Thursday, May 29, 2008
Mamma, Dadda, Baby
Last night, Aaron and I had a little treat. Leonora, (who should have been in bed, but she took a late nap yesterday) helped us eat it. She was so cute when she asked, we just had to give in! She would say, "Mamma, Dadda, shoclate?" Dadda was the one with the spoon, so I told her, not "Mamma", "Dadda." She then pointed to Aaron and said, "Dadda," pointed to me and said, "Mamma," then pointed to herself and said, "Uhm Bebe." We laughed, which gave her enough reason to repeat the performance a couple more times. (This is one of those moments I wish I had on video-my description just doesn't do it justice.) Since she's turned two, I've been trying to convince William that she's not really a baby anymore, but she knows she's the baby around here!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Our Story Part 2
How We Met...
So Aaron had made it to this funny little corner of Utah. When school started, Aaron was looking for some extra curricular activities, I guess. He registered for band, choir, and something he'd never tried before, drama. I had been participating in the high school drama program for years, but for some reason beginning drama had never fit into my schedule before. This year, it did, so I took it. Aaron and I sat on opposite sides of the classroom from each other. I remember when he introduced himself to the class. He had registered for school late because they had had to work out guardianship issues with the family he was staying with. He said he was from Seattle, which I teased him about later because I found out he was not from Seattle proper. His parents actually lived in an area that was trying to become a city, but hadn't quite made it yet.
... And got to know each other
It was easy to learn the basics about him in drama class, but we didn't really start getting to know each other until we both auditioned for the musical, "Hello, Dolly." For me, this was nothing unusual: I auditioned for everything. Aaron was dared into it. He'd never been in a play. We both made it into actual rolls. He played Barnaby, and I was Ermagarde. I got to whine and cry a lot. So, in the beginning of rehersals, we were required to be there a lot, but for some reason, we never did anything. There was this huge opening scene that seemed to take forever to figure out, and Aaron and I were not in it. I think our teacher kept hoping to finish this scene and move on, but everyday, we sat there with nothing to do but get to know each other better. Which is what we did for at least a week's worth of three-hour-a-day rehersals. We learned enough about each other to become pretty good friends.
So Aaron had made it to this funny little corner of Utah. When school started, Aaron was looking for some extra curricular activities, I guess. He registered for band, choir, and something he'd never tried before, drama. I had been participating in the high school drama program for years, but for some reason beginning drama had never fit into my schedule before. This year, it did, so I took it. Aaron and I sat on opposite sides of the classroom from each other. I remember when he introduced himself to the class. He had registered for school late because they had had to work out guardianship issues with the family he was staying with. He said he was from Seattle, which I teased him about later because I found out he was not from Seattle proper. His parents actually lived in an area that was trying to become a city, but hadn't quite made it yet.
... And got to know each other
It was easy to learn the basics about him in drama class, but we didn't really start getting to know each other until we both auditioned for the musical, "Hello, Dolly." For me, this was nothing unusual: I auditioned for everything. Aaron was dared into it. He'd never been in a play. We both made it into actual rolls. He played Barnaby, and I was Ermagarde. I got to whine and cry a lot. So, in the beginning of rehersals, we were required to be there a lot, but for some reason, we never did anything. There was this huge opening scene that seemed to take forever to figure out, and Aaron and I were not in it. I think our teacher kept hoping to finish this scene and move on, but everyday, we sat there with nothing to do but get to know each other better. Which is what we did for at least a week's worth of three-hour-a-day rehersals. We learned enough about each other to become pretty good friends.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Happy Birthday, Leonora! (a day late-oops)
A long two weeks after her due date, Leonora finally made her appearence in this world. My midwife and mom were telling me they saw lots of hair as she was born, but I was still surprised when I saw that beautiful, hair-covered head! She was a sweet baby, even if a bit more demanding than her brother had been! As a two year old, she still is-more than ever actually! But she's still a loving little girl. She loves to snuggle with mommy when she's tired, and runs to daddy when he comes home from work. She even loves her big brother and wants to be just like him-except prettier!
Happy Birthday Leonora! I love you!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
obligatory post
Hello, this is probably going to be very uniteresting, but I realized how long it's been since I posted, and thought I should post something! So here it is. I haven't fallen off a cliff or anything, I've just been boring! :) or bored? Next week will be busy, but hopefully I'll have time to post a little. It's Leonora's birthday next week! Yay! so I should at least get pictures of her on there sometime! :)
Friday, May 09, 2008
Good news, bad news
Today our stimulus money was deposited into our account. That's the good news. The bad news is, it isn't as much as I was expecting. We will have to wait for Aaron's next check before we know when we will be able to move. Grrr... I'm so tired of this apartment!
Oh, there is some other good news. If someone else gets the apartment we were planning on taking, the one right next door will be available mid-June. I haven't been inside it, as it is still occupied, but as long as it hasn't been trashed, it should be pretty much the same-but with a built in microwave. :)
Oh, there is some other good news. If someone else gets the apartment we were planning on taking, the one right next door will be available mid-June. I haven't been inside it, as it is still occupied, but as long as it hasn't been trashed, it should be pretty much the same-but with a built in microwave. :)
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Moving Out
At the end of last month, I gave our apartment manager notice that we would be moving out. I have been wanting to move out for quite a while. The apartment we are in now was always supposed to be temporary, but with everything going on since our lease ended, we just haven't had time or money to seriously consider moving. With the economic stimulus coming, I thought now would be the perfect time to start looking. I've been occasionally picking up the local classified adds to see what was out there, but it had been a little while, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rates seem to have dropped some. Not a ton, but some. I found one place that I really loved. It even had a 2 car garage! And was only $75 more than what we are paying now! I was really disappointed to find out this morning that someone else got to it first. :( So, it looks like we'll be going with the second choice. There's no garage with this place, but it does have one covered parking place. It also has a shared yard in the back where the kids could go run around when they are driving me crazy. And it acutally has hard floor instead of carpet in the dining area. That was something I really wanted. It really is a much nicer place than we are in now. Anyway, I'll show you some pictures.
Arch between living and dining
The Kitchen
This is the Master Bath. The picture doesn't really do it justice. It's got a double vanity! Yay!
Arch between living and dining
The Kitchen
This is the Master Bath. The picture doesn't really do it justice. It's got a double vanity! Yay!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Who I'd like to see in the top 2
Aaron and I have been watching American Idol. Last night, the top 4 performed. We don't have cable/satalite, so we watch on Youtube. No commercials! :) All over youtube, people are saying they want to see "the two Davids" in the top 2. While I have enjoyed many of David Cook's performances, I think we've seen the best that he has to offer. And I'm not a big Jason Castro fan. He has a pleasant voice, and he's certainly knows his strengths, I'm just not really into what he does. So, here are two of my favorite performances from Syesha and David A. These are the two I'd like to see belting it out in the final show. Last night, I thought there were three truly noteworthy performances-two belonging to David A. and this one from Syesha.
Here's one of Davids. I had a hard time deciding which one I liked better. They both were excellent! Anyway, here you go.
After this performance, Aaron commented that he "sure has a lot of 'soul' for a white boy from Utah!"
Here's one of Davids. I had a hard time deciding which one I liked better. They both were excellent! Anyway, here you go.
After this performance, Aaron commented that he "sure has a lot of 'soul' for a white boy from Utah!"
Breast is best: article on breastfeeding
First, I'd like to say that I don't look down on anyone who does not exclusively breastfeed. I think there are legitimate reasons not to, however, this study just shows that infants who are exclusively breastfed really DO have an andvantage over those who are not.
Breast-Feeding May Boost IQ
Published: 05/05/08
MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Children who were breast-fed exclusively for the first three months of life or longer scored nearly six points higher on IQ tests at the age of 6 than children who weren't breast-fed exclusively, a new study has found.
The finding buttresses previous research that has suggested that children and adults who were breast-fed as infants scored better on IQ tests and other measures of cognitive development, such as thinking, learning and memory, the study authors said.
"Long and exclusive breast-feeding makes kids smarter," said lead researcher Dr. Michael S. Kramer, of McGill University and the Montreal Children's Hospital, in Canada.
Why breast-feeding might increase cognitive skills isn't clear, Kramer said. "It could be something in the milk, or it could be the physical contact between the mother and the baby," he said. "It could be the way the mother interacts with the baby during breast-feeding -- there is no way to know."
The one thing Kraemer is sure of is that it has nothing to do with differences between mothers. The women in the new study were all from the eastern European country of Belarus.
The findings are published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
For the study, Kramer's group randomly assigned 7,108 infants in Belarus to exclusive breast-feeding; another 6,781 infants received the usual practice of breast-feeding plus other foods.
When the children were 6.5 years old they were given a standard IQ test. Those children who were exclusively breast-fed scored, on average, 7.5 points higher in verbal intelligence, 2.9 points higher in nonverbal intelligence, and 5.9 points higher in overall intelligence.
In addition, their teachers said the breast-fed children had significantly better academic performance in both reading and writing, compared with children who weren't breast-fed exclusively.
Kramer thinks women should breast-feed exclusively for at least three, and if they can, six months, and try to continue breast-feeding for at least a year.
"For women in developed countries who can achieve exclusive breast-feeding for at least three months, their kids would benefit by about three or four IQ points," he said.
One expert thinks it's the nutrients in mothers' milk -- which aren't found in other foods -- that are essential for brain development and increased IQ.
"I'm not surprised because many studies have had similar results," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics executive committee section on breast-feeding. "It's wonderful to have this very large study to confirm what we've known or thought for a long time."
Lawrence thinks that because mothers' milk contains certain amino acids not found in formula, it's better for infants' developing brains. These amino acids include omega three fatty acids and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), which are important for brain growth, she noted.
Human milk also contains cholesterol, while formula doesn't, Lawrence said. "We learned to fear cholesterol and yet cholesterol is very important for brain tissue, it's very important for nerve tissue," she said. "That's why human milk is a better nutrient to support brain growth."
Many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend breast-feeding as the best way to improve infants' overall health and build their immune system. Breast-fed infants have fewer hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Breast-Feeding May Boost IQ
Published: 05/05/08
MONDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Children who were breast-fed exclusively for the first three months of life or longer scored nearly six points higher on IQ tests at the age of 6 than children who weren't breast-fed exclusively, a new study has found.
The finding buttresses previous research that has suggested that children and adults who were breast-fed as infants scored better on IQ tests and other measures of cognitive development, such as thinking, learning and memory, the study authors said.
"Long and exclusive breast-feeding makes kids smarter," said lead researcher Dr. Michael S. Kramer, of McGill University and the Montreal Children's Hospital, in Canada.
Why breast-feeding might increase cognitive skills isn't clear, Kramer said. "It could be something in the milk, or it could be the physical contact between the mother and the baby," he said. "It could be the way the mother interacts with the baby during breast-feeding -- there is no way to know."
The one thing Kraemer is sure of is that it has nothing to do with differences between mothers. The women in the new study were all from the eastern European country of Belarus.
The findings are published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
For the study, Kramer's group randomly assigned 7,108 infants in Belarus to exclusive breast-feeding; another 6,781 infants received the usual practice of breast-feeding plus other foods.
When the children were 6.5 years old they were given a standard IQ test. Those children who were exclusively breast-fed scored, on average, 7.5 points higher in verbal intelligence, 2.9 points higher in nonverbal intelligence, and 5.9 points higher in overall intelligence.
In addition, their teachers said the breast-fed children had significantly better academic performance in both reading and writing, compared with children who weren't breast-fed exclusively.
Kramer thinks women should breast-feed exclusively for at least three, and if they can, six months, and try to continue breast-feeding for at least a year.
"For women in developed countries who can achieve exclusive breast-feeding for at least three months, their kids would benefit by about three or four IQ points," he said.
One expert thinks it's the nutrients in mothers' milk -- which aren't found in other foods -- that are essential for brain development and increased IQ.
"I'm not surprised because many studies have had similar results," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics executive committee section on breast-feeding. "It's wonderful to have this very large study to confirm what we've known or thought for a long time."
Lawrence thinks that because mothers' milk contains certain amino acids not found in formula, it's better for infants' developing brains. These amino acids include omega three fatty acids and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), which are important for brain growth, she noted.
Human milk also contains cholesterol, while formula doesn't, Lawrence said. "We learned to fear cholesterol and yet cholesterol is very important for brain tissue, it's very important for nerve tissue," she said. "That's why human milk is a better nutrient to support brain growth."
Many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend breast-feeding as the best way to improve infants' overall health and build their immune system. Breast-fed infants have fewer hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Our Story: Part 1
I love telling stories. Especially about myself. Does that make me self-centered? I'm not sure. But I think I have a few interesting stories. One that never seems to grow old is how Aaron and I met and ended up getting married. It's a long story from beginning to end, but I've been wanting to put it down for a while. It will probably take several installments, so I thought I should get started!
How he got here
Ten years ago, Aaron was 16 and living in the Seattle area. He had been having some issues with depression. His parents had decided that whatever they were doing wasn't helping him, and were considering sending him to a wilderness program or group home or something-which, I think, would have done more harm than good. It wasn't like he was on drugs or anything, he'd just stay up all night and sleep through school. Anyway, he was visiting an online chat room one day and started talking with a girl there. (No, it wasn't me.) After exchanging a lot of information that they probably shouldn't have (for safty reasons) they discovered that their parents had known each other, but had lost contact over the years. Her parents had taken in struggleing kids from time to time and offered Aaron a home with them. His parents agreed, and arangements were made for Aaron to move to their home in Utah. In the meantime, I was finishing up my junior year of high school and registering for my senior classes-completely unaware that anything more important was happening...
How he got here
Ten years ago, Aaron was 16 and living in the Seattle area. He had been having some issues with depression. His parents had decided that whatever they were doing wasn't helping him, and were considering sending him to a wilderness program or group home or something-which, I think, would have done more harm than good. It wasn't like he was on drugs or anything, he'd just stay up all night and sleep through school. Anyway, he was visiting an online chat room one day and started talking with a girl there. (No, it wasn't me.) After exchanging a lot of information that they probably shouldn't have (for safty reasons) they discovered that their parents had known each other, but had lost contact over the years. Her parents had taken in struggleing kids from time to time and offered Aaron a home with them. His parents agreed, and arangements were made for Aaron to move to their home in Utah. In the meantime, I was finishing up my junior year of high school and registering for my senior classes-completely unaware that anything more important was happening...
Thursday, May 01, 2008
New Neighbor
A week or two ago, I noticed a new home under construction. Today, I had the opportunity to meet (and photograph) our newest neighbor. Here's her home. (I'm pretty sure she built it herself.)
And here she is! She's a cutie, isn't she? I've heard that she is expecting two additions to her family soon!
And here she is! She's a cutie, isn't she? I've heard that she is expecting two additions to her family soon!
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