tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31149792852845280132024-03-13T14:14:18.168-07:00the mcgowan family chroniclesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-53402653303209955212013-05-02T22:27:00.003-07:002013-05-02T22:27:55.096-07:00just your typical thursday nightIt's been too damn long, so here goes:<br />
<br />
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Joe and I take Vincent to swimming lessons. He isn't even close to swimming yet, but it's mostly just to get him comfortable in the water and to learn basics like kicking, blowing bubbles, etc. Anyway, I usually pick V up after work and Joe meets us at the pool.<br />
<br />
Today was no exception to the rule.<br />
<br />
At first.<br />
<br />
Vincent has an "ear thing" and tends to freak out a little when he is reclined back in the water so that the back of his head, and ears, are in the water. He hates it. Not quite sure how to get him over that. Today we didn't do too much floating in the water, so he didn't freak out much at all. It was really fun, actually. I love doing those lessons with him and Joe.<br />
<br />
After our session was over, we walked out to the parking lot where we opened the hatch to our Montero and got him changed into dry clothes, same as always. <br />
<br />
Joe usually gets V situated in the car seat whenever we go anywhere. I'm actually not 100% sure why he always does that, but he does. Which is nice. :-) But since Joe was going to stop and grab us dinner on the way home, I decided to give him a head start and said that I would take over and get V in the car seat so that he could head out to grab food.<br />
<br />
After a "love you" and a "bye" and a "see you later" he was gone.<br />
<br />
I was putting Vincent in his car seat and since his new favorite toys are Gumby and Pokey (funny, huh?), I gave him Gumby and Pokey - or "Bungy" and "Picky" as he likes to call them - to play with in the car seat. And as I was fastening him up, he also had my keys because he likes to press the lock and unlock button over and over.<br />
<br />
Anyway, he was content while I was getting him locked in and I asked him, "Did you have fun swimming?"<br />
<br />
"Yes!" he responded joyfully.<br />
<br />
"Do you like swimming in the pool?"<br />
<br />
"Yes!" he quickly added again.<br />
<br />
He is so cute! :-)<br />
<br />
Anyway, V was all set and ready to go and so I shut the door and went to the back hatch to close the hatch. When I realized I needed my purse up front with me (which I had left in the way back), I tried to open the hatch and it was locked.<br />
<br />
Tried Vincent's door and it was locked.<br />
<br />
Tried the driver's door and it was locked.<br />
<br />
Every door was locked. And my keys?<br />
<br />
They were on the seat next to Vincent's car seat. They had fallen there after he hit that "Lock" button one last time.<br />
<br />
[Commence semi-freaking out.]<br />
<br />
Joe was already gone. My keys, cell phone, and BABY were all locked in the car. I was standing there with nothing by my bathing suit, a wet shirt, and a towel wrapped around my waist.<br />
<br />
I tried all the doors again thinking they would miraculously decide to open, but they wouldn't.<br />
<br />
What should I do? <br />
<br />
I looked at Vincent through the window and he just smiled at me, like I was playing a game with him or something, then he continued to play with his toys. The keys mocked me as they stared up at me from the seat below.<br />
<br />
I yelled at a young man who had just parked next to me and started to walk over to the pool. I asked him if I could borrow his phone and he obliged.<br />
<br />
I tried to call Joe, but he didn't answer.<br />
<br />
"I don't know what to do," I said, mostly rhetorically.<br />
<br />
Mr. Phone Man replied, "Well, just try to stay calm. I know there's a police station nearby, so may be they could come?"<br />
<br />
Brilliant!<br />
<br />
I called 911 and was placed on hold for forever (okay, maybe it was only 20 seconds that just SEEMED like forever). I felt like the worst parent in the history of parenting as I told the operator what was happening. <br />
<br />
She asked for my phone number and I told her, "My phone...and everything...is in the car with my son. I don't even know the man who's phone I'm using."<br />
<br />
"Okay, ma'am. That's fine. I'm going to get a paramedic on the line."<br />
<br />
I don't remember much of that conversation other than the fire department answering, asking me a few questions, me telling them my car information and location. Then the dispatch operator lady got my name and number and said that someone would be there within a few minutes.<br />
<br />
While I was waiting, I thanked Mr. Phone Man profusely and he said that he had to go in and pick up his son, but that he would be back out in a bit if I needed his phone again. I thanked him again and he went on his way.<br />
<br />
I tried the doors again as if it was just a bad dream. Or maybe just to torture myself. When they didn't open (shocker!), I decided to pass the time playing peek-a-boo with Vincent. He was just laughing at me, smiling, and not having a care in the world. <br />
<br />
Not even 2 minutes later we heard sirens, which I knew were for us.<br />
<br />
Vincent said from inside the car, "Ambince! Ambince!" (What he calls "Ambulance"). <br />
<br />
A paramedic fire truck showed up as well as one Police SUV. They got out and Vincent just stared at them as they tried to jimmy each door open. Didn't get freaked out at all. God, I adore that kid.<br />
<br />
Not even 5 minutes later the driver's door was opened and all of the doors were unlocked. And then they were all gone a minute after that.<br />
<br />
Once I hugged the crap out of Vincent and made sure that I had the keys IN M HAND, I climbed in, turned the car and A/C on, and looked at my phone. It was 6:10. Exactly 1 minute since the car was reopened. 10 minutes since V was first locked in the car.<br />
<br />
I called Joe and I think his response was something like "Wow". I know, I know...I'm pretty awe inspiring, huh? Anyway, we actually ended up agreeing that calling 911 was the best option. Especially since he didn't even have a spare key on him.<br />
<br />
Vincent's time in the car = approximately 9 minutes.<br />
<br />
My time feeling the absolute worst mother on the face of Planet Earth = approximately 9 minutes + every minute thereafter.<br />
<br />
That was, hands down, the most nerve-wracking and scariest 9 minutes of my life so far. Hands. Down. As I think about V's sweet little face, oozing happiness, and precious little life, it still makes me feel like I am the worst mother on the face of Planet Earth. <br />
<br />
But Joe's response to that was, "No...Casey Anthony is."<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-51914066398798677742013-01-01T20:57:00.001-07:002013-01-01T20:57:01.414-07:002013...here we come!<span style="font-size: small;">We made only 11 blog posts in the past year. Count 'em...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Eleven.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And 6 of them were from Joe. That's more than half of them. I only made 5 blog posts in the past year? What the heck, man! I know I've had work and a baby to take care of, but seriously. I shouldn't even HAVE a blog at this point. If it weren't for Father/Son Adventure Fridays, this blog would have created it's own black hole over the past year. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So...I guess this means it's officially New Years' Resolution time! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Blog more. </b>I would like to post at least twice a month on what's going on upstairs and under the stairs. Okay, that's sounded slightly creepy. But yeah. Twice a month. Next!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Teardrop. </b>Had to put it on hold after finding out we were having a baby. But the kid is like 10 years old now<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>*</b></span> so it's time. We don't have to do everything in one month (can we say "expensive?")...but we've got a year. We can do this. Next!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Play more. </b>Go out on more dates<span style="color: #38761d;">**</span>. Have fun adventures with Vincent. Go camping or just get out of town at least every other month. See movies in the theater BEFORE they get put on Netflix. Read more books. Design more. Next!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Write a book. </b>Yeah, you read that right. I actually tell Joe probably once a week "I want to write a book!" But I haven't done shit about it yet. So I'm starting and that's that. End of story. Pun intended<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>***</b></span>. Next!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Get right financially. </b>Specifically, pay
off debt. The mortgage obviously will take a million years. But
everything else needs to be gone. Can't stand it. It makes me feel bad
about myself. So it's time to get rid of the debt. Oh yeah...and start
saving again. Next! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Find something positive in everything. </b>No explanation needed on this one. Next!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Practice patience. </b>I am a pretty patient person, generally speaking. But there are times when I lose my cool and get hot headed...specifically with family. And usually over the most stupid things you could think of. I need to be overall more consistently patient with those I love. Especially Joe...and especially V. I mean come on, T. He's a freakin' baby! He won't be perfect and won't learn everything on the first try. I mean, I know he'll still annoy me at times, but I really need to remember that he's just a baby. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Love infinitely. </b>Love fully every day, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. In every situation, good or bad, just love unconditionally.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>*</b></span> He's not really 10 yet. But time flies so fast, so he'll be there before we know it, I'm sure. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>**</b></span> Dates with JOE, of course. Get your mind out of the gutter. ;-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>*** </b><span style="color: black;">Please don't judge said future book on what is written in my blog, please. The bad jokes will only be seen here.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">From our fami<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ly</span> to you and yours...</span></span>Happy New Year!! </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: black;">I hope that your 2013 will be filled with nothing less than all of the wonderful things you hope for.</span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-56865918978445698892012-12-07T21:20:00.001-07:002012-12-07T21:23:26.031-07:00FSAF #??? (#5 maybe?)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... <i>stuff</i>. 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:<br />
A) find fun adventurous stuff to do<br />
<i>and </i><br />
B) record it in photographic and blogical form.<br />
<br />
Is blogical a word? It is now. Maybe blogographic? whatever.<br />
-Joe<br />
<br />joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-49579184460998882242012-07-24T16:22:00.003-07:002012-07-24T16:22:40.112-07:00reflections on the miracle of lifeI 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. <br />
<br />
He is our little angel.<br />
<br />
Our little miracle. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Imagine my heart and all the blood in it dropping to the floor.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Enter hope.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Exit hope.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Then came the afternoon of December 17, 2010. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
I can not think of how my life would be without either of them in it. <br />
<br />
My two miracles:<br />
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<br />
My life is so blessed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-8212115720051491362012-06-30T13:51:00.002-07:002012-06-30T13:51:35.780-07:00the amazing charlie brownDo you have any childhood "things" that you had held on to for one reason or another? <br />
<br />
I do. Although...I don't really have a reason for keeping him other than the fact that I love him.<br />
<br />
His name is Charlie Brown.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
And what does Vincent think?<br />
<br />
Well...<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
I'm not so sure he's "sold" on Charlie yet. <br />
<br />
That's okay, though. There's no rush. Charlie is really good at sticking around.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-89374732357734878002012-06-24T10:30:00.000-07:002012-06-24T10:30:17.651-07:00ignoranceJust 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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
It wasn't even my baby and I am so upset by this.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
But I digress.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Is there any hope that discussions will ever be free from ridicule?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-91087461817093410952012-06-19T20:56:00.002-07:002012-06-19T20:57:59.974-07:00hereWe are not missing.<br />
<br />
We are here.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Sleep trumps everything lately.<br />
<br />
But instead of hitting the sack right now like I normally would, I just wanted to pop in and say a quick hello.<br />
<br />
Hi!<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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? <br />
<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-17043577933754868872012-03-09T17:01:00.002-07:002012-03-09T18:10:38.097-07:00FSAF #4 Tanks and MonstersI 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 (<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER IMAGES!!!!!!</span></span>):<br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5038.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5038.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5037.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5037.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5034.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5034.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5044.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5044.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5047.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5047.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5048.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5048.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5035.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5035.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5031.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5031.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5020.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5017.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5017.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5016.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5016.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5014.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5014.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=CIMG5049.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_CIMG5049.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-79059075364968665582012-03-03T00:05:00.002-07:002012-03-03T00:17:43.251-07:00FSAF FAILSUnfortunately 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?joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-9375794247440505412012-02-10T16:38:00.004-07:002012-02-10T17:36:00.063-07:00FSAF #3 A day in Papago ParkToday 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, <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS FOR LARGER IMAGES!!!!!!</span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0158.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0158.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0160.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0160.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0163.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0163.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0166.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0166.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0169.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0169.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0174.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0174.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0177.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0177.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0186.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0186.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0188.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0188.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0189.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0189.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0193.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0193.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0194.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0194.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0200.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0200.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0202.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0202.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0205.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0205.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0207.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0207.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0218.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0218.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0223.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0223.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0227.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0227.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0238.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0238.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-36161426946821865542012-02-03T13:49:00.004-07:002012-02-03T14:18:00.223-07:00FSAF #2 Hall of FlameToday 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):<br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0112.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0112.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0100.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0100.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0104.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0104.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0105.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0105.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0113.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0113.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0115.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0115.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0117.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0117.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0129.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0129.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0121.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0121.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0129.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0129.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0132.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0132.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0138.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0138.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0142.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0142.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0140.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0140.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0144.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0144.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-25905645570479069922012-01-27T14:52:00.006-07:002012-02-03T14:19:19.977-07:00FSAF #1 DESERT LOVIN'No, not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter! Ever wonder why we like something? I'm not talking about Facebook, I'm talking real life. Today I took Vincent on a trip up to Lake Pleasant to get some pictures and be outside in the beautiful weather. We drove around inside of Lake Pleasant State Park, checked out the visitors center, took some pics of where I almost rolled our truck into the lake last weekend (that's a story for a different time), and walked around on the trails looking for wildlife I was going to head home. When I got back to Castle Hot Springs road I knew I should go left and head home, but instead I went right. While I was doing this Theresa's words were running through my head. When she had called less than an hour before, she said something to the effect of "don't do anything stupid, you have our son with you. You know sometimes you take dirt roads and trails and realize after it wasn't the best idea". She was right, that's how I almost put us into Lake Pleasant upside down in the Montero the previous weekend. So even with her voice in my head telling me not to, I headed north on Castle Hot Springs road off into the desert. Vincent was asleep so I reasoned that if it got really bumpy or sketchy looking I'd turn around, after all I had very little water for myself, no extra bottles for him, and no tire repair kit. As I explored, and took more pictures, I was thinking about the fact I love the desert. I don't know why, but I find it absolutely fascinating and beautiful. It could be because it's the polar opposite of the terrain I grew up around. Back in New England it's all grass and trees, it rains frequently, it snows way too much. Here we get almost no rain, no snow at all, the trees are few and far between, there are cacti everywhere. See, totally different. But I love it. I know it can be deadly, there are venomous snakes and lizards, the summer temperatures always exceed 100 degrees, the winter nights can get down below freezing. So, why do I love it? Is it because we can camp all year round? Is it because it's so different? Is it all the unsettled land we can go out and explore? Is it because desert racing is so friggen cool? Is it because of all the great mexican food? Maybe. Here's some pics (click on the thumbnails for bigger pics), enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0035.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0035.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0045.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0045.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0052.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0052.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0059.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0059.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0056.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0056.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0065.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0065.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0068.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0068.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0069.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0069.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0071.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0071.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0073.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0073.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0074.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0074.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0075.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0075.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0076.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0076.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0078.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0078.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/?action=view&current=DSC_0079.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/josephpmcgowan/th_DSC_0079.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-10177694632368754252012-01-11T19:42:00.005-07:002012-01-11T19:49:44.139-07:00happy little buddha<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IR7t-Z6Rges/Tw5JJ3XDzlI/AAAAAAAAE4g/gi1QIN5ptrY/s1600/14802258050.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IR7t-Z6Rges/Tw5JJ3XDzlI/AAAAAAAAE4g/gi1QIN5ptrY/s320/14802258050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696571012498574930" border="0" /></a>Every time our baby smiles, I swear that he is the chunky little reincarnation of a happy little Buddha.<br /><br />Seriously.<br /><br />Look at that freakin' smile!<br /><br />This year, I hope and pray to never take for granted every perfect little thing this kiddo does. There are so many different things we learn and see every day - different sounds, facial expressions, movements. Everything about this kid is so new to us...and awesome.<br /><br />At any given moment he is happy, sad, ecstatic, frustrated, calm, talkative, cranky, sleepy, funny, smelly, slobbery, slimy, whiny, smiley, sweet, dorky. You name it...this kid has it all!<br /><br />But most of all, he is precious.<br /><br />I am one happy and proud mama today!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-8840262100732788082011-12-31T15:33:00.004-07:002011-12-31T16:33:04.622-07:00should auld acquaintance be forgot<span style="font-style: italic;">Should auld acquaintance be forgot,</span><br /><div style="text-align: left; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">and never brought to mind?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Should auld acquaintance be forgot,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">and auld lang syne?</span><br /></div><br />As with many old poems and literature, I am sure there are many translations of the Scottish verse that is traditionally used to ring in the New Year. For me, it is a reminder to not only look forward to the promise of hope and happiness that the New Year has to offer, but to also never forget your previous years and the people who have come and gone throughout your life.<br /><br />Every person, every experience, has helped shape me into the person I am at this very moment. And I would not be the same if there was even one tiny thing that was different. And because of that, I am thankful for every experience that I have had. I am thankful for every person who has held a piece of my heart. Whether you are living or deceased, currently in my life or a friend of the past...you have changed me. And I have to thank you all for that. Every single one of you.<br /><br />And with the birth of our first child this year, I am finding that the future for us is so bright. It's so amazing to me that an 18 pound little person has me so wrapped around his little tiny fingers. And I honestly never knew these feelings existed. We are all so in love with him! Every smile, every yawn, every new inch grown, every intellectual stride, every ounce of his being...all have me so excited for everything this new year has to offer us. I only hope that it doesn't go by TOO quickly so that I have time to breathe it all in and not miss a second of it.<br /><br />From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for being a part of me. And may you look towards the wonderful things 2012 has in store for you with as much happiness and anticipation as we are. It will be a glorious year, and I can't wait for all of the new people and experiences that lie ahead.<br /><br />To you and yours, I wish you a very...<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RCt1Br1jG6Y/Tv-bccKr2EI/AAAAAAAAE4E/wWyOqJs17dc/s1600/happy%2Bnew%2Byear.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RCt1Br1jG6Y/Tv-bccKr2EI/AAAAAAAAE4E/wWyOqJs17dc/s320/happy%2Bnew%2Byear.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692439366919247938" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-31105024652811357512011-12-17T22:05:00.013-07:002011-12-18T08:37:34.284-07:00New Camp Trailer IdeaTheresa has graciously allowed me to post my random musings here, and this is the first one. We love camping. We like anything that allows us to get out there more, quicker, and easier. We are building a teardrop... S L O W L Y. Having one unfinished project doesn't stop me from daydreaming about a million other ideas involving camping trailers. I saw an article in 4 Wheel Drive Magazine recently about building an off-road trailer on a budget...<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.4wdandsportutility.com/tech/1111_4wd_building_an_off_road_trailer_on_a_budget/index.html">here's the article</a>.<br /><br />I love the idea but at first I scoffed at his idea of "budget". Seriously a brand new ARE truck cap for $1800? Professional paint job for $400? Professionally applied Rhino Lining for $375? Why not get a DIY bedliner kit and apply it yourself for around $100? While your at it, why not rattle-can the thing yourself for under $100? Search Craigslist and similar sites and I know you could find a used truck cap a LOT cheaper. That's how I originally thought I would do it if I were in his shoes. Upon further consideration I came up with a new plan of how I would do it:<br /><br />First, my truck bed trailer would use a utility bed, like this one:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9eDF7oSBlxs/Tu4H9S_LesI/AAAAAAAAAYg/R29frd6yaeA/s1600/utility-truck-bed-trailer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9eDF7oSBlxs/Tu4H9S_LesI/AAAAAAAAAYg/R29frd6yaeA/s320/utility-truck-bed-trailer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687492129065761474" border="0" /></a><br />All those cabinets on the outside would be great for storage, and generally the utility beds are tougher than normal pick up truck beds.<br /><br />Next up...the cap. And for that I'd use a Flip-pac truck topper like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QNtL4C8iNps/Tu4IJcToR3I/AAAAAAAAAYs/7ixMHvzVrK8/s1600/FlipPac-truck-bed-topper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QNtL4C8iNps/Tu4IJcToR3I/AAAAAAAAAYs/7ixMHvzVrK8/s320/FlipPac-truck-bed-topper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687492337725884274" border="0" /></a><br />With the Flip-pac you can now stand in your truck bed trailer, you could cook in there, and you'd have a lot more storage space inside while getting there. With the "budget" trailer you'd have to stack all your gear on top of you mattress. Ever had a grease trap on a Coleman stove leak out, I have and I definitely wouldn't want it on my sleeping area (think dirt and attracting animals).<br /><br /><br />After that, you could do any number of other neat little touches like matching the axle under the trailer to your rear axle on your tow vehicle so that you always have a spare axle and parts in case you break way out in the middle of nowhere. Also you'd have two spare tires if needed, just swap out the flat on your tow vehicle with one of the trailer wheels, leave the trailer, drive back to civilization to get the flat tire fixed, and go back for the trailer... beats walking miles back to a repair shop! Also there has to be a way to use the spinning yoke on the trailer axle to do something. Maybe it could be used to generate electricity? I'd also drop the original gas tank and replace it with a water tank, and utilize the gas filler door to fill the water tank. You could have x# of gallons of water for drinking, showering, washing dishes, etc. You could have one of the cabinets on the utility bed flip down into a table for cooking. You could mount electric RV jacks at each of the four corners to level the trailer, you could mount a retractable awning to the flip-pac to provide shade, you could make (or buy) sliding drawers in the bed of the truck to hold even more stuff like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8yG_3Wocb1o/Tu4IVWUKs5I/AAAAAAAAAY4/vSessj5eUto/s1600/Truck%2Bdrawers%2B003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8yG_3Wocb1o/Tu4IVWUKs5I/AAAAAAAAAY4/vSessj5eUto/s320/Truck%2Bdrawers%2B003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687492542275957650" border="0" /></a><br />...the possibilities are endless.<br /><br />So there's my latest idea for a camping trailer, feel free to use any or all of it, but if you do please send me some pics and info!joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-2521069242405929552011-12-16T16:00:00.005-07:002011-12-17T17:34:56.175-07:0014 things the baby books don't tell youYou don't realize this until you look back at your pregnancy, but those books you read (you know the ones) just really don't tell you everything they should. For example, here is a list of 14 things the baby books fail to emphasize.<br /><br />Buckle up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. You will not lose all the weight you gained during pregnancy right away.</span><br />In fact, if you're like me, you will not even lose it after 4 months! So seriously...don't expect to fit in those skinny jeans again anytime soon. Wait...I don't even have skinny jeans. So no problem! :-) But all in all, don't expect to lose that baby weight overnight. You may lose a little at first, but it might plateau. It might take awhile. Your belly will probably feel like a saggy pillow. So don't be sad. I feel that way, too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. You will sweat like a pig on a spit. </span><br />If you are one of the lucky ones (like me), you will gain a lot of excess water weight and will bloat so much you will look like the Michelin man. Your feet probably look like hot air balloons. Your face like a basketball. One of the things you don't realize, though, is that after you give birth, that water has to go somewhere...and not just through your pee. You will sweat it out...everywhere. You will sweat while moving, while breastfeeding, while sitting still. You will sweat during the day. And, mostly, you will sweat at night and probably wake up with a wet pillow. Sexy, huh?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. You really do need to sleep while the baby is sleeping.</span><br />This is one thing I seriously wish I did more of - sleeping while the baby is sleeping. You're not going to miss anything. The laundry and dishes are not going anywhere. So just sleep while you can. Because before you know it, the week/weekend/month/month(s)/etc will be over and you will wish you would have taken even just one more nap. So take that nap. TAKE IT NOW!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. You will learn to eat faster than a ninja.</span><br />Once the baby is born, you will learn to eat your meals so quickly that you'll actually wonder if you even ate at all. You will inhale things so quickly just because you know that at any second you will be interrupted and may not be able to finish your dinner. And, actually...it's quite impressive how quickly you learn to scarf down your meals and you don't even get sick!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Sitting will hurt for weeks.</span><br />This is something that is obvious, when you think about it. But it's something I never even thought about. If you give birth vaginally, it will hurt to sit for weeks. It will be so uncomfortable that it would make you wish you had pregnancy hemorrhoids again. The pain and discomfort obviously goes away, but for some reason I was not prepared for that at all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. You will lose all inhibition.</span><br />If you are in the hospital for two days, five days (like myself), or longer (hopefully not), you will have SO many doctors and nurses coming in and switching shifts at all times. And because of that, you will have so many different people coming in to check out your nether regions. The first day it will be a little awkward to have different people coming in to check you out. But you will learn quickly to just get ready for it the second you hear the door open. And once that door opens? Yep, you guessed it. Your inhibition sneaks out through the opening. Bye, bye. Gone forever.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. You will have conversations that you never would have imagined having.</span><br />You will talk about your birth story. You will talk about breastfeeding. You will talk about your baby's bowel movements. Your baby's lack of bowel movements. You will talk about other bodily functions. You will talk about everything. All someone needs to do is ask and you will tell them. After all, you have no inhibition anymore. Remember?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. You will feel like you live in a permanent pig sty.</span><br />Cleaning will be at the very bottom of your to-do list once you have a baby. During my maternity leave, I felt constantly out of sorts because our place was always a mess. And it actually still needs a good cleaning and makeover. But when it comes down to it, clean what you need to, but don't make it a top priority. When all is said and done, I can guarantee that you won't look back and say "Man...I wish I would have cleaned more."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. There will be days when you get home from work and realize you never even brushed your teeth yet.</span><br />Because you have what seems like a million things to do, personal hygiene sometimes flies out the window. When I wake up in the morning, I have to not only get myself ready, but I have to get my baby ready to go - get him cleaned, changed, fed, burped, bottles ready, changed again, etc. I have to also get the dog ready for the day - fed, taken out, etc. So by the time it comes to leave, brushing my teeth sometimes doesn't even cross my mind. I hate to admit it, but I probably do this twice a week. Don't worry, though...I always brush them as soon as I can.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. You will pee whenever you sneeze.</span><br />Get used to it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. You need to discuss having a budget.</span><br />Whether a single parent or a two-parent family, you will need to seriously think about a budget. We didn't, and it's been pretty stressful actually. Because I was out of work for 3 months (2 of which were unpaid), we obviously had a lot less money than usual. And, as most first time parents can probably agree, the last thing you want to do every day is cook a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">home-cooked</span> meal. So you get takeout. A lot. And you spend more money than you should. And you get behind. It can get messy. 2012 is budget year for us...but it's something that the baby books don't stress enough. Work out a budget ahead of time. Just do it. It's then one less thing to worry about.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. You will feel inferior.</span><br />Let's face it. When you have a baby, all of a sudden it seems like EVERYONE AROUND YOU is having a baby, too. And you think to yourself that it's actually kind of ridiculous that so many people are having babies. But then...once everyone has those babies, you will start to notice that a lot of people tend to brag about their babies like you wouldn't believe. You will hear things like "My baby started rolling over after one week" and "My baby started sleeping through the night after 2 weeks" and "My baby started to crawl after 2 months" and "My baby started to talk after I gave birth." Okay...maybe not that last one. But you get the picture. Be prepared for mothers to start spouting off all the amazing and shocking and wonderful things their children can do. It's not a terrible thing. In fact, it shows how proud they are about their babies. But be prepared. It will make you feel inferior...especially if your baby didn't roll over after week 1 or sleep through the night after the second week or crawl during month 2 or talk after exiting your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">hoohah</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Breastfeeding is weird.</span><br />It's amazing. But weird. Especially the part when you realize that your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">breastmilk</span> not only comes from out of the center of your nipples, but it comes from dozens of other parts of your nipples...and shoots in different directions. Yeah. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Freakin</span>' weird.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. You will fall.</span><br />Fall. Not Fail. F-A-L-L. Fall. In love. With your baby. It might not happen right away. But at some point, it will hit you hard. You will be so in love, more than you ever thought possible. Every look, smell, sound. Every smile, every cry, every coo, every whine, every yawn. Baby hugs. Baby farts. Baby breath. You will fall in love with it all. You will not be able to get enough of your baby. You will be so very much in love.<br /><br />And the baby books just don't tell you all of that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-16119787546116502432011-12-01T06:00:00.000-07:002011-12-01T06:00:05.119-07:00a worthy causeThere are so many charities out there. So many causes to support. It's so difficult to even think about choosing only one to support because there are so many that pull at each different heart-string.<br /><br />But here are a few of the causes that I support the most.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Take a look and these phenomenal organizations!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://donatelife.net/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Au-XfVu3_g/TtaijCxhOTI/AAAAAAAAE3U/eFEU_2CyqyA/s320/DonateLifeLogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680906702898149682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 56px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YqZWv94j9VM/TtaijANT0AI/AAAAAAAAE3c/pQfUwwhMjC8/s320/ASPCA_logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680906702209404930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://savejapandolphins.org/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FQtVZlyAnro/TtaijYlXvGI/AAAAAAAAE3k/2MAGjaI5Jtc/s320/save-japan-dolphins.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680906708752776290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.beaglefreedomproject.org/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 87px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TllFT-JFsBc/TtaijTpBFoI/AAAAAAAAE3s/5wYmGYCOHAE/s320/BFP-logo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680906707425891970" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-44322159114763965422011-11-30T14:11:00.007-07:002011-11-30T14:30:13.914-07:00diaper dilemmaOkay. So. The word "dilemma" implies that there is a really big issue or concern about something. And in some eyes, this might not seem like a dilemma at all. But in mine it is.<br /><br />So here goes...<br /><br />Other than being terrible for the environment and just collecting dust in landfills, I have now learned that all disposable diapers test on animals.<br /><br />Seriously.<br /><br />And by "testing on animals", I don't mean that they put the diapers on the animals to make sure they fit. No. Not even close. What I mean by "testing on animals" is that they apparently have to test the <span style="font-style: italic;">toxicity</span> of the gels that the diapers use to soak up the baby's waste.<br /><br />And that disgusts me...especially since the term <span>"toxicity"</span> refers to the levels at which something is harmful or damaging to a living (or non-living, I guess) being. So, in the fullest sense of the word, they are using animals to test how harmful the chemicals in diapers are.<br /><br />And that mental picture is so much more gross and disturbing that the dirtiest diaper mess.<br /><br />I will admit - I really love disposable diapers because they are so quick and easy. And because V goes to a babysitter during the day, it's really the most convenient option to just hand his sitter a bag of diapers so she can change him while I am at work. <br /><br />But now I am seriously thinking of possibly switching to cloth diapers for all the times that V is NOT at the sitter. I wouldn't be comfortable asking the sitter to use cloth diapers while he is under her care...but for the times before work, after work, and on the weekends...I am seriously considering it.<br /><br />And like I said before, this might not seem like a dilemma at all. Besides, people use disposable diapers all the time. Our parents used them on us. We use them on V. Millions of other people use them on their children. It's completely normal and accepted.<br /><br />But something in my gut now cringes knowing that it's so bad not only for the environment but for the lives of animals who don't even know what diapers are.<br /><br />So now I will leave my questions for you...<br /><br />What are your thoughts on using cloth diapers? Is it messier? More time consuming to clean? Does it cause more diaper rash?<br /><br />And...in a family of parents who both work, is it really possible to switch to cloth diapers 100% of the time?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-34221473618227233272011-11-23T20:25:00.012-07:002011-11-25T09:44:46.241-07:00for the beauty of the earthThis Thanksgiving, I am reflecting on the fact that my eyes have been so opened to what it means to be truly "thankful". I can't possibly spend enough time talking about every single thing I am thankful for because I would be here for an eternity. But, most of all, I am thankful for...<br /><br />My wonderful, loving husband who...no matter what we go through...is my rock in everything.<br /><br />My sister-in-law who gave Joe her kidney a few years ago. I am seriously thankful for this every single day.<br /><br />My beagle. Having never owned a dog before her, she has opened my eyes to unconditional love. I am truly blessed by her.<br /><br />My family. To my parents and sister - there may only be 4 of us, but we are so strong, so close. And I am so thankful for the love we share. To my aunts, uncles, cousins and others - I don't see you nearly enough, but am thankful for every memory with you.<br /><br />Joe's family. Even though we are so far away, you always remain so close to our hearts.<br /><br />Health care.<br /><br />My job.<br /><br />My home.<br /><br />Our earth.<br /><br />My freedoms.<br /><br />And last, but DEFINITELY not least...my perfect, healthy, angelic, and amazingly beautiful son.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fTLQWcKjQRU/Ts_F5FAFllI/AAAAAAAAE3A/jHf58zRbO5g/s1600/mcgowan8.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fTLQWcKjQRU/Ts_F5FAFllI/AAAAAAAAE3A/jHf58zRbO5g/s320/mcgowan8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678975239523243602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies,<br />For the love which from our birth over and around us lies,<br />Lord of all, to thee we raise this our grateful hymn of praise.<br /><br />For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night,<br />Hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light,<br />Lord of all, to thee we raise this our grateful hymn of praise.<br /><br />For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,<br />Friends on earth, and friends above, pleasures pure and undefiled,<br />Lord of all, to thee we raise this our grateful hymn of praise.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">excerpt from:<br />"For the Beauty of the Earth"<br />by Folliott S. Pierpoint</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:200%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Happy Thanksgiving!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-43391319242485009822011-11-15T14:23:00.007-07:002011-11-15T15:53:06.888-07:00breast or bottle?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf2nGHGGXTQ/TsLjbFcJKNI/AAAAAAAAE14/Vb5YwJyPO_Y/s1600/DSC_0488.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bf2nGHGGXTQ/TsLjbFcJKNI/AAAAAAAAE14/Vb5YwJyPO_Y/s320/DSC_0488.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675348534896437458" border="0" /></a>For the past several days, I have been put on a couple medications that were necessary for my health, but not so great for my baby's. What that means, is that I have had to stop nursing Baby McG since Saturday and won't be able to start again until Thursday when the meds are out of my system.<br /><br />It has been hard not being able to nurse him for the past few days and this made me realize how much I enjoy nursing him. That may strike some of you as weird. And it actually struck me as weird at first, too, because I honestly didn't think I would like breastfeeding.<br /><br />In fact, I never really thought much about breastfeeding before. Not until my OB/GYN during my pregnancy and the doctors at the hospital asked "Are you going to do breast or bottle?" Without hesitation, I would always answer "breast" without even thinking about it. I don't know why, really. I could have easily chosen to formula feed. And I never read anything or heard anything that influenced my decision at all. But "breast" was just always my answer. I guess I just felt, deep down, that that is the way it's supposed to be. That that is what is expected. So yeah...that was always my answer, without a second thought.<br /><br />Now, I am in NO WAY AT ALL passing judgement on those who formula feed their babies because we have formula fed ours, too. But during these few days when I have been forced to "pump and dump" and feed the baby a mixture of formula and milk that I've stored, I realized how much nursing has helped me in bonding with my baby. And it makes me wonder that if I chose to do formula feeding from the beginning if I would not have bonded with him in the same way.<br /><br />Like I said, I am not passing judgement...I am only speaking what is true for me and am truly curious about what motivates others. So, to those mothers out there, here are my questions for you...<br /><br />What were your reasons for choosing breast or bottle? And...do you feel that either choice has influenced how you bonded with your child(ren)?<br /><br />.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-54640117404752257192011-11-06T14:33:00.001-07:002011-11-06T14:34:34.453-07:00randomness. dig it.Since our last blog post, I have had a million things I've wanted to blog about. But since I have spent the last 2 weeks getting back in the swing of things at work and still getting used to motherhood (will I ever get used to it?), the last thing I want to do when I get home is blog.<br /><br />In fact, there actually really is no time to blog about everything I have wanted to - going back to work, balancing baby life with work life and home life, No Shave November, how stores start decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween, how much I love this time of year, my goal to not procrastinate shopping this year, how we might need a new car soon, how we can't afford a new car or christmas presents right now because i haven't been paid for 2 months, etc. etc.<br /><br />Okay.<br /><br />Looking back over that list, maybe it's a good thing there was no time to blog about it.<br /><br />But I DO want to talk about a camping trip we took last weekend. It was our first camping trip since the 4th of July weekend, and our first camping trip with Vincent. I will admit. I was VERY nervous about it since he is just barely 3 months old this week.<br /><br />Joe's parents were in town from New England and my parents went with us as well. After all, it was both our parents who created the love of camping in each of us. So it was quite the family trip. And Vincent was an angel. He was so quite the entire trip and just loved being outdoors.<br /><br />For me, it was definitely exhausting. Very nice and peaceful. But exhausting. I remember camping trips where I could just sit and relax and breathe in the smell of nature with no distractions at all. It was still mostly like that, except now there are distractions. Now I'm not saying that having Vincent there was a bad thing. Quite the opposite, actually. I look forward to taking him camping as much as possible so that he can enjoy it with us. But it was just different this time around. And having a small baby meant that I could never really FULLY 100% relax.<br /><br />You know?<br /><br />But what I think is the coolest thing about this trip is that Vincent was able to be in the same place at the same time with ALL of his grandparents. When people have children when they are super young, this might not seem like that abnormal of a thing. But my mother had me at about the same age I am now, and I was never able to be with all of my grandparents at the same time. I was unfortunate to never even meet one of them because he had passed away long before my birth. And Joe never met all of his grandparents either. Is this really that abnormal? Or is it just abnormal for me and Joe?<br /><br />Anyway, I just thought it was the coolest thing, and something that we'll be able to tell Vincent for years to come. That his first camping trip ever was spent with his parents and ALL of his grandparents (and Lucy, too, of course!). And let me tell you this...this kid's grandparents love the crap out of him. He is one really lucky little boy.<br /><br />Seriously. How cool is this?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CdtcQYWAz-U/Trb5aom3pyI/AAAAAAAAE0k/l829Lxypaok/s1600/DSC_0496.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CdtcQYWAz-U/Trb5aom3pyI/AAAAAAAAE0k/l829Lxypaok/s320/DSC_0496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671995016692082466" border="0" /></a>Grandma K, Grandma M, Vincent (sleeping), Grandpa M, Grandpa K<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-19223005678491784872011-10-23T16:13:00.016-07:002011-10-24T18:31:02.410-07:00can i be one of the 1%?.....pretty please?!?!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wsI-WOGVYOY/TqWe39zIIbI/AAAAAAAAExw/JFtY477zqe4/s1600/sunday%2B1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wsI-WOGVYOY/TqWe39zIIbI/AAAAAAAAExw/JFtY477zqe4/s320/sunday%2B1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667110390434636210" border="0" /></a>I have a feeling that every new mother, at some point, loathes the idea of going back to work after spending precious time with her newborn. And now that Baby McG is out of the newborn phase and in the really cute I-wanna-smile-all-the-time-and just-stare-at-my-mommy-and-daddy phase, all I want to do is stay at home with him. But, financially speaking, bills are really tight right now and going back to work this week is really a necessity for us.<br /><br />But it's still heartbreaking.<br /><br />He has grown so much in the past few weeks...and not just his belly size. :-) He has become so happy, so smiley, so interactive. He's also really inquisitive and loves staring straight at the camera to figure out what it is (since I always put it right in front of his face). He loves staring at his hand and trying to figure out what that is, too. And if you talk to him and ask him a question, he'll respond with a cute little coo. He's just getting so fun to be around!<br /><br />And I want to be around him all the time.<br /><br />During the first week and a half I would have never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but now...even his cries are cute! Annoying at times, but cute as hell.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FIovAXtm0Y/TqYDIf9NoQI/AAAAAAAAEx8/kzV4zJ1nsJw/s1600/sunday%2B2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8FIovAXtm0Y/TqYDIf9NoQI/AAAAAAAAEx8/kzV4zJ1nsJw/s320/sunday%2B2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667220625644429570" border="0" /></a>But...back to work I go. If I was one of the lucky <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_One_Percent">One Percent</a> of people in the world who were super wealthy, then I would stay at home with him in a heartbeat. Not a second thought. I would have to be organized like a teacher and really develop him until he starts going to school, but I would love every second of it.<br /><br />I love the crap out of this kid!<br /><br />Weird expression, I know...but everything he does makes me so happy.<br /><br />I know, I know.<br /><br />You're probably thinking "blah blah blah BLAH blahblah Blah blah blaaaahhh!"<br /><br />But I am just feeling really bitterwseet about going back to work tomorrow. It will be nice to get back to work, be around adults during the day, and make money again to help with new expenses...but I am also just sad about leaving him with another person.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-21UoKVQFbdI/TqYN4ACqNeI/AAAAAAAAEyI/2au68kZ9a5w/s1600/sunday%2B3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-21UoKVQFbdI/TqYN4ACqNeI/AAAAAAAAEyI/2au68kZ9a5w/s320/sunday%2B3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667232436827338210" border="0" /></a>The sitter we found actually comes highly recommended and is great with children. And I have no doubts that he will get anything less than great care. But, as a mother, I am just worried that he won't get as much loving attention as I know I would give him. Also, I am worried that I will miss important milestones. Like...if I pick him up one day and they tell me he sat up on his own, or said his first word, or took his first step, I think I would feel very sad that I was not there to witness it. Is that stupid?<br /><br />Anyway.<br /><br />I'll get over it. And I'll drop him off tomorrow. And I'll go to work and then pick him up afterwards. Just like every other working mother out there. I just wish I had the option of staying with him all day.<br /><br />I love this little dude with every ounce of my body. I know he doesn't know what love is yet, but I hope that I can show it to him as best I can.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-73728696421510915182011-10-19T16:02:00.007-07:002011-10-19T20:36:29.822-07:00what NOT to ask a pregnant woman<div><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Looking back on my pregnancy, it's interesting to me how much people LOVE pregnant women. I'm not kidding. When people find out you're pregnant it's seriously the most awesome thing in the world to them. People always have such happy things to say when you're pregnant...and they also have a million questions for you as well.<br /><br />Questions like "How are you feeling?" and "Do you know if you're having a boy or girl?" and "What are you going to name your baby?" are questions you should really get used to when you're pregnant because you will probably hear each of those questions at least a million times a day.<br /><br />But there are other things people may say to you or ask you that may catch you by surprise. The following is a list of those questions and my reactions to them:<br /><br /><span>Question/Statement: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"So...is this pregnancy a good thing?"</span></span><br /></span></strong><ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>No. Absolutely not. It's awful......OF COURSE IT'S A GOOD THING!!! </li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>I seriously have been asked this before by one of the ultrasound technicians at the hospital. I didn't really understand what she was asking at first, but then I realized that she actually probably sees a lot of patients who are NOT happy about having a baby. That makes me a little sad.</li></ul><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Maybe you're having twins!?"</span></span><br /></span></strong><ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>Well...maybe you should not call me "fat"? Because that's pretty much what you're saying, right? That I look fat enough to be having twins? Nope. That's not twins. That's just one HUGE little butterball and a lot of extra maternal storage tissue, thankyouverymuch.</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Nope...just one baby. Not sure if I could handle two.</li></ul><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"You look really swollen!"</span></span><br /></span></strong><ul><li> <strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean: </b></span></strong>Really? Are you sure I'm really swollen? I mean, I didn't notice any swelling when I put on my shoes this morning and could barely squeeze my entire foot into the shoe. And I don't notice any swelling when I stretch my legs and feet and can feel the tightness and strain due to all the bloating. And I certainly don't notice any swelling whenever I cross my legs and see a huge gash from where my leg was resting. And I definitely don't notice any swelling when I look in the mirror. I mean...are you sure I'm really swollen?</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Yeah...it totally sucks. My ankles are non-existent now.</li></ul></div><div><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"You're pregnant? WHAT!? I couldn't even tell!"</span></span><br /></span></strong> <ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>This is pretty much the same as calling me fat. Why? I'll tell you. Firstly, I definitely look pregnant. I mean, I don't normally carry around a belly the size of a watermelon. So, secondly, by saying you can't tell that I'm pregnant, while very nice as a gesture, is pretty much just the same as saying "You look really pregnant, but I'm going to be nice and say that you don't look pregnant at all."</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>Yep! It's really exciting! Weird...and different. But really exciting!!</span></li></ul> </div> <div> </div> <div><strong></strong><strong></strong><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Are you really going to eat that whole sandwich/pizza/ice cream?"</span></span><br /><div><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></strong> <ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>This is pretty much the same as calling me fat, too...and my answer will probably always be "Yes I'm going to eat the whole thing. Do you have a PROBLEM with that?"</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Yes I'm going to eat the whole thing. Do you have a PROBLEM with that?</li></ul> </div></div><div> </div><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"You better enjoy your sleep while you can!"</span></span><br /><div><strong></strong> <ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>Really? And you think I'm enjoying sleep now? With a ginormous belly that prevents me from sleeping in pretty much every position and a bladder that screams to be emptied every hour on the hour? Yeah. Not so much. But thanks for pointing out that I have to look forward to MORE sleeplessness.</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Yeah. I'm not sure how that will be, but I'm sure I will not be getting much sleep for awhile.<br /></li></ul> </div> <div> </div><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Enjoy your freedom while you can. You know...you can't do _____ with a baby."</span></span><br /><div><strong></strong> <ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded if I was mean</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>Like heck we can't! We are taking this baby anywhere we want to and doing anything we want to. We will be forming this young little child to our lives, not the other way around. But, once again, thanks for trying to point out something negative about having a child. I really like that. A lot.</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Like heck we can't! We are taking this baby anywhere we want to and doing anything we want to. We will be forming this young little child to our lives, not the other way around.<br /></li></ul> </div><span><br />Question/Statement: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Can I touch/rub/kiss your belly?"</span></span><br /><strong></strong> <ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"></strong><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded on a bad day</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>: </b></span></strong>Can I touch/rub/kiss yours? Unless I know you really well and you and me are "tight" like that...don't ask. And speaking of the belly, try not to look at it too much either. I know it's huge. I know it's sticking out there. But when the first thing people do is look straight at my belly fat BEFORE they look at me or say "hi", it's just kind of not cool. I know it's exciting there's a little dude chilling out in my uterus, but my face is up here.</li><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>My actual response:</b></span></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Umm...I would prefer if you didn't. Baby's sleeping right now. :-)<br /></li></ul> <div> </div><strong></strong><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br />Question/Statement: </strong><strong><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>"How are you feeling?"**</b></span></span></strong><div> </div> <div><ul><li><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>How I would have responded on a bad day</b></span></strong><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>:</b></span></strong> I'm feeling fine. Well, actually...no I'm not, now that I'm thinking about it. Remember when you told me before how fat I was (when you asked if I was having twins/knew I was so swollen/eating the entire refrigerator/etc.)? Well, yeah...I'm feeling fat. HUGE, actually. And it hurts. I know it's "for a good cause" and I'm "not fat [I'm] pregnant". But it really does hurt. Mostly my knees, actually. So much so that my knees spasm in pain every time I get up or down from a chair/car/bed/floor. And it also hurts because my feet can barely fit into my shoes. Which means: "Yes...I am VERY swollen." And speaking of swelling, did you know that in order to keep swelling down I actually have drink MORE water than normal? This seems kind of ironic since swelling is water retention. But yeah, I'm supposed to drink craploads of water to help keep the swelling from getting worse. Which...yep! You guessed it! Makes me have to pee every hour! It's super fun. Especially when I want to get a good night's sleep but I know that I can't because of how I'm so large, swollen, and filled with pee waiting to explode if I don't get up a million times each night. But the constant peeing is actually not that big of a deal compared to all the gas, acid reflux, hemorrhoids, and stretch marks. I mean, did you know that drinking WATER can give a pregnant lady gas? Yeah...water. And salad can, too. And actually anything that a pregnant lady digests gets turned into gas. An.Y.Thing. And because of all the pressure in the abdomen, bowel movements become less regular and there is so much less space for things, so acid reflux and hemmorhoids are born. And you don't even want me to go into more detail than that. Trust me. So, speaking of gas and hemmorhoids and acid reflux...do you still want to rub my belly and tell me to enjoy sleep and doing things while I can? Yeah. Didn't think so.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">My actual response:</span> I'm feeling fine.</li></ul><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b> </b></span></strong><br /><br />** "How are you feeling?" is actually <u><em>totally</em></u> a decent question to ask. I am just being a beotch.<br /></div> <div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-11467679019948237272011-10-17T13:55:00.003-07:002011-10-17T14:01:48.494-07:00you are my sunshine<div style="text-align: center;">you are my sunshine, my only sunshine<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2zsdvdhQaRo/TpyXZCtSCXI/AAAAAAAAExY/RS2p1YNnMFo/s1600/309633_10150342037436840_733061839_8498657_678856162_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2zsdvdhQaRo/TpyXZCtSCXI/AAAAAAAAExY/RS2p1YNnMFo/s320/309633_10150342037436840_733061839_8498657_678856162_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664568887804561778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />you make me happy when skies are grey<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1H9W_TWyAmA/TpyXZMB_UeI/AAAAAAAAExI/KtHF10ogPEw/s1600/307823_10150342037806840_733061839_8498662_16173348_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1H9W_TWyAmA/TpyXZMB_UeI/AAAAAAAAExI/KtHF10ogPEw/s320/307823_10150342037806840_733061839_8498662_16173348_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664568890307334626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />you'll never know, dear, how much i love you<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1L7ZYk6IR0/TpyXZv_zmPI/AAAAAAAAExk/7Vj2mWCNv2g/s1600/313411_10150342037681840_733061839_8498660_1069492194_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1L7ZYk6IR0/TpyXZv_zmPI/AAAAAAAAExk/7Vj2mWCNv2g/s320/313411_10150342037681840_733061839_8498660_1069492194_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664568899961854194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />please don't take my sunshine away<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OO5MBh8899M/TpyXYx4oeAI/AAAAAAAAExA/aqHTPhL04Nw/s1600/305877_10150342037546840_733061839_8498659_2005013381_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OO5MBh8899M/TpyXYx4oeAI/AAAAAAAAExA/aqHTPhL04Nw/s320/305877_10150342037546840_733061839_8498659_2005013381_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664568883288766466" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114979285284528013.post-79408254183139046012011-10-16T15:16:00.002-07:002011-10-16T15:18:52.881-07:00The McGowan Family Disclaimer<span jsid="text" class="commentBody">Disclaimer<br /><br />The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by Theresa or Joseph McGowan and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of The McGowan family as a whole, specifically Vincent McGowan or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Fur. The McGowan Family make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.<br /><br />The McGowan Family blog reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit blog entries or comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable.</span>joehammedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09944897246911949907noreply@blogger.com1