Two month Rhiannon

Rhiannon is now two months old! Crazy how time flies! I think we have her figured out! She is 11 lbs 14oz and 22 1/2 inches long. She loves to be held all the time which makes work and life not so easy when Nathan is out of town. I have this cool baby carrier that I can tie around myself and she fits in as snug as a bug. Whenever I put her in it, she stops crying and falls asleep. I can get a lot of stuff done when she's in it! She still likes to be swaddled even on the hottest days. Rhiannon is still eating well which has been great because we haven't had to buy any formula! We have started giving her an occasional bottle of it just because. It's refreshing to be able to breastfeed her and not have to take bottles and formula everywhere! She is starting to smile and "talk" a lot.
And speaking of talking, we have discovered that Remington talks in his sleep! Most of the time it is babble about what he's done the day before or about people. "Grandpa's tractor," or "where did fi go?" are some of the more popular phrases. It's pretty funny.

We spent a week at the farm and Remington LOVED it. He got to go in the tractor with Grandpa everyday. He also rode in the combine with uncle Brian, played with the kitties at aunt Terry's, got up on a firetruck when the field caught on fire after a lightning strike, rode on the Rhino with grandma and swam in Wes and Ginny's pool. It was a great time and relaxing for me while Nathan was gone hunting.



playing with the kitties at Aunt Terry's

Big girl sitting on the couch by herself

Driving the tractor with Grandpa!

Snoozing in camo so no one sees her!

Rhiannon Bloomer Toland

Rhiannon Bloomer Toland was born Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 20:59. She weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 inches long. I chose to be induced on Sunday because it was our 6th wedding anniversary. Thirty-four and a half years ago, I was born on my parents' 6th anniversary.

I also chose not to get an epidural...call me crazy! I wanted to know what labor felt like and to see how much pain I could endure. I also know that with epidurals, the recovery time takes longer and it inhibits breastfeeding in the baby. After strong contractions and pushing her out, the hard part is done...or so we thought. The placenta was still attached so I had to have surgery to remove it. I was wheeled into the operating room and put under for this procedure after the doctor tried to do it manually! Graphic, yes! Painful, YES!!! I was losing a lot of blood and there was possibility of having to have transfusions but my doctor operated quickly and I didn't need blood.

Rhiannon on mom's chest seconds after birth.

Safe in daddy's arms.

Holding hands with daddy.

Being held by big brother.

Cabin Fever

Remington, Squirt and I went to the farm for the weekend that Nathan was out of town for work. I have been fighting a cold or some junk all week so I thought the comforts of home and being with my parents would help. I took Remington to get his haircut and that proved to be the beginning of the nightmare. He screamed and cried the whole time. I'm glad I didn't take him to some random salon in Highlands Ranch. Della did a great job trimming him up and was so patient with his tantrums. Later that night, we went to a high school basketball game. He enjoyed it as long as he was sitting on my lap. With a packed gym and being 4 months pregnant, I didn't need the extra body heat to keep me warm. Oh well, what's a mother to do. The next day, Remington slept for 5 hours...should have been another clue as to what was ahead. By that night at yet another hs bball game, he had a fever and just wanted to be held. He was a trooper. He woke up in the middle of the night crying so I took him out and set in the recliner with him. We both slept ok but by 5 am, his fever was so high that it burned me when he touched me. I gave him some Tylenol and changed him into a t-shirt and placed a cold washcloth on his head as long as he would let me. For the rest of the day, I had to hold him. He didn't eat anything and only drank 7up or orange juice. On Monday, mom and I decided to take him to the doctor since he wouldn't eat or walk anywhere. He was so pathetic. We got him to the doctor and they took blood. The doctor checked all the signs for a cold or flu but lungs/ears/nose and throat were all clear. She suggested he had a stomach bug of some kind which just takes time to get rid of. YUCK! So we took him back home and continued the fluid diet and holding therapy. I had called my doctor to get antibiotics for my cold. What a miserable weekend. Again, he didn't sleep well so again, I held him and slept in the recliner. By Tuesday, I was completely exhausted and supposed to drive back home. I decided to stay another day to rest and hopefully both of us would be better. Wednesday, we came home to a sick Nathan!

So here we are, all three of us sick and no one feeling good to take care of the others....Squirt isn't much of a nurse. So we suffered through a couple more days. By Friday, I felt pretty good...good enough to go grocery shopping. But once back home, it was nap time and baby holding.

Valentine's Day was spent napping and watching tv. How romantic!

Sunday we all had cabin fever so we went to Jason and Kim's for brunch. Nathan and Remington stayed there to watch the Daytona 500 while Kim and I went shopping....AHH! Life is back to normal!

Why I love Colorado!

Last Friday, I packed up Remington and Squirt for a long afternoon walk. It was a beautiful 63 degree WINTER day! We have had several warm days this winter and I hope it continues. After our walk, we stopped in the park because no one was there. The dog could roam freely (off her leash which is against the rules) and Remington could play on whatever. So far, he only enjoys the swings since he doesn't have to do the work to make them go. Here's a short video I took with my phone. Who knew that being pushed in a swing was so funny?!?

Another great thing about Colorado on days like this, being able to wear flipflops in winter!

Remington's Resolution

Remington's New Year resolution is to be a big brother. Due Date 7/20/09

the old year left and the new year came

WARNING: This is another uneventful post. For New Year's Eve, we were not an exciting group. I spent most of the day sick so going out and painting the town was not an option for me. The most eventful thing I did was go pick up my paycheck and go to the bank...woot! woot!

We had been invited to a friend's house for a small party to celebrate the ending of 2008. Nathan decided he would go and take Remington....ONLY if it was ok for me to stay home alone. He went to the store and got me soup before he left. I helped him get Remington packed up and off my boys went. The dog and I spent most of the night on the couch watching (sleeping) chick flicks. I went to bed around 10 and the old year left and the new year came before I knew it! Nathan and Remington got home around 1:30am. Remington did good at the party as long as he could see Nathan. Nathan held him for a while and put him to sleep around 9pm. No New Year's celebrating for him either!

On New Year's Day, Nathan went hunting in Nebraska with his dad and uncle. Remington and I met up with my brother and his family and did some shopping. We came home and hung out with Masha. Brian, Terry and the kids spent the night. Like I said before, very uneventful.

May you all have a wonderful year ahead of you. Make great things happen!

Christmas #2

This year was Remington's 2nd Christmas. On December 20th we left Denver and went to my parents' for a few days. We had a Christmas party at my brother's house with my mom's side of the family. Remington got lots of hugs and kisses from my aunts and cousins. He also gave out lots of kisses and high fives. On the 22nd we had Christmas dinner with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. We also opened presents. Remington doesn't understand the presents or Santa thing yet but he liked sitting on the boxes and ripping the paper. He would rip a piece of paper off and then go give it to my dad and say, "thank you." He's pretty proud of saying thank you when he gives you something.

While we were there, Nathan, my brother, my dad and my nephew did a lot of hunting. Geese and elk in which they were successful at both. Remington and I just hung out at the house while I did some work. Nothing too exciting and definitely nothing eventful.

We came home on Christmas Eve and went to our friends' Kim and Jason's for dinner. We shared gifts and ate a wonderful meal. I felt crappy so I fell asleep on the couch with Remington. Again, pretty uneventful.

On Christmas morning, we went to Nathan's parents. We opened gifts first. Remington again was happy to sit on the boxes. He got really excited when our 5 yr old nephew opened his gifts. Brendan was so excited about Bat Mobile and whatever other toys he was opening. Remington clapped and squealed because Brendan was so excited by his gifts. We had a wonderful lunch and then all headed over to Mammom's house with the extended family. Everyone was there. Small house with 20 adults and 4 or 5 kids becomes mayhem very quickly. We stayed there a few hours and then came home. Again, pretty uneventful.

Nothing like last year when our dog locked us out of the car while it was running!

Merry Christmas from the Tolands!

Where in the world have we been?!?

The answer: NOWHERE!. We didn't drop off the face of the earth. We are still here south of Denver. Nothing really exciting has happened in the month since I've blogged. So here's the lowdown:


Nathan has been working hard. Traveling to West Virginia, Boston, Anchorage and San Antonio.
Tawnya has been working two jobs. Reebok AND motherhood.
Remington has been working two jobs. Walking and talking. That's right. walking...everywhere...fast! He jabbers all day long which leaves Nathan and I wondering what he's saying and telling us.
Squirt has been working two jobs...sleeping and staying away from Remington!

Tawnya, Remington and Squirt went to the farm while Nathan was in Boston. We had lunch with old friends and got to see some family.

We spent Thanksgiving with Nathan's family which is always a hoot.

The three of us spent a weekend in Craig for elk hunting. Nathan, his dad and uncle stayed at a motel while Remington and I stayed at my aunt and uncle's house. We all had a good time and I was glad to have a whole house in which to entertain Remington instead of a motel room. He helped Aunt Myrna undecorate her tree as fast as she could decorate it. He loved sitting on her kitchen counter and "helping." We had a great laugh at their dog JJ who barks and jumps at the smoke when they burn their trash. I have a video that is just hysterical. Squirt stayed in the city with her friends Daisy (English Bulldog) and Pickle (Bassett Hound). She had her own suite in the upstairs portion of their house. Thanks to our friends Jason and Kim, our dog was well loved.

And now, it's a week before Christmas and all the presents are bought. Some are en route and hopefully they get here in time. None of them are wrapped but that's what midnight is for! The decorations are up. The tree is up with only lights on it. I think it will be that way for a few years. It does look better than the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I was able to get cookies made for the neighbors and am going to attempt to make Divinity. Wish me luck.

Trick or Treat

Since Remington was so little last Halloween, we didn't dress him up as anything. He just chilled in his little orange outfits. But this year, he was Pooh...thanks to cousin Brendan and Grandma Bonnie. He went trick or treating at a few of the neighbors' houses with Brendan.

And to appease his father and impress whoever...he was Baby Rambo!

Pumpkin Festival

We went to the Pumpkin Festival at the Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. We met the Schells there and slopped through the mud together. It was cold but we still got some good pics and a few small pumpkins.

I'm sure it will be more fun next year when Remington is self mobile and it's not muddy. We'll see.

Remington's Birthday Part One

Today is Remington's first birthday! We had a party for him on Saturday with all our family and a good bunch of friends. 35 adults and 14 kids (including us). OUR HOUSE WAS CRAZY!!!!

Remington did great. I was concerned because he didn't eat much all day and has been fussy for the last week. He put on a show while eating his cake. He was very much aware that everyone was watching him.

I made the cakes. Chocolate baseball diamonds and white baseballs.

Remington's own cake. white cake, white frosting for a reason!






He loved opening the gifts too. It was a little overwhelming (to me too).
His new airplane and Allison pushing him on it!

Tractor Time

On Tuesday, Remington rode in the tractor for the first time. I wasn't sure how he would act so my mom stayed at the end of the field in case we needed to bail out. He loved it. It was noisy, bouncy and there were lots of buttons and handles to hold onto. Grampy Galen even shared his animal crackers with him! I don't know who was having more fun.

Yes, they are reading a newspaper while driving the tractor. My dad has this GPS system that guides the tractor through the field. Pretty sweet technology! Sad that my dad can program his GPS but can't turn the computer on to do payroll when my mom is gone!

Bow Hunting 2008

Over Labor Day weekend, we went bow hunting NW of Rifle, CO. Nathan was counting down the days for opening day and has been planning for weeks. I enjoy going there because it is so peaceful. Squirt likes it too because she doesn't have to be on a leash and "gets" lots of people food. This was Remington's first trip obviously.

Saturday was beautiful. Squirt and I saw a bobcat checking out our camp. My protective mother mode kicked in fast as I grabbed the dog and Remington and got in the camper. I grabbed the gun and waited for it to come closer. No kill for me.

Sunday and Monday were miserable as it rained most of the time. It was also windy which made it really cold. Trying to keep Remington warm and occupied was difficult. I dressed him in clothes and then put his warm fuzzy pajamas back on. Trying to keep the dog out of the rain and mud was more difficult. We spent Monday morning in the car where it was warm and quiet so we could nap.

Remington, Squirt and I all shared a twin bed in our camper. The first night, I had Remington asleep and the dog curled up next to him. It was sweet.

It was nice to get home to a warm house, hot bath and a queen size bed all to myself!

Where's Waldo?

There is a dog in this picture. Can you find her?
Squirt is in the top left corner of the top picture.
Here's a close up of her hiding spot. She loves
camping in the rain!

cookies

Today while I was working, I had to find something to occupy Remington's attention for more than two minutes. I put him in his chair and gave him a cookie. Much to the dog's dismay, she gets put outside for this activity because she always ends up with the cookie if left inside. Here are some pictures of Remington enjoying his cookie!

workspace

Our living room is 20X40 and my home office takes up about a 5X5 corner of it. Remington decides on a daily basis that I need to share my workspace with him and his toys. Some days even Squirt tries to stretch out and nap while he's playing at my feet. I guess I should feel blessed that my son and my dog love me so much that even when I haven't showered they want to be close to me!!!

Priceless!

Work, work, work

The last few weeks have been so busy I haven't had the chance to post anything. After working more hours than what part time is, I don't want to spend any extra time on the computer to post the Toland Family happenings!

I was told by my boss back in April that July and August are somewhat slow months for us. How wrong he was! I have been swamped since the second week of July. So here's a rundown of what I do/have done. I used to work for Sports Authority in the licensced apparel department. I worked mostly on purchase orders for Reebok/Adidas (NBA, NFL, NHL and some NCAA). As of March 1st, I work for an independent Reebok sales rep who sells to Sports Authority (TSA). I search inventories for product when TSA needs to place orders. I request UPCs and product information from Reebok and format the info to send to TSA. When TSA opens new stores, they send me targets for each league and I find the dollar amount in product for them. In the last month I have found product for 12 stores for NCAA, NBA, NHL and some NFL. It's hard to keep everything organized as to what I've found, requested and sent to TSA but I love it!!! All the while, taking care of my sweet boy!

As far as Toland Time....nothing too eventful has happened.

Nathan was in a wedding on August 1st so we went to the festivities for that.

My parents came up on August 8th to visit for the weekend. We went with them up to Longmont and had lunch with Rick and Nancy Hammans. Rick was my freshman history teacher and Nancy was my third and fifth grade teacher. Neither one of them had seen Remington. When I was a little monster (a little older than what Remington is) I took my first steps to Nancy. It was nice to see them and they enjoyed Remington! We then went farther north to Windsor for a 50th wedding anniversary party. Myron and Donna Reed pastored my parents church a few years back and have since moved to Windsor. It was nice to see them and celebrate their special day with them. Remington did so great out at restaurants and in the car.

On August 14th, my cousins David and Jodee stopped by and we went to lunch. They live in Milwaukee and were in Colorado for a class reunion and a wedding. The only time we see them is when the whole Harrison clan is together. It was nice to see them and talk just with them. We went to Baja Fresh since David and Jodee don't get that in Wisconsin. Remington loved eating black beans. His whole face was black and so were his hands. We missed out on dinner plans with them her parents (my aunt & uncle) and another cousin Mark. Maybe next time.

Remington is so much fun. Since Memorial Day weekend, he has tried so hard to learn to whistle. He perks his lips up and every now and then gets a little whistle out. It's more on the intake of air than it is blowing out! He is into everything and gets anywhere fast. He loves to play his little piano. It has been so wonderful to be at home with him and to see him grow and change. We are so blessed to have been able to have me work from home. It's the best of both worlds...I like my job and what I do AND I love being a mom.

climbing equals new toys

So now that Remington can pull himself up to things, he has found several new play things. Monday I was baking and he found himself next to me playing with the "lazy Susan" cabinet and trying to reach the stuff in there. He got mad when I would hold it closed. Tuesday he found himself at the kitchen trash can and being over 20 lbs pulled it over. There were lots of things in there to play with. The funny part of this story is that the dog was outside watching the whole thing and when I let her in, she went to her kennel immediately like she was in trouble! Wednesday I was putting dishes in the dishwasher and he thought that if I put the silverware in, he needs to take it out and play with it! Today Remington was standing next to the dog kennel on which I have plants. One of the plants has longer leaves and he was playing with the leaves that he could reach. He loves to climb when you hold him. He always wants to be up higher or reach for something that is up. SO BUSY!!!!! But love every minute of it!