Signs of spring

Our flowers are beginning to cheer up our yard, further proof that the earth is waking from its winter slumber.


Meet Gnorme, our garden gnome. We adopted him at the Wichita Garden Show earlier this month.

My brave little one

Tuesday was a big day for our little family. After a string of ear infections in the past few months, including a double ear infection most recently, Westley had tubes put in his ears. Lots of people assured me that it wouldn't be a big deal, it was fairly routine and that he would feel so much better with them. But try telling a mom not to worry when her 17-pound, 10-month-old son is in a hospital gown and being taken away by a medical team for surgery. Fortunately, it was a short procedure and he was back in my arms within about 10 minutes. Westley was so sweet and playful and didn't fuss at all when we met with the nurse, doctor and anesthesiologist. Afterward, he snuggled in our arms and took a bottle and was just a little angel.

It was a long day. He wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything after 2:30 a.m. the morning of the procedure, so I set my alarm for 2. After a couple hours of sleep, I got up to feed him a bottle. We both went back to bed. I was up again before long, though, getting everyone ready for the drive all the way across town to the clinic. We had to check in at 6:30 a.m. By noon, Brian was packed up and on the road for a work trip. With some help from family and friends (and a lot of grace), Westley and I got through the day just fine.

He is regaining his appetite and is his chatty sweet self. Whew. What a relief.

Thank you, everyone, for your prayers and support.

We got a kick at how well Westley's tiny hospital gown (the smallest size they have available) matched the hoodie I wore to the surgery center. It was a tiny little thing that lifted my spirits.

New birth

At church Sunday, the sermon was focused on the concept of new birth. The pastor talked about Nicodemus, spiritual birth and infant birth. We had the honor of having some of our items, including two photos of our beautiful Westley James, as part of an altar vignette:

The photo at far left is from his first photo shoot in the hospital. The photo on the right is one of my sonogram photos taken midway through my pregnancy. There's also the baby Bible we bring to church with us most weeks for him to look at during the service, a Tiger rattle from his Classic Pooh-themed nursery and a pair of green and yellow crocheted booties, which my maternal grandfather's sister made and gave to my mom when I was born. The blue baby blanket is one of his treasures, too.

As with many services, we spent part of that one in the cry room. It's a peaceful space and a place we can worship together as a family without worrying about interrupting the peace in the sanctuary:

St. Patty's with the family

On Saturday, 10 of us got together at Mom and Dad's for a corned beef dinner and a St. Patrick's Day party. There was lots of green, delicious food (I intend to post a couple of recipes soon) and Monopoly Deal, our newest favorite card game.






Mom cooked 16 pounds of corned beef using some new spices Brian bought her at Penzeys Spices during a recent work trip to Kansas City.





Click to see additional photos from the party.

Hungry for books

I took Westley to his first story time earlier this month, and we hit another on Saturday. I found out that Barnes and Noble has a terrific lineup of children's story times. They read several books and then have a related craft, followed by a snack. For free! Score!

We invited Auntie M, who was in town last weekend, and Auntie Jen and cousin Kaden to join us for a "Very Hungry Caterpillar" story time. The little boys were more than a little distracted, but the five of us had a blast.



Click to see more photos from our afternoon.

Ten months!

Westley James turned 10 months old on Friday.

This chapter of his life is so beautiful. I look forward to spending time with him every day. And I love that, at this age, we don't have to concentrate heavily on discipline, homework, practice, attitudes. I don't have to worry about ulterior motives, bullying, whether he's doing his chores. Our time together is spent playing, reading, snuggling and soothing. I cherish the opportunity to see him learn, explore and discover the world around him.


Orange wedges are a newer treat for Westley. I think he likes their juice and texture as much -- if not more -- than the flavor. He's eating more solids, and his appetite has grown just this week.


Westley is happy playing independently now. But he'd rather have a friend around, especially his sweet cousin:

Fight for Air Climb in honor of Mom

Above is a photo of my beautiful mother Ann, who has been diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Mom is among more than 35 million Americans who suffer from chronic lung diseases.

In May 2008, Mom suffered respiratory failure and was raced to the emergency room. She spent 26 days in the hospital, much of the time in critical condition. During the scariest days, she was in a coma and on a ventilator. She underwent a successful tracheotomy, recovered and was released. You can read more about her ordeal and recovery.

That was a frightening time. Prayer, Mom's strength and faith and the love of family and friends saw us through it.

Since then, Mom has welcomed a son-in-law and two new grandsons (including my precious little Westley) into the family. She is the glue that holds us together, the one who reminds us to keep the faith and to relish the beautiful moments that take our breath away.

In the past three years, Mom has attended physical therapy weekly to maintain her lung capacity and her strength.

I am running the Fight for Air Climb in her honor, to raise awareness and funds and to support the woman who has done so much for me in my life.

To train, I've climbed 836 floors so far this month at the YMCA and have avoided elevators on *most* occasions.

I am asking you, my family and friends, to help me meet my goal to raise money for the American Lung Association to prevent lung disease. Even better, please join me in the race that day!

Please also consider donating to Brian Buselt, my loving husband whose dedication to me and my family has led him to join me in the race.

During the race April 9 at Intrust Bank Arena, I will run a 5K that includes climbing 34 floors. I will remember the same advice Mom gave me in a handwritten letter she mailed to me when I was an overwhelmed journalism student at KU: "Take deep breaths!" It's a wonderful way to approach life, and something I want to help others have the chance to do.

Thank you,

Lori

Celebrate!

I celebrated two events with friends last weekend.

Brian and I found a fabulous babysitter for Westley and attended a couples' wedding shower for our friends Rob and Courtney, who are getting married next month.



And then we picked up Westley and headed north to Salina, where we attended our friend Jill's surprise 40th birthday party at Martinelli's Italian restaurant.


Westley was too busy making eyes at his new friend to pay attention to the photo shoot.


They played together, and Westley shared a couple of his favorite reads: "That's Not My Lion" (an Usborne book) and "One Duck Stuck" by Phyllis Root.

We were exhausted from all of the celebrating, especially because Daylight Savings Time stole an hour from our weekend. But we wouldn't have missed the chance to celebrate with these friends. Congrats, Rob, Court & Jill!

The great carrot cake-off!

With Brian back in town, my string of birthday celebrations continued Friday night. (I know! I sure know how to stretch it out, right?! Take notes, ladies. Watch and observe.)

We took Westley to my parents' house and invited my in-laws over for a grand taste test event: a carrot cake taste test party! Brian found a few places (Copper Oven, Piccadilly) to be sold out of carrot cake, so he was a man on a mission to find us options. Oh, darn. We'll have to have a carrot cake-off, take two. I've also had recommendations for the carrot cake from Old Mill Tasty Shop and Just Catfish (of all places!). Any other place you'd recommend?

The party was an excellent way to wrap up my day off. After our foray into baby education and our dining-through-the-alphabet lunch date, we took Westley to an ear, nose and throat doctor, where we found out that our little one needs tubes in his ears. I hate to have to do this, but he has had too many ear infections. We're praying this helps. Then, while I was being spoiled with a one-hour massage (thanks to some neighborhood mommy friends who treated me to a gift certificate), Brian and Westley drove around town buying carrot cakes, one of my favorite desserts.

Ta-da!


We sampled a piece of each cake one at a time and critiqued its appearance, frosting, spiciness, moistness, "carrotness" (presence of a carrot flavor/treatment of the featured ingredient), texture and overall taste. It was an absolute blast! The results, in a nutshell:

Dillons: This cake won our highest points for appearance but our lowest points in every other category. For $12.99, it scored the poorest on our value test.

I vote it best for impressing guests who are on a diet ... or those who gave up carrot cake for Lent.


Monica's Bundt Cake: This cake scored highest in the spiciness category, with a heavy dash of delicious nutmeg. But this bundt may have suffered some freezer burn before we bought it, we think. It was disappointingly dry and didn't live up to the bakery's reputation for delicious treats.

We loved the finely chopped nuts and light texture but could see -- and not taste -- the carrot. The frosting was super-sweet but perhaps a little gritty. At about $15, it also wasn't considered the best value.

Target: My friend Ann recommended this treat, and it scored the second-highest in our taste test. We loved the cake's yummy cinnamon flavor and the fact that you could taste the carrot. It was very moist and smooth. A surprising and convenient option for $6! (We actually picked this up during an errand for milk, greeting cards and a prescription, for instance.)

Our main complaint, though, was that there was just too much frosting and not enough cake (evident in the photo at left). And we missed the hearty pineapple and raisins that other offerings included.

Village Inn: This cake, well, took the cake. We loved its nutty -- but not overly sweet -- frosting and the cute icing carrot decoration. Its ingredients included a hearty mix of carrots, pineapple, nuts and raisins.

We missed the spiciness of some of the other cakes, and it was a little heavy, dry and crumbly. I do love that you can buy it by the slice, something its competitors didn't offer. That might make this dessert the easiest -- and most guilt-free -- option to revisit during a future sweet tooth attack.

A is for Avivo

After dropping Westley off at daycare for a few hours Friday, Brian and I kicked off a new foodie adventure: We're dining through the alphabet! (Note my new "A is for appetite" label below, which I'll use to document our culinary project.)

We parked in a centrally located spot in NewMarket Square before splitting up. He went to get a haircut while I headed the other direction for an iced green tea from Panera and a pedicure. (I felt so pampered. I read a my superhero book and enjoyed my first pedi since before Westley was born. Even better, I used a gift card some neighborhood mommy friends had given me as a shower gift.)

Afterward, we walked to the little pizza place nearby for a lunch date.

Brian had breadsticks and a beer while he waited for me to arrive. I found him looking handsome with freshly coiffed locks at the bar, reading "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" on his tablet and monitoring President Obama's press conference on TV. We watched coverage about the catastrophic tsunami in Japan, which we talked about while we ate. I hate it when big news breaks on my vacation. I hate to see something like this happen. It breaks my heart. But when it does happen, I'd rather it be when I'm in the newsroom to play even a small role in the coverage. Employees continued to watch the news coverage while we found a sunny quiet table to chat.

I ordered the Insalata di Pollo, and he had a yummy pizza. When our food arrived, I had food envy, but he shared a slice with me. (I pride myself in my knack for ordered something delicious. Friends have remarked on this talent. So food envy is a rare occurrance.) They ignored my request to exclude the red onions, but the salad was tasty nonetheless. Then we zipped to a nearby store to pick out a wedding shower gift for some friends who are having a couples shower this afternoon. We had some uninterrupted time to catch up about his trip, my week and other recent events. It was lovely.

Westley's first story time

I took Friday off to celebrate my birthday. We started our whirlwind day with a visit from our Parents as Teachers educator. We're involved with Maize School District's program.

After the home visit, our second, Westley and I went to Maize High South, where the program is based, for a "cookie bookie" program. I didn't even know it was going on until our educator told us. But I figured that days off are designed for discoveries like this, so we stopped by on our way to daycare.

While Westley has been read aloud to on a daily basis since before he was born, this was his first public story time-in-a-circle type event.

We sat cross-legged on the floor with other mommys and little ones and sang a song about drumming, another about animals and then listened to a reading of Suess' "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?" He loves that story. In fact, it was the single very board book we had in his diaper bag at that instant. Love that coincidence.

Westley was adorable! He sucked on his pacifier and intently watched the teacher and the kiddos around him. At one point, he leaned off my lap and did kind of a face-plant on the colorful rug and played with the pile. Ha!

I chatted with a couple other moms; Westley seemed to soak it all in. It's fair to say we were both learning and observing together, something we'll have in common throughout his entire education. I'm ready to help him each step of the way.

Feeling crabby

I'm so proud of Brian, who was selected to attend a special management training this week in Kansas City, even though it took him out of town Monday through Thursday nights. (Yup. That means I had Westley for three nights AND he missed my birthday.)

The good news is we did great! Westley slept well and was a little angel. Hallelujah! That said, it was tiring and something that gives me tremendous respect for single parents.

When Brian arrived home, he asked me to fish something out of his suitcase for him. I found these:


When he was little and his dad would travel for business, he would come home with T-shirts, Brian explained. Now it's his turn.

These shirts are from Eat at Joe's Crab Shack. I'm very happy that he didn't get me this one.

It's just uncanny

Do you know how many types of diaper bags and baby strollers exist? If you do, then you understand how truly bizarre it is that our friends Amy and Randy have the same versions (albeit in different colors) for their daughter Kira. Our items are on the left; theirs on the right.

I snapped this photo when we met up to hang out with them at the garden show Sunday.

These are the same friends who have two golden retrievers. And Amy's birthday is the same as mine. Yep. It's just uncanny.

Birthday treats

I as such a blessed woman. Recent case-in-point: My family and friends have made my birthday a wonderful celebration. Take a look:


My coworker Eba brought in two dozen doughnuts from my favorite doughnut place, Donut Whole. (It's where I celebrated my birthday last year.) I loved sampling a few of the treats, including the buttered popcorn variety. YUM! Peggy, another coworker, baked me a delicious chocolate cake. I was on a wonderful sugar high.


Brian bought me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.


He also surprised me with these adorable Scrabble-inspired pillows to represent our little family. He pointed out that the point values for our initials add to up equal Westley's. Fitting, isn't it. Scrabble is one of our favorite games, and we're playing a tournament series right now. Brian's ahead 7-6. I'm plotting my revenge.

My lucky charm

Westley is a genuine Irish baby, and March is the perfect time to shine. Just looking at him, though, makes me realize that I'm the lucky one.


The yellow and green afghan pictured is one my mother passed down to me when Westley was born. Her father's sister (my great-aunt) made it for her when I was born. It has matching booties, too.

Garden par-tay!

An annual birthday request of mine, Brian and I headed to the beautiful and magical Wichita Garden Show on Sunday. It was Westley's first time there, and we met up with my in-laws and friends Amy, Randy and baby Kira to explore the gardens-in-the-movies themed show. Such fun!

A few photos from the day:

Daddy and Westley by the "Up" garden.

Westley's new hat!

Babies Kira and Westley

Look at me!

Click to see additional photos from the day.

Dive in

About 15 of my friends new and old gathered at Mike's Wine Dive last night to help me celebrate my 32nd birthday. There were laughs, wine flights, S'mores and shout outs by the live musician, who announced to the wine bar that I was old. But he also remarked on the large group of people and said that I must be doing something right. I'd like to agree, based on the company.


My friend Amy, whose birthday also is March 9th, thanked me for gathering all my friends together just to celebrate her day. Aren't I a good friend?!


It was great to finally have some time to catch up with my KU journalism school friend Chris and his lovely wife Ashley, who moved to the Wichita area from Texas in August. After months of living here, Brian, Westley and I bumped into them at Cocoa Dolce late Saturday afternoon. We chatted for a little bit, and I told them that I highly recommended their Mayan Hot Chocolate (Brian and I had just shared an impromptu dessert-before-dinner snack there). Turns out, my friends were there to pick out a birthday gift for me! A few hours later, I opened a bottle of wine and a box of the Mayan Hot Chocolate. Loved it.

In addition to the Mayan Hot Chocolate, we also sampled a few chocolates, including the PB&J, Irish Cream and Coffee Spice. Wowzers. Westley was so cute and crawled around and interacted with a couple other kiddos there was we nibbled and sipped and chatted. It was spontaneous and relaxing and wonderful.

It was also part of a wonderful day that started with me climbing 134 stairs at the Y (my personal best to date), getting a haircut and style and a private fitting at Talbots, my favorite clothing store. After dessert, we grabbed dinner at nearby Il Vicino.

What a very sweet super sweet 16.

Click to see additional photos from the evening in my Facebook album.