2011 Gold Family Photos

Happy Halloween!

Taking a Breather

As I take a minute to sit and relax, I remind myself that even if I was picking up the house instead, it would still need to be picked up again tomorrow. :) Yes, we've learned that life with 2 children is a bit more hectic than 1. I'm incredibly grateful that Steven has taken so much time off and we're easing into our routine with lots of tag teaming the kids while we're both home. Zach is growing like a weed; he topped the scales at 11 lb 13 oz. today at the doctor's office and they were very pleased with his growth. He's got a nasty case of baby acne, a stable dose of cradle cap and we're now treating his budding case of oral thrush. Abi is as busy as an anthill. In the past 2 weeks, she's discovered she can open the front door and turn on the bathtub (and the shower).


It hardly seems I've been off work on maternity leave as we've stayed very busy and are enjoying every day. Mom was hear for just shy of two weeks. During that time we attended Women of Faith along with Steven's mom Annie and my friends Jenny, Nichole and Karen. An amazing conference for those who've never attended!! We visited the zoo, went on walks, tackled some of my flowerbed "remodel" and all kinds of stuff.  The entire household was hit with a nasty cold though Steven seems to have faired the best.  Abi got a haircut as well and wow does she look older! Here's a pic of each of the kids: Zach @ 6 wks and Abi in her Halloween pumpkin outfit as today was costume day at dayschool.

Four Weeks Old

Happy 2nd Birthday Abigail! Happy 1 Week Old Zach!

 

 

Zach Sak!

He arrived! The newest addition to our family arrived on Wednesday at 4:58pm. Zacharias Tyler weighed in at 9 lb (+1/2oz.) and was 21" long. We had a wonderful and fairly smooth delivery after being induced that morning. Zach has proved to be an extremely mellow child though we'll see what personality emerges as he becomes more alert. Abi is absolutely smitted with her little brother. She will tell you he's Abi's Zach and if the house is quiet, it's usually because she's over loving on him (sharing her kitty, giving him kisses, etc.).

 

Ready, Set, Go!

We are so ready for this baby now it's not funny! Steven has most all of his shifts off this month (with only one day of vacation requested), the nursery is set-up for the baby and clothes are washed and this week the freezer was stocked with meatballs, alfredo chicken hot dish, squash patties, red wine sauce (probably going on the meatballs), tons of bacon and sausage and even some pork ragu. Thanks to Mom for getting off her flight and working, cooking and cleaning for 4 days before heading back to Minnesota. :) Abi seems to be adamantly opposed to a baby sister yet so we just don't ask her what her opinion is... Would rather she forget that we asked her as if it was an option should we have little girl join our family some time in the next two weeks! I'm still working since every day off now is one day less after the baby is born and one day less of pay at that point as well!

36 Wks

Doesn't look too much different but doesn't feel remotely the same!

Pregnant with Abi

Pregnant with BSII

Little stinker

Steve and I have implemented "Love and Logic" parenting in our house which has been both a relief for us as it gives us a tool and consistent pattern to discipline with but also thus far, fairly effective results. While several days may go by without any punishments, others do not go so smoothly and so Abi has learned that "Uh oh, what a bummer" is a clear indicator she's headed for a timeout or other punishment. A fun part of this discipline strategy though is providing lots of options which has been quite engaging and helps direct Abi wonderfully while she believes she in total control.

In the bathtub last night, she was advised that it was time to get out and she needed to help pick up her tub toys. This seemed to fall on deaf ears so I explained to her that if she chose not to help pick up toys, she would not get to read three books like she prefers (two apparently isn't enough).  Steve and I had a little chat about whether that would be effective as L&L indicates that removing rewards or treats isn't very effective or comprehended until about age 3.

As I gave the "Uh oh bummer" indicator about not getting three books and why again to what I thought were deaf ears, Abi started to pick up the toys while singing the "Clean Up" song and then said, "Two books?" ...

Water baby

With the warm weather and a fun "new" (saved from last year) pool to play in, our water baby has returned! With promises of 80 degrees all week, the pool shall stay filled! (And likely killing the grass below it; oh well).

 

Abi is getting quite brave in the pool. She attempts to float on her tummy holding herself up with her hands, puts her legs up on the edge of the pool and holds herself up with her hands and today even was jumping off the benches sans Mommy's assistance!

 

The pool is next to the north flower bed in the back yard and a mere 4-5 feet from our large Lucifer plant.  There's a hummingbird family living in the yard and they do not hesitate to sit on the plant and watch Abi play, chirp at us while they guard "their" nectar and on occasional take the dive bomb / near miss towards us as they play and defend their blossoms from each other.

Summer Updates

I'm not sure that I should write "summer" as we've had a very very cool and mild June and July! At this rate, I'm not so sure the tomato blossoms will even set on and bear fruit! But, at a very plump 32 wks pregnant, I'm also not complaining. We've enjoyed the mild weather with many evening walks down the county trail to see the horses that are pastured nearby. Abi is mildly obsessed with horses since we took her to the rodeo on July 4th. She tells us frequently, "Abi ride horse". She moved into her big girl room this past week. It's decorated pink and pistachio with a pig/shabby chic farm theme. She's playing non-stop with "babies" lately. Whether it's her stuffed puppies, her two glow bugs or a really odd looking baby doll she's named Darcy, she very often has a "baby" in arms or is rocking it in the baby cradle in her room or sporting it around the house in one of my small storage baskets. She has a few babies, but she's taken a liking to the odd looking one. And kitchen towels are a commodity; they're apparently the perfect size for her baby's blankets. There is a new baby at her school who we're told she helps with very well and on occasion she'll greet my tummy with a "Hi Baby" and pretend to share her snacks with it. We're also hoping we've made it past the worst of the hitting phase she was in. With the aid of her teachers at school, Abi now knows to tell people "No. Stop" when they're in her personal space rather then decking them. She's quite independent and does NOT like other children in her space or when she is told no. Our household has really benefited from Love & Logic: Early Childhood years and Abi knows she's timeout bound when she hears, "Uh-oh. What a bummer."
Work for Steven seems to be going smoothly. CCFD1 and Boring Fire District have merged their volunteer programs and this has now included their Explorer programs. Steve was notified this past week that he's been appointed Advisor for the joint program. It wasn't a shock by any means though I'm praying the merge goes smoothly for everybody. Steve and colleagues have built a rather robust program at CCFD1 which even allows students who enter one of the local college fire programs to receive credits. I'll be praying that God's hand guides everybody as they take a smaller district's program and merge it with the expectations of our district's program expectations, outcomes and training level that Steve and colleagues have worked so hard to achieve.
Work for me is mellow as final touches are put on polishing off the Return to Work program. Final drafts are being made with the procedure manual and I'm more at ease knowing that if my maternity leave had to start tomorrow, the program wouldn't flop on its face. It's continued to be very successful for my clients and the pool so the next big task will be to pull the data into reports that illustrate that. Rumors are flying that due to streamlining and client caseloads, I'll be able to cut to 24 hrs/wk when I return from maternity leave so I'm thrilled at that prospect!

Spoiling a Child

I found this poem online today. It made me teary remembering riding in the cab of Grandp's tractor, washing windows (and thinking it was such a treat!) with Grandma and playing Barbies for endless hours with Gramma.   Enjoy!

Please Spoil Me

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Please feel free to spoil me. Spoil me rotten. But remember that my perspective as a small child is different than yours.  I do not remember what you bought me last week and whether it was a toy, clothes, candy or a book. My memory does not recall if it cost $100 or if you made me a drawing with my own crayons. I play with the same gusto in hand me down jeans and a t-shirt as I do in a brand new party outfit that I have nowhere to wear. Please feel free to spoil me. I cannot be spoiled rotten with too much love. Spend time walking with me, watching the bugs with me, reading with me and coloring with me. Sing my favorite songs with me and share my favorite foods with me. Let the sand trickle into your shoes as we dig holes in the sandbox. Play with me at my height so that I might throw my arms around you and shower you with loves. Make silly faces and noises with me that make me bubble up with laughter. Help me to learn that life’s riches are not in possessions but in the joy and laughter we share. Fill my heart with love and my mind with memories so that when you are no longer here, I can tell my children about the grandparent who spoiled me.
Love,
Your Spoiled Grandchild

Happy 40th!

While both Steven and I's parents celebrated their wedding anniversaries on June 11th, Steve and Annie's celebration for their 40th was this past week and was a surprise for Annie. Here are a few photo highlights of the event.

Flowers done by Lyn Syring (our wedding planner)

Wedding cake (replica of 40 years ago)

Steven toasting to his parents 40 years together.

The Stokes/Sakaguchi family

Progress

Tom., onions, pepper, beans, peas, pumpkin, squash, cuc.

While we've stayed very busy these past few weeks, it's good busy. Steven has tackled a few yard projects that have been a couple years in the making and it's all coming together nicely. He tackled the massive task of cleaning the front landscaped area of old chips/soil that had accumulated and was ready to be hauled to the back of the lot so that we could put fresh chips down over weed cloth. Last fall I had finished putting in the last few ornamental shrubs and trees which have included a weeping fountain tree, cherry tree, a couple of evergreen shrubs, Japanese maples and of course a small lily for color. Somehow Abi manages to massively re-arrange the decorate pond rocks which is wonderful as she seems to have an artistic eye and they look great.  We got the raised veg gardens put in while Dad visited back in early spring and Steven got the boxes filled with soil and the surrounding paths covered with cedar chips so we don't have to mow around it. As well, the north flower bed has finally seemed to look like it's been getting attention for the last five years! The white, lavender, purple and yellow iris' are just past their blooming prime. In the mean time, the delphiniums, peonies, rose bushes, clematis and day lilies, and a handful of other lilies are laden with blossoms that I can hardly wait to see burst with colors. Mom brought out a few of her perennials for me to add this spring which included a painted daisy, shasta daisy and another that I fail to name at the moment, but added with the few annuals for color, I'm just thrilled to see the bed blessing us with cheer and color as we enjoy being outside as a family most nights.

Cherish the Day

After returning from Minnesota, our world took off again. Because I will be training a colleague to pick up some of my caseload while on maternity leave and have to prep the remaining files to be completed before I leave, I am now back to working full time. Abi now goes to Bright Minds Mon-Fri except when Steven has two days off in a row and opts to keep her home with him. And since it's summer and all the families take vacation, it's also "mandatory" season at the fire district. Steven got mandatoried while we were in Minnesota and it looks like he will be again tomorrow but thankfully for just a partial shift so we'll have him home in the evening. When we have a day together, we try to squeeze some fun family time in if possible.  Saturday morning we all rolled out bright and early. Steven got up and was ready to come off a trade shift at 7:30am and Abi and I headed into help price items at the Young Adult Ministry Rummage Sale. It's so wonderful to belong to a church with wonderful people! We arrived and Abi took off to greet all the people she loves; apart from checking in, she followed everybody around all morning. By late morning, we had packed up our car and headed south to Silver Falls State Park and took off to hike the South Falls and Maple Ridge trails. It was a glorious high 70's by the time we were done and enjoyed our picnic and Abi played on the playground before we headed home.

Another Minnesota Visit

 Just under two weeks ago, Abi and I hopped on a plane and headed to Minnesota. We were able to help celebrate Chandler's graduation and Abi got lots of playtime in with her cousins Michaela and Danielle. It was quite possibly the most exhausting trip home being 6 months pregnant, having an active tot and no Steven. Our 8 day trip was the longest that we've been apart since our engagement! It sure made me grateful for what a wonderful involved father he is and what a friend and companion he is to me.

Michaela (4), Abi (1 1/2), Danielle (2 1/2)

While in Minnesota, Abi and I enjoyed visits with all of my grandparents, most of the aunts and uncles, tons of cousins and friends from both high school and grad school. Abi loved walking through the mud puddles with Michaela and Danielle and David's bunny that he brought for her to pet. Dad and I were able to head out fishing for a short afternoon and each caught a nice walleye and then Mom and Abi met us for a campfire dinner. Abi had her first campfire, marshmallow and chance to sit in a boat actually on the water. Traveling alone also made me realize how much I take for granted that we just arrive "home" and there are car seats, toys, tot beds, cups, etc. and everything for us to use. Have clothes will travel could be our slogan for Minnesota! :)

Loving on Daddy

Tuckered out

I'm not sure if Abi is taking her que from her parents this week or not. Our friend Alicia has been watching Abi on those sporadic Mon/Wed that we don't have daycare quite yet and Steve is on duty and although today is a Friday, I spoke at a conference so Abi and Alicia had a playday.  Late this morning, Abi asked Alicia for her binky and went and climbed into bed. out And this evening after an early bath, some cuddling over an Elmo show and some warm milk, Abi asked for her binky and climbed into bed. Although it was still quite light out and well before her bed time...out.  It's been clear she's hit a growing spurt as many of her shirts to too short and she eats very very well. But I can confidently say: everybody in our household is tired! Steven has had an exhausting week of overtime and trades which has resulted in 24 off / 48 on / 24 off (w/a meeting and drill in there) / 48 on / 24 off / 24 on between this past Monday and this coming Monday. I had a rare week chalk full of meetings and a conference presentation. And as we look over the past month of weekends, they've all been full of visits and trips... needless to saw next weekend will be spent with just the three of us quite possibly doing nothing at all but simply being together! :) It sure makes you appreciate the time you have to snuggle, cuddle, watch the smiles on each others faces and laugh together.

Visits and Eggs

We'll start in chronological order...

 Grandma was able to come for a visit mid-April. We enjoyed birthday pedicures, playing in the flowerbeds (as always) and making new pillow cases for Abi's "big girl bed" now that she has a pillow. Although we searched all over for Nemo material, Abi seemed content to settle with Dorah, clown fish and Curious George pillowcases. As well, we made a mad dash trip down to Eugene for Annie and Steve's Grand Re-opening of the Gateway restaurant.

We had our 19 wk ultrasound last Friday. While this is typically when a couple can find out the gender of their child, we stuck with the decision not to. The baby is growing strong and healthy. It had the hiccups during the visit and had turned 90 degrees just while the tech was trying to capture photos of what she needed. The baby is quite active already and has even woken me up in the mornings before Abi! This past weekend, we got to enjoy our church's first community Easter egg hunt. In addition to some crazy gorgeous 70 degree weather, there was an amazing turn out of over 700 people!!! Papa, Granny and Auntie Stephie were able to come visit for the festivities and it was a wonderful day. Abi and I spent Easter with other fire family friends while Steven was on duty.

Growing!

It seems we're all growing! Steven's passion for the Explorer program is back and it's fun to see him enthused about working with the high schoolers ago. He seems to enjoy getting out and drilling and being active and you can tell the kids push him as well. Last Thursday was another 10:30pm night as they all swung into McD's for a post-drill snack. And my dear hubby even brought home this pregnant woman a sundae! What a gem!

Abi is growing too! Yesterday we took the side off of her crib and put the toddler bed rails up. She immediately figured out this meant she could crawl in and out of her own bed. Wow did she think that was cool! And at bed time, it took 2 trips returned to bed, 2 boughts of Mom or Dad sitting in her room and then finally we just shut the door and she went and crawled back into bed and slept! Night 2 was even easier. One single return trip to bed, 2 more lullaby songs and she was out for the night. Way to go Abi! I'm sure we're in for a few more nap and early morning struggles, but that of course is expected.

And of course my belly is growing. I've decided I'd like to start a side business of funny maternity t-shirts. Here are a few of the sayings I'd have printed up:
- There are things more interesting you could ask me about than "how I'm feeling".
- You touch mine and I will assume you'll let me touch your belly too!
- All I got for Christmas was knocked up.
Of course I mean all of these in jest, but I am fascinated by the silly questions people ask and things they do when a person is pregnant! :)

Spring Break!

Since our friends daughter was on spring break, we had agreed to enjoy a long weekend on the Oregon coast together. It was a blast! Their youngest daughter and Abi are only 5 months apart in age and starting to play well together. We had a couple of days of decent weather. One of them we thought we'd get a hike in, but because of the elevation climb, we ended up trekking 2.5 miles in a drizzle and in nearly 6" of mud in some places. That was an adventure! Jenny and I got quite the workouts pushing the littles in the strollers. Thanks heavens we both had heavy duty strollers too.

The Nichols (LtoR): Jenny, Addison, Katy & Shane

Recovery

We all got to experience a really sick child this past weekend and I can confidently speak for everybody when I say we're glad it's passed! In addition to getting all four of her eye teeth over the past 1-2 weeks, Abi ended up with quite the virus this weekend. At first it appeared to be an ear infection so we had a trip to urgent care and we then learned the hard way (while at a friend's birthday party, thank heavens for a good babysitter!) that Abi does not tolerate ibuprofen well. Day 2 1/2 (Sunday) welcomed us with a high fever of 104.6, tears and crying every time she was moved and four chances to watch the Disney classic "Finding Nemo" before she was finally able to rest well that evening. Sunday evening also brought about James 5:14-16 which reminds us that those who are happy should praise God, those who are sad should pray to Him and those who are sick should ask Him to heal them.... and He will. And He did! God's powerful promises have been incredibly real to our family lately as God provides answers, healing and His guidance through life's ups and downs.

Abi had a great day home with Dad today though he got the brunt end of weening a child who'd been very sick for 48+hrs off of her beloved binky and "Ehmo" (Nemo; not to be confused with Elmo which she knows the difference between). Anything said in our household can and will be repeated or mimicked so watch your mouth. Some of the fun words lately: "ugh-no" = oatmeal, "bee-bee" = baby (not always in Mommy's tummy but usually somewhere in Mommy or in Abi's tummy) and of course "ta-toe" (taco) is a favorite. Abi continues to love on Buster nonstop as seen in Steve's snapshot from today while Abi and B watched Curious George. You can also gauge in this picture how tall she's gotten in the last month. It's well noted that nothing is safe on tables or in drawers anymore as it can all be reached and if not, she moves the kitchen stool around so it is all in reach!


And for those of you who may have not heard, we are expecting Baby Sak II this September around the 16th. We are all very excited! I've hit the 2nd trimester and am feeling much more energetic and much less nauseous than earlier. Abi brings up the "bee-bee" almost daily. She's not always sure where the bee-bee is, as late last week when we asked her she told us it was outside. 

Updates ala photos

At swimming class with Daddy (Mommy swims on B Shifts)

 

 

Rare down moment snuggling with Grandpa during his visit.

Reading to her best friend Buster.

Abi's Best Friend

Abi loves our 105 lb chocolate lab Buster to no end. She's been mean to him this past week (teething pain can cause bad behavior) so has gotten a couple of time outs, given herself a time out (wish I caught that on camera!) and even lost her priviledge of playing with him for an entire day as well.  But, you know she loves him immensely as she often will pull a book of the shelf and then go sit between his legs and read to him.  And of course, the old saying is a friend in need is a friend indeed... .Abi (intentionally) shut herself in the bathroom and then stood at the door yelling, "Doggy! Doggy help! Doggy!"

Is it spring yet?!

The first weekend of February, we headed to Lincoln City on the Oregon coast with our friend Robb and his two girls. We had a wonderful time. There's is a family at our church who rent out their beach house for a very reasonable rate and it sleeps large groups easily. In fact, this trip we had four adults and five kids all under the age of 7! Lots of play room for all. We hit the Aquarium the day it drizzled and then our last day there, the sun actually started to peak through as we made the short three block trek to the beach.Abi enjoyed the sand and was curious about the water but kept her distance.   

On the home front, all is well. Steven is back to 24 hr shifts again and still at Station 7. Work is moving along for me as I get the last pieces of a full Return to Work program in place. Abi is onto her new "school" at Bright Minds. She seems to enjoy it; we were ecstatic they had an opening just as our old daycare closed as we know several families there who RAVE about it.  Life will be a bit less hectic when she can attend there any day of the week in June but for now it's only Tues/Thur so we have friends who cover the occasional Mon/Wed we need childcare.
As I write this, its is a chilly 40 degrees outside but I can't complain as I've heard of the blustery weather family is getting at home in MN. Abi and I fed the birds again today and put the slug bait in the flower beds.  The crocus, amethyst and daffodils are all up and starting to bloom! The slugs have successfully eaten off a couple lily sprouts and are giving the calla lilies their best shot. I'm so excited to see dead slug trails in the morning!

Busy little lady!

 It's not exactly balmy out, but it's not raining and we can't complain about that! Yesterday Abi and I started cleaning out the front flower bed and make more progress today. While Steven washed the car this afternoon, Abi drew. Once we came in and warmed up, I captured Abi's latest animals sounds...Caroline, you are going to love her slow drawl of a chicken!! Anytime we tell Abi we're having chicken for a meal, this is what we hear.