Belly pics

I've been trying to get pics of my belly as I feel it is large and in charge - but self-pics are hard iwth a phone and I don't feel they illuminate the large-ness!!  But this first one is this morning, starting into week 30. 

 I think these are about 27/28 weeks. i need a photographe r- these pics suck

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving was a great time.  Although i must say it seems such a let down with only 40 minutes of eating after all that prep. But i do really enjoy the prep. I love cooking a bunch of stuff I know people are going to enjoy.  Here is the Hodgson/Ketchum family table. 

I was very thankful this year for health (and i promptly got a cold), living in Washington again, Max's awesome development and strength, and a great family to have been raised with.

 This is my attempt at Scotchmallows (if you are not a See's afficionado, please move on)

They turned out ok. i'm developing a strategy for even better Christmas turnout

 Max looking suave in his coat and hat. He was looking for his friend The Cat.

Ruby Red Slippers

 Well i guess major happenings have happened since I last posted.  I am no longer in dry, cold, semi-lovely Ogden, UT.  I now have 10 days living in gorgeous, wet, and stunning Kent, WA as I began my new professional endeavors in Seattle.  I interviewed on August 30th for this job as  a Spanish Benefits Advisor for the Department of Labor. I was set to report to my new assignment at Hill on Sept 9th, so i was hoping they would notify me quickly - in fact I was so 'gettin gthis job' that i started packing the weekend after the initial interview. Thank goodness I did since barely a month later, I was packing up my first home and moving me and Max to Western Washington. Which we are loving. I ride the train into work everyday, have a great brisk walk up to my office and even getting a few nice rainy days.  Now fitting my 4 bed house into a 2 bedroom apt....lets say Irene (Ileen to the lay person) basically made it doable. I would have been living in boxes for 3 years until I could get a house. Thanks Mom!

 Apt Complex

 View walking up to my office

 Max being a major trooper on the 10 hours road trip from Utah. He was awesome.

 Probably Snoqualmie Pass - super safe, driver-taken photograph

The Helper

So my Max has become quite the helper. He has become quite adept at various chores around the house - below I've posted two. Not seen are his dish-washing skills, microwaving skills, and leaf

gathering skills.



The Helper 2.0

 So most have probably seen most these pics on Facebook - but I figured I should blog the experience. What an experience.  Too bad i didn't give my camera to the people in the airport security lines so they could document Max pulling my hair out, hitting my glasses off my face, draggin ghim by his leg on the ground and just me breaking down in general as the travel days were the worst ever. I will never travel with a child this age again.  The only thing that didn't happen that I was dreading was him having a dirty diaper on the flight. Everything else  - happened. Not only do they not sell white milk in the airport (except for Starbucks after an hour of searching at our first airport). We didn't have any time between connecting flights, they wouldn't let me change his diaper, he peed on me a total of 4 times (travel tehre and back), he got diaper rash that turned into fever blisters, he threw up all over the hotel the first night down there, his whole body broke out in a heat rash.....so pretty much it was miserable from that aspect. But the visit was nice - we went touristy one day to Coatsocoalcos(sp?) and Catemaco. Catemaco was super pretty. THe rest of the week we just chilled in the hammock (inside for the one day we had a hurricane come through), killed and ate a pig for Ericks birthday and spent time with family.  There were so many people that played with Max and help chase him down - it was very nice and pretty relaxing. Except for the general disaster that is Max.

This is a picture of our first day in Veracruz. We are down at the port - My luggage didn't make it (for 5 days) so I'm wearing Erick's pants and a shirt his sister gave me. And it was soooo hot here. I'm trying to keep max from throwing himself off the dock. Which we all secretly wanted to do.

This was our first meal. A great Empanada

 Here is Max in one of his 3 daily baths. Which of course he drank and got diarrhea.

Did I meantion it was a good trip???

 Not a very clear picture but this is the heat rash that broke out over his whole body.

 Waterfalls at Coatsocoalcos. I spent most of the day holding my crying Max

 This is the lake at Catemaco. it was HUGE. Made me think we were in Asia. I always see Asian lakes in pciture that look liek this. Pretty sure.

Hiking

 So we went for a nice hike today up where I like to go running. Max was a champ. Although slightly oblivious to the steep mountainside to his left, he ran the trail. 

 Who loves his hat?

 Some minor setbacks....

We found this beautiful 'oasis' at the end of a new trail....

Spa-worthy shower

So I hope all these pictures show the sweat and toll that has happened over the last 4 months....It was alot of learning, fixing, refixing, even now....please never ask me tile your bathroom. Although it would end up looking like this. So maybe you should.



Mother's Day 2012

Here are some spots from Mother's Day.  Max seemed to know exactly what was up. He slept until 8:45, snuggled with mom, played in the park and then went to sleep as soon as I laid him in the crib. Perfection.

Just Pictures

Just wanted to post some pics of us....Showered Max tonight and then he somehow escaped from his towel and i had to wrestle him to the ground....

 Love this face of my Chullo

 This was me wrestling the naked monster

 Bed time

 Max and I watching our novela this week

This is the Justin Dweeber Haircut...chasing a kid around the shower with scissors in hindsight may not be the smartest thing i've ever done... 

This was Easter...and he had just eaten a bunch of dirt. God made dirt and dirt don't hurt:)