The Collins Three

2011-01-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

On rainy days here in Portland (which is pretty much every day between January 1st and June 15th) it's places like this that help give Jack a dry place to play with other toddlers, climb all over everything and generally have a great time. I discovered Munchkin Playland last year and have taken him there from time to time. On our latest visit, Jack was finally old enough to graduate from the baby room to the toddler playground. As you can see he's mastered that bear slide!

Block Boy

2011-01-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Our budding architect.

Jack's First Haircut

2010-12-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

It must be said that from the moment he was born, Jack's hair has been a very popular subject of conversation. In fact, it was the first thing remarked upon the moment he crowned. "Look at all that HAIR!" Before he was even born I was allowed to reached down and feel his head and yes, he had a LOT of hair, and yes, I realize this probably conjures an image of me in a pose you may have never thought--nor wanted--to think about!

His hair was dark, dark brown just like mine was when I was born. We attribute this to the Spanish blood on my Dad's side (my great-grandmother was from Spain.) It grew in a perfect little mohawk for the first 4 or so months until it grew so long that it just plain flopped over. And that's when the CURLS started. Little boy had a perfect head of cupid curls that would sproing up as they dried after bathtime. "What I would give for curls like that." I heard this statement countless times.

And as he got older his hair got blonder, finally settling into a beautiful golden blond mop that just got longer and longer. It became increasingly common to hear "What a little cutie!! What's HER name?" Um, her name is Jack, thankyouverymuch.

There were comments from family that ranged from "That kid needs a buzz cut!" to "Don't you DARE cut that precious boy's beautiful hair!"

And we weren't planning to. But...well...this kid's hair grows like kudzu. I can't fit a hoodie over his head and I cringe when he runs his yogurt through his gorgeous blond locks, knowing if I don't get to it fast I'm going to have a big tangled MESS on my hands.

So it was cutting time. One YouTube video, one pair of sharp scissors, two pacifiers, and the remote control and we were in business! He sat really still through it all and I have to say, he's just as adorable as ever!! I saved several locks to give to interested parties, but hesitated throwing the rest in the trash. It just felt plain wrong to send Jack's beautiful blond hair to a landfill. SO...one Google search later to confirm that I could and IN to the composter it went!

This is just one more reminder that our baby is on his way to becoming a kid.

Jack's Trip to the Hospital (aka Hernia Shmernia)

2010-11-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

6:30: Playing in the waiting room before surgery.

7:00: Jack swaps out his street clothes for his little hospital gown and gets his vitals taken.

He was a very good boy and sat still the whole time!

Inspecting his sticker.

7:30: Enjoying his Versed before we walked him back to the operating room.

10:00: Getting some love from his Auntie Cecil.

Jack woke up in the recovery room in pain, coughing and crying for us. After a very tense 15 or 20 minutes, and three doses of morphine, he was able to sleep for a good hour and a half before...

waking up and immediately trying to crawl around!

Though he was a little out of it, Jack was ready to inspect his crib

and snuggle with Mommy and Daddy.

By 11:30 Jack was free to go! Now we're home and he's already toddling around the front room, playing with his toys, and demanding LOTS of food. You'd never know he just had surgery! We're grateful and relieved that everything went so well. What a scary little adventure this has been!

Jack's second trip to the pumpkin patch!

2010-10-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Went out to Hillsboro to visit the Plumper Pumpkin farm today. (Thanks to Auntie Jen for the recommendation!) The place was loaded with people but it didn't feel overrun or packed at all. The setting was beautiful, the pumpkins were plentiful, and Jack LOVED all of the people, babies, and animals. Our booty was humble this year--just two--a sugar pumpkin and a cinderella. To spare ourselves the mess and dangerous sharp objects, there will be no carving, but I'm aiming to try my hand at roasted pumpkin and pumpkin soup! Love the harvest month!

Trip to California.

2010-10-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Jack whiling away the time on the long, long drive home.

Carrie, Davis, James and Jack celebrate Thewba's wedding.

The breathtaking view out Laura's front door in Taft.

Long awaited snuggles with Grandma.

Jack loves his Aunt Sherryl!

Jack loves Grandpa!
(Please disregard the odd-armed, travel-weary lady.)

Back home, safe and sound with the Velcro kitty.

Goodbye Baby, Hello Toddler!

2010-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

(Still catching up on photos from this summer.) What a blissful day this was. Jack had just learned how to walk the day before (you can see how proud he is by that big ol' smile) and the sun had finally decided to grace us with her presence. Best of all, we got a few more shots of our baby crawling before he gave it up entirely. He has since outgrown that hat and outfit and is now the proud owner of 12, going on 16 teeth! Time sure flies when you're having fun!

Destruction in D Minor

2010-08-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Open Space

2010-08-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

Our absolute favorite part of summer in Portland is the PARKS. Big and well designed (some by MIG!) spaces of lush green grass, big leafy trees, innovative children's playgrounds, sports fields, walking paths, rivers, squirrels, ducks, and picnic tables--in a nutshell, the best way to spend a warm summer day. We just can't get enough of them! Especially on big blue-skied, puffy cloud Portland August days. So far we've gone to two movies in the park (though we always end up leaving right when the movie's starting), and have explored 3 new parks: Irving Park in NE Portland--saw two bands, ate a chocolate and peanut butter Voo Doo donut and shoestring Burgerville fries and watched the first 15 minutes of Fantastic Mr. Fox; George Rogers Park--discovered a little lakeshore perfect for swimming in beautiful Lake Oswego; and Ibach Park (designed by MIG!) where we checked out the amazing children's play area and watched Jack as he easily walked 2 football field's worth on the giant grassy expanse at the park's entrance. Ahhhhhh, summer, how I love you!

Movies in the Park

The important art of rolling down hills.

Ibach Park

Life through my Dad's eyes

2010-08-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Jack is one lucky boy! He got to have his Papa Michael at his very first birthday party! And boy, am I lucky. I get to have a Dad who loves his camera! We had such a wonderful time while he visited us up here in Portland. Here are some of my favorites from the many that he sent to us. I love seeing the world through his eyes. My Dad has such an affection for life and beauty. So glad I get to share it with all of you!

Love you, Dad!

Naughty Jack

2010-08-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

The Party

2010-07-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

On a blustery July afternoon, friends and family gathered 'round
to wish one very special little boy a very happy birthday.

The PARTS

The FOOD

The PEOPLE

The BABIES

The BIRTHDAY BOY

Special MOMENTS

After everyone had gone home to take long, well-deserved naps, the balloons decided to escape, hopefully to attend some baby squirrel's birthday party at the top of that tree.

Wonderful people. Wonderful pictures. Wonderful day!

Happy Birthday, Jack! We love you!

(More pictures soon!)

Jack's First Camping Trip.

2010-06-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

Coppertone Baby, Oregon-style.

My boys.

Sunshine baby!

Footprints.

Our homestead.

Wakey, wakey!

Playtime push-ups.

Pacifier has temporarily come out of retirement
due to two pesky molars.

Jack is not complaining one whit.

Enjoying some morning java.

Last night at camp. Wrapped up all snuggly,
enjoying his neon green bib.

Jack's a natural! First Collins camping trip
goes down in the books as a success!

Some light reading.

2010-06-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Jack whiling away the time.

Jack's most favorite book

2010-05-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Aunt Gwen! You gave Jack this book, along with the mobile, via Bettie Jo. The pages have been nibbled a bit, but it's still in pretty great shape after about 50 readings! Gotta love a little bookworm!

Technology Rocks!

2010-05-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

We're many miles apart, and yet...Jack smiles in delight and recognition when he sees his Grandma. It's just not the same as a warm hug, a cuddle and a kiss, but it tides us over until we can get them!

Making Jack's lunch

2010-04-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Once a week I make Jack a protein meal to eat during lunch while I'm at work. Tonight: in-bone pork chops--antibiotic and hormone free--and minced carrots, broccoli, red onion, garlic and rosemary with a teeny tiny, itsy bitsy, eensy weensy bit of olive oil, kosher salt and cracked pepper. All sauteed and then chopped into Jack-size pieces. Off to the freezer they go for 7 days of yummy lunches!

The Tulip Festival

2010-04-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful, puffy-white-cloud-kind-of-day, Don and I packed up Jack, some sunblock, a few toys and bottles, and ventured 45 minutes out of town to Woodburn to visit the Wooden Shoe farm for its 25th annual Tulip Festival.

Hazelnut shells made a perfect pathway to the lines for the tram out to the fields.

In the distance you can just make out the vivid colors of the tulips.

Jack relaxing against Mommy for his first tram ride.

Passing a wheat field along the way.

And a few little cow wranglers. Then...

Tulips!

Lots and LOTS of tulips!

Mommy and Daddy (not quite ready for our close-ups) and a sleepy boy.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful annual friendship.

Cottage Cheese!!

2010-03-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

(My personal favorite. Blahhhhh!)

He was a little on the fence at first, but cottage cheese is a decided hit!

Happy International Women's Day!

2010-03-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Six women, one baby boy, and two very sweet Golden Retrievers celebrated the day by watching Ken Burn's documentary
Not for Ourselves Alone,
The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
Due in very large part to the tireless will and determination of these women, we women today can vote, leave an abusive marriage, have custody of our children, ownership of our bodies, own property, have gainful employment, and serve in office.

Thank you.

First day of Spring and the Saturday Market is hopping!

2010-03-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the crosswalk that connects both sides of the Market, just about everyone in Portland decided this was the perfect place to spend a balmy, gorgeous Spring day.

And despite the warnings of sinning and drunkeness, the beer tents had no lack of thirsty customers.

A view of Waterfront Park.
Thank you, Portland for a perfect day.

Mister Crawler, meet Baby Jail

2010-03-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Now that our little dumpling is mobile, the Pack 'n' Play has taken up residence in our family room. So far, Jack doesn't seem to mind too much when he's being 'detained'.

A chip off the old block.

2010-03-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

I was unloading pictures from the camera and look what I found.
That looks like love at first sight to me!

Cell phone pictures...

2010-03-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I was thumbing through the images stored on my phone and came across some gems of Jack. Though many are just downright precious, note the inordinate amount of goofy shots of him.

Please enjoy...

A Day in the Life

2010-03-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

Jack beds down for the night, all snuggly under one of his quilts.

4:30am: A bottle and some quiet time in bed with Mommy.

Then...
Changing table time!

Exploration time!

Jack looking awfully cute.

Jack looking awfully tired.

Time for toys.

Car ride!

Coffee with "Auntie" Leenda.

Crib time!

Dinner time!

Bath time!

Then nighty-night time.

My day after work with Jack.

2010-03-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

Today was Jack's first walk sitting up in his stroller! It was a cold, blustery, late March afternoon. My little guy and I got bundled up and off we went, out to explore the neighborhood.

We saw some pretty flowers.

Sleepy and content, Jack enjoyed looking at all of the pretty houses and all of the yards bursting with flowers.

He waited patiently while I took a picture of this pile of phone books.
I counted seven--all in various states of decomposition.
(Funny, though usually an eerie word, "decomposition" has a nice ring to it when talking about books.)

Soon it was time for a little siesta with his bear, while I walked us to the park, enjoying the birds chirping their evening songs.

Then it was park time. We enjoyed a snuggle, Jack nestled on my lap, watching a golden labradoodle chase after her ball. Then a drop here and there turned to sprinkles and it was time to stroll our way home.

A bottle, a tasty bowl of oatmeal, some pizza for me, a warm bath and time spent in the rocking chair listening to my old music boxes.
My son drifted off to sleep in my arms.

And it was the perfect end to a perfect evening.

A few new pictures. (Can't write text for some reason, but these speak for themselves!)

2010-02-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

Yay for FOOD!

2010-01-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Carrots!

Butternut Squash!

Avocado!

Green Beans!
(Despite the poker face, he liked these best of all.)

Jack's First Feeding!

2010-01-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

And so on and so forth. Jack really seemed to like eating and took right to the spoon. (Though most of his cereal ended up on the bib!) Three more days of this, then we move on to orange vegetables!
Way to go, Jack!
You're such a big boy!

Bumbo!!!

2010-01-08T21:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Chris and Huck, for letting Jack borrow the Bumbo. He's digging it. Almost as much as his teether!
And, no I don't leave him on the table. Only for photo ops!

2010-01-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Mom, I'm about ready to chew on my FOOT unless you give me my teether!

That's better, thank you.

This doesn't feel very cold. How long did you chill it for?

Seriously, this is, like, room temp.

Nope. Not cold enough, thanks.

Oh, alright. If you insist.

Mmmm. This is actually pretty good!

I must say, this hits the spot!

My word, I think I love this teether!

I shall name you Teethy, and you will be my best friend.

Christmas Eve with the Fadenreichts

2010-01-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

Sleeping in front of the fire.

Quality time with Great-Uncle Gary.

Bonding with his new teddy bear.

First course. (Gwen is famous for stuffing her guests 15 minutes after they arrive!)Play time with his cousins, Dustin and Quenton.

Winter Photos

2009-12-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

My apologies for not posting more pictures and stories. Life sure passes by fast these days! Get up at 5:30, in bed by 8pm and try to clean up a little after the wonderful mess we make each day. But here's a bit of what's been going on the past couple of weeks.
Picking out Jack's first Christmas tree!

Our little family.

Jack and his Daddy.

The only time his hair will lay flat!

First time holding a bottle! (12/21/09)

2009-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Can’t quite believe how fast you are growing up, Jack. It seems like just yesterday that when I held a toy up in front of you all you could do was look at it—those little hands of yours were too uncooperative yet to reach out and clasp it. Now, I spy those tiny digits wrapping themselves around all kinds of things: your toys, blankets, my hair, your hair, necklaces, your fingers, your pee towels, and on and on. I can hardly wait for the ‘pincher’ grasp and all of the resulting scattered goldfish and cheerios that are bound to find their way into the crevasses of your bouncy chair and car seat. I love you little boy. Just try don’t grow up too fast!

2009-12-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Jack with Tante Joy getting his prints. (1st attempt)

Jack totally passed out. (2nd attempt--successful!)

Cousins!

Look who found his feet!

My angel. You can't see it, but there's a new tooth in there!

Baby Love, My Baby Love!

2009-11-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

Bath Time Blackmail

2009-11-06T18:35:00.000-08:00

There is just nothing cuter than Jack at bath time.
(We're sure his high school prom date will agree!)

Happiness is a baby right out of the tub!

2009-11-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

A Halloween Party with Jack's New Homies.

2009-10-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sara's scalp withstood Jack's iron grip just fine!

Little Ethan and Jack

Jack, chillin' in his diaper, playing with his fingers--
just about the greatest past time as far as he's concerned.

The dino and the puppy.

Thank you Tara and Ted for having Jack and me over!
Loved the company, the food, the babies and the tutus!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-10-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

Mom, yesterday would have been your 65th birthday. I thought about you all day. This morning I saw a text from David wishing you a happy birthday, as well. We all miss you as much today as the day we lost you. I try to live each and every day in a way that would make you proud. Big hugs and kisses across the planes, through the ether and into heaven. Love you, Mom.

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

Isn't our little puppy dog the cutest? Jack and Mommy are going to a party today with a bunch of other mommies and their babies. A roomful of little squirts in costumes. So much sweeter than candy!

Jack's First Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Jack and Friends

Lounging in the pumpkin patch.

Mr. Cool thinks this pumpkin patch is A-OK.

Talk about roadblocks!

On Friday, while Daddy was bogged down with homework, Jack and I decided to go out and visit the Roloff Farm to check out their annual pumpkin patch. Since their show, "Little People, Big World," took off on TLC, the place has been swamped with people on the weekends: long lines, traffic jams, the works. Luckily, I had the day off, and what with it being rainy and overcast, we just about had the place to ourselves! (No Roloff family sightings, though.)

Afterwords, Jack and I went to check out the park next to the Rose Test Garden. Again, just about deserted. But we checked out the playground and had a bottle and spent most of our time staring at all of the gorgeous fall leaves. It was a lovely way to spend the day!

Our son...

2009-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Little Jack Morris, it has been 3 months since you entered our lives. I daydreamed about having a child and what that would mean, but I never fully understood just how rich and precious and fun everyday, every moment spent with you would be. You are every clichéd expression of bliss that there is. You are the light of my life. You are my sunshine. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Or your daddy, for that matter. We were so happy in love together, your daddy and I, and now, having you here has taken that happiness and doubled it twofold. Every sweet expression, every yawn, every gurgle, every smile, every coo, every bubbly exclamation of wonder that you emit fills my heart and leaves me feeling like the luckiest woman in the world. I AM the luckiest woman in the world, Jack. Because I get to be your mommy.

Pensive to Goofball in T minus 4...

2009-10-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

My New Favorite Photo!

2009-09-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

I love love love this picture! Big, strong Daddy holding his son. And little Jack's expression is so adorable! He looks so content. Loves his Daddy! Love my boys!

A Few New Pictures

2009-09-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

Daddy

Breastfeeding at the Beach!

Laura and Jack

Tummy Time! Look at that strong boy!

My little Goofball.

Our Heroes

2009-09-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

I went in for my post-birth follow-up appointment with Dr. Gesteland last Tuesday. Jack was a little fussy so he stayed home with Don. After the appointment was finished I stuck around to get a flu shot. Heidi, one of the awesome nurses at the Perinatal Center, let slip that Dr. Gesteland was quite bummed that I hadn't brought Jack in. I just don't know why it didn't occur to me that she would want to see him. And, of course, it should have! After all, Don and I saw her (and all of the staff) sometimes up to once a week for close to ninth months! She worked very hard to help ensure that Jack stayed put in my womb where he belonged until he was fully cooked. And on July 16th, she was there to bring him into the world.

So, of course, later that day Don and I made a return visit with Jack in tow. Everyone came out from the back of the office into the waiting room to get a look at him. There were lots of "ooh's" and "ahh's" and comments like "he's soooo cute" and "oh my god, look at all of that hair!"

Little Jack slept through the whole thing! Before we left I snapped a picture of Heidi and Dr. Gesteland holding Jack. She looks like one proud doctor!

Crying--In Three Acts

2009-09-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

Tidbits from the last couple weeks...

2009-09-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

First time at the park!

First nap in the crib!

First car trip to Sauvie Island. (You can see he thoroughly enjoyed it....)

First time wearing Auntie Jen's baby shower gift.

Meeting Johnny and Lisa for the first time. (Loved them!)

First time at a wedding reception. LOVED the loud noises!

Just plain funny.

What to do for a great husband and father....

2009-08-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Make cupcakes!

New Pictures

2009-08-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Jack, meet Jacques the Peacock.

Our lil' bug.

Playing in his crib.
He's still sleeping with us for now.
Don't worry, we'll ditch the stuffed animals
once he's ready sleep in here!

Jack's room.

Jack's crib and changing table. Thank you, Dad! We love them!!
And we love the bedding, Bettie Jo and Denman! And the glider, Grandma Betty!
And the mobile, Aunt Gwen!
Thank you everyone for helping us give Jack such a great nursery!

2009-08-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Jack taken during "Tummy Time". At this point he decided neck lifting was overrated and staring at Don's shoe was much more interesting.

A Few New Photos

2009-07-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

One of these days I'll learn how to hold the camera steady!

Baby of a Thousand Faces

Some New Pics...

2009-07-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't know if he can really smile just yet, but he sure does love his Grandma!

Aunt Gwen and Uncle Gary in to visit their Grand Nephew.

2009-07-25T18:57:00.001-07:00

The greatest gift...

2009-07-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the delay in posting--it's been a bit of a whirlwind! The past 8 days have been quite the roller coaster ride on the baby learning curve!

On Tuesday, July 14th, Don and I went in for our routine weekly prenatal visit. At 38 weeks, we figured we still had about 2 weeks left to go before showtime. I was feeling great--no back pain, no cramping, no other signs that would indicate that I might be getting close to going into labor.... Anyway, after a pleasant, uneventful visit with our doctor, Katie Gesteland, she had me get up on the table to check to see if I was dilating and to do a quick ultrasound to check on little Jack, his heart rate, etc.... Within a few seconds of commencing the ultrasound, she got a little quiet then murmured that she didn't like his fluid levels. After taking some measurements, she determined that he was running low on amniotic fluid. She said that a fluid level of 8 is considered acceptable and I was presently somewhere between a 4 and a 5. (A low amniotic fluid level is an indication that the placenta is starting to cease doing its job properly.) At the level I was at there was a chance that pressure would start being placed on the cord. Not good. "It's time to get this baby out."

Needless to say, Don and I were in shock. Scared, excited, and completely in shock. We were given 30 minutes to run home, get my hospital bag (which was 50% packed) and grab a bite to eat. Then we drove to OHSU, and checked in so that I could be prepped for induction. I had only ever heard about pitocin (a synthetic form of oxytocin that the body produces to trigger labor). Well it turns out that when you're zero percent dilated, and zero percent effaced you can't use pitocin. Using it then would almost guarantee a c-section. Instead they started the induction by inserting a Foley catheter (it has an expandable balloon that fills up with saline) into my cervix. The insertion of the foley was, up to that point, the most physically painful experience of my life. After it was above the cervical opening, they filled up the balloon so that it was 3cm in circumference, then taped the catheter to my leg so that it was taught. There was a constant, painful pressure as the balloon tried to force its way through my cervix. That process took about 3 hours--in which time I stayed mostly in bed, trying not to move. At the end of the three hours, I started to feel a searing, cramping pain that had tears spilling down my cheeks, squeezing the life out of Don's hand. He just held on, gently coaxing me to keep eye contact with him, reminding me to breathe, telling me I was doing such a good job. After an excruciating few minutes, I got up to go to the bathroom and discovered that the Foley had done it's job and had fallen out. Thank GOD.

After that, the nurses started me on a pitocen drip (meant to cause contractions which would further dialate my cervix) and told me to settle in for the night. Don and I made ourselves comfortable, listening to the fetal heart monitor and watching the little seismograph-type machine that was measuring my contractions--which were painless and few and far between at this point. At around 10 in the evening, Bettie Jo arrived from the airport. She'd been on red alert standby for weeks, ready to hop on the first available flight when it was time. We had always anticipated that I would just spontaneously go into labor, and that she would hopefully make it in time to witness the birth. We never imagined that I would be 'forced' into labor using catheters and synthetic hormones and such--with only vague speculation and guessation on when I would actually deliver our son. Turned out that Bettie Jo had quite a wait on her hands, too. After some good luck kisses and hugs, she left to sleep at our apartment, and Don and I tucked in for the night--awakened occasionally by a nurse coming in to turn up my drip.

The next morning the doctor on duty came in to check to see how much I had dilated (another extraordinarily painful procedure) and low and behold...still at 3cm! Ugh. They decided to take me off the drip and let me shower and get something to eat, because it was looking like a whole new day of walking around with the IV in.

And that's exactly how the day unfolded: mild, painless, irregular contractions; chit chat with Don and Bettie Jo, several texts sent back and forth to family and friends, phone calls, and waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

Finally, at some point during the afternoon, Dr. Gesteland came in, apologizing for how long the induction was taking. I told her I didn't much care as long as he remained healthy during the process. I was starting to get really concerned that I was going to end up with a c-section, but she seemed confident that we would be able to avoid that. Instead, around 6pm (I think--my time recollection starts to get a bit fuzzy here) she decided to rupture my membranes, aka: break my water. I was excited, but also nervous (nothing else was working, so why would this?). We also now had a ticking clock. I had to have the baby within 24 hours, or infection would start to set it, leading to the dreaded c-section.

The procedure was painless (hallelujah!) and pretty much just felt like wetting the bed. Again, Don and I sat back and began our waiting game...which didn't last long. Pretty soon I was experiencing honest-to-god real contractions. They were similar to the worst cramps I had ever experienced, but I could still talk through them and they only lasted a minute at a time. Don got back into coach-mode, grasped my hand, reminded me to breathe, told me what a great job I was doing and how much he loved me. This went on for hours, with the contractions gradually becoming worse. Soon I was dreading that familiar tightening feeling as another contraction would begin. I started having trouble talking, I started squeezing Don's hand more tightly, I started whimpering and crying, etc, etc, etc.... The doctor came in and checked my cervix again, and...hooray!...5cm!!

It was right around this time that agreed to have an epidural. I was full out crying out now with each contraction and just could not imagine going another 5 cm feeling like this. The epi, in-and-of-itself, wasn't all that painful, it was having to sit still as I had yet another earth-cracking contraction while she inserted the needle into my back. This also happened to be the only time during the entire labor process when I snapped at Don. Told him to stop talking and to leave me alone. :) Luckily, me sweetheart didn't take it personally!

After the epidural was in place, the clouds parted, the angels sang, and I could finally really relax. The contractions kept coming hard and fast, but I hardly felt a thing beyond mild pressure. They told us to get comfortable, that this baby would probably come sometime in the morning. On that advice, Bettie Jo returned to the apartment to get some rest, and Don and I settled in to our dimly lit room, listening to our son's heart beating. A couple hours later, much to the doctor's surprise and delight, I was at 8 cm. This meant calling Dr. Gesteland to let her know that I was progressing faster than anticipated and calling Bettie Jo to tell her to turn around and hightail it back. They still thought I had about 3 hours or so left to go, but about an hour later I announced that I had a real compelling urge to push down. The doctor came over and said, "Well, lets just seem what's going on in there...oh! the reason you have an urge to push is because you're 10cm dilated, and 100% effaced. Let's call in the team, it's going to get busy in here!"

After that, it was pretty much your standard movie-style fair: Don counting to ten three times in a row as I pushed through each contraction, resting in between. I could feel Jack's head in my pelvis, but luckily no pain thanks to my awesome epidural. There were lots of murmured comments about how much hair he had. It took several pushes to get him through my pelvis, but once through, our little baby quickly slipped out over the course of 3 or 4 more good, hard rounds of pushing. I had my eyes closed the whole time, concentrating harder than I have ever concentrated in my life, and I remember hearing the doctor's say, "Okay, here comes the head" and Don saying in a high-pitched, awestruck sort of way, "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

At 3:07am, July 16th, 2009, after 39 hours of induction and labor, Jack Morris Collins was born.

Next thing, my son is laid on my chest, hands rubbing him vigorously, and then the most beautiful sound in the world--little Jack crying. I remember thinking how perfect he looked, how beautiful, and what a head of hair! He was born with a whole mess of really long, brown hair! Don and I just sat there, tears in our eyes, marveling at our little fella. Jack opened his eyes, wincing at the bright lights. We lay like that for a while, skin-to-skin, my hands shakily rubbing his head. Then he was taken for a quick clean-up. His APGAR score was a nine.

After two days of recovery in the hospital with visits from my dad, who flew in last minute to meet his grandson, as well as from three of my friends and business partners, Linda, Jen, and Cameron, little Jack, Don and I, and Bettie Jo returned to our apartment. Bettie Jo, bless her heart, stayed with us for a week from the day of his birth, helping us with laundry (LOTS of laundry), feeding us, helping me recuperate, and of course, spending every free moment holding and marvelling at her grandson.

We've spent our time since his birth taking lots of pictures, learning to breastfeed, grabbing sleep when we can, and just staring down at our little boy. Here are some pictures of Jack. We promise there will be many, many more to follow!

A little red in the eyes after the Foley was inserted.

One of the last pictures of Jack in my belly.

Me and soon-to-be Grandma Collins.

Not feeling so well.Jack and Mommy

Jack and Daddy.

Jack and Grandma Collins.

Jack and Papa Tivnon

Linda and Jack--first visitors.

Cameron.

Jen.

What a sweetie!This boy sleeps alot!

Our little bug.

An Introduction...

2009-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is the first video of our sweet son, Jack.
I apologize for the quality. It doesn't do the little guy justice.

Baby shower!

2009-06-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Some gorgeous roses at the Test Garden.

Bettie Jo, Amy and I.

Shanna and I. Do I look enormous here or what??

My dear friends Laura Kimball and Deb Yates.

Two weekends ago was the Baby Shower Weekend Extravaganza! Bettie Jo and Amy arrived on Thursday night, followed the next day by Shanna and her mom, Suzette. Shanna and Suzette spent all of Friday driving around town (getting lost a few times in our fair city) tying up the last loose ends for the baby shower. The next morning, Don and I made our way to the Riverplace Hotel, a gorgeous location right on the waterfront. The day consisted of a scrumptious brunch, a completely decadent chocolate cake, heaps of gifts for our son, and lots of laughter and smiles shared amongst many of my favorite people.

Sadly, sweet Shanna had to depart for the airport later on that day, so I didn’t get to spend as much one-on-one time with her as I would have liked. We’ll have to make up for some of that when Don and I travel back down south for Thanksgiving with her new nephew in tow! And this time, I’ll even get to share in a glass of pinot with her!

The rest of the weekend was spent cavorting around town with Bettie Jo and Amy. We had lots of good food and made a trip up to the Pittock Mansion and the International Rose Test Garden. While Amy returned to New York on Sunday, Bettie Jo stayed on for another two days, which was a good thing, because that meant that she got to go to our ultrasound appointment with us! It was a special day, and Don and I are glad that she was there to share it with us. She got to hear his heartbeat and see him in 3D—though he had most of his adorable little face hidden behind his chubby little fingers.

Bettie Jo left her suitcase and all of her clothes (except what she wore home!) with us at our apartment. Much to our delight and with no small measure of gratitude, we are thrilled that she will be staying with us for a while after the birth. It’ll be so nice to have her here while I recover. And I’m sure she’s beyond excited that she’ll be able to spend some quality time with her newly born grandson! And by leaving her suitcase here, all she will have to do when we make the call that we’re heading to the hospital is jump on a plane!

My View at MIG, Inc.

2009-06-03T18:56:00.001-07:00

So since I spend 40+ hours a week sitting at this desk, I thought I'd take a few pictures to show what I look at for most of the work day. First off, I LOVE my office. It's located in downtown Portland. The building was built in the early 1900s, as were most of the buildings on the surrounding blocks. It sits right next to one of the MAX stops (the light rail) so looking out my window, I see a perfect (and sometimes goofy) cross-section of Portlanders milling around.

As for my desk, my big flat screen is the main focal point, as I spend most of my time answering and composing emails, searching for marketing opportunities, creating proposals, filling in spreadsheets, messing around with PowerPoint, Illustrator, etc...and organizing files on our server. And speaking of organizing, my mom would be SOOOO proud of my filing system! Much to Don's amusement, I asked Bettie Jo and Denman for a labelmaker for Christmas 2 years ago. He kind of rolled his eyes at how excited I was when I got it. But boy, has the puppy been broken in! As far as I'm concerned, my filing cabinet is a work of art. And with the way it's organized, our marketing efforts at work won't come to a screeching halt while I'm gone. (At least I HOPE not, anyway!)

To the left of my computer I keep two small framed photos--one of Don and I that was taken shortly after we got engaged, and one of my mom when she was a teenager. It's my favorite picture of her--she's got her back to the camara, but has swung around to give that luminous smile as she dangles her feet out over the Grand Canyon. She looks so confident and happy and carefree in it. As my good friend Jen would say, she was a real Dame Rocket.

When I need to feel centered, I look at the picture of Don and I, when I need a bit of an energy boost, I look at my mom's. I love having those photos nearby. I'm sure come fall, when I return from maternity leave, my desk will become LITTERED with baby pictures, too!

Memorial Day Weekend Part II

2009-05-25T19:29:00.001-07:00

So Don and I have lived up here 4 years come July 20th, but yesterday was our FIRST time attending the Rose Festival. For the City of Roses, this is THE event of the year. Huge parade, fireworks, and a 2-week-long fair that stretches all along the waterfront. Basically, if you take the Mid-Way at the Kern County Fair and elongate it, throw in a mini-circus and this cardiac arrest-inducing concoction called an Elephant Ear (see picture 2nd from top), it would look something like this.

And since they begin hyping the Rose Festival months and months in advance, Don and I headed downtown to see what all the fuss was about. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the mid-70s. When we pulled up onto Naito Parkway (the street that runs alongside the waterfront) we were greeted by a Seurat-style scene: people reading books, lovers strolling hand in hand, families complete with dog with wagging tail--all sprawled out, basking in the sun. (As seen in the picture directly above.)

Just a bit further up the street, right past the Hawthorne Bridge, was the fair. We spent the rest of the day walking past all of the "Step right up! We have a winnah!" booths; stopped by the big (small) top to see the resident juggler; visited the petting zoo where I made friends with a little pygmy bunny; ate what might just have been the best ice cream bar ever--freshly dipped in chocolate and peanuts--and gazed at all of the young families...smiling, knowing that we would most definitley be here next year pushing our stroller, introducing our little Portland native to the festival.

Memorial Day Weekend Part I

2009-05-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Don and I took a day trip to the coast to grab ourselves some good ol' beach therapy. We spent most of the time in the car, driving through little coastal towns, stopping to snack here and there, then drove to the northern most tip of the Oregon coast to the town of Astoria (founded by John Jacob Astor as the first non-native trading post.) It's a gorgeous little town with some amazing turn-of-the-century architecture. We drove up to the Astoria Column. The column's okay. Tall. :) The real selling feature of this tourist destination is THE VIEW. Spectacular views of the entire bay, as well as the river that flows into it.

We also visited a camp ground we've been wanting to check out just north of Astoria over the bay bridge in Washington state called, Cape Disappointment--named by Caption Meares who thought he was going to find the mouth of the Columbia. Sad to say, it lived up to it's name. With the exception of this huge stretch of driftwood that had piled up along the beach, it was pretty unremarkable.

Turned out to be a nice little Saturday getaway for the two of us--a sweet way to spend a bit more time together before our son arrives. We spent a big chunk of the day laughing, hugging, holding hands, splitting sandwiches and ice cream cones, and generally just enjoying each other. (The baby kicked the WHOLE time, so I'm pretty sure he was having a ball as well.)

A Baby Shower with my Ink & Paper Family

2009-05-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Two of my business partners, Jen Weaver-Neist and Linda Meyer at Ink & Paper Group, put together a baby shower at the I&P house! Eleven of us gathered on a gloriously BEAUTIFUL Portland saturday. We sat on the back veranda and enjoyed potluck offerings, lots of sweets, and champagne and sparkling apple cider. On a sad note, we will be moving out of the Ink & Paper house at the end of this month. Times are tough economically--on all publishers--and it just didn't make much sense for a small press like ours to be shouldering the burden of such overhead. So all business will be done from home offices for the foreseeable future.

We are sad to say goodbye to our beautiful house and give a healthy dose of credit for Ink's longevity and support within the community to the warm and inviting atmosphere of the place. However, as Jen put it, this was a perfect send-off for the house. It's a birth of new times, a new chapter for all of us.

And happily, Scratchy (nee Fluffy) our black office cat will be joining my other partner, Bo and his wife Amber's feline brood once we officially move out.

Thank you to Jen, Linda, Bo and Cameron. Love you guys! Can't wait to introduce our little one to the Ink family!

A Perfect First Mother's Day

2009-05-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

Sunday I was honored by Don, my Dad, my dear friend Becky Hall, and several Facebook buddies with Happy Mother's Day messages. Very sweet! Don also surprised me with a bouquet of flowers--which of course put a huge smile on my face. To top off the day, the glider and ottoman that Grandma Betty bought for us arrived at the store. Don's getting pretty good at assembling! If you notice an ice chest in the picture, no that is not an impromptu refridgerator--it was an impromptu dolly. The box was huge and heavy. The glider looks great and is so VERY comfortable and cozy! Thank you , Grandma!! We love you!

Peek-a-boo!

2009-05-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Mixed in with a healthy dose of placenta and other 'womb ephemera' in the 3-D image above is Wee Mister Collins. He has his left hand up against his left cheek as if to say, "Hello?? Trying to sleep in here! Go away." This type of ultrasound take thousands of still pictures. The software then 'guesses' what the 3-D image would look like. So technically, this is not a photograph of our son. Just a very educated guesstimate. We've had a couple of other 3-D images taken of him, and this one is by far the best. What a little cutie!

2009-05-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

On May 8th, we had our 28 week appointment for an ultrasound, my glucose test, and another check-up with the doctor. We had to go to two separate buildings--one for the ultrasound, one for the check-up. Two years ago, after much brew ha-ha and about $50 million in unforeseen costs, the OHSU Tram was completed. It connects the medical center on the South Waterfront with the main campus at the top of "Pill Hill". In addition to being the biggest hospital in Oregon, it's also a teaching hospital, so there are scads of med students and residents coming and going--many of them on bike. Getting from the waterfront to the top of the hill was arduous at best. The tram solved that problem. It's now a main source of transportation for doctors, students, patients, and tourists alike. If you've got business on the hill, the ride is free. If you just want to know what it's like being suspended up so high, swinging back and forth, taking in the amazing views, it costs about 4 bucks.

Don and I have had to take the tram 3 times during this pregnancy so far, one on account of snow--while we appreciate the beauty of landscape, Mt. Hood, and the downtown skyline, both of us would be fine with never having to ride it again. Really does a number on the ol' stomach!!

The appointment went very well! The little man weighs in at just about 3 pounds now. He is in the 53rd percentile for growth, my amniotic fluid levels are perfect, and there was NO SIGN of the bleed! The ultrasound techs and doctors were very, very pleased with all of the results. And we got a pretty awesome 3-D image of our son's face and his left hand. His pouty little mouth and chubby fingers are just too adorable!

I'll be going back in every two weeks now--as is common after the 28 week mark. At about 36 weeks, they'll bump that up to once a week. As far as all of them are concerned, they see no reason why I wouldn't go full term now. And based on his growth so far, we should have a bouncing, 8 pound boy at the end of July!

A Note to my Mom

2009-05-10T10:45:00.001-07:00

Dear Mom,

Thank you for giving me this life that I'm so thoroughly enjoying living. Thank you for wanting me so much. Thank you for taking care of me when I was in your belly--for loving me before you ever saw me--the way I'm now taking care of and loving your Grandson. Thank you for helping me with my spelling and vocabulary homework, for attending all of my school recitals, for all of the AMAZING, memorable birthdays, and all of the movies, lunches, drives, and talks we had. We sure did cram a whole lot of happiness into the 21, almost 22 years that I was blessed to have you.

I've had many people--friends and family alike--ask me if it's been really tough not having you here for such a special time in my life. It's hard to find the words to answer them. I think that's because it's just so hard not having you here, period. There have been so many incredible moments since September 23rd, 2000 that I wish you could have experienced with me. There's the obvious ones: falling in love with Don, getting engaged, planning the wedding, getting married; graduating with my BA in English, going back for more, and finally getting my Masters; turning 30 and finding out that day that I was pregnant.... Yes, I wish with an ache in my heart that you had been here with us for all of it. Then there's the everyday ones: calling you up just to say hi, getting sweet nothing letters from you in the mail, watching you bond with Don (I know you would have loved him), more movies, more lunches, more car rides, more talks.

I think that Mother's Day isn't just a day to acknowledge the woman who gave you life and raised you up, (or by extension, giving thanks to the woman who gave your husband life and raised him up) it's a day to think of and be thankful for all of the ways that that woman--just by simply being present--makes life better.

I know that wherever you are, you are peaceful. I know this because I can feel it. Just as surely as I can feel the gentle nudge you still give me at times when I'm fearful, times when I have a big decision to make, times when I need just an extra bit of love to guide me in the right direction. I know deep down, down into my bones, that you played a hand bringing Don and I together, you played a hand in gifting me his family and all of the unconditional love and sweet memories that have resulted from that gift.

I still feel you here with me.

Yes, it is hard not having you here as our boy grows in my belly, us so excited for the day when we can meet him face to face. I wish you could be here for all of this. But, being the precious, blessing of a mother that you were, I'm comforted knowing that what you would want most is just for me to enjoy this time and not be mired down in sadness for the things I cannot have. The last thing that you would want is for me to be preoccupied missing you, if that in turn would make me miss all of this. Some tears here and there, a prayer in the night for you, a toast to you at dinner, a loving gaze on an old photograph of us--that you would be fine with. That I give in honor of you. And will until it is my time to join you.

I love you, Mom.

Happy Mother's Day.

love, Allison

A Gift from the Past

2009-05-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

We received a package yesterday from Bettie Jo and Denman. Inside were all of these goodies for our baby boy including a gift card to Babies R Us, a silver framed photo album, a CD of lullabies for Don and I to sing along to for our little guy's entertainment, little waterproof diaper covers :), three books, including The Poky Little Puppy, Bambi, and a book filled with nursery rhymes, and much needed slipper socks for me and my tired, achy feet.

Along with all of these great gifts were three precious little outfits made of delicate fabric with sweet little embroideries on each. My very first thought was, "Wow, these look like vintage retro baby clothes!" I was very impressed with the lines and style and attention to detail. Then I noticed that one of the tags inside the yellow outfit was missing, like it had worn off over time. And I realized, they WERE vintage. Once upon a time, 38 years ago, Don wore each one of these little outfits! How special and wonderful is that?? My heart just melts at the thought of our little sweet boy wearing these clothes.

At Christmas, Bettie Jo gifted us Don's silver baby rattle.

I just cannot wait until we can take pictures of him in his Daddy's clothes shaking his little rattle in his chubby fist.

Thank you, Bettie Jo and Denman! We love you so much!!

2009-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Don and I drove about an hour and a half south to Philomath, OR to visit my cousin, Staci. It was the first time we had a chance to see her house and meet her horses, doggies and barn cats. Her place is amazing!! It's a 3-acre piece of land nestled in a small valley with hills on either side. They are only minutes away from the town of Corvallis, pop. 50,000, that serves mainly as a college town to Oregon State University. She and her husband Burt have been renovating the main house for 3 or 4 years now and living in an apartment that's attached to the super big workshop in back. This place is huge! It's broken up into a living quarters and then two more enormous workshops that house everything from power tools to a tractor to furniture that will go into the main house at the front of the lot when it's complete.

Out back of that are the stables, a great, red barn, a chicken coop, greenhouse, several apple trees, her sweet dogs underfoot, her two horses, Rocket and Carter, grazing in the pasture and their newest addition, Orrey, a minature horse that they rescued a couple of weeks ago from a horder that made the news up here. He's so small he can walk right underneath the other horses! And he already is starting to run the show. :)

On our way to have lunch, Staci took us by the Oregon Alpaca Farm--that boasts the largest aplaca herd in the state. They were pretty cute, especially the one that Don got a picture of, who looked like he was on his way to the muppet tryouts.

It was wonderful getting a chance to see my beloved cousin and peek into her everyday life. And what a life it is! She and Burt are completely in love and living their dream. Can't ask for much more than that!

2009-04-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Don and I ventured out to enjoy a truely beautiful Portland day. (And, as it turned out, so did the rest of the city!) We stopped by the Saturday Market--a Portland landmark that draws Portlanders and tourists alike. Lots of vendors selling handcrafted art, jewelry, ceramics, glass...crazy wonderful street performers like the Myopic Elvis and the white kids playing Zimbabwean music. Lots of great food, lots of dogs out for walks, and lots of every type of man, woman, and child that you can imagine. A perfect slice of Portland! We settled on an almond toffee ice cream cone, then headed over the river to Fire on the Mountain, the place to go for hot wings. I cannot stress enough just how insanely good their wings are! We hadn't gone there for months, and usually get an order of fried pickles, too, but are sticking to our budget and just shared an order. It was worth it!

2009-04-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

Big, big thank you's to Denman and Bettie Jo! We have our stroller!! It's a 'travel system' that comes with the baby carrier and a base to put in the car. It was rated the safest carrier for car travel in the case of an accident and the stroller got overall high marks for durability. We are very excited to have this first major item for the baby!

It was a kick putting it together. As you can tell from Don's expression the task seemed like it was going to be quite a headache, but it turned out to be a cinch with me reading the directions and Don assembling. It now sits, waiting, by our front door. We are looking forward to when we get to put our little bundle of j(b)oy in it!

Also, big thanks to our Grandma Betty. She gifted us our glider and ottoman (for all of the late night feedings in our future.) They were out of stock at the store, but will be ready to pick up in 1 or 2 weeks. (Hope putting those together will be as easy as the stroller was!)

Thanks again to Don's wonderful parents and grandma. We are so appreciative and love you so much!

2009-04-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite pages from our wedding album. Little Miss Lauren, my most favorite little girl in the world (who just turned NINE YEARS OLD!!!) is seen here signing the guest book. I put the picture next to her signature. Two other goodies include the picture of us kissing right after we were pronounced "husband and wife," and the page that has a picture of me and my dad heading for the chapel, a GREAT picture of Don with Bettie Jo, Denman, Grandma Betty and Amy, and a picture of Don and I with all of Don's extended family.

Better Late Than Never

2009-04-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

So......sorry Bettie Jo, but I JUST finished my wedding album. I know that's terrible! Bettie Jo, the most amazing mother-in-law in the world, gave Don and I a beautiful, embossed wedding album and went to the trouble of photo-copying every page so that I could have a test run before filling out the real pages. Well, as the story goes, I put it off at first because I was just, well..."wedding'd out" after we got home from out honeymoon. I put it in the bookshelf and told myself that I would complete it within the month. That month soon turned into a year, then another, then another, then the situation became like that friend you've been meaning to call. You wait just long enough that you feel so bad about NOT calling that you put it off even longer! That album was calling my name every time I saw it, so I just took to averting my eyes when I'd walk past that bookcase. :)

But it's funny what a kick in the pants pregnancy is. When we saw that tiny heart beating away, I knew it was 'time to put away childish things' take stock of my life and take care of business. And for some reason my wedding album landed smack dab on the top of my 'to do' list. And now it's finally done! And now that I've put in the last picture and wrote my last description of the events, funny enough, I'm kind of glad I waited.

I got to spend two days walking down memory lane looking through all of the photos, reading through the organizer I kept when we were planning it. And in a way I got to relive that amazing, fabulous, most special day. Can't wait for you to see it, Bettie Jo!!

Arts & Crafting the Nest

2009-04-15T19:59:00.001-07:00

So of course, with our little boy on the way, Don and I are even more conscious of saving money. We've started to carefully track where every penny goes, clipping coupons, cooking almost solely at home, making my lunch for work, planning out our meals for the week before we go grocery shopping. We make a pretty good team!

I also started getting a bit crafty. I love writing little sweet nothings to friends and family, but pricey stationary is not very high on the priority list at the moment. A trip to Michaels and the Dollar Store later and now I've got a nice supply of correspondence. :) It's also a good way to satiate this constant nesting instinct! I swear I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night rethinking where the paintings and pictures are hanging on our walls, or how I really need to reorganize my filing cabinet, closets, kitchen, bookshelves.... Don's been really helpful in doing all of the heavy and not-so-heavy lifting, but even he will probably draw the line at my latest desire to scrub the bathroom walls!

But so far, we've rearranged the living room and the bedroom, and are making plans to rent a storage unit at the beginning of June for all of Don's music equipment so we can turn the studio into the baby's room. I really, REALLY hope that we won't have to live here much longer. It's quite a sacrifice on his part and I hate that he has to make it. But if all goes as planned we'll be in a larger apartment by sometime next year. Then the focus will shift to saving for our first house.

But first things first. Gotta tackle those bathroom walls!