Lindsey, Ken & Morgan's new baby girl arrived yesterday at 2:50pm at Albany General Hospital in Albany, OR. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20.5 inches long.
As you can see, I am quite the proud auntie. :)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Baby Shower For Lindsey
My good friend from college, Carrie and I got together and planned a shower for Lindsey, whose second baby will soon be making her appearance in all of our lives. Carrie's mom graciously offered to have the shower at her home in Albany, and really, we couldn't have found a better place to have it. Her parents have a beautiful home with the largest backyard I think I have ever seen within city limits. If the weather cooperated, the plan was to make it a garden party, with guests relaxing in lawn chairs under spreading tree branches.
It didn't rain, but the forecast called for cloudy coolness and we decided to let Lindsey decide whether she wanted to have it indoors or outdoors. Being the guest of honor as well as 9 months pregnant, we figured she should make the call. I was happy when she chose to have it outside. I had already peeked out back and seen the lawn chairs that Carrie and her mom had set up. They looked so inviting that I thought something would be missing from the party if we gathered inside instead.
Carrie's mom made a lovely chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, and decorated it with iced circus animal cookies--a brilliant choice. The effect was stunning--simple, yet festive.
There was a fruit platter of pineapple and watermelon wedges and both red and green grapes. Carrie's parents donated their garden-fresh cucumbers, peppers and cherry tomatoes to a veggie tray and Carrie and I kept snacking out of it as we were assembling everything.
I made a punch with 7-UP, Hawaiian punch and orange sherbet, and was thrilled about using the crystal punch bowl and cups that I got awhile back and had not yet had occasion to use. Carrie brought her beautiful crystal dessert plates, each with a circular ridge for the cup to rest on. With all of the dainty dessert things, it really felt like a tea party and set the mood just right.
Guest arrived and were given instructions to choose a name tag and select a paper basket that included the things each person would need later to play party games. We also asked each person to guess the number of Hershey's kisses in a glass container--whoever guessed closest to the actual amount (176) would get to take it home.
Another game we played involved a "buzz" word. Carrie and I chose the word "cute" as the off-limits word for the duration of the party, as it seemed like a word that most of us would use at a baby shower--especially during the gift opening part. Every guest had a colorful flower or butterfly barrette to wear in her hair or on her person, and if she got caught saying the word, she would have to surrender her barrette. The person with the most at the end of the shower would get a prize. I was surprised at the intensity with which some guests played this game. They were on a mission to catch the word cute, and woe to you if you said it! And hand over your barrette too! :)
Lindsey and the baby got lots and lots of sweet, precious, adorable (but not cute) items, and lots of ooohing and aaahing was to be had all around, as tends to be the case with baby showers everywhere.
The game that got everyone's blood pumping was one I had never played. Carrie had played it at a different shower and said it was a lot of fun--and very competitive. She was certainly right! Two miniature laundry baskets held 9 pairs of socks each. Two women would play at a time in a race against the clock and each other. We gave them 30 seconds to match the socks with the winner being the one who did it the fastest. It didn't take long to discover that there were some veteran sock matchers (moms) among us. Those ladies hands flew as they scrambled to find matches. We ended up having to have several "sock-offs" and reduced the time given to 10 seconds. The high energy and cheering was reminiscent of childhood games, and I realized that I miss having that in my life as a thirty-something woman. I don't know about anyone else, but I definitely need to incorporate some of that youthful cheer into my life again so I stay young-at-heart as the years continue to go by.
The party went on for just about 2 hours and when the first person left, it must have rung an unseen bell, reminding everyone of other things they needed to do. Everyone but Carrie, her mom, Lindsey and me left in a mass exodus, which ended up being rather nice. The four of us relaxed under the leafy branches of the fruit trees and chatted together while the wind blew gently around us. We took our time, knowing the clean-up could wait, and those moments together in the backyard were some of my favorite of the whole day.
I left for home later that night, content that we had squeezed the baby shower in among the activities of all of our busy lives. I was happy not only that it had been a wonderful party, but that I had been able to spend some time with friends dear to my heart. And I hoped that this new baby could feel the love and excitement of all of the party guests and know that she is welcome here.
It didn't rain, but the forecast called for cloudy coolness and we decided to let Lindsey decide whether she wanted to have it indoors or outdoors. Being the guest of honor as well as 9 months pregnant, we figured she should make the call. I was happy when she chose to have it outside. I had already peeked out back and seen the lawn chairs that Carrie and her mom had set up. They looked so inviting that I thought something would be missing from the party if we gathered inside instead.
Carrie's mom made a lovely chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, and decorated it with iced circus animal cookies--a brilliant choice. The effect was stunning--simple, yet festive.
There was a fruit platter of pineapple and watermelon wedges and both red and green grapes. Carrie's parents donated their garden-fresh cucumbers, peppers and cherry tomatoes to a veggie tray and Carrie and I kept snacking out of it as we were assembling everything.
I made a punch with 7-UP, Hawaiian punch and orange sherbet, and was thrilled about using the crystal punch bowl and cups that I got awhile back and had not yet had occasion to use. Carrie brought her beautiful crystal dessert plates, each with a circular ridge for the cup to rest on. With all of the dainty dessert things, it really felt like a tea party and set the mood just right.
Guest arrived and were given instructions to choose a name tag and select a paper basket that included the things each person would need later to play party games. We also asked each person to guess the number of Hershey's kisses in a glass container--whoever guessed closest to the actual amount (176) would get to take it home.
Another game we played involved a "buzz" word. Carrie and I chose the word "cute" as the off-limits word for the duration of the party, as it seemed like a word that most of us would use at a baby shower--especially during the gift opening part. Every guest had a colorful flower or butterfly barrette to wear in her hair or on her person, and if she got caught saying the word, she would have to surrender her barrette. The person with the most at the end of the shower would get a prize. I was surprised at the intensity with which some guests played this game. They were on a mission to catch the word cute, and woe to you if you said it! And hand over your barrette too! :)
Lindsey and the baby got lots and lots of sweet, precious, adorable (but not cute) items, and lots of ooohing and aaahing was to be had all around, as tends to be the case with baby showers everywhere.
The game that got everyone's blood pumping was one I had never played. Carrie had played it at a different shower and said it was a lot of fun--and very competitive. She was certainly right! Two miniature laundry baskets held 9 pairs of socks each. Two women would play at a time in a race against the clock and each other. We gave them 30 seconds to match the socks with the winner being the one who did it the fastest. It didn't take long to discover that there were some veteran sock matchers (moms) among us. Those ladies hands flew as they scrambled to find matches. We ended up having to have several "sock-offs" and reduced the time given to 10 seconds. The high energy and cheering was reminiscent of childhood games, and I realized that I miss having that in my life as a thirty-something woman. I don't know about anyone else, but I definitely need to incorporate some of that youthful cheer into my life again so I stay young-at-heart as the years continue to go by.
The party went on for just about 2 hours and when the first person left, it must have rung an unseen bell, reminding everyone of other things they needed to do. Everyone but Carrie, her mom, Lindsey and me left in a mass exodus, which ended up being rather nice. The four of us relaxed under the leafy branches of the fruit trees and chatted together while the wind blew gently around us. We took our time, knowing the clean-up could wait, and those moments together in the backyard were some of my favorite of the whole day.
I left for home later that night, content that we had squeezed the baby shower in among the activities of all of our busy lives. I was happy not only that it had been a wonderful party, but that I had been able to spend some time with friends dear to my heart. And I hoped that this new baby could feel the love and excitement of all of the party guests and know that she is welcome here.
Chloe and Mama
Chloe has been a bit neglected since Flynn joined our lives. In the beginning, I had visions of one or both of them getting hurt by the other, since Chloe is such a strange cat anyway and has never been around a dog, and Flynn is so much like a bull in a china shop sometimes. So for the first few months he was with us, Flynn had the run of the downstairs and Chloe was delegated to the upstairs. I felt badly about this arrangement, but didn't know what else to do. Chloe would come down the stairs in the evenings after I got home from work and peer at me through the baby gate. I took the gate down a few times when Flynn was on his bed, but it was with much trepidation and as soon as he turned his head toward her or tried to get up, I was right there putting the gate back up. I could just see her clawing his one good eye or him stepping on her or heaven forbid, biting her. A trip to the vet was definitely not what we needed.
After more time had passed, I got the idea of putting Flynn on his bed, away from the stairs and once he was asleep, I took down the baby gate. Chloe would creep down the stairs and cautiously explore the dining room and kitchen, all the while keeping a lookout for trouble. I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, "Hey, this is MY house. I remember this place. I just haven't been here in forever!" Poor Chloe. It was to my joy that I discovered that Chloe really wasn't that afraid of Flynn (as long as he is lying down and as long as he is not wearing his cone--once the cone is on, forget it) and Flynn could really care less about her. Maybe it is because of his advanced age, but now he'll be on his bed and she'll walk within inches of him and he won't even lift his head. I am so happy!
She still doesn't get the attention she used to get, but that is largely due to my work hours leaving very little time for much else in the evenings besides cooking and eating dinner. And now sometimes, while we catch a little t.v. before bed, she'll come downstairs and jump up on my lap for awhile. Just like the old days.
After more time had passed, I got the idea of putting Flynn on his bed, away from the stairs and once he was asleep, I took down the baby gate. Chloe would creep down the stairs and cautiously explore the dining room and kitchen, all the while keeping a lookout for trouble. I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind, "Hey, this is MY house. I remember this place. I just haven't been here in forever!" Poor Chloe. It was to my joy that I discovered that Chloe really wasn't that afraid of Flynn (as long as he is lying down and as long as he is not wearing his cone--once the cone is on, forget it) and Flynn could really care less about her. Maybe it is because of his advanced age, but now he'll be on his bed and she'll walk within inches of him and he won't even lift his head. I am so happy!
She still doesn't get the attention she used to get, but that is largely due to my work hours leaving very little time for much else in the evenings besides cooking and eating dinner. And now sometimes, while we catch a little t.v. before bed, she'll come downstairs and jump up on my lap for awhile. Just like the old days.
Michael's 37th Birthday
Since the deck is still in phase one of its renovation, we decided not to make Michael's birthday celebration a family affair this year. It would have gotten awfully crowded if everyone had to cram into our living and dining room areas.
Instead, the day after the air show, we had John, Amy & Kaiden over to our house for barbecued chicken, roasted red potatoes with garlic (M's favorite), salad, and an extra special lemon "cooler" cake that Michael picked out from Costco. The cake was surprisingly good--with just the right amount of sweetness.
The next day, on his actual birthday, we had more cake and M opened his gifts from me: a new video game (Red Dead Redemption) and guitar lessons from Five Star Guitars in Hillsboro. Playing his guitar is one of Michael's big stress relievers, and since he has been playing so much lately, I thought he might want to get a lesson or two. He likes to listen to music and play along with it--a skill that I am envious of to no end. I am pretty much a sheet music kind of girl, but Michael has the gift of being able to sit down and pick out chords to just about anything. Lucky dog. Maybe these lessons will inspire him to join a band . . . ? We shall see.
The Friday after his birthday, my parents came over and the four of us went out to dinner to celebrate again. There's a new Mexican restaurant that we had been to once before over on TV Hwy in Hillsboro and we decided to try it out again and get Mom and Dad's opinion as well. (Plus, when Michael and I had been there before, someone had celebrated a birthday and the restaurant staff sang and made a ruckus and I SO wanted to do that for Michael, especially since he had had such a "quiet" birthday at home).
The food was amazing (I am sold on their chicken fajitas) and Mom and Dad said their margaritas were very, very good. I let our waiter know that Michael was celebrating a birthday and sure enough, after we had eaten, the entire wait staff came to our table and adorned the birthday boy with a large sombrero and enormous clown glasses. He accepted them good-naturedly, and we all sang "Happy Birthday" and clapped for him.
I think the best thing happened as we were leaving. Our waiter (who was obviously still in the process of learning English as he had made a couple of mistakes earlier with our food & drink order), wished Michael a "Happy New Year." The waiter realized his error right away and corrected himself, but I thought it was a sweet mistake. It reminded me of saying the "wrong" thing a few times the year I was living in France. Michael thought it was funny and sweet, too, and it ended the evening on a humorous note.
I think, all in all, that it was a good 37th birthday. :)
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