we saw two lines:

apologies

2012-01-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

I have not been on here in so long. 2 main reasons: my camera has broke due to some slamming and dropping by my dear son and I have not had my computer for about a month ( a friend is borrowing it and I am using hers, therefore I don't have any pics of ours anyway ). Everything is good here after the settling down after the holidays. We had a weekend packed full of birthday and christmas celebrations which were wonderful and very tiring all at once. 32.5 weeks pregnant and counting. Lil baby is in proper position and growing steadily, kicking my ribs, hips and bladder all the while. The second time around is more exhausting as I am having to chase after and cart around a 30+ lb toddler. ( Just guessin at Royal's weight). Naps are necessary as is good nutrition and exercise. I am doing best at the former. We go to see our family in Wisconsin next week. Always looking forward to that. Happy New Year!

2011-11-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Royal and Izaak hung out the other day: eating eachothers snacks, watching a cartoon.

Royal playing in our recently emptied compost pile.

He was there for quite awhile, I found him with a slug in his mouth eventually.

Something that my pre-mom self would probably cringe at:

Trick-or-Treating!

It was so cute and fun. Royal, a pumpkin, Izaak, a lamb.

We celebrated 5 years of marriage this past weekend. Instead of doing something crazy like leaving town for 10 days to go on a 12 hr road trip, we decided to stay in Louisville and get a sitter for Royal. We were baby free for four days and did things that we used to do. Not saying that it was better, or worse than pre-baby life. It was good to have the experience for perspective. I was excited to get back to mommy-ing at the end of it all. I like our schedule, I sleep better, feel better knowing what to expect. One night we drank coffee at like 5:30pm (an old habit) as one of our acts of celebrating. I was up until 4am as a result! It was nice laying in bed until 9:30 or so, going to a cafe to eat breakfast, read, play scrabble for as long as we wished.

I love our son. This morning we slow danced to Tony Bennett, Royal's head resting upon my shoulder....melting. We also "carved" our two small pie pumpkins together, pulling out the guts and throwing them in a bowl. He did well.

on my insides

2011-10-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

on our way to a beautiful wisconsin wedding

at cherokee triangle park this very morning

yep, the one inside o' me: teeny, tiny foot

little skeleton face

my favorite, curled up, head being the same size as body

We had our ultra-sound, the true test to see if we could stand our ground in not finding out the sex. It wasn't difficult as you might have thought. The wee-one distracted us enough with doing things like scratching its head with its little finger and moving its mouth open and closed. The technician was even laughing, and she does these things all day. The strangest part was seeing the shape of an eyeball and watching it move around. SERIOUSLY, a miracle this baby growing thing is.

Personally been more tired than the usual these past few days. This, unfortunately has led to some boredom, lack of motivation and depression. My midwife told me my hemoglobin levels are a bit low, of course. I know that this is attributing to how I feel. So Royal and I went to get some B-complex and kombucha. I will say that I feel better this morning. I started to think through the reasons why this morning/day has been better, listing things in my head: coffee, being outside, having more productive bm's...BUT I stopped myself, and was reminded of the prayers that my husband, as well as myself have muttered. The Lord always hears 'em. We are so good at making ourselves feel/look good with reasons, am I right?

the end of summer

2011-08-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

smashin/eatin tomatoes and peppers

got this carrot flower

made these with cornmeal raspberry muffins with our very own raspberries

one of these guys got a hair cut, can you guess?

learnin what to do in front of a camera

lacto rainbow salsa, excited to crack this open come winter

Once again another summer passes, once again I don't do as much as I had anticipated. We put up a good amount of tomato sauce for winter pizzas, made some fermented cukes, froze a bit of snap peas and kale but that's about it.
I blame it on the pregnancy. 14 weeks now and we have decided to NOT find out the sex of this one. Many guesses on a girl because of how I have felt physically, but, who really knows. We won't be able to have a homebirth, which I had finally felt good about after much deliberating (in my head). The midwife that would do it, can't do it. She isn't seeing anybody when I am do. Oh well.
As the summer heat wears off, so does our laziness. We find ourselves once again walking Cherokee, only now Royal walks along side of us. He much prefers this over being in his stroller.
We will be in Wisconsin this month, briefly, for a much anticipated wedding. And next month we are planning a bigger trip to celebrate 5 years of great memories together!

Royal

2011-08-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just sayin' Hi!

stuck inside

2011-07-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

I went grocery shopping yesterday and was very surprised at myself. As I walked through the aisles of foodstuffs, I found myself grabbing things like can ravioli, frozen waffles, cheese crackers, mac and cheese, pizza and SODA! I remember just doing it and shaking my head, thinking, this has got to stop at some point. It seems like the babe inside takes control of my brain when I am around food, wanting the diet of a college bachelor. Is there a college bachelor living inside of me? Playing X-box and dipping his cheese crackers in black cherry soda pop? Must be.

One thing that I finally did after a long hiatus, was make bread. I was able to purchase a 50lb bag of organic whole wheat flour for a stellar price. "Looks like bread is back on the menu boys." ( Said like the orc in Lord of the Rings ).

I have had a few weeks of naseau but thank the Lord that it is gone. This morning was a bit rough because my wonderful husband has the idea for Royal and I to go on a walk. This, a very foreign concept seeing as it has been, like the rest of the country, hot. One step outside for me and all hope of having energy for the day is gone. Well, I thought, heck it isn't AS hot as it has been, sure, we will give it a try. I had to put Royal down for an early nap, because I needed one. Now I sip on Tyler's left over coffee from this morning and I am feeling good.

Speaking of Tyler, he has been the best at taking care of me and Royal during these times. Getting up extra early, making great breakfasts; eggs, toast, potatoes, french toast. Really a life saver.

What Royal is up to:

alternating shaking his head yes and no when you ask him something

blabbing about things that get him excited

walking so much!

throwing fits, not cool

saying papa (sounds more like baba)

also saying ball ( ba!)

climbing up on dinner table from chair that adult forgot to push in

drinking out of normal cups when we aren't looking

giving hi-fives

pointing at his belly-button and making a grunt sound

pointing at my belly-button and doing the same

sticking out his tongue, especially when there is food on it

Staying busy

2011-07-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

June has past us already. We enjoyed trips and visitors alike. One of my old bunkmates came through with her husband to see us and meet Royal for the first time. It was short and sweet. I made butter from real milk cream and lacto-fermented ketchup ( which was great on grilled-cheeses). As always, sharing great meals with my husband. The best one last month I would have to say was PIZZA SUBS on homemade, pretty awesome bread, with canadian bacon, sweet and spicy peppers, mozzarella and crispy, salty kale. They were so good!

Unfortunately my appetite has changed drastically this past month. I find myself craving Fazoli's and pizza and mac n cheese. Keep vegetables away from me, gross. Maybe you can guess why? Royal is gonna be a big brother! As of right now I am 7 weeks pregnant and I feel exhausted.

Spring, we all love.

2011-05-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Royal had not seen this thing in bit.

Just a delicious burger and fries shared outside on a warm day.

Our friends, the Douthitt's, invited us to their family's cabin for a night. It was a great time.

We definitely made s'mores in our living room.

This is the time of year that we all yearn for. Finally made it through the snowy, windy gray days. We put things in the grounds and nurse them as they were our children; Anticipating some future homegrown meals. We have eaten many spinach and red romaine salads with the new addition of sugar peas. Royal bats at the little seedlings and giggles at their movements. He is truly enamored with plants and trees and flowers. Give him a stick with some leaves on it and he will be entertained.

We have had some great times this past month, cabining with the Groces, sleepovers with the Criglers (like ol' times), farmers markets, walks in Cherokee Park, and mothers day was a treat!

Next week, we are on our way to FL to see Tyler's grandma and beach-it-up. It will be a real quick trip, just 4 days. Next month we will be going to WI to see my grandma for her 95th bday!

A one Year Old!

2011-03-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

A year has passed since the birth of our smirky little boy. Not so hard to believe actually. We had a party in the park with blankets, kites, balloons, food, family and friends. It was really a good time, the weather was perfect and so were the people. Tyler held a man challenge which included tree climbing, baseball throwing, nail hitting, cornhole and bottle topple. I was pleased to have my mama and seester here with us to celebrate. It would have not been the same without some representation from my family.

Royals stats:

25 lbs

8 teeth

crawling

stair climber

grinner

a busy January

2011-01-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the salve that I made! It turned out great except the scent was very light. More essential oils next time. It does cure those cracked wintery hands.

We also made soap! It proved to be more work than we anticipated. I got the flu the morning we started so I didn't do much! But Tyler and the Groces stuck it out and made it happen.

Here we are at the awards banquet for Tyler. He had 3 pieces receive recognition! Two of them got gold and one silver. We heard that the judges were pretty strict on the ones they let in.

I made walnut-orange tartlets for New Year's. They were real yummy, the crust was so flaky and pastry dough-like.

Oh, just this guy being tough and standing with one hand.

Hard to believe, but we celebrated Izaak Criglers 1st birthday on 1/11/11! He was a bit under the weather and wouldn't eat his cake!

The rest of this month is filling up quick with many things. We leave tomorrow to see my family in Wisconsin. Soon as we get back we have a wedding to celebrate with 2 parties, babysitting for four days in a row (including overnight!) than a wedding that I am in the first weekend in February! We continue to seek the Lord in our family, marriage and relationships. We are always amazed when we reflect on the ways that we are taken care of!

New Year.

2011-01-03T17:18:00.001-08:00

I was excited to be able to use my birthday money to order seeds for our garden. We skipped out on it last year so I am doubly stoked on this coming season. I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. They have so many beautiful and interesting varieties it was hard to choose. Here is what I decided on...

-atomic red and lunar white carrots

-parisian pickling cuke

-blue curled scotch kale

-cimmaron lettuce

-may queen lettuce

-coban orange flesh melon (from coban, guatemala, where we have been!)

-sugar ann snow pea

-robertos cuban seasoning pepper

-coban red pimiento

-gigante d'inverno spinach

-buttercup squash

-purple coban tomatillo

-royal chico tomato

-orange fleshed purple smudge tomato

We still plan to be involved with a CSA; but my hopes are to really preserve some food this year. I was able to save (by roasting or blanching and freezing) only a small bit last year. Salsa, sauces, chutneys, pickles, and lacto-fermented veggies here we come!

Royal is getting around by rolling, sliding, twisting and turning but not so much crawling. He does this london bridge type thing where he sticks his booty in to the air, as if he wants to stand. He attempts to pull himself up but we all know he isn't going anywhere just yet with those weak arms.

This month Tyler and I will be fasting one day a week to focus on praying and thinking about our next step in the adoption process. We have been stuck in the same spot for awhile: Not knowing where to adopt from. I have not stopped loving the idea of Latin America but honestly, there are so many orphans everywhere it is difficult to narrow it down!

We are on our way to wisconsin in less than 2 weeks to be with my family for our christmas celebration. Royal has not seen them in about 3.5 months. It is hard to be away from them when Royal is changing so rapidly.

Lastly, we entered some of Tyler's designs in a city-wide contest to see who is the awesomest designer. Well, he was chosen and now his work is going to be shown at a pretty serious gallery. Basically, he is awesome and is one of the best designers in Louisville (just braggin). So this friday we are gonna go and pay some good money to see the work displayed. He will also be getting an award. If anything, it's good publicity and an opportunity to have more relationships with people outside of our church family. Tyler loves talking to people and he is real good at it to!

more family photos and proyectos

2010-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

We have had lots of snow for these parts. The most, I think, since I have lived here. Makes these pics look nice with the sunshine and tank tops. Our house has been in disarray for over a week now: I am patiently waiting for our kitchen to be finished. Patiently. I am also reminded that it certainly will not make me more complete as a mama/wife and homemaker. It is hard not to be complainy and I give credit to Tyler in this time for putting up with me and showing me what patience really looks like.

Today Royal and I went to the Seminary to have brunch with Tyler and his co-workers. I made a quiche, crust and all, that was yummy. It was also a hit! Eggs, bacon, leeks, broccoli, sun-dried toms, mozzarella, sage, pepper, raw milk and cream baked into greatness. I normally don't like to make things that involve crusts because the crust part takes extra time. But it is rewarding to make your own, flaky, tender, flour, butter and ice cold water.

My exploration of handmade products, ie deoderant, shampoo, face wash, conditioner (just use apple cider vinegar, leaves hair shiny and snarl free!) continues as I attempt to make a hand/body salve. I started with 1/2 cup mixed rosemary and lavender from the backyard along with calendula in a glass mason jar with 1 1/2 cups olive oil. Placed in crockpot on top of towel and cover, set on lowest setting. Let olive oil infuse for a couple days than strain out herbs. With double broiler, melt generous 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles than slowly mix with olive oil!

Merry December

2010-12-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

Right now, the snow is falling gently, like a giant is shaking his dandruff laden head in slow motion, only pretty. This doesn't happen too often in Kentucky so I try to take it in. I am sitting next to a fire and drinking homemade hot chocolate waiting for Tyler to return from Kmart. Yep, they still exist and the only reason I know that is because our neighbor across the street occasionally knocks on our door requesting a ride to pick up something that has been put on sale. Last time a boombox and Pepsi, this time a space heater "that more or less (his fave choice of words) is only $44.95 today."

We all are a wee bit under the weather, but that comes with the cold. I attempt some "witchcraft" like eating raw garlic dripped with honey, steeping elderberries, rubbing Royal with olive oil and eucalyptus and keeping the humidifier going, but the noses continue to run. Our bodies can handle it, we just need to give them a bit of encouragement by resting.

Our kitchen has been under construction this week, drywalling in prep for new cabinets. I have not been able to cook much, which has led to a pretty relaxed week. It is amazing how much time I spend in the kitchen. Didn't realize it until now. I do enjoy it and it is a practical way to take care of my family: with some good food.

Love the Christmas season. Thinking a lot about traditions to start with our family. Exciting.

Happy 4X!

2010-11-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated our 4 year anniversary. Celebrated. It was a memorable time for me, riding my bike for the first time in 13 months. I missed it for certain and felt like a million billion bucks as we whizzed by cars on Bardstown Road and flew down Baxter Avenue hill towards the downtown city lights. The weather was great and the company was superb. Tyler took me to Palermo, an Argentinian restaurant where we ate meat and drank Bombay gin and tonics. Then we saw the Mystery of Irma Vep at Actor's Theater. We enjoyed ourselves like we were in our first year of marriage when we had no car. Biking was it!

(The pictures of Royal are for those of you that only really look here for him, Grandma Ann.)

Been a long time.

2010-10-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and family. We have been a busy bunch this month, hence the lack of posting. I have not been taking pictures either so this may not be too interesting...but I will try my best.

At the end of Sept. Tyler and I were blessed to be in our dear friends Bradley and Jessica's wedding. It was a joyous time with dancing, good food and fancy dress. In Oct. we had to say goodbye to our dear friends Jason, Kari and their spider-monkey son Izaak. We all knew it was coming but when it really happend, it was sort of unbelievable. They were able to secure an apartment in the south-end, where they feel they need to be, and so after 2.5 years of living together they packed up their things. It was been a surreal adjustment for us all. Tyler and I sit around the dinner table thinking about how we need people in our home. We definitely have enjoyed certain aspects of having the home to ourselves (Royal having his own room!) but are reminded how community, particularly God's community, is vital to our health as a married couple. We can't, and don't want to, go at it alone. So Deeb dinner parties and fireside readings are being conjured up in our hearts and minds as you read this. In mid-Oct my mama came to see us for a weekend. She was able to witness the dedication of Royal at Sojourn and celebrate with the rest of the Deeb family. It was a nice time and I was very thankful to have her here. (She did have a two-person hot tub in her hotel room which was nice to indulge in.) Royal is 7 months old! He sits up on his own, screeches, growls, flails his arms, eats whole bananas, laughs, has pirahna sharp teeth and pretty much makes us smile whenever we are around him. Tyler and I have been researching and taking steps to secure a brother for Royal. It will be a long road, but we are convinced that going through the adoption process will be worth it. Something to be praying about for us! Scripture talks about caring for orphans and widows so there is no need to feel "called" to do this. It is commanded of us already.

Lots of fun things

2010-09-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

We made this 16" cake for our friends Randal and Evie's wedding. It slightly resembled a cut tree when it was complete. It was crazy to do and also fun. (We are not cake decoraters!)

My sweet boys dressed all nice-y for the wedding. Royal did really well during the ceremony which we were both a little nervous about. It was a beautiful day to be wed.

Labor Day! We spent 4 hours at Cherokee Park with friends eating cheese and crackers and drinking Malbec out of plastic cups! It was a real nice time. Here is Izaak being a small spider monkey climbing on Tyler.

Farmer Groces showed up later after some hard work (servers and farmers dont get a labor day). It almost appears as Royal is the one taking the photo, but nope, he just has a big head.

Yea! We got to go to a real fancy dinner with Luke and Katherine sans Royal. It was a last minute surprise that we had someone to watch the little guy. I had lots of fun eating octopus, chicken liver pate and pork jowl as well as Gnocchi and cornmeal fried okra.

We got up and out one morning...took our coffee to go to Cherokee Park of course. I joked that we should have made Royal's middle name Cherokee instead of Oakland because we go there so much. He likes being in his sling looking all around at the trees and leaves. It is sweet.

First time in a park swing.

We got a surprise visit from Royal's great-uncle Art of Florida. We got to have lunch at Flanigan's with Art as he was passing through. I hadn't seen him in 9 years so it was nice to catch up.

I am learning different ways of presenting food to Royal. Pureed foods are not totally necessary and probably are not the exciting of a texture anyway. And I have learned that you may as well teach them to feed themselves right away since you will have to eventually. So, I have tried cutting up carrots real small and mashing them a bit with a fork and putting them on his tray. Right now he mostly just yells at the carrots and smashes them around but every once in awhile he will get some in his mouth. I am looking forward to him trying new yummy foods but keeping him breastfed as well for some time yet. A good book that I found through Passionatehomemaking.com is Real Food for mother and baby by Nina Planck. She pretty much just talks about feeding your baby what you are eating (as long as it is good for you of course) and making sure that they are getting fats from fish, meat and healthy oils like coconut and olive.

By the way, Royal is 6 months old! Whew, God has really blessed our family through this stage. I am still able to stay home and can't imagine being anywhere else: learning patience over and over again! I am happy that this is all a process that will not end. There is always room for growth.

Blue eyed babe

2010-09-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since pics of Royal have been up. He is 5 1/2 months, 19 lbs. He weighs more than most babies we know, including those that are quite a bit older! What a chunk. He is working on sitting up, grabbing things and of course putting everything possible in his mouth ( he grabs my arm and tries to shove it in his mouth often).

All is well otherwise. We anticipate the fall! It was one HOT summer, making it difficult to do anything really. Now we can get out in the park more often and take regular strolls through the city.

We love Jessica!

2010-08-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Gentlemen's Swimming Hole taken over by the ladies (katherine really jammed her toes right after my brilliant idea to get a pic of us jumping)

me, katherine, jess, erin, steph, shelley, rebecca and lyndsy

crispy black bean and bacon tacos with scallop ceviche and guacamole!

This past weekend a great bunch of girls got to go out of town to celebrate the upcoming wedding of our dear california -turned -kentucky friend Jessica! We all had the most fun eating great meals, yelling at bears that we could not see, swimming and hot tubbing, laughing until our shoulders hurt and our eyes burst....serious goodness.

midwest tour: the end

2010-08-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

OK, we had some serious fun and beach bummin with our dearest friends Bradley and Jessica. Who would have thought that Traverse City, Michigan was this beautiful? So much Lake Michigan to go around, no humidity at all, mid 70's.... sorry Louisville, kinda wanna stay. We spent the whole day today at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the water was perfect, the wind was just right. The only bummer is that little Royal may have gotten a bit too much sun. He was under an umbrella the whole time, but you know that sneaky little sun has its ways. We are cooling him down and giving him an extra dose of breastmilk to make sure he is hydrated.

A long drive tomorrow, and goodbye to this place. I can't say that I miss Camp st. I know though that Royal will be a bit less crabby when he can get all the sleep that he needs. Moving him around so much has certainly taken its toll.

midwest tour part 1

2010-08-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Chicago! We visited my family in the Appleton area for 4 days than headed to Milwaukee where we stayed with our dear friend Ashlee. We enjoyed awesome pork fries and ginger snap cocktails at Honeypie, so yummy. Following, we retired to the back porch of Ashlee's apartment.

We made our way to Chicago on tuesday not before stopping to see my sister in law Kerri for a few minutes. We ate dinner at De Cero our first night in the big city. A very loud place, which was good since Royal was being a bit fussy. But very good food none-the-less. We walked back and were pleasantly surprised to turn on the tube (something that is a luxury when on vacation) and see that The Office was on. That show is something.

Today is wednesday. We got up to the sweet cooing of our son. Tyler and I love it when this happens. We lay in bed and giggle to ourselves as Royal makes the smalliest, cutest sounds in the dark. (Good News! Royal has been sleeping from 10:30-5ish! I only have to feed him once!)

We got a hold of our dearest littlest friend Elizabeth and went out for coffee at the Star Lounge. Tyler found out that the owner had been to some of the same coffee farms as us in Guatemala. Crazy! It was nice to catch up with Liz. I love seeing obvious growth in people that are dear to me.

Since we have left Louisville Royal has learned how to put his foot in his mouth as well as sit upright without help for small periods of time! It is real mind blowing how these things happen so quickly. He also is eating avocado with gusto.

Tomorrow we spend half our day here, than off to Traverse City, Mi to see Jessica and Bradley.

summer time

2010-07-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am so big, I roll around and push myself up all the time!

Watch out for these baby blues.

Concentrating on my hands keeps me occupied.

Lounging with my papa.

Royal and his cousins, Roman and Elias

We got 4 blueberries, one for each of us! They were tasty; next year we look forward to more.

Me and my bubba.

90 degree Days

2010-06-25T12:54:00.001-07:00

hot, greasy pizza: so yummy, so sicky feeling

a quick diaper change in the grass

those plums we commandeered made a just ok Plum Crumb Cake ( I let it cook a bit too long)

basil is coming out of our ears, as is sage, parsley and thyme

how could you now want to squeeze these!

he gets this smirk from his papa

Being a mom is awesome; like no other thing I have experienced. Royal is now 3 months old and weighs 17 pounds 4 ounces. He can flip himself over from his back to his stomach and he does it almost to the point of annoyance for me. I can’t just let him be on the ground or in his crib without checking on him constantly (he’s ok Noel, says Tyler, you just looked at him 30 seconds ago!). Some of it has to do with the fact that I just love him so much, and some how my love for him grows everyday. When I don’t know what to do with the love that I have for him, I grab his cheeks in both hands and squish his face and make a sound that can’t really be described. I know, luckily my husband understands me when I am doing it.

The hardest part about being a mom so far, besides less sleep and less alone time with Tyler, is being home. I love being home, do not get me wrong. I feel so blessed to be able to stay with Royal, that Tyler is able to make enough for our family. Inevitably there are times when I just can’t make another loaf of bread or Plum Crumb Cake; picking basil out back to make Pesto is less than appealing, and cooking dinner is replaced with thoughts of take out. These times, I know what I need is someONE. Talking to a 3 month old just doesn’t quite cut it all the time. I am fortunate to have recognized the problem early on and, even though it wasn’t easy (pride and all that gets in the way), I decided I needed to reach out to those around me. As a result I have been able to go to the zoo with my sister-in-law and nephews, spend an entire day with my best friend at her house doing not much of anything (except maybe making a tiny kitten climb one of her house plants), sit at a coffee shop with said friend on a different day, sit in living room for hours with another lady friend eating cheese, crackers, pesto (yep, homemade), and drinking coffee.

We are still learning what life looks like with a wee-one. Slowly we are falling in to more of a routine, which is something that we prefer to randomness. I try to organize my weeks to look somewhat similar to the rest; this gives me a better idea of what to expect.

Coming up: looking forward to visiting my family in Wisconsin, we are spending time with Tyler’s family at the lakehouse for the 4^th of July, a welcoming home party this weekend for our friends Nathan and Amy who have been stuck living in MN for the past year, and a belated bday hot dog roast for our dear friend Katherine!

Tyler and I just wanna say that we are very happy together with our son. We feel undeserving of the life that we have, our home, church, family, friends… I am amazed whenever I reflect on these things. We very much love you all!

new summer and old summer

2010-06-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

this was summer 5 years ago, my brother nathan

my papa and sister gracie

mama and gracie

gracie and me if we were country singers

current summer babysitting Abel, Roman and Elias

this happens sometimes in our house, Royal and Izaak hanging out, it makes all of our hearts implode

Tyler and I found 2 very large plum trees recently and harvested some sweet little goodies for ourselves ( i was pretty ecstatic i'll admit)

made some pesto, basil from the backyard, with almonds and reggiano

we got this modest carrot in our CSA box along with red russian kale and other goodies

we have had some awesome clouds in louisville these past few weeks, view from bedroom window

Hot Kitchen

2010-05-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

Trying to steal some sunshine to get these diapers dried.

Our son has taken to sucking his thumb.

Tyler insists that it was inherited from me, that it is in his genes. ( I sucked my thumb and played with my hair for a long time.)

The hot weather is upon us. We sweat without really moving. The upside is that the Roma tomatoes and herbs are all reaching high and stretching toward the sky. The downside is that the chickens smell kind of putrid and well, sweat. I spent the last two days in the kitchen baking, chopping, blending and sweating.

The results:

-salsa

-3 loaves of whole wheat bread

-peanut butter spice granola

-blueberry muffins (the healthy kind consisting of soaked ww flour, maple syrup, egg, buttermilk, baking soda, blueberries)

cream cheese from yogurt (this being my first time ever and so easy! All you do is put yogurt (good quality plain like brown cow) or buttermilk in a towel covered strainer and set over a bowl, let all the whey drip out and ta dah! Save the whey to add protein to anything. Spread cheese on homemade ww bread and drizzle with raw honey for a tasty treat.

-mixed berry (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry) pie

I enjoy making new things. My next endeavor is ginger beer. It takes about 28 days from start to finish! But man, I bet it is worth it.

Mother's Day, Art Fair and Royal's 2 month weight check

2010-05-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Tyler brought me breakfast (bacon, eggs, pancakes in the shape of an M for mama) in bed for mother's day. We ate and laid around for hours. It was great.

These guys are the sweetest.

Jasani, our neighbor friend, came by to feed our chickens. Kept asking me "Why you takin pitcha?"

Tyler took part in the Butchertown Art Fair, we tried to get Royal to advertise for us, he wasn't happy about it.

But then he realized that his dad is an awesome graphic designer and he should support his business.

We had fun and the weather was perfect for it. It was also very successful, people were real encouraging about Tyler's work.

Here is our "little big man" as Jason, our roommate calls him. He is now 2 months old and weighs 14 lbs 3 ozs! (More than Jason and Kari's son Izaak who is 2 months older) Most people cannot believe it, but than they look at the muscles in my arms and are convinced. We are all doing well, sleeping here and there. I love being with our son and watching him grow. He talks to us now and smiles a lot. What a treat to be a parent!

Thursday

2010-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

-banana/blueberry muffin, coffee for breakfast

-read Acts 5-8, think about the early church and how similar it is to todays

-continue the process of making crusty Italian bread (the starter, or Biga, takes about 12-16 hours)

-soothe my son until he falls asleep, change a diaper, nurse

-think about mothers day, my mom, and how it has a whole new meaning this year

-continue to dig up a spot in the backyard that will be home to our herb patch: oregano, sage, lemon balm, lavendar, basil and thyme so far

-toss juicy worms to the chickens

-say hello to our blueberry and raspberry bushes (my mom says hello to her garden every morning, thought it was weird at first, now I cant help it when I get the chance)

-make hummus and tuna for lunch

-listen to Andrew stonestreet

-think about the spring, planting things, eating fresh vegetables, no more mealy winter tomatos anybody?

Our chickens have not been laying this week. On strike? Who knows, but I certainly miss their round, golden treats. I am not a big fan of cereal, unless I make it. It really is just corn with a bunch of vitamins and minerals added to it, throw in some preservatives. (Although I ate more cereal when I was pregnant than anything else it seems.) I just finished reading the Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan: A fabulous book in which Mr. Pollan attempts, and succeeds, at following his meal from the beginning to the end. It all starts with corn is why I mention it. Entertainingly written, I recommend it to everybody.

Royal goes to WI

2010-04-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

noel (royal?)

tyler (royal?)

ella, royal, madison, hunter: cousins

uncle caleb

aunt kerri

grandma ann and auntie gracie

grandpa greg

grandpa jim

great-grandma laura

We had a nice time meeting the rest of the family. Royals cousins took to petting him softly on the head and tummy. Great-grandma could only hold him for so long because "My, he is heavy." Grandma Ann took him out of my arms the moment we came up the stairs in the morning. "It's like christmas every morning!" She stated joyfully. Auntie Gracie had tears in her eyes at the thought of us leaving, she fell in love very quickly. Royal; a heartbreaker at the age of 6 weeks. We too will miss our family in wisconsin. Sigh.

almost a month.

2010-04-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

the krull sisters passed through town

a picture of tired

thanks for the cloth diapers uncle josh and aunt jenni!

Just a quick note to throw some pictures up. We have made it through the first month. Whew, can't hardly believe it. We become more and more comfortable with being parents. It is incredible the ability to function on sooo little sleep, but somehow we do it.

A beautiful birth.

2010-03-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Is childbirth painful: A question that most women ponder at some point in their lives. All too often we are afraid to know the answer. I remember thinking about giving birth in my young adult years and cringing at the thought of it: How is something so seemingly impossible, possible? How do women make it through such a long and laborious process? Of course, modern medicine makes the answers to these questions a bit easier. Makes the seemingly impossible, possible.

But, knowing that it could be done without numbing my body, knowing that my own mother did it 4 times without any pain medication and survived! I knew that that was what I wanted. I am not one to go and pop pills as soon as something is wrong with my body anyway, a cold or a headache, usually you will find me waiting it out or looking up every possible natural remedy first. So, naturally, I wanted my body to be able to do the thing that it was built for, the thing that it knows how to do instinctively.

Not everyone can be so lucky as me to have had to only labor for 9.5 hours. I woke up at 3am already with contractions that were 5 minutes apart. These quickly moved to 2-3 minutes apart and than started to double up on one another, some lasting 3 minutes at a time. I moved around the house, from our bed, to the bath, to the living room, spending plenty of time sitting on the toilet (good for counter-pressure). I guess all that moving around helped get Royal in to position very quickly. By the time our doula was able to make it over, I was starting to feel the “undeniable urge” to push. This of course put us on the fast course to getting to the hospital.

The ride to the hospital was hellish, every bump and turn wreaked havoc on my already uncomfortable situation. I had the hardest time getting out of the car into the wheelchair that would eventually take me up to the delivery unit. Tyler had to really coax me to turn my knees towards him to get my out of the car. Seems easy right?

As soon as I sat on the bed in my room at Clark Memorial, my water broke and I was 9 cm. Perfect timing. By this point I was told to wait on pushing until my midwife could get there. If there is one thing in this life that is nearly impossible, this would be it: To not push when my body is demanding me to. There is no way to control it. Fortunately, it was not long before my midwife showed up and I was than 10 cm.

I only had to push for 16 minutes before an 8 pound 3 ounce wonder was plopped into my arms. I didn’t cry, which I had expected to. Instead, after 5-6 hours of groaning and breathing heavily, the first words that I exclaimed were “He’s huge!” I guess that I just couldn’t believe that he had actually made it out and that he was all one complete piece of a human.

If it were not for my husband continually encouraging me that I could do it, my mother holding me in her tender embrace that I love so dearly, and my doula making sure that I relaxed between contractions, I am not sure how things would’ve gone. But they went, and they went beautifully.

So, childbirth, painful? More like hard work. with a reward at the end that makes you forget all that you had to do to get it. A miracle, really. Perfectly the way that God intended it to be.

He's Here!

2010-03-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

March 17, 12:31 pm. Royal Oakland Deeb. 8.3 pounds, 22 inches. Awesome, soft, broad chested. More pics to come.

Forty Weeks

2010-03-12T08:25:00.001-08:00

Tyler's new job look, working for Seminary.

My new job look, stealing basketballs.

Thought that it was impossible that I would make it to the end. Especially these past 3 weeks being so large. Wake up yet another morning to a pregnant body, it is incredible. I have taken up a new hobby, it is called snoring like an old man. Tyler got out his iphone at about 6:15 this morning to record the sound of his lovely wife snoring away. Funny it was indeed.

My parents, Jim and Ann, have been here for the past week with crossed fingers, hoping that Royal will make an appearance before they have to go back to Wisconsin. There is one day left. Walking has been our favorite thing to do while they are here. I think that my mom has secret motives when she suggests that we go to Cherokee Park for the 2nd day in a row. Those hills, if they don't bring on labor, I don't know what else will. We have yet to try blue cohosh, false unicorn root or squawvine, all contraction inducing herbs. False unicorn root? Who thought of that name? How about true mythical creature tuber.

The recent Past

2010-03-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Last june, Tyler took me to Georgia for as a gift. We broke down a few times on the interstate and for some reason I got real sick at the same time. I was not pregnant at the time, I don't know what happend.

We stayed at a hostal near the Appalachian Trail. Handsome.

This is for you Erin. Last spring about this time, we shared a special moment.

Bradley Speaks. and growls at the idea of driving to California and back in 4 days. We did it last February, it was awesome.

Sometimes boys have competitions where they test their leg muscle strength. Katherine and Luke's very special wedding shower 3/09.

Last winter, we had to dig a 4 foot deep ditch from the road to our house to repair a busted pipe. We hired nobody that wouldn't be paid with beer and pizza. This saved us about loads of dollars. Friends are great.

I won't say much about this. Tyler and Katherine are in a band, I on the other hand, am not.

live plants and things that are orange

2010-02-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

We have been able to enjoy walks through Cherokee Park, no matter the weather.

Our new miniature fruit orchard.

38 Weeks, whoa mama.

What to do with 6 rotting bananas...

Katherine and Luke joined us for

ceviche and salbutes one last friday eve.

Just add raw mahi mahi that has been marinating in lime for 7 hours.

I ate a carrot, sweet potato, cheese crackers and drank an orange emergenC for lunch today. All of those things have something in common. What it is it?

We went to our first appointment with the nurse-midwife today. You all might think that we are crazy changing our care providers at 38 weeks pregnant. Until we saw the “laboring tub” (more commonly known as a large bath tub) in one of the rooms at our new hospital, I thought we were crazy too. Because of Tyler’s new job as the lead designer at Southern Baptist Seminary we have been able to switch to where we wish we could’ve been this whole time. Sometimes, you just gotta be patient; real patient.

The UPS man delivered a real treat to our door today: A long box with stickers exclaiming that it contained “live plants”. Of course I warned Tyler to be careful when he opened it (Little Shop of Horrors anyone?). To our delight, yes, the plants were still alive but fortunately the only thing they will be eating dirt. Hopefully, if we do it right, over the next few months we will be able to enjoy Heritage Raspberries, Rabbiteye Blueberries and Northstar Cherries. I am also expecting a Clemetine tree, which I can use to add to my list of orange foods that I eat.

This kid will come at anytime now. We finished our natural childbirth class last night: We know now how a rolling pin, peppermint oil, chocolate and a very large beach ball can help reduce the pains of childbirth. Tyler got to witness his first up-close-and-personal delivery on video. He was sweating with very wide eyes and a hand covered mouth as a result. With that said, I have full faith in his abilities to aid me when I am the one panting and groaning. He is a wonderful man.

I continue to sip my red raspberry leaf tea in hopes that it will strengthen my uterus. Maybe the next time you hear from me, it will have pushed our baby out.

Shower!

2010-02-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

We were just dating. Barely, dating (2005) and in New York with Coury, Anne and Nathan.

We are starting a collection here of crowns. Not the Burger King type.

Baby shower friends! Kari, Dani, Stephanie.

My BFF Katherine threw me an awesome baby shower introduced with a slumber party the evening before. The shower was filled with great eats, wonderful ladies and great generosity overall. Not to mention handmade scrolls (thanks Anne) and crowns throughout.

Random Shots from Camp St.

2010-02-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am reading.

I wrote this on our wall when Tyler was away for a weekend. He responded.

Stairs.

Old Kentucky Whiskey box, which I brought with me from WI, with winter apparel.

Dead flowers.

Very, very dusty kitchen floor.

Tearing down the walls.

Our wedding RSVP's.

Our first Valentine's day 3 years ago.

Drawing by Tyler.

Saturday night. Dating myself at Quill's Coffee while the husband gets sweaty kicking around a ball with a bunch of guys: How can I better treat myself than with a Decaf Miele and a chocolate cherry biscotti? Not sure. But I am certain that I am spoiling my dinner. So be it.

Demolition kitchen started yesterday; We had no cabinets or counter tops to speak of for the 1.5 years that we have been living in this house. It is amazing the motivation having a baby can put in you. Tyler is certainly feeling the pressure as these projects, and time, close in around him. But do not fret, we are spending precious moments together being lazy, reading, watching The Office, and anticipating the arrival of our new friend, Royal. I still wonder every week that passes how it is possible for my skin to stretch any further. My mom told me that as long as my belly button is not fully pressed out, there is room there. Who knew?

Wisconsin and other winter activities

2010-01-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

A new addition to the Camp street house, Izaak was born on January 11th. We are all happy to have him on this side of the womb.

Prepping lunch at my little sister's apartment. Tyler and I enjoyed spending time with Gracie and playing mario kart was a bonus.

My mom, sister and sister-in-law put together a nice shower for Royal. I got to be around some wonderful ladies.

Ann Rice is a gem. Who would have thought that she was in her 50's?

My oldest niece, Kassidy Grace Noel.

Me and a lumberjack. He plans to cut his beard when Royal is born. Any bets as to how long it'll be in 7 weeks?

Sisters.

Tyler and Hunter Lee, our nephew.

We had a night with Sam and Todd, eating falafels and playing Phase 10 at their apartment.

And of course, our lovely chickens. Who are, I hate to admit it sometimes, cute.

Baby Shower Wish List for Royal

2010-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody. Thanks for taking the time to visit our blog to see what we are still in need of. Besides Babies R Us (which there are quite a few things on there that we need), I wanted to post a list so that there is an option to support other places. So here it is!

(PLEASE CONTACT KATHERINE IF YOU PURCHASE SOMETHING SO THAT SHE CAN TAKE IT OFF THE LIST)

-changing pad cover
(purchased: reusable nursing pads)

- soft terry cloths for reusable cloths

-almond oil, (purchased: apricot kernel oil), lavender oil

-small tupperwares

-swaddler

-diaper bag

-wooden toys

-(purchased: bilingual books)
- cloth diaper pins

-if you are a mom and have a secret item that you could not live without, I will take that also

Please try to stick to one of the lists, we have gotten many things already and would like to not have repeats. And of course, share the load if you need to!

12/25-1/1

2010-01-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

Kitchenaid Stand Mixer for my birthday from Tyler makes wonderful things.

I no longer have to clock in anywhere! First real day off. I stayed in pj's until 4pm.

Celebrate the New Year with a virgin Mojito.

A secret spy visitor came to dinner:

Ashlee "Mug Time" Krull! All the way from Milwaukee.

Preparing the main dish for our feast of roasted chicken, potato and celeriac au gratin, spinach salad and home made bread.

On our way to Deeb christmas with the neph's.

trimester 3+20 LBS

2009-12-21T16:48:00.000-08:00

The luxuries of bending over, breathing steadily after ascending a flight of stairs and sleeping on my stomach are now things of the past. I was asked to stop cleaning at work today because of how ridiculous I probably looked all bent over with a rag and Pledge. Or it could've been that my co-workers are sweet and don't want me doing things that are uncomfortable. Like eating donuts. Which I think I will stop doing because after the episode that is put before you here, I found myself in a coma like state un-able to enjoy the rest of my sunday morning with Tyler. Two days later I found out that I am anemic. Good news is that Royal is getting all the iron that he needs; because he is taking it from me. This explains the near fainting episodes that I have had at work and the occasional fatigue. But now I have little red pills that contain 325 mgs of ferrous sulfate, that is iron, to take once a day to stop these things from happening. Fortunately, I only have 5 more shifts left at the coffee shop and none of them involve me getting up at 5:30 am. Unfortunately, iron causes constipation. Hello prunes and coconut water.

So christmas is upon us, which also means that one more year of this life I have been given has passed. That adds up to 27 now. At 27, I am 28 weeks pregnant. I would not have it any other way. If I were not pregnant I couldn't laugh as my husband puts his mouth directly on my stomach and talks to our son, saying things like "Royal, wake up! It's time to go to school!" Which ends up sounding like an orc underwater to me, so I can only imagine what it sounds like to Royal.

Other goodies to share:

We got a centimeter or two of snow

Our chickens gave us 3 eggs this morning, I promptly fried one up. Fresh out of the vent!

My dear friend Ashlee is getting on a plane that is coming here sunday

Christmas with the Deebs this weekend

Birthday dinner tomorrow night at Havana Rumba for me!

Week 23, tired eyes.

2009-11-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

Chugging hot chocolates with Tyler. He is not so much chugging, Royal and I are. Filling up a little space before we eat dinner at Coury and Anne's. Babysitting the elfling Elias and brother Abel for the evening whilst there parents go out and remember what it was like to not have two rambunctious but beautiful children. Someday, we will recollect those memories as well.

We switched OB's and are very pleased with our new Doctor. She is a helping hand in what is finally recognized as our pregnancy. We had been a bit uneasy about not gettting what we desired for the birth but it seems that everything will be ok, of course it will.

Royal continues to grow. All I can picture is a little lebanese man; a small Tyler, inside of my womb.

Week 20 and Prince Royal Oakland

2009-10-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

It has been confirmed that there is indeed a little man inside of me. Tyler and I got to see his tangled, boney, beating and kicking self for the first time the day before our 3 year anniversary. It was a treat to see the goodness of creation being formed so delicately and perfectly inside of me.

We were not in the least bit surprised when we saw baby boy parts seeing as Tyler has only brothers and nephews.

The name of our son will be Royal Oakland Deeb.

Honey comb, bears and knotted paper

2009-10-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

I ate honey comb for the first time since my grandmother Kathryn Huelsbeck passed away some 18 years ago. I would look at it in the natural food store that we frequent and remember the sweetness in my mouth from so many years before. Friends of ours gave us a jar as a gift! Imagine my delight as my mind was flooded with memories.

The baby within me has learned some killer boxing moves and is not afraid to show them off. The first night that it decided to show off was exciting and eery all the same. It was moving around so much that I began to think of it as an alien trying to escape. Not real pleasant, I know, but that is where the eery part comes in. Tyler has not been quite quick enough yet to feel the movements but in due time he shall see.

Tomorrow (sunday) will be 20 weeks for us. That is half-way which is a bit hard to believe. The first trimester went by so snail-like and the last month and a half flew by. I can see that I am growing much quicker now. Learning to how to finagle outfits together without having to buy new stuff is my new demise.

To the end

2009-10-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Top 10 things from Oregon:

1. Sleeping through the night for at least 10 hours

2. Going to the coast and having Tyler say to me "You know you are my best friend, right?"

3. Having a Stumptown Coffee only 2 blocks away at all times

4. Laughing, walking through Laurelhurst Park at night, waking up early and walking to get coffee

5. Drinking a maple syrup and brown sugar latte from Astoria Coffeehouse

6. Hiking in the Columbia Gorge

7. Giving one another our undivided attention

8. Feeling the first real discernible movement of our babe

9. Talking about our future hopes while driving through old growth forest

10. Tyler saying "I hate it when things have to die for no reason" as he is picking up banana slug after banana slug off the trails

Portland and the Coast

2009-10-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

We are celebrating 3 years of growth and love in our commitment as a wedded pair. Things that are involved in this celebration include being in Portland, Or with our friend Daniel. We kicked off the week with making a double pumpkin pie from scratch and cooking it in a cast iron skillet. Also we boiled an entire chicken down into soup for the week. After 2 days in the city, both which were started out right with Stumptown Coffee (2 blocks from Daniel's residence), Tyler and I headed toward the coast. We ended up in Seaside for one night and realized that it didn't have much to offer us as a small coastal town that catered to tourists. So we got back in the Volvo and drove up to Astoria, apparently the first settlement this side of the Mississippi. While there we snooped through book stores and thrift shops as well as galleries and a hotel. We ate dinner of halibut and chips with rockfish tacos at Fort George Microbrewery, walked through lots of mist and rain, laughed, talked of our future, slept 10 hours, enjoyed coffee and study time along with waffles and fruit the next morning.

I love these times that we get to experience because it is always a reminder of how good God is. Often we project our hopes for the future; being careful of what we ask for because we know to expect it to come to fruition. We can look back at the things that we prayed for in the past and see them in our lives as blessings.

We have 6 more days until we get back to the south. Plans of hiking and eating good food are ahead.

The Deebs are back

2009-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Try as I might, getting online is not an easy task for me. But I dislike the idea of being disconnected from friends and family even more than sitting in front of a computer. So here we are again, this time, we will attempt to keep you posted on what it looks like for a Tyler and a Noel to prepare for a child. I will say that thus far, 17ish weeks in to it, we have been blessed with an easy pregnancy. Some mornings I wake up forgetting that I am incubating another life, it has been that simple. We get more excited as I grow (gaining 8 whole pounds last I was weighed). We will find out what the little thing is the 27th, one day before our 3 year anniversary. Don't worry, we are telling.