tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82835886323750276012024-03-05T15:40:10.672-07:00"R" and "R"Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.comBlogger243125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-51480216344035318842016-07-25T16:01:00.000-06:002016-07-25T16:01:39.827-06:00Time Flies<div style="text-align: justify;">
Barrett is now almost four months old and I can't imagine life without him. He is such a sweet little guy and truly a super easy baby as far as babies go. He is and always has been such a little snuggler but now that he has been in school for two full weeks he is getting the hang of putting himself to sleep (before I never knew if he could because I pretty much always held him). I can pretty much put him down and he'll roll to his side and fall asleep.</div>
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He has been smiling since he was about seven weeks old and he is so quick to flash a grin. He is the smileyist baby I've ever seen. He still doesn't laugh but I'm expecting he'll do that soon. Such a laid-back, calm, happy little fella. I just can't get enough of him.</div>
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Copeland loves his little brother, too. At school he will tell all the kids to get back and that they can't touch his brother. This makes me laugh so hard. He does occasionally get jealous, even more so now that I'm back at work and it seems like I don't get to spend as much one on one time with him. When I was on leave I could hold Barrett all day and make sure he was fed before Copeland got home so I'd have time to spend with Copeland. Now that I'm back at work Barrett wants to nurse the minute he gets home, no matter what time he last ate. And sometimes he will eat FOREVER. He never used to eat for a long duration but I suppose that is his way of saying he missed me. I've been planning and going on dates with Copeland during this transition so he doesn't feel like I've forgotten him. </div>
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My transition back to work has been more difficult than last time and I can't exactly explain why. It seemed like leave was shorter and that getting back into the swing of things at work is harder. My brain doesn't seem to be functioning as well, either. I know I'll get there but it is definitely a work in progress. If only the US offered just a bit longer leave...</div>
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Barrett has been "talking" since about 7 weeks. It is so cute to look in his eyes and have little conversations with him. His cooing is adorable. It's not very loud and it's not constant so we think little Barrett is going to be more on the quiet side. We could be wrong but at this point Copeland always says "Barrett and Daddy are quiet. Mommy and Copeland are NOT quiet". Hahaha!</div>
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Here is a picture of my little family taken when Barrett was 5 weeks old:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf33ngcJ0HYFzqA3hsNF7AuGt9aU9bM4DsGFiIEBnrNGR7QALobIYe7npQslIQKqd3pdz5DXoRfDDc_ffyGjOGykKE-TeqODyQCj0HdlVBP2k_hx5q12YwP7pzAbxhFZIPD2HuihEhWG4/s1600/IMG_2776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf33ngcJ0HYFzqA3hsNF7AuGt9aU9bM4DsGFiIEBnrNGR7QALobIYe7npQslIQKqd3pdz5DXoRfDDc_ffyGjOGykKE-TeqODyQCj0HdlVBP2k_hx5q12YwP7pzAbxhFZIPD2HuihEhWG4/s320/IMG_2776.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The boys in that picture are my world and melt my heart every day.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-20835009772951617082016-03-09T16:18:00.001-07:002016-03-09T16:18:55.719-07:0034 weeks<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here is what's been happening in the past five weeks:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Baby boy is measuring on track and I still feel great. I haven't yet started waddling and can still walk pretty quickly if I want to. I've even been known to race Copeland to the mailbox. (He usually wins unless he gets distracted.)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I failed the 28 week glucose test so had to take the 3 hour (really, it took four) glucose test. It was awful. I had to fast and then show up to get my fasting blood drawn, then chug a 10 oz bottle of straight sugar drink, and then have my blood taken on the hour every hour for the next 3 hours. After I was done I was so shaky and sweaty and felt sick. Thankfully, the test came back that I don't have gestational diabetes.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I am getting HUGE. To tie my shoes I have to cross my legs (man-style) and tie the laces by the very inner eyelet. Even though I feel huge, I still have gained much less weight than last pregnancy.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">My body is very sore every morning. I went to the chiropractor and that helped some but I need to be more regular about it. I do have massages set up almost every week in March. :)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Baby boy makes much larger and more painful movements inside my belly than Copeland did. He seems to want to shrug me off of him and he does full body movements that are slow and big. I often wince when he starts moving around. I swear it feels like he's trying to crawl right out of my belly sometimes. He also is getting hiccups and that is hilarious.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I'm hungry all the time. Right now I'm craving pimento cheese on Ritz crackers. Random, but true. Onions are the only thing I still remain food averse to. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I went on a one week girl scout cookie binge. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I am swelling a little. I can still wear all my rings and shoes but sometimes they get a little tight.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">My innie belly button turned to an outie at about 31/32 weeks and it drove me crazy for awhile. I don't like my belly button touched at all and to have the sensitive inner parts of it sticking out and touching clothes is creepy. I'm more used to it now but I still don't like it. I try to avoid the entire area when putting lotion on.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I have stretch marks that showed up around my belly button. With Copeland, I didn't get any until right before he was born and even then they were minimal and not too noticeable. I guess my skin was ready to be stretched out this time. I don't really understand because I'm smaller with this baby than I was with Copeland.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I am so excited to meet baby boy and spend time with him and Copeland while on maternity leave but I am in no way prepared for labor and delivery. I haven't yet registered with the hospital, or completed his room, or bought a single thing (we do have almost everything we technically need), or packed a bag, etc. Also, I am in no way prepared for the pain of labor and delivery. Whoever said you forget it is crazy. I haven't forgotten it at all. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">31 weeks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">32 weeks 1 day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNQlAKEn1S6TwBozkXTIyaPilN5FY287h5L8IjxZuDWjo-o_lttGT1U4Hqfsuuw1uc0eJtEQLokxYnoHYRHycMcJfgNdJWukO3L624UCaW7TZyjhTUMY-i7szlvBXYVpcT886sNFTB6g/s1600/33wk1d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQNQlAKEn1S6TwBozkXTIyaPilN5FY287h5L8IjxZuDWjo-o_lttGT1U4Hqfsuuw1uc0eJtEQLokxYnoHYRHycMcJfgNdJWukO3L624UCaW7TZyjhTUMY-i7szlvBXYVpcT886sNFTB6g/s320/33wk1d.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">33 weeks 1 day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">34 weeks</td></tr>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-53003189328730421902016-02-05T16:46:00.000-07:002016-02-05T16:46:01.788-07:00Already 29 weeks?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I seriously don't know where the time has gone. This pregnancy has been flying by. I feel like I just found out I was pregnant! I guess it's a good thing that I don't instead feel like it's been dragging along for an interminable time. Here are some things that have been happening in the past 8 weeks:<br />
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<li>Ryan and Copeland can now feel and see little biscuit moving around inside my stomach. That happened just a few weeks ago.</li>
<li>I went through a steak phase during which time I forced the family to eat steak 4-5 times in one week. I have since backed off of my steak consumption but I am still heavily carnivorous, which is quite a change from my non-pregnant appetite. Also, I couldn't stand red meat when I was pregnant with Copeland.</li>
<li>I am now at the stage where it's a bit uncomfortable to lean over and tie my shoes. I've decided it is easier to be pregnant in the summer when I can wear breezy clothes and sandals instead of jeans, sweaters, and shoes that require tying or zipping. </li>
<li>Compared to last pregnancy I have gained relatively little weight. I attribute this to having Copeland to chase around. </li>
<li>I just started feeling uncomfortable in bed last week. I am a back sleeper and now with my substantial stomach it isn't as comfortable to stay on my back so I am forced to sleep on my sides. I don't really like sleeping on my side and even though we have a great bed, I wake up several times throughout the night with achy hips and calves (and I do sleep with a pillow between my legs). My ears also get sore. (Is that even normal???)</li>
<li>I can still wear several non-maternity tops and dresses. I think I must have never started wearing form-fitting clothes again after I had Copeland so that's why I'm still able to do it. I don't remember being able to wear any non-maternity clothes at this stage when I was pregnant last time. </li>
<li>I am at the stage where I am uncomfortably hot for large periods of the day. When I am not pregnant I am usually always cold.</li>
<li>I was going to say that I wasn't swelling yet like last time but just today my shoes and rings are a bit tight. I will blame it on the high sodium content of the Chinese food I had last night and for lunch. (Kung Hei Fat Choy! - Happy Chinese New Year! On a side note, this is the year of the monkey. I was also born in the year of the monkey. Ryan and Copeland were both born in the year of the snake.)</li>
<li>I am getting so excited to meet our new family member!!!!</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2RQ6wLVR2XTAycyLQfxrdk4zW3is5g4rSy3KNi8lojc785GgLSuVwBOf7rdMk1wsR7i1xi7PThOhs-hxay1DEorMzY3mVIwzNbaAIgB6-vJrJcl5_vm6LkAVwqPNRGcAUmnr4xIcE80/s1600/thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2RQ6wLVR2XTAycyLQfxrdk4zW3is5g4rSy3KNi8lojc785GgLSuVwBOf7rdMk1wsR7i1xi7PThOhs-hxay1DEorMzY3mVIwzNbaAIgB6-vJrJcl5_vm6LkAVwqPNRGcAUmnr4xIcE80/s320/thumb.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">22 weeks 2 days</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">25 weeks 2 days</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjTzo8oeAfri7UMb3QnKrho1GEtjhdemP6GrfAYn_UsNqdACCf1ELVLn1aFu9Hc-UCr0QNJhYQUXSsracab5LeFAY9MG9Omi-LMKrmamqd_dlDzIPTo-GY6edFS0_Ly53rT0mcdrs1_I/s1600/2016-01-13_145508878_ADAF5_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjTzo8oeAfri7UMb3QnKrho1GEtjhdemP6GrfAYn_UsNqdACCf1ELVLn1aFu9Hc-UCr0QNJhYQUXSsracab5LeFAY9MG9Omi-LMKrmamqd_dlDzIPTo-GY6edFS0_Ly53rT0mcdrs1_I/s320/2016-01-13_145508878_ADAF5_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">26 weeks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcDwFCrKcvOdSqpS0WU2LyBOq-Ux259uIqteaF6EmmfYV_UpqGg_wfeoOO194mci5ErL8mbuJdIvk0YSE5lvioWi3bylAQcb7JHhC-DSRywAdBCNmnp2hHnPkwAodXLdFlC0B_gRrRNE/s1600/2016-01-27_154647342_172D3_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcDwFCrKcvOdSqpS0WU2LyBOq-Ux259uIqteaF6EmmfYV_UpqGg_wfeoOO194mci5ErL8mbuJdIvk0YSE5lvioWi3bylAQcb7JHhC-DSRywAdBCNmnp2hHnPkwAodXLdFlC0B_gRrRNE/s320/2016-01-27_154647342_172D3_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">28 weeks</td></tr>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-45243062297901908222015-12-11T15:40:00.000-07:002015-12-11T15:40:16.747-07:0018, 19, 20, and 21 weeks<div style="text-align: justify;">
At 18 weeks I started feeling my little biscuit moving around. I didn't feel Copeland moving until about 21 weeks so it's exciting to already have this connection. Ryan and I joke that this one might be more like me because he tends to get very excited around meal times (Copeland was busy at ALL TIMES).</div>
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At 19 weeks I finally started wearing some maternity clothes. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving I was wearing my normal wardrobe...and the Friday after I wasn't so comfortable in most of my pants. I was still able to wear some of my regular pants for awhile but I think by now I'm in maternity pants for the rest of my pregnancy. I am still wearing some non-maternity shirts and dresses but I wouldn't be surprised if that ends in the next few weeks. Strangely, I started showing much later and much more subtly with this pregnancy than last. Everyone I talk to says that they showed so early with their second pregnancies. I still hadn't reached my pre-pregnancy weight at almost 21 weeks. With Copeland I started gaining weight steadily from day one!</div>
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At 20 months, I had a visible bump. I don't have a 20 week picture but here is a 21 week and 2 day picture where my bump has now become much more visible and I definitely feel like I'm pregnant now. I have finally surpassed my pre-pregnancy weight which means I gained quite a bit in the last week! Probably has something to do with having my appetite (and sweet tooth) back!</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-78627691296509422052015-11-11T15:40:00.004-07:002015-11-16T10:57:45.720-07:00Oh YOU'RE his Mommy!I didn't quite know what to expect when I heard that from a Mommy at day care that I'd never even seen before. Come to find out, Copeland gives this Mommy a hug when she comes to pick up her daughter and she said it makes her day every time. I later found out that Copeland hugs are not exclusive to just one Mommy because there are several Mommies that look forward to Copeland hugs at the end of the day. My child is a very social child. :) <br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-40247492099245418202015-11-09T16:29:00.000-07:002015-11-16T10:56:56.469-07:00Musings on Pregnancy Number 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Pregnancy symptoms are even less than when I was pregnant with Copeland. During the first trimester I was a bit tired and food averse but not nearly as much as last time! I still am averse to certain things like garlic and onions (two things I normally love) but I remember last time I didn't want to eat at ALL during the first trimester and stayed averse to many things for the rest of the pregnancy. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I had forgotten about getting calf cramps at night last time but remembered once I started getting those again.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I have actually lost weight. Doctor says that's absolutely fine as baby is doing well but at 16 weeks I'm about 6-7 lbs less than when I got pregnant. I think it's due to a variety of factors: I'm losing muscle because I'm not working out; I am slightly food averse with a smaller than normal appetite for me; I was sick with bronchitis for a month during the first trimester; I never did lose the extra weight I gained when I was pregnant with Copeland.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I KNEW this was going to be a boy...and I was actually right this time! I am so excited to have two little boys in the house! I grew up with two brothers and have always felt that I'm a little (or a lot) of a tomboy so having a houseful of boys is right up my alley.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">We had a scare and it was AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL and I am currently restricted from doing just about anything strenuous or stressful. Baby is absolutely fine and the complications have to do with my body only so I just have to make sure to do what the doctor says in hopes that I carry to term without incident. So far, so good. My biggest challenge is trying to not stress out about the complications. Also, it is difficult/strange to go from being super active to super sedentary and I do miss CrossFit something fierce. It's second nature for me to go on a hike, or pick up Copeland for a dance party, or run after him so it's strange to not be able to do even those little things. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Being called "advanced maternal age" is just mean. I feel quite young, thank you very much.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Copeland says "Baby brother is in Mommy's belly" and it is pretty much the cutest thing in the world.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I'm not wearing maternity clothes yet but I think I will be in the next few weeks. Looking back in my archives I saw that I started wearing maternity clothes at 17 weeks with Copeland. I do have a little bump but like I mentioned previously, I've actually lost weight so it might take a little longer for me to outgrow my current wardrobe. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I've already been told twice at doctor visits that this baby is very active, which means I am truly in for it. Copeland was very active in the womb and is VERY active now (as in we even get comments on how busy he is from other toddler's parents). I can't imagine what it's going to be like with two very active boys. Please say a little prayer for me. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">I wake up a lot at night for trips to the rest room. I don't remember it being this bad before. I also don't remember it lasting this far into the second trimester. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">My sense of smell is super sensitive. It's actually driving Ryan a little nuts because I declare everything stinky. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">We asked Copeland what he wanted to call his baby brother and he said "Peanut Butter" so that's what we call him. My colleagues call him "Doobie" as his due date is on 4/20, which is a rather big "holiday" here in Colorado. (I really don't want to deliver on 4/20...)</li>
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I don't have a bump picture but this is cuter anyway and at least one party to the hug seems to be enjoying it.<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-5887681823509691412015-03-26T16:39:00.001-06:002015-03-26T16:47:54.373-06:00On to Taipei<div style="text-align: justify;">
Much like our last trip to Asia, Ryan and I decided we couldn't fly all the way to Hong Kong and not also spend a few days sight seeing in another Asian country, so we flew to Taipei, Taiwan the day after Pau Pau's birthday party. Copeland "helped" us pack:</div>
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We spent a little more time with family before leaving for the airport. They were headed back to the US:</div>
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And then headed to the airport:</div>
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Where we bid everyone adieu <i style="font-weight: bold;">except...</i>Pau Pau and Mo Ching! They went with us to Taipei! I was so, so excited about spending more time with family. I knew Mo Ching was planning to come with us but she surprised us by bring Pau Pau with her.</div>
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The flight to Taipei from Hong Kong is about 1.5 hours and we expected to be there ready to explore no later than 2 pm, but the flight was delayed for a couple hours. It's probably a good thing because we were cutting it close on boarding time, partly because we spent some time searching for one of our bags that we didn't know Mo Ching took while we were changing Copeland's diaper and partly because we'd had a leisurely lunch with the entire family before heading our separate ways.</div>
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The flight was pretty standard, minus being pointedly asked by a flight attendant if everything was okay. I couldn't figure out why she had singled me out and I'm pretty sure I looked at her like she had three heads. I later felt bad about looking at her like she had three heads when I figured out Copeland had been repeatedly paging her with the remote.</div>
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With the flight delay and the 45 minute taxi ride to the hotel, we didn't get settled in until around dinner time. Pau Pau and Mo Ching were in another hotel, because the hotels in the metropolitan area where we were staying were very small and they couldn't get into ours, so we decided to part ways and meet up the next day. We wandered around a bit in search of sustenance and were immediately impressed. The city was clean and walk-able and everyone was SO nice. And the sidewalks were sparkly and that pleased me irrationally. </div>
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Everyone in Hong Kong had been telling me how good the food was in Taipei so I was determined to find something for dinner that the city was known for. Unlike Hong Kong, English speakers are not as prevalent in Taipei and Mandarin is spoken, instead of Cantonese. In Hong Kong, if I have to I can limp along in Cantonese and make my basic requests known, but I know nothing about Mandarin except how to say thank you (and I'm pretty sure I say it with such a strong accent that it's barely understandable). As we were wandering around, I was finding it difficult to locate an authentic Taiwanese eatery where we would be able to order easily. Lo and behold, Mo Chang and Pau Pau were inside a restaurant and saw us wandering around and pulled us inside and ordered for us. Thank goodness! So glad Mo Ching can speak Mandarin (as well as Cantonese, English, Portuguese, and Korean)! She ordered us a noodle dish, which reminded me greatly of PF Chang's dan dan noodles, a cold chicken dish, and a tofu dish. No pictures - we must have been too stinking tired.</div>
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Note: After I finish my blog series about our Hong Kong/Taipei trip I plan to write a question and answer blog as I've received a few questions and realize there are probably many other interesting tidbits I haven't addressed. Please feel free to comment with any questions about our trip, about Hong Kong, Taipei, etc. and I'll try to answer them.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-3605210381522583982015-02-04T21:39:00.000-07:002015-02-04T21:39:00.324-07:00Last Day in Hong Kong<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our last full day in Hong Kong...started with noodle bowls. :) Just posting these pictures makes me want a noodle bowl...</div>
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Then later we rode the top level of a double decker bus across town to have lunch with some family. Oh my goodness, writing this post so far after the fact makes me miss Hong Kong so much!!! Even the pictures of Hong Kong streets! Wahhhhhhh!</div>
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That night was my Grandma's 91st birthday party, which is kind of a big deal. Apparently odd numbered birthdays are more important for women, while even numbered birthdays are more important for men. I still haven't figured out why. <br />
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Unfortunately, the party didn't even begin until 9 pm, so Copeland wasn't able to attend, which also meant Ryan wasn't able to attend. That was a real bummer but the party was amazing. We <i>started </i>the party with dessert! I think the Chinese character cake says long life, but I'm not positive. There is something about Chinese cakes that I love. They're more airy and less sweet than what we're used to and the taste is amazing. They also oftentimes have fruit in them - yum.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvWrSMaTTtB_kSMaPhAtohs_L28p3I89312grY-yKgOsCMT5z7Xj-1yFClPFdrSr6ZHpupSBxjMnKxpnHOTTzMK-Wz5DjEV7eJmiyp1YA9e7a63fqhvRhA1R1iwONUpaq-umRh3jsJpA/s1600/HK+Taipei+178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvWrSMaTTtB_kSMaPhAtohs_L28p3I89312grY-yKgOsCMT5z7Xj-1yFClPFdrSr6ZHpupSBxjMnKxpnHOTTzMK-Wz5DjEV7eJmiyp1YA9e7a63fqhvRhA1R1iwONUpaq-umRh3jsJpA/s1600/HK+Taipei+178.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
It was Wendy's birthday too so there was a cake there for her to cut. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD-zOiF2c4m7Y-jFG_mZxgAgrxi3ZI8rD7TnNK7_Do-f5POCivoaCkTZezD0qJQo2zvJSzsFtoDFDuS9WhgB4fiAdPrlSPoUk4-YuJN_mh5UU0coGcu9_0XhkQr1N-hDJmHHaMb5O0vE/s1600/HK+Taipei+175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD-zOiF2c4m7Y-jFG_mZxgAgrxi3ZI8rD7TnNK7_Do-f5POCivoaCkTZezD0qJQo2zvJSzsFtoDFDuS9WhgB4fiAdPrlSPoUk4-YuJN_mh5UU0coGcu9_0XhkQr1N-hDJmHHaMb5O0vE/s1600/HK+Taipei+175.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Then we sat down for our EIGHT course meal. And then after the EIGHT courses, they brought out rice and noodles. And THEN they brought out two types of dessert! I got pictures of everything except the rice/noodles and desserts. I was in a food coma by that point. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq1eALTSDnc4mv-o2fzccWDmG-0wk_z-fkg2iZ9h2ivhext6n3nND5dSWdXL7wVJM87sChB6RaQGIxSbpXQ6hBkNf8lmYXiu_vTvFPPUKc6uEHPjotzn-hLhlfOvjcGryxvG0wEas5ws/s1600/HK+Taipei+180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkq1eALTSDnc4mv-o2fzccWDmG-0wk_z-fkg2iZ9h2ivhext6n3nND5dSWdXL7wVJM87sChB6RaQGIxSbpXQ6hBkNf8lmYXiu_vTvFPPUKc6uEHPjotzn-hLhlfOvjcGryxvG0wEas5ws/s1600/HK+Taipei+180.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc02ycgvp2OrLzm5rMPB90p6A4-jSZub7mDdbap_CjdRImVexta4FDq0FPNBY5nAom8veKZGJzI1BpAMl9ZnV34HSrUhyphenhyphenoi6DnUDvt4un6ECu3qzwl_mfuPz8Hiz2navZt5wI9QDxyPLM/s1600/HK+Taipei+182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc02ycgvp2OrLzm5rMPB90p6A4-jSZub7mDdbap_CjdRImVexta4FDq0FPNBY5nAom8veKZGJzI1BpAMl9ZnV34HSrUhyphenhyphenoi6DnUDvt4un6ECu3qzwl_mfuPz8Hiz2navZt5wI9QDxyPLM/s1600/HK+Taipei+182.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N4CV_LJmFX1X3pF3z86fBgkcP67W11nOckhvVRBwSgs7-ojpsaL_iFEH_0BFn-oMwoTN0obwpWWsFDhyphenhyphen8C-H56nDncaOSqZ5W_ALdEsuUJ2rVoOF391QK8-Vbh36K2j4Oeh4zM3BvTo/s1600/HK+Taipei+183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6N4CV_LJmFX1X3pF3z86fBgkcP67W11nOckhvVRBwSgs7-ojpsaL_iFEH_0BFn-oMwoTN0obwpWWsFDhyphenhyphen8C-H56nDncaOSqZ5W_ALdEsuUJ2rVoOF391QK8-Vbh36K2j4Oeh4zM3BvTo/s1600/HK+Taipei+183.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magical seafood with broccoli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV69L2BA-D3ZvfTc947vVEO-TdLJ0Lqd0vyxpg-WyrHg1dr1XS7iQcOYVegiAnghfSDdRfuFOeCxl2VVG3GYzekjb4alciNe_SrINFI4BptRyputg6ioaXixUJn3iwjxm-xE8c-v4Jeo/s1600/HK+Taipei+184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUV69L2BA-D3ZvfTc947vVEO-TdLJ0Lqd0vyxpg-WyrHg1dr1XS7iQcOYVegiAnghfSDdRfuFOeCxl2VVG3GYzekjb4alciNe_SrINFI4BptRyputg6ioaXixUJn3iwjxm-xE8c-v4Jeo/s1600/HK+Taipei+184.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magical seafood roll-up things</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnek9-TCQhRNJEWCz8ptgPDfCOT2tgEe0rvEdvazJYUSt6fYqNGYTltmN18B7OWZVsG_DdpnayJS_FwXpZfp_ZJAkQZs6kMnIQIKCJaBzdBKgW14GdHN_dEu2SNBK5QxZxDwJJwrX4y2s/s1600/HK+Taipei+185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnek9-TCQhRNJEWCz8ptgPDfCOT2tgEe0rvEdvazJYUSt6fYqNGYTltmN18B7OWZVsG_DdpnayJS_FwXpZfp_ZJAkQZs6kMnIQIKCJaBzdBKgW14GdHN_dEu2SNBK5QxZxDwJJwrX4y2s/s1600/HK+Taipei+185.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magical seafood soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGH1tDpwtK_FboX8YRaixQ1K-up_l0uhKc_wROcMcYHUnK9HfX5xjRX-1kVZ5F-LCtGecsQqtrzW8AgTv3HgLKDeR8krRIsyLub1WIlOWxBq3y4IU2GqYyCd89WB46qvc10vDmuWz3vo/s1600/HK+Taipei+186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGH1tDpwtK_FboX8YRaixQ1K-up_l0uhKc_wROcMcYHUnK9HfX5xjRX-1kVZ5F-LCtGecsQqtrzW8AgTv3HgLKDeR8krRIsyLub1WIlOWxBq3y4IU2GqYyCd89WB46qvc10vDmuWz3vo/s1600/HK+Taipei+186.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abalone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OdmbUmH14H2Q_9rjoE2NtX2ejoci1i4ptauZjGpVofZQRXZE0qnIh6f4l_dcdIgZjvXuPwcphP5bbYZY4CO4fXo_0Do-7wnzPvhBbFokMH8vVjGdWJsKsCzhtCVH4jjr6CTG98q125U/s1600/HK+Taipei+188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OdmbUmH14H2Q_9rjoE2NtX2ejoci1i4ptauZjGpVofZQRXZE0qnIh6f4l_dcdIgZjvXuPwcphP5bbYZY4CO4fXo_0Do-7wnzPvhBbFokMH8vVjGdWJsKsCzhtCVH4jjr6CTG98q125U/s1600/HK+Taipei+188.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN2at8x3xTLJ6r4UJOEOcZhMvWpFyi898QQQ6lS6IEcubTQXECEFcNkFLAc2zGpmlPjb79gA_iN6FDUBHqNIPwfwPZHApxhrnrQmyghQkYpY_A15XF5WiJLng4ZU2VFcErDR8EeHv9yI/s1600/HK+Taipei+193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN2at8x3xTLJ6r4UJOEOcZhMvWpFyi898QQQ6lS6IEcubTQXECEFcNkFLAc2zGpmlPjb79gA_iN6FDUBHqNIPwfwPZHApxhrnrQmyghQkYpY_A15XF5WiJLng4ZU2VFcErDR8EeHv9yI/s1600/HK+Taipei+193.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken</td></tr>
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Here are some other fun photos of family that night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoxLaB7OuAO0g9XeDeZjfst0jxtMsW2pLTWaDQN2kOgs958Lobo8K9J8HRtU2GdSQCM5vGHAuAomdHDD_vyWNQEPS9g6m-NMYC3u63GYavvD7-0NIbc_UnQm_kr18zannUlXNTrV2qD4/s1600/HK+Taipei+279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoxLaB7OuAO0g9XeDeZjfst0jxtMsW2pLTWaDQN2kOgs958Lobo8K9J8HRtU2GdSQCM5vGHAuAomdHDD_vyWNQEPS9g6m-NMYC3u63GYavvD7-0NIbc_UnQm_kr18zannUlXNTrV2qD4/s1600/HK+Taipei+279.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cousin Lok Yan and Aunts Siu Ye and Miu Ye</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA4x3dXUMaz1TDtcE_QtVckYmBvzHGTim-XgfLWIJ22BtVNC_Za17lTXGMLhEI5RMiI497rJMHIa4MAuXncBqwoS7VUuJQpbhwRBxC8jCljLToy8WHJztdnZ1BOLv5vTC5osvhpmrWj0/s1600/HK+Taipei+283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnA4x3dXUMaz1TDtcE_QtVckYmBvzHGTim-XgfLWIJ22BtVNC_Za17lTXGMLhEI5RMiI497rJMHIa4MAuXncBqwoS7VUuJQpbhwRBxC8jCljLToy8WHJztdnZ1BOLv5vTC5osvhpmrWj0/s1600/HK+Taipei+283.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea Ceremony. Mom had to tell me what to say.</td></tr>
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Here is a shot of most of the people there. Notice how tall everyone is? I get questions a lot about how can I possibly be half Chinese when I'm so tall (I'm 5'9")? Well, not all Chinese people are short! In fact, most of my Chinese family is tall. It depends on where your family comes from. In general, northern Chinese are taller than Southern Chinese. I'm in the back on my tiptoes and you can barely see me! <br />
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Oh man I can't wait to go back. I think it might be awhile, though, as I think it would be better for Copeland to be a little older. I am so super thankful that we were able to take this trip, even with the challenges of world travel with a toddler. I think it will be so cool to show him pictures when he's older. I hope that someday he can continue to visit family in Hong Kong and make his own fond memories.</div>
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Oh, one last thing: Lindsay asked about the protests and what people had to say. Really no one talked about it to us at all! I made mention a couple times but no one really engaged in discussion. I don't know if that means it isn't as big of a deal to them as it seems to us (kind of like how the Occupy Movement in the US really didn't disrupt a huge portion of cities - at least it didn't disrupt my life at all - but there was so much news coverage) or if it is an even bigger deal and a bit too scary to discuss. </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-21932863633400807432015-01-04T17:14:00.000-07:002015-01-04T17:14:01.475-07:00Russian Roulette Food FailOn our fourth full day in Hong Kong we decided we wanted dim sum for breakfast. The restaurant we chose did not have any English speakers and they only provided us a very limited English menu so I decided to play dim sum Russian roulette and order some items off the Chinese menu in addition to our English menu selections. This was a bad idea. Luckily, my Mom and two of my aunts were at the hotel when we got back and they took us to a proper dim sum.<br />
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Then later that night we had hot pot! This is where you cook all your meats and veggies in boiling broth, much like fondue. We had done this last time we were in Hong Kong and didn't want to miss it this time, even though we hadn't been able to join all the dinners during the week.</div>
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I will say that it was definitely very different traveling with a toddler than when just Ryan and I went two years ago. Copeland really was such a good traveler and hardly protested about anything, but still, we really had to plan around nap times, meals/snacks, diaper changes, as well as letting him adjust to the time change. And in Hong Kong, everything happens late in the day/night and our son (like his father) is an EARLY BIRD. It may seem like all of my posts are about food...and that kind of is what dominated our time there this year! In the mornings we would do our little family activities before anyone else was awake, then we would usually meet family for lunch, then usually we would go back for Copeland's nap, and then it was pretty much time for dinner and bedtime! Even with the various challenges of traveling with a little dude, I was so happy to have been able to share it with him.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-44600227617472750342014-12-18T15:19:00.000-07:002014-12-18T15:19:30.116-07:00A Cross Town CrossFit Voyage<div style="text-align: justify;">
Everyone hold onto their seats. I have a shocking announcement to make: Our third full day in Hong Kong did not begin with noodle bowls and 7-11. We like to shake things up a bit every now and then. We're crazy like that. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copeland's milk holster?</td></tr>
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We woke up at the crack of dawn to venture across the bay for a 6 am CrossFit workout for Ryan. Please note here that this was for <i>Ryan</i> , as I would never be so crazy to actually work out while on vacation (and at 6 am!). My vacation goals: eat, sight see and learn something new, purchase souvenirs. Anyway, I digress. The night before the scheduled CrossFit appointment, we had mapped out the subway times and route, we had mapped out the walking route on iPhone maps, and we had planned to arrive a bit early. Everything was going smoothly. Copeland was awake and super happy, the subway system was on time and super easy to navigate, and we were right where we needed to be based on iPhone maps. Except, iPhone maps was wrong. We thought it quite strange that the CrossFit gym would be in the middle of a park... Well, after finally using a different map function and harassing a few building security guards we showed up to CrossFit a bit late. It was actually not super easy to find because the entry to the building was about halfway down a little alleyway and the building itself is not that big. The gym was on the 10th or 11th floor and it took up the entire floor. Once the elevator doors open, you walk right into the workout area, which only seemed big enough for 4 people. There were already 3 people there working out and the manager was super understanding about our adventures. Of the 4 people in that class, only one was Asian and only Ryan was not currently living in Hong Kong. I don't why I thought that was interesting or why I needed to share, but there you go.</div>
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Copeland messed around with weights while Ryan was working out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think he looks like a CrossFiter here</td></tr>
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He quickly got bored with that and wanted to join in on the action. That would be incredibly dangerous so we had to exit the building and find somewhere to hang out. That is not easy at 6:30 am in Hong Kong. As I've mentioned before, I couldn't even find a Starbucks open at that time but, I could find a Burger King! So we went to Burger King and I ordered some breakfast for Copeland. I found it interesting that all the breakfast sandwiches had ketchup and mayonnaise on them. It was quite tasty. I mean, that's what Copeland told me anyway. </div>
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After CrossFit we had noodle bowls. :)<br />
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We also did a little shopping:<br />
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Later that day I got to go with my Mom and Grandma to get a Chinese acupuncture massage. I did not receive any acupuncture and the massage did not feel like he was poking at acupuncture spots, but that is just what they called it and it is supposed to be very healing. First we had dim sum:<br />
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And then we went to our massages. It started with an herbal foot soak and then foot reflexology. The first thing he said to me when he touched me was "Oh, you must suffer from a lot of back pain." And I do! I had actually just been to the doctor and chiropractor in the weeks before the trip and am still going to the chiropractor and physical therapist. At one point during the foot reflexology, my head started tingling and I asked him what part of the body that part of my foot was associated with. You guessed it: my head. I think that sort of natural healing and the ability to be that in tune with the human body is amazing! After my foot reflexology, I had another couple hours of massage. About an hour for my backside and an hour for my front. During this time he told me his observations and the craziest thing is...they were all spot-on. Every single thing he told me was unprompted by me and was an issue that I have always dealt with (weak respiratory system being one...what other massage therapist would know this about you after just one massage?) I swear I did not tell him anything beforehand or during and his observations were not canned responses because he found different things on my Mom and Pau Pau. He really was just that knowledgeable of the human body. Such a cool experience. </div>
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While I was gone Copeland and Ryan were doing this:<br />
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Later that night our nuclear family had dinner right across the street from our hotel and Ryan finally got to have some duck. He loves duck and I don't so much, except for some reason I like the duck we get in Hong Kong.</div>
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Also later that night, Copeland stole my soy milk. This resulted in more 7-11 visits to quench our thirst for delicious VitaSoy.</div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-67961290713953105412014-12-14T16:26:00.001-07:002014-12-14T16:26:21.661-07:00Hong Kong trip continued<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have to get something off my chest: I sweat. I don't glow or perspire or sparkle. I sweat like a hairy lumberjack in Florida during August. So, imagine my chagrin when I used the last of my deodorant the morning we left for Hong Kong. You might ask how could I not know I was out? Well, we are Costco shoppers and always have excess toiletries, rice, air fresheners, etc. on hand and I was sure that I had extra deodorant. I was wrong. And I was getting ready to travel across the world to an extremely humid and slightly warm environment. Once we landed one of my first order s of business was to find deodorant. Mom was convinced that I couldn't find any suitable deodorant in Hong Kong because "Chinese women don't sweat like that" but alas, I found <a href="http://www.unilever.com/brands-in-action/detail/Rexona/292102/?WT.contenttype=view%20brands">Rexona</a>. Pish Posh "Chinese women don't sweat like that". Hmpf. </div>
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Rexona is amazing! For all my gal friends out there that are sweaty like I am and are super picky about deodorant (I know you're out there), give Rexona a try! I haven't seen it in the US before but upon further investigation I found out this is a Unilever product and allegedly sells under the brand names Degree and Sure. I've used both of those before and don't recall loving them as much as Rexona but perhaps I need to give it another try. Anyway, thank you for your rapt attention about my incredibly appealing tidbit of personal information. And also, sorry. Ryan is such a lucky guy, don't you think?</div>
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Ok, on to more pertinent stories about Hong Kong. (Although I might argue that a quest for personal care items when you're halfway across the world is pertinent.)</div>
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Our second full day in Hong Kong predictably started with noodle bowls and 7-11. Ryan's meal came with some fish, which Copeland ate most of. And I ordered buns covered in butter and condensed milk. Why don't I used condensed milk more? This is the same question I asked myself the last time we were in Asia. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvp8ntnkMJlq5m7KB2ofw8-85EJ7Qiq0S59PnQwdNW5Ti_BrKLJYnQTB9p3kmUfnuTYp-Lg1p_krASyKN-TpmfrEgOVU8r7kuslLPQ3n-rqfetmixtGWFk1hl2w2_uZrchdTFxjnoOJF0/s1600/HK+Taipei+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvp8ntnkMJlq5m7KB2ofw8-85EJ7Qiq0S59PnQwdNW5Ti_BrKLJYnQTB9p3kmUfnuTYp-Lg1p_krASyKN-TpmfrEgOVU8r7kuslLPQ3n-rqfetmixtGWFk1hl2w2_uZrchdTFxjnoOJF0/s1600/HK+Taipei+058.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I liked seeing Chinese names on the Coke bottles</td></tr>
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Later, we had Korean food for lunch. It was delicious!!! I need to have more Korean food in my life. I used to go out for Korean food with a college friend and always loved it but I never paid attention to what he ordered so never knew how to order for myself. Now I do! We did Korean BBQ where they bring out several meats that you put over the hot grill yourself. My cousin also ordered several other dishes and each meal comes with a bunch of little appetizers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYN8MzokiGLLFAPccFXzT5dluLP0X0b7JGlEhDOx7LZTwB2iI8wytoJYWqat3a2Jo_CCXstDfSZC876Eq741A57dPRe412Wf3gMMtN_dpTMBFTWVxYbVNWaDlaKsG3khlsW6wqWV731o/s1600/HK+Taipei+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYN8MzokiGLLFAPccFXzT5dluLP0X0b7JGlEhDOx7LZTwB2iI8wytoJYWqat3a2Jo_CCXstDfSZC876Eq741A57dPRe412Wf3gMMtN_dpTMBFTWVxYbVNWaDlaKsG3khlsW6wqWV731o/s1600/HK+Taipei+066.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork, beef tongue, sauces, and various appetizers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBQEsjSZ2c-9u_-waI_eHkQ-gE-1QgdrTLcE-X6Buq3163g2PNklNeu5FTJevbqbmSvNigTG9nAutza0iToPBbw_TBo_jOjO5UiGv3Nkj5acPnf8coobmDnjnW50yf2mdR5hfhif2iZE/s1600/HK+TW+634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBQEsjSZ2c-9u_-waI_eHkQ-gE-1QgdrTLcE-X6Buq3163g2PNklNeu5FTJevbqbmSvNigTG9nAutza0iToPBbw_TBo_jOjO5UiGv3Nkj5acPnf8coobmDnjnW50yf2mdR5hfhif2iZE/s1600/HK+TW+634.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The veggies were wrapped up in the rare beef and we dipped them in a sauce. Delish!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLlCyn2TEOv4VmUHGuwaMoxJp-6ytFv26H0KdnpVeWGJBf4-uWORSLBL7LPZ9L1TqtU9TmcbJuTh3TiG2hZKFOnz73Fbk3y1dPf4S1HZlyr0MRPVwU4AhoLvs5fVOHvMfVFo7z9BOosM/s1600/HK+TW+635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLlCyn2TEOv4VmUHGuwaMoxJp-6ytFv26H0KdnpVeWGJBf4-uWORSLBL7LPZ9L1TqtU9TmcbJuTh3TiG2hZKFOnz73Fbk3y1dPf4S1HZlyr0MRPVwU4AhoLvs5fVOHvMfVFo7z9BOosM/s1600/HK+TW+635.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is raw beef. I am usually slightly picky about meat but this was my FAVORITE dish!</td></tr>
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Because Copeland does this in restaurants:</div>
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Ryan and Cole played with him for awhile in an out of the way section of the restaurant:</div>
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After lunch, we headed to a street market for some souvenir shopping. On the way we saw one of the protest encampments:</div>
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We didn't shop for too long because we needed to get back to the hotel for Copeland to nap. He loved the subway because air rushes through it when you're moving and he thought that was so funny.</div>
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His nap, which started at about 2-3 pm, lasted until the next morning. Yikes! Tired kid! So we missed another family dinner and instead had some disappointing room service. </div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-74133328502123307762014-12-08T04:51:00.000-07:002014-12-08T04:51:39.181-07:00Hong Kong 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
We once again went to Hong Kong with my Mom over the Thanksgiving holiday, but this time we were joined by Mark, Wendy, Kya, and Cole. What a special time! We prepared by getting Copeland's hair cut:</div>
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and packing:</div>
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I think we packed more for Copeland than we did for ourselves: milk, several types of snacks, diapers, wipes, SO many outfits, toys, sippy cups, etc. We ended up using pretty much everything we packed except some of the snacks because he always stuffed himself on noodles at all our meals and didn't want to snack much. :)</div>
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Our flight left around noon on 11/23. Instead of driving to the airport and parking, we drove to the bus stop park and ride station and hopped on the A line, which is a service that runs from Arvada to the airport every hour. It was so convenient and very nice to be dropped off right at check-in so I think it will be our go-to until the light rail is completed in Arvada.</div>
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Once at the airport, we waited for my family to arrive from Kansas City and then boarded for our 2.5 hour flight to San Francisco, and then our 13.5 hour flight to Hong Kong. Copeland was a fabulous traveler who slept most the time and had only a few small outbursts. I should add that this time we upgraded to Economy Plus and it made a WORLD of difference. While a 13.5 hour flight is not an amazing time by any means, we felt so much more comfortable this time and the flight seemed to go by much more quickly. One thing I liked less about this flight than two years ago is that on United we didn't each have our own entertainment centers like we did on Cathay Pacific. So we weren't able to choose the movies and/or tv shows we wanted to watch; instead, there were three screens at the front of the cabin that alternated playing movies and tv shows. None of the movies or shows interested me but it's probably okay because when Copeland was awake I was too busy entertaining/feeding him to watch anything. </div>
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We arrived on 11/25 at about 8 pm Hong Kong time, which is 5 am Denver time. First order of business was to eat and then...sleep. Of course Ryan and I were up the next morning at the crack of dawn when nothing was open so we walked around for awhile until we could get some breakfast at 7am (the earliest anything opens - even Starbucks is closed at that time!). We were SO excited to finally have noodle bowls after two years! Copeland really liked the food too. Then on to our daily routine of stopping by 7-11 for soy milk (for me) and Hello Panda (for Copeland) and whatever else we deemed necessary. I don't know why but I must stop by 7-11 every day when I'm in Asian countries. I never go into 7-11 in the US! Maybe I need to start.</div>
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We were so happy to be back in Hong Kong! Because we stayed close to where we did last time everything was familiar to us and it was so easy for us to get around. </div>
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When everyone else was finally up we went with my cousin Mo Ching for dim sum. YUM! No pictures from that. Later we had a short visit from my youngest uncle (uncle 8 - Bot Gau Foo) and then we walked around Tsim Sha Tsui with Mo Ching and rode the Star Ferry to the Hong Kong island side. </div>
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I love how several buildings light up for the holidays. I remember this from when I was a little girl.</div>
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Copeland got tired early so we had to skip a big dinner with more family and instead grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed to bed.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-49178595581813563662014-11-22T21:25:00.000-07:002014-11-22T21:25:45.163-07:00November in ReviewThe first weekend of November we went to Breckenridge for our condo HOA meeting. We only stayed at the condo for one night because we wanted to be at home for Halloween night, but we still enjoyed time our time in the mountains by walking to a park to play and then enjoying a relaxing evening. The only pictures I have are of my hot toddy (hot apple cider with Tuaca) and of Copeland sticking his fingers under the bathroom door in an effort to get to Daddy.<br />
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The next weekend we went to <a href="http://www.millerfarms.net/">Miller Farms</a> for their <a href="http://www.millerfarms.net/CSA_Program.html">CSA</a> day. We have been a part of the CSA for the past two years and it is fantastic. We love picking up our veggies at the farmer's market every week during the summer and enjoying the fresh produce, as well as enjoying throughout the year the items we've canned or frozen. When you go out to the actual farm, they take you on a hay rack ride out to the fields so you can pick your own vegetables. We picked sweet corn, Indian corn, cabbage, carrots, kale, potatoes, and onions. They also have all kinds of other activities for kids, such as climbing on hay bales, big tires, feeding ducks, etc.<br />
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Last weekend it snowed. So we snuggled.<br />
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On Sunday we went to friend's house for chili and company but I didn't get any pictures.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-40593700970009773392014-11-21T10:48:00.001-07:002014-11-21T10:48:56.654-07:0014 monthsMy little man is over 14 months old now and he has changed like crazy in the past couple of months. He:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>can say several words including ball, banana, Diana, Brenda (his two favorite teachers), milk, water, thank you. Also, signals like crazy (shaking his head no, pinching fingers for more, moving entire hand in a come hither motion when he wants food) even though we never taught him any actual sign language.</li>
<li>has perfected the word "uh-oh" by making his mouth into the tiniest little O shape when he says the "oh" part. This is unbelievably adorable.</li>
<li>understands much of what we say. He definitely responds when we ask him to come to us, give us something, or if he wants some milk or a banana.</li>
<li>has started throwing temper tantrums. I thought we had some time until the terrible twos.</li>
<li>walks extremely well and kind of even runs sometimes.</li>
<li>is in size 4 shoes and 18 month clothes.</li>
<li>has FINALLY taken interest in books! Mommy is celebrating! He will pick up a book and then bring it to us and sit in our laps. </li>
<li>very, VERY fond of baths. I once read that toddler bath time is like an episode of Wipe Out. I've never seen the show but I think that sounds pretty accurate.</li>
<li>is becoming much more independent. He will wander off farther and farther away these days.</li>
<li>likes sushi. More Mommy rejoicing!</li>
<li>is not a fan of meat. Ryan wonders if this has anything to do with my extreme aversion to red meat while I was pregnant.</li>
<li>LOVES Dairy Queen! </li>
<li>prefers to brush his own teeth even though we make him let us do the first pass.</li>
<li>is becoming cuddly. He never was as a baby but now he comes at us full tilt with arms out for some major bear hugs and snuggles. </li>
<li>rearranges the house. We have found his cobbler mallet in one of my jewelry drawers, various toiletry items out in the main room and in my jewelry drawer, dirty shirts pulled out of the laundry and strewn about, and various toys in his pirate ship.</li>
<li>thinks pivoting on his foot in circles is a really fun time. This almost always ends in him getting dizzy and falling but he doesn't seem to mind.</li>
<li>accompanies Daddy to 5 am Cross Fit often. I hear from Ryan and the owners of the gym that he spends his time either repeating Dada loudly or sleeping peacefully to the blaring music. </li>
<li>likes to stick his fingers in my lip gloss. See exhibit below.</li>
</ul>
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Ryan and I:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>have realized that Copeland always wants several bites of our food even though it's the same as he is eating and even if he told us he was already full of his own food. Ryan hasn't eaten an undisturbed breakfast in a couple months.</li>
<li>don't even blink about eating stuff Copeland hands us. Even if it might have been slightly chewed or squished. We have reached a new low.</li>
<li>continue to talk excessively about bodily functions: "my he is pooping a lot lately!"; "I stepped in human poop today."; "he peed on me.";"Wow, look at that booger I dug out!" I'm not proud but it's the real deal.</li>
<li>love him more than words and couldn't imagine our lives without him.</li>
</ul>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-49864140820232665762014-10-02T21:39:00.000-06:002014-10-02T21:39:47.955-06:0012 monthsHow is my baby boy already a year old?!?!?!?!?! This month he:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Is eating solids on his own. He wants to eat whatever we're eating and he wants to do it himself.</li>
<li>Wants to be involved in everything we do. And I mean everything...but who needs bathroom privacy anyway?</li>
<li>Walking a few steps unassisted and all over the place when assisted.</li>
<li>Says "Mama", "Dada", "Uh oh", and a couple other words we can't quite figure out yet. Of these, his favorite is "Dada"</li>
<li>Can reach counter tops.</li>
<li>Loves to feed the dogs from the dinner table.</li>
<li>On a related note, he still does not seem to understand (I fear he understands and just doesn't care) the word "no".</li>
<li>Getting much better about gentle touches.</li>
<li>Displays a bit of a temper. He comes by that honestly so no shocker there. Sorry son. Yikes.</li>
<li>Is drinking cow's milk. He had breast milk exclusively for his first year but took immediately to Vitamin D cow's milk.</li>
<li>Went to Niagara Falls and Toronto.</li>
<li>Is 19 lbs and 30.5 inches.</li>
</ul>
<div>
We love this little guy so much! Happy 1st birthday Copeland!!!</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-89472546458668399912014-10-02T21:24:00.000-06:002014-10-02T21:24:23.961-06:001st birthday!Copeland turned a year old on September 10th. For his birthday, Ryan and I both took off work and had a big breakfast, went by Ryan's office since Copeland and I had never been, went out for lunch, and went to the zoo. <br />
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I think his favorite parts of the day were getting to walk and riding on Daddy's shoulders.<br />
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It was a gorgeous day and we had a lovely time even if Copeland didn't seem terribly interested in the animals. <br />
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That night we gave him non-pureed spaghetti for the first time. As expected, it was a huge mess and completely adorable.<br />
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We finished dinner with a cupcake! This was the first time Copeland had ever experienced sweets.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is this magical thing?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe I should lick it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF32Ry_QUfZ590tfCExFm0su67jVJJ0pEQ4CeVNOWhRbJ6CyZS4CdkI7tp9MlFIAL6l6TjJYrEWSvNX7bQtXzAn4NRGhmcg6EBJoToqEW9IpXF1J70DeSsjVW_UcuTjHPkigZ1n8v09Jk/s1600/Niagara+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF32Ry_QUfZ590tfCExFm0su67jVJJ0pEQ4CeVNOWhRbJ6CyZS4CdkI7tp9MlFIAL6l6TjJYrEWSvNX7bQtXzAn4NRGhmcg6EBJoToqEW9IpXF1J70DeSsjVW_UcuTjHPkigZ1n8v09Jk/s1600/Niagara+058.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodness this is delicious. I need to stuff as much in my mouth as possible!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm4tXEgOC38spYWmwoKbp6yNXRdOtPzTyHE6eeALdm_thtD7dzm3h7ZDSUeJVd0UNoXUZIdaznvYsYcTr0aeMdlN5KNw8cd-nlB37Tw06LupfZ0Oxmd_CyK5j0HDLvqvqCMNQaxgtvCs/s1600/Ryan's%2BBean%2B1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm4tXEgOC38spYWmwoKbp6yNXRdOtPzTyHE6eeALdm_thtD7dzm3h7ZDSUeJVd0UNoXUZIdaznvYsYcTr0aeMdlN5KNw8cd-nlB37Tw06LupfZ0Oxmd_CyK5j0HDLvqvqCMNQaxgtvCs/s1600/Ryan's%2BBean%2B1441.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What does she think is so funny? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Fu7esOC6caaypyKcdvCwjuFD4GOouNK9RrHsRJjEjCSqByVvbgQOw31xiaKDJ8KcC9OCsRh7HOCHs6NV2T_DHYfGtUpdXZe4K7gMBZrM7tOH5Xc1WlG6uuxq7ltVrdhv1PyL28yagaw/s1600/Niagara+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Fu7esOC6caaypyKcdvCwjuFD4GOouNK9RrHsRJjEjCSqByVvbgQOw31xiaKDJ8KcC9OCsRh7HOCHs6NV2T_DHYfGtUpdXZe4K7gMBZrM7tOH5Xc1WlG6uuxq7ltVrdhv1PyL28yagaw/s1600/Niagara+064.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All gone!</td></tr>
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The very next day we (appropriately) had Copeland's first dentist appointment. He made it through the entire cleaning and exam and the dentist said everything looks great!<br />
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-752380870236372922014-09-09T22:05:00.001-06:002014-09-09T22:05:50.940-06:00The Real Deal<div style="text-align: justify;">
One year ago today my water broke in bed in the wee hours of the morning around 3:45 am. I just woke up giggling and told Ryan that this time I was pretty sure this was the real deal. Because it was so early and I wasn't experiencing labor pains, I told Ryan to go ahead and teach his spin class and we could gather our stuff together and call the doctor when the offices opened. I didn't see any need to go to the hospital immediately and all the books and moms I know said it was best to labor at home for the first few hours. So we got around to calling the doctor and went in and she confirmed I was indeed in labor and I needed to be admitted to the hospital. So we carted all our stuff over to the hospital building and I got hooked up and checked. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfK5hxODYnwQmYmx_dWY1OOU2wOkoz9M6BMeRoAGrelyboS0_3qEqBy30cMGmnEZ55zCKOPn4k2ec5ROsaMKZ01hC1iNvTUoU03hYh-xZW3jNPpFBnZ-A0oi14FT5IILMoeR6Hxam81s/s1600/Ryan's%2Bphone%2B515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfK5hxODYnwQmYmx_dWY1OOU2wOkoz9M6BMeRoAGrelyboS0_3qEqBy30cMGmnEZ55zCKOPn4k2ec5ROsaMKZ01hC1iNvTUoU03hYh-xZW3jNPpFBnZ-A0oi14FT5IILMoeR6Hxam81s/s1600/Ryan's%2Bphone%2B515.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">They were concerned I wasn't progressing quickly enough but I asked them to let me roam around for awhile before they tried to stick any pitocin in me because I really, really wanted a drug-free experience. Ryan and I walked all around the halls and the campus and I started to progress enough that my contractions started to make me have to stop and catch my breath. I will never forget walking around outside because it was overcast and beautiful (I thought) but we were forced back inside when it started raining...and it didn't stop raining for the next several days. Unfortunately the rains caused severe flooding in Colorado but I remember absolutely loving the peaceful, calm feeling the rain gave me as we welcomed our child into the world. Now whenever we get the rare rainy day I think back to that time.</span></div>
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I continued to labor until 3:26 the next morning when we finally got to meet our little love: Copeland. What a truly amazing, miraculous, magical moment that was.<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-73953087980410810302014-09-08T17:26:00.000-06:002014-09-08T17:26:46.065-06:00False Alarm<div style="text-align: justify;">
A year ago today, I thought I was in the beginning stages of labor. I woke up in the morning and told Ryan there was a possibility I was in labor and we should probably call the doctor. I wasn't due until September 29th but I just <i>knew</i> I was going to have my baby early. I believe my prediction had been that I would have Baby Copeland on September 19th or 20th. Anyway, because it was a Sunday and my ob/gyn didn't have office hours, I had to be admitted to the hospital. I was put into the gown and hooked up to all the monitoring devices and everything. Turns out I wasn't in labor. Now don't laugh about that! It happens! In fact, because I felt so sheepish about not knowing whether I was in labor or not I looked it up and it happens A LOT. I won't share the gory details with you because, let's be honest, a lot about childbirth is gory, but I was justified in thinking something strange was going on with my body. And considering I truly went into labor the very next day...I think my body was telling me something! Here are the pictures Ryan captured from the false alarm. </div>
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<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-90771614536023164352014-09-05T16:49:00.000-06:002014-09-05T16:49:21.860-06:00Georgetown to Idaho SpringsI didn't really bounce back into shape after having Copeland like I had hoped I would so I set a goal to run the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half marathon to force me to focus on exercising. I was actually doing great with running and cross training until I came down with bronchitis. "Ain't nobody got time for bronchitis!" I still had enough training miles under my belt to feel as though I could at least finish the race.<div>
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Anyway, we decided to make it a family affair and Ryan signed up too and pushed Copeland in his running stroller the whole way! Apparently Copeland slept for a large portion of the race and for the times he was awake he was loudly alerting other runners that he was directly behind them. So many people came up to Ryan after the race to either congratulate him or tell him how hilarious they thought it was that Copeland was yelling at them. He is a vocal little guy (yes - I am worried but he comes by it honestly).</div>
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The boys beat me by leaps and bounds BUT I FINISHED and I was proud of that. It was by far the ugliest, slowest, and most painful half marathon I have ever ran BUT I FINISHED. And it was really cool that our whole little family was able to do it together.</div>
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We spent the rest of the weekend up at the condo and enjoyed the beautiful weather and some relaxation. Goodness, do I love being up in Breckenridge. </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-34720886601113273512014-09-05T16:37:00.001-06:002014-09-05T16:37:43.416-06:00Date Night!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ryan and I very rarely do anything without Copeland but three weeks ago (Yikes! 3 weeks already!), my Mommy was in town for an entire week! So, in addition to being spoiled with Mommy's cooking for almost every meal, we were able to do some things alone as a couple.</div>
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On Saturday, we ran the Warrior Dash in Copper Mountain with a group from Ryan's work. I failed to get any pictures of that but we weren't nearly as muddy as the last time we did it because they didn't have barbed wire over the mud pit this time (Ryan still dove in while I gingerly stepped through) and they added a slide into a pool of (muddy) water as the last obstacle. I somehow fully submerged myself in the yuck when no one else seemed to but perhaps that was karma for waltzing through the mud pit. </div>
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Then, that night we went to a friend's "Prom of 1992" birthday party. What a riot! We were lame and didn't buy costumes but Ryan was able to concoct a pretty good one out of old stuff he still had in the closet. I couldn't take him seriously with that 90s hairdo he had going on. I just threw a jean jacket over a dress and decided that was as early 90s as I was going to get. The party was so much fun! There were seahorse decorations everywhere, prom party favors just like the real deal, and plenty of voluminous 90s style gowns. We got the cheesy picture under a balloon arch and everything. (Seriously, look at Ryan's hair! Hahahaha, I'm dying!)</div>
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Sunday was kind of a painful day because Copeland apparently took offense to us enjoying ourselves without him and decided that no one needed to sleep on Saturday night. We still made it to church, the farmer's market, dim sum, and the Asian market. Then...I did something I haven't done in approximately a year...took a NAP! It was so glorious! Ryan (like Copeland) doesn't nap so he did all kinds of work around the house while I was napping and Grandma was playing with Copeland. </div>
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Goodness, it was such a treat for all of us to have Grandma in town. We all miss her!<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-20524267202383646012014-08-19T16:28:00.001-06:002014-08-20T16:46:51.137-06:0011 monthsThis month Copeland:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>has SIX teeth! (exciting but also slightly scary for a still breastfeeding mother)</li>
<li>Can walk with a toy walker!</li>
<li>has pretty much grown out of all 9 month clothes.</li>
<li>crossed the finish line of his first half marathon. Daddy pushed him the whole way and they both still beat me.</li>
<li>Loves to play with his alphabet train.</li>
<li>Continues to be the loudest/most talkative kid I have ever known and continues to get reports from school about his "ahem" vocalizations.</li>
<li>Seems to know how to say a few words (dada, mama, and uh oh) and definitely seems to understand us, even though he still thinks "no" is just something to laugh at.</li>
<li>is fairly uninterested in drinking milk. He eats his solids like a champ and loves to chew on crackers. I think it might be pretty easy to wean him. (crossing my fingers)</li>
</ul>
<div>
We can't believe that Copeland is almost a year old!!! We were just recalling how this time last year we were at our baby shower and a few short weeks later we got to meet Copeland! We feel so blessed and love that little guy more than words could ever express. </div>
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<i>Updated to add that Copeland blows kisses, dances by moving his booty up and down, and waves good-bye. Sooooo cute.</i></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-68670654899733217122014-08-19T16:24:00.001-06:002014-08-19T16:24:52.996-06:0010 monthsThis month Copeland:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Has two teeth! </li>
<li>Crawls and pulls up to standing. You can hear him crawling from across the house because he slaps his hands down so hard.</li>
<li>Smacks everything. Floor (see above), cabinets, dogs, parents, etc. We are working on the concept of "gentle".</li>
<li>Licks EVERYTHING. Shoes, appliances, parents, dogs, socks, toys, etc. And I mean very enthusiastic, slobbery licks. Nothing like being surprise attacked with a juicy lick to the ankle.</li>
<li>Continues to talk loudly and excitedly. Much to Ryan's dismay, we don't believe he has a future in ninja-ing.</li>
<li>Eats pretty much everything we give him. Ryan purees all of his food from fresh produce and our home cooked meals.</li>
<li>Very interested in what we're doing. If we're looking at something, he wants to look at it. If we move from one room to another, he follows. </li>
<li>Thinks everything is funny. He loves the sound from smacking (see above), thinks being scared is super hilarious, thinks "no" is a riot, finds the water hose to be super entertaining, and so on and so forth.</li>
<li>His favorite toy is the dishwasher. The fireplace is probably a distant second, with shoes, dirty socks, and the bathroom scale rounding out the top 5. We like to make sure he plays with safe and age appropriate toys in our household.</li>
<li>18 lbs 3 oz. Still wears 9 month clothes but not for long! Some of his pants are starting to resemble capris.</li>
</ul>
<div>
We continue to have so much fun with him and are learning more about him everyday. He melts our hearts on an on-going basis and we love him more than words could ever express.<br />
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-26641600557131561572014-06-08T17:49:00.003-06:002014-06-08T17:49:49.327-06:009 months<div style="text-align: justify;">
Copeland turns 9 months old in two days and I know I won't post then so I'm going to go ahead and do it now. This month Copeland:</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">got his first tooth! I really can't tell if teething was a problem or not because he was sick so much before it popped through but I think a second one is coming in and he isn't really fussy.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">claps his hands all the time and is more coordinated about it than last month.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">can go from crawling to sitting to crawling seamlessly. He also can pull up to his knees.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">knows where to find all his toys and will actively crawl to them to pull them off the shelf/out of the basket.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">can use his thumbs to pinch things. He can now pluck his donuts (from his graduated donut stack) off one at a time instead of just dumping the entire stack over.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">went on his second airplane ride! We got to go to Kansas City and visit with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Such a special time and he was such a great traveller again!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">can drink from a straw (thanks Aunt Leslie!) and eat from chopsticks.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">eats solids four times a day and breastmilk 5-6 times.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">wears 9 month clothes and size 3 shoes.</li>
</ul>
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Also this month Copeland's diaper pail broke. I think we overstuffed it and kept trying to jam it closed. This wouldn't be newsworthy except for the fact that I spent at least 30 minutes researching "best diaper pails" and after watching about 20 minutes of diaper pail comparison videos Ryan informed me that we were at the extreme outer limits of coolness. Oh well. So a large part of my life revolves around diapers. I wouldn't change it for anything. We love Copeland more than words could ever express.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-88951042347855595332014-06-08T17:23:00.000-06:002014-06-08T17:23:39.604-06:008 months?!?!?!?!Since Copeland will turn 9 months old in two days I figured I better post about him turning 8 months old last month!<br />
<br />
It seemed like he changed SO much between 7 months and 8 months. He:<br />
<ul>
<li>said "Mama". Yay!!!</li>
<li>started clapping his hands.</li>
<li>started raising his arms to be picked up (melt my heart).</li>
<li>found his boy parts. This is especially helpful when changing his diapers. As if it wasn't already fun enough with his 8 flailing arms and 8 kicking legs.</li>
<li>ate all kinds of foods and liked everything except chicken and avocados. Both elicited immediate vomit.</li>
<li>scoots/marine crawls all across rooms. His favorite things to scoot toward are the bathroom scale so he can bang on it and make it click, door stops so he can make them go "booiiinggg" and rip them off the wall, and air vents so he can bang on them loudly. Why do we even have toys for him?</li>
<li>loves his new bath toys! We got him some that strain water and PauPau got him some that squirt. He has always loved bath time and now even more so! (His school told us he is the only one that loves splash time and all the pictures prove it with his big, cheesy grin).</li>
<li>discovered that he likes sucking on his tongue</li>
<li>had nasty sicknesses for almost the entire month. The first part of the month he had a respiratory virus and then he got hand, foot, and mouth disease. He's had a breathing treatment, inhaler, and lots of Tylenol/Motrin.</li>
<li>loves to make motor boat sounds ALL the time. It's hilarious to watch his little lips.</li>
<li>with some effort he can push himself back up to sitting from crawling</li>
<li>wears 9 month clothes and size 2 shoes</li>
</ul>
<div>
It was amazing watching all the changes this little guy went through in such a short time. We love him more than we could ever express!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRL1Mok9V-AkucK3AV6ALOb3Nl-U9izK2QTx5Jl68DKNtBUAVQNPL4TwHWOrq4W54tEgAG_ERAD5WwRvqfscu-wHzVKrLkMiPoGuF1YHwJQtu0pFgv-V0g3r9w7sUqdyoAanfgX0WrQSk/s1600/Beanie+8+and+9+months+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRL1Mok9V-AkucK3AV6ALOb3Nl-U9izK2QTx5Jl68DKNtBUAVQNPL4TwHWOrq4W54tEgAG_ERAD5WwRvqfscu-wHzVKrLkMiPoGuF1YHwJQtu0pFgv-V0g3r9w7sUqdyoAanfgX0WrQSk/s1600/Beanie+8+and+9+months+004.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sucking his tongue here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSclQthYMn7rXKGF9gJUXG0PjpSwDjzQqs1EK0Mp4Vm838tcWd8qbtb4im77MrhwZqTjPg2B62b3JKQ00BAd1cOaVg6MW1OFvTHpkCBRo0PQjEYUalWbsShQ6D6065mChVGFoy09JWLE/s1600/Beanie+8+and+9+months+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSclQthYMn7rXKGF9gJUXG0PjpSwDjzQqs1EK0Mp4Vm838tcWd8qbtb4im77MrhwZqTjPg2B62b3JKQ00BAd1cOaVg6MW1OFvTHpkCBRo0PQjEYUalWbsShQ6D6065mChVGFoy09JWLE/s1600/Beanie+8+and+9+months+018.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sick but still happy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sick and not happy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool dude</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW1dyusk9MEHR6mBWLp4oQaGxxQV4Cj89BJcGGIiO80M5-Z7C24_bN2mXpJoyuPUZArT2NNqpGBhb2saHPb9_XZy1R4VuMf0S8m9xQtc_Zd-Jgb14BDszllduQ5WJAqEX9AoCptXZDF4/s1600/Beanie+8+and+9+months+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW1dyusk9MEHR6mBWLp4oQaGxxQV4Cj89BJcGGIiO80M5-Z7C24_bN2mXpJoyuPUZArT2NNqpGBhb2saHPb9_XZy1R4VuMf0S8m9xQtc_Zd-Jgb14BDszllduQ5WJAqEX9AoCptXZDF4/s1600/Beanie+8+and+9+months+116.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unrelated but an example of Ryan's and my texts to one another</td></tr>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8283588632375027601.post-26143721142480267732014-05-12T20:37:00.000-06:002014-05-12T20:37:07.566-06:00Mother's Day Weekend<div style="text-align: justify;">
Despite the illness in our house we were able to enjoy a nice Mother's Day weekend. I was so lucky to get to see one of my oldest friends, Lindsay, on Friday. What a treat to be able to catch up with her - we have been friends for over 20 years! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmzTRNyuv-uCF8p4H1zDAQOUf3zQG_OJh-8iUnio9QEpnq0mGFWYedxyGBJNBLeW6U_nTul7wZJ_LDN4xjXDZf-UFE9Hwy3MhRpCYsv3z2kMfu4TTeJIHkKJMqzMqp7gnTw47_VJMcm8/s1600/8+months+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmzTRNyuv-uCF8p4H1zDAQOUf3zQG_OJh-8iUnio9QEpnq0mGFWYedxyGBJNBLeW6U_nTul7wZJ_LDN4xjXDZf-UFE9Hwy3MhRpCYsv3z2kMfu4TTeJIHkKJMqzMqp7gnTw47_VJMcm8/s1600/8+months+067.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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On Saturday, I had a bit of a "me time" and was able to go to a group exercise class at gym, take a nap (glorious), and eat meals Ryan had cooked for me. I only regretted the exercise class the next day when I couldn't move.</div>
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On actual Mother's Day, I woke up to snow (?!) and Ryan took me to Lamar's donuts. I had been wanting to taste Lamar's donuts so I could rank my favorite donut spots (I know - I think about really important stuff) and they are better than Krispy Kreme! I didn't believe it could be true...but I swear! They melt in your mouth. So since you are all waiting with bated breath, here is my ranking: 1) Lamar's, 2) Krispy Kreme, 3) Winchell's, 4) Dunkin Donuts.</div>
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I also got spoiled with a beautiful necklace with Copeland's name, birth date, and birth stone, and a lobster dinner. The only thing that could have made the day better is if I wouldn't have broken my toe by walking right into the wine rack. It takes skill to be as uncoordinated as I am. So much for starting to train for a race.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11361830861787434714noreply@blogger.com3