Okay so I believe in ghosts, spirits, angels and faeries. I’m not sure which of these are hanging out in my house, but I do know one thing: They love to play with my Kinect.

Around here we use our Xbox as a streaming device for Netflix, Hulu and to watch YouTube on the television. We don’t have cable, and use an HD antenna along with our Xbox – so it is often on and on the home screen when not in use.

The first time it happened was a minor thing that could be seen as a glitch – an application picked itself when we weren’t touching a controller, or even speaking (you can control your TV using your voice when the Kinect is hooked up, we’ll get to that later). *shrug* no big deal. It could have been a glitch actually…but – The second time, though, was creepy.

It was about 1 a.m. and we were watching the end of Star Trek, the movie that came out in 2009 that is streaming on Netflix. It was on the scene where the two Spocks were talking, and right in the middle of the scene a little hand cursor pops up. This is the cursor that comes up when you are standing in front of the camera on the Kinect, and you activate it by waving your hand in a precise movement – you then use this hand to control things with your physical hands, like say, the movie you are watching.

The little hand slowly reaches up, makes a menu bar appear (a bar that shows you how much movie is left). It then grabs the end of the movie bar, pulls it to briefly fast forward the movie to the credits, and then moves the bar BACK to the beginning of the scene we were currently watching. We watched in awe as the little hand slowly moved down into the corner, and the menu disappearing as the movie resumed…

Right after this happens we looked at each other, and quickly look for the controllers (which you can also use to control your TV), thinking that maybe we were sitting on them… and they were across the room from us. EEEEK!! So the camera that is on the Kinect is obviously some sort of infrared device…I’m not sure, I will have to look it up…and (I think) picked up on some paranormal activity.

Yeah, like I said, I am that kind of person.

Then tonight, something decided to play with the voice activation feature… Sitting on the couch and finishing up a blog post and playing with the baby (who is still awake at 1 a.m. in the morning!!) I watch as a menu is called up that you only can with your voice, the sound bars picking up on an unknown ‘voice’ that says exactly three things (making the bars move 3 times, I didn’t actually hear anything) and then telling it to ‘cancel’.

*sigh* I’m totally not making this up. I wish I were. Well, not really. I’m not that freaked out about it…(okay I am)…

I look like my dad.

Among blonde hair, blue eyed and very polish looking sibling and cousins, stood me, a very Irish looking pale, brunette, ice grey eyed girl. When I was little, this bothered me – I wanted to look like everyone else. You are taught at a very young age as a girl that blonde hair and blue eyes = beauty. I wanted to look like my mom like my sister did, but the gods didn’t want that for me. To this day, I can see more than a physical resemblance between my dad and I…and I am grateful.

My dad has perfected the art of being introspective and extremely outgoing at the same time. He loves anything with wheels, and rides a motorcycle. He’s a thinker, and a writer – and a human calculator. In short, my dad is awesome.

When I was a kid, we used to go up to Traverse City every couple of months to visit my grandparents and my aunt and cousins – my dads side of the family. My dad really shined during these visits when at night during coffee and dessert, he would have everyone rolling with laughter. I blame my sarcastic, nerdy, ironic humor on him – and he can always quote a funny line from a movie, or even if it isn’t funny, he an change the context so it is. When Mystery Science Theater 3000 came out, I was convinced that they got the idea from my dad, who would always have a funny commentary going while we were watching movies.

My dad was born with gasoline in his veins – a true car and motorcycle enthusiast. He calls the local auto classified book his book of dreams, and is always the person you take with you to look at cars. Growing up we always had a classic car to show at the Sloan Auto Show, a really awesome car show that is held every summer in our city. My dad would spend all year fixing up a Mustang, or Corvaire, or [insert old muscle car here] – and when the summer came, he would shine it up and we would head out to this car show. Many of my most fondest memories with my dad was spent walking around these car shows with him, asking him questions and just hanging out. I love cars, and if I ever win Publishers Clearinghouse or the lottery one of my first purchases will be a car he has always wanted, and then I will buy myself one too because it is probably awesome.

My dad was an English major, and almost became a teacher – but realized that he was probably going to get drafted so he decided to live his life before he went over to lose it. This, of course, didn’t happen – but I think it was a turning point in his life. He began working in the local hospital doing dishes and orderly type work for some cash, but while working there, he met the love of his life – my mother. They secretly dated – and at 19(!) he found himself married and planning a family. Now, I’m not sure when this happened – but my dad went back to school and became a respiratory therapist. I have a faint memory of going up to the college with him? But I was very young…I should ask him about that.

Dad was the one you came to if you needed help with spelling, grammar, math or history… I often still ask for his extensive knowledge, as he is a human sponge. My dad can tell you a fact about anything, a quality I hope he never ever loses because my kids will love his answers to their questions.

Writing this, I realize that there is a ton to write about my dad, and a lot of things I still need to ask him about! But this I know for a fact: I am lucky to have my dad in my life, and very proud to look just like him.

This post is the second in the #NaBloPoMo theme: Relative. The second prompt was: Tell us about your father. Not doing Feb NaBloPoMo? Feel free to join us here!

You know the saying: “I don’t want to turn into my Mother!”? The exact opposite is true in my case. My mother in a lot of ways made me the person I am today, and I’m not ashamed of it at all. I will be lucky if I do end up like her.

But, I guess I have always been a mama’s girl. Being the youngest affords you that – I think by the time I came around she decided to take the friend approach, because my mom has always been my best friend. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it’s the truth. I was one of those teenagers that was happy just to hang out with her parents on a Friday night, watching movies and eating good food. Heck, I’m still happy to do that now — they did just get a 3D Television…

Growing up, my mom showed me that being an independent, educated, strong and successful woman was ALWAYS an option. She worked full time doing something she loved, she always had a hobby that made her happy and, she is an insanely good cook that could put Paula Deen to shame.

It won’t be handed to you – you gotta work hard for it.

My mom didn’t have the most awesome of childhoods. I won’t go into detail, but let me just tell you that to this day she doesn’t feel like she deserves anyone’s love. But this didn’t keep her from doing something important with her life. My mom graduated nursing school at the age of 16, and became an LPN. She first worked in a psych ward (oh the stories she can tell!) and then her calling: Labor and Delivery. Babies love my mom, and my mom loves babies so it was a natural choice. She worked as a scrub nurse, and learned from the nurses around her. She eventually started doing RN work so she decided to go back to school to make it official. When I was 16, my mom graduated at the top of her class as an RN.  She worked for 4 hard years completing her degree, while raising a family and working full-time – she sacrificed a lot to do something she was passionate about. I never forget that lesson – If you want to do something you are passionate about it won’t be handed to you – you gotta work hard for it.

You gotta have projects

A lot of my “projects” can be attributed to a need for a hobby, which my mother influenced heavily – she’s always doing something crafty and creative and (best of all) nerdy. I have a couple things around my house that she has painted, a beautiful cross stitch she did years ago that has been hung in every home I have lived in, and when we were kids she would sew us our Halloween costumes, and make us sweet Christmas sweatshirts with puff paint. When we got older she knit us cool hats and scarves, and made us jewelery … a true renaissance woman when it came to hobbies. My favorite, though, that many are shocked to find out is that my mom is an avid video gamer!

The original Gamer Girl

My Mom can beat any game you put in front of her – and she’ll play it as long as you have to run around, jump and collect things. It also has to have an awesome story.  Some of her favorites include Rayman, StarFox, Spyro, and Ratchet & Clank. She also likes puzzle games like Picmin, and this one I remember her playing for hours on end: Herdy Gerdy. She always has the latest and greatest video game system, and often finds out about the newest games and systems before we do. She’s a gamer girl, and proud to be one.

And Oh…the FOOD

When I was a kid we never ate meatloaf, rarely ate Mac n’ Cheese, we most definitely didn’t eat microwaved frozen dinners and when I moved out of her house when I was 22, she gave me a recipe box filled with her fabulous recipes so that I would never have to… (though, now, I love me some meat loaf and mashed potatoes…) My mom curated our tastes to crave shrimp and crab, anything infused with garlic and unusual tastes like balsamic vinegar and strawberries. Needless to say, we weren’t allowed to be picky – and I am grateful for that because I LOVE food and will try anything you put in front of me once (and a billion times after if I like it!). My mom isn’t afraid to try a new recipe, or to figure out something she tasted at a restaurant and she doesn’t need Pinterest to come up with original meal ideas. Puh. Pinterest needs her to join it so that she can build the best board of food you have ever seen!

Of course my mom is a lot more than just a nurse, hobbyist and cook – but these are the qualities I can see in myself that most definitely came from her. When she got sick a year ago, first diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and then with chronic Pneumonia and kidney problems, I began to look at my mother and really see her. I am thankful everyday that my mom is feeling a little bit better everyday, though she will never be 100%, and that my kids get to experience her love and kindness and overall awesome as a grandmother!

This post is a first in the #NaBloPoMo theme: Relative. The first prompt was: Tell us about your mother. Not doing Feb NaBloPoMo? Feel free to join us here!

Wordless Wednesday: Fell Asleep Reading…

Logan is the smartest kid I know. He knows and can recite his ABC’s, count to 20 and can work any electronic device you hand him like he was programmed in the womb to do it. But, when it comes to talking, and actually communicating his needs – we are having a bit of a hard time. Now, before I get the “Take him to a speech therapist” speech, keep in mind that he has only been on this earth for 2 and a half years, and is the first child. He’s on the right track, and we know this – we work with him on it as we are supposed to…but when we know at least 2 other two year olds who can not only communicate their needs verbally and they can talk your ear off in between – the insecurities begin.

I know, I know, we shouldn’t compare. After all one child is around other children all day in school, and the other has two older siblings so of course they caught on with the talking early…but sometimes I can’t help but think it is something we aren’t doing for him. He gets sooo frustrated when we don’t understand what he needs, and with the frustration comes meltdowns and tantrums that can literally shake the house…

We’ve talked to his pediatrician about it, and he assured us that his development is right on. He learns a new word every couple of days…he can put three words together (I love you being the sweetest of the three) – and I swell with pride when he does. I just wonder, sometimes, when it’s going to get easier. Though, he has learned the words eat and drink in the past few weeks, so that’s a step in the right direction!

When did your child start to communicate his/her needs clearly?

When you are the mother of a newborn and are constantly holding and breastfeeding your new little one, there are a lot of things you learn to do one handed. Like me for example…I have learned the art of one handed typing and use it to do a lot of things. I write blog posts, for example (but at this moment, I am able to use two hands to write this post and it feels luxurious). I am also getting pretty good at one handed web design and development. I’m aiming for a personal record, how many wpms I can type with only one hand.

I’m also pretty good at one handed teaching, as I am often holding Maddie while teaching Logan how to do something. The other day I was holding Maddie and teaching Logan how to use two hands while carrying the iPad…(is that irony?) But the one thing I really excel at, is one handed eating. Something about breakfast, lunch and dinner time makes Maddie want to be held RIGHT.NOW. and daddy doesn’t cut it, she wants mama!!

Here is a list of one handed foods I often reach for while holding the Madster:

• Hot Pockets
• Campbells Soup at Hand
• Sandwiches – Tuna, Turkey, Leftovers thrown into a tortilla
• Baby Carrots
• Strawberries
• Yogurt
• Pringles
• Fish Sticks and Chicken Nuggets (usually left over from Logans plate….blech.)

There has to be a healthier way to eat one handed! Any suggestions?

I am sadly reporting that as of Monday of this week we are no longer pet owners. After a looong weekend of tears, and frustration, we took the pugs to a small animal rescue in town.

No longer the center of attention…

There were many reasons why we had to give them up. The number one, in my mind, being that they weren’t happy not being the center of attention anymore.

When we adopted them, we thought we couldn’t have children…and like many others do, we treated them like our babies. We took them everywhere with us, found babysitters for them when we were working, let them sleep in our beds, clothed them (yes we were those people) and fed them. We referred to them as our fur-children, and were known everywhere we went as the couple with the pugs.

Then we had a baby…

It all started when Mona, the oldest, decided that she would get her point across by pooping on the baby’s belongings – many times climbing up into clothes hampers and stealing stuffed animals. We would catch her squatting over the baby’s things, and when we didn’t, well, that wasn’t ever a pleasant surprise. Vinnie, following her lead, would mark EVERYTHING. The crib, bedding, car seats, toys, pack n’plays – I would be horrified if Logan picked up a toy and it would be dripping with pee – needless to say we threw away a lot of his toys.

We got Vinnie neutered, thinking that the boy hormones would subside and the marking would stop – but it didn’t. We set alarms to let him out to pee every hour, but he would save some just to mark. When we moved into a new house, I was furious at him for marking my new walls.

Pug World

Eventually, Mona and Vinnie went into “Pug World” – AKA, the dining room and would occasionally get some free range time when we could watch them and make sure nothing got destroyed. But with a toddler, to keep an eye on – priority goes into making sure he doesn’t hurt himself, not into watching two small dogs run amuck.

We even tried to change our behavior – my husband would deliberately set aside some “pug time”, I would let them snuggle up to me while I worked – but the minute we would turn our backs, they would lash out and pee or defacate on something…

Then Maddie came along – and IT.GOT.WORSE.

The pugs got a brand new crate, and because they were acting out so much, we would have to banish them to their pug cave. Last weekend, after chasing them into the cage because I found pee on Maddies WHITE RUG – I broke down. Enough was enough.

Then, my heart broke because I felt like I failed. Mona was our first pet as a married couple, and we got Vinnie when I was having trouble getting pregnant when we lived in Portland — they were my babies. But, it wasn’t fair that they had to spend most of their daily life in a cage/room away from the family. They needed to go to a family with older children, or a person who lived alone, or a childless couple who would give them the attention that I couldn’t give them anymore…

I should also mention that when my mom got sick a year ago, she became unable to visit my home because the hair and dander (even if we would keep up with it…) made it hard for her to breath. Then, my niece was diagnose with really bad asthma, so she couldn’t stay with us overnight because she would have an attack. These were also factors considered when we decided to give the pugs new homes…

We emailed and called – and they didn’t contact us back.

We contacted a local pug rescue, we emailed and called – and they didn’t contact us back.

So, my husband woke up at 7:30 a.m., put them in the car and brought the to the Humane Society…who said they couldn’t take them because they were too old. But, right as they were recommending a small animal rescue, the lady who ran that rescue walked in – and immediately started to coo over the pugs. My husband told her our situation, and she quickly said she would take care of them and find them new homes. I didn’t get to meet her, but my husband said she was warm and passionate and excited to help us. He said goodbye, and the last we heard Mona and Vinnie were off to the groomers to get pampered…something that made me happy, because they deserved it.

But they are happier now…

All week I have been feeling like someone died, but in when the heartache begins I am quickly reminded that they are probably happy right at that moment – happier than they were last week at this time – and I feel a little better.

To help me through my grief, I am thinking of writing about the good times we had with the pugs…and so there is a record that they were here at one time.

I am going to miss you Mona and Vinnie, thank you for being there for me when I needed you most…

When you start breastfeeding your second baby, you think that it’s going to be like riding a bike – And for the most part it is, until, like in my case, something unexpected happens. This is about how a Foremilk/Hindmilk imbalance rocked the first month or so of breastfeeding Maddie.

As often with babies, the first indicator that anything is wrong is in the poop.

After the meconium had past, I noticed that Maddies bowel movements weren’t the lovely, seedy yellow breastfed poop that L had as a baby. Hers came out frothy, watery and a crazy dark evergreen color. There was a lot of it. She went through the normal 6 wet diapers a day – but it was always accompanied by this strange poo.

After talking with her doctor about it, he told us to keep an eye out and that if it was a shade of green it usually meant it was okay. But, my instincts felt otherwise. She was gaining weight and sleeping well, but then another symptom arose – her bowel movements became quite…ahem…explosive.

She didn’t act like she was in pain, but at night while sleeping next to me in her co-sleeper – her bowel movements would  often wake her, and us, up. Being sound sleepers, this was no easy feat – we often sleep through thunderstorms, dogs barking, trees falling..you get the idea. Though babies are usually gassy little creatures, this didn’t sound normal. Not at all – it sounded like she was a grown woman who had eaten too much cabbage or something — so. darn. loud.

I belong to a great local parenting group on Facebook, a place where I am comfortable asking questions and more often than not I will get informed and educated answers. I knew that a lot of the ladies on the board were involve la leche league leaders – and they were the ones who first suggested that the symptoms sounded like a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.

What is a foremilk and hindmilk?

Foremilk is the first bit of milk that comes out when breastfeeding – this milk is meant to quench a babies thirst and is often more watery than the hindmilk – which is the creamy, fatty milk that carries a lot of the nutrients and helps the baby gain weight and grow through proper digestion.

I noticed that I was overproducing and that she wasn’t emptying the breast each time. I would switch breasts every time I fed her – feeding her from a different breast than the last session. This is how I did it with L, and never had any problems.  But, what had been happening was that Maddie was getting mostly foremilk – the watery low fat milk – and not enough of hindmilk before getting full and unlatching! This of course didn’t help her digestion system, and caused the explosive poops she was having.

How do you fix a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance?

Since feeding from one side each feeding wasn’t working for me, I put into action the next thing that was suggested to me: block feeding. Block feeding is when you breastfeed from only one side for 6-12 hours at a time. So every time Maddie ate, she ate from the same boob she did before – eating from the right side for 12 hours and then the left for 12 hours. Luckily, within one day of doing this Maddie’s poops turned that yellow color I was talking about, and began to get less and less explosive. I block fed until my supply evened itself out, it took about a week.

Now, 2 months along, we have a regular schedule going and are breastfeeding as normal. Maddie is feeling much better and gaining a ton of weight – 5 pounds in one month!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Smiles!

Annnd….wait for it….

I’m BAAAACK!

After a whole month of the blog being down, and a phew months before of maternity leave from blogging – I am happy to say – I am back! And better than ever!

A month ago, I decided to redesign this blog as a project to keep me busy at night when the kids were in bed (and between feedings). My brain was coming back from the pregnancy hormones, and I was feeling creative. I started working on local machine, and when the time came to test something out – I logged into this live site. I checked what I needed, and moved on. While I was working and checking and working and checking – I still had the live site open in a tab on the browser.

Now, usually I am really great at distinguishing between local machine and live site – and really careful about it too – but when your baby is a month old, and going through a growth spurt, sleep deprivation messes with your brain. I got confused, and while testing something I messed up the database on the live site.. >_< When I realized what I had done, it was sooo far gone (and looked TERRIBLE) I decided the easiest thing to do was put the blog on maintenance mode and work hardcore to get the theme done. I thought that it would only take a week or so…

Meanwhile – a month later…

But that’s what happens when you have a new little one, a two year old, and a house to run! Plus, I was going to bed mega-early to catch up on sleep so my night time work time was only about 2 hours – not enough time to really get “in it” and code. It was well worth it though – because I LOVE my new layout and look. (I think) It concentrates on the content, and is easy for mobile devices to read. Also,  I kept in mind that this blog is a brand – a detail I overlooked before – so a lot of time was spent creating a style guide…

But I am getting off topic of the scope of this blog – to read more of my design speak check out my personal design portfolio site blog.

There are still a few tweaks to do, and pages to rewrite, but its presentable. Feel free to click around, and let me know what you think!

I plan on blogging a lot now that this is done – I have so many stories to share about baby Madeline and Logan – it was a great holiday and has been an awesome couple of months getting used to being a mother of two. So make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already!