I didn't forget about FSAF, and I didn't give up on blogging about it. We've had a few that were way too far in between, and I don't have a point and shoot camera anymore. I could use the DSLR but sometimes it's just too big and bulky to carry. Just taking Vincent requires so much... stuff. We did go to the "aquarium" in Tempe a while back, but it was not really an aquarium in the sense of the word as I know it. I associate the word aquarium with the Boston Aquarium. There was no comparison. It was in a mall. A ghetto mall. We went anyway, and it was mediocre. So mediocre I didn't feel like it was blog-worthy. There were a few more that also were pretty unadventurous. I don't even remember them. Today we went to Usery Mountain Regional Park and tried to hike the Wind Cave Trail. I say tried because we didn't make it to the cave at the top. Vincent is quite large (I'm trying to get as much use out of our Kelty Kid Carrier as possible before he outgrows it). I got about 60% of the way up before V got sick of being strapped to my back. His head is basically touching the sun shade now and I think that was annoying him. I couldn't take it off because I forgot his sunscreen. Also he is large. Did I mention he is large and heavy? Between him and the supplies I had in the backpack it was easily 30lbs. Maybe more. I'm not as in shape as I used to be (I hiked Mount Washington with a 30lb pack back in high school). It wasn't a fail because we had fun. I got a little crazy on the way back and decided to go to Tortilla Flat for lunch. Not exactly on my way back, it was 25 miles out of the way. I remember the food being really good the first time I went. Today it was just okay. Not bad, not good. Just okay. I'm going to wrap up my random thoughts now. I promise to work harder to:
A) find fun adventurous stuff to do
and
B) record it in photographic and blogical form.
Is blogical a word? It is now. Maybe blogographic? whatever.
-Joe
Friday, December 7, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
reflections on the miracle of life
I realize that this past (almost) year in V's life has contained nothing less than miraculous milestones - his first smile, first crawl, first step, first sound, first teeth. I can remember his birth (and every moment thereafter) as if it had just happened in this very instant.
He is our little angel.
Our little miracle.
I try not to get too personal online. And perhaps this is a little too much information. But V really is our little miracle. We never thought we would be able to have him at all.
I don't know if you remember when we first started our blog, but a big reason for starting it was for us to keep in touch about Joe's kidney shenanigans. And it was kind of a dark time, so I don't want to rehash every last detail...but one thing that I wanted to bring up (probably much to Joe's chagrin), is a conversation that his nephrologist had with us in the hospital.
When Joe went to the hospital that every first time, they ended up finding out that he was in the end stages of kidney failure. His nephrologist came in the hospital room one day and discussed different treatment options including the possibility of dialysis and possibly (eventually) transplantation. He also told us that one way to significantly slow down his kidney failure before having him start dialysis was going through chemotherapy. This was a treatment method that the nephrologist wanted to do before Joe left the hospital. His opinion was that it was extreme (duh!), but that it might do the trick in stopping Joe's immune system from attacking his kidneys any further. But during the conversation with him, he told us that it was quite possible that we may never be able to conceive a child.
Imagine my heart and all the blood in it dropping to the floor.
I had always imagined that I would get married and have a child (or two) one day. So hearing that I might never be able to conceive a baby with Joe was pretty devastating to hear. Especially since we weren't even married yet. But the nephrologist suggested that we consult with a fertility center to see if any of the "stuff" could be saved and used later for conceiving a child.
Enter hope.
So, we went to the much recommended Southwest Fertility Center in Phoenix and [sorry, Joe, but I'm gonna say it] we attempted to have some of Joe's "stuff" saved. But, unfortunately, it was too late. We were told it wasn't even worth saving. The chemo had already done it's work.
Exit hope.
Love definitely conquered all in the end and Joe and I were married the following year. He was and is my favorite person. And whatever life threw at us, we were going through it together. Even if it meant that all we would have together is a dozen beagles (or wolfhounds) running in our future yard.
I would periodically think about having a baby. And it would sometimes get me down. But I would try to talk myself out of wanting a baby...trying to remind myself of all of the other things I could do to lead an equally fulfilling life. So it would always make me cringe a little whenever we would be asked if we were going to have a baby because there was the distinct possibility that it just wasn't in the cards for us.
Then came the afternoon of December 17, 2010.
I was working that day and planned on going home for lunch to let Lucy out for a bit. When I was at home, I realized that I was little late in getting my monthly bill. I had a pregnancy test in our medicine cabinet from a previous false alarm, so decided that I take the test since I had to pee anyway. I didn't want it sitting in our medicine cabinet anymore.
But then I saw that it was positive. At first I thought it was a joke. I couldn't believe it. But then 8 months later, our bundle of amazingness was born. And 357 days, 2,856 diapers, 26 pounds, and 10 teeth later, I reflect on just how precious and miraculous life is.
I can not think of how my life would be without either of them in it.
My two miracles:
My life is so blessed.
He is our little angel.
Our little miracle.
I try not to get too personal online. And perhaps this is a little too much information. But V really is our little miracle. We never thought we would be able to have him at all.
I don't know if you remember when we first started our blog, but a big reason for starting it was for us to keep in touch about Joe's kidney shenanigans. And it was kind of a dark time, so I don't want to rehash every last detail...but one thing that I wanted to bring up (probably much to Joe's chagrin), is a conversation that his nephrologist had with us in the hospital.
When Joe went to the hospital that every first time, they ended up finding out that he was in the end stages of kidney failure. His nephrologist came in the hospital room one day and discussed different treatment options including the possibility of dialysis and possibly (eventually) transplantation. He also told us that one way to significantly slow down his kidney failure before having him start dialysis was going through chemotherapy. This was a treatment method that the nephrologist wanted to do before Joe left the hospital. His opinion was that it was extreme (duh!), but that it might do the trick in stopping Joe's immune system from attacking his kidneys any further. But during the conversation with him, he told us that it was quite possible that we may never be able to conceive a child.
Imagine my heart and all the blood in it dropping to the floor.
I had always imagined that I would get married and have a child (or two) one day. So hearing that I might never be able to conceive a baby with Joe was pretty devastating to hear. Especially since we weren't even married yet. But the nephrologist suggested that we consult with a fertility center to see if any of the "stuff" could be saved and used later for conceiving a child.
Enter hope.
So, we went to the much recommended Southwest Fertility Center in Phoenix and [sorry, Joe, but I'm gonna say it] we attempted to have some of Joe's "stuff" saved. But, unfortunately, it was too late. We were told it wasn't even worth saving. The chemo had already done it's work.
Exit hope.
Love definitely conquered all in the end and Joe and I were married the following year. He was and is my favorite person. And whatever life threw at us, we were going through it together. Even if it meant that all we would have together is a dozen beagles (or wolfhounds) running in our future yard.
I would periodically think about having a baby. And it would sometimes get me down. But I would try to talk myself out of wanting a baby...trying to remind myself of all of the other things I could do to lead an equally fulfilling life. So it would always make me cringe a little whenever we would be asked if we were going to have a baby because there was the distinct possibility that it just wasn't in the cards for us.
Then came the afternoon of December 17, 2010.
I was working that day and planned on going home for lunch to let Lucy out for a bit. When I was at home, I realized that I was little late in getting my monthly bill. I had a pregnancy test in our medicine cabinet from a previous false alarm, so decided that I take the test since I had to pee anyway. I didn't want it sitting in our medicine cabinet anymore.
But then I saw that it was positive. At first I thought it was a joke. I couldn't believe it. But then 8 months later, our bundle of amazingness was born. And 357 days, 2,856 diapers, 26 pounds, and 10 teeth later, I reflect on just how precious and miraculous life is.
I can not think of how my life would be without either of them in it.
My two miracles:
My life is so blessed.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
the amazing charlie brown
Do you have any childhood "things" that you had held on to for one reason or another?
I do. Although...I don't really have a reason for keeping him other than the fact that I love him.
His name is Charlie Brown.
Charlie is a bear that I have had ever since I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. I picked him out of a prize list for selling a certain amount of magazines during our grade school's yearly magazine sale. I didn't realize this until later, but I think most of those magazines that I sold (if not all?) were purchased by my parents. So thanks, Mom and Dad. Charlie was an amazing gift.
I have no idea why I loved...and love...this bear so much. But he was always there, waiting in my bedroom for me. Whether it was a good day, a bad day, a long day, a day that just went by way too quickly, a crazy day, a boring day...you name it, and he was there.
This is probably really lame, especially because now that we have Vincent we keep accumulating more and more "stuff"...but I just can't bring myself to ever get rid of him. He's a little matted and not quite as fluffy as he once was, but he's freakin awesome and I love that bear!
And what does Vincent think?
Well...
I'm not so sure he's "sold" on Charlie yet.
That's okay, though. There's no rush. Charlie is really good at sticking around.
I do. Although...I don't really have a reason for keeping him other than the fact that I love him.
His name is Charlie Brown.
Charlie is a bear that I have had ever since I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. I picked him out of a prize list for selling a certain amount of magazines during our grade school's yearly magazine sale. I didn't realize this until later, but I think most of those magazines that I sold (if not all?) were purchased by my parents. So thanks, Mom and Dad. Charlie was an amazing gift.
I have no idea why I loved...and love...this bear so much. But he was always there, waiting in my bedroom for me. Whether it was a good day, a bad day, a long day, a day that just went by way too quickly, a crazy day, a boring day...you name it, and he was there.
This is probably really lame, especially because now that we have Vincent we keep accumulating more and more "stuff"...but I just can't bring myself to ever get rid of him. He's a little matted and not quite as fluffy as he once was, but he's freakin awesome and I love that bear!
And what does Vincent think?
Well...
I'm not so sure he's "sold" on Charlie yet.
That's okay, though. There's no rush. Charlie is really good at sticking around.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
ignorance
Just this week, a friend of mine posted on Facebook (don't you just love how technology keeps us in touch?), that while shopping with her baby, a complete stranger came up to her and told her that she should get a good nutritionist for her baby to help with his weight problem.
A baby with a weight problem? I mean, I know there are unhealthy babies in the world. There are seriously undernourished babies and seriously overfed babies. But after a certain age, babies are just naturally chunky little humans. Babies are supposed to have some "meat" on them. You know? So telling someone that their baby has a weight problem is just completely and ridiculously rude.
It wasn't even my baby and I am so upset by this.
It just really got me thinking about how inflated people's egos are, how people believe that whatever they think is right, and how people feel the need to thrust their opinions on to other people without thinking first. And what's worse is those people who use their opinions and words as spears and think that whoever disagrees with them is ignorant.
Have you ever been in a conversation like that? When you give your opinion on something and the other person says you are ignorant merely for the fact that your opinion is different? Last time I checked, the definition of ignorance is a lack of knowledge, wisdom, and information. So if you call someone ignorant because their opinion is different than yours, then that, my friend, makes you the ignorant one.
But I digress.
I'm not really angry at all. I'm mostly just frustrated that people are like this. When someone disagrees with me I want to try to help them see my views. Not necessarily with the goal to change their mind, but with the goal to help them understand why I think the way I do. But the second the word "ignorant" comes into play, I just shut down because there is no use discussing something with someone who really has no idea what the word "ignorant" even means.
Is there any hope that discussions will ever be free from ridicule?
A baby with a weight problem? I mean, I know there are unhealthy babies in the world. There are seriously undernourished babies and seriously overfed babies. But after a certain age, babies are just naturally chunky little humans. Babies are supposed to have some "meat" on them. You know? So telling someone that their baby has a weight problem is just completely and ridiculously rude.
It wasn't even my baby and I am so upset by this.
It just really got me thinking about how inflated people's egos are, how people believe that whatever they think is right, and how people feel the need to thrust their opinions on to other people without thinking first. And what's worse is those people who use their opinions and words as spears and think that whoever disagrees with them is ignorant.
Have you ever been in a conversation like that? When you give your opinion on something and the other person says you are ignorant merely for the fact that your opinion is different? Last time I checked, the definition of ignorance is a lack of knowledge, wisdom, and information. So if you call someone ignorant because their opinion is different than yours, then that, my friend, makes you the ignorant one.
But I digress.
I'm not really angry at all. I'm mostly just frustrated that people are like this. When someone disagrees with me I want to try to help them see my views. Not necessarily with the goal to change their mind, but with the goal to help them understand why I think the way I do. But the second the word "ignorant" comes into play, I just shut down because there is no use discussing something with someone who really has no idea what the word "ignorant" even means.
Is there any hope that discussions will ever be free from ridicule?
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
here
We are not missing.
We are here.
It's just that, since Vincent turned 5 months old, we have pretty much not had many ounces of free time since then. So I have a million (okay...maybe 20) things I have wanted to blog about. But in the end, after the babe is asleep, bottles for the next day are made, and everything is done for the day...blogging has been far from my mind.
Sleep trumps everything lately.
But instead of hitting the sack right now like I normally would, I just wanted to pop in and say a quick hello.
Hi!
Life is really good. We have a roof over our heads, love in our hearts, and the sweetest baby in the universe in our arms.
Until next time, here's a recent photo of our little munchkin. Don't you just want to reach through the photo and squeeze his chins and love all over him?
We are here.
It's just that, since Vincent turned 5 months old, we have pretty much not had many ounces of free time since then. So I have a million (okay...maybe 20) things I have wanted to blog about. But in the end, after the babe is asleep, bottles for the next day are made, and everything is done for the day...blogging has been far from my mind.
Sleep trumps everything lately.
But instead of hitting the sack right now like I normally would, I just wanted to pop in and say a quick hello.
Hi!
Life is really good. We have a roof over our heads, love in our hearts, and the sweetest baby in the universe in our arms.
Until next time, here's a recent photo of our little munchkin. Don't you just want to reach through the photo and squeeze his chins and love all over him?
Friday, March 9, 2012
FSAF #4 Tanks and Monsters
I actually planned on taking Vincent to the zoo today, but we were going to go with his Aunt Alanna. Alanna was too busy studying, so I decided we could wait a week and go to the zoo with her. So at about 8:30 this morning I was scrambling to find something fun to do. We decided to go hike the Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Regional Park. Also they were supposed to have a presentation at noon about Gila Monsters. I thought we would get there about 10:30, hike the 2 miles round trip, then head over to the nature center for the presentation. Unfortunately I forgot we were operating on baby time, and I haven't really been super active these past 7 months. The trail was wide, smooth, and not too steep, but because I was wearing V on my back and my previously mentioned inactivity, it took longer than expected. We started hiking around 11:30, saw some petroglyphs, made it to the top and saw no water falling. The waterfall is only active after heavy rains. There was a small pool at the bottom, and some guys told me there was another pool that was about 6 feet deep, but it required scrambling up some rocks and I didn't feel comfortable going up there with V on my back. Anyway we finished the hike right at 1pm, so no Gila Monsters for us today. Then on the way home I stopped and got myself fish tacos. Here's a few pics (CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER IMAGES!!!!!!):
Saturday, March 3, 2012
FSAF FAILS
Unfortunately it's now been three Fridays with no adventures. I haven't given up, just so much going on. Three Fridays ago (Feb. 18th) Theresa had friday off, so we were going to let her come along, but she had a dentist appointment at 11am. I figured we'd do something after, but we were too busy and I think we went to look at some houses. Two Fridays ago (Feb. 25th) I actually attempted to take V and Lucy the Wonder Beagle on a hike up Shaw Butte. I forgot how steep and rocky it is though, so I brought the Jeep stroller. Between Lucy wanting to smell everything and the stroller being nearly impossible to push up the trail we only made it an 1/8th of a mile before calling it quits. Next time I'll use my Kelty Kid Carrier backpack and/or leave Lucy home. Yesterday (March 2nd) I had to go into work at 5am to make up some time due to leaving early Tuesday Feb 28th. By the time I got home at 11:30 I was pretty tired and had nothing planned, then T called and needed me to go do some shopping. Maybe next Friday we'll get back on track?
Friday, February 10, 2012
FSAF #3 A day in Papago Park
Today V and I went to the Desert Botanical Garden with Alanna. The garden was cool as always, even though there were no special exhibits going on. We walked around, checked out plants, stopped to feed V on a shady bench, got to go in some Tohono O'odham dwellings (they were a native american tribe indigenious to this area). Ground some mesquite beans, then hit the gift shop while V took a nap. I got a pretty cool book detailing all the edible plants in the southwest, so as long as I bring it or memorize it we'll be all set if we get stranded in the wilderness! After that we decided to go climb up to the Hole in the rock at Papago Park. Hung out up in the hole for a while, then climbed down and hung out in the shade under a ramada. Here's some pics, CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER IMAGES!!!!!!
Friday, February 3, 2012
FSAF #2 Hall of Flame
Today Vincent and I decided to check out the Hall of Flame (yeah, that's really the name, not my bad pun). I'd seen signs for it when we've been down in Papago Park in the past, so last night I looked it up to see if it would be interesting. If you're ever in Phoenix check it out. It starts with the old horse drawn carts, leather buckets and helmets, some dating back to the early 1700's. They also have a truck you can climb around on, an area for kids, fire fighting gear you can try on, patches, badges, a 9/11 memorial statue of a pony, etc. It ends with some modern equipment, some of which are still driven. It was pretty interesting to see the changes in technology over the years. Here's some pics (click on the thumbnails for bigger images):
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