7 months in bullet points

With all our serious posts lately, I thought it about time for fun stuff. Here are the happenings over the last SEVEN months (during the hiatus) with my sweet boys and other fun items.


AUGUST
• Life-changing, mind-blowing yoga immersion complete!
• Ang started teaching yoga to friends out of our home
• Aar and Ang started salsa lessons, again!
• Aaron sold his car – we became a one-car-family. Yikes.
• Carters came for a quick visit 
• Kaiboy turned one August 23rd!!! We planned a party at a local park, but a hurricane changed locations to our home. Charades and vegan cupcakes stood out – Kai’s first sweet dessert.





SEPTEMBER
• Kai started to walk (12 months)!!!!!
• Sunset beach trip and visit with the McCarthys
• Ang starts assisting a Power Yoga class at SyncStudio
• Ang’s 10 year high school reunion
• Aar wins season tickets at Duke BBall campout
• Aar picks up intermural football and Ang starts running with gals from church
• Cathy comes for quick visit!





OCTOBER
• A and K fly down to Gainesville to surprise Ang H. for her 40th!
• Time out for women in Richmond
• Ang’s murder mystery café rio birthday party extravaganza
• Kai waves bye-bye 
• Halloween – K is a dragon, Aar a knight, Ang a princess – best family costume for the ward!







NOVEMBER
• Aar starts a mustache for Movember
• Thanksgiving with Palermos and Sheffields
• Aar commences freak-out mode about preliminary exam
• Kai loves to dance – little squats and moving his arms in jerks
• Showers for Jennie, Ruth, and Janet  (not all Nov though)





DECEMBER
• Winston-Salem trip to see Anna, Cathy, and Old Salem
• Janae’s Wedding!
• Mom and Dad T come for visit – make trip to Jacksonville to see Andrew
• Aar birthday dinner with family and Aaron-trivia
• Foreign body in Aaron’s eye – yipes!
• Christmas, of course
• New Years dinner and games
• Ang starts teaching yoga weekly at SyncStudio and Patanjali’s Place
• Kai’s first words come in tumbles – duck, book, dada, mama, booyeah (thanks to Aaron)
• Kai manipulates toys and games better and better


JANUARY
• Ang gets the stomach flu and ends up in the ER
• NCSU Scholarship finalists review and interview help – Ang
• Aar passes the prelim!!! Back to normal….
• Zumba commences again
• Kai loves planes, birds, and dogs and pointing to everything
• Kai's first haircut





FEBRUARY
• Kai starts using a sippy-cup a lot more and getting more coordinated at feeding himself finger foods
• Kai starts making animal sounds for dog, horse, monkey, donkey, sheep, cow, elephant
• Kai starts using big boy carseat (convertible)
• Valentines= Partner Yoga and upscale Mexican dinner
• Ang starts yoga workshops and more subbin
• Duke vs State, with poor ending

Four-Month Catch-Up

I have this issue with blogging- I want the posts journaling our lives to have nice pictures and pretty writing. So, I wait until these things magically happen...which they don't....then I realize I've forgotten everything weeks/months later. Hence, no updates for awhile. Before I get any further down this road, here is the catch-up post.

Kai at Bryce Canyon



MARCH
•Aaron started spring softball, and I started Zumba
•Wedding showers and birthday parties :)
•Aaron helped organize a Multicultural night at our ward with about 15 countries represented by natives or folks who served a mission there. Note: Aaron roped me into making a Mississippi booth (apparantly the equivalenet of a different country. At least I dowloaded lots of Blues music for us!)
•Aaron, Kai and I take a trip to Asheville - Aaron has a week-long epigenetics conference (hence, more scary things learned about the possible effects of Kai's environmental exposures to everything). I take yoga classes from Asheville Yoga Center and explore. It was our first time back since our wedding; we stayed at the hotel where part of our wedding party lodged! Lovely Asheville, maybe we'll live there one day...

APRIL
•Kai started crawling!
•General Conference meant lots of inspiration and sitting over the weekend.
•Farewell parties for friends and catching up with others visiting town :)
•I joined the ward Book Club and loved the first one - Moloka'i. Sadly, I realize this is the first time I've read for fun in years.
•Easter rocked: "Last Supper" dinner (fish, grapes, dates, and something green), read the Bible as a family, huge spread on Easter Sunday, watched inspirational videos, dyed eggs, and had an Easter Egg Hunt with Kai.

MAY
•Aaron, Kai, and I took a second trip to Asheville for Aaron's grad school retreat. More exploring/hiking with Kaiboy. We also won a costume contest for best superhero -we were all "supermen" with capes and the crested shirts.
•We spent Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington with my folks. The beach was beautiful, the traffic horrendous, the rented home artistic, the off-shore fishing fun (and a bit stomach-turning for me), the yoga studio and natural foods store awesome.
•Wedding guests! :)
•Mother's Day was pretty sweet. Aaron got me flowers and planted/cleaned our garden. We had a delicious spread at Mom and Dad's house and a small gift exchange.

JUNE
•Kai learned how to clap his hands! He is crawling up the stairs, and he is communicating through in series' of expressive grunts. Kai has become more social and started to smile/flirt/talk to strangers. He's finally getting over his aversion to men!
•Father's Day came with a homemade breakfast, dinner, and scanvenger hunt around Southwest Durham for presents. Aaron and Dad also went on four fly fishing lessons this month - my ploy to start them on a new healthy outdoor hobby! :)
•Rob (my oldest brother) came for a quick visit, lots of food, and Music in the Gardens.
•We vacationed for two weeks in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Duck Creek Village, UT. It was one of my favorite vacations ever - especially with our great company (Towers family reunion and DC friend reunion) and lots of outdoor adventures (hiking, golfing, paintball, horseback riding, swimming, stargazing). We even got to hike the strip in Vegas a bit. Just got back yesterday and work is dragging after all the fun!



Zion Park from Angel's Landing

Grandparents' Shoot with KaiBoy

My parents requested another photoshoot for Kai's 9-month milestone with our brilliant photo-savy friend Sarah. We agreed, on the condition that the shoot include Kai with them. Aaron showed up during the last 10 minutes for a few photos. What do you think? Doesn't Mom look beautiful in that third one?

Seeing What Our Hearts See

Looking for a GREAT family photographer? Look no further! Sarah, owner of Elaine Bella Photography did a fab job - I think her photos beautfully captured our little boy's bright spirit and some sweet family moments. See some of her work below - Kai's 6 month shoot.

Cutest Teddy Bear EVER


We do this a lot


This pic just makes me laugh with his huge diaper and goofy grin


A tender moment - I love how this captures Aaron's love for his little boy


"I've got them wrapped around my little finger"


My favorite! The light and colors are perfect.


That face...



My boy!

Motherhood vs. World Travel

Love this post by Jaime at Prudent Baby. This might be particularly poignant for some of you world-travelers-turned-mothers out there! An excerpt:

"One day as a mother presents an astonishing multitude of possible paths — points of diversion more wild than any plane ticket, rail pass, or map could ever offer. The choices and their consequences are more exciting because they are simply more important. And they are more important because THEY ARE NOT ABOUT YOU. My life as a mother is anticipation, mystery, and imminent change. And most exciting of all is my certainty that whatever tonight holds, I will wake up tomorrow morning and not be the center of my own attention. My kid taught me to be enchanted and fulfilled by the unpredictability of our life at home."

Love is spelled T-I-M-E

...An oft heard quote among our circles. I found this post from The Mother Huddle blog (which I love):

Displayed on a shelf in the entry way of my mother’s home is a book entitled To A Child Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E. I have often thought about that statement and how much truth it holds. It’s easy for us to say “I love you” but those three words, devoid of action and the gift of our quality time, are simply that—just words. As we celebrate this season of sentiment and affection, let us show our littlest valentines just how special they really are.

40 simple ways to show your child love

1. Take them to a movie they want to see.
2. Go on a treasure hunt (collect all the loose change around the house/car) together and then make a trip to the arcade with your findings.
3. Take a long nature walk together, at their pace. Let them lead the conversation.
4. Find qualities about them that you genuinely love, and compliment them in front of others.
5. Frame a photo of the two of you, and display it in their room.
6. Put a few Hershey’s Hugs in one of their coat pockets, and Kisses in the other.
7. Play a game with them.
8. Let them win.
9. Make bath time special. Add lots of bubbles, colored soaps, maybe you could purchase a new tub toy or let them play with things found around the house. I let my kids play with things like colanders and funnels from the kitchen—they love it. Don’t forget to warm the towel!
10. Send them a handmade card in the mail with a coupon to go get ice cream with you.
11. Gather all the home movies that feature them as the “star” and have a movie night complete with popcorn and treats.
12. Using blankets and chairs, or a card table, build a clubhouse together and have a picnic inside.
13. Read “I love you” books together.
14. Let them stay up past their bedtime with you and watch cartoon classics together.
15. Do a chore that is normally reserved for them.
16. Tuck an encouraging note inside their lunchbox.
17. Give them your full attention.
18. Tell them some of the ways they make you happy.
19. Make them laugh.
20. Laugh with them.
21. Make their favorite treat to welcome them home from school with.
22. Show them your joy when they arrive.
23. Ask for hugs and kisses.
24. Listen, and let them make their own decisions whenever possible.
25. Make them a coupon book filled with things they’d enjoy doing, or things they’d like to get out of doing.
26. Take a day off from everything: work, household duties, technology, etc. and focus entirely on them.
27. Cook together.
28. Write them a poem using the initials of their name.
29. Decorate their room for no reason.
30. Create a sign that lavishes them with praise.
31. Kidnap them from school and take them out for lunch.
32. Make home a fun place to be.
33. Make a treasure box from an old shoe box, fill it with “gold” (chocolate coins) and make an official looking treasure map with clues for them to locate the hidden treasure with.
34. Go to the store and let them pick out all the ingredients to make banana splits. Make and eat them together.
35. Wrap up in a warm blanket together and take turns making up stories to tell each other.
36. Make a list of things you love about them and put it on their pillow before bedtime.
37. Talk about what they did in their day at dinnertime.
38. Sit down together and write a list of fun activities to do in a day. Write each idea on small slips of paper, roll up the papers and stick them inside balloons. Blow up all the balloons and then pop one balloon at a time until you’ve completed all the activities.
39. Play back rub/tickle games—ie; Spider crawling up your back…
40. Make a CD with all their favorite tunes and have a dance party.

A Broken Man

Last of my catch-up posts-

Aaron broke his leg!!!

He was playing in Turkey Bowl #3, caught the ball, cut, turned his ankle, which then broke his fibula clear through. Yikes! He spent a few hours in urgent care and then was put into a temporary splint. He was too swollen to cast, so he has been in an airboot ever since the accident last month.

It has been challenging, to say the least, for all of us. Aaron gets pretty frustrated with his situation (always having to elevate, using crutches, tripping over things, etc). I have had to do the vast majority of the housework (feeding, cooking, cleaning, etc) and take care of both of my boys. Aaron has adapted well to the crutches by now and he has become more self-sufficient. The timing was pretty poor with me going back to work, but we did get help from Mom and Dad P, thank goodness!

On the other hand, there have been laughable-it's-so-bad situations to come out of this. Example - we had booked a weekend vacation to Williamsburg following the break, which we couldn't reschedule. We went, with a rented wheelchair for Aaron, and found out 99% of the historic buildings don't have wheelchair access! Once we hopped over to Jamestown, however, we had full access to a Rascal. That baby was fast. I never thought I'd see the day...

Turkey in Albuquerque

Aaron as dragon, Teigen as Hiccup

This year our Towers clan traveled to Rio Rancho, NM (just outside Albuquerque) the week before Thanksgiving to visit Aaron's sister Ashley, her hubby Justin, and their two boys Teigen and Chase. We didn't really have turkey, but this was our Thanksgiving visit on a budget. We had lots of fun watching movies (How to Train Your Dragon rocks), playing with the boys (new cousins!), going to a museum (dinosaurs!), practicing zumba (good workout), playing Bunko (a little crazy), and eating good food (yum). Thanks for your hospitality, Ash!

Chase and Kai playin

Reactions and Showers

I've been taking note of folks' reactions to the belly for the last couple of months. At over 7 months pregnant, people can definitely tell my "condition" from a ways off. I have noticed the warmth that other mamas and older women immediately show me, it's in those soft smiles of understanding. I have noticed that the college-aged young women tend to look uncomfortable - perhaps its a reminder of pregnancy scares, inevitable weight gain, or future responsibility for this demographic. Men are a mixed bag - some are very chivalrous, some avoid eye contact (maybe its that future responsibility bit again), some are just a little more kind. And, for both genders, I do love the talkers/advice givers; they ask about Baby T's due date, Baby T's gender, my readiness for parenthood, their own experience with pregnancy and childbirth. Children always have something candid and honest to say about Baby T - usually adorable. Pregnancy is really a whole different type of connection to the world around you; it evokes varied, but typically very happy, feelings for people. For this reason it is interesting being in my shoes - just to see other's react to Aaron and my decision start a family and to the huge step in life we are about to take.

In party news, we've been showered. A couple o' times. Some friends from my ward threw a baby shower for Aaron and I in mid-June, which was fabulous. In my hastiness to get ready, I forgot to plan for picture-taking, and, alas, I have no pictures (save for the awesome and artful cake Carolyn made)! It was really fun to hang out with good friends and start the Baby T collection of goods.















Aaron and I also hopped off to a recent family reunion (my Mom's side) in the Georgia mountains. It was great to get away to the small Bavarian-style village, hike to waterfalls, visit with family, eat eat eat, and, of course, gets lots of belly pats. My sweet aunts (with help of cousins) threw Aaron and I a surprise baby shower. Woohoo! Again, it was great to feel supported in this big step and get help with Baby T items.

See my basketball?


Both Aaron's and my work groups have also wanted to be involved. My work group took another pregnant work colleague and myself to dinner and got us a super-sweet baby gift. Aaron's work group is planning a small shower in a few weeks.

The generosity is amazing! Thank you to everyone who has helped us get ready for little T in some way. :)

Preggo update: 33 weeks, less than 50 days until Operation Stork. Baby T is moving all the time (or, I feel it all the time now). I am feeling great still, have not reached the dreaded 3rd Tri discomfort stage yet. I did my last pregnancy jog on Saturday (I had been slowing down and spacing out jogs since the end of 2nd Tri) - and paid for it the whole day! I could barely move from ligament pain. So, now just low impact aerobics are in order. Aaron is getting more excited as the time draws near. He just melts my heart when he talks to little T every night. T loves it too - I can tell from the kicking.

Trimestre Tres! (+ travels)

We have entered into the final stages of pregnancy. Baby T is packing. People seem to be getting much more concerned about my "condition" lately - how I am feeling, how much I am sleeping, the weight of items I am lifting, and on and on. I feel great. I put in my "last" earnest run mid-week last week (yippee!). I had been hoping to run all through the second trimester and I accomplished it! At the end, it was getting little cumbersome and running was starting to cause slight round ligament pain (ligments that support the uterus), so I've decided to switch to long hilly walks and pool time for these last 3 months. I'm changing focus from aerobics to letting my body relax and get ready for birth. Yoga is always a must, although I'm now starting the transition to prenatal videos/classes.

This time is super-exciting, albeit pretty busy with decision-making (registering, buying baby things, childbirth classes, birth plan). Aar and I have been ingesting lots of birth stories and trying to prepare for a worst-case scenario/hope for a best-case. He really wants a doula with us, since he feels a bit nervous about being the sole coach. (Let me know if you have any recs.) Last, "nesting" is also taking place. I went out of town last week and felt very compelled to write down a detailed list of all foods we had in the house, all items Aaron needed to finish that weekend, and all the extra tips he could possibly need while I was gone. I've been eating up craft tutorials/making plans to start them. Sounds accurate, right?

And some pics for updating:

Anna and Garrett's Wedding - a beautiful bride in a perfect outdoors ceremony with brunch and small-town southern hospitality. We loved it!












Rob's Graduation for his Masters in History - Family gathering and amazing southern Cal weather. Can we move here for Aaron's post-doc?












Belly Pic, per many requests. (Week 27 and start of 3rd trimester) Behind the belly is idyllic Coronado Beach - ok, maybe here for Aaron's post-doc?

A Mother's Love

Mother's Love

Her love is like
an island in life's ocean,
vast and wide
A peaceful, quiet shelter
From the wind, the rain, the tide.
'Tis bound on the north by Hope,
By Patience on the West,
By tender Counsel on the South
And on the East by Rest.
Above it like a beacon light
Shine Faith, and Truth, and Prayer;
And thro' the changing scenes of life
I find a haven there.

Author Unknown

I have been richly blessed by the love and example of my mother, my mother-in-law, and the many women (mothers and one-day-mothers-to-be) who have impacted my life. Mother's Day provides a time to celebrate that. I am so grateful to all of you!

At the Towers' house, Mother's Day was once again wonderful. This is an area where Aaron really earns points. He has given me something for Mother's Day since we started dating, to honor my potential to be a mother and the nuturing qualities women have, mothers or not. This year, Aaron bought me a beautiful potted hydrangea and an attachment parenting book. We took a picnic out of our fav spot in Raleigh, and he worked on our garden all weekend long in his free time. Of course, his card was great too - he always wins me over with his sweet cards! How did I get such a perfect companion....

BBQ and Mangos

The spring/summer weather always invites cravings for salads, BBQ, and fruit. I love eating this time of year! We cooked a lot of Spring-inspired dishes this past week. My dad and brother Greg stopped by for the several days to set up for the Palermos' big move in July and visit with us. We had a great time with them and can't wait for the family to be closer. We also cooked snacks for a friendly cookout, church group, and dinner for some friends who recently had a sweet baby girl. There were lots of goodies, but these two are the clear winners from the week:

BBQ Chicken Pizza (pic and recipe from the Pioneer Woman, inspired by CPK)

• 2 Pizza Crusts (see below - double recipe)
• 2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 1 package of chicken tenderloins
• Barbecue Sauce (used Sweet Baby Ray's original BBQ)
• Olive Oil, For Drizzling
• 16 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, sliced (plus more packaged mozz. if needed)
• ½ whole Red Onion, Cut In Half And Sliced Very Thin
• Chopped Cilantro, to taste

Cook chicken in oven, on top of stove, or on forman grill with desired spices (you can cook in BBQ sauce if desired). Dice and set aside. Start pizza crust dough (see below) and let rise while you chop cilantro and red onion. Slice fresh mozzarella into thin rounds. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Roll/stretch out one pizza crust, after it has risen for 30 minutes. Lay it on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil or pizza stone covered with flour and cornmeal. Drizzle a little olive oil on the crust and spoon a couple of tablespoons BBQ sauce on the crust-spread evenly. Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella and packaged mozzarella. Sprinkle on half the diced chicken, sliced red onion, and cilantro. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly. Repeat with other crust and other ingredients. Slice and serve immediately. You can reserve some BBQ sauce for dipping. Simply amazing.

Supereasy Pizza Crust (makes one 12-in pizza - from allrecipes.com)
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rise about 30 minutes (ours did not rise a lot).

These steps are also listed in the recipe above (don't repeat!): Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal/flour. Spread with desired toppings and bake at 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Fresh Mango Lime Bread (pic and recipe from Joy the Baker)

•4 large eggs
•3/4- 1 cup flavorless oil such as canola or safflower old
•2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (we used 1.25 cup wheat and 1.25 all purpose)
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
•1 teaspoon cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
•1 to 1 1/4 cup diced mangos from 1 large peeled and pitted mango
•1 cup diced apple (we used Gala,but any type will do)
•3/4 cup moist and plump golden raisins
•grated zest of 1/2-1 lime + lime juice

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on tow regular baking sheets stacked on on top of the other. This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking. Whisk the eggs and the oil together. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix until blended - the batter will be very thick (really more like a dough than a batter. You can add in a little oil and lime juice if needed. Stir in the mango, apples, raisins and zest. Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover loosely with a foil tent (we covered at 45 min). Invert after cooling for 5 minutes and eat up. YUM!

One Year Sealed!

Last Sunday (4/11/10) marked one year since Aaron and I were sealed for eternity. One year ago, we headed up the Washington, DC to make an eternal committment to one another in the DC LDS Temple. It was a very special day for us, which we were fortunate to share with family and friends. The sealer (priest authorized to perform the ordinance) mentioned angels were there watching over the event - this was really special.

It has been a truly wonderful year, filled with lots of joy. I couldn't ask for a sweeter, more thoughtful, or more balancing companion and spouse. Aaron and my eternal committment to each other and temple covenants really deepened our relationship; our perspective on family changed for the better. And, our little Baby Towers will be directly affected - our children will be "born into the covenant" and will be sealed to us eternally. It brings peace to know that our family can be together into the next life, even if we are separated in this earthly life for a while.

We celebrated the one year with homemade Chicken Parmigiana, homemade raspberry NY Cheesecake, going to serve at the Apex, NC Temple, and having dinner with our local Mormon missionaries (who were instrumental in helping me on my spiritual journey with my faith, and thus, the temple). It was fabulous.

Some of you may be thinking, "Wait, you guys got married in July, and I was there!" Yes, you are totally correct. We got married for "time" in July 2008 - a typical wedding where we committed to be together "till death does us part". We were not yet ready to enter into a temple, or eternal marriage at that time (I needed to take temple preparatory classes, make specific lifestyle changes, and be a member of the LDS church for a year first). When that time came and those changes were made, we went to the temple and made a deeper committment. This eternal marriage can last beyond "till death does us part" if we live and keep our temple covenants, which is really amazing.

If you are interested, here is a short video (3 min) about Mormon temples. Here is another.

Ramblin' 2010

(pic from Cartoonstock)

Aaron and I have been traveling a lot lately. At times, it has been great. At times, it has inevitably brought on exhaustion. We had planned on getting a lot done before Baby Towers comes to greet us (for the lifetime trip of parenthood). I haven't quite figured out the traveling-with-small-infant thing. So, in the meantime:

• late February: Ang travels to Fort Lauderdale for work. Packed schedule, but the humidity was a nice break for the NC snow.
• early March: Ang travels to Gainesville for work. She starts getting exhausted and zones out during her last interviews. On the plus side, she gets to see Haddocks and Towers (Aaron's fam) also located in Gainesville!
• mid March: Aar travels to Albuquerque to see his sister Ash and rocks it out with food, games, hunting, and family time.
• mid March: Both travel to Nashville for Susan and Lance's wedding. Booked flights the night before and survived on 2 hours of sleep. The wedding and "alone time" away together was totally worth it.
• late March: Ang travels to Tampa for work. Ok, these trips are getting a little old. Come home already.
• early April: Aar travels to Gainesville for our niece's baptism and nephew's ordination to the priesthood. Family time #2 - awesome!

We also have upcoming travels for Anna and Garrett's wedding in Sumter, Rob's graduation in San Diego, a family reunion in Georgia, visiting friends in DC, and a few other work trips. Of course, I am not including dates, due to pleaserobme.com. It looks like this crazy website is on hiatus, but they make a good point nonetheless. Read the story here... Where have you been ramblin'?