does that count?

Today we met a friend and Bug's BFF for lunch to celebrate her birthday. We left our house, and made it the whole way down the hill and I couldn't remember if I had closed the garage door or not. SO, back up the hill we went. Sigh. As we were pulling into the resturant, I heard Bug cough and choke. I quickly parked the car and jumped out to see him covered in puke. COVERED. His car seat, my car, the window (how!) The poor guy. He just looked at me so confused. AGAIN, I am so thankful that I have a car that all my seats can go down. I took him out and took off all his clothes and let him crawl around the trunk area while I cleaned up the grossness. I assumed he choked on the water, so we got new clothes on and went in to see our friends. 
Post Puke (Didn't seem to phase him, hu?)

He seemed "okay" but when we got home he just wanted to snuggle and he took a nap. He NEVER wants to just lay there and snuggle, unless he's sick. I decided to cancel our play date tomorrow (boo). Hopefully he is fine, and I'm over reacting, but I know I would be not happy if I went to someones house when their kid was puking the day before. 

Hopefully he is feeling better for Easter and his Birthday. I made his basket and it is ready to go from the Bunny. We have it sitting on his birthday presents, and have been trying to keep him out of our room. He saw all the wrapped presents and got SO excited. Mostly because it was something new, but still. 
Bunny basket! 

Gah! How is my baby going to be 1!! 

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Spring?

It's "Spring" technically....I am afraid to say anything about it out loud because every time I say anything, I get reminded that the temps could drop into the negatives at anytime. So, Spring in June then? That's when I will put my plants into my garden beds. I haven't seen the yard in so long I forget what it looks like!

So far, what Spring in Fairbanks means to me (this sounds like the start of a 3rd grade essay.)

 1. It means that my house will shake and large chunks of heavy wet snow will come flying off my roof, taking parts of my room with it.

2. It means that anything that was hit and killed during the winter is emerging from its snowy tomb. Case in point being the dog in front of our house. As much as I dislike playing around with dead things, VERY dead things, I know that if it were me I'd like to know where my dog ended up. I tried to find his/her tags, but they are underneath the dog and the dog is still very much frozen to the ground. I was reminded tonight that at least it was not a human we found. OH so true.

3. Where there were once roads, there are now small streams running across them. If it were the Pacific Northwest, I'd expect some salmon swimming, but nope, nada.

4. My car is officially brown. I can hardly see any of the teal on it, so I half hope that driving through these road streams it will clean it off enough to make it look presentable.

5. I have the gardening bug....BAD. I can not wait to plant in our beds! This weekend or next I will need to go down and shovel off the snow and put plastic down to start to warm up the soil. I have this feeling I'm going to bust my butt, and Martha is going to come along and eat everything. Gah. Still, so excited to plant. I never got "baby fever" but do I ever get gardening fever.We decided that with the Bug, and the cats we would buy starts. It just seemed easier. I have a list from the greenhouse of what they are growing and I CAN NOT WAIT, but I must or it will all die. June 1st. I need to wait until June 1st, and until then I will continue to figure out ways to have ALL garden and no grass to cut.




Monday, April 14, 2014

First Camping Trip

Yes, yes, I have a whole month of "stuff" that I am missing...I'll get to it...eventually!

This past weekend we added another thing to the "Baby's First" list. Bug went on his first camping trip! He turns one in a little over a week (SOB) and we wanted to take him before that. We left Friday and headed about 40 miles South of Fairbanks to a little dry cabin on the Salcha River. It was perfect! Not a soul around (other than the ones driving past on the nearby road) and just peace and quiet. We got to camp around dinner time, and hubby got to work starting a fire in the wood stove. (Note: My husband's friends are BRILLIANT, and gave us the idea of making calzones ahead of time to heat up on the fire. No cooking! AND yummy calzones.) We spent most of Friday evening trying to keep Bug away from the wood burner.

Friday night we snuggled into our sleeping bags, and Bug in his pack n' play in our little sauna, er....cabin. Around Midnight he woke up (probably because it was 934 degrees in the cabin.) My sweet husband tried to change him and let me sleep, but Bug thought it was a great time mid-diaper change to pee all over his dad's sleeping bag. Luckily, we keep an extra one in the car in case I ever break down in the winter. While up we went outside to see the Aurora. It will probably be the last time that we get a chance since it is really only dark enough from 11pm - 4 am, and even that is quickly going away. At some point during the night, the Bug ended up with us sleeping. He is worse than me, and takes over the ENTIRE bed area, elbows and all.

Saturday morning we work up and ate our breakfast burritos that we made before we left on Friday.  Bug wouldn't nap (too much light) so we decided to go for a drive since he will sleep in the car. We ended up driving to Delta Junction, which is about 100 miles from Fairbanks. On our way there we got run off the road by a large truck into a snowbank (on a back road.) Luckily, A. I have good tires. B. My husband is a good driver, and C. The truck actually stopped. We didn't actually need to talk to the truck driver since my husband got the car out of the snowbank and I got 1/2 my car cleaned off. No harm done. As frustrated as I was at the driver for causing my life to flash before my eyes, I did appreciate that he waited for us to get out.

When we were almost into Delta we noticed a small black cow laying in a field, a field without a fence and no other cows around. After getting some coffee and chocolate milk (and with a Bug still sleeping) we discussed rescuing "Norman" (my husband named him, and that's why I love him) and bringing him home with us. I mean, who DOESN'T want a pet cow? Well, when we went back, Norman was gone, as was my dreams of cow ownership.

We spent the rest of Saturday playing on the gravel bar next to the frozen river and sled riding (well, Bug was riding in the sled, we were pulling him.) Bug just wanted to be outside, just like his daddy, so we did a lot of exploring. Saturday night, Bug did a better job of going to sleep and staying asleep. We woke up Sunday, went sled riding, and then packed up in time for Bug's nap so he could sleep on the way home.

It was a great first trip for the Bug. I don't think I'd change a thing, and really want to go again....like tomorrow...I think Bug will agree.

AND now, in true Brooke style....a bazillion photos.

Bug REALLY likes the camera.





The Pipeline





Just scroll through the next photos quickly...it's funny. ;)