Grogan Family

Fall, Already?

2009-09-23T14:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it is officially here, and I can't believe that I haven't blogged about all of the wonderful goings-on that have happened for us during the summer. Chalk it up to two babies. (how long can I call them babies again...?)
Anyways, after a seemingly FOREVER long internet depravation we are once again up and running. Sorry for all of the lack of information and updates, but I really rely on internet to do everything! We live so far out in the boonies now that I really wasn't sure that we would ever get internet again, and I was beginning to feel like Laura Ingells Wilder. Seriously. Although I did get a TON done. More on that later. Anyways, I found a great internet provider and although I am not sure that I will be able to keep up with internet tv anymore due to the slow connection, I am so happy just to have email. And google.
Back to the point. We are moved and settled (sort of) in our new place. We are now living in a great house that sits on about 250 acres. I know, more land that I have ever imagined. There is a grass hay pasture below the house, and about 230 acres of dry land behind us and the house sits up on a hill and has the most incredible view. I sit in the living room and watch the sunset every night behind the entire Cascade mountain range. It is breathtaking. I will take a picture, but so far my little point and click does it no justice at all.
The story on the house: we found it on craigslist. My obsession finally turned into something more productive than furniture that I try to get everyone else to buy! The landlords, who live next door on an additional 80 acres, wanted someone to live here and help set up the ranch, work with the cows and help with general maintenance in exchange for a portion of the rent. I emailed on the house and didn't hear anything back for weeks, then finally got a call. It is just a perfect fit for us--or more correctly for Chad. He is providing all of the labor and making it possible for us to live in such a great place.
We have a vegetable garden that we inherited, a pear tree, and big plans for the next summer. We are loving it here, and the boys are totally thriving. It is amazing what having a yard and few acres does for them. They have both been sleeping really well and growing so fast (although I am not sure that is related to the yard part...)
Anyways, I will get pictures up soon. Maybe.

This and that, and then nothing

2009-08-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

So we have been doing things, just nothing really exciting. It's too hot for exciting. Yesterday we really tried to break the habit of staying inside next to the a/c, and we went to the pool. We had to wait around until it opened, because apparently they close for 30 minutes if they hear thunder. Finally, they opened the pool, we jumped in, and no more than 3 minutes later there was thunder. So we had to get out. That pretty much sums up our summer. I am planning on staying inside for as much of the rest of it as possible. The a/c unit is so much less dissapointing.

Here are some snapshots though into our lives when we decide to break away from the a/c. It isn't often, so nothing here is too exciting, but its all I got.

-Cade got some new crocs, bright orange. He modeled them in Nordstroms. As in walked back in forth in front of the mirror, once on his tippy toes (you know, to see how his calfs looked). He loves them so much he refused to let me take them off of him for bed the first night that he got them. I figured it wasn't a battle worth waging, so he fell asleep with them on. I went in to take them off about an hour later, and he woke up and told me "no mama" and rolled over and went back to bed.

-Cade tried to put Luke in the dryer yesterday.

-I have been having to give Cade a lot of time outs.

-He rolled on the floor of Home Depot yesterday while screaming.

-I have been having to give Cade a lot of spankings.

-I have been baking in the 100 degree weather. Insanity. Sweaty hot insanity. Jodie's baby shower is next weekend, and I have been spending my time alternating between the sewing machine and the oven. Throw in a couple of rotations of feeding and disciplining two toddlers, and oo de lally, that's good times.

-We have also been watching Robin Hood (see oo de lally above).

Thhhhhats all folks! (Interestingly, we have NOT been watching looney tunes, but I was on a roll).

The exploring will have to wait

2009-07-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

Chad has been working. A lot. He has this internship in Salem that he travels to once every three days--he leaves at about 5:30 am and gets home at about 2:00am, then when he is here he is working so we have barely seen the guy. Which means me and the boys are just trying to stay sane. So yesterday, even though he was gone, I decided that the house-boundness had to end, and we struck out early in the morning to explore a new park.
I loaded the car with the stroller, the snacks, the sunscreen, the extra clothes, the kids and we took off. Now this new park is really just a huge wildlife reserve, lots of trails and meadows right on the river, I thought that Cade would enjoy running, and I was hoping that Luke would enjoy sleeping.
We unloaded, got the stroller put together and up, loaded the stroller with the aforementioned accoutrements, and then took off through a covered bridge over the river. Cade was helping me push the stroller, which is really not so helpful, but he was having fun. As soon as we got to the other side of the river disaster struck.
We were SWARMED by killer mosquitoes. Seriously, I felt like the little African babies with the bugs in their eyes, I was just swiping bugs off my face, trying to get them off the boys without slapping them, but these little suckers were vicious. And starving. They went after us with a vengeance, biting through my jeans. We tried to push through, but since Cade was pushing that wasn't going too fast, and the mosquitoes were not clearing up. It really all ended when I checked on Luke and there were 5 on his chubby little cheek! I picked up Cade, football style under one arm, and ran, pushing the stroller one handed over the trail, all the while telling Cade "we're running away from the bugs! Hurry, hurry!"
I have two bugbites on my scalp. Like in my hair, on the top of my head. I have seven on my right hand. It's ridiculous.
We ended up at the regular park, on the regular slide, without any bugs.

And June in pictures=caught up!

2009-06-30T11:37:00.001-07:00

The boys have really started playing together lately, Sometimes I wonder how much damage a 20 pound baby can really inflict, or if the mauling/wrestling will ever evolve into something civilized (I don't think so...sadly) but here is some of the playing:

This was right before Cade pushed Luke off the truck.

In June we took our very first trip to the Zoo. Cade LOVED the train, and he thought the animals were ok too.

And then the second week in June we went camping. It rained at least once a day, but it was a great trip and the boys loved living outdoors, sleeping outdoors, chopping firewood, and playing with fire. You can never start these lessons early enough!

The month of May in pictures

2009-06-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

We traveled a lot in May (and June for that matter...pictures in a minute). Here are the boys in all their glory!

Luke has an INSANE reach, like go-go-gadget arms. I left the room for a second and came back to this!

For Memorial Day we went to Lakeview, the boys loved the new wagon and Cade got to drive his first tractor!

The next weekend we went to Corvallis to see Aunt Jodie and Uncle Shawn. Cade was busy looking cute--with his hands down his pants:

I am a tardy tard

2009-06-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

HA!!! Get it??? Tardy as in late, tard as in politically incorrect total stupid-head. I am a seriously funny girl. So I was sooo late in posting the link to the boys photo session that it done expired already. That's why it was asking for a date and all that nonsense--because it doesn't exist anymore. You'll just have to trust me that they were adorably cute.

In other news, Chad is interning right now which means that he spends a 24 hour shift in Salem, and then he is here for 48 hours. When he is here he will be working, so he is one busy kid and I am one crazy mamma. The boys go to be earlier and earlier!

Other than that, same ol same ol. Woohooo!

I have been remiss...

2009-06-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

I know there are a lot of things that I have not updated all you thousands of faithful readers on, but it is just wrong that I have not let you know that the boy's newest photo shoot is up and available for your viewing pleasure.

Go Here to see the slideshow. If it asks for a password it is Grogan.

Hope you enjoy!

Well then...

2009-06-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

It's surely been a wee bit since I wrote! We have been up to a whole lotta traveling, which I will use as an excuse for not posting. Chad has been on the job interview circut which has taken us all over the state, and then we went camping which was...an experience, and this is the first week we have spent at home in over a month.
The boys are growing like crazy, maybe if I get around to it I will post some pictures. For now though, I have to go rescue Luke from the stairs. They are his new favorite play area. So far, he is a lot more cautious than Cade was, he has only rolled down once.
The kid is STILL not sleeping through the night, and so I am requesting EVERY sleep book ever written from the Library. I keep telling the doctor that something is wrong with the guy, but so far he doesn't buy it. He just keeps telling me that I have a baby.

2009-05-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

This was bedtime last night. Cade was so emphatic about telling Luke to "lie down" that he even decided to pick him up in order to put him on the pillow. I just had to run get the camera. It wasn't far, because at bathtime I had been taking pictures of this:

They think they are ready for sleepovers. They can't even sleep in the same room without disasterous results, but last night they thought they were ready to share a bed. I just wish it would have worked, but Luke wound up banished to the pack and play again. For a few minutes though, I got a glimpse of the future: two brothers that love each other.

I Win!!

2009-05-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well, first of all, let me just say that I have the best little family ever. We had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day: it did not dissapoint. The best Mother's Day I have ever had. Out of the three. I feel like I won some sort of sweepstakes and got the best day of pampering imaginable. I don't know if Chad realizes how high he is setting the bar...do me a favor and don't point it out to him.
The celebration truly started on Saturday, my parents came into town and they gave us a great gift--they stayed with the boys at our place on Saturday night and let us stay out at the condo!! This is a huge deal--we have never been away from the boys overnight, I have only been away from Cade for one night and that was over a year ago, and I left him with Chad. SOOOO this was huge for me, but we were only 10 minutes up the road...
Chad "picked me up" for our date on Saturday evening and we went straight to the jewelry store, where he bought me this little beauty:
The bottom ring was a present for last Mother's Day--Cade's ring, and the top is Luke's. One day, we will give them to them...but for now I am enjoying my right hand. Except that it looks real pasty in this picture. And he also got me pearl earings, and despite the fact that the lady told me to not wear them and spray perfume or hair products or whathaveyou, I haven't taken them off. I probably won't for a while.

Anyways, we then went out to dinner, where I had the best big ol steak. We wrapped up with dessert and champagne and then--even though we had no kids--turned in at about 9:00. Pathetic. It gets worse though...we were back at the house by 7:00 am. It is sleeping in for us...but still.

So then, on the actual Mother's Day, we went for a nice walk at the park, had a great lunch with my parents, and I got to spend time with this:

What Cuties!!

This is just cause it is also cute, my boys making breakfast

And so begins our 15 minutes

2009-04-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we have a very huge announcement. Our problems are over, there is a light at the long road to financial security, and we will soon be joining the ranks of the rich and famous. As of now, my husband is a published author!
I am sure that his article will soon be nominated for a pulitzer, and you will probably start seeing it in your inbox every three days as the next sentimental forward that promises you full hair and angels singing over you if you forward it to ten people in the next 42 seconds.
In complete seriousness though, Chad submitted an article that he wrote about (you guessed it)HUNTING to several (yes, you guessed it) HUNTING MAGAZINES. After his elk trip last fall he decided to record the adventure, and then he got an email back that Traditional Bowhunter (you want a subscription? That link in a moment) wanted to run the article online.
So yes, his resume will now include Published Author in the accomplishments (?) section, which ought to come in super handy for all the firefighter applications. Right up there with Professional Singer (he sang the national anthem at the rodeo) and College Rodeo Cowboy. Is there anything my man hasn't done? I am so proud of him.
And the income from this second career...a whopping $50!!! So yes, watch out Beverly Hills, we are moving on up, and loading the mattress on top of the car when we come.
Read the story here!

OH MY WONDERFULNESS!!

2009-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

So I am relatively new to the spa scene. As in, this is my second time inside of a building that is a real genuine spa. I don't think you can count the establishment that I frequented in high school to get my inch long acrylic nails. It was called Cali Nails, and we thought that the Asian woman who owned it was named Cali (that's what we called her anyways), but she didn't speak english and it turns out Cali was for CALIFORNIA...and what that has to do with nails I will never know.
Anyways, my first trip to a real spa was last summer. I had a gift certificate that I got for Cade's baby shower and decided to go get a facial and a manicure and pedicure. I expected three hours of bliss. Instead, I swear, they tried to use an acid rub on my face and my nail polish all wore off that afternoon. And trust me, this was no 'Cali Nail' type establishment. I expected more and really couldn't see what all the hype was about.
Enter this gift card and my appointment yesterday.
I was a little doubtful and wishing that the nice folks had given me money instead, but once my little Cat Nap was over, oh wow, I now understand the hype. It was, hands down, THE. BEST. THING. EVER. I think that if I could do that once a week, I would be the happiest mommy on the block. I have cracked the code to the abundant life--Jesus and Spa W. A winning combo.

Oh my poor brain...

2009-04-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

So the other day I woke up in a funk. I went to my women's study and listened for an hour about how to get some joy, but I just kept thinking that joy only lives on one side of the bed. And I got up on the wrong one. Plus it was hot. And I was sunburned. And Cade wants to live outside, which is not good for all the hot and the sunburn. At any rate, by the time the afternoon rolled around I was really done with being a mom.
Chad comes home for dinner and then heads out again for class, which means I do bath and bedtime by myself. I was really debating about telling him that I NEEDED him to skip class and take over so that I could sleep or eat chocolate or a combination of both, but instead I decided to give myself a little incintive to push through. I called and scheduled a 'cat nap' at Spa W. They wrap you up in warm, good smelling towels, then massage you for an hour. It was just the carrot I needed to get through the night.
Or so I thought.
Right after Chad left, Cade picked up a water glass and threw it against the wall. It was a fun night.
But the most important part of this whole whiney story is this: I GO TO THE SPA TODAY!
And also, for any concerned parties, my mood is much improved. Chocolate helps.

Luke's New Moves!

2009-04-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is Luke's newest AWESOME skill, all of the sudden he has gone from scooting around on his belly to this, the full fledged crawl. I will give you grammas some easter pics soon, but for now enjoy the trick moves of Luke!

Well, because I am bored, that's why

2009-04-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

So, we are in Portland for a quick job application trip for Chaddy, and I am blogging at 5:30 in the morning. I don't really have anything to say or to add to the world except for this: Why do the boys hate me so much? They have already been up for an hour and a half AFTER not really sleeping at all last night. Seriously, if the bags under my eyes get any darker I will have people questioning me about spousal abuse.
Anyways, if you are up and around this ridiculously early, be praying for Chad's mad test-taking skills this morning. Like most fire agencies, you have to take a standardized test/personality profile before being asked to interview--so that's what he's up to this morning. Not this early, because no one does anything this early except feed cows (so I'm told), but he is studying to get ready. Because really, how beneficial is sleep before a test? The boys didn't think so either.

The last...for now

2009-03-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

This is, hopefully, the last of today's updates. Last week, while Chad was studying for and taking finals we went to Newport with my best friend Jess and her two kiddos. We had such delusions of grandeur, we were going to get scrapbooks done, go on long walks on the beach, eat great food, and get all kinds of relaxing sleep. And then even when we realized that we would have our kids with us, the dreams got only slightly smaller. Which was a mistake.

We only got a few things done, and sleep (arguably the most important) was not one of them. Jess' kids got sick, mine decided not to sleep. If you look past all of that though, I had a great time. And I would do it again. Jess? No?

At the Marine Science Center, a free aquarium. The octopus tank. Right before Rachel (Jess' daughter) puked.

My Cousin Kay and her kids (yes the ones that just moved away from Bend) joined us, Cade and Isaac spent some quality time together.

And I love this one, Come here often?

Number three, and counting

2009-03-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

The photo edition:

A few weeks ago or so we went to the Children's Museum in Portland. Cade LOVED it, I think it was one of the best days of his life so far...

Luke Rolls Over! And has rolls. And Buns! Oh my...

And an adorable face to go with the junk in the trunk:

He sleeps...

Cade, feeding his girlfriend Alyssa:

Cade and his cousin Isaac. They just moved away. I am trying not to cry looking at this photo!

Ok, then more later!

Update Number 2--Video Blog Edition for the Grammas

2009-03-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

I don't really expect anyone but the Grammas to sit through videos of kids doing...nothing. But here they are, just for you.

Cade singing pattycake. Kind of. He has the important parts down.

Luke likes to talk. And I am a good cinematographer. Filmer. Cameraman. It's probably a good thing that I don't know the word since I obviously won't get a job there soon.

Actually, I just realized I uploaded the wrong video, and Luke doesn't actually "say" anything here. No matter. The right one was only slightly more entertaining.

Cade and his moves. And his physique. We turned down an underwear campagin the other day...cause he still don't like the "panties" and also we don't want that 6-pack making the other boys jealous. Or the girls swoon.

And then this one. Well, it is what it is.

And I am realizing that this only really counts as an update "blitz" if we are talking about snails...these videos are NOT fast.

Update Blitz--1 of ?

2009-03-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

So, Backtrack to the 14th of March. Cade is TWO!!

We have been working for the last month to get the kid to say "two", but so far he refuses to do it consistently--especially not when you ask him how old he is. He does have a habit of coming up to me while I am fixing breakfast and doing his best to hold up two fingers and say two. And that's not related to how many pancakes he wants. Just another way that he lets us know that EVERYTHING is on his terms.

Anyways, despite the fact that he won't tell you how old he is, we had a great party with some of his little friends and family. Cade loves cars--or more accurately anything with wheels, so we had a car birthday, and most of his gifts were....cars.

The Birthday Boy!!

Brother of the Birthday Boy

Cade and the loot. He still doesn't understand the whole opening presents thing, which is so odd. He opened the first one and then continued to play with that car while his little buddies opened the rest of his presents for him. Aren't they nice friends?

Trenton helping Cade with the presents

And Dominick helping Cade break them in

Cade is not too good at sharing the loot--with Gaby---

Or with Isaac

The Cake--which I am OH SO PROUD OF

It was a great day, great party--and I can't believe he is TWO.

And we're off! Or not...

2009-03-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

As an early birthday present Chad's parents got Cade some new undies. His mom tried to call them panties, which clearly shows how long it has been since she has bought manly undergarments or tried to tell a boy about underwear in general, but anyways. Because they are so cute and because I am getting seriously tired of changing the diapers of two kids I thought we would experiment a little this morning.

I sat with naked Cade in the bathroom for about 30 minutes this morning. He sat on his little potty, we talked about the potty, it even seemed like he likes his potty. Or at least he liked the ridiculous clapping, grinning and shouting his praises I did every time he sat down. I swear, I was amped up enough to make the insane asylum jealous.

Then, out of nowhere he sprinted his naked little butt out of the bathroom and off into my closet, which is his favorite place to do business. I quickly wrangled him up and brought him back to the potty, resuming the monkey dance that he liked so well earlier. It did not do the trick. He was not amused. He was shreiking and crying and wrestling his way off the potty. THE VERY SECOND he made his way off his little throne, he peed on the floor. Five inches from his potty.

Needless to say, the diaper is back on.

2009-03-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

SOOO

I am finally trying to lose the weight that I accumulated by being pregnant twice in the last two years, and as a little carrot to help motivate my large and in charge butt, my mom has promised a shopping spree!!!!

So today, instead of going running, I am doing a little pre-shopping online. Now, I should preface this by saying that I haven't been shopping in about a million years. The last clothes I bought (that were not maternity) were from Costco...so it might go without saying that I clearly have no fashion sense or awareness whatsoever. But seriously...

THESE PANTS

AND THESE ARE FROM BCBG, not WE ARE UGLY.COM

This shopping spree might be harder than I thought, because if this is fashionable, then I don't want new clothes. And also, no matter how much weight I loose, I can never pull this off. I don't think this MODEL is pulling it off. Sheesh.

Why yes, I AM available

2009-03-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

So I have been dating lately.

And I hate dating. In fact, I think one of the best things about being married is that dates (rare as they are lately) are actually fun. But, I am once again venturing out onto the dating scene. And oh, it is rough. The boys and I had a playdate with a new friend last Friday, and before you start thinking that doesn't really count as a date, wait. We showed up, sat through some awkward silences, and left not really knowing how it went, or if we'd ever get another call. I think it counts.

You see the kids and I have several friends that we get together with regularly to play. And they all get along great. Cade is a typical two year old boy: by that I mean that he runs, screams, throws stuff, doesn't like to share, and throws tantrums sometimes. At least I hope that is all typical. Anyways, Cade did all of these typical things, but the other little boy, he did not. He does not scream a lot, does not throw things that are not balls, sits and plays QUIETLY with play-dough and does NOT eat it, and understands what it means when his mommy says "give Cade that toy now". Wow. Talk about advanced.

Anyways, Cade made the boy cry on four separate occasions WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING HIM. He threw food all over their kitchen, almost broke this beautiful glass tray that they had on their coffee table (that is how advanced their son is, we don't have a glass anything), would not share, would not conceal his screaming excitement over their toys, woke up her other son, and climbed on their furniture. At someone else's house, the things that I would consider typical and even good behavior started to look like naughtiness REAL quick. The glimmer of hope is that at the very end of our date, the boys started laughing together, but most of it was spent trying to shield them from the loudness that is my son.

Yes, me and the boys are putting the 'date' back into play date. We are just sitting by the phone, wondering if they'll call, or if I should call, do I give them three days? Who should call who first? If she says they are all "sick" does that mean that they don't want to get together? Should we just play it cool, like, "yeah we enjoyed ourselves, maybe we'll run into each other again...." I tell ya, I don't remember the "rules" for dating, and I am not really sure how to handle this one.

Banished!

2009-02-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Where have we been? Where has the time gone? And, what do I do all day that leaves me totally exhausted? I don't really know. Any of it.

At any rate, we are still here, still just plugging away, and still trying to convince Luke that sleeping through the night, it is cool. All the cool kids are doing it. His brother does it, his dad does it, his mom, well she would love to do it. But he wants nothing of it.

We are on round two of The Banishment, which means he has to sleep in the pack n play downstairs until he can figure out how to make it through the night. Round one lasted only about 5 days: three nights of crying and two of sleeping. I thought he was ready to move back into his room, and he did really well...initially. He slept through the night in his crib for a few nights and then was back to a little squeak at about 3 am, then 12 and 3, then it was every hour on the hour after 12. So he has been banished again. And if I wasn't so tired it would break my little heart that he is downstairs crying all by himself. Instead I am sleeping. With my alarm set so that I remember to wake up and check on him. Hopefully just a few more days...

There have been other things going on, Chad is in the middle of a few application processes (processi?) with some fire agencies, and we are just waiting to hear back. We finally feel like there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, and oh, it is exciting.

Testing, Testing, 1-2

2009-01-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Afters:

2009-01-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures/evidence of the productive weekend that my mom and I spent together. While the list didn't exactly get tackled, we did some signifigant damage. And all this is in addition to the fact that my mom woke up with Luke all night for 3 nights, did all of my laundry, helped steam clean the carpets (it is a whole new house over here!), took Cade to the museum, took all of us to lunch and basically pretended that this was her house and that we were all her children. Not exactly what I look forward to doing on my vacations, but she said she enjoyed it. I am not totally convinced, but I am grateful!

Luke's new artwork.

And Cade's

More new artwork

Here is a close up of those lil beauties. I know. Amazing, right?

AND THERE ARE EVEN CURTAINS!!!!

The boy's room looks better than ever, if only they would learn to appreciate it from the comfort of their beds, life would be just about perfect 'round here.

I also did a fair amout of scrapbooking. I swear, my life and perspective on scrapbooking were revolutionized by this crazy little machine called the cricut. I want one. And I don't even want to scrapbook. Or to be a 'scrapper' as the kids say these days. I just think that this little machine has so much potential. Oh, the possibilities. I want to cut out letters until my whole house is covered with personalized things.

I will post pictures of my scrapbook pages later. Because I am that proud of myself. I did tell Chad that I cut all of the letters out by hand, so that he would think that I am even cooler, and also because I was embarrassed that it took me all day to do two pages ON A MACHINE but he only replied that he doubted I would ever finish these books. Backfire.

My Mom is Coming!!!

2009-01-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

My Mom is Coming!!! And should I say it one more time? My Mom is Coming!!! I am so excited that she will be here, and while it hasn't been too long since I saw her last, I am finally at the point in my life where I want her to live next door...so she just can't be here enough! (Well, technically she probably could, but we'll deal with that if it ever happens). I am excited that she will 1) be here to watch the boys so that Chad and I can go on a date night (yes, for the first time since Luke was born) 2) PROJECTS!!!

I have already given a list of supplies for my mom to bring and if the boys cooperate we are going to tackle this list of projects:

1)Steam Clean the Carpets
Ok, so that was a horrible way to start the list, but it is the first priority. They are disgusting. I am halfway tempted to call the owner and ask for new flooring, but I am afraid that would mean that we have to move our stuff out. Its only 6 more months. I think we can make it.

2)Make some artwork a la this:

Picture from the fabulous fabric designer Anna Maria Horner at:
http://www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com/

I swear, I had this idea long before I found out that, once again, somebody more famous ALONG WITH Martha copied me...but at least this must mean that it really IS a good idea. Martha's website has a whole tutorial and video--which I tried to embed here but I realized that type of technical savy jargon is for someone with a bigger brain than I. Anyways, I think that these will be perfect in the boy's room, I need one here:

and here:

I will update with "after" pictures.

This artwork will probably be the feature project of the weekend--we will be making the boy's paintings, then some for my sister, then some Christmas themed ones for us, then probably some more because we get sidetracked very easily. I don't even know if I should continue the list. But I will just to keep me accountable.

3)Baby books for the bambinos

I have mixed expectations for this. I am supposed to be working on writing down all of the stories that I want to include in the boy's books--hence the blogging break--but I can't remember anything about Luke's birth. It was only 5 months ago. I swear, mommy brain sets in and it sets in fast. Write it down people. Anyways, I am hosting an official scrapbooking party on Saturday for my friends that are real live scrapbookers and so I know that something will get done, even if I only spend the whole day "getting inspiration" (which loosely translates to eating their chocolate and looking at their books).

4) Re-finishing my wicker set for my sister
I hope she doesn't randomly decide to read this, because that would be sad. And ruin the surprise. Anyways, I am painting my old wicker set for her new apartment. HOPEFULLY, it looks better than it does now. That would take a lot of luck, it is in such a sad state.

5)Make a mobile for Cade

This is definately last priority, but it would be great to get this done. Cade's room got re-arranged with the big boy bed introduction, and now the ABCs that I had hung are really off-center, and look weird.

There used to be a bookcase in that corner, just so you don't think I am a total nerd. I am hoping that if I hang a ceiling mobile in that corner it won't look so akward, but we'll see if I get around to it. Again, just putting this on here for motivation/accountability.

And just to give an overview of the boy's room before the weekend of the art happens:

Wow, those walls look really white in pictures. LOVE the rental rules.

And here is a tip back from the days of my professional life: Take pictures of your room and then look at them objectively to see what could be added/moved. This works ESPECIALLY well for artwork. And for window treatments. I used to print a bunch and then even draw on the picture--so that I could get an idea of size/colors/styles. Anyways--now that I am looking at this, I realize that drapes would be good here. I was halfway convinced that boys don't need drapes, but now....Maybe I will add that to the list.

Not a creature was stirring...but me!

2009-01-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

So today Cade is at the gym with his girlfriend Alyssa. The gym as in the gymnastics studio. They have open play hour for toddlers each day, and Shawna graciously agreed to take Cade off my hands so that I could relax with just one baby instead of two. So what am I doing with my well earned hour? I had contemplated packing up the baby and going snowshoeing...which quickly got downgraded to just going on a run...which then became napping.

Instead of all those glorious things (and believe me, a nap would be glorious), I got out this:

The Apron my mom made me for Christmas.

And I got out this:

My Christmas present from Jodie, reputedly the best cookie sheets in the world. Made by Vollrath of Sheboygan (apparantly that is a real place, it is etched on the bottom of my cookie sheet).
and I made these:

They are called World Peace Cookies. I found the recipe at SmittenKitchen and was intrigued because they offed promise of bringing peace to the world. And also because they are cookies.

Well, I am not sure about world peace, but happy mommy, yes. So I have a little plate of these cookies, a glass of milk, and Grey's Anatomy on the internet. It is close second to snowshoeing/running/sleeping, and it is glorious

Here is the recipe--copied directly from her website:
World Peace Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips ( I used chocolate chips, cause I like my chocolate sweet)

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Working with a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

SERVING: The cookies can be eaten when they are warm or at room temperature — I prefer them at room temperature, when the textural difference between the crumbly cookie and the chocolate bits is greatest — and are best suited to cold milk or hot coffee.

STORING: Packed airtight, cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days (Deb note: not a chance); they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Ahhh Brothers

2009-01-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful to have two healthy and happy babies. And it is definately an added blessing that they seem to like each other. Luke lights up whenever Cade gets up in his face--well, he flinches first and then smiles--and everytime Luke cries or coos or talks or anything, Cade stops whatever he is doing to say "uh oh, baby" pointing to wherever Luke may be. Just like Lassie he always lets me know when the little boy may be in trouble.
Today is the first time that Cade has said Luke's name, he held Luke's face in his hands, and said "Dookey, Dookey". Before, it was "ooke" so I think we are getting closer to a complete vocabulary. Here are some photos of them being brothers and loving each other.

What's that you ask? You want to know how I have managed to get so many great pictures of them together? Both (kind of) looking at the camera, and smiling, and in focus and most importantly, both still in the shot. I know, but these are no miracle shots. These are all due my new Christmas present, the Canon Powershot something something. This famous camera has not only made these brother shots possible, but it has also allowed me to capture great moments like these:

I have been somewhat hoping that Cade will fall off the couch just to put a stop to his crazy acrobatics, but he is too coordinated. He just walks back and forth accross the back of the couch. My cousin almost had a heart attack when she saw him. And then there are his crazy antics. He is one animated kid.

Anyways, I have been getting some things done around the house, such as organizing, cleaning and general moving in stuff that I am only just getting to. Its keeping me busy during the kid's afternoon nap. Yes, they have been napping at the same time for the last few days, and I have been taking showers so consistently its just amazing. Granted, I don't take a shower until the afternoon, and because I spend the morning in my PJs the boys do too (notice the pjs in every single picture), but we are a clean and good looking bunch come 3:00. Just in time to get dirty at dinner. Sometimes it all seems so futile, but hey, if someone stops by, I don't want to be that mommy.

The Luke Bear!

2008-12-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are some pictures of Luke. The little boy is getting more and more photogenic--he is getting over the baby tendency to have the deer-in-the-headlight eyes everytime the flash goes off. His little smiles are getting bigger and bigger, and he is talking so much. It has been very exciting this time around, with Cade I wasn't sure how much of his baby things were Cade and how much were general baby things. Now I can see that Cade was a very serious baby. Luke is all giggles, laughing, and cooing, all the time. He talks and talks without stopping, and he is still the easiest baby. I swear, he talks to the wall half the day. This was our little photo shoot this morning on the swing:

A whole lotta catchin up

2008-12-17T06:43:00.000-08:00

There is going to be so much going on in this post it is a little ridiculous, so sorry in advance. We have been not really doing a whole lot, but even something as mundane as going to the store becomes quite the story when you factor in two boys. (long story short, Cade rolled around on the ground screaming in Nordstroms. That is why I have become a recluse and don't leave the house.)

There would be a lot more pictures to add some flava and all-around cuteness to this post, but my stupid camera has frustrated me to kingdom come. As this picture proves, by the time it gets around to actually taking a picture, one or more child has disappeared. Yes, Cade was actually sitting next to his brother when I started the picture-taking process (ie-push the button). And yes, that is Luke sittin tight in his 6-12 month size clothes. And yes, his pants are unbuttoned. All this on a liquid diet.

The most significant thing lately has been Cade's new found desire to speak. For the first time he is trying to repeat words back to me and using them, and I think he might even be trying basic sentence construction. It is either that or he fires an arsenal of words at me trying to see what gets me to respond the quickest. Yesterday we had "Eat More BuBus" (Cade for Blueberry). At any rate, I had been convinced that we were raising the missing link in the evolution theory with all of the grunts and groans that were functioning as a form of communication. The talking is a welcome change, although I am sure I will rue the day that he learned the word NO--it is already appearing way too frequently in conversation.

Also, the big man keeps getting bigger. He has been sleeping in a big boy bed for a few weeks now, and thanks to my good friend Jo, the Supernanny, the transition was actually really easy. Since Cade vacated his crib, Luke got moved up from the bassinet in the hallway (yes, I know, at least it's not the sock drawer) to the crib, and now they share a room. That transisiton--not so easy. It is 8:00 in the morning right now and I have already been up for 5 hours. Luke woke up, so then Cade woke up so then Luke stayed awake and so Chad and I were wide awake and asking each other if they make Tylenol PM in infant strength. We are pretty sold on letting the babies cry it out, but with the new digs (the shared wall in the duplex) I don't think it is too considerate to let the boys scream at 3am. I had actually been really concerned about what must sound like a torture chamber over here until the other night when they woke us up with an incredibly loud screaming match which included a lot of obscenities. I think that we are at the point of some unspoken agreement: if they don't call Child Protective Services on my screaming babies, I won't call the police on their drunk and disorderly.

Another new trick for the big boy, walking down the stairs like a full-fledged little man. Nevermind the diaper.

The boys and I just got back from Portland, we went to visit my parents since Chad was working every day. We had a great time playing with the dog and the aunt and the gramma and grandpa, and Cade rediscovered his car--he has a ride-on car at my parents house. He woke up in the morning asking for the car, and oh, imagine the fun when he found some of my dad's car magazines. He went through every page pointing out the cars. And there are only about 15 cars per page. We got home yesterday and Chad has been working non-stop. Poor guy. He has tomorrow off though and we have a great day planned of grocery shopping (it is a rare and desperate day when I attempt that alone) and napping. We might get out to take the boys to see Santa, but that would be record breaking stuff.

Also, Chad finished up his first term as a full time student, and the kid pulled off a strong set of straight A's--like 95% straight A's. Cade and I were so proud that we baked him a cake. I wanted to teach my son the joys of baking, so I was showing him how to daintily use his finger to "clean" the bowl. Well I turned around for a few seconds and got this. He was so into it that by the time I went and got my camera, and then during all the time it took to take the stupid picture, he was still licking away. I think I convinced him that baking aint no sissy hobby.

Well, after this post I am realizing that I don't take nearly enough pictures of Luke, which is strange because he can't run out of the frame by the time the picture clicks. Next post will be dedicated to Luke and all of his adorable chubbiness. He goes to the doctor tomorrow and I am worried that the doctor won't let me start to feed him solids. I have been so looking forward to rice cereal and the sleep that may accompany it...

Traditions!

2008-12-03T07:25:00.001-08:00

In case you didn't read that right, that should be Traaadishons, like Tevye would say. This was the third year that we have hosted the Thanksgiving feast at our place, and while the new digs were not quite as spacious as the old place I think we pulled it off. The food quality sure didn't suffer any! I am now trying to come up with ways to use our leftovers--so far I have got most of it figured out-Gnocchi out of the mashed potatoes, Turkey pot pie with the leftover turkey dark meat that I don't like for sandwiches-except the stuffing. What are you supposed to do with that, besides just eat it?

After the feast was over we went out into the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree. Last year we did this with Shawn and Jodie, and I carried Cade all snuggled up in a bear suit in the front pack. Well, this year Luke (monster man that he is) wore the same suit and I carried him in the front pack. I couldn't believe that just a year ago the big man Cade was little enough to fit in the pack! This year, he ran around the forest like a wild animal--he even grunted like one! We enjoyed hot cocoa and french dip sandwiches out there, and the guys even started a fire. If there only would have been snow for sledding! Maybe next year...

The Grogans and the Stonebergs

My parents

THE PICTURES ARE HERE!!!

2008-11-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

So our pictures are hot off the presses and ready for viewing at http://www.fusionphotography.com/slideshows/luke/

Let me know what you think...I cried through the whole slideshow, but I am the mom so I hope that is normal.

Try telling me now that you know some cuter babies. I doubt you have a leg to stand on... :)

2008-11-19T08:35:00.001-08:00

So I wrote this whole post last week and when I went to publish the post the computer did something retarded and lost the whole thing. Not an operator error, I assure you. I was so frustrated I gave up, plus one of the bambinos was probably screaming. Anyways, here is round two of the halloween picture post.
We had planned on Cade dressing up as a cowboy, since he has an abundance of those clothes, and Luke would be a bear, since he has a little bear suit (not sure why...?) but Grandma showed up with these adorable and HAND MADE lion outfits. Needless to say, my boys were the talk of the hood 'cause they stole the show. We went out with our friends the Ewarts, and their little boy Trenton dressed up as a monkey. The jungle was well represented!

At each house that we went to, Cade tried to give the candy back to the person handing it out. The kid clearly did not understand, which I guess is still a good thing.

Once Cade and Trenton figured out that they got to pick, and that they were cute enough to literally take as many candies as they wanted, they loved it and really got into it. Cade looks a little territorial though...right?

Me and my boys

And Trenton, the cute monkey!

and it begins, the overprotective BIG brother

2008-11-10T10:21:00.001-08:00

Luke has been a little bit stuffy lately, just breathing pretty loudly through his nose and in general sounding like a warthog. It is especially bad in the morning, after sleeping ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT (yes, you read that right, my boys are amazing) he really has some trouble breathing. So the other morning I got out one of my favorite baby tools, the nasal aspirator--or plunger as we refer to it. I go to stick it up his nose and get a good pull going, which of course starts Luke on the crying. I imagine this doesn't really feel too good, I used to have to sit on top of Cade with his hands pinned under my knees so that I could really wrestle the snot out of him. I must have traumatized him thoroughly, because when he realized what I was doing to his little brother he started slapping my hand. Then grabbing my arm to get me away from Luke's nose. It was so cute I gave up on the snot, and we both cuddled up with Luke to get him to calm down.
Still no pictures, maybe by Christmas I can get Halloween pictures up...

FINALLY...somewhat settled

2008-11-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

So we just got internet again...like not even 30 minutes ago, and here I am blogging. That says something. I am on here even before getting caught up on Dancing with the Stars :0). Anyways, we have had a very full couple of weeks, moving and Halloween and getting to know the new hood has given us the opportunity for many great photo ops. The only thing is that right now, I have no idea where the camera is. Once I find it I will update again with pictures. The big thing of note is that the sale of our house was supposed to have closed yesterday and it didn't, the buyers backed out. So we moved out of our house and now it is just sitting empty, waiting for some new people to fall in love with it. So it probably goes without saying, but please be praying that that thing gets snatched up quickly...it will take a miracle in this market!! Thanks!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2008-10-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Christmas!!

Not totally, but we are well on our way. Especially here, with temperatures well below freezing, and we have already had our first dusting of snow. I know it is not even Halloween yet, and yes, I do maintain that Christmas decorations are NOT allowed until after Thanksgiving, but we are packing and I just couldn't help getting excited when we found the decoations. Someone else got really excited too...

Cade kept getting really upset when the lights would turn off, and wanted to carry them around the house with him.

And just cause this is hilarious, he has been sticking his tongue out like a lizzard

How big a boy are you?

2008-10-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

Luke had his two month check up yesterday, and apparently we aint raisin no slouch. The kid is in the 97th percentile for BOTH height and weight, coming in at 14 pounds even and 25 inches long. We'll see if he continues on the high curve or if he evens out a little.

In other news, we are trying to pack and get moved, but it is kinda hard with babies and school and job. Basically, we have yet to bring a single box over to the new place. We'll get there eventually. Or definately by the end of the month.

The AWESOME hunting pictures

2008-10-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we are having a moving/garage sale, which is exciting and crazy all at once. My friend Shawna came over last night to help set up and organize the junk--I mean awesome stuff--that we are getting rid of. I have been posting ads on Craigslist and hoping for a huge response.
While that has been consuming my time, Chad has evidently still been thinking about hunting and elk and deer and blood in general. He asked why I hadn't posted hunting pictures yet (he said yet, as in he thought that I just forgot or hadn't got around to it...) Anyways, here they are, hope you enjoy!

Spence (Chad's Dad) with the bull (man elk)

All of the boys with the animal head

Chad and Spence with Spence's deer

Shawn and Chad with Spence's deer

Our Modeling Careers

2008-10-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Actually, it's just Cade's. At this point.

Tomorrow afternoon we are getting family pictures taken again. We sure are making up for lost time in this department...it has been years since either one of our families have had family pictures, and I guess we are determined to buck the trend, or at least start out strong before we taper off. Chad and I had family pictures about a year ago, we gave pictures of the boy wonder for Christmas presents last year and a family photo was supposed to have been included in last year's Christmas letter that never got sent. Or written. Then, we got family pictures about 6 months ago with my parents, and now we are getting some with Luke. We got a newborn package gifted to us by some generous philanthropists, so we will go again in six months and then again in a year to see how the boys grow.

Anyways, all that to say that when I was making the appointment with the photographer I spent some time checking out their new website. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but the cutest little guy in the world! I have always known that Cade (and now Luke too) is the cutest boy around, and for me this just confirms that fact. I know people say that all moms think their kids are the cutest, but I ask you, are their kids featured on a website somewhere? Granted, there are a lot of other cuties on there...but let me have my moment.

I always imagined that we would at least get paid for Cade's good looks--and once Baby Gap discovers him in their new little photo contest I am sure this will be a moot point--but we are starting somewhere!

Go to http://www.fusionphotography.com/ click on the website link, then wait to find out who is kissable. He is like the 8th or 10th picture, so it takes a bit, but well worth the wait :). You can also find him in their portfolio under 'families'. And I will post pictures of the Luke man as soon as she can get them back to us.

The Trifecta!

2008-10-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

So today I managed (with superhuman ability) to pull off something amazing. I took a nap, a shower, and a walk all in the same day.

If you don't think this is blog-worthy, then you try it.

Granted, I didn't get to put on makeup--if I made it that far I would have had to title this something far more noteworthy, like something that would rival Michael Phelp's gold medal count.

My friend came over to help me go through things for our moving/garage sale and we came across a photo album from the good ol Miss Oregon pageant. She is lookng at pictures of me and exclaimed that I looked so grown up in these photos. Nevermind that they were taken roughly 10 YEARS ago, but I guess I shouldn't complain that I look younger now than I did at 17. Maybe.

My favorite story about those pictures though is from college. My roomie pulled up some photos that were posted online and this guy that was over says "if you COULD look like this everyday, why don't you?"

Remembering that feels especially good on days like today when I got out of the shower and put my PJs BACK ON. At least I went on a walk. And tried to do something about the bags under my eyes.

Aint it Grand?

2008-10-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while and I have been really busy with this life of ours. I think my biggest fantasy for my life is cruise control. Seriously. I think that if only we could live in the same house for 30 years, have the same job for 30 years, and have "Taco Tuesday" we would be set.
We have been looking for a new place to live, since with any luck our house will close at the end of the month, and I have been reflecting on the last five years...they have been a little bit of a whirlwind. The next few years too don't look particularly promising on the 'feeling settled' front either, but hopefully they will at least go quickly.
Chad is in his third week of class, and I have a countdown going on the wall of how many weeks until he is done. He officially quit his job a few weeks ago to become a full time student and then he got a job as a part time ambulance driver. So, he has been really busy too, (although I would like to think that I am busier :)) The boys and I are adjusting to his crazy schedule, but I will be SOOO glad once he is able to be around a little more again. It is the simple things that really make me miss his help.
So I go into a property management place this week to turn in a rental application and Cade is running around the office, I am embarrassed that he won't listen to me and trying to chase him while weilding Luke in his carseat carrier--which by the way weighs at least 45 lbs, the kid is huge--and the lady asks if I have any pets, besides these two. Ha ha. At any rate, I renewed my vow to not go to public places alone, and then un-did it again when I realized I needed to go to the grocery store. I feel like I have become the lady that everyone feels sorry for, or at least the one that everyone rolls their eyes at and wonders "why does she have kids if she can't control them". Honestly though, it is a little hectic taking the boys anywhere.
We had to go to the doctors office last week for an emergency visit because I was just certain that Cade had a hernia in his little man parts. I was changing his diaper, and I have done this around a thousand times by now, and things looked a little irregular, so the doctor told me to come on in to make sure that everything was ok. I tried like crazy to call Chad, he is usually the more medically-minded one and I figured he had a little more expertise on the particular subject, but he was stuck at class so he couldn't help out. I drug the two kids accross town in the middle of nap time, sat in the office for an hour while Luke cried and Cade rolled on the floor (disgusting, but it kept him quiet) all to get one AWESOME anatomy lesson. The doctor finally comes in, asks me what I was looking at, and once I show him what I have seen he nods understandingly. It turns out that Cade has something called a testicle down there, nothing else. I felt like such a dweeb, but I like to think that I gave the doctor and his nurses something to chuckle about.
At any rate, this whole going it alone business is not for the faint of heart, it sure helps to have a man around!

The Unthinkable!

2008-09-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe/understand why ABC is not putting Dancing with the Stars online this year. I am so dissapointed that I am not able to watch during the 5:00 am feeding, like I did with Cade, but I did find all of the dances on YouTube! Despite the poor video quality I have now watched the the last few dances, and I have to say Cloris Leachman is my favorite. That lady is crazy....the type of person you are glad is NOT part of the family! I just crack up the whole time she is on camera.
Anyways, now that the important stuff is out of the way, I will update on the latest and greatest at the Grogan household. Chad went hunting for a few days (like SIX) last week, and left me and the boys. His mom came up as backup, which was a HUGE help, but we all missed him a lot. At least he and his dad brought back a bull (a boy elk, for those of you like me who would have no clue what that means). They were archery hunting and I guess Spence made an incredible shot. All I know is that the head that they brought home really stunk, and scared our neighbors a little bit.

Also, in new developments, Luke has decided that he hates sleeping. This just means that none of us sleep, which has been fun for the last few days. The blissful month of just laying him anywhere to sleep is definately over, so we are spending a couple days trying to train him to use his crib. This means a lot of crying, and I have been really surprised how much easier it is to bear with a crying baby this time around. Maybe it is just because while he is crying I am chasing Cade around instead of just listening to the horrible noise, but whatever it is hopefully it translates to sleeping soon!

The Countdown Begins!

2008-09-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am a huge dork. That being said, I just cannot explain how excited I am for the new season of Dancing with the Stars! We don't have TV, so I have to wait until Tuesday to watch online, and I feel extra crippled because I have no idea who any of the "stars" are on this season, except for the NSync guy...which isn't saying alot. This is one of my many guilty pleasures, and it will probably dominate most of my conversation and blogging, so be warned!

Cloth Diapers and all manner of hippie fun...

2008-09-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

With two kids in diapers the reality check was coming, and it hit this week at Costco while I was buying diapers. For the two kiddos, we would be spending over $100 PER MONTH on disposables! I had done the math before, but as I was looking at my budget envelopes (yes, we are trying to be good Dave Ramsey-ites) the $100 started to look different. Like clothes, or Christmas presents, or a nice date night...

SOOOO, we took the plunge and got some cloth diapers. I did hours of online research last night, and found a ton of information, and shockingly, cloth diapers these days don't necessarily have huge safety pins! I found one company, G-Diapers, that makes a cloth/disposable combo. They have a cloth diaper and a flushable or biodegradable liner. The liners are REDICULOUSLY expensive, (but probably great) but I found a bunch of moms that were using the g diaper 'pants' with a cloth liner instead. Then I found a company that makes a liner that looks almost like a dryer sheet that sits on top of the cloth liner. This little guy is flushable, so you just lift the poopy mess right out of the diaper and flush it away. I know this is all rather confusing, liner on top of liner, but in short this means I will NOT be scrubbing out poopy diapers in the toilet.

I know, I know, the birkenstocks are next, but hopefully if our guinea pig Cade likes the diapers, we can save a whole lotta money and maybe even gain a really nice date night!

just photos...no time to write!

2008-09-12T10:44:00.001-07:00

Cade and Alyssa, on their first date. He picked her up.

Luke=big boy

Cade giving Luke kisses

Cade is a big helper, giving Luke his binky

Screaming Babies

2008-09-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today marks my second day of going it alone, since Chad went back to work yesterday. It has been really exciting trying to do this on my own, a lot of screaming and crying, from both me and the boys. :). Seriously though, we had some spills and bruises and a ton of tantrums and screaming bloody murder. If we have any repeats of yesterday's preformance I think my neighbors may call children's services. I also had a thought around the middle of the day--I think that the fact that women only have one set of arms and hands should completely disprove evolution--I mean, after a supposed millions of years of evolution, don't you think we would have grown another set just to help cope with multiple children?
Anyways, today is going much better, less screaming so far, so I actually got a chance to take some pretty good pictures.

Cade, plugging his ears

Luke sleeping, like usual, and Cade getting unusually close to the baby

Luke, 2.5 weeks, 9.2 lbs, and sleeping!

Cade, showing me for the MILLIONTH time where Luke's nose is.

Labor Day in Lakeview

2008-09-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Given the fact that I have been feeling really well, we ventured down to Lakeview for the big Labor Day fair and rodeo. Chad was supposed to have had a class reunion too, but evidently nobody wanted to plan that event, so a whopping 8 people showed up at the Knights of Columbus pancake feed to reunite. It was actually pretty fun to see a few of Chad's old friends and show our boys off.
Cade had himself a great ol time at Gramma and Grandpa's house. He rode on the tractor, he played with the dogs, went "hunting" with the boys, got some much needed attention and even rode all of the carnival rides by himself! He was hysterical and I had no idea that a carnival could be so much fun.
Chad was hoping that we would have some elk pictures to post, but no luck this trip.

Cade and Grandpa on the "tractor"

Cade at the Carnival, driving the big rigs. Notice he has both steering wheels...

Uncle Shawn and Luke

Sleeping...at the same time!

2008-08-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

So I feel like I have just managed to make it up Everest and back down--the boys have taken two naps at the same time today!! I joined them during the first nap, and during the second I feel like I have mostly sat around waiting for them to wake up. I tried doing something productive but that is just so...boring. So here I am, blogging.

Things are still going pretty good, no news from the doc, which I hope is good and translates to: we were wrong, your insides are not rotting. Cade is still trying to figure out why Luke isn't going away, he has been throwing little temper tantrums and we are trying to be patient with those for at least a few more weeks as he adjusts. Strangely, he is trying to punish us by not eating--he throws his food on the floor and screams bloody murder until we take him out of his high chair. Then, he begs for food from us. Not sure what to do with all of this. Any advice would be great.

The pictures are some of the last few days, all of my boys, and then one of Cade trying to fit into his old favorite again. At least Luke wasn't in there when he climbed in...

LUKE MITCHELL

2008-08-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

After a long few weeks, Luke Mitchell Grogan finally arrived on Tuesday, August 19th. All in all, once it got started, labor and delivery were once again really quick and easy, and we are all making a a really good recovery. Cade is adjusting, but with a whole host of family here for him to entertain he has been taking things quite well. Next week (tomorrow!) Chad will go back to work, so we'll see how my outlook changes about this whole 'family of four' business.
I will post the pictures first, which is probaby what people will actually want to look at, and then if you are so inclined you can read the gory (or actually not so gory) details of the birth. Sorry there are so many, but until I take the time to actually figure out the trickery of the fancy slide shows I have seen, I just have to post each photo individually!

Luke, just a few minutes after he was born. He has been pretty relaxed like this since he was born, I just hope it is a personality trait and that at least one of the boys will be laid-back!

Cade and Luke on day #3. Luke looks SO much like Cade's baby pictures

These are a few of Luke after his first bath at home.

And yes, I know I look like I belong in the drug mom ward--if they have one of those--but this is the only picture of all of us after the birth, so for lack of a better option...

AND the birth story, for any who may care:

So my last post was detailing the lovely fact that last week the doctor believed that I had (or have???) kidney stones. On top of all of the glory of being 39 weeks pregnant, that episode nearly put me over the top. I wrote though that I got some relief on Saturday night which was hleping me think that I could probably carry the baby for another week, if necessary. Well, my appointment on Monday went fine, but didn't result in labor or anything, but Monday night was horrible. I wasn't sure if the kidney stones stuff was back or what, but I just felt awful. I woke Chad up and told him to call the doctor because I needed something (he had promised pain killers for the kidney stones earlier). He wanted us to head into the birthing center just to get checked out, so even though I was sure they would send us home and I would just end up feeling like a wimp, we packed the car and went.
We got to the hospital at about 7:30 am and they came back to us at about 9:30 to tell us that my blood work and labs were all looking very strange. they had a few more tests to run to be certain, but things were looking like they were going to have to induce. We really wanted to avoid pitocin and inducing in general, but once all of the labs came back they said we really didn't have much of a choice. I was starting to show signs of Preeclampsia, and on top of all of that my pulse was strangely low.
We were admitted to the hospital at about 10:00, and started on the drugs about a half hour later. The pitocin kicked in right away, and I started having regular contractions. Things went along just fine, I got an epidural at about 1:00. I just can't say enough about the kind person that invented this miracle of modern medicine, but it is just such a night and day difference. I relaxed, laughed with the nurse, read a magazine, and really just enjoyed labor. Anyways, the doc broke my water at about 1:30 and said that everything was looking fine.
about an hour later things stopped feeling fine. I literally went from reading a magazine to telling Chad to call the nurse now. He turned on the video camera--I am on film telling him to turn it off and go find a nurse-- and once the nurse came in she called the doctor and some back up nurses to help get everything ready. The next few minutes were kind of a blur...but basically four minutes and two pushes after the doctor got there Luke was born!
So I have to go back in to the doctor this next week to see what they heck is going on with me, I had an ekg in the hospital to check out my crazy low pulse, but they still want to confirm or look at the kidney stone mystery and make sure that everything corrected itself with the delivery. All in all though, things went great and we are all doing pretty well now.

and STILL no baby!

2008-08-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

We are now officially only one day away from the due date, and little man has given us no indication that he is ready to come out. No contractions, he is still moving around like crazy, and it feels like he is growing exponentially.
We had our check up this morning to confirm that everything is ok and we also were able to confirm that the Doc thinks that I do indeed have kidney stones...which is really fun, let me tell you. I was in so much pain last week that I called the doctor. I had been unsure if I was feeling contractions since the pain was so different (read: worse) than I remembered. To put it bluntly, things got so bad that I think I went a little crazy. I was crying all the time, for no reason, and I was probably a little meaner and crankier than I could justify. I even asked Chad if we could just schedule a C-Section so that I could be done with the pregnancy. Something happend Saturday night though, either I passed the stone, or God answered our prayers, because I feel like a different person and like I can actually keep going until I go into labor.
Thats not to say that we aren't trying to be proactive though, we had the doctor strip the membranes today, and we go into tomorrow for a repeat treatment so that hopefully we can get this show on the road.
Pray for us, we need to have this baby!

Catching Up

2008-08-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

I was really hoping that by now we would have some baby news to share, but it looks as if the little guy is going to hibernate for winter and not come out all. Actually, if I can keep it together until Monday the doctor is going to get a little aggressive with trying to lure the baby out, but that is a big IF. I have been threatening that I am just going to check myself into the hospital and insist that they do something!!

Since I don't have any baby news or any baby photos, I thought I would do some catch-up and update this with some of the summer happenings. So far, the most notable thing we have done is go camping at Diamond Lake, so here are some of those pictures.
Still the three of us....for now!

Diamond Lake, nice place to visit if you have a bug net

Cade LOVES blueberries, and literally eats himself sick. He broke into the cooler to steal a snack, but with a face like that, how can you punish him?

He spent the whole weekend either rolling around in the dirt or pushing his stroller and firetruck around. He is a really hard little worker!

Hopefully my next post will include pictures of the newest Grogan on the block, but don't hold your breath!

Less Time...?

2008-07-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

So I am not sure how it is possible that I actually feel that I have less time now that I am not working, but somehow that is what it comes down to. I just keep telling myself that it must be because I am so busy growing a baby that I just can't make time for anything else, but in reality I think I have been enjoying my morning and afternoon naps a little too much to do anything productive. At least I have a pretty good excuse, for now!

We have been really busy though. We went camping with the family a few weeks ago. Both my parents and Chad's parents, and Chad's sister and her husband joined us at Diamond Lake for four fun filled days and three miserable nights. Actually just one really miserable night, and two uncomfortable nights. We had looked up the weather forecasts before we went, and it was supposed to get down to about 40 degrees at night, which is a lot colder than it sounds. I didn't want to pack our sleeping bags, since I don't fit in mine anyways, so I packed what looked like a ton of blankets to just make a bed. It was so rediculously cold that Chad and I woke up, put on extra clothes, and cuddled together like our lives depended on it. Fortunately, Cade was plenty warm....

Cade absolutely loved camping. He spent most every day literally rolling in the dirt, and each night when we took him down to the showers I was afraid to let other people see my kid in such a state for fear that they would call someone to come and take him away. He did great too, he only could get one nap in a day, but he kept a really good attitude, and kept all of us entertained!

I don't have any pictures from camping, because even though I brought my camera I left it packed most of the trip. Hopefully I can get some off my Mom's camera and update with photos!

I am just waiting for this baby--he is measuring really big, so the doctor is a little concerned that I may be giving birth to a toddler. Hopefully the kiddo decides he is ready any day now, because I sure am!

Here are some pictures that I do have of our little guy getting big! You'll notice on the last picture that Cade is very much a boy, has his bottle in one hand and the other one down his pants. Now just to answer your questions before you ask them, no Chad does NOT do this, I guess it is inherent and little boys have to be taught NOT to do this!

Alyssa's Big Day

2008-06-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Alyssa's first birthday on June 14--exactly 3 months after Cade. She had a great beach party, and so we all dressed up in our finest beach attire to celebrate--me in my bikini and Chad in his speedo. Alyssa got a shiny new red wagon, which she and Cade rode in all over the neighborhood, and then Cade pushed back and forth up and down the street about a million times. And I am not exaggerating. Chad was a great sport and walked back and forth with him, getting the wagon turned around at each end.

My last day of work will be on Monday, so I am looking forward to spending the summer outside with Cade and relaxing a little more while we wait for baby. We took our first trip to the pool yesterday and went swimming with most of the cousins, which is still quite a pool-full. I know that it is a little sad that Cade had never been in a pool before, but after Isaac showed him how it was done he took to it like a fish and had an absolute ball. He loved everything, splashing in the shallow end, laying on his back, and kicking around on his stomach. I am worried after a couple more trips he'll think he doesn't need me. Sometime, when I can get another adult there with me I will get pictures, but for now he is a little too squirly to manage him and a camera!

Beach!

2008-06-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

I finally found the camera, so I can post the pictures that we took in Newport. We spent Memorial Day weekend with Barb and Dave and had such an amazing time just getting away from Bend and relaxing and theWright Wranch. The weather was just perfect and we had a really hard time leaving!

As you can see, Cade had a great time at the beach. We all tromped around in the water, and Cade and Chad got pretty wet. At least we were able to put off the sandcastles until next trip!

In other news, we are trucking along and we have about 8 weeks left! At our last appointment the doctor said that I am measuring about two weeks big, but that he was thinking that I might just have a gigantic baby. I am hoping to be early, but trying not to get my hopes up too much. I know that with the heat and everything of August I will probably be ready to reach in and grab the baby myself if he is even a day late, but as for now I am trying to be realistic about timelines. I should be wrapping up my last few days of work here soon, so that will also help the summer slow down a little (hopefully!)

Cade and Alyssa

2008-05-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Cade has been having several playdates with Alyssa, our friends Bryon and Shawna's little girl. They have been getting along so well that we have all negotiated the number of goats and pigs for the dowry and I think that we are looking at a wedding on June 18th of 2030. So mark your calendars. All jokes aside though, since neither one of the kiddos are in daycare it has been really fun to watch them interact and maybe see how Cade will act with his new little sibling... Here are some pictures from their most recent 'date'.

In other news, just three more weeks of school for Chad until we get back to a more manageable schedule without all of the night classes and weekends. It will be a huge relief and great to get our weekends back! We take off for Newport for Memorial Day and so I am sure we will have plenty of beach pictures in the next few weeks.

Cade's New Favorite

2008-05-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

Cade had his first real, un-assisted spaghetti meal the other day, and I think it goes without saying, but he really enjoyed it. Cade spent the morning playing with Alyssa, and while I am sure his manners didn't impress her too much we all had a good time laughing at him. He can't seem to figure out what is so funny in this picture, or maybe its the spaghetti sauce in his ears that is giving him such a concerned look...

And the husband of the year goes to....

2008-05-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

I had the best Mother's Day yesterday. Granted, this is only the second time we've celebrated, but Chad did it up in a big way, and it was wonderful! Started out in the morning with Cade waddling up to me holding a little white jewelery box. Had it not been for my keen eye, carefully trained to spot such packages, I might have missed it because once he got to me he threw the box at the dog (one of his favorite games lately...). I quickly retreived it, instead of allowing the dog to, and found a beautiful diamond band inside!! Needless to say, I was shocked! We then spent the rest of the morning with my family at brunch, where Chad fed Cade, ran around after him, and pretty much made it so that I could eat to my heart's content (which is one of my favorite games lately...). It was a great day, and now I am stuck trying to figure out how to spend Father's Day. Any ideas?

Finally Downloading some pictures...

2008-05-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I emptied my camera, so here are some of the latest and greatest of the cute kid, and then there's us...

For a while there he always had his tongue hanging out. Not sure what Freud would say?
Dad and his Boy
This is a pretty typical face for him
Cade and Mommy
Happy happy kid

Family Photos

2008-04-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

We went to Portland last weekend for some work and a long overdue family portrait session. I think I was five the last time we had an official picture taken. This one looks a little different, to say the least.

The Big Re-Announcement

2008-04-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

I guess this announcement pretty much fits the way things are going so far with this baby and this pregnancy. We had our second ultrasound today to confirm dates and things, and miraculously, our little girl has turned into a little boy! It's either that or she has some pretty severe abnormal growths.
Also, very reassuring news was that the due date they gave us (which, granted, are ambiguous to start with) can be off by as much as 3 weeks because we are getting the ultrasound so late in the game. So it looks like we'll be blocking July-September off of our calendars. The "due date" is still around August 19th, for whatever that is worth, and everything looks healthy and normal. We are just so grateful that despite not knowing about the little guy God has kept him safe for us.

The Big Announcement!

2008-04-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the big announcement: we are pregnant...again. SURPRISE!
On Thursday, the 3rd I took a pregnancy test based on a little hunch of Chad's. He would say that there were many tell-tale signs, (emotional instability, etc.) but I just finally agreed to take a test to assure him that I wasn't pregnant, just a little crazy. Well, I was wrong and he was right--the test came back positive. Now, the only thing left to figure out was how far along we could possibly be; and we had no idea on that one.
We took off for Chad's parent's house the next morning for Sharon's 50th and surprised them with the news and we all sat around talking about a December baby. When we got back to Bend I called the doctor to get an appointment to get things figured out. Turns out, we are really pregnant. About 21 weeks really pregnant. Over half way done! And the best part, five days after we found out we were pregnant, we found out we are having a girl!! No, I take that back, the best part is that I only have to be pregnant for 4 months.
Now, I know that this opens us up for a lot of jokes, and rediculousness--we didn't plan Cade, we sure didn't plan this one, yes a remedial sex-ed class could be in the works, no I really did NOT know that I was pregnant, and yes, now that we are getting over the shock of it all we are very excited. We get ultrasound pictures on Wednesday, so check again!

More Birthday Pics

2008-04-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Trust me, getting photos on the last post took a heroic effort, but this time I am going to try and one-up myself with a whole album. If you don't see one, that is becuase I failed. Sorry.

Yeah, that was a big failure. So here are a few more pictures instead.

First Post Ever! And Boring as Ever!

2008-04-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

So this is my first official blog, and I am sure you will want to skip it. Just look at the picture of our little cowboy thoroughly enjoying his cake. We celebrated his first on the 15th, just a day after his birthday. He had a cowboy party with some of his little buddies, and a lot of family. We had a great time, and then the next day we all got sick. So while we enjoyed the party, the last two weeks have been a little rough!