I Miss my Mind the Most

Today Mr. Island and I took the kids to the doctor for a check up on the Kid's cold issue.  She said that they looked okay, and their lungs sounded clear.  Paige was showing a little sign of possible infection but other than that we are A OK.  While the doctor was checking Nolan I noticed the state of her hands- hideous!!  You would think that a doctor would have nice looking, well manicured hands but not this one.  Her cuticles were out of control and the hangnails and scabs looked very painful.  I can excuse dry hands because everyone knows (well, one hopes) that a doctor has to wash their hands after every patient they see but the gnarley half bitten nails and cuticles fit for a troll are not excusable.  I don't know why it bothered me but it did, and here I am blogging about it.  One more reason to shop for a new doc (my list of reasons is long- I blog about that one day). 
One kinda good thing came out of the doc appointment today- the doc and I suspect that Nolan is experiencing a little bit of reflux (heartburn) so she is sending us back to the Pediatrician.  I'm hoping at this visit to ask her a few questions about Nolan's saggital synostosis.  After you get home from a tramatic appointment you realize all of the questions you should have asked while you were there... I'm glad I have a second chance to ask.
Well, I should run and make something to eat for dinner,

Later gaters,
~jen

Nolan, The master of the Quick Nap.

Everything is going well here in the island home.  Relatively speaking of course.  We all have our colds back and of course Nolan is getting the worst of it.  He hasn't complained much and he's eating okay but he's got a super stuffy nose and goo coming out of his eyes.  Ditto for Paige but she is able to blow her nose and cough up 'stuff' effectively so she sounds better.  So we are all going in to the doctor tomorrow just so I can here her say, "There is not much we can do about it, it will run its course in about a week." .  I hate that.

Anyhooo, my lack of sleep is starting to catch up with me.  I've got a headache that I just can't ditch.  There are no words to describe the fatigue I'm feeling.  Hopefully Mr. Island can help me in this department on his days off.

Elizabeth & Paige on Easter Sunday.

Paige has been quite the character over the last couple weeks.  We were getting ready for bed the other night and she says to me "Mama, I'm curious, what are we going to do tomorrow?"  I've never heard her use a word like 'curious' before so I busted out laughing.  I found out the next day that she learned the word while watching 'Toy Story' for the zillionth time.  I'm glad to see it has been expanding her vocabulary.  As you can see in the above picture, she had a ball on Easter sunday this year.  We had planned to have an easter egg hunt out doors but the weather did not cooperate so it was moved inside.  Suz hosted a wonderful brunch and the kids hunted for eggs.  They had so much fun they decided to re-hide the eggs and hunt for them again, and again.  I enjoyed eating a bagel with cream cheese for the first time in more than a year (it will be the last time for a while too)  I also drank some deeelish coffee and a couple timbits, I was in a carb induced coma by lunch time.  

Well I hear a babe cryin for his dinner...

~jen

Okay I promised I would blog about my adventure in 'building a better bran muffin' when i eventually got around to it.  I managed to make a batch the other day, but since Paige was assisting me I forgot to take pictures and I also forgot a few ingredients so they didn't turn out as great as they should.  Somehow they still turned out 100% better than any bran muffin I had ever made, regardless of the missing ingredients.  Today, I had some child free time thanks to Suz and used it to attempt the recipe again.  I documented it with my camera to share with ya'll.  Go here to get the recipe for yourself, honestly, it is the BEST bran muffin I have ever made on my own.  They remind me of the bran muffins I used to get at Robin's donuts every sunday after church when I was a kid.  Yummmmm.  In case you've forgotten, Here is the recipe I am using today, Buttermilk bran muffins.

First collect all the ingredients (some are missing here) mix together the flours (I only used white though the recipe calls for unbleached & Whole wheat) as well as bran, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Using raw sugar or "sugar in the raw" will keep muffin's moist for Longer.
Then put all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  The butter milk, raw sugar, applesauce (I used pureed prunes instead because I had a small jar on hand) egg, oil & vanilla.  I used my hand mixer and mixed it for a couple minutes until frothy *see picture.  Then make a well in your bowl of dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in *see picture below* I also added a handful of raisins to the mixture at this point. The recipe doesn't call for raisins but I was a rebel and added them.  What the hell is a bran muffin without a raisin??? Once you've poured the wet into the dry, mix it together with a spoon. Do Not over mix!! That should be your mantra during the creation of these muffins... do not over mix  owwwmmmmmm (chanted like a monk).

pour equal amounts into 12 muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes- be sure not to overcook!!

My first attempt at the recipe (minus 2/3's of the flour) on the left and my latest attempt on the right.  They both tasted wonderful but the muffins with all the flour (right) made a nice dome shape and weren't as sweet as the first batch which is okay by me. 
One of these days Ill try the other recipe I talked about in my last muffin post and i'll let you know how it turns out.  Give this one a try, I guarantee you'll LOVE it!!

Take it easy,

~jen

p.s. This was typed entirely using one hand while holding baby in the other, what a multi-tasker I've turned out to be.

a few weeks ago I received some interview questions from Librarianguish and just now have a free moment to answer the questions.  I found reading the answers to the questions on her blog very interesting, I hope you find mine equally so.
Here it goes,

1. Now that you've just given birth to your second child, what is your greatest hope for Paige and Nolan?
This question has taken on a different meaning for me since Nolan was diagnosed with saggital synostosis.  You always want the best for your kids and try to give them every advantage you can.  I hope they both grow up being very aware of who they are and proud of where (and who) they come from.  Life can throw alot of curve balls our way but if you have a bright outlook and positive attude you can sail through any obstacle.  I want my children to possess this trait the most.  I suppose this is more of a list of hopes but there are so many things I hope for them it's overwhelming really.

2. What are your best and worst memories from family vacations when you were a kid?
My best memories of family vacations were heading out to my grandparents place, well not the actual car trip (that is where the worst memories originate) but after we arrived at their house, hanging out with my cousin Dawn, playing cards, suntanning on the deck listening to Bobby Brown on the tape deck and being outside all day.  The worst memory I have is the car trip that I couldn't stop smelling the aroma of imaginary snuffed candles and hot wax and feeling terribly car sick because of it.  THen having my brother pig out on bugles and throw up in the front seat.   That car trip SUCKED.
3. How did you meet Mr. IslandArtist?
Mr. Island answered a personal add i put up on the internet as an ongoing joke at work.  I was in the midst of deleting the mounds of email generated when his email address caught my eye and I couldn't help but read the entire email.  I found out that we had a lot in common so I emailed him back... He drove through a blizzard to meet me in person, took me for lunch at McDonalds- I ate a big mac, he had the double cheeseburger meal and the rest is history.

4. What does it mean to you to be an artist?
To me an artist helps translate the world around them in visual terms.  I feel like I have to find beauty where it would otherwise be overlooked and document it for all to see, enjoy and appreciate.  It is like a compulsion and a duty for me to use my gift in this way, I couldn't stop if i tried.

5. What was the most dangerous/stupid thing you've ever done?
I'm a pretty safe person so I really had to think about this one.  Back in the day- before i had a husband and kids I used to drive like a bat out of hell.  Seriously I think of how fast i used to drive and some of the stupid risks I took while on my commute to and from work each day.  I  shake my head and wonder how I didn't kill myself or someone else.  I drive like a grandma now, seriously.

Thank Libby for the questions, they were good ones.  I hope my answers served them justice and helped you learn something new about me.  It's so easy to think you know someone by reading their blog each day but you really don't know the WHOLE person- you only know what they choose to write and share with you.  I don't always realize how my words make me appear to the rest of the reading public,I hope for the most part I come across as a likeable person. A likeable person with bad punctuation habits, questionable spelling and knack for frequent typos and grammatical errors (I think I just invented a word, grammatical, write it down.).

Take it easy guys,
Blog, Eat and be merry,

~jen

i haven't blogged much over the last few days, we were in Lynnwood, WA visiting family and celebrating birthday parties.  It was a nice trip and once again I am baffled at how much my neices and nephews can stress me out.  I grew up in a household with 5 children and I don't think I ever experienced the feeling i get when we visit Lynnwood.  I don't know, maybe I'm just getting old.  Anyway, it was a nice break from the dullness of home.
Last week we received a little bit of suprise news.  Nolan was born with an abnormally small fontanell (soft spot) and the doctors and nurses have all been keeping an eye on it.  Our Family doctor sent us back to the pediatrician last week for an additional check up.  He informed us that our boy has Saggital synostosis, premature fusing of the saggital sutures in his skull.  It's not terribly bad, his brain has room to grow, unfortunately his head will take on a funny 'jelly bean' like shape because the skull can't stretch like it should.  So he will require surgery to correct the fused plates in his skull. 
Mr. Island and I were upset at first but the shock soon wore off and now we are concentrating on getting our little man into the Vancouver children's hospital as soon as possible.   There is a 3 month waiting list to see these specialists so if you are a praying type of person- Pray for Godspeed. If your not the praying kind, cross your fingers, I'll take any help we can get.  We are very lucky to have discovered this early and since he's a baby we were told his case should take priority.  I'm very hopeful everything will go smoothly but a mother can't help but be anxious about these things.
I give him several extra snuggles every day, stare at his adorable face and wonder how anything so perfect can have any kind of flaws. 

Catching some Z's with Daddy

He's still growing like a weed and eating more and more everyday, it only took 2 weeks for him to outgrow the newborn sleepers I bought.  I can't beleive how fast he's growing, I want him to stay small for just a little longer!!  I don't want to forget the smallness and the cuteness- hence the many many photos I've been taking.  Never can take too many photos, I'm going to need to get my kids sunglasses to protect them from the glare of the camera flash.

Anyhoo... I should run, I've got naps to take and kids to feed and launder.

Many Healthy Hugs,

~jen

I heard this joke several years ago and was reminded of it today while reading the news about Michael Jackson's trial.

What do Michael Jackson and Shopping bags have in common?

One is made of plastic and not safe for children to play with,

And the other one is handy for holding groceries.

Har-dee har!!

Since I've been home I've been wanting, no, needing to eat bran muffins.  While my mom was here she mixed me up a large batch, bless her heart.  The muffins were really good straight out of the oven and even the next day but now they closely resemble foamy, hard sponges with a smattering of raisins than they do bran muffins.  VERY hard to eat.  This sent me on a mission deep into the 'internets' to find out how one goes about building a better bran muffin.  It didn't take me long but I eventually came across a motherload of information at a site called egullet.com. 

You want moist bran muffins?  Try adding prune extract or fig pellets (don't ask me what these are but I'm going to go looking) even applesauce works.  Using 'sugar in the raw' also aids in keeping your muffins moist for longer. 
Maybe you would like to see a dome on the tops of your muffins (as opposed to the flat brick shape mine have)?  Try adding more flour and LESS bran- my muffins definitely could benefit from this bit of advice as well.
There is quite a science behind it, I had no idea- well i did have a small idea- but the actual complexity of the recipe is mind boggeling (sp?). 
So after my exhaustive search I came accross two very good, scientifically balanced, recipes.  If you are a bran muffin fan- give them a try. 

Buttermilk Bran Muffins

Cinnamon Raisin Bran Muffins

I'm going to try one tonight or tomorrow depending on how tired I am...

I'll keep you all updated on my progress, perhaps even with pictures??

~jen

Today Hubby and I took Paige to see the new movie 'Robots'.  I really enjoyed it!  I don't know if I was having a reverse 'baby blues' hormonal reaction but I seemed to find so much to laugh at.  I was already busting a gut before the previews were over ('Kicking & Screaming' looks hilarious).  So my critique of the movie may not be true- but having to take the kids out to this one won't seem like such a chore, that's for sure. 
Paige was so excited to see the movie that she wouldn't go down for a nap before the show.  By the time the 2 hours of trailers were finished she was already starting to run out of steam.  She got through two thirds of the movie and fell asleep in her Dad's lap.  He carried her out to the car and buckled her in and when she woke up she asked "When did the movie end??", poor kid.  She'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD. 
The weather was too nice to spend the entire day in a movie theatre but I spent my morning catching up on much needed sleep which sucked up the better part of my day.  I'll make up for it in a couple months when my children sleep through the night.

You thought you were going to get away without seeing a picture of the kids didn't ya???  Tough luck! 
Have a great day ALL!

~jen

My poor pooch.  First of all, she's been moved one rung farther down on the priority scale since Nolan came home.  She's been dealing okay, she's acting just as attention starved as she ever did so nothing is new there.  She gives Nolan his space and comes by to sniff him every once in awhile. 
Last week we took her to get her hair shaved off.  There is nothing worse than bringing your new baby home from the sterile hospital environment to find dog hairs hanging out of his mouth.  So Piper went for the snip snip, of her hair.  Unfortunately my search for sterility doesn't end with the conquering of the hair... We found some fleas on Piper yesterday!!!  She must have contacted the flea population at the groomer.  As you can imagine, I freaked out and called the vet- flew down there and purchased whatever poison I needed to eradicate the tiny beasts from my dog and home.  Today, I vacuumed ever square inch of my house, I'm throwing away the dog's bed and buying her a new one. It only takes the 'Advantage' medicine 2 days to start killing off the adult fleas, and then it kills the other fleas as they hatch which can take a couple months.  I've got a 6 month supply so I'm safely covered.  

 It's enough to make my skin crawl off and run away of it's own accord.  My dog is lucky that I love her to death or she'd be suggling her flea bitten butt on someone elses favorite chair. 
Gotta run,

~jen

We just got home from dropping my Mom off at the airport.  My mom came out for a week to lend a hand with Nolan and Paige.  She was a great help.  It was nice to have someone here to prepare a meal or help with a feeding so i could catch a nap.  Also, it was extra nice to have my Mom here to chat with about stuff and watch movies with, I wish I could do it more often.  I'm a tad on the hormonal side so it's all i could do to not bawl my eyes out at the airport seeing my Mom go home.  I'm going to miss having her around. 
Thank you Mom, it was great to have you out we are all thankfull for all of your help.  I'm terribly sorry about passing on my nasty cold virus to you, unfortunately it's the gift that keeps on giving, as you will be giving it to every person you meet for the next week.   We Love you and miss you, and will be seeing you soon-

Many BIG hugs and kisses,
~jen K,P&N

With all the hubub over the new baby, there has been a whole lot of photo taking around here.  The other day Paige asked if she could try the camera and it being digital I didn't see any harm in it.  She walked around happily snapping photos of everything and I caught a glimpse of her actually lining things up in the view finder.  When I took the photos off the camera I was pleasantly suprised at the very 'artsy' photos I was seeing.  Of course there were alot of cut off heads and uncentered portraits but I was impressed by the work of a complete, two year old, amature.

Dispite being a little out of focus, they look cool don't they???  I'm going to have to let her run free with the digicam more often... I may have a budding photographic phenom on my hands.  Well, a mom can dream can't she??

Take it easy,
~jen

My sister requested some photos of Nolan with his eyes open and of course, i was more than happy to oblige her.  I'm sure you have all been hovering on the edge of your seat in anticipation of my latest 'Nolan photo update'. 
Today was the first day of the 'guest parade', My grandparents (Paige & Nolan's Great grandparents) were out from Alberta to visit and count fingers and toes as were Mr. Island's Aunt and Uncle.  My mom was busy helping me with the kids and doing all the food prep and I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off all day.  Don't ask me why.  I'm VERY thankful that Mr. Island took Paige to a hockey game tonight so I had a few minutes to myself to do laundry, bake muffins and most importantly, BLOG.

I've been feeling absolutely golden which is a big change from the last time i had a baby.  I think it's partially because I am mentally prepared for the adventure this time around and it also helps that I am feeling physically better too.  I should be catching up on my sleep during the day but there always seems like there is so much to do that catching a few zzz's isn't a priority on my list.  But Man, those feedings during the wee hours can sure be difficult when you are dog tired.  Everyone has been very impressed with my post partum stamina as am I.  I hope it lasts.

A Happy Island Family of four.

Mr. Island also brought home our new family wagon today.  Now I'm officially the driver of a vehicle that I said I would never own- a sleak and sophisticated Toyota Previa- a minivan.  But a woman with 2 kids and a dog has got to do what she's got to do.  Actually, I really like it but it's going to take a little while to learn how to park it, since it's a lot larger than my Honda accord.  I'll post a picture of it when I get a chance to take one. 

Well I should get going, I've got bran muffins in the oven and laundry beckoning from upstairs.  A woman's work is never done. 
Take it easy all,

Hugs,
~Jen

It's been a week as a family of four and things have been going swimmingly.  Dispite the fact that we all have nasty head colds and I'm living on less sleep than usual- life is rolling along just like it did before Nolan arrived.  He fits in perfectly. 

My little Man catching some zzzz's

Mr. Island went out yesterday and spent the day in Vancouver shopping for a minivan to fit our clan.  The poor guy was running on empty since he barely slept the night before.  He ended up coming home empty handed only to locate the perfect family ride in a town next door.  Have I mentioned how much I love that man???  Thanks for the new wheels- I can't wait to proudly strap my family in and go for a road trip.

My mom came out to visit and help me out for a week- so far it's been great.  She's acting as my set of extra arms and legs while I do all of the household organizing I couldn't do while I was prego.  Between The two kids and the dog, she's been getting a work out.  Thank you MOM!!

Today is daycare day- Paige wasn't too keen on going, as per usual, until she found out she could push Nolan in the stroller down to the daycare building.  Elizabeth (Suz's daughter) walked with us and helped push Nolan too- it was definitely a kodak moment, and I didn't have my camera.  I'm going to have to hook that think to my waist so I always have it now.  There is just too much cuteness to be missed these days.
Well I should get going, I've got alot of organizing to do...

Hugs and cuteness,
~jen