Proper Adults

In October 2007, we brought Murphy home from the humane society. He was absolutely insane. But, because we're equally mentally inept, we thought, "Meh, we'll return him for a HS store credit if he doesn't work out." You know, because anyone with any heart could possibly rescue a dog and then surrender it back to the pound. Murphy freaked the cats out. Bringing him home was probably an irresponsible move; we have so little space and the cats and the birds...but, a dog was on the pre-baby list along with our trip to Germany. Germany? Check. Dog? Check. The cats spent the better part of the next 2 months up in our bedroom in almost constant distress. In the end of December Loki went into renal failure. She had congenital defects in her kidneys not uncommon in cats, but we'll never know how long she would have been healthy if we hadn't brought that damned dog home. $2700 later, we put her to sleep on Christmas Eve.

So, because we are now proper adults- who incidentally have ZERO self control or sense when it comes to spending money on our animals-I just signed Murphy up for VPI health insurance. It reimburses routine expenses and has up to 14K a year in accident and illness coverage. I'll have to read the fine print, but for $37/month, I'll take it. If we spent $2700 on a cat (on a CREDIT CARD no less), who knows what we'd do for that goddamn dawg.

Going to California and leaving Mama with an aching in her heart...

Kai and Jon just returned from 5 days in CA visiting Jenn & Dave, Lang and baby Landon. Grandma and Grandpa Beck were there, too! We also get to see them later this month at Sugarloaf. Here is Lang taking a bath with Kai.


Jon captioned this one, "How far back to Minnesota is it, again?"
At the zoo.
I wish I could have joined them and it was tough to be away from Kai so long, but he was in good hands and didn't seem to suffer. He's been clingier than usual since he came back, but he's a pretty independent little guy.

Concessions

Jon is really great with Kai, more and more so as Kai is getting bigger and more comunicative. Jon (with minimal help from Kai) exercised his creative side here with some sidewalk chalk. He drew the Cozy Coupe, Kai in the wagon, and a hot air balloon. Next week we're going to get a sitter so we can finger paint. No babies choked on tiny chalk pieces during this sidewalk drawing session.

Patty, Mike, Addie and our family went to the Children's Museum. Free 3rd Sundays are chaotic, but just what the budget ordered. Kai was devastated when we had to part ways with the soapy watery tubey ping pong ball exhibit. He has temper tantrums now, you know.

Jon's moving to second shift at Western starting next week. I've taken a lot of pride in being a one car household for the last couple of years, but it is logistically impossible for Jon to work that shift and not have a vehicle. Buses don't run at 2a.m. when he'll be getting off of work, and a bike is only practical part of the year. PLUS, he's going to need all of the sleep he can get because two days a week he'll go to bed around 3a.m. and get up at 8 with Kai.

So, we decided on a few factors that were important to us. OK, two. Price and safety. Fuel economy wasn't a priority because it spiked the price and we'll be using the car about 100 miles a week. And safety, well, for 3k, this is a pretty freaking safe car. The problem? It's a FORD TAURUS. I'm certain that my 18 year old self would kick the living shit out of me if she ever knew I owned a Taurus that I SPENT MONEY ON.

We're off to shop for second car...ugh.

New Cousin!

Landon Nelson Beck was born on August 11, 2010. He is 8lbs 10oz and 21.5 inches long. Congrats Jenn & David!

A Little Help

New Toy

I spent 3 1/2 hours in the ER with Kai last night, but you'd never know it now. He took a pretty nasty fall and hit his head on the corner of a table-like toy at Patty and Mikes. He seemed to recover quickly, though the welt on hi forehead was HUGE and PURPLE. Yesterday morning he woke up and the welt had subsided and we were relieved; until he started vomiting. Vomiting like the Exorcist vomiting. I was at work, but when I got home I got to see the carnage. Because he didn't have a fever or any other signs of illness except general fussiness, I called the nurse at our clinic. She was confident that I should take him into the ER. Jon and I were both gunshy, not wanting to be those parents who freak out at every little thing, but like I said Exorcist vomiting. Once we got to the ER he seemed to improve in spirit and he was eating crackers...by the time we saw the doc 3 hours later he seemed totally fine. They were going to do a scan, but since we live 5 minutes from the hospital, the dr. and the supervising dr. agreed that if he vomited even once more to come back immediately for a CT scan and to check on him during the night. I did. Several times. Obsessively. He's totally fine. But now he has diarrhea. Ugh.

Kicks

Here are Grandpa and Grandma Beck on the day of Kai's birthday party!



When Bev and Harry were here a couple of weeks ago they had the luck of catching Kai's first steps. Bev was insistent that Kai needed good quality, well fitting shoes- and she even paid for them! We tood Kai to Stride Right (I remember when Patty told me how much shoes were here when she bought them for Addie I thought she was nuts) and picked him up some 6Ws. Yup, he's got his mama's feet. While $50 seems like a lot for those little canoes, he should be wearing them for at least a couple of months.

One and Walking

Man did we have a big week. Kai turned one on July 13th. His big partay was on Sunday the 18th. Grandma and Grandpa Beck (recently dubbed Grandma and Grandpa Illinois) were on hand for the event AND Kai's first steps. Living several hundred miles apart means they miss a lot of these milestones, so that was awesome for them to see. This weekend my mom is taking Kai for THREE NIGHTS while we have our annual Sugarloaf friends weekend. I'm still nursing once or twice a day, so it's a little tough, but everyone reminds me that it's tough on me and that Kai will be fine.

ECFE has a potluck picnic for all of the kids from all of the classes in a park in St. Paul. It was madness. With bubbles. And noodle salad. What wasn't expected was the ridiculously creative hippy foods that our snotty ECFE parents classmates made. I mean, maybe they are kinda cool after all...


Jon and I took Kai to the Como Zoo the Saturday before Fathers Day. Como just opened its new polar bear enclosure. After we saw the big cats, Kai started signing "cat"!