Tales of the Logans

Christmas Vacation

2011-01-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

Elliott in line for airport security

We were blessed to be able to spend 17 days with my family in Kenosha, WI for Christmas. This was Elliott's first trip to my parent's house, so it was extra special.

One of my favorite things about going home is my dad's cooking (and my mom's when my dad lets her cook). Not only is it good, it's great not having to be responsible for cooking. We have amazing Mexican food, BIG family dinners, and an array of delicious treats everyday to eat. Elliott even got to try a veggie tamale and oranges...his new favorites. By the end of our time I seriously gained 10lbs! Seriously, that's how good and how much food I ate!

While we were home my home congregation threw Elliott a baby shower. It was really great to introduce him to everyone and watch him open presents. Of course he loved the wrapping paper more than the gifts. Did I mention he tried to eat his shower cake? While we were taking a picture of the cake he put his hand in and got a little fistful. I guess he was just practicing for his 1st B-Day!

On Christmas Eve we got a little surprise...snow! We grabbed Elliott and raced him outside to take the "perfect" family snow picture. Did I mention we had to run inside and back outside 3 or 4 times before we got a good picture. I think the cold and snow frightened Elliott a bit, but it was fun to see his wonderment.

Christmas was a hit, but I think everyone was a bit disappointed in the fact that he like his wrapping paper more than the actual presents. My family usually takes a long time to open presents, so Elliott actually had a nap in the middle of everything! All in all, we had a wonderful time together. If I had to sum Christmas vacation in a couple of words they would be food, family and lots of love.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

We were so blessed to be able to be in Independence with family for Thanksgiving. After a 24 hour drive across country with no overnight stops, we began our Thanksgiving break. Elliott did surprisingly well during the trip, although we have no intention of ever driving cross-country with an infant again.

During Thanksgiving we were able to spend time with Kyle's family and visit a lot of our Kansas City friends. It was definitely a whirlwind trip. Besides seeing family and friends we went to Crown Center's tree lighting, Arkansas to visit more family, and were able to attend our niece's 1st Birthday party. It was so great being able to visit everyone again.

One of our highlights was watching Elliott and our niece Ava play together. Everywhere we went Ava and Elliott seemed to have their own paparazzi as everyone wanted to capture all of the cute "kodak" moments. A few of my favorites-- Ava trying to push Elliott in her doll stroller as Elliott tried to escape, Ava kissing Elliott on the cheek, cousin bath time together, Elliott eating Thanksgiving dinner, and storytime together. Elliott and Ava are only 6 months apart, so Thanksgiving was the first of many family gatherings where they will get to play together.

Thanksgiving break was so much fun and eventful that Elliott and I actually took a nap together at the airport. (We actually ended up missing our first flight out of Kansas City, so our trip was extended by a couple of hours...but we got home safely!)

Vacation at last!

2010-11-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Elliott looking at the giraffes @ the Wild Animal Park

Kyle and I finally took a mini-vacation! The first in almost 2 years! We decided to go to San Diego, because not only is it beautiful, it's only an hour away. It was SO nice to enjoy each other's company. We did all of the touristy things- Seaport Village, Old Town, Balboa Park and celebrated Elliott's half birthday at the Wild Animal Park. Out of everything my favorite part was going on a leisurely morning walk along the cliffs and admiring the beauty we were surrounded by. Here are some of our favorite pictures from the trip.

Morning walk along the cliffs

Family photo at Balboa park


6 month birthday @ the Wild Animal Park

Elliott's new things

2010-11-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to Kyle's screams of disgust, "Erin come quick. Elliott has real "human" poop and it stinks really bad!" I promptly rolled over and pretended like I wasn't awake to avoid getting roped into changing the diaper. A real poopy diaper can only mean 1 thing...Elliott has started eating solid food, or human food as Kyle calls it.

The last two weeks Elliott has changed so much. He is now sitting by himself without falling, can drink out of a cup and has started solid foods. Besides poopy diapers, eating solid foods also means more laundry. Elliott's favorite move is to spit food out, wipe his hand on his mouth and rub his tummy...all within a matter of 2 seconds. He also LOVES drinking water out of cups. It's great because it keeps him interested at restaurants, however he gets so excited he grabs the cup with both hands while he is drinking and pours it all over his clothes. Did I mention I am now doing twice as much laundry?

A couple of days ago we took Elliott to a My Gym class and he loved it! The activities were so much fun, but the monthly membership price was not. I think we'll just stick to going on free days or during promotions.

My Gym mirror time

October= visitors and Stoller Strides

2010-10-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how being a stay at home mom has made my life even more hectic. Initially I wanted to update this blog every week, but seeing as it hasn't been updated in a while, I figure once a month is about all I can count on.

The month of October was quite busy! Elliott and I met my mom in San Diego and enjoyed an extended weekend together. Kyle's dad flew in and he and his dad ran a 1/2 marathon in LA! So proud of Kyle for completing the 1/2 marathon. (Hopefully someday we can run one together) October was also Halloween and we enjoyed showing our little penguin off at Trunk-or-Treats and Halloween parties.

Probably the most significant thing about October was I joined a group called Stroller Strides. Stroller Strides is a fitness group of moms and their babies/toddlers. They meet Mon-Fri at various parks and do an hour of fitness while pushing strollers. The first class I attended had about 25 moms with a combined total of 35 babies/toddlers. Once I heard them singing nursery rhymes while doing lunges around their strollers I fell in love! This group of women not only motivate me to work-out, but inspire me everyday and offer great support. Elliott and I love going to Stroller Strides! He especially loves playing with his friends on his blanket.

Elliott and Grandpa Logan at the Pumpkin patch

Grandma Snethen and Elliott in San Diego

Update

2010-10-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last updated my blog! Time flies when you're a stay-at-home mommy!

This past month we were blessed to have some friends visit us from Tennessee for 2 weeks. It was so great to catch up, play games and do some site-seeing. We didn't finish our list of "things to do", so they will have to come back soon for another visit!

Shara and Jeff visiting from TN! We're at the LA fair.

Elliott continues to make us smile everyday by the little things he does. He loves laughing, staring at his fingers, rolling from side to side and standing. He is now 5 months old and we can't believe how fast time has flown!


Elliott at the petting zoo @ the LA fair

Elliott loves to point!

Elliott's sleep has improved dramatically! Most nights he's in bed by 6:30/7:00...which of course means he's up by 6:30! (Being a parent is definitely a life transition...I don't remember the last time I slept in past 7am!) His night feedings have decreased to 1-2 a night. HUGE decrease from the month before! Unfortunately he's become a bit of a "mommy's boy" when it comes to sleep. I am now the only one he will go to sleep with. Previously he would sleep with Kyle or myself, so at times it's hard that I am the only one he will take naps/sleep at night with. Elliott has also transitioned from his cradle into a crib, which gives him more wiggle room. :)

Last week I joined a group called Stroller Strides. It's an exercise group of moms with strollers that work out 5 mornings a week. Besides getting a pretty good work-out we are able to socialize with other moms/babies. Most mornings I spend 1-2hrs after class socializing with the other moms and introducing new babies to Elliott. Elliott is still not sure of other babies...he just stares intently...maybe that's because there are about 20 women in my class and some have 2 children (baby/toddler) so it's a bit overwhelming from our house!

All in all, life is great! When you change your schedule to reflect your life's priorities, it's amazing how good you feel at the end of the day.

Precious Sleep

2010-09-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

We got a card in the mail last week from our electric company notifying us that they would be doing maintenance work in the area and we might lose power from 9pm-9am. We joking said we would use candles for the night, but didn't give it much thought. Well, last night was THE night. The electricity went off around 11pm. Little did we realize that "electricity" meant refrigerator, air conditioning and all outlets. At night our bedroom sounds a bit like the ocean due to all of Elliott's white noise machines. (It takes 2-3 to get him to sleep, plus a seahorse that plays timed lullabys.)

Within seconds our room became silent and warm...which turned into hot (even with the windows open) and full of noise as our little one unexpectedly woke up from his deep slumber. I wish the electric company knew how much work it took to get Elliott into a deep sleep and the improvements he's been making the last few weeks. After stripping Elliott of his clothes we both took 1 hour shifts rocking him back and forth and trying to recreate the white noise he's used to. (Side note: Now that I am a parent I am amazed at the things I do for my baby at all hours of the night!) Needless to say none of us slept well last night and it was a LONG day for Kyle and Elliott while I worked.

I love watching Elliott's entire face light up the second he sees me and hears my voice. He laughs, makes lots of talking noises and grabs my hands. Ahhh. Tonight when I got home he was so tired he fell asleep after 10minutes of playing and 5 minutes of nursing. It wasn't even his bed time yet! I just sat back, drew his precious body close to mine and admired this little being nuzzled deep within my lap.

2 Days to Go

2010-09-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

The last week and a half have been quite interesting and trying for all of us sleep-wise. We had a great Labor Day weekend and enjoyed BBQs and swimming. By the end of last weekend Elliott was sleeping almost through the night...only woke up twice. HUGE improvement from 12-15 times!

I went back to work on Tuesday and the nightmare began again. While I was at work Elliott cried for 3 solid hours. I felt really bad for Kyle because I would have tried to come home early, but I didn't have my cell phone with me. When I got to my car after work I had a voice-mail in 20 minute increments of Elliott crying... The second I walked in the house and he heard my voice he stopped crying and started smiling. Let's just say the week has progressed from there... It's getting harder to put him to bed at night because he wants to be in my arms and will cling for an hour or two before letting me put him down. Poor baby... Poor daddy... Only 2 more work days to go!

On another note I think Elliott is teething. Not only is he gumming me while he eats (that's a fun experience), but he's gumming everything he can get into his mouth. He's also become quite a drooler. With me working and early stages of teething it makes sense why he's having a tough time. Kyle and I swear we heard Elliott crying "Momma" tonight when he woke up to nurse. We listened closely and he repeated it several times. Craziness!

2 Weeks Notice

2010-09-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

Getting up all night long has really made me sick. My sinuses are acting up and I am having a difficult time talking. So, I took Tuesday off of work and it was the best day ever!

Kyle and I devoted today to family time. All day long we cuddled Elliott between us and played with him. We were so happy to see his little precious smile return with his infectious giggle. There were so many moments when Elliott would look at me and smile, then look at Kyle and smile, then look back at me, etc. I'm pretty sure he was thinking, "Yay Mom and Dad are both at home with me today!) The day was perfect. We had much needed family time and Kyle and I even had a couple of hours at night to spend together.

We started talking about what was most important to us individually and as a family. We agreed that Elliott is now our number one and comes before any job. After doing some number pinching, we worked out a way for me to quit my job and stay home with Elliott and Kyle. (Kyle works from home during the week.) Our new money plan requires us to sell my car (which I was only using to go to work) and be continuously mindful of how we spend our money. It's worth not going out to eat to spend the day with Elliott and have him sleeping again!

So, I gave my 2 weeks notice yesterday and I am so happy about it!

Worst Week Ever

2010-08-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

This has been the worst week ever! Elliott’s night-time wakings have increased so much that he is now waking up 10-15 times at night. I feel like a zombie! I am so tired and starting to get sick. The worst part is that Elliott has stopped smiling. Normally he is a smiley happy kid, but my absence is making the smile temporarily fade away. I’m so stressed and emotional, I don’t know what to do.

At night Elliott clings to my clothes and refuses to go to sleep. It’s cute and really sad at the same time. He’s fighting sleep so he can spend more time with me. Last night we gave up and went for a car ride to see if that would put him to sleep. 45 minutes into the car ride, and 2hrs past his bedtime he went to sleep. The second we got home he woke up. I took him out of his car seat, laid him on my bed and laid down next to him. He turned towards me, grabbed my shirt with both hands, nuzzled his head against my shirt and let out a deep sigh. Within seconds he was in a deep sleep.

Adults with older children always say to cherish every moment because children go up so fast. How can I ignore the pleadings of my baby? All he wants is his mom to stay home with him. As he grows this moment will soon fade away and he will be consumed with toys and friends and I will no longer be the number one thought on his mind.

Normally Elliott doesn’t sleep in our bed, but last night was different. With tears in my eyes I cuddled next to him and fell asleep.

Sleep Mystery

2010-08-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately things have not gotten any better with Elliott at home. I just finished my second week of work and Elliott is still not sleeping. I have tried to keep Elliott in the same routine that he has been in all summer long, but it is not working. Kyle says he cries for about 30 minutes once I leave for work. Things are getting so stressful that when I get home Kyle hands me Elliott and goes for a walk. I think it's been hard on him because even though he is the father he is not able to completely console Elliott. It's hard on me because I feel like my absence is traumatizing Elliott. I guess it's because he had me everyday since he was born. By the time I get home from work I only get to spend an hour or so with Elliott before putting him down for bed, which is becoming an hour long process.

I did a little experiment this past weekend. I took Monday off of work, so I was home Saturday-Monday. All weekend long I played with Elliott. His sleeping increased at night. By Monday night he slept for 7 straight hours, woke up once, then went back to sleep for 4 more hours. The sleep mystery is solved (as if I didn't already know the answer.) The more time I spend with Elliott during the day, the more he sleeps at night.

How can I be there for my son, while working to help provide for my family?

Back to work

2010-08-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

I went back to work last week and I have mixed emotions...

Before the summer was over I was looking forward to working again. I have tremendous respect for women who enjoy staying at home with their children, but I don't think I am of that breed. I love being a mom and I love Elliott, but I miss contributing and using my brain in ways outside the house.

Currently I work for a non profit organization that provides free after-school tutoring and activities to low income families. The specific program I work for is in a middle school. We have close to 150 students after school and my job is homework help. So, I started back a week ago. I really am enjoying working with students to understand their homework...usually it's math they need help with. (I've had to re-teach myself Algebra and Geometry so I can answer their questions)

Even though I've enjoyed working, Elliott and Kyle have not enjoyed having me gone during the day. Before I started working Elliott took 2-4 naps a day all at least an hour and only woke up once during the night. Well, since I've been working all of that has changed... Elliott only sleeps 30minutes at a time...and will only nap once. At night he wakes up every 1-2hrs. It's a bit stressful for both of us, but we are hoping things will get better once we get into the routine of me working... I mean, so many women work full-time and are mothers, so me working part-time should be okay... Here's to more sleep at night!

Home Sweet, HOT, Home

2010-08-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

We are back from our summer adventures and boy is it hot in California! (It's in the 100s!) I'm happy to report that Elliott slept through all of our plane rides. (Unfortunately there were several other babies that cried the entire way...I felt bad for their parents who couldn't console them.)

Throughout our travels Elliott was probably held by at least a 100 people, (He should have a good immune system now!), bathed by almost everyone of our friends and family, and covered in hugs and kisses. He is now almost 3 months and has been nicknamed smiley, because he smiles all the time...he even stopped mid-cry to smile, then continues to cry!

It's hard to recall every moment and event this summer, so here are a few of our favorite pics to highlight our travels.


With Christ and Jeff in Hollywood


Erin's parents and Grandparents


Ava Courtney...Elliott's first kiss on the lips!

Meeting cousin Ava Morgester...only 6 months apart

Cuddles with Amanda

Beach time with Daddy

Summer Craziness

2010-07-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well, this will be the last post for at least another month. We are starting our summer of craziness!

Week 1- Reunion at Buckhorn
Week 2- Reunion, visit from KC friends, Dr appts, Baby Blessing, Spec
Week 3- SPECTACULAR
Week 4- Week of fun in KC for Elliott and I...classes for Kyle

It should be interesting to see how Elliott does with lots of new people and on the airplane. We are just praying he isn't "The Crying Baby" on the airplane...you know the one that everyone turns to look at. I'm sure he will do great...even though Kyle is skeptical. To be continued in August...

Strawberry Picking!

2010-07-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

One of the perks about living in California is all of the fresh produce! Some of our friends live by a "you pick" farm that has tens and tens of fresh produce you can pick. They invited us to go strawberry picking, which was an offer we couldn't refuse! The strawberries were delicious and we found ourselves eating a strawberry for every one we put in our bucket. (Definitely better than grocery store strawberries!) It was SO hot...in the 90s, but a lot of fun. After we picked strawberries we picked a random assortment of fresh veggies to take home for dinner. :) We didn't get any pictures of the strawberry fields because we were more focused on picking and eating them!

Palm Springs/Meeting Grandma Snethen

2010-06-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

Kyle's camping season has officially started. We had a great 5 weeks together and I'm sad he has to go back to work. I was definitely getting used to having him around all of the time. Not only does he change dirty diapers, but he puts Elliott to sleep in half the time it takes me. I think Kyle is looking forward to a break from getting his clothes dirty with pee, poop and spit-up. Yes, Kyle has been pooped on several times...and had pee shoot in his face! (On one poop occasion when Kyle was changing Elliott's diaper he pooped and it shot off the changing table, onto Kyle's shirt and hit the carpet. We both think he has a promising future ahead of him!)

My mom came to visit Elliott for a week during Kyle's first camp. It was definitely love at first sight! We had a great week together, even though it was 100+ degrees the entire time we were there! Elliott had his first swim in the pool at night when it was cooler. Not sure he liked it very much, but he has plenty of time to get used to swimming. It was nice having my mom around to hang out with. I even got some "me" time, which is pretty amazing! Elliott enjoyed snuggling with Grandma...that is after I demonstrated the bouncing motion he likes. Kyle joined us our last 2 days in Palm Springs, which was nice to be together.

Grandma and Grandpa Logan

2010-06-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Kyle's parents came to meet Elliott this past week. It was so nice having two extra pairs of hands to help with household chores and take care of Elliott. Kyle captured quite a few pictures of Elliott sleeping with Grandpa. Kyle decided that Grandpa is not allowed to wear cologne because Elliott smells like Grandpa every time he holds him! We had a great few days together, but are glad to have things back to normal.

In Love...

2010-06-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

We are definitely in love with this little bundle of joy! From his tiny feet to his little nose, we are in love! We have nick-named Elliott "Mittens" as he loves his hands. (He came out with long nails, so we are keeping his hands covered so he doesn't scratch his face.) Most times his hands are on either side of his head like the picture below.

I've been a bit surprised at how exhausting being a new mom really is. There are many days Kyle has to remind me to eat as all I think about is sleeping and feeding Elliott. My body is definitely on what feels like a slow recovery. Elliott is eating every 1-2 hours a day...which means I am breast feeding a lot! We are blessed with a happy baby. He only cries when he has gas, or is hungry and has already started to smile.

Meeting Relatives

2010-06-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

My aunt Bea and uncle Ruben came to town last weekend on a visit from Russia. It's been a year since we've seen them, so it was nice catching up. Elliott also got to meet his great Tia Laura and cousin Lenny. The best part of the visit was eating great Mexican food! Always a party with the relatives!

Photo Shoot

2010-05-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to capture Elliott's early days with pictures, so we decided to take him to Sears for a photo shoot. (I preferred more artsy photos, but we were looking at $200+ for sitting fees!) I read somewhere on the internet that the best time to take newborn photos is before 12 days. So, at 10 days old we took these pictures. The above picture is my favorite! In the picture below Elliott is wearing a hat and wrapped in a blanket crocheted by his Great-Grandfather.

Elliott Wendell Logan

2010-05-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, May 17th, at 3am my water broke and I started having contractions 5 minutes apart. We rushed to the hospital to discover I was only 1cm dialated...2hours later I was put on a pitocin drip to make my contractions stronger and closer together. My body's reaction was to shake...so I took my first dose of pain medication. After being in labor for 8hrs I was only dialated 3cm and was having contractions every 30seconds...so, I gave in and got the epidural! 3hrs later I was finally dialated to 10cm...that's when the fun started. Elliott's head got stuck in the birthing canal for 3hours! Needless to say, 14hrs into labor he was the cutest cone head we had ever seen!

We are all doing well, just trying to rest. The last 3hours were really hard on my body, so I've been on bed rest trying to recover. Elliott is doing well. He's feeding regularly, peeing, pooping and makes us smile everyday by the wonderful little things he does. We are SO happy and enjoying our new lives as parents. Even if we only sleep 2-3hrs a day, it's all worth it!

He Kicks!

2010-01-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Baby Logan finally kicks hard enough for me to feel! It all started a couple of days after Christmas...the first couple of times were a bit strange and caught me off guard. I kept wondering if I was feeling him kick, or something else. It was pretty surreal once I figured out that I was feeling the baby kicking. And of course, babies don't kick on command, so it's hard for other people to feel him. The last week Kyle has been resting his head on my stomach and talking to the baby. He thinks it's fun to see how many times he can get the baby to kick me due to the vibrations in his voice and massaging my belly. (So far the tally is 7 and then he rolled over...as if to say "Dad, stop bugging me!") Kyle also thinks he can get the baby's opinions on things... "Kick once if you want your name to be Owen. Kick twice if you want your name to be Carter..." The funniest one was he asked the baby to kick if he wanted a puppy. At the exact moment he kicked and punched me so hard, Kyle had to move his head off of my stomach because he felt the force! Of course Kyle's response was, "I think he wants a puppy". I just rolled my eyes...

Ultrasound

2009-12-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to start a baby blog for the last couple of months. Since I'm almost 20 weeks, I figure I better get started!

Things have been going really well. I'm now almost 19 weeks and have finally started to get an appetite. Four meals a day, a midnight snack and waking up at 4am for an early morning snack are now almost routine.

We had our second ultrasound yesterday and are already completely smitten! This was the first time we were able to see the baby and were blown away by the technology used to show every detail of his body. The moment the ultrasound began the technician laughed and asked if we wanted to know the sex. We said we did and she told us the baby was a boy! Apparently he was lying with his butt in the air and was showing us his goods! As the ultrasound continued we were amazed to be able to view every vertebrae on this spine and blood pumping through the 4 chambers of the heart, as well as watching him stretch and turn. It was an amazing experience that made us both a bit emotional. Baby Logan is healthy and we are relieved and excited!

Baby Logan with his knees resting on his stomach

Two little feet!