A Flyin' Good Time

I KNOW! ABOUT TIME! Goodness, it’s been forever! I’ve been wanting to post plenty of times but not having internet plays a BIG factor. (who’d of thought?) Let’s just say going to sit in a coffee shop with a toddler who is way too busy to sit and let mom upload pics just hasn’t been the first thing on my “to-do list”. But, I am going to start finding ways to do this. Like my brother told me, there are too many people outside of Alaska who want to see my Handsome. He said this because he wanted me to post more on my Instagram.

Well, onto the reason for this blog. Handsome is 2! My goodness! It just goes by WAY too fast and they change WAY too much. This birthday was so much more fun to plan than last year’s. I decided on an airplane theme since that’s one of Ashdon’s favorite things. I looked on Pinterest for inspiration (of course) and fell in love with the colors orange and blue. So, on we went from there.

 The piñata. Who doesn’t like a piñata? Come on?

 Handsome liked a little too much. He was pretty bummed when it had been decapitated.

So thankful for my hubby who helped me with the lot of airplanes we made for the favor bags. They were the biggest hit of all! And the extras I have lying around will go in handsome’s room.

 It was a blast. We got lots of great feedback on how fun and cute everything was. But most of all, Handsome had a blast. Even though he wasn’t a fan of the bounce house. (it’s ok. I got it for a GREAT price) So that’s what matters most: Handsome enjoyed it and mommy didn’t pull her hair out nor did she shed a tear.

...The Best Is Yet To Come.

Smile and Wave

I know it has been forever since I've posted. Life has it's up's and down's and not everything needs to be written. In other words, I needed to keep myself quiet for a while. A lot of, really, nothing has been going on until this past week. The job search has ended. (thank you Lord.) But, there's still a waiting period. It's gonna be a while until we see ourselves moving forward financially. I keep telling myself what I told Hubby, "We're getting closer." Closer to our own place, closer to Ashdon's own room, closer to our own kitchen, closer to US. 

This past Saturday the town of Palmer celebrated "Colony Days". I honestly don't remember what it was for but they had stuff going on all over town all weekend. Everything from craft shows, reindeer, and ice sculptors. Santa even came down from the North Pole. (Not THAT far from here) They ended the celebration with a parade through the town. Which brings our adventure. My father-in-law scored us a beautiful fire truck to ride in through the parade. So we went to the station, they washed the truck and in we piled. 

Handsome LOVED the truck. He mainly loved all of the flashing lights. He would see the other trucks and start jumping up and down at their lights. He got a window seat on his Tia's lap and looked out the window at all the kids waving at the fire truck. Along with the parade to end the night, God decided to add His spin. Everyone here can't understand how there has not been snow. Normally, or so they say, by Halloween there is permanent snow on the ground and it will last all season. Well, it hasn't been that way and I can't say I'm complaining. Although it would be nice to have something cover all the deadness in the trees, we don't have the money for snow tires yet. But, as we were waiting for the parade to start, God blew through the clouds and there it came. A beautiful mist as the parade went on. It warmed my heart to know all of these kids that were sitting out in the cold with their big coats were not only getting to see the trucks and Santa, but also the snow fall. It was a beautiful sight.
Handsome has grown very fond of lights. Mainly ceiling light fixtures. He'll point up and say "what's that?" or EVERY time we get in a car and the lights go on "What's That?" Of course he knows its a light but still, he wants our reaction. He absolutely LOVES music. It makes me so happy! He here's any music and he gets a huge grin and begins dancing. He's hilarious!

...The Best Is Yet To Come

First Halloween

{even Yoda knows to have a nice warm cup of milk before bed}

The night came and went in a flash. You probably wouldn't believe that last night was my very first time going out for Halloween. It was a pleasure to share a first with my little Handsome. We weren't planning on going out, but the Harvest Festival at the church was cancelled so we couldn't let Handsome's cute little costume go to waste. Trick or Treating is still in question for me. I never celebrated Halloween as a kid, never dressed up, never took candy from people. And, although its hard to believe, I don't feel deprived of some amazing experience. Just like I don't feel hurt that my parents never taught me that Santa, the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny were real. I was always told the truth and I really do thank my Padres for that. 

Anywho, our plan was to be Star Wars characters because of the costume we had bought. After lots of things going on the past weeks, Hubby and I didn't search for our own costumes. We were getting ready to take Handsome to the Palmer Fire Department with his cousins, (where Hubby, his brother, and his dad have all been firefighters) and we decided to look in our closet for make-shift costumes. It was worth the late hustle and bustle. Lots of people loved our costumes.

Trial And Error

From breastfeeding to formula to solids, the one phrase my sis (the baby whisperer) always told me was "It sucks, but it's all trial and error." Trying to see what I could eat that wouldn't upset his tummy, then dealing with a baby who cries all night due to his tummy not taking good to the new substance. Or trying out new baby foods and watching out for allergies or changes in his diaper filling. And FORMULA. Oh, Lord. We went through so many heart-breaking trials. Poor handsome would break out in a rash all over and even got to the point of throwing up an entire 6 oz bottle. Thankfully we found a formula that worked (after many failed attempts). Our switch to milk has been a breeze. I was very worried he wouldn't take good to it for the fact that it was SOY formula that we had been using.

 I am not allergic to anything. My brother inherited my mothers allergies and I guess I inherited my dad's. (none) Unfortunately, Hubby does have an allergy I am not fond of at all. Cats. I am a cat lover. Seriously, when I get old, I'm sure I will be that cat lady. So to find out that Hubby was allergic was almost a deal-breaker. What can I say? I have to have a cat.

{Hansdome at 6mo with an allergy to formula}

So with this trial and error journey we found we have another allergy. Last week, while babysitting, I made Handsome a PB&J sammich. While feeding it to him I noticed he had some red spots around his mouth so we put the sandwich away. The jelly had apricots so I thought that may have been what it was since he had the same reaction to apricots before. I kept thinking what if its the peanut butter. I was hoping that wasn't it because I know how much of a hassle a peanut allergy is. Well, yesterday we had Peanut Butter-Jelly time again. I wasn't worried since I figured the apricots were the reason he broke out the last time. He ate an entire sandwich.

 It was maybe 10 min after he had finished that I noticed some red on his face. I could also see a little red on the back of his neck. I told Fancy Man to help me take his clothes off. As soon as the close came off, the itching began. He was covered in what looked like hundreds of little mosquito bites. He began to frantically scratch every where. I was very worried that if it were a severe allergy his tongue would swell or he wouldn't be able to breathe, so I payed careful attention to his breathing and the inside of his mouth. All this happened right before nap time so him being tired made him very whiny. I wasn't sure I wanted him to nap because I wanted to make sure it wasn't getting worse. The bumps settled a little so i decided he needed to nap it off. I ended up staying home (we go to a church here in town on wednesdays) to keep an eye on him and give him a bath. Unfortunately, we missed the announcement to the Youth group of Hubby becoming the new Youth Pastor. Yay. So, we're not sure whether Handsome is allergic to peanut butter or jelly, but I think it's the dreaded peanut allergy. I'm just glad it's a light allergy where we didn't have to take him to the hospital.

{After his nap, bumps were all gone and the rash was actually better}

...The Best Is Yet To Come