Curtis Family News

Being a stay at home mom is glamorous.

2011-07-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

April fools.

The truth is, being a stay at home mom is hard. Every day you work your butt off for the ones you love- from cutting up sandwiches in to little shapes, to wiping butts, and you never get so much as a "Thank you, Mom. You're the best!"

It wasn't always this way. When I had a job (can we even remember way back then?), I was not only acknowledged for my achievements, I was commended and praised. It was a wonderful recognition that I now only hold on to as as memory. Sure, there's Mother's Day, but is one day really enough to appreciate and thank your mother? I think not.

Maybe I'm slightly narcissistic, but I missed that recognition of achieving the goals I had set for myself, and others set for me. I missed adult interaction. I missed using my brain for problem solving of things other than, what do I feed these kids instead of mac and cheese? I honestly missed feeling good about myself. All of these feelings led to a decision that I was absolutely going to go back to work when Todd started his residency. And I felt good about it. REALLY good.

Then, one day in February, I peed on a stick and saw two pink lines. Well, as joyful as I was, it certainly threw a wrench in my plans. (Is that an expression? If it's not, it should be) Now what? Do I try and work for a few months before I have baby, or do I just put the "going back to work" thing off again? After all things considered (cost of daycare, etc), I decided that my baby deserves to have me around just as much as the other two did, and I decided to continue to stay at home.

It was not easy at first to let go of that dream. You see, I am somewhat of a restless spirit- I am constantly looking to set the next goal in my life and achieve it- always achieving, but never satisfied. Perhaps I thought going back to work would fill that need in my life to achieve something else. God had other plans, my friends!

One day, He told me clear as day that I need to be joyful and CONTENT in what I am doing now. That staying at home with my kids is my calling for now, and His will for me. Wow, I had never thought of it that way before! Not that I wasn't happy with my kids before- I love the snot outta them and we've always enjoyed each other's company, but now I honestly can say that I have a new appreciation for being a stay at home mom. So many moms don't even have the option of staying at home, and I am so grateful that I can. It's not always a pretty job, but it's pretty darn beautiful.

So be encouraged, fellow stay at home moms who dream of your old lives longingly - just remember, in a few years, they will be in school and this precious time will be over. We should remember just how blessed we are to be able to nurture them through these first few years.

To my working mom friends- you guys work your butts off and I think you all are amazing! This is just a little pick me up for those of us stay at home mommas who get discouraged sometimes :)

Still alive!

2011-06-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I've really dropped the ball on the whole blogging thing, but I have a good excuse, I promise!

Since I last wrote you, we found out that we were moving back home to Washington! Todd was placed in a family medicine residency at Providence St Peter's Hospital in Olympia, WA. We were beyond thrilled, as it has been my primary goal to get back here since leaving. Having unlimited access to our families has been invaluable. I didn't realize how much so until we had children, and watching their relationships grow with their extended family has been wonderful. It definitely feels like we're back where we belong.

Secondly, we bought a house! We were going back and forth with whether to buy or rent, and luckily the perfect house came along for us to purchase, and we absolutely love it. It's a brand new house, in a wonderful neighborhood, and the perfect size for our growing family. We are going to be very happy here :)

Third, we found out that baby Curtis #3 is going to be.......... ANOTHER boy! Honestly, I was completely shocked. Not that I've had the best track record with predicting the genders of my babies, but I thought that because this pregnancy had been so different, among a bunch of other reasons, that this one for SURE would be a girl. Well, that turns out not to be the case, but since the initial shock has worn off, I've become pretty darn excited :) Three boys to love and be best buddies. Yes, this will be fun.

Now, we are throwing clothes together to get ready to head out to NY for Todd's med school graduation. I can hardly believe this. It seems like just yesterday that we were throwing clothes together to head off to England for a new and scary adventure... and now here we are. It's complete, we are back home, and 2.5 kids later, we honestly couldn't be more happy. I am so looking forward to seeing everyone and saying goodbye. It will be bittersweet, but great at the same time.

Well, time to pull the clothes from the dryer and get moving. Did I mention that our new house is only a 1.5 hour drive from the Ocean? Here's a pic of my awesome boys for your viewing pleasure :)

What to expect when you're not expecting to expect

2011-03-04T08:59:00.001-08:00

Did you get that?

It took me a while, a few weeks really, to get used to the idea that we are expecting our third child! This sweet little one took us by surprise.

If you know me, you know that I am a planner. I have always been that way. My mom used to tell me that before we went anywhere I would ask her who would be there, what it would look like, etc. I wanted to be prepared! Not much has changed since then. I imagined this year to be our little family of four embarking on a new adventure in a new city, with mom going back to work to help support them, and Dad starting his residency as a doctor.

Wanna hear God laugh? Well I think you know the rest of that saying.... instead of my plans falling in to perfect place (as they hardly ever do anyway) I peed on a stick and there were TWO lines! Whoa! Time to change those plans!

The truth is, we have always wanted a third child, so we are extremely thrilled. I have been to the doctor, seen the little heart beat and I am already completely in love.

This year, I did not expect to be feeling morning sickness, fatigue, and welcoming a third child, but this is just a reminder that God's plans are SO much better than my own. We will meet our little bundle some time in October and I am just elated!

Catching up

2011-02-16T13:42:00.001-08:00

This should be the title of my whole life right now. I feel like I am constantly moving from one thing to the next, while mentally being in the tasks of last week. I can't even keep up with myself anymore! This is going to be the case for the next several weeks as we make our transition from being in Bakersfield to wherever we're going next too.

January was a wonderful but also hectic month. We took the family to Washington for almost the entire month, as Todd had a few interviews and second looks up there. We had an amazing time staying with family, and catching up with friends. It was such a blessing to me to be able to watch the boys interact with their grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousin. I love seeing them form these relationships. Todd and I were lucky enough to sneak away on a few dates- including an overnight excursion to Seattle! It was so much fun to just have a few stress free days to ourselves and reconnect with eachother. Birthday week was also during January. Jackson turned 3 and Noah turned 1. We celebrated with each of them on their actual bdays, and also had a family bday party for both of them. Jackson of course chose the theme- Spiderman :)

Now it's February and we are back in Bakersfield while Todd completes his LAST rotation. I can't believe it's the last one! In just 2 and a half weeks he will be DONE with school. The past 4 years have gone by in a crazy and amazing blur, and I can't believe it's almost over. We find out Todd's residency placement on March 17 and I will be trying to keep as busy as possible until then :) We are both so anxious to find out where we will be spending the next several years. Of course, we are hoping to be back in WA close to our families, but are content to go wherever God leads us.

I need to blog more on the day to day... on how the boys are growing and changing. I feel like if I tried to explain in all now, I'd be writing for days. They are both such amazing boys and I have never been happier.

More to come... stay tuned!

Christmas in California

2010-12-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

As much as we wanted to go home this Christmas, we stayed in California to celebrate the holiday. As I have mentioned before, Todd had to scramble to land a pediatric rotation here in Bakersfield, and the catch was that he'd have to do it over Christmas.

We're at the point now in our lives as parents with children of our own trying to figure out traditions- what traditions we want to pass down to our children, and what traditions we want to create.

If we were home, we'd spend Christmas Eve with my family- going to church, going out to dinner, opening presents from each other, sharing a cigar by the fire, and listening as my dad read the Christmas Story. Well, we didn't think the cigar would be very appropriate with our boys, but we did attend a local church and go to dinner at CPK. It was a wonderful time! When we got home, we still opened presents from my family, as we would have if we were home. The boys had so much fun opening presents, listening to the Christmas story, and putting cookies and milk out for Santa!

Christmas Day, in Washington, would usually be spent going to my parents house early in the morning for "Santa" presents and stockings, and then off to Todd's parents house for the day of presents, dinner, and visiting. One tradition Todd wanted to keep was an orange in the toe of his stocking, as the tradition of his family :)

We decided to keep our Christmas Day very low key. We opened the massive amount of presents from all of our generous relatives and Santa, of course, ate lots of candy, and relaxed. I made a big breakfast of cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs and sausage. I was bursting at the seams, but dinner was still to come! A tradition that we started last year was making a huge pot roast with all the fixins and of course, my grandma's heavenly hash, for dinner. It was delicious!

The best part of the whole day was just relaxing as a family in our pj's and watching the boys enjoy the gifts that Santa brought for them :) We are so blessed in so many ways and the sweet moments together truly was the greatest gift this year.

Busy

2010-12-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

Busy is the only word that can really describe our lives lately. Busy, but wonderful. Here's what's been going on in the Crazy Curtis household. Last we left you, we were about to hop a plane and head to Seattle for a week while Todd attended two interviews and we spent Thanksgiving with family. Well, hop a plane we did, and we had a fantastic time. It was such a blessing to get to spend a whole week with family, and the boys were able to enjoy some snow!

A short week after we returned to Bakersfield, we hopped yet another plane and headed to Arizona for 4 days where Todd had 3 interviews in 3 days (crazy guy), and I had some much needed girl time with my best friend who I haven't seen in almost two years! She was gracious enough to let our crazy family of four stay with her family of four and it made for one big happy family :) Thanks again Galloways! It was my first time to Arizona and I really enjoyed myself, and the near 80 degree weather!

At Phoenix Zoo lights

Since we've been back, we've battled ear infections, nightmares, penicillin allergies, and many many sleepless nights. Oh, and did I mention trying to meet the shipping deadline for Christmas presents? Wait, Christmas is on Saturday.... as in THIS Saturday? Wow. Time certainly flies. But the expression on my babies' faces as they open their gifts from Santa will be a moment that I hope lasts a bit longer. At least I know it will in my heart.

Christmas blessings to all of you out there! Hope you all enjoy this "most wonderful time of the year" with your families and cherish each moment. Hopefully we can all take a few moments to slow down a little.

Thankful

2010-11-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I am thinking on the things that I am truly thankful for. There are so many things, it's really hard to know where to start.

Of course there are the obvious- food on the table, a roof over our heads, beautiful and healthy children, and that we have such wonderful and supportive family and friends, but there are a few specific things that are on my heart right now.

I am thankful that last month is over :) Todd is on a new schedule now of 8-5 and we are loving having him around more!

I am thankful that the half-marathon is OVER and that I was able to shave 8 minutes off of my last time! Todd and the boys stayed in the park the whole time in cold conditions while I ran the 2 hour race. What support! It was so nice to see them cheering me on and in to the finish. My time was 1:58:44 and I am very proud of it!

Finally, I am SO thankful that on Saturday, we will depart for Washington to be with our families for Thanksgiving. It's been 6 months since we've been home last and I was getting seriously homesick. You never realize how important being with family is for holidays until you move away. Family really makes holidays what they are, and I'm so looking forward to being with mine for this one.

We really are SO blessed in so many ways. I really encourage everyone, if you haven't already, to think on the individual ways you have been blessed. I bet you could come up with a new one each day for the rest of your life.

The Marathon of Life (or something slightly less cheesy)

2010-11-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

What a month this has been. I have been tested in so many ways I can't even begin to count them all. It all started with the lovely Kern Medical Center saying they didn't have any rotations available to Todd this month so he would have to figure something else out. We panicked. Todd spoke to the medical education office and told them he would take WHATEVER they had available so that we could stay in Bakersfield. He was given two options. A Pulmonary elective that had long hours, but no call, or another elective that had call, but normal hours. Well, it can't get worse than having call, right? So he chose the elective with "long hours." I mean, how long could they be, right?

Wrong choice.

For the past month, Todd has been leaving for work at 630am and not returning home until after the boys are already in bed, usually around 9pm to 10pm. So, I have been doing everything for the kids by myself. The good old days of counting down the hours until 5pm when my partner in crime would return home to help me corral the kids were over, and I was left dealing by myself with the kids from Monday through Friday, from the moment they woke up to the moment they were in bed, with no family around to help. Add a couple of out of town trips for Todd for interviews, the stomach flu for Jackson and myself (while Todd was out of town, no less), and training for a half marathon, and you have the most challenging month of my life.

What did I learn from all of this? That God will truly not give you anything you can't handle. Without Him, and our constant conversation throughout the day, I never would have made it through this month. While the kids were eating dinner in the living room and I was losing mine in the bathroom, not thinking I could go on one minute further, He gave me that extra ounce of energy I needed to continue. He is truly and amazing and faithful God!

And a big shout out to my mom, who was on the other end of the phone at least twice a day coaching me through. I really do not know what I'd do without her. She is the wisest person I know.

Saturday marks the end of this crazy rotation, and the day of my big half marathon race. In both "marathons" I have pushed myself beyond my limit and have seen that I am capable. And I never would have known what I was capable of accomplishing unless I had been pushed beyond my own self limitations. I hope I never forget this lesson, and if I do, I'm sure God would be happy to teach me again :)

Big Fat October Post

2010-11-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

It's crazy to me that it's November already. It's 87 degrees out today! California weather is so unlike anything I've ever experienced. I suppose I can't complain too much :)
October came and went in a flash. I can't believe how fast it went by. It was filled with wonderful events, a trip and visitors!

The first weekend of October, we headed down to LA to meet up with Todd's family and watch the Husky Game vs. USC. It was the first game for the boys and we were little apprehensive about bringing them and having to hold them the whole time, but they did amazingly well. We had a great time visiting with everyone and were even lucky enough to see the Huskies dominate USC for the win!

Noah so tired from the fun of the game :)

An excited Jackson before the game

We also had the pleasure of a visit from my parents. They were only in town a short while, but Jackson and Noah had a blast with them. And so did we :)

Enjoying the pumpkin patch with Grandpa

Making cookies with Grandma

Sweet Noah at the park :)

Halloween was a wonderful time as well. Jackson was very excited to show off his Superman costume as a trick or treater, and Noah was very happy to be along for the ride as the Incredible Hulk. Jackson had a blast trick or treating, making sure to say "Trick or Treat" and "Happy Halloween" at each house. He was so proud of all of the candy he got!

My adorable little Hulk :)

The boys all ready to go! Jackson loved being superman. He would throw one hand up in the air and say "To the rescue!"

My boys out the door and ready to go!

Alright blog. You don't like me, and I don't like you.

2010-10-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

I am just not good at this. If I want to be better, I am going to have to make this a discipline. Just like anything that doesn't come naturally, I will have to work at this one a little. But I feel that blogging is important and this is why- it's a wonderful way to communicate with friends and family, beyond the cryptic status updates of facebook. If you want the LONG caption behind the photo, come to the blog. There, you will get the real story. The other beautiful thing about the blog, is that it is, in a sense, a digital scrapbook. I just took a few minutes to go read my posts from Grenada. Ah, a simpler time when I was so invested in and committed to this blog. Now I struggle to find things to write while the current posts sit collecting dust. That's just not right. This blog should be nurtured and loved, and that is what I intend on doing. One post a week. I can do that! I will thank myself for it someday.

Sisters. Best Friends.

2010-10-05T07:47:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hosting my sisters for a week as they visited from Washington. It was so wonderful to be with them and just chat and be silly together.... things I have missed so much.

These two are cookey, wacky, and all together wonderful. The three of us are so different, and yet so much alike at the same time. I don't know what I'd do without them. They truly are my very best friends.

Life's a beach

2010-09-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

For the past 4 years, we have been fortunate enough to live within a short driving distance to a beach. In England, we were a quick 15 minute subway ride from the North Sea, in Grenada, a 5 minute walk, and in New York, the beach of the Atlantic Ocean was our back yard! Now, we only live about a 2.5 hour drive to the beach, but it seems SO far compared to what we've been used to the past several years. I was getting an itch to see the ocean again so last weekend we took off and drove to the Central California Coast for the weekend. The Pacific Ocean was more beautiful than I remembered.

The boys had so much fun playing in the sand and water and we had a blast watching them :)

We also enjoyed visiting Solvang, a little Danish town about a half hour inland. One vendor made these delicious little Danish treats called Aebelskivers. YUM.

We went to a little park in Solvang called Hans Christian Anderson Park, where Jackson completed his first hike, all on his own!

After Solvang, we had the opportunity of visiting an old Spanish Mission. They restored it to how it looked in the 1800's and we learned so much from being there. You could really feel the history as you walked the grounds.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. I really look forward to those times we can relax and have fun as a family without the little stressors of life nagging.

Something tells me I won't win blogger of the year.

2010-08-27T08:07:00.001-07:00

Ok, I know I'm not super great about keeping this blog up, but I am going to try and be better!

Things are going very well here. We are continuing to love our lives in California as we explore and make new friends. Todd is busy with the residency application process. I can' believe that this crazy medical school journey is coming to an end soon. It seems like just yesterday we were moving in to our teeny furnished apartment in Tower House, Newcastle.

Anyway, I could write about 40 pages of things that have happened over the summer, so I'll share a few pictures and let them do most of the talking.

My baby sister graduated from high school!

The kids continued to be adorable

Noah and I got to travel to Portland for a weekend to see my cousin Melissa get married! It was so fun seeing everyone and being able to hang out with my family.

The heat has allowed for a lot of playtime inside, which makes for a couple of crazy kids (and mom). But not all of the craziness is bad. Here is one of my favorite videos of the kids goofing around :)

California Lovin!

2010-06-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

We're here!! The move was stressful, to say the very least, but we are here and getting settled in to Bakersfield. We love it so far! Everyone is so friendly and the neighborhood is so comfortable. Jackson loves the park that's a short walk from our house, and his very own backyard to explore and run in. I think this is going to be a great year!

Totally unrelated, my oldest is a little music lover. Top 40 to be more specific. It gets on my nerves to no end, but it's so darn cute when he sings along to his favorite songs. Here I caught him rocking out to Usher's OMG. Enjoy!!

It's OVER!

2010-04-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

Phew! I did it! Two days later and my legs are still useless. I don't really get it because I had been running 12 miles without being sore the next day, but I guess 13 at a faster pace will put your body over the edge.

Early on Sunday morning, I woke up, gulped my coffee and headed out the door for the big race. I made myself some oatmeal but was so nervous I took one bite and could take no more. I was out the door and realized that it was pouring down rain. Great... this was definitely not ideal, especially since I didn't have a rain poncho and was wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt. What was I thinking? I made it to the subway and was able to force a power bar down as I waited for my stop. I looked around the train and there were several other women going to the race. Why did they look so relaxed? Didn't they realize what we were about to do?

I got off at 57th street and had to walk a few blocks to the park, then over to the start. It was still raining, and by raining, I mean pouring. I saw countless women with umbrellas and ponchos talking and laughing and enjoying themselves. I, on the other hand, was already soaked to the bone! A few women even asked if I was OK. haha. I made my way to my seeded corral and prepared to begin the race!

The start siren finally went off and everyone crowded around and went for it! It took me a few minutes to get to the start and off I went! I couldn't believe how different it was from running alone. Women were elbowing each other and cutting each other off. It was crazy. One woman cut me off and fell right in front of me. I had to pull an Apollo and basically jump over her!

Up to mile 8, I felt SO good. I don't know if it was the competition or the rain keeping me cool or what, but I actually thought, you know I think I could do a FULL marathon. This is a cinch! That was until mile 11 when I hit a wall... my legs wanted to give up but I dug deep and told myself TWO more miles... I could do it! I kept my pace up and was even able to go a little faster to the finish. My time ended up being 2:06, which I think is pretty darn good for my first ever half marathon. As miserable as I was after (being completely soaked, freezing, hypoglycemic, etc), I knew immediately that I would want to do another one of these things! I think I am hooked.

I don't usually say this, but I am proud of myself. Being a stay at home mom is the most wonderful thing ever, but I miss the aspect of working where you set goals for yourself, and when you achieve them, everyone congratulates you and thanks you for your efforts. Now, as we all know, being a mom is a thankless job, which is fine, but after I had Noah I was determined to set a goal for myself and reach it. I am so happy that 3 months post baby, I was not only able to reach it, but exceed it. Yes, I am proud of myself. Now off to change a poopy diaper. I love my life :)

It's almost here!

2010-04-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

After I had Noah, I went through a hard time. My baby is the sweetest, most wonderful baby that exists, but in conjunction with it being winter, not having family nearby, and those pesky hormones, it was a challenging time for me. I decided that I needed a goal, something to work toward and be proud of myself when I accomplished it. I was on my facebook one day and a friend from high school posted that she had just signed up for a half marathon in NYC on April 24. I didn't even think, I just got the info from her and signed up! Of course right after, I had doubts... would I even be ready for a half marathon 3 months post partum? It sounded like a challenge, but also exactly what I needed. The training started out slow, but gradually I regained my strength and endurance and got my "running mojo" back :)

Part of my training was to run two 12 mile runs back to back weeks. I couldn't believe it when I finished the first time... I did it! Only one mile more for the half marathon distance...

When I signed up for this race, it seemed so far off in the distance, and now it's just a week from today! To be honest, I thought I might back out and find some excuse (kids, etc) not to do it, but now I can't wait! The race takes place in Central Park and I feel really happy that this will be one of my last Manhattan experiences while we're here. I can't wait to do this! Wish me luck! :)

Still alive...

2010-04-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a very long time since I've posted so I thought I'd put a post up to prove that we are still alive :) We have been so busy the past few months enjoying so many events from St Patty's day, to a visit from my sisters, a visit from Todd's parents, and Easter. Jackson and Noah have had so much fun getting to know their extended family better and mom certainly enjoyed the extra buddies for Jackson!

We also recently found out that Todd will be completing his 4th year of rotations at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, CA so we are packing up (once again... didn't we JUST do this?) and moving to California on May 13th! I can't believe how fast a year has gone by in NY and I really am going to miss a lot about it, but I am so excited to be moving back to the West Coast and to be closer to family. Hopefully this will be our last big move across the country. I think my two little blonde boys will fit in just fine as California boys :)

Here's a pic of my sisters and I on my balcony. We had such nice weather while they were here!

Here's a pic of J coloring Easter eggs. What a cutie!

My sweet Noah on Easter

The boys together :)

Jackson's 2nd bday!! (a little late I know...)

2010-02-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty busy around here so I haven't had time to put up the pictures from Jackson's second bday yet! This boy has grown up so much the past year, it's truly remarkable. He's especially grown up since we've brought his little brother home. I am so proud of him! He speaks in full sentences now, can count to 20, knows all of his ABC's, and knows most top 40 songs better than I do! One of his favorite things to do is go in his room and turn on his radio. haha.

Here are some pics from his big bday party! It was pretty low key since we had just brought Noah home, but we had a blast with friends and we were fortunate enough to have my parents here as well!

Noah Abram

2010-01-31T07:39:00.000-08:00

On January 20th at 1225pm, little Noah Abram Curtis made his way in to the world. At 8 lbs 1oz and 21 and 1/4 inches, he was a little bigger than his older brother!

He is such a sweet little guy! He sleeps most of the time, and is a champ at eating :) He is very mild mannered and only wakes up once or twice each night to eat and poop, which mom and dad are very thankful for!

His older brother is getting used to him. If he wakes up before Noah in the morning, he will ask where he is, and if he is sleeping or crying. haha. Jackson does a pretty good impression already :) I think, in time, they will wind up being best buddies!

Christmas!

2010-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

We had a white Christmas this year! NY got a lot of snow the week before and luckily it stuck around for us to enjoy. Here is a picture of the snow going all the way to the water on the beach! It was so amazing to see.

On Christmas Eve, Todd, J and I went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, one of our favorite places, then on to a candlelight service at church. Here is a picture of J in his cute little Christmas Eve outfit :)

We spent Christmas Day at home as a family as well just letting J enjoy his toys and relaxing. It was our first Christmas not in Washington, and although it was sad for us not to be with our families, it was also nice to spend it at home in our PJ's all day just having a leisurely day. Christmas in NY was definitely different than in WA, but it was special because this was J's first Christmas to really enjoy his presents so it was so much fun to watch him playing.

Here is a picture of the "loot" before J woke up. He was so spoiled this year!

Playing on his new slide

Sitting at his table

Helping mom clean the beater after making whipped cream

The Monday following Christmas, we got the opportunity to spend the day in the City. J had so much fun seeing the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and visiting FAO Schwartz!

And finally, here is the latest picture of me on Christmas Eve at 36.5 weeks. Today, I am 38 weeks and can't believe Baby Day is almost here :) I'm so excited to meet my little Noah and J is so excited to be a big brother!

Baby Shower!

2009-12-23T18:25:00.000-08:00

A week and a half ago, my friends here in NY threw me an awesome baby shower in Manhattan. It was wonderful! It was at Alice's Tea Cup on the upper East Side. The food was amazing, tea was delicious, and the company was even better :)

And here is the latest bump pic taken of me... almost 2 weeks ago! I'm 36 weeks now, in the home stretch! Soon baby Noah will be here :)

The latest...

2009-11-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

So it's been a while since I've made a post. Perhaps that's because we've been so busy! Halloween was so much fun. We went up to Brooklyn to spend the holiday with our friends and Jackson made out pretty well with the candy :) Although we couldn't get him to keep the hat on, J made a pretty cute firefighter.

A few days later, we got the opportunity to make one last trip home to Seattle before baby number two, who we have decided to name "Noah", arrives! We had such a wonderful time. My mom and sisters threw me a baby shower and it was so much fun. I am so grateful for all of the work they put in to it, and for all of the people who came to make the day special :)

We also got the opportunity while home to meet our sweet little niece, Kylee. She was SO adorable and we just loved her from the moment we saw her.

And here is our little guy being a cheeseball in the car :)

All in all, the trip was wonderful. It was so nice to spend time with family and friends and just enjoy being in the beautiful Pacific NW! We miss it so much and hope to get back there again someday.

Finally, here are the latest belly pics.

Me at 25 weeks

29 or 30 weeks... I can't remember :)

And now I'm 32 weeks! The big day is coming up...

Fall Fun!

2009-10-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we went to the Queens County Farm for the Apple Festival and Pumpkin Patch. Even though it wasn't technically a pumpkin patch (field with pre-cut pumpkins scattered about...) we had a great time and Jackson loved eating apples and playing in the pumpkins! It's so fun to be able to do fall stuff like this, since we weren't able to last year in seasonless Grenada :)

What's been happening lately...

2009-09-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

It's been a little while so I thought I'd give a brief update on what's been going on!

We got to take a really fun weekend to the Catskill Mountains in Upstate NY over Labor Day Weekend. It was great to get out and go hiking and just spend some great time as a family.

Here's the little guy right before our hike.

Mmmm Burger King... a special vacation treat!

We were able to have our friends over for a little BBQ to say goodbye to summer. Even though it poured down rain and we couldn't go out and enjoy the beach, we really enjoyed the company and football games!

J and Elle having fun

And last but not least.... baby boy number two continues to grow! That's right, we had a scan a couple of weeks ago and they told us that Jackson is going to have a little brother! Here is an updated pic of the bump :)

Our trip in a nutshell!

2009-09-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, Jackson and I just got back from a WONDERFUL vacation back to Washington to visit family and friends. We had a terrific time and it was so great to see everyone and let Jackson catch up with his grandparents and aunts and uncles again! Here are just a few highlights from out trip-

We got to go to Lori's baby shower! Here is Lori and myself comparing our bumps, aka future cousins!

My mom, sisters, Jackson and I took a trip to Seattle for the day. We had a wonderful time shopping and enjoying the city!

Jackson had his first haircut! It was pretty traumatizing for the poor guy, but his hair turned out so cute and he even got his first sucker, which he loved :)

We went to Seahurst Beach on day to play around! Jackson got these cool glasses and a squirt gun from Aunt Jenni and Uncle E-Bob! He had fun!

Grandpa Sealey took Jackson (and me) to the zoo! Jackson loved laughing at the Meerkats!

I got to attend Randi's wedding! She was so beautiful and it was a wonderful wedding :)

Jackson got to play with his best buddy Cooper, who is only 5 days older than him!

Jackson's favorite thing to do was play in my parents' yard! He was out there ALL of the time! We don't have this thing called "grass" in NYC, so Jackson had a blast being able to run around freely in the huge yard.

Overall the trip was fantastic!! Hopefully we can get back there soon!

The evolving bump!

2009-08-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well J and I just got back from a wonderful two week trip to Seattle, which I will post about tomorrow, but for now I wanted to show off our second little cutie pie, who is almost 20 weeks! We find out the gender next Thursday and we are SO excited. We are really excited just to get a peek at our little one since we haven't seen it since 8 weeks. I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is flying by!

Here I am at 15 weeks

And here's the latest pic at 18.5 weeks.

More to come!

Zoo fun!

2009-07-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

It seems like I am a week behind on all of my posts :) Maybe I'll try to catch up this week.

Last weekend, we had so much fun taking Jackson to the Prospect Park Zoo with our good friends Jeff, Mel and their daughter Elle. It wasn't spectacular, but it was a lot of fun. There was even a little barn with farm animals, which Jackson loves! Afterward, we met up with our other good friends Evan, Erin and their daughter Anabelle in the park and had lunch. It was a fun day!

The fam

J checkin out the Alpacas with Dad.

Friends!

2009-07-19T09:33:00.001-07:00

Last week, I was able to have a lot of my friends here over for lunch and a beach day :) Although not all of us actually made it to the beach, we had a great time! It's always fun to chat and catch up with these ladies. I have been friends with them since our time in Newcastle, and it was so wonderful to have them in Grenada and now NY!

Marca, Jodi, me and Kathy

Erin and her sweet little Anabelle and Gracie in the background

Mel and the darling Elle

Pennsylvania Weekend!

2009-07-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Todd had the rare privilege of having a 3 day weekend, so on a whim, we decided to get out of town! We decided to head over to Lancaster County, PA to visit Amish country, then down to Gettysburg and over to Hershey before heading home. Friday we set out early and made it to Lancaster in only about 3 hours. J was great in the car! He had plenty of books and snacks and even napped for about an hour which was great. After we settled in to our hotel, we decided to head over to an Amish Farm and take a buggy ride! We went through an Amish farm and bought cookies from a little Amish boy on the side of the road. Then we went to a little Amish market where they sell all of their own goods. It's truly another world there. The people were so kind and helpful and it really was beautiful!

J waiting to go on his first buggy ride!

An amish boy working his farm

On Saturday morning, we headed over to Gettysburg, which was pretty cool because it was the Fourth of July. Now I know it wasn't a revolutionary war site, but to just be on such an important piece of American history was really cool. We actually got to see the final battlefield and walk around for a bit. It was very erie and humbling. It's an experience I know we'll never forget!

Near the actual battlefield

Todd doing his reenactment of the union army :)

After Gettysburg, we drove up north to Hershey and went to the chocolate factory! It was so much fun. We went on the chocolate factory tour, which was more like a ride and even got a free sample at the end! Then we enjoyed some sweet treats from the bakery... it was awesome!

just a glimpse of the store at hershey world

Mmmmmm... hershey's chocolate cupcake with pink frosting!!

All in all, it was a fantastic trip. I love PA and how the people there seem so down to earth :) I hope we can go back!

Coney Island Fun!

2009-07-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

About a week and a half a go, we got to go experience the fun of Coney Island. We had such a blast! We met our good friends Jeff and Mel there and their sweet little daughter Elle. First we took Jackson to the aquarium and he had so much seeing the fish, seals and sharks! He really liked the show the sea lions put on. He even learned to say "fish" by the time we were leaving :)

Afterward, we walked up to the boardwalk and explored Coney Island a little bit. It's so cool in the summertime. Just like a carnival! We enjoyed a Nathan's famous hot dog and finished it off with some deep fried oreos!! I had never had any novelty item deep fried before so I was a little nervous, but they were amazing :)

Jackson enjoying the seals

Not too sure about those sharks!

At Coney Island!

Deep fried oreo goodness!

Out and about...

2009-06-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

After SEVERAL rainy days in New York... and I do mean several.... the sun came out long enough for us to embark on a little adventure up to Brooklyn to meet our friends at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. It was so beautiful- a little piece of nature in the middle of the big city. We always have a wonderful time seeing our friends, and any day that Jackson can get outside to play is a great day for him! Just look how happy he is :)

We are in NY!

2009-06-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been SO long since I've made a post. Seems to be a common thing for me :) Anyway I am going to make an effort to keep this up now that we are here. We have settled in to our condo in Rockaway Park, NY nicely. Todd is working a full schedule at Coney Island Hospital doing his rotation in surgery. He's gone a lot, but he really seems to be enjoying it so far.

Jackson and I are having fun exploring the neighborhood and meeting new people :) NY sure is different, but I think we're adjusting well. Jackson had a tough time at first adjusting to his new schedule, but now he's doing really well with it. Having the beach and bordwalk right outside our door has been a major bonus!

And the biggest news of all... we are expecting again! Todd and I are expecting another Baby Curtis in January 2010, which puts that baby and Jackson two years apart exactly. I think we timed it pretty well, although we're really going to have to squeeze to make all of the events fit in to the month of Jan!

Here are a few pictures of Jackson playing at the beach! More to come!

The latest and greatest...

2009-04-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

So to start you off, here is a recent video of our little guy! I was going through old videos we took of him in Grenada and I can't believe how much he's grown up since then. It made me realize I hadn't taken any recent video of him in a while, so here you go!! :) He's growing in to quite the little man and he has such a fun personality. Todd and I are so blessed to have him in our lives. Jackson has been enjoying himself a lot! He loves to play outside and play with his grandparents, aunts, and uncle. He's been having a great time figuring out different animal sounds, and figuring out how to communicate with us. He still loves music and loves to dance, and is really getting in to sports! He loves throwing the ball around with his dad, and can even kick his soccer ball to hit a target! He also has a great love for animals. We were able to take him to the Spring Puyallup Fair. He ran immediately up to all of the animals and tried to communicate with them in their own language :) Here is a fun pic of him with his animal friends...

Todd took the Step One of the US Medical Licensing Exam in March, and found out he passed several weeks ago! He did a great job on the exam and I'm so proud of him. Since then, we've been able to spend so much quality time as a family going on hikes, walks in the park, and lots of visits with Grandparents. I have been truly cherishing this time as a family, and know we probably won't have another opportunity like this again. It's been wonderful!

We also found out recently that our appeal to go to Michigan was denied, and Todd will be starting his rotations at Coney Island Hospital on May 26. We were pretty disappointed at first, but now we are looking at this as an adventure! NY will be a fun and exciting place to live, and even though it's not what we had in mind, I'm sure it will be great! Anyway, we are heading out there mid May, so I guess that means our time in WA is coming to an end... something I am not quite ready to come to terms with!

Well that's it for now! More blog posts soon, I promise! :)

We are alive!

2009-02-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted anything! We are home in the Seattle area safe and sound and we're all so happy to be back before taking off for our next adventure!

SO much has happened! We had a wonderful Christmas with family. It was so nice to just be back with everyone and celebrate.

Todd and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on Jan 3. We got to get away and go to one of our favorite restaurants. It was a wonderful time.

I turned 26 on Jan 19th. That's not very exciting though. haha.

Jackson turned one on January 24th! I can't believe that it's been a whole year. He's grown and changed so much and he's becoming such a smart little guy!

Right now, Todd is studying for the first step of his medical licensing exam. It's a full time job for him, but it's nice because he's able to do it online in the back bedroom of our apartment. He takes the exam on March 5th so we're both really looking forward to having that behind us!

In May we are scheduled to move to New York, but we have put in an appeal to go to Michigan instead. The cost of living is much less, and our little family of SGU people have been placed there, so we'd really love to be able to stay with them.

Anyway, I could ramble on forever, but instead I'll just post some pictures of what's been going on!

Jackson getting his first pair of shoes!

Catching up with my sisters and cousin!

Christmas morning

On his first bday!

Our last week in Grenada!

2008-12-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe that one week from right now, we will be in the air en route to Miami. So much has happened this year. We've gone through some really hard times, and we've had some really wonderful times. Although I'm really looking forward to our departure, I find myself having mixed feelings about it. Closing one chapter of your life is always bittersweet. It's always exciting to move on and see what's next but hard to close the door on any chapter of your life.

So many things to write about! I guess I should have posted individual blogs for the things that happened last week but we've been so busy I just figured I'd group them in to one HUGE post for today. Lucky you!

Last Thursday, we found out that Todd scored second out of 400 students for the BSCE 2, which is a cumulative exam of everything they've learned in Medical School thus far. Wow! I am so proud of him. He has worked so hard in school and he has his awesome grades to show for it :)

Also, last Thursday, our little monster decided it was time to leave mommy and daddy in the dust and take off walking! Scary! He was in the kitchen and had figured out that the remote did things to the TV, so he grabbed it, stood up, and proceeded to walk 7 feet over to the TV and turn it off! I was flabbergasted! Now, only a few days later, he is perfecting his walking and only crawls about 50% of the time. He's going to be running by the time we go home next week!

On Friday, we found out where we're headed in May.... well at least where the preliminary placement for Todd's clinical rotations is. Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. We were a little shocked, as we didn't even put it as one of our options, and honestly we were a little disappointed because we were hoping for Grosse Pointe or CA, but we are there for a reason and are excited to see what's in store for us there. Rotations start the third week of May so we plan to head to NY eary May sometime to get settled. I had never pictured us living in NYC but if you asked me two years ago if I ever pictured living in England or the Caribbean, there's no way I would have said yes!

Alright, now on to the list. The thing I will mist the MOST about Grenada are my wonderful wonderful roomies. They have truly become a family to us in England and here, and it's really hard trying to imagine not being able to see them next year. (They were all placed in MI) It's going to be very hard to say goodbye to them. They are all such amazing people and I can't wait to meet their little bundles of joy coming in February and May!

The number one thing I will NOT miss about Grenada- BUGS!!! I HATE bugs. Always have. But they are EVERYWHERE here. Any type of bug you could every imagine, in mass quantities and ususally larger than normal. I have been wearing pants in my own house for the whole year because of how bad the mosquitos are. And those suckers will even bite you through your pants! We also have some lovely cockroaches in our bathroom, cupboards, you name it, they are there. What's kind of sad to me is that it hardly even phases me anymore when I see a huge roach. It's hard to even imagine not having to worry about bugs!

Alright.... that's about it! I may make another post, but most likely not. We have way too much to do! Next time you hear from us..... we'll be in the US of A! :)

Now here are some recent pics of our little goofball for your viewing pleasure.

2 Weeks!

2008-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it's already time to make my 2 week post. In two short weeks, we will be at the Point Saline airport getting ready for our flight to Miami. Unbelievable. We are so excited, but we still have so much to do! (anyone want to buy a 4Runner in Grenada??!!!)

Yesterday was fun. We drove up to Grand Etang natural reserve at the top of the island and it was beautiful! It was a completely different Grenada than what I had seen before. It must have been at least 10 degrees cooler and the rainforest was absolutely beautiful! We even got to see a monkey! Jackson loved him :) It was a lot of fun to just be a "tourist" yesterday and to really enjoy this part of Grenada we hadn't seen.

Now, on to the list! The number two thing I will miss about Grenada is the great community of people we have all around us! Not only do we live with friends but we have friends and great neighbors all around! I have never truly experienced community living as I have here, and it's wonderful. Everyone truly looks out for and cares for eachother, the same way an extended family would. I am really going to miss everyone here a great deal.

The number two thing I will NOT miss about Grenada- things breaking and going wrong on a daily basis. That's right. I know that anywhere you go has it's share of that, but not like here. Just in the past week, our power has gone out a couple of times, the water pressure has been shut off, our internet has gone out, our hot water has stopped working in the evenings, etc. It's just a common thing here for some reason. On a positive note, however, I think it has made us far more patient in general!

3 Weeks! (Actually Less...)

2008-11-27T04:44:00.001-08:00

I'm a little late in posting my 3 weeks countdown post.... time is slipping away from me! Today is Thanksgiving and although it's 90 degrees outside and sunny so it doesn't really FEEL like Thanksgiving, we really have a lot to be thankful for. We are happy, healthy, have great friends and family, and have really been blessed with more than anyone could ask for. So, on that note, the number 3 thing I will miss about Grenada is...

BEACHES!

(Grande Anse Beach)
The beaches here are beautiful! I love being able to walk literally 5 minutes down the road to our local beach and borrowing one of the local resort's lounge chairs and just relaxing. I've been tryinig to make it a part of my weekly routine since we've arrived. I love just being able to unwind for an hour or so and soak up the rays. What people spend thousands of dollars trying to find, we have in our own backyard.

The number 3 thing I will NOT miss about Grenada- the HEAT!!! All I do is sweat. I'm so tired of it. The heat has its benefits, but not when you don't have central AC. I'm hot. I'm cranky. You get the point :)

10 months?!

2008-11-25T12:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby boy is 10 months old! The time has gone by so fast and I can't seem to keep up with his aging process! :) He continues to grow and impress me every day and I am so proud of him. So here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Oh no, he's already figured out the TV!

Being sneaky and getting in to the pots and pans....

Caught in the act!

4 Weeks!!!

2008-11-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that in 4 weeks from today, we will be waking up in Washington! It's amazing to think that after 9 months of living here, our time in Grenada is soon coming to a close. I've been reflecting on our time here, and there are some things that I will miss a lot about Grenada, and things I won't miss at all. :) I've decided to make a list, and each week I will update our blog with one of the top 4 things I will miss, and one of the top 4 things I will NOT miss. :)

The number 4 thing I will miss about Grenada is living a simple life. It definitely has its advantages. I wake up every morning knowing exactly what to expect. I can pick one out of my 5 outfits to wear, and nobody cares that it's not stylish, or whatever. It's always hot, so I can wear flip flops every day. In fact, its a rare occurance that you see Todd or I in actual shoes. Jackson wears a short sleeved onsie every day and that's it. He's OK with it, and so am I. We don't have much here, and not a lot of options, but that also means less choices and there's something kind of liberating about that.

The number 4 thing I will NOT miss about Grenada is living a simple life :) OK, it's great and all, but sometimes TOO simple. I am tired of my same 5 outfits, and can't wait to walk through a mall and see all of the pretty shops with their stylish clothes. I can't wait to wake up in the morning and have options. What should we do today? Go to the library? Go to the park? Go to a playgroup for kids Jackson's age? Go visit family? It's going to be so great to be a part of our normal environment again. I can't wait!

Recent Pictures

2008-11-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

Not much to report today- Todd's busy studying for more exams this week, Jackson is finally asleep for the night, and I need to get to the dishes, but here are some recent pics of the little J! He's developing his personality more and more every day. :)

He's such a ham!

He loves his buddy Ralph!

Super baby!

What a smile :)

Baby shower extravaganza

2008-11-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

I got the priveledge of throwing a monster baby shower for four of my girlfriends here in Grenada! They all looked beautiful and we had such a good time. Pregnancy is such a wonderful and special time and I'm so glad I've been able to share it with these ladies.

Thanks so much Bri and Marca for all of your help. Couldn't have done it without you!

The four pretty prego ladies outside Marca's house :)

Story Time

2008-11-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I heard Jackson talking up a storm, and when I went to see what he was doing, here's what I found..... enjoy!

What does the future hold?

2008-10-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

As Todd finishes up his classroom years of medial school in Grenada, he is looking toward the next two years and is making decisions regarding where to spend his clerkship years. (The next two years are spent actually working and learning in hospitals) We have been discussing for several weeks now which locations would be the best for our family and Todd academically and Todd has reached his decisions! The way the system works is, you put down your top 3 choices, and the school does its best to match you in to one of those choices. 80% of students get their first or second choice.

Todd put in his request form last night and we will find out (hopefully) by November 21 where we will be spending the next two years of our lives!

Todd's choices were-
1. Kern Medical Center- Bakersfield, CA
2. St John's Medical Center- Grosse Pointe, MI
3. Brooklyn Hospital- Brooklyn, NY

We are really hoping for Bakersfield or Grosse Pointe. Only 3 weeks until we find out! :) I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, please pray for us that God puts us where He wants us to be for the next two years!

When did this happen?

2008-10-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I woke up and realized that my little tiny baby is going to be 9 months old next week! He's turning in to a little boy! Now that he can crawl, everything else seems to be coming so easily to him! He cruises around on furniture and pulls himself up on anything he can. (even me!) He's even trying to take a few steps on his own! It's kind of scary :) Jackson also is almost totally on table food now, with the exception of one meal a day where he has a puree with his cereal. He's growing up!

His best buddy, Ralph the dog

Just over 8 weeks?

2008-10-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

I just came to the realization that in just over 8 week we will be packing up and leaving Grenada behind. We've definitely had our ups and downs here.... from brown water to hot humid weather- but also beautiful beaches and wonderful friends. I definitely think I'll look back at my time in Grenada with fondness, but we are definitely ready to start the next chapter of our lives- first back in Covington, then wherever Todd gets placed for his clerkship rotations.

WE are so excited to find out where that is going to be! We are hoping for California, but we are confident that wherever Todd is placed will be the right place for us.

Alright. I think that's it for now. Hope you're all having a great day!

A big day for my little boy

2008-10-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Last week Jackson started crawling! He was playing with his favorite toy (a spoon) and it somehow got away from him. Well, he just went right after it! I was so surprised and excited, because I was beginning to think he might just not do it at all! He surprises me every day.

Here's one playing with his favorite spoon-

And here's the crawling boy in action!

A fun night!

2008-09-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Todd and I got to get all gussied up and go celebrate his induction in to the SGU honor society last night at the University Club, which is a fancy, invite only kind of place. It was great! The food was delicious and Todd got a nice little certificate to commemorate the experience. Congratulations honey!

Recent Videos

2008-09-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Todd is studying like crazy for his exams this week, so I thought I'd upload some recent videos and show you what Jackon's been up to lately.

This one is him in his new walker talking to his Dad. :)

This is one of him "crawling". He hasn't really mastered it yet, but he's getting there! He is definitely mobile at the very least :)

Feelin Beachy!

2008-09-12T18:42:00.001-07:00

Today was Jackson's first time swimming in the ocean! We just went to the beach that's just a few minutes away. He was a little chilly, but loved playing in the sand! We had a great time. :)

Roomies

2008-09-08T07:53:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give a little shout out to our housemates. To all who are unaware of our living situation in Grenada- we live in a duplex style house with a door that opens up to the next apartment, where 4 of our close friends live. I love that we keep the door open all of the time because it's so great to be able to talk to them all the time. I've grown accustomed to running over to Melanie to tell her something funny I just saw on TV, or anything else really. It's so great having them there, and we're going to be sad when December rolls around and marks the end of our time with them.

The 3 ladies last month at our house (Erin, Melanie, and I)

The 3 boys last year on St Patty's day in Dublin. Notice the green goaties. haha. (Evan, Jeff, Todd)

Hooray

2008-09-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Despite waking up with a nasty cold thanks to my darling husband, I'm in a good mood today and I'll tell you why.

1. Todd was accepted in to the SGU honor society! He turned in his application on Saturday and was just informed this morning that he had been accepted. I'm so proud of him!

2. It's raining today! YAY! Any day that it's not sunny, I rejoice because that means it will be a few degrees cooler and somewhat more tolerable.

3. I have the cutest baby ever. Here are some pics of my little 7 month old.

Fun with Dad

2008-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

I took this video last weekend of Jackson having fun with his Dad. I can't believe my little bugger is 7 months old now! Wow, time flies.

Will give more of an update soon, including pics of my little 7 month old! :)

Just because...

2008-08-10T12:57:00.001-07:00

Jackson goofing off this morning with his Pooh in his bouncer.... just felt like posting a new vid. We are melting here in Grenada. It's a sauna!

We are so excited too because everyone is coming back to the island to start the 5th term of medical school! Yay, friends for us. :) Todd has his 3rd term final exam on Tuesday. Wish him luck!

pool day

2008-07-29T07:32:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Todd and I took Jackson swimming at a neighbor's pool. He loves it! He kicks his legs and laughs the whole time. I think he's going to be a little fish. :)

Punk'd?

2008-07-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

No one ever said Grenada was going to be fair. That's the phrase my friends and I came up with in the house after all of the mishaps we've had since we've lived on the island. And let me tell you, we've had our fair share!

Here's a fun one- getting your hair done. I ususally go to this woman down the street who was trained in Canada and does a pretty good job. She's no Rebecca (my hairstylist from back home), but she's aiight. I'm usually happy with the final product.

Anyway, the lady down the street was on vacation and I was in DESPERATE need of a hair cut and color. So, Todd showed me a flyer on his school's website of a salon down by our grocery store. "What can it hurt to try a new place?" I thought. Famous last words.

I made the appointment for 8 am on Saturday morning. I showed up on time. They did not. I had to wait until 815 for them to get there and unlock the doors. Strike one. Then, they asked me what color I would like my hair highlighted with.... I said "blonde." They looked around their shop and said "we don't have any blonde." Strike two. Hmmm..... so the hairdresser sent her receptionist out to get some. She returns with a box of Garnier Fructise blonde hair dye..... Strike 3....... Most people would leave after strike 3, but ever optomistic about the outcome, I stay.

She proceeds to do my hair and starts grabbing random chunks and putting the dye in, all the while reading the back of the garnier color box. (she must have read that thing for like 20 minutes). I have seen my hair highlighted a million times and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it was the WORST technique I have ever seen. And by worst technique, I mean NONE. I knew it was going to be a disaster..... and yet, I still sat there. Then, she proceeds to drop dye all over my white linen pants and back of my tank top. I said "how am I supposed to get that out?" and she said "Oh, it will come out." Yeah, bleach a tank top and it will "come out." Ok.

Then we get to the haircutting. She pulls out these large, black scissors and I'm thinking, "you can't be serious." But she is! No hair shears, just big, black scissors. I asked for her to trim the "minimal amount possible" as I'm trying to grow it really long. To her, that must have translated as a 2-3 inch hack job, because that's what I got. The whole time I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher or Jamie Kennedy to pop out, but they were nowhere to be found. MTV boiling points? Nope, not them either. This was REAL, folks.

The kicker is, I actually tipped her. I'm too much of a wimp. After she was finished, (I could tell this was clearly her first experience coloring euro-american hair) she said, "you like it???" The hope in her eyes was priceless. I had to tip. Gosh I'm a wuss.

He's a big boy!

2008-07-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Jackson is approaching the big 6 month mark, and I have no idea where the time has gone! He is growing up so fast, and learning new "tricks" every day. He's now enjoying rice cereal and veggies on a daily basis. We've learned that he HATES green beans and LOVES sweet potatoes! haha. He also really enjoys playing in his new bouncer and sitting up on his own. He says "ma ma ma" and "da da da" and is really trying to figure out the english language. :) He's also really working hard on crawling. He's got the legs down perfect and can scoot himself along, but can't get the arms working at the same time. He'll get it before too long, and then watch out mom and dad! I don't know if I'm ready for that!

Trip to Seattle!

2008-06-17T07:52:00.001-07:00

Jackson and I just got back from a fun filled, and yet somehow relaxing week in Washington! It was wonderful to get some much needed time off the island and just kick back and relax in the cold weather! Thanks so much to my family for hosting us and letting us take over their house :)

People who live in the US just don't realize how good they have it. I went in to a Safeway and almost started crying as I walked down the isles and everything was stocked and beautiful. The produce isle really got me. Big, beautiful (chemically engineered?)fruits and veggies just calling out for me. Ah.... it was a lovely experience.

Look how cute my baby is! He's actually wearing clothes! haha (Jackson at 4 1/2 months)

Celebrating Father's Day early with my Dad, sisters and Jackson at Black Diamond Bakery. It was delicious.

Apparently, blogging is not on my list of favorite things to do

2008-05-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I thought for sure I'd be on here all of the time giving updates and loading pictures and videos. Well, clearly Amy, you have slacked. And for no good reason, really. Apologies to those of you who read our blog! I will try not to be such a slacker....

Here is a rundown on the latest happenings.

Todd finished midterms in his hardest term of medical school thusfar sucsessfully with outstanding grades. He is doing so well and I couldn't be more proud!

We were recently visited by Todd's parents who came bearing diapers galore! I know it may seem strange and yes, they do sell diapers here, but not PAMPERS SWADDLERS people! These things are important ya know. Anyway, we had a good time with them and we hope they enjoyed their visit too! It was great for Jackson to spend some time with his Grandma and Grandpa Curtis :)

J and I are headed home next week for a visit. June 3-13. We are both excited! Well, I'm excited.... I'm sure J is too, he just doesn't know it yet. I am thrilled to get off the island for a while and looking forward to not being perpetually sweaty all of the time for a week or so. haha.

Anywhoooo.... here's a recent pic of Todd and I out to dinner for you. Hooray!

J's new best friend :)

2008-04-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Jackson "talking"

2008-04-09T04:13:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this shows up OK. Jackson talks and coos all the time now. Here's him talking at about 2.5 months. Love this little guy!!

Stuff is different in Grenada....

2008-03-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

Including the fruit! Lemons are lumpy, limes are large and look like lemons, in fact, i can't tell the difference between any citrus fruits. Imagine my surprise when I cut in to this watermelon....

It was so tasty though! :)

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter! Here's our little guy in his adorable outfit with his bunnies :) He's two months old now and I have no idea where the time went! We had a great Easter, including a potluck brunch with some of Todd's classmates. It was a lot of fun!

OK one more...

2008-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

because I can! Here's my guy smiling.... he's a little camera shy so I only got a couple...

Such a cutie!

2008-03-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Jackson discovers his feet!

Todd's Northumbria Graduation

2008-03-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Todd and his classmates went to their graduation from their first year of medical school at Northumbria Univeristy in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was fun seeing some of the faculty members from their program come to Grenada for the event. It was a fun and well deserved day for Todd and his classmates. This was a big day for all of them, and for the school, as this is the charter class of the Global Scholars program through SGU. They actually ended up with better GPA's than the regular class at SGU! :) Todd did such a great job last year in school and I am so proud of my grad! :)

Here's a pic of Todd on his campus

Here's a pic of the whole class.

Our house :)

2008-03-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Our house in Grenada is great and we love living right next door to our close friends! I thought I'd post some pics to give you somewhat of an idea of where we live. OK I PROMISE I will start posting these more regularly :) At least once a week.... with pictures! Maybe we'll even take a video or two and put them on here! Well, maybe I'm getting carried away. haha. Anyway, hope you all are doing well and miss you guys!

Here's a picture of the entrance to our portion of the house.

Here's our front yard

Here's the back yard

Living room

Kitchen

The bedrooms are a mess! Otherwise I would have posted pictures of those too... hehe

And here's a pic of my adorable little guy at 7 weeks! I can't believe it's been 7 weeks already :) This is what happens when you have too much fun!

In Grenada~

2008-03-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry we've been suck slackers with our posts! We made it to Grenada safe and sound and are enjoying our time here so far. It's quite the adjustment, with the heat and humidity, but we're getting there! (We are Seattlites after all!) Jackson did very well on the plane and seems to be adjusting to the heat fairly well also. Speaking of Jackson, he celebrated being a month old on Feb 24!! I can't believe it's been that long. He grows and grows every day.... he's amazing! He's constantly showing us bits of his personality as it develops too. We are so blessed to have such an amazing little guy.

We love our house also. We're living in a duplex type house next to some of our very good friends and love the situation so far. We're slowly learning how to get around the island and some of the very important do's and don'ts!

Anyway, we'll post pictures soon of the island, our house, and the little guy! Thanks for all of your prayers as we transition to life here! It's hasn't been entirely easy, but we are truly blessed to be here.

Goodnight for now!
Amy

Jackson is here!

2008-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

I am a little delayed in posting this, but on January 24 at 826pm, little Jackson Curtis was born weighing in at 7lbs 8oz.... only after 25 hours of labor! :) It was a long day but so worth it. He is a little dream baby. He's absolutely the sweetest little guy I could ever imagine. Todd and I are having fun adjusting to parenthood and watching our little guy grow each day. He's a really laid back little guy and I can't wait to see how he develops throughout the years! I'm so in love.

Now to prepare for this move to Grenada coming up in less than 3 weeks! Wow, it's coming up so fast!

I'll post more pics soon of the little guy :)

Starting this page

2007-12-29T20:54:00.000-08:00

We're starting this page in hopes that our friends and family can stay updated with what's going on with us as we prepare to welcome little Jackson Curtis in to the world, and prepare for our move to Grenada. Let us know if you have any suggestions!

Cheers!
Amy and Todd