New Swing

the new swing WORKS!!

sure it LOOKS like the same swing, but in reality... The swing we bought before didn't work right. It wouldn't swing with him in it, although it would swing without him. Anyways, we had bought it before he was born, so didn't think we could return it (we didn't have the packaging or anything). Thankfully Jessica (who works at K-mart where we bought it) told us that no, let her call and check and see if she could get it fixed and they did! They just gave Indiana the new same swing. He loves it. (you can see the smile if you look closely)

Go DUCKS!

Handsome Duck Fan
although his daddy wants him to be a beaver believer... The rest of the neighborhood is helping Dakota make Indiana into a duck fan. Grandma Donkey's neighbor contributed this outfit to the cause.

Fixed it

Ok, in order to fix our sidebar issue, i just completely changed templates. I hope you enjoy the new look!!

busy busy

been really busy, sunday went to moms to do yard work, monday Indiana was cranky and didnt feel well, so spent the whole day trying to sooth a screaming child! Tuesday melody came to lunch and then again after work. had to do some shopping too. Kathryn was over for lunch also. i didnt even get my pogo badge! will update with new pics later tonight or tomorrow morning, as soon as i get a chance, thanks for your patience.

Still broken?

I am not sure why we are having side bar issues. It seems that the current date is displayed, but any info added has to be scrolled past the lowest level of the side bar to retrieve. Who knows why and I haven't figured out how to fix it. Bear with us. I should be starting a normal page with music and video and all that sometime this winter... Until then, this is it.

Michael was HIDING!

Ray, Jacob, Misti (holding Indiana), James (Pat's son), Ruth, Weston (standing), and Wanda

Chris, Indiana, and I spent 8 hours at Grandma Wood's house today. We got there around 1130 am and then my dad, Wanda and three of my brothers showed up around one. Cousin James came around two. It was a great visit. I enjoyed all the family a lot. Indiana did pretty good, only getting cranky a few times, and mostly because he was tired. He smiled and played and charmed everyone, and took a nap in his portable aquarium swing on the patio. The family came bearing gifts and he is already enjoying his car seat toy. I think Chris liked everyone. he said over and over how nice my family was, and to "just wait" until i met his.

Technical difficulties?

We appear to be having some template problems with out site... Bear with me as I try (probably in vain) to rectify the situation. Not sure why its doing what its doing but I will be adjusting links and other side bar features and moving pictures around, trying to get the "empty space" to go away!

thinking about crying! 

Only when he is sleeping!

Like many babies, he's best when he's asleep! He has had a lot of complain in the last few days, and he's gone out to town walking and riding in his car seat (which he still hates). It is getting too hot for me to walk with him in the front carrier, which means he is going to have to learn to like the stroller. If he doesn't, he will be spending more time with Donkey watching over him while I run my errands. Today, Donkey watched him for an hour while Gary took me off to Chris's work. Chris had locked himself out of the van. By the time I arrived with lunch for him from McDonald's and a wire coat hanger from my moms to pop the lock, the guys he works with had already gotten him in. At least I got him lunch I guess. Then I was able to go get his watch battery repaired at freddie's on the way home. I worried the whole while that I waited for the jeweler because my sweet Indiana was at home with Grandma Donkey. All sorts of evil possibilities passed thru my mind, but when I got home, he was enjoying his lunch rocking in the recliner. I guess Chris and Kathryn survived her. Sort of. hehe. Anyways, its nice that she is willing to sit with him briefly occasionally for me, so I cant complain because I sure appreciate it. (I can still tease though, because if I don't she might think I am mad at her!)

Love Happens 

Sitting up makes me MAD!

grouchy baby
It isn't bad enough that I make Indiana sit up alone in the recliner, then I take pictures! Of Course its so easy to irritate Indiana that he ought to have that frown perma-cast on his face!

Duck-ota Sprints

Dakota (Indiana's big brother!!) sent us his link for his new web page.
http://sprintinpics.blogspot.com
there is a link directly to it on my link section.

be sure to check it out !!

She might kill me for this!

Grandma Sue's Birthday!
She probably wont like getting her pic posted, but its her BIRTHDAY!! Happy Birthday mom!
I tried to call a few times, but i just got the busy signal that means AOL... so Indiana and Chris and I say happy birthday (and im sure duckota does too) and hope you had a good day. This pic is older (it was taken at the hospital the day after Indiana was born... i just wasnt brave enough to post it until today!)

no new pictures!!!

Duck boy says HI!
Was nice to get email today from Ducky!
Now, if he would just come by so i could get new pictures... or email some new pictures to me... hehehe (the only picture i have of my two boys together is about halfway down the May archive)
anyways Duck boy is starting his own blog and i will add a link here when he sends it to me!

Happy Fathers Day!

happy fathers day!
Chris is learning to multitask! He can play playstation and hold the baby at the same time!!
Happy Fathers Day, Chris! This is your first one, so you got a little spoiled with gifts (big screen tv!! look further in the blog for pictures of it) this year. in a few years for fathers day you will be getting macaroni art and toys won at the pioneer picnic boothes!

Pioneer Picnic (118)

So, I had Chris drag us over to brownsville, where the pioneer picnic has been held annually for the last 118 years! I got the time for the parade wrong, so we cruised into town just as it ended. (Chris complained about the traffic) then we went to the park. sigh. When I was a kid the picnic was so cool! We looked forward to it every year. We rode rides, and played games. My sister was Jr queen one year. We would watch the brownsville fire department beat the pants off all-comers in tug of war over the river. My dad and grandpa would disappear into the beer garden, and my aunt would play softball. My mom and grandma would scour the flea market for deals on neat handmade stuff. My uncles would be off making as much mischief as us kids would. There were cousins everywhere. Great-grandparents, a great aunt with a pack of second cousins in tow.
There isn't any family left. The grandparents are both gone now. I still have plenty of uncles. One hasn't been seen in ages, ones in Pittsburgh and ones in the Philippines. There are still cousins aplenty, but I haven't seen them in so long, I'm not sure I would recognize them if I saw them. Toby, James, Jason, Lisa, Tyson, there's more who's names I have long forgotten. We even lost a cousin. Joshua. I had no friends there now. No family. The carnival is closed. There is no beer. And remember folks...
NO THROWING OF CANDIES OR GOODS FROM THE FLOATS, THIS IS BROWNSVILLE... JUST BECAUSE OUR MAYOR GROWS AND SELLS POT DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE OK WITH PUTTING SOMEONE'S EYE OUT IN A TRAGIC CANDY ACCIDENT.

I think its time to find a new family tradition for Indiana. I don't know what it will be, but its time!

Play Gym

Jessica loaned Indiana a play gym!
Jessica came over and loaned us not only this gym, but lots of clothes that had been given to her, that she wont be able to use for a long time yet. We give her the things he grows out of anyways, so it works out that she will get the clothes back. The donkeys neighbor gave us a few things as well. I don't know what we I'll use, but Jessica gets those next as well. I am glad we know someone who can get use out of his things, since he doesn't use them enough to wear them out or anything. It is nice to be able to share back and forth. Anyways, all of the things he got yesterday I will take over to my moms and have her wash them with her special touch (and color safe bleach then again with dreft detergent so that they are clean and ready for Indiana to wear). For some reason when my mom washes his stuff it smells clean. When I wash it, it smells like laundry soap.

Boohbah

Indiana & Jumbah

Indiana Is on a fairly regular schedule these days. He wakes up in time to get a clean diaper, fresh clothes and eat while Boohbah's is on tv (its on pbs at 730a) he loves the lights and sound and colors. Today at fred meyers we bought his first boohbah that talks and another that dances and sings. they were on such a good sale we couldnt pass them up. (the 14.99 one was only 99 cents! the bigger one was regular 24.99 and we got it for 2.99!) i love sales and he loves boohbahs so its a win win !!

Huge Update... Scroll Down for the pictures!

Ah, its nice to be back on line. We had a huge week. We have gone all over visiting and had visitors come to us! Chris, Kathryn, Indiana, and I went to dinner in sweet home with my grandmother. We got a burger and Indiana cried and cried and threw up on his aunt. David came down and Indiana was such a sweet boy. He curled up again David's chest, threw up and went to sleep. David got Indiana the wet suit for water babies which we will start this fall. (he bought us adult types in the house a video game, too... Chris says its his fathers day present so he gets to play first). Indiana is weighing in at a little over 13 pounds now, almost ready for the next size up in diapers, so David gave us a case of those as well! He always does too much. (but thank you again we appreciate it!) Chris's school friend Adam's parents sent a package full of great things! Indiana got a new diaper bag, some new clothes, some new toys (including his first care bear) and even diapers! We stopped at the UPS hub and picked up that package on the way to Lebanon to pick up our other new toy. We got a Sony hi8 video camera. When Dakota was a baby we video taped everything, so its nice to be able to continue along like that with the new son. Indiana also made a new friend at my mom's house, a beauty of a Russian blue kitty, about 1/2 grown. She loved him, and didn't mind all his crying, in fact she tried to make him feel better, rubbing and purring and in general trying to soothe him. When that wouldn't work she would run out into the living room and rub against me, trying to get me to go in and help the baby. It was really neat. I wanted to bring her home... Chris and I are still "discussing" it. Today Chris's main fathers day present arrived. We got him a 52 inch big screen HDTV. He got a wallet and a pair of sandals as well (has to have those sandals to be a true northwesterner)... Oh and a dragonballZ DVD. I think he made out all right for his first fathers day.

So, a lot happened, and a lot still happening. I probably have forgotten to put in all kinds of things... But as I remember that I forgot I will keep adding. Now that we are back online, I will be able to update daily again... So hope to see you all back here soon

Becky

Becky and Indiana
While we were visiting my mom, I took Indiana over to Becky's to visit with her and Brian and their sons. This picture is a couple weeks old of Becky at my mother's house. Indiana is really comfortable with both Becky and Brian. He especially likes Brian's goatee. He wrapped his fist up in it and went to sleep again Brian's chest. It was sweet really.

Great Grandmother

dinner with great grandma ruth
This picture, too, is older. It was taken when Indiana was 3 weeks old and we went visitng the first time. I forgot to take the camera up with us when we went up for dinner. However, we will be sure to take not only the digital camera, but the new video camera as well on the 25th when we go to visit my dad, and his family, as well as uncle pat and his family, at grandma woods house. we look forward to that!

New Toys!

remodeled room
We remodeled Indiana's room, with toy hooks and an animal net. Had to get everything out of his crib, so he can start sleeping in it. Also we gave him the TV and DVD player out of our room. (we put the ones from the living room into our room to make room for the big screen... giving him the 30 inch in his room and the 35 in ours). we took the closet doors off and put up a drape in their place. then put the crib in front of the drape (since we just use his closet for storage). The put up a curtain rod and for the drape actually used the "teenage mutant ninja turtle" sheet that was his dads as a boy. its a neat connection. (thanks laura for giving us that)

David

David came to visit

Indiana seemed to like David. I guess it runs in the family because Chris and I love him too. It was a nice for us to spend time with him. We still don't see him as much as we wish. It seems like we don't get up to the city as often as we like. We havent seen Juliana since Indiana was born. I guess we need to plan a trip to the portland area sometime soon, so that we can actually spend some time with Nate, Marie, and Kortney, as well as Juliana and her kids and David and Rich too. We get comfortable in this valley and dont tend to leave it.

Pay Attention to ME!

two screamers
the men around here are LOUD !!

Big TV

Happy Father's Day, Chris !
It takes up the whole room, but Chris LOVES it!
I think its a good gift for Chris. A television that dominates the living room! His video games look LIFE SIZE now! I keep expecting Goku to come flying out of the set! (i didn't like dragonballZ before, but now that its this big, its AWFUL)

Meadow Kitty

My new kitty (hehe)
Chris and I will continue to discuss whether or not we bring home the kitty or she stays at my moms. either way, she IS Indiana's kitty.

Giggles!

we started smiling and laughing too!
One of the great things that started for us this week has been that Indiana started laughing and smiling and giggling and generally being more rewarding to care for. Now, when we change a diaper he giggles and coos at this stuffed animals. He laughes when you run his stuffed sting ray over his tummy. And he giggles in delight when his daddy blows rasberrys on his cheeks.

Internet Update

Due to technical difficulties beyond my control, our dsl will be down for another couple of days.
We will be back and updating regularly again on monday the 13th so expect a legnthy entry then, with several new pictures etc. See you all back here then! (thanks mom for letting me use your computer to add this update!)

Crashed in the boat with Blue. 

a day with daddy

boy was today nice...
Chris not only took Indiana to grandma Laura's house while i took a nap, he cooked dinner for me too! Daddy and Indiana spent the majority of the day hanging out, giving me a nice break to read the paper and take a leisurely bath. Between Melody taking me out yesterday and Chris spending the day (minus diaper duty) today with Indiana, i feel so relaxed and ready to face the week. I guess Indiana and i are lucky... Chris is a great husband and Father, even if i DO complain sometimes (and i sure do hehe).
Dakota gets out of school soon. I am hoping that with summer vacation I will get to spend some time with him. He is so busy doing all the things almost-teen-agers do. I am so proud of him though. Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Basketball. decent friends, decent grades, and actually a pretty decent kid. I know that if he wants to, he will be a great influence on his new brother.
Jessica gradutes high school on wednesday. Weird trying to find a babysitter i trust. I havent needed one ever. Dakota was fortunate in having so many loving relatives next door. I am afraid if we take Indiana to that kind of crowd he will either catch something, or scream thru the whole thing, and Chris and i are so proud of Jessica we dont want anything to mar her big day.

enough for today...

Indiana's crib

new crib blanket
sleeping in style

Madagascar

Today, Melody came and took me out to see Madagascar. Daddy stayed home with Indiana. Sounds like they did ok even though chris isnt feeling really well.

After the movie Gary and Jessica came to visit. Jessica is getting very very pregnant! So pregnant that when Indiana lays against her, his feet end up in mid air! (hes not sure if he likes getting kicked!)

Next we went to melody's parents. It was wonderful to see Pat cooing at Indiana and Indiana laughing and smiling back. He really loved sitting with Pat. Next time i will remember to take the camera over there.

As we sit here posting, Indiana is sleeping on my lap. he just finished his bath and his massage and we are heading for bed

Jessica, Indiana, and Gary

Jessica, Gary, and Indiana

Jessica and her dad came to visit Indiana today.
Even big and pregnant Jessica is still a beautiful girl.

Harley Gear 

Friday!

So, today Melody came and took us to the obgyn. The doctors and nurses thought he was a handsome big fellow. Most of them had gone all thru my pregnancy with me, and this was their first glimpse of what we all worked so hard for. Dr Larson gave me the check over and pronounced me healthy. I almost feel normal again, if a little heavy. After the appointment Melody and Indiana and I went to his daddy's work to look around.
My mom (grandma Sue... I know when I was a kid we called our grandparents by their last name like Grandma McGarry, but times have changed. I don't mean any disrespect by using their first names, so I hope none is taken) bought Indiana a bunch of toys, and a new crib blanket, and a sweet new wooden rocking horse. Now I need to buy a toy box, LOL.
Last bit before I go to bed, he fits almost all his clothes now! He is actually growing out of the smaller ones, but before he was born, we bought bigger clothes and now he fits them even though they are mostly for 3-9 months.

Superstar

censored

superstar part deux

i thought about this picture a lot. i really like it and i think its a sweet innocent picture of our boy. i covered up any bits that arent fit for publication. im still not sure if i will leave this picture on the blog, if you have an opinion feel free to comment. i dont want to offend anyone with it, and i dont want anyone to think "bad things". it really is meant to just show the family how big and handsome he is now... you really couldnt see much even before i censored it, and i think most parents have pictures like this one.

Melody is coming to visit!