tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65968868695145755632012-02-16T11:16:45.806-08:00Some names and facts have been changed to protect the innocent.Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.comBlogger2571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-66146119439189251182012-01-28T20:22:00.001-08:002012-01-28T20:27:27.108-08:00

We have been looking at a scrapbook over the past week that Ewan got as a gift when he left his last daycare. It is his current favorite potty book. There is a page with a school bus sticker, and he started pointing to it several days ago, waving his hands around together. I took this to mean he wanted to sing "The Wheels in the Bus" song. He really gets into it, so I was either correct, or

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-82589862678762762532012-01-21T19:26:00.001-08:002012-01-22T19:43:17.065-08:00

Ewan was 1.5 this past Monday. It's pretty hard to believe he has been around for 18 months but very hard to remember life without him. On the day he turned 1.5, his most used word was AbbyAbbyAbbyAbby. It's funny; he's said it all week. He has also started having a bit of an opinion about clothing. He decided that he doesn't want his jacket removed when he gets home from school, and his

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-51037759671542616082012-01-02T21:15:00.001-08:002012-01-02T21:15:02.733-08:00

Today Fat Back and I went to our first movie in over a year and a half. We saw The Descendants, a bit of a downer, but overall entertaining. *Spoiler Alert* There were just way too many shots of a comatose woman laying in her hospital bed. We chose this over the Muppets because it was playing at 1:45, and the Muppets played at noon- which would have ruined our plan for lunch, coffee, and a

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-89717691171531522412012-01-01T19:24:00.001-08:002012-01-01T19:24:00.954-08:00

Ewan has taken to walking around with his eyes closed and a big grin on his face. I have no idea where this idea originated, but it is so cute, and he knows he is doing something funny when he does it. It first began yesterday while we were taking a potty break. I was sitting with him on the floor, he got off his potty, walked down the hall, turned around, and closed his eyes while he walked

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-67482737749594074902011-12-17T09:51:00.001-08:002011-12-17T09:52:03.262-08:00

Ewan had a fairly exciting 17-month day today. It was his last day of daycare at UCSB, and he took a road trip to Monterey after school with his Papa, Mama, and dog, Chester. Ewan starts preschool on Monday at a place that we can see from our living room. We are so excited about the commute and new teachers! I am looking forward to being more involved with pick-ups now that he won't be 15

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-15030230019366498752011-12-15T19:19:00.001-08:002011-12-15T19:19:38.727-08:00

Ewan is definitely a ladies man. Here he is with his best buddy, Luna. We had childbirth class together with her parents, so they have been around each other since before they were even born. Luna thinks Ewan is hilarious. She loves taking off his hats and playing keep away with whichever toy she thinks he wants. It's really great to watch them interact.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-3243037924365561272011-12-15T19:03:00.001-08:002011-12-15T19:03:50.600-08:00

I knitted a sweater for Ewan while I was pregnant. It was the first complicated thing I ever knitted- I generally stick to hats, and he is finally getting a chance to wear it. Here are a few photos from the past week.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-27919740629611636152011-12-11T20:19:00.001-08:002011-12-15T18:51:02.797-08:00

We got a Christmas tree for the first time in years, definitely the first time since we lived in Santa Barbara. We went with a live tree in a pot, and our current plan is to put it in a bigger pot outside after Christmas and see if we can use it again next year...I'm not holding my breath. This year it just fits in the bay window, kind of out of reach of little fingers, at least all of the fun

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-27686886024543284982011-12-07T19:28:00.000-08:002011-12-07T19:37:37.756-08:00

As most of you know, we do a version of Elimination Communication with Ewan. He has been very good about pooping on the potty since he was about six months old. Until recently, he would just happen to go while he was sitting there or if he got "the look" and was rushed to his potty by one of us. But lately, he has been using his sign language skills when he wants to go or if I ask him, "do you

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-58125609956640539022011-11-28T21:36:00.001-08:002011-11-28T21:44:56.883-08:00

Who needs a highchair when you have a bowl full of Sapote?  Ewan sat here nicely tonight and ate an entire White Sapote and some cheddar cheese while I finished making dinner.  I think it may just be his favorite fruit of the week.  What's his current favorite vegetable?  It seems to be a close race between cooked cabbage and pureed kale, eaten plain. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-55901752145321769142011-11-26T20:18:00.000-08:002011-11-26T20:26:02.351-08:00

The second leg of our trip began with a van ride from Cambury to Paraty/ Parati, a Portuguese colonial town from the 1500's. We left Cambury around noon the day after the wedding...a wedding that went past 4am. Let me just take a minute here to describe these van trips we took between towns.  Once we left the wedding, we traveled with ten others in a van... seven gay guys from NYC along with one

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-27067482581685258402011-11-16T20:45:00.001-08:002011-11-16T21:11:52.884-08:00

We had Ewan's 15-month check-up on Monday (one-day before he was 16-months).  His stats: Height = 32  inches...70th percentile Weight = 26 pounds, 8 ounces...70th percentile Head Circumference = 19.25 inches, 85th percentile I'm glad he made it out of the 30th percentile for height where he measured at the 12-month appointment.  I was going to be getting a lot of heat from Fat Back for my height

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-44047764951530040602011-11-03T22:06:00.000-07:002011-11-03T22:06:21.001-07:00

This will be mostly a photo post.  All photos were taken by Fat Back.  I took less than ten photos the entire trip.  Ewan was a little Mama-needy, so I was usually busy holding him with no free hands for a camera.  The shot above was on the walk from our hotel to the beach.  Below, we are getting a little beach time before the wedding. Ewan's first time in the Atlantic Ocean.  He

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-46982748786794876792011-10-29T21:55:00.000-07:002011-10-29T21:55:44.292-07:00

Fat Back, Ewan, and I recently took an amazing trip to Brazil.  We probably tried to see too many places while dragging along a 14-month-old, but Ewan was a trooper.  Here goes part one of hopefully several posts...I hope my memory isn't too far off on the details. One of my roommates from Virginia Tech, Doug, moved from New York City to São Paulo, Brazil with his fiancé, Marcelo back in August.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-42535544763545840272011-10-29T21:26:00.000-07:002011-10-29T21:58:51.836-07:00

In  a sea of orange pumpkins, of course Ewan finds a green one and tries to pick it. Isn't he an adorable -and very serious- Walrus? 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-70145836859482119752011-10-16T20:35:00.000-07:002011-10-16T20:35:08.754-07:00

Well, I never made it back to finish the road trip post...and we already went on another adventure.  But before I get to that, here is a little bit about Ewan as he is now 15 months old... Ewan says "Bah" non-stop.  He first started saying it for ball, but now he says it for almost everything.  BAH!!! = Ball or anything that resembles a ball (lights with round glass coverings, round objects on

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-84634236050407775872011-09-23T22:20:00.000-07:002011-09-23T22:20:33.641-07:00

The 14-month anniversary of Ewan's birth passed us by last week.  He is walking a lot and still crawling occasionally.  He points at everything to either show us something cool he just noticed or to let us know he wants something.  He is not so good at any of his sign language yet, but we continue to work on it.  He recently learned how to blow kisses, something I have yet to capture on video but

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-66946679299742113912011-09-08T21:23:00.000-07:002011-09-08T21:24:48.369-07:00

Ewan ate corn on the cob for the first time a week or two ago.  I captured a video of it.  He LOVED eating the corn straight from the cob. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-48173663798946743872011-09-08T21:22:00.000-07:002011-09-08T21:24:20.291-07:00

On Saturday August 27th, Ewan took his first walk on the beach since he really started walking. We were at Rincon Beach Park, a pretty well known surf spot in Carpinteria (just south of SB). Little did I know as I let my baby frolic in the water that a shark had been spotted earlier that day. Someone posted a sign at the top of the walk down to the beach after we were already down at the beach.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-9927065970790054642011-09-04T16:55:00.000-07:002011-09-04T16:55:55.664-07:00

This morning I put Ewan's new shoes on for just the second time to show Fat Back who returned last night from over a week in Milan.  He proceeded to walk across the room, leaned down, and said what sounded like, "touch my toes," as he touched his toes.  It was pretty amazing.  

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-47551728245885052972011-08-26T22:09:00.000-07:002011-08-26T22:09:58.189-07:00

Ewan has been getting quite a bit better at walking over the past few days.  He walked halfway across the kitchen Thursday morning, and Fat Back counted him taking 23 consecutive steps on Thursday night.  Then tonight he walked from the living room nearly to the back door.  His walking has improved greatly since he decided to start waving while he walks.  It's so cute.  I will try to get a better

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-79285051525225389332011-08-26T21:58:00.000-07:002011-08-26T21:58:55.679-07:00

Ewan has picked up a new swimming trick...swimming through a hoop. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-1591017763124053682011-08-20T21:49:00.000-07:002011-08-20T21:51:38.191-07:00

We decided about a month ago that we were going to try and go to the beach every Saturday...not spend the whole day there, just at least make it to the beach.  While we haven't made it every Saturday, we've done pretty good.  I brought the camera along today to capture a few photos, something we haven't been doing enough of lately.  Ewan got some sand toys at his friend Nathan's birthday party

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-65888666994498309652011-08-12T22:53:00.000-07:002011-08-12T22:53:59.895-07:00

I'm playing catch-up a bit on the blogging, so these posts are jumping around a little... On the Eve of Ewan's birthday, Fat Back and I took him to the FisHouse, one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara.  We had eaten here exactly one year earlier, the night before Ewan was born, so we decided it would be fitting to return as a kind of anniversary celebration.  We had spent that week a

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-82784819881154893002011-08-12T21:33:00.000-07:002011-08-12T21:33:59.825-07:00

Ewan went on his first bike ride the last weekend in August.  It was a family outing, and we installed the seat onto the back of my bike.  Having 25 pounds on the top back of one's bike definitely takes a little getting used to, and the hills made me nervous in the beginning because I would get a little wobbly.  But we have been on four rides now, and I am feeling much more comfortable.  Soon it

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-74811860679523633362011-08-10T22:16:00.000-07:002011-08-10T22:16:00.900-07:00

Ewan had his twelve-month check-up last week, so he was more like 12.5 months old.  He weighed in at 24 pounds, 12 ounces (75th percentile) -only 10 ounces gained since his nine-month appointment and was measured to be 29.5 inches tall (30th percentile).  I am not buying the height measurement because this means he only grew half an inch in three months when it is obvious he grew more than that.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-45552840524125688962011-07-30T08:48:00.000-07:002011-07-30T08:48:07.899-07:00

Ewan took his first two consecutive steps on Wednesday, and I caught it on iPhone video just by chance.  He had taken one step the previous night.  Fat Back and I were both around to witness it.  He did this a couple more times on Friday.  It's hard to say if he'll really start walking soon.  He really wants to, but he is still very wobbly, even when he holds our hands.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-27896389186175223302011-07-16T22:15:00.000-07:002011-07-16T22:15:20.147-07:00

We had a great day today, celebrating Ewan's birthday.  Here are a few pictures of him eating his cupcake.  I will try and post more about his birthday soon. We gave him the cupcake at the beginning of dinner, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.  He had been trying to eat rocks and sand at the beach earlier in the day, but give him some food that is too big to fit into his mouth, and he has no

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-54491749960903985282011-06-20T21:18:00.000-07:002011-06-20T21:18:58.334-07:00

It's hard to believe it is less than one month until Ewan is one! He is at a very fun age now, but he is also getting a bit more of an attitude...somewhere along the way, he learned how to throw tantrums. Where do kids pick these things up?  He's still really a happy guy most of the time; we are very lucky to have such an easy going baby.  Ewan finally started clapping this past month and is very

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-34088025649169439372011-06-06T23:07:00.000-07:002011-06-06T23:07:32.138-07:00

Our friends, Harmony and Chris, attempted to have a beach party on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.  Unfortunately, it was the only day during the weekend where the extreme winds we had been having for several nights decided to also stick around the entire day.  Needless to say, the party was eventually moved indoors.  But before that happened, we ate some amazing pork sandwiches, and Ewan got

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-92048119510951469322011-06-05T20:54:00.000-07:002011-06-05T20:54:52.743-07:00

This video is from Ewan's swim lesson last week.  This is how he enters the pool for every lesson now, and he practices several times during the lesson.  We are always working on pool safety, so it is great that he rolls onto his back almost every time.  Amazing videography by Fat Back.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-45876067468963227782011-05-30T11:18:00.000-07:002011-05-30T11:18:45.413-07:00

Speaking of being out of control with fermenting... I have been fermenting quite a bit lately and have been meaning to blog about it for awhile.  Here is a rundown of everything that I have going: Water Kefir: I recently acquired some water kefir grains after reading about water kefir on a blog that I follow.  It sounded interesting, so I figured I'd give it a try.  Many thanks to my friend

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-33903826092866170382011-05-27T15:23:00.000-07:002011-05-27T15:23:28.180-07:00

The end of my part time work is nearing.  I have mixed feelings about going back to work full time.  But we're sending Ewan to what is supposed to be one of the best day cares in the area- especially for one that takes infants (there were about 50 kids aged 7-12 months on the waiting list for 9 spots just to give you a little idea of their reputation), so that makes it a little easier.  I think

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-90540342030541136012011-05-16T23:33:00.001-07:002011-05-17T07:17:08.011-07:00

Ewan was ten months old today.  I had to work, so he spent most of his day with Dadadada.  We managed to have a little fun after I got home.  I took a couple of videos of him during dinner.  First, here he is eating a pancake (not a real pancake- this one has only four ingredients: oatmeal, egg yolk,buttermilk, and baking soda).  Second, he is showing how he can drink out of a straw (this is

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-15327031553203092822011-05-09T21:40:00.000-07:002011-05-09T21:40:54.233-07:00

Ewan's Aunt Cheryl bought him this suit.  I'm not really sure where she thought we were planning to take him that he might need a suit.  But since he has practically outgrown it, I thought, why not have him wear it to dinner on Mother's Day?  He was a bit overdressed, but so cute that I don't think anyone cared.  Now I regret not putting this on him sooner.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-73731870299420226862011-05-07T11:08:00.000-07:002011-05-07T11:09:03.850-07:00

I took a few photos of Ewan and a couple of his friends swinging yesterday.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-63943670815106243342011-05-07T10:50:00.000-07:002011-05-07T10:50:09.800-07:00

Ewan started regular crawling on Wednesday this week.  He still doesn't do it for very long stretches, but I was finally able to get some on iPhone video this morning. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-5051498093956891752011-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:002011-05-03T20:46:53.989-07:00

We finally started sleep training with Ewan a week and a half ago.  Fat Back and I had been discussing how to get him to sleep better for his naps because we are going to be using childcare in the not-too-distant future.  We're still trying to figure out what kind of childcare we're going to use, but if he ends up at a more traditional daycare, we are pretty sure nobody is going to walk him

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-60145705509077325872011-05-02T16:01:00.000-07:002011-05-02T16:01:59.053-07:00

See the little rainbow?  Our garden is doing pretty well.  We have had a few salads of baby greens (red lettuce, swiss chard, kale, and spinach) and picked fava beans to eat soon- maybe tonight.  We are anxiously awaiting our tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, green onions, and beets (well only one of us on the beets).  We also have a decent herb garden with mint and oregano (thanks Kleinland)

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-41326169911804023152011-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:002011-04-29T12:17:24.743-07:00

These photos were taken back on March 26.  I just spent a little time last night going through some photos.   I'm trying out a new way to post pictures, so let me know how you like this.  This way you can click on the photo if you want to see one that is bigger.  

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-48017285132273810132011-04-29T12:05:00.000-07:002011-04-29T12:07:54.091-07:00

My Mom came for a visit at the end of March/ beginning of April.  She came to help watch Ewan while Fat Back went out of town for a couple of days, so that I could still go to work.  She was so much help, and Ewan really loved her attention.  At one point just before she left, I was changing Ewan's diaper, and my Mom was standing beside me.  Ewan looked up at her and said, "zsa-zsa."  So that is

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-23506817531779766102011-04-27T12:06:00.000-07:002011-04-27T12:06:02.188-07:00

We bought Ewan a drum for Easter (really, we just bought him a drum and are calling it an Easter gift).  He has played with these in multiple places and seems to be a natural, so we decided to get one.  He loves it! 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-65113465233879344832011-04-24T09:03:00.000-07:002011-04-24T09:03:34.315-07:00

The wine club we joined earlier this year has two "Pick-up Parties" each year where you go and pick up your wine. The Spring Party this year was a Fiesta out at the vineyard complete with a Mariachi Band led by the crew. We had tacos and of course, wine; there was even a pinata for the kids. The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to just relax under the big trees out in the country.  I

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-39238678835536754392011-04-21T12:30:00.000-07:002011-04-21T12:30:11.653-07:00

Ewan was nine months old on Saturday.  To celebrate we took him wine tasting in the 'Wine Ghetto' in Lompoc (yes, it is really called the Wine Ghetto- there are signs) and even brought along his friend Luna to hang out with him.  Then when we returned to Santa Barbara, we went to Alameda Park to check out the Earth Day Festival for a little while.  Fat Back test drove a Nissan Leaf while I took

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-13515932910616175492011-04-12T12:01:00.000-07:002011-04-12T12:07:39.162-07:00

Grandma came for a visit recently and taught Ewan the game of throw. He was already fairly skilled at throwing everything, especially extra hard toys such as wooden blocks, but he really understood that this was a game. Give him the toy, and he throws it immediately. I have since ordered him some soft balls that are less likely to injure others when he hurls them at random.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-25550029869196643862011-03-18T22:30:00.000-07:002011-03-18T22:30:18.925-07:00

Time flies.  Ewan turned eight months old on Wednesday.  He weighed in at 23 pounds that morning, but I don't know how tall he is.  I tried to measure him and gave up.  I think I need an assistant for that measurement. He is sitting very well and has the army crawl mastered.  I'm not sure when or if he will do a regular crawl because he is so good at this one.  He is great at high five and loves

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-42289076245348566292011-03-13T09:09:00.000-07:002011-03-13T09:12:00.219-07:00

We had a really nice Saturday.  Fat Back finished teaching his class last Saturday, so it was nice to have him back yesterday.  And although we didn't go to the Farmer's Market (my favorite Saturday activity), we did have a great day. I began the day by starting a batch of sauerkraut for St. Patrick's Day.  I had planned to make this last week, but things were a little hectic, so it's only

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-89385562538982593482011-03-07T22:18:00.000-08:002011-03-07T22:18:59.009-08:00

Ewan recently got tooth number five, the one just to his left of the center two, sneaking it in on us as we have been expecting the top ones just to the right and left of the center two (there have been lines in his gums there for weeks). A friend of mine actually noticed it over a week ago while we were attending a Saturday morning gardening class, when Ewan leaned his head way back while I was

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-47755045529991414102011-03-07T22:06:00.000-08:002011-03-07T22:06:57.065-08:00

Ewan has swimming on Tuesday evenings, so since we weren't going to be able to have a fancy Mardi Gras dinner on Fat Tuesday, we did it on Saturday instead. I made my first attempt at Shrimp Etouffee, and I have to say, it was a success (ten servings of etouffee, eight servings of brown rice, and cornbread completely consumed by five people). I was able to get local whole shrimp (heads and all)

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-13616939426668551652011-03-02T22:03:00.000-08:002011-03-02T22:03:57.910-08:00

I just had to post several pictures of Ewan trying one of my favorite foods for the first time, avocado.  Look at that excitement! 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-37024751549229008872011-03-02T21:57:00.000-08:002011-03-02T21:57:58.191-08:00

Fat Back took this photo from our living room window on February 20th.  It's pretty cool to be able to see snow from our living room without ever having to deal with it. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-76161320684265351772011-03-02T21:51:00.000-08:002011-03-02T22:09:59.910-08:00

Wow, I am so behind on my blogging.  It's amazing how busy we are these days, and my "free" time (aka, the time when Ewan is sleeping) is usually taken up by cooking, cleaning, or occasionally relaxing.  Not that I'm complaining, I just haven't really felt like blogging lately.  But I finally got a chance to download the photos from both cameras today, so I'm catching up a bit.  We celebrated

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-66642616991354008212011-03-02T17:00:00.000-08:002011-03-02T17:00:24.327-08:00

A month ago (when I probably should have been sleeping) I made preserved lemons for the first time.  I had read about how to make these once before, but now that we have an endless supply of lemons, I figured there was no better time to try.  It was incredibly easy, and I just used part of one, chopped in a Quinoa Salad.  Here is how I made them: 1.  Select lemons that will fit into a jar with a

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-65614949495535968622011-03-01T11:15:00.000-08:002011-03-01T11:15:37.747-08:00

Ewan had his first food that I would consider not to be sweet last night, spinach.  He seemed to really like it.  Now that he's finally gotten more regular after introducing solids, we have been introducing more foods besides the prunes, pears, and apricots he was eating for awhile there.  He has now tried butternut  squash, carrots, prunes, apricots, pears, bananas, peas, spinach, and avocado. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-74075403842372588252011-02-22T15:01:00.000-08:002011-02-22T15:01:38.612-08:00

This morning during breakfast, Ewan did his first sign. I had just finished feeding him his prunes, and he was quietly playing with his spoon while I finished my coffee. Suddenly, Fat Back said, "he's about to poop! He's telling you he's about to poop!" To which I replied, "why isn't he telling you he's about to poop?"  I didn't actually realize that he had been giving the sign for potty

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-92176332822999125112011-02-17T17:15:00.000-08:002011-02-17T17:15:43.826-08:00

Ewan turned seven months old yesterday!  He napped for nearly six and a half hours- a one hour nap in the morning, a two hour nap around lunchtime, and then a nearly three and a half hour nap around 5:45.  I have no idea why he slept for so long in the evening.  He does this sometimes on Tuesdays when he has swim lessons because they are around the time of his third nap, so he gets a bit

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-31562455864845208702011-02-17T16:28:00.000-08:002011-02-17T16:28:01.074-08:00

I took this photo on February 5 out at More Mesa, our new closest beach/ bluff access. It's hard to believe the wildflowers were already in bloom. We plan to take a trip to Figueroa Mountain soon.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-44403378791536117522011-02-13T21:36:00.000-08:002011-02-13T21:36:41.541-08:00

What do you do when your baby sleeps through the night (ten hours!!), and you were so tired that you decided to go to sleep at 8:30, so you didn't have to get out of bed for almost nine and a half hours??? Make scones and freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, obviously. But before I get to the recipe, let's talk about sleep. We were very lucky (and definitely realized it) for a long time

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-35276143152312602802011-02-06T14:32:00.000-08:002011-02-06T14:32:21.185-08:00

Ewan continues to take swimming lessons. I guess he's been going for around three and a half months now. He does several unassisted swims underwater during each lesson (he is on his own for just a few seconds), goes underwater upon entry into the pool, and this past week, he wore baby flippers...probably the cutest thing ever. We thought the flippers were kind of ridiculous, but he actually

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-34950382515052532982011-01-28T21:12:00.000-08:002011-01-28T21:12:04.951-08:00

What do you do when your kid goes to bed at 5:15 (30 minutes after you arrive home from work), and your husband goes to work? Make some lemon-orange blueberry cake. Did I mention we have two orange trees, a lemon tree, a lime tree, and a peach tree at our new place? Unfortunately, this cake only used one lemon and one orange... Lemon-Orange-Blueberry Bread/ Cake Adapted loosely from smitten

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-70598853750003820992011-01-27T22:53:00.000-08:002011-01-27T22:53:49.668-08:00

After ten days of butternut squash, it was time for a new vegetable.  Ewan and I went veggie shopping on Saturday at the Farmer's Market.  Here he is deciding between carrots and parsnips.  Since I've never cooked parsnips (and possibly never eaten them), we went with the carrots.   Maybe I will make some parsnip soup this week... After two days of carrots, he seems to like them okay...no better

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-75240584025655446852011-01-21T18:49:00.000-08:002011-01-21T18:49:27.972-08:00

This is what happens when you're six months old and haven't napped for over six hours...things seem much funnier than they really are, such as the dryer buzzing, and then your Mommy imitating the dryer buzzing while you're simultaneously looking at your dog, Chester, peeking at you from around the corner. Yeah, probably only funny when you're really tired and a baby.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-68694039485317086372011-01-20T18:30:00.000-08:002011-01-20T18:30:40.265-08:00

On Sunday when he turned six months old, Ewan had his second food, butternut squash.  We bought a Ewan-sized squash from the Roots stand at the Farmer's Market (one of our favorites) and boiled it Sunday morning.  He had a lot of fun playing with the squash the night before, then eating it, and we had a great time experiencing this moment with him.  We got him two of these spoons Thanksgiving

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-17866535132349071312011-01-17T21:54:00.000-08:002011-01-17T22:04:46.330-08:00

We have been having amazing weather here since Friday.  It has been 80 degrees everyday and should continue for awhile longer.  We took advantage of the weather on Saturday and went to the zoo and finally bought a membership.  Unfortunately, we forgot our camera (but had plenty of nice lenses in our camera bag).  We still managed to have fun just looking at the zoo creatures.  Ewan stayed awake

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-87753474772586364012011-01-17T21:37:00.000-08:002011-01-17T21:37:06.477-08:00

Ewan had his sixth month check-up last Tuesday.  He weighed in at 20 pounds, 10 ounces (only two pounds 5 ounces gained in two months!).  He's still in the 95th percentile for weight even with his nearly non-existent weight gain.  He is 27 inches long (75th percentile), and has a 17.5 inch head circumference (75th). 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-70335374060137698102011-01-11T21:24:00.000-08:002011-01-11T21:24:36.919-08:00

Sorry for the long absence...it included moving, the holidays, and an awful cold for me and Ewan, and a little for Jason (and all of our holiday visitors). We have happily moved into our new place.  We are fairly well settled now with a bit more unpacking/ organizing left to do.  A huge thanks to my family for all of their hard work helping us move and clean.  I still feel guilty for not making

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-52696747158002571492011-01-08T21:43:00.000-08:002011-01-08T21:43:58.336-08:00

As I mentioned nearly a month ago, we went out to see the butterflies during our really nice weather. Here are a few photos I took. My only regret was not taking the tripod because my shots aren't incredibly sharp. The last two are more just to give you an idea of the amounts this year.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-59709644595148727652010-12-17T20:26:00.000-08:002010-12-17T20:26:06.892-08:00

Ewan was five months old yesterday. I weighed him with me on our scale at home, and he was exactly 20 pounds. So he only gained just over a pound and a half in the past month. He has definitely slowed down his weight gain. His third tooth is just about to poke through, the front top left. This makes me a little nervous. He hasn't bitten me in awhile, but now if he does, it's going to be a

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-69534784422788246052010-12-14T20:35:00.000-08:002010-12-14T21:07:46.106-08:00

Ewan finally rolled over for me tonight...three times! I was beginning to wonder if he just didn't want to roll for me after he did it again for Fat Back on Saturday while I was out getting my haircut for the first time in six months. These rolls have all been from belly to back. He also had the best time cracking up at Chester right after we got home from swimming and dinner. Chester sneezed

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-4313457832411375602010-12-13T20:17:00.000-08:002010-12-13T20:17:58.927-08:00

We're moving back to Santa Barbara in a week and a half. Our friends Dan and Judy left their rental house to move back to Seattle, and we took the opportunity to move into their place. It is nearly impossible to find good rentals around here. Anything nice usually has ten or more applicants, and Chester usually moves us down the list- why rent to people with a dog when plenty of people without

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-45649569110340083882010-12-06T21:51:00.000-08:002010-12-06T21:51:34.383-08:00

We all survived my first day back at work. I managed not to cry, although I got close a couple of times. Luckily, I am married to the amazing Fat Back who is wonderful with Ewan, and they both did well without me. We are extremely fortunate that so far, Ewan doesn't seem to mind too much how his food is delivered. I have heard too many stories about babies refusing to take a bottle, and I'm

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-68719893793096392442010-11-29T21:44:00.000-08:002010-11-29T21:44:02.543-08:00

When Ewan was about two months old, we took him to a baby sign language class.  The instructor told us that it is a good idea to read your baby the same book everyday.  You can add in other books, but they enjoy consistency.  I had already read the ABC book by Dr. Suess to Ewan several times, so that is what Fat Back started reading to him every night before bed.  It's part of our 'nighttime

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-78867255959247636312010-11-28T20:24:00.000-08:002010-11-28T20:24:00.508-08:00

I started reading The Diaper Free Baby this weekend. I used to think elimination communication was slightly insane, but that was before I really knew much about it. Now after learning a little from a few moms and reading the first 50 pages of this book, I see that it makes sense. The beliefs behind EC are that babies are born with the sense not to soil themselves, but we effectively train them

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-66473276551188307962010-11-27T21:12:00.000-08:002010-11-27T21:12:32.575-08:00

I made my own vanilla recently and am now waiting for it to finish. I had a big jug of some from Mexico that my Dad got for me a long time ago and finally finished it.  I just reused the jar from that vanilla, filled it with seven vanilla beans that I split open and about 2 and 1/3 cups of vodka (most info I found suggested three beans for one cup of liquor).  I used fairly high quality vodka

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-47618715434902362592010-11-26T22:05:00.000-08:002010-11-26T22:05:01.704-08:00

We went shopping at La Cumbre for about an hour today at 11am.  The crowds weren't bad except at Macy's.  We were really only going to get a hat for Ewan for which we have been searching for awhile now.  A friend of mine told me where I might be able to get one, and we found it!  He will be wearing it in his Christmas photos.  Here is a preview...

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-28818848144146155092010-11-25T21:21:00.000-08:002010-11-25T21:21:18.668-08:00

Our Thanksgiving dinner went surprisingly quite smoothly. We didn't even get started too late; I think it was 2:30 or so when we were shooting for 2:00 (although Thanksgiving dinner for us is usually more like noon, but I had to be realistic that this wasn't going to happen). Ewan had two really short naps while we were cooking, but then his Aunt Cheryl held him for probably two hours while we

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-56897973495939669552010-11-24T22:07:00.000-08:002010-11-24T22:07:03.698-08:00

I just didn't want to miss another post. I spent my free time tonight making pie crusts. Tomorrow we will have pumpkin and pecan pie if I can get everything made. We'll see if it happens. At least we've scheduled Thanksgiving dinner for 2:00 to allow for extra time.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-23501135075789741542010-11-23T22:19:00.000-08:002010-11-23T22:19:00.545-08:00

Tonight we took Fat Back's sister to Goleta Sushi House after an afternoon in Solvang. It was supposed to be dinner after hiking, but the weather ruined our plans. There really isn't much to do around here when it's raining and cold. We love the lady who owns Goleta Sushi house. She is so sweet and always asks us why we haven't been in if we don't go often enough (especially true while I was

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-82978337234554468412010-11-22T20:32:00.000-08:002010-11-22T20:32:02.408-08:00

The other day, I was talking negatively about The Apple Store. I still dislike how they run their store with their appointments (I mean, I can see where appointments could be useful, but I think they should allow more for walk-in appointments). But, I incorrectly assumed that nothing would be done to fix the vibrating function on my phone since it broke after my year warranty ended. I was

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-62150773598793314822010-11-21T11:07:00.000-08:002010-11-21T11:07:55.521-08:00

Well, I forgot to post yesterday and screwed up my month.  It was bound to happen at some point this week with Thanksgiving, I just can't believe I let it happen so early.  We had a busy evening, and I just completely forgot.  That's what I get for leaving my post for late in the day.  Better luck next year. Yesterday we went to our friends' Dan and Judy's for a Going Away/ Practice Thanksgiving

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-48628775979023344422010-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:002010-11-19T22:00:58.473-08:00

...for the fourth time.  That's right, four bites in the less than four weeks since the teeth have arrived.  I've decided that three or four months old is too young for teeth.  It's not just because babies don't need them for anything at this point, but also because they are too young to know right from wrong, and much too young to understand being disciplined.  The first two times Ewan bit me, I

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-34891315041234405682010-11-18T21:26:00.000-08:002010-11-18T21:26:18.387-08:00

Sometimes it's the little things in life that make us happy. Luckily, for Fat Back and I, these are often the same things. Today it was the opening of Chipotle in Goleta, about a 15 minute walk from our place. Ewan and I went for lunch and picked up a burrito for Fat Back. Then we ate lunch at the beach before swimming. It was GOOD. The great thing about a new Chipotle is that the employees

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-19484480309251640612010-11-17T21:09:00.000-08:002010-11-17T21:09:50.167-08:00

Well, I've made it over halfway through the month. Time for a random post. We tried to go to Chipotle tonight (the grand opening is tomorrow, but I saw on the Internet that sometimes they give away free burritos the night before they officially open). No such luck as it was by invitation only. We plan to go for lunch tomorrow because we love Chipotle. We came home and had beef kabobs with

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-73698920604094456812010-11-16T21:14:00.000-08:002010-11-16T21:14:40.849-08:00

Ewan is four months old today. I guess I kind of gave an update last week, and not much has changed. We can officially say that he doubled his weight in four months. We had a pretty fun-filled day for a four month old. We went to Infant Times class from 9-11. This consists of songs combined with signs or motion and then one different topic each week. Today's topic was toys. Ewan really

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-12169686144586916482010-11-15T20:26:00.000-08:002010-11-15T20:26:36.385-08:00

Ewan had his first trip to the zoo on November 3rd. The zoo let my Mom's group in for free as long as we agreed to sit through their spiel about buying a zoo membership. I didn't get any good shots of Ewan since he was either in his stroller or being held by me. Mostly I just had fun taking some pictures while he napped after everyone else from the Mom's group went home. We outlasted everyone

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-925937668723238262010-11-14T20:34:00.000-08:002010-11-14T20:34:02.355-08:00

The butterflies have returned to the Monarch Preserve in Ellwood. We have been checking for them occasionally because they are usually here by Thanksgiving. Today was the first day we saw them, and we were happy to see that there appear to be more than last year. Of course we chose not to bring our camera with us and saw two kites on our walk out to the Monarchs, one of which landed in a low

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-89012036277683760512010-11-13T21:54:00.000-08:002010-11-13T21:54:39.292-08:00

Ewan had his four-month check-up on Thursday. He weighed in at 18 pounds, 5 ounces (97%+). He is 25.5 inches long(60%), and has a head circumference of 16.75 inches(60%). I think we'll remeasure his height this week because I thought he was 25.5 inches at three months, and we feel like our nurse never really straightens him out. Anyway, he is still off the charts for weight, and Fat Back

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-41720995309141236672010-11-12T20:57:00.000-08:002010-11-12T20:57:29.231-08:00

Ewan started swimming lessons two weeks ago at age 15 weeks.  We wanted to start a little sooner, but unfortunately, the instructor was busy and didn't start our class right away.  He really seems to enjoy it, but 30 minutes in the pool can be a little long if naps and eating don't line-up quite right.  He has been submerged by the instructor once during each class, and this is a video combining

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-20519434516028803442010-11-11T09:33:00.000-08:002010-11-11T09:33:45.054-08:00

I didn't buy Ewan a pumpkin until October 31st.  Yes, we went to the pumpkin patch a week before Halloween, but the line to buy pumpkins was ridiculously long, so I just bought him one the following weekend from the same farm at the Farmer's Market near our house.  I got a few cute pictures of him holding it. 

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-38782564514347691462010-11-10T20:51:00.000-08:002010-12-17T10:20:26.025-08:00

I was in the mood for pumpkin bread the other day, but when I tried to find a recipe, they all seemed to have much more sugar than necessary.  Most recipes I found used nearly a one to one ratio of sugar and flour.  I won't deny I have a sweet tooth, but I wasn't looking for a recipe for Pumpkin Cake, I just wanted Pumpkin Bread.  So, I decided to remake my zucchini-banana-walnut-currant bread

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-60283520663850694842010-11-09T20:53:00.000-08:002010-11-09T20:53:39.418-08:00

My brilliant husband Fat Back just passed his Qualifying Exam this afternoon!  We are very proud of him.  He called me to tell me the good news, and then he said the other good news was that everyone said it should take him another eight years to finish his Ph.D.  Haha.

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-42019316433062072012010-11-08T20:40:00.000-08:002010-11-08T20:42:15.154-08:00

I tried to get together a Mommy and Baby Pint Night tonight at Hollister Brewery. Only two Moms out of the forty or so I emailed were interested, and only one showed up. It was still fun though, and a good way to give Fat Back some quiet time. The other baby who attended pint night is named Charlie- Charlie and Ewan like the Long Way Around and Long Way Down motorcycle documentaries. I

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-73050702254598847532010-11-07T21:27:00.000-08:002010-11-07T21:27:58.222-08:00

This morning I made pumpkin pancakes with whipped cream, eggs, and bacon for breakfast. Thanks to Ewan forgetting about the time change and waking up at 5, then napping at 6:30, we were finished with breakfast by 7:45, and Chester had already had his two-mile walk. Lately, we have been making the whole wheat pancakes from Nourishing Traditions, a birthday gift from Billstron and Krista last

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-26154842730397756962010-11-06T21:35:00.000-07:002010-11-06T21:51:25.304-07:00

Today Ewan and I volunteered at the Santa Barbara Marathon and Half Marathon with my friend Judy.  Fat Back has been quite busy preparing for his Qualifying Exam (which isn't actually an exam, so kind of an odd name for it- but that's another topic), which is why Ewan came along to be the youngest volunteer at the marathon.  It was close to perfect marathon weather, about 60 degrees, overcast,

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-90149254856281645832010-11-05T22:19:00.000-07:002010-11-05T22:19:09.145-07:00

As I said in an earlier post this week, I currently have a knee injury. This has sidelined my running for now (hopefully not for long). Unfortunatley, it seems that my knee is going to feel worse before it gets better. Until this week, I had never even heard of the IT Band, and now I am working several times a day on loosening it. I am not going to add a definition of it here, just know that

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-5828742128948102302010-11-04T21:27:00.000-07:002010-11-04T21:27:34.265-07:00

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-56377518789738837352010-11-03T21:57:00.000-07:002010-11-03T21:57:26.054-07:00

I have been running in my Vibram 5 Fingers for just about two months now.  I bought them about six weeks after giving birth and walked in them for a couple of weeks before I went on my first run.  It was a great time to break them in since I needed to get back into running slowly following my c-section, and the shoes require one to break them in slowly since they work so many muscles that pretty

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-92093924526442658192010-11-02T20:00:00.000-07:002010-11-02T20:00:07.168-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Ewan's first Halloween costume, A Sock Monkey, (taken the weekend before Halloween). My Mom knitted him the hat, and I made the rest.  We went to Lane's Pumpkin Patch, about five miles from our condo. It looked like a really fun place for kids to visit (kids a little older than Ewan). They had a corn maze that took us about 20 minutes to solve. I never would have

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-90894078460944909912010-11-01T22:13:00.000-07:002010-11-02T13:03:47.933-07:00

I've decided to join in the NaBloPoMo this year, and attempt to post something everyday during the month of November. You'll probably only get iPhone photos (if I can even post photos from my phone). Ewan has taken to long bedtime nursing, during which times I either do things on my iPhone, read, or fall asleep.  I think this is a good time to update the blog if possible.  I'm hoping the

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6596886869514575563.post-48086315016719511532010-10-28T10:42:00.000-07:002010-10-28T10:42:13.028-07:00

Yesterday, I went to Oak Park to eat my lunch between my Mom's group and yoga. Ewan practiced rolling over (he can get onto his side now, but his arm blocks any further progress). I decided to just walk the five blocks to yoga rather then drive closer. I put Ewan in the sling and definitely had my hands full with the diaper bag and my yoga mat. On my walk, I met an older couple. The woman

Abacushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04615182683075895891noreply@blogger.com1