Ari ZONE a

While Justin was on training detail in San Francisco, Koen and I decided to take a trip down to Arizona for 10 days and soak in some sunshine. Yes, this dry desert zone puts a smile on my face when Hood River has nothing to offer but gray, drizzle and dreary. Last time I was here I was 6 months pregnant and looked about 8 months pregnant by the time I came back home. Sunshine, heat and palm trees are surely what I signed up for on this trip. That's why when it snowed on day two of my vacation I was imagining myself and a battered cartoon version of the storm cloud in a dark, urban underground venue laying it out full-on Fight Club style. The storm was brief though and I was back in tee shirt and shorts for the remainder of the trip. Koen thrived taking in all the new sights, textures and sounds. He thoroughly enjoyed the pool at the RV Park where my parents are staying, otherwise known as Grand-Coco-pah, where in order to obtain membership you must be 80, or wear Depends, or look as if you had a day tour on the sun itself (sans sunscreen), or own a dog the size of a cat or smaller in which you cart around in a baby stroller or bejeweled mobi wrap, or have invested in a set of veneers, or own a set of golf clubs particularly if you don't own a cat-sized dog, or have at least 9 great grand children, or can't figure out why the corrupt state government took away your drivers license but you still drive anyway, or you are retired. My parents fall under the retired category. Ko and I stayed on the Marine Corp Air Station base in Yuma, which was a great experience. I took him on daily walks to the park where he enjoyed the bucket swing and slide for the first time and he love, love, loved it. I have awesome video of him laughing hysterically. We ate well, slept well, enjoyed long walks and hikes, and my little guy was an absolute champ. He owed me. The plane ride from Eugene to Phoenix was a bit like labor; horribly painful for Mom until baby landed, only during labor I didn't have 20 onlookers, so I think the plane ride was worse. I was considering making it a one way ticket, but alas a taxi ride back to Oregon would have been a budget buster. I think he sensed my dread because he was an angel on the way back and I am no longer afraid to fly with a baby.

Alfalfa!

Justin and I are hoping Koen keeps his little mini mohawk. It's the cutest!

Regal Roxy cat with halo of light, unedited

7 1/2 months young

Snow Day . Koen is 7 1/2 months old

Hood River got dumped on last week, so we took advantage of the photo opportunity. Koen didn't act like the snow was any big deal; he was just happy to get out of the house and get some fresh air. His snow suit is adorable (another great Goodwill find) and I will cry when he outgrows it. This little guy is quickly exiting the infant baby stage. He's crawling all over the place and I long for the days that I could leave him in the middle of the living room to take a pee and know he would be alright. Time to set up the pack 'n play, his small baby prison. He's going to love it!

He eats!

I was going to wait until Koen was 6 months old before introducing him to solids, but I figured he was clearly more than ready when he grabbed the spoon off my plate and shoved it in his mouth like a dang toddler. So at a little less than 5 1/2 months old he got to try his first bland taste of Earth's Best rice cereal. It was a resounding success and seemed like he'd been eating that way from birth. He's pictured here on day 3 with Daddy feeding him for the first time.

Baby room on a budget

Now that I am not working, it's more important than ever to get creative and save money wherever I can. The baby's room has been a work in progress and is about 95% complete. I was able to make it look pretty cool without breaking the bank. The crib, mattress, changing table and cushion with two covers were purchased at a garage sale for $90. Not bad in my opinion; that full setup would easily have cost more than $500 at Baby's R Us brand new and it looks barely used second hand. I hand painted the tree using leftover house paint and I made the grommet curtains from scratch with really high quality fabric I picked up at a garage sale for $5. The grommets were $8, curtain rod and hardware was $12 at Walmart. Everything else in the room is borrowed, gifted, and used. If you would have asked me 5 years ago whether I would be this stereotypical domesticated mother and housewife I would have laughed in your face... wow, how things have changed.

Spoiled rotten

How the heck did we get so lucky as parents? We just got back from Seaside, Oregon where we celebrated Justin's 32nd birthday; this was our first family trip out of town and it was an opportunity to see how Koen would fare with the two of us in a hotel room for a couple nights. I was blown away at how adaptable this 5 month old angel really is. Dang, there is no way we could possibly be blessed with another child as easy as this kid. On the 2 1/2 hour drive he slept, and when he was awake he just stared out the window laughing occasionally at who knows what. His bedtime got all screwed up and yet he didn't skip a beat, sleeping through the night and even giving us a chance to sleep in til 8! When the icy cold winter wind blasted his face he just squinted his eyes and carried on. I kept wondering at what point he would break down from all this new stimulation, especially since we had him strapped into the car seat and stroller 90% of the time, but it didn't happen. He flirted with waitresses and passersby, soaked in the views of the ocean and downtown Seaside, and waited patiently in my arms while I scoured the racks at the local Goodwill. This kid is amazing. Justin had a wonderful time finally getting some extended quality time with his family. I enjoyed the help from Daddy and was able to enjoy a long shower, eat my meals slowly, and give the arms a break. So how did this trip rate? 9 out of 10. I had to take a point off because we booked a budget hotel and, ahem, you didn't need a black light to uncover some of the goodies that somehow eluded the housekeepers.