Father's Day: A smokin' good time!

Dadda had to work on Father's Day, but he had requested a special meal for when he got home from work. He wanted steak and sweet potatoes.  I researched how to pan sear, then bake a t-bone. It seemed like a pretty simple task. However, when I poured oil in the skillet that was pre-heating on the stove top, the oil burst into flames about 3 feet high. I started to panic and picked up the skillet, wondering what to do with it. The heat from the fire was so intense that I dropped the skillet on the floor.  All I could think about was that I better do something fast before the cabinets caught on fire. So I picked up the skillet and shoved it in the sink, hoping the water would put out the flames. Luckily, McKinley was in the living room watching her Praise Baby dvd during the few minutes or so I almost burnt down the house. She started crying after hearing me scream, and we both watched smoke infiltrate the dining room, then living room. Then the smoke detectors went off, and McKinley didn't know what to think. After throwing the burnt skillet and kitchen rug outside on the patio, I pressed forward to finish Dadda's special meal. Despite the hiccups in preparing dinner, he liked my t-bone steaks, and I learned a very valuable lesson: Don't pour oil in a pan that's already hot!
 

Dadda wasn't the only one who liked the t-bones!

When the steak was all gone, McKinley was completely satisfied

picking at the bone.   Definitely her father's daughter!

Yum!

Dadda modeling his Father's Day present:

Five Finger shoes.

McKinley holding Dadda's second Father's Day present:

A book titled "What Daddies Do Best."

Happy Father's Day Dadda!

Munch #2 is a girl!

We had our anatomy ultrasound a couple of days ago and found out the Munch #2 is a girl!  Our midwife said everything looked good. Munch #2 weighs about 11 oz and her head is slightly smaller than a tennis ball. We are super excited that McKinley gets a sister so close in age.  Our prayer is that they become each other's best friend for life.

Re-fried beans and avocado...yummy!

Munch #1

Munch #2, who has her knee up to her face.

Half way.....yippeeee!

Wakeena Falls

We finally did the Wakeena Falls loop this past thursday, which is a five mile route that ends at Multnomah Falls. McKinley surprised us by not falling asleep in her carrier during the two hours we hiked. I don't know if it was the extra weight or the fact we ate lunch prior to starting our hike, but I felt so sluggish, almost like my legs were made of lead.

Lunch at Rooster Rock State Park.

Family shot in front of the Columbia River.

Upper Wakeena Falls

 

Can't wait to discover the sex of our baby next week!

Pretty in Pink

Our second rhododendron bush is in full bloom in our front yard. On a separate note: her rash is totally gone, and her appetite is back to normal.

Viral Update

So, Miss McKinley's fever finally broke Sunday morning, giving her eleven hours of uninterrupted sleep and no need to take Tylonel during the night. I was concerned that she still might be contagious, so we stuck around the house. Her appetite was showing no signs of returning, but she thankfully continues to drink a lot of water and milk. After her bath last night, I noticed small, red bumps all over her back and belly. With what we've been reading about sudden spikes in temperature and no other prior symptoms, we suspected a mild case of Roseola. Her pediatrician agreed and assured us that her rash isn't harmful and will most likely fade after 24 hours.

More rhododendrons in bloom!

On the road to recovery

Miss McKinley gave us quite the scare yesterday morning. Without getting into too much graphic detail, the paramedics responded to our house around 1 am and found McKinley's temperature to be 104. We are fairly certain that prior to the ambulance arriving, she probably experienced a febrile seizure due to her fever. We rushed her to the emergency room, and the doctors ran tests on her urine and looked for a possible ear infection.  Everything came back negative, so she was diagnosed as having a viral infection of some sort. We saw her pediatrician later that morning, and he confirmed the ER's diagnosis. With Tylenol keeping the fever at bay, she was primarily her happy self, although her appetite was non-existent.  Her pediatrician cautioned us that her fever would most likely return in the evening, so I decided to sleep (using the term very loosely) in her room last night.
Today we saw progress in her demeanor and with her balance, but not so much with her appetite. Since it was so nice outside (finally!) we spent a lot of time at the park. We are praying that tonight she shakes the fever for good.  If not, we'll have to begin antibiotics, as per the doctor's instructions.

So tired, after being in the ER for 4 hours.

Finally felt our baby move....so amazing!

All smiles at the park.

Dadda and his mini-me. 

Should I join Dadda in doing some pullups? 

Giving Dadda a kiss during his set of push-ups.