Friday, March 31, 2006

CHOCOLATE FOR KIAN! and an update on Toby

Kian will have Chocolate for Easter!!!!!!! :)

As you all know Kian is severely allergic to peanuts - which extends to all nuts since they are usually processed together...and since chocolate is processed with nuts most of the time that has ruled out Kian even having a taste of it.

WELL, on my message board for people who had babies in May 04 someone asked if you were going to give your child candy for Easter. I posted that all I could do was Peeps because we can't do chocolate and most other candy is too hard for him to have.

A friend of mine on my board found this company that is COMPLETELY NUT FREE! They have a webpage so you can order things directly from them! Here is the link: http://www.vermontnutfree.com/index.htm The prices are very reasonable and the shipping seems to be a flat fee of $6.95! I have already placed an order for Easter :) I'm so excited that Kian will be able to have his first taste of chocolate and that there is now a place where we can get it from for a reasonable price AND worry free that Kian will have a reaction!!!!!! :)

Update on Toby

He's doing very well! We have to give him some stomach meds for a week which is not all that fun. I have become the medicine giver around here lol! One of the meds is a tablet that we have to dissolve in a water filled syringe and squirt it in his mouth. Let me tell you, his mouth is like a steel trapped door after having to give him this three times a day over the last few days! I also have to make sure that he doesn't eat 2-3 hours before he has it or and hour afterwards. At least we are close to being done with it all! He is also taking Pepcid AC! Yep, the human stuff...just once a day. Thank God Target had a generic brand because that stuff is expensive! Anyway, the vomitting has stopped and he's totally like himself.

Also, the vet that saw him called the day after he was seen to make sure he was doing well! I feel very good about bringing our animals there because they honestly seem to care a lot (but then again this might be standard for all vets as we have never had an emergency before like this). I also talked to her about what could have caused the ulsers and said I was concered that Kian might be causing him stress. The vet responded by saying, "I doubt it's your son. Labs are a type of breed that you can drop a brick on their head and they won't care." LOL! I told her that was true! She said that he might have got into something or it might have been some kind of cleaner... she said a lot of times they never find out what caused the problem. She also said that a lot of times dogs need a little help getting over something like this and that's what the week long taking meds is going to do for him. She said if he started getting sick again to call and they would find out exactly what was going on. Hopefully and prayerfully he's gotten over this and he won't have any more issues :)

Monday, March 27, 2006

Toby’s Visit to the Pet Hospital


Yesterday Toby vomited and it looked like blood was in it. Jamie and I decided to wait it out and see how he was doing. Today he vomited 5 times and the last time it looked like blood was in it…it was already 5PM and I wasn’t sure what to do…Jamie wouldn’t be home until 7ish. So I called a vet we were suggested by someone at Petco and the vet tech was great at answering my questions and helping me decide what I needed to do. Ended up that me and Kian rushed out the door to take Toby there and Jamie was going meet us there. We didn’t arrive until 6ish and Toby wasn’t seen until 8ish so it was good that Kian and I left! (Kian’s bed time is 7).

Toby is ok. They took x-rays to see if there was an obstruction – thinking he could have swallowed something. He was clear. They did say that he might have an ulcer so we are giving him some meds as well as OTC Pepcid lol They also pumped him full of fluids to help him out since he vomited so much today. Hopefully that will help with the vomiting and he can get back to normal a bit (and I can stop cleaning up vomited and running for papertowels!). The vet does want us to call her tomorrow to let her know how Toby is – if he’s any worse we have to bring him back in.

Jamie and I were both very impressed with this place – plus they are a hospital so they are open 24 hours….of course things are more after 7PM but at least we know they are there and we trust them.

Friends, Dancing and New Words!

Steve and Lisa ETA May 1st!!!!!!!!

Steve and Jamie worked at Oddworld together and became great friends – I too became very good friends with Steve’s fiancĂ© Lisa. This was all before Kian was born! They were actually at the hospital and saw Kian before I had a chance to after surgery! So, they have been a big part of our lives since we moved to Cali. Steve took a job in Seattle last year before Oddworld shut down so they moved far away. Through the distance we still remained close. Lisa’s family lives in San Jose so when they would visit them they would stop by here for a visit.

Well, last week was the GDC (Game Developers Conference) and Steve flew down for that. He also interviewed and was hired on at Perpetual which is in San Francisco! They expect to be back in the area by May 1st! We are so excited that they are coming back down here! Kian and Steve had a GREAT time together when Lisa and he visited us on Friday night (Lisa was down here doing wedding stuff so we got a visit from both of them!) I know Kian can’t WAIT for Uncle Steve to be back in the area :) Not to mention, now Kian will have more people at his second birthday party which will now seem more like a party with Steve, Lisa, Jamie, Kian, Jamie’s mom, and me :)

Kian’s Dancing

Kian LOVES to dance! In the last week he’s become a Dance Machine! hehe He is dancing to music on commercials, music from toys, literally anything that plays music lol! And when he dances he looks more like he’s doing a work out with the way he swings his arms around and stomps the floor…with a HUGE grin too hehe He’s such a cutie!

Plane-plane and Nin-nin

Kian has started to identify airplanes and helicopters! It’s pretty exciting since we live fairly close to the San Jose airport. Yesterday I was outside pulling weeds and had the door open and a plane flew over. Kian pointed to it and said “plane-plane” – it was the first time he ever said it!

Also, in the last week he has started saying “nin-nin” when he is done eating! He has been doing the sign for finished for quite some time and now he has started saying “nin-nin” with it! He sure is branching out and saying a lot more.

I almost forgot that he is also trying to say the ABC’s! I have been singing it with him a lot lately. He doesn’t have the letters right but I can tell by how he’s saying the random letters that he is really trying to sing it! hopefully we can get him to start saying them right hehe

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Corned Beef, Turning Pages and ABC's

Kian Loves Corned Beef!

Kian hasn’t been eating well these days… I guess another stage in toddlerhood. I made corned beef and mashed potatoes and corn for St. Pat’s day. I got a corned Beef Brisket from Trader Joe’s and let me say that we will do it again next year! The spices they added to the brine were AMAZING! Not to mention Kian devoured it! He also loves mashed potatoes and corn. When he would sign to me he was finished, there would only be a few piece of meat left on his plate! I guess his wee bit o’ Irish is coming through with that corned beef and potatoes hehe

I also made a WONDERFUL Irish Soda bread. It’s SO easy and really really yummy! It honestly is better than a family recipe I made from my Grandma Kesler’s cookbook – sorry but it’s true! Here is the recipe in case you want it. I got it from www.foodtv.com

Marilyn O'Reilly's Irish Soda Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, optional
1 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix.

Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.

Stir in the caraway seeds if used and the raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber spatula.

Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.

Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter and bitter orange marmalade.

Turning Pages

Since Kian was about 3 months old we have had the same bed time routine (well, pretty much the same minus breastfeeding and a sippy cup now). We get him in the bath, dress him, read him a story while he hugs his blanket and sucks his binky, a little bit of rocking and then lay him down. Jamie usually reads him his story. It’s the same story every night, “Guess How Much I Love You.” A few nights ago Kian was holding the book and as Jamie read Kian turned the page at the right time – EVERY time lol! Last night Jamie was out with some friends so I read him his story and he did it for me too! I have to say that I’m not surprised he has memorized that story since I know it by heart – but where the page turns are! Wow! hehe There is even a part that says Big Nutbrown Hare “leaned over and kissed him goodnight.” And we always kiss Kian’s head when we read that. Now Kian leans over to us when he knows the kiss is coming! He is such a smarty pants! :)

Alphabet!

Kian is now starting to recognize letters and putting sounds to them! He has letters that he plays with in his bath and we talk about different letters throughout the day. His first letter was “S” which he makes the sound for it by putting his tongue in between his teeth and blowing lol At least he’s making the sound! He also knows the letter “P” and says “pah” when she sees it.

Yesterday he just started saying sock which he says “sah” but he’s close enough hehe He can identify it without prompting too! I guess putting on his socks and shoes a million times have helped that lol

We just ordered a DVD through ebay for him where Blue from Blue’s clues teaches the alphabet. Jamie and I figured that it was a good way for him to learn it while he’s watching his favorite show from time to time! :)

Speaking of identifying things, when I shower I put on Baby Einstein DVD’s for Kian. The latest one we have is called Things that Go and it’s all about forms of transportation. Today we as we were getting out of the car he heard a helicopter and Kian stood there pointing at it! He was excited but he was kind of wondering where it went when he got out of sight lol It’s amazing what he has picked up just from watching certain shows!

Friday, March 17, 2006

Kian’s 2nd St. Patrick’s Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone!

I hope you’re wearing green or a leprechaun might come and bite your toes lol (I just made that up! hehe!) Even Jamie is wearing his Jameson Irish Whiskey shirt today…Kian has his new St. Pat’s Day shirt from Old Navy on and I of course am wearing green as well :)

Well, this morning we started off with me attempting to make shamrock shaped pancakes…not sure how in the world the little video I saw of it was made so perfect - I need to practice I guess lol Then I made cupcakes with little green sprinkles on top (I did not attempt shamrocks this time lol) and then off to make a very easy Irish Soda Bread recipe I found at www.foodtv.com! It looks good and got some great reviews so I hope it tastes good! :) And right now I have my corned beef in my crockpot – the aroma is filling the house! I hope tonight’s meal goes over well :)

Other than that, we are kind of taking it easy at home today. I unfortunately caught Kian’s bug and am feeling a bit run down. But we are celebrating nonetheless!

Nothing else to really report here! Same old stuff really…just add in lots of rain and that’s us in Cali hehe

I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!

ERIN GO BRAUGH! (that’s Gaelic for Ireland Forever in case you didn’t know hehe)

Friday, March 03, 2006

Blue's Clues and Language :)

Blue’s Clues Education and our little Blue’s Clues Nut!

For some reason it came to my mind that maybe not everyone is familiar with Blue’s Clues hehe Here is a link to the official website of the show http://www.nickjr.com/home/shows/blue/index.jhtml There is an interview with the creators of the show as well as some other tidbits.

Here’s a bit of a run down of what the show is about:

The show is about a blue dog named “Blue” whose owner is named Steve or Joe. Steve was the first host who wore a green stripped shirt in every episode. He “left for college” and his “brother” Joe took over hosting. Joe wears a shirt that has squares on it – he has several colors that he wears but in the same style (I posted a photo of Blue and Joe together). Blue also has friends like Tickity (who is a clock), Shovel and Pail, Mrs. Salt and Mr. Pepper and their baby Paprika…you get the point hehe At the beginning of the show Joe (or Steve) will talk about what him and Blue are doing today. As they are talking usually Joe will ask Blue a question and to figure out the answer we play Blue’s Clues. Blue puts a paw print on 3 things that Joe will find throughout the show and put in his “handy dandy notebook. Before finding the clues he sings a song about how to play Blue’s Clues. The clues are found throughout the show as Joe and Blue interact with others and talk about the topic for the episode. There is also a time when the mail comes and Mailbox brings the mail – Joe sings a song about getting a letter and opens it up (it’s a video of children talking about the episode’s topic). Once he has found all the clues, he sits in his thinking chair and talks about the clues. When we figure it out he sings another song about how smart you are :) At the end he sings a good-bye song :)

Well now that you have a bit of background on the show I can tell you that my Mr. Kian is a total NUT for “Beu-beu” (Blue’s Clues hehe)!!!!! He now knows all the sign language movements to the Blue’s Clues song and does the Letter dance with one of his play letters as Mommy sings the song for him hehe Jamie took some video of Kian doing the Blue’s Clues signs this morning – hopefully we will have it up on our site soon! :)

Kian also asks to watch the show now! He will say “bue-bue” over and over again and get kind of cranky if you don’t turn it on! lol I usually don’t have his shows on at all while I am able to be with him – I usually have them on if I have work to attend to or something that needs to be done without distraction. I have a feeling his intake of Blue’s Clues is about to go up lol!

Language explosion

Kian continues to learn more and more words everyday. We are working on animals and he makes some very funny noises when it comes to what animal makes what sound! He can identify a cow, pig, sheep, and horse! They all have their own sounds…but there is no way I could try to type that down here lol I will have to get some film of him doing the noises….they are sounds only mommy and daddy will know what he means lol But he’s getting really good at it! :)

Kian is also getting an explosion in sign language! I have been teaching him the sign for “more.” He didn’t do it until we were out grocery shopping and he was having one of his favorite snacks (toddler cookies, which he only gets when we are out and he’s having a snack) and needed more! lol He got upset and started doing the sign! (here is a link to what it looks like: http://www.signwithme.com/video_display.asp?ID=29&search=more ) I have been trying this sign with him for over a year and he FINALLY got it! hehe! He now uses it when he gets excited about what he’s eating and tells more! What a cutie! :)