Mt. Rainier, snow and me in flip flops (yes, my Florida was showing)

OK...so nobody told me that there would still be snow on the ground in JULY on our trip to the mountains in Washington state. Honestly, I just didn't think about it that much. I just wanted room in my luggage for....I don't know....other things, other than bulky shoes.



Mt. Rainier was beautiful...but COOOOLLLLDDD (at a high temp of 53 it actually was kinda a spring like day for the mountain folk) ;) The first place we went in the park was called the Paradise Visitor Center. On a clear day you can see wonderful views of the glaciers and snow caps on the mountain...but we just saw fog. Luckily at the next stop...Sunrise Visitors Center...the fog had lifted and we saw a beautiful view of the mountain.





We also saw really old trees (that sprouted in the 1200s)...



Waterfalls...





Wildlife...



(OK..OK I am aware that the last picture is of a previously wild Panther...but isn't it beautiful)


and not to mention the beautiful scenery!!!



We were sad to leave the park...but it seems like everywhere you go in the Seattle/Tacoma area the mountains are following you. We looked in our rear view mirror at one point and there it was...chasing us away. It was a little scary to know that Mt. Rainier is an active volcano. If we heard or felt rumbling we were supposed to leave the park immediately. Luckily, we made it out...and the only rumbling I felt was the bumpy road that Seth was driving too fast on...just kidding Seth ;)

In the Twilight Zone

Getting back to blogging. While we were in Seattle we decided to take a trip to the Olympic National Park. This place is about 95% wilderness and I can completely understand why. It is desolate in places. Wow, it is beautiful that we still have places that are wild and unexplored in America.



First of all we took a ferry boat to this small little town on the edge of the park called Port Angeles, WA. It is about 25 to 30 miles from the Canadian border. We got to our hotel around 6 pm, so we decided to head out and do some exploring of the town. You see in Washington it doesn't get dark until about 9:30 or 10:00 at night (which is already 12:30 or 1:00 am eastern time so I was kinda fascinated by this time change business) In Port Angeles, we went down to the docks area near the water and all of these stores has stuff about the Twilight series in them. You have to understand that since Matthew was born I don't have time to read much less go and get hooked on movies so I know little or nothing about all of the craziness surrounding the Twilight saga. We decided that we needed a break from Seafood (gasp) and got Mexican instead. Although this quaint little restaurant called Bella's something or others caught our eye. It was Italian and since I am pregnant Italian always gives me heartburn so we decided on Mexican instead. Anyway, Port Angeles is a creepy little sea town and EVERYONE looks so pale and different from the tan and Hispanic crowd I am used to in Miami. I just couldn't get the Twilight stuff out of my mind so when we got back to the hotel that night I searched Twilight on the Internet and OMG....Twilight was set in this part of Washington. We were actually going to drive through Forks, WA...where Bella (the main character) lives in the book. I also found out that in the book and movie the characters eat at that Bella's restaurant where we almost ate. Weird huh???



Above is a picture of Port Angeles...isn't it creepy???

Needless to say, I had weird dreams about Edward (the vampire) coming into our hotel room the entire night. I can't sleep in strange musty hotel rooms very well anyway so it was just a weird night.

Well, the next morning we (I, gladly) got up and headed out for our adventure. First off we went to Hurricane ridge where there was SNOW!!!







After all of that we headed to Forks. Which was now something more exciting and unusual for me.







The above pictures are taken at the "it spots" for TWI hards to go and have their pictures taken. I must say that it didn't really mean much to me but...it was a little exciting. We went into the Chamber of Commerce building and someone asked me if I was for Jacob or Edward. I looked at them like they had grown another head because I had no idea (now I have figured it out) what they were talking about. =) Along our drive, however, I did expect a ware wolf or vampire to jump out at any given moment. This place was creepy. And remember earlier how I talked about how everyone looked so pale...well, in Forks it was even more weird. I expected, at any given moment for someone to look at me and have red glowing eyes.

After we had lunch in Forks...went about 10 miles down the road to a cold weather rain forest (which was spooky considering we were in vampire and ware wolf country).







The last stop of our trip to the Olympic National Park was at the Pacific Ocean.





Although you would think that all of this was within about a 70 or 80 mile trek...well you would be wrong. From Port Angeles to Forks alone was about 60 miles or so. This trip was a LOOOOONG day. We finally made it back to Tacoma around 9:00 and when we went to eat at a restaurant they acted like they didn't want to serve us because they closed at 10 pm. We were pooped!!!

Tomorrow I will tell you all about our day trip to Mount Rainier National Park!!!

Seattle, WA

So I am going to take a few minutes and blog about our trip to Seattle. Seth and I flew out for the American Federation of Teachers convention where we are delegates for our local union back in Miami, FL. It is bizzare to think that we come from about 200 miles from Cuba to about 200 miles (or less) from Canada. You can't go much farther across the US.

On our flight in I snapped these shots of Mount Ranier and the surrounding snow caps. We are going to take a tour of the area after our obligations to the convention is over so I will have more pictures at that time.

Meanwhile, Matthew is staying with my mom (his Nana) back in Alabama. I don't think he misses me much...you know...out of sight--out of mind. He did see a picture of me today and say momma...so at least he remembers me =). I miss him like crazy, but honestly it is a relief that he is not here because of all the walking we have to do and it feels like we are walking up hill both ways, except there is no snow...it has been in the upper 80s.












More to come soon....

Half birthday

So today is Matthew's 1 year and 1/2 birthday. He went for his doctor's check up this afternoon and he has not had an ear infection for 3 months!!!! His ears were completely clear today...that makes mommy so happy. I am sure it makes Matthew happy too. He now weighs 21 lbs and 1 ounce...Dr. Goosby says he is perfect and ready to be a big brother. According to the doctor he should be saying around 20 words right now and by 2 years old he should be saying 50 words. Lets see...

He says...

ma-ma
da-da
na-na
pop
duck (and quacks)
cat (and meows)
dog (and woofs)
door
nose (and points to his nose or any nose)
ear (and points)
mouth (and points)
eye (and points)
water
bottle (although I think he is actually saying ba-ba)
baby
bear
clock
car
do that (which means he wants something to eat)
truck
cracker

I think there is more but all in all I think he is getting along pretty well.

Below are some pictures I took this morning. He even stood still and posed when I told him to in a couple of them. I can't believe he is getting so big.











Here are some pictures of Matthew one year ago today. It's hard to imagine that we have been in our house exactly 1 year now. We moved in on Matthew's 6 month birthday. These pictures are the last pictures we have of him in our condo. It was such a mess with moving that we had to put him in his bed to take the pictures.











These pictures are not from his actual 6 month birthday but they are some of my all time favorite. He has grown so much that I can hardly remember him not being able to walk or sit up on his own. Wow. What a difference a year makes!!!

I guess it's about time...

So...I am going to be a mommy again!!! It's funny, but the due date is Dec. 29. Which is Matthew's birthday. I will have to have a C-section so I don't think he/she will be born on Matthew's birthday.



So here is our first picture of the new peanut. You can't tell much but I think he/she looks like me?? LOL

Not eating....again

I feel like it is this time last summer!!! Matthew is again have problems with his eating habits. I can't seem to get him out of his constipation right now. From time to time he does have problems with the bathroom but usually Benefiber in his morning, afternoon, and evening bottles will help with that problem. Now I can't seem to get him moving again. Because he is having those problems now...he won't hardly eat anything. He seems hungry but he won't eat. I have tried chicken noodle soup, chicken nuggets (which he will eat sometimes), sandwiches, tomato soup, baby food: peas, squash, sweet potatoes and corn, mango, pears. Most of the time (unless it is french fries) he refuses it all. It makes me so mad and upset because I know that he eats all of that and more at Ms. Cookies house (his sitter while I am in school)!!!!!!!!!!

This was exactly how he was acting last summer...I thought that maybe he was over not eating, boy was I wrong. I feel like such a failure =(!!!!!!!

UGGGG....I'm sick!!!

Hi everyone!!! Tonight is the first night in almost a week that I have felt like posting a blog because I have been very sick with a stupid cold. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to add right now because it's all I can do to keep my nose from running. I have found that it is possible to have a runny nose and a stuffy nose at the same time. YUCK!!

Luckily, Matthew hasn't seem to catch this awful cold yet.

He is growing up so fast!!! Just the other day I was talking to him over the phone (Seth had it on speaker phone) and I asked him to "Give momma a kiss" and I heard a little kissing sound over the phone. I almost drove off the road...he is really starting to understand what we are saying.

Now he can say:

Nose (while pointing to it)
Ear (while pointing to it...he does have trouble with the r sound at the end but he is working on it)
Duck..and he quacks
Cat...and he meows
ma ma
da da
do that (meaning he wants more food)
bye bye
shoe
sock

and many more...the other night he was reading his farm animal book and was going baaa baaa...I looked at the picture and sure enough there was a goat.

We are going back to the dermatologist now for his hemagiomia on his nose. They are now going to treat it was some creams and ointments. Hopefully this will work.

More later...I hope to be feeling better soon so I can take some awesome Father's Day Pictures.

BTW...Please pray for my SIL Casey

She recently found out she has a rare cancer. She will be finding out more information on Monday. Please pray that it hasn't spread and she will make a complete and full recovery!!!