I know it's not a competition but....

It is a well known fact, at least to me, that my wife is far more talented, motivated and intelligent than me.

I used to think that I was actually smart, but now I realize I am an idiot savant. Ask me where almost any NBA or NFL player went to college and there's a good chance that I know the answer. However, ask me almost any question about political science, to which I have a Bachelor's degree from Westernn Michigan University, and I will look at you in a way that redefines "befuddled."

More to come.

Mahalo

Boon Squirt

Wraylee's blog about sporks has inspired me to write a blog about this nifty little gadget by a company called Boon. They have several feeding items for babies. The one that I particularly enjoy is called the Squirt. Now, just to let you know, I am a lover of gadgets so it's not surprising that I had to have this one.

I originally found this item at www.onestepahead.com, but hesitated to purchase because I didn't want to pay shipping and I wasn't completely sure that it would work. Yesterday, while Cooper and I were at Babies R' Us I found the item in their store, for less than it was online! Sweet! I bought it, of course.

I still wasn't positive that it would work. I got it home and couldn't wait for it to be feeding time for Cooper. When that time finally rolled around, I tried it out. Yes! It works! It's awesome! You pour the baby food in the container end of the spoon, screw on the spoon part and squeeze a little at a time to make the food come out. I even made sure to try something that was a little on the thick side to make sure that it would still come out, and it did. I was still skeptical as I was feeding Cooper. I was just sure that there would be a ton of food left inside that I couldn't get out and would end up wasting. This was not the case.

How sweet it is when you find something that is really cool like this. Here are some pictures so you have an idea of what I'm talking about.

Love,

~Amy

Mentor

Well, for a couple of weeks now work has been a little lackluster. I haven't really known what to do. I have been contemplating a new type of work. I don't think that is what God has in plan for me though. I could still be wrong, but here's what's been happening.

He always has something in store for me that I just don't expect.

First, I'll give you a little bit of a background just in case you don't know what it is that I do. At the end of December 2007 I switched careers and left the hospitality industry. I became an Administrative Assistant in the IT department at Expedia, INC. here at their headquarters in Bellevue.

In March of this year Expedia's technology department made quite a few changes to their structure. They merged the back end tech with the front end tech to make one large tech department. Before this merge there were three Executive Admins(EA's) and six Administrative Assistants(AA's). As I said earlier I was one of the six AA's. In March after the merge there were still three EA's, but I was the only AA left. How did I survive the merge? God is the only explanation that I have. There should be no reason why I survived. Not only did I survive, but they created a position specially tailored for me. I am the Invoicing Coordinator/Finance Liason for the technology department. I'm still shocked to this day.

So, why, if they created a position just for me, am I so bored? That's easy - I don't have enough to do. I have been trying to get myself involved in as many projects as possible without making anyone aware that I'm bored, but it's getting harder and harder.

Yesterday though, a co-worker in the finance department scheduled a meeting with me. Turns out he wants to be my mentor to get me to be a Financial Analyst 2 at Expedia. He told me that our CIO(unbeknownst to me) had asked his boss awhile back to mentor me. She was unable to do so as she is extremely busy. Chris(my new mentor) told her she should do it as he believed I was 80 times smarter than him. His words, not mine. She still couldn't do it, so he pestered her to let him do it.

Turns out he's mentored several people in the past. He also has several connections within Expedia higher up in the chain of command. Not a bad position for me to be in. Now all I need to do is give it my best effort and hope that I have the mental capacity to understand finance. The position I'm in is perfect. I have plenty of time to devote to my newly found studies. Hopefully he really has the time to mentor me properly.

Pray for me. I really need a change, but I love working at Expedia. I think this is exactly what I've been needing.

~Love, Amy

Bink, Binky, Monie, MoMo, Pacifier, etc.

So, I think you are all mostly aware that Cooper has never really grasped the idea of using a Pacifier. I've tried several times to get him hooked because I don't want him sucking his thumb(which he has been doing more of). At first I didn't want to give him one because I didn't want to go through the hassle of taking it away when he gets older. Now that he's been sucking his thumb I've changed my tune. I can take away a bink, but I can't take away his thumb, right.

So several nights ago, Cooper woke up at 2:30am. This isn't typical. When he does wake up though it's almost impossible for me to get him back to sleep without giving him a bottle. This particular night I decided to try the pacifier instead. Holy cow! He took it. It quited him down instantly! I rocked him for about 5 minutes and put him back down. He was back asleep and didn't need a bottle! Hooray! Later that morning when he woke up to get ready for daycare I gave him the pacifier again. He kept it in his mouth the whole way to daycare! Shazia(the lady that takes care of him) took it away from him after the first bottle she fed him though.

Since it worked that night, I've been trying it when I've been putting him down for naps and bedtime. This thing is AMAZING! He usually fights me pretty good when he goes down for a nap. He's completely exhausted, but he just doesn't want to go down. With the pacifier I haven't been having anywhere near the amount of struggle that I had been having previously.

I think he's finally taking to it. Who'd have thunk it? Not me for sure. I thought it was a lost cause. He's not particular about which kind either. We have several different types and he uses them all, for now. We'll see if he develops a special liking towards a certain type later on. Anway, this is my small miracle for the moment.

I have a feeling we're gonna need to use that thing a lot more coming up because when I dropped Cooper off this morning he started fussing when I was leaving. I don't think he's supposed to be having that reaction at this age, but he did. He wasn't wailing or anything, but luckily Shazia's husband had the sense to take him straight to her instead of making the situation worse by letting me hold him for a bit longer. Normally he gets a huge smile on his face when he sees any member of the Khan family, but not this morning. *sigh* I hope this was just a one off thing today. I don't know how I'm going to handle it when he really does wail as I'm leaving him for the day. I guess I just need to take it one day at a time for now.

~Love...

Isn't technology wonderful?

Flashback to 2004.... I had just gotten promoted to Concessions Manager at Qwest Field for Aramark. All of a sudden my grasp had exceeded my reach and I was in over my head a little. One day my boss asked me why he couldn't reach me when he tried to call me after work one day. To which I replied, "because I wasn't home." He was almost speechless and he demanded I get a phone the next day, which the company would pay for. Score one for procrastination!!!

Soon after I had it, I realized I was a fool for not having one sooner. I don't know how I operated without one before that day.

Fast forward to 2 days ago. Our cell phone contract was expiring and I was in need of a new phone since mine was pretty tattered. Initially I just wanted anything that's free. But with my powerful skills of procrastination and lack of decision making, Amy suggested the new I-Phone 3G. It cost $100 and it does 1,000X more than my first computer, a Commodore 64 (yes that's right 64 whopping K of memory). Right now I'm totally lost when trying to use most of it's functions, but I'm sure I'll be wondering how I lived without soon enough.

One thing is for sure, I don't know how I lived without Amy before we found each other.

Mahalo.

"Here Comes the Rain Again...

Falling on my head like a memory. Falling on my head like a new emotion."

This morning as I was driving to work I felt a new feeling, well at least one I haven't felt in awhile. Contentment. God is working in my life. I feel like he is trying to teach me to be content with my situation and surroundings.

I was driving East on NE 8th Street in Bellevue. On my way to work after dropping Cooper off at daycare. It was a beautiful sight. I wish I could've taken a picture. Both sides of the street are lined with a plethora of trees. There is also a center lane with quite a few trees. It was raining and I could see fog covering the tops of the high rises in downtown Bellevue(where I work). It's the kind of day where it would be wonderful to just curl up with a blanket and a book listening to the pitter patter of raindrops on the windows. It was so calming, even though there were many cars around me, quite a few stop lights, and many people hustling down the sidewalks with their umbrellas out trying to avoid the rain. I suddenly felt content. I was instantly reminded that I am lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I'm forever trying to see new places and change my surroundings or situation in life, but this morning I realized that sometimes it's okay to stay still and let things become calm and normal. Thank you Lord for showing me in such a wonderful way.

Today, my heart is happy. I have a wonderful extended family and great friends. I have an amazing husband and an adorable son. I have a job, a home, food, warmth, etc. I have it good. Hopefully the next time I'm feeling like I need something new or need a change I will come back to this post and remember what it is to be content.

Love you all!

32 Days...

Until the reunion. I need a vacation now. Why does 32 days seem so far away?

For whatever reason I woke up overly emotional this morning. I absolutely did not want to take Cooper to daycare. I almost burst into tears several times on my way to work after dropping him off. I just wanted to stay and play with my adorable baby all day. I wanted to hold him and cuddle him. He was in that kind of mood, which is rare these days as he is learning to be more independent.

When I finally got to work, it didn't get any better. One of our new VP's is making life tough. For a good reason, but nevertheless he has disrupted the nice efficient routine that I have laid out and now I have to jump through hurdles to adjust my work to suit him. *sigh* I don't normally mind change, I normally welcome it. Why am I having such a difficult time of adapting to this man? I know things will calm down once he is more adjusted to his new role, but in the meantime it's frustrating.

Oh well, I guess I just need an attitude adjustment this morning. Nothing extremely terrible has happened. I just need to get over it and maybe try starting my day over.

My wonderful husband has suggested I take a quick walk to Jamba Juice and get one of my favorite drinks. I think I'll take him up on that suggestion and start fresh when I get back to the office. Hopefully a Razzmatazz will cheer me up. Or maybe I'll go crazy and get the new Blackberry Bliss. Either way, I don't think I can go wrong. In the meantime, I've figured out that my fakeation is in Diamond Head, HI. Wish I really were there.

Have a fabulous day, dahling!

Back in the Saddle Again

As I believe I mentioned before, my posts to this blog will be about as predictable as earthquakes. Just when you least expect it, here I go again.

The sad thing is, I don't really feel like I have a lot to say. I have a tendency to "clam up" when my brain starts working overtime about things going on in my life, unlike most people I know, that are "talkers." When I want to get something off my chest, I am not like that. Most times I internalize things, figuring that is what "real men" are supposed to do with their feelings. Or sometimes, I simply retreat into some other form of non-communication, like watching t.v., typing out a blog, playing in the garage or playing on the computer.... Sound familiar ladies???

I had no idea where this was going when I started typing, but it seems to me that this is a turning into an explanation of why men sometimes seem like they are experiencing PMS. Nature made us very similar, we both seem to stress out over reasons unknown to us. My "Dr. Phil" advice is to get yourself and the kids out of harm's way and lay low until things pass over.

And that goes for both genders.

Mahalo,

Spinning...

is so much fun! Thank you Molly for getting me going. I feel so much better about myself now that I'm finally doing something to change.

To those of you who are contemplating taking a spinning class, I recommend purchasing a seat pad for extra cushioning. You could also purchase padded shorts. Lukily I had those from a previous attempt at cycling.

Have a great day!

Mariners and a new high chair

Click here to view these pictures larger

Update

Well, I went to the doctor yesterday after my ultra sound. Turns out I do have gall stones. The good news is that they weren't blocking anything at the time of the test and the lining wasn't enflamed either.

The bad news about that is this means I'm having a double whammy effect every time I eat fatty foods or acidic foods or spicy foods. See, I have severe acid reflux as well as gall stones. When I eat these foods the sphincter at the base of the esophagus stays open allowing the acid to go up into the esophagus. Also, the gall bladder constricts when I eat these foods allowing less room for the gall stones and more chance for blockage.

Basically, I need to adjust my eating habits. This should solve both problems. I need to eat a diet that is very bland and low in fats. I hate bland food. I love spicy! I'm going to have to do some research and see what will work and what won't work.

At least I have an answer, now the rest is up to me. Pray that I can have the will power to change. Although, I never want to feel the way I felt again, so that's pretty good incentive to make the change.

Love you all!

~Amy

The miracle of babies

Last night I came home from work/doctor/errands and was very tired and emotional. It had been a very trying day for me. When I walked in the door of my house I found Craig on the living room floor playing with Cooper. Yay, I was home. Before I could put anything down Cooper turned to me and smiled. Then he opened his arms wide and started to make the "come" motion with his hands meaning "I want you(that)", depending on the item he is looking at, in this case, me! My heart melted. I hurried to dispose of all of my belongings(purse, shoes, laptop, etc.) and hold my son. He had been perfectly content playing with Craig, but as soon as he saw me he wanted me. I felt so much better about things instantly. Isn't it amazing how a little child can take all our worries away and also give us all kinds of new worries at the same time? I love you Cooper!