The A-Team

Deja Vu!

2012-01-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

It came time for little peanut to get ear tubes! She followed right in her brother's footsteps...exactly in her brother's footsteps. He got tubes at 10 months 2 weeks and it was the same for her! She had a clogged tear duct that she needed opened as well. The surgeries were coordinated and she was able to have the procedures done at the same time, thank goodness! She did great!

Popcorn Popper!

2012-01-25T05:32:00.001-08:00

For quite some time now, Josh has wanted a popcorn popper to complete the theatre in the basement. His wish came true a few weeks ago! Guess who is enjoying the popcorn almost as much as Josh?!

Photobomb!

2012-01-25T05:12:00.001-08:00

Because I am REALLY behind on this blogging thing....here are some photos from Christmas!

Cookie Decorating!

2011-12-24T12:02:00.001-08:00

Well, the cookies are decorated....now who will eat them? Oddly enough, no one in our home eats these!

Hats

2011-12-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

Reese has a good selection of hats. I love them and I think she looks adorable in them. These were both gifts from a good friend.

There is usually lots of bribbing to get her to keep them on her head.

This is really what she thinks of them.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

In addition to the kid's stockings, I also made one for me and Josh! The pictures don't do them justice. My favorite part is that the fabric on the inside of each stocking is different!

The view from outside!

The view from inside!

We have yet to have our first snowfall. I am secretly loving this.

I'm back!!

2011-12-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

...let's see how long I stay!! Oh, the days of blogging went on a serious hault. I would like to blame having two active children, one husband and a house to take care of. Truth is, I'm just got caught in a lazy cycle!

I've tried uploading photos since my last blog post and it failed miserably. So you will be stuck with words instead of photos to re-cap the last month.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We hosted. The turkey was great and so was the weather. It seriously felt like Easter with the 60 degree temperatures! That night, Josh and I hit Black Friday for our usual "date night." We usually don't buy gifts on this crazy shopping spree night, but items that we need for the home that will be discounted greatly. This years hits were a new pot and pan set and towels. We've done this for 5 years now and we have a great system worked out. Yes, we did stand in line for the stores to open. No, we did not stand in line to check out. :) No, we won't share our secrets. It's serious business!

Will and Reese are happy and so fun. Will's language has taken off so much in the past few months. He makes us laugh so hard with the things he says. Reese is crawling all over the place! She is loving her new found freedom and is enjoying trying to beat mommy to the next "hands - off" location!

Okay....I will try to do more blog posts with pictures from December now!

Christmas stockings!

2011-11-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

I was invited to a "stocking sewing party" last Friday night. This was the perfect opportunity to try out my new sewing machine (a hand-me-down) and make stockings for the kids! I was very leery of my sewing skills, but I was surrounded by skilled friends!

Here is the fabric I chose.

And the final product!

I will be making stockings for Josh and me before Christmas comes as well. Hopefully.

They would be lost without each other.

2011-11-18T09:38:00.000-08:00

New Tattoo!

2011-11-02T12:58:00.001-07:00

I joined Will this last week and gave myself a groovy press-on tattoo. Of course, I want another one for real now. Yes, I want a wrist tattoo. Josh said if I keep a fake tattoo on my wrist for a solid 3 months, I can get one. I'm on my second press-on and need to know where to purchase more....and I need to think about what I want to permanently put on my wrist.

Trick or Treat!

2011-11-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

The kids had a great time trick or treating last night! Will was Superman and Reese was a cute little Cheetah! Will was not feeling the pictures....he was too excited to get outside!

We were also lucky enough to have Lisa and Lyla join us for the evening too!

Lyla was the cutest little chicken!

Trick or Treat!

Lisa and Lyla

Daddy and Reese!

Reese was all smiles!

Superman was on a mission!

Pumpkins

2011-10-30T04:42:00.001-07:00

Will and Reese decorated their "little pumpkins" last weekend before the sickness entered our home!! Now that they are feeling much better, we carved our big pumpkins last night!

Happy girl!

We buy the stencils since we aren't that creative! ;)

I carved the "Welcome" pumpkin and Josh carved the "Cemetery" pumpkin.

Happy Candy Day!

Story of our life....this week, anyway.

2011-10-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just a daily dose!

Again!

2011-10-24T05:15:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, we came back here....

Because Will wanted to do this....

But mostly because he is obsessed with this.....

I want....this one!

Trying to kick the nasty ear infection all week....starting to do better.

Will loved these....

And he got a kick out of this....

Classic....no words needed.

Can you see those Tyler Sash autographs?!

Best one we could get!

We left shortly after this picture and headed to the mall for a return. We decided that after we returned home, we would lay Reese down for an early bedtime and spend the night carving pumpkins with Will. But, on the car ride home from the mall, Will went south. He became very quiet (which was very nice) until we realized that maybe something was wrong. As we pulled in the garage, I laid my hand on his forehead and he was burning up. We spent the night trying to keep his 103.8 fever under control with Tylenol and Motrin, but that barely did the trick. His heart rate was 170, which is crazy high. After a call to the ER doctor, we accepted the fact that we just had to let him ride this out and let him sleep. (And, not to worry about this fever unless it reached 105. Right.) Thankfully, the high fever dropped to a 101 - ish fever by morning and we took him to Urgent Care. No news. Just a virus. I think his fever has finally broke here on Monday morning

Autographs!

2011-10-22T11:33:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we headed to Scheels to get autographs from Tyler Sash! He was the safety for the Hawks and is now playing for the New York Giants. Josh actually had a class with him a couple years ago. The class was fairly small so they actually had a chance to talk and get to know each other. Well, enough the be Facebook friends! ;) Tyler was signing yesterday to raise money to help his former Hawkeye teammate, who is recovering from injuries from a collaspe during a workout last month. It was a great cause and we were more than happy to help them out. The kids got their Hawkeye shirts signed and Josh's football was autographed!

I love it when we can do this....

2011-10-22T11:31:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the amazing, non-seasonal weather a couple weeks ago and headed to the local pumpking patch. Will had a great time playing, riding a tractor, looking at the farm animals, touring the haunted barn and mostly, playing in the corn. Here are some highlights of the trip!

Reese LOVED the swing!

Let's just say there were tears from Will when we had to leave this....

Family

2011-10-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, my sister and I headed up north to visit some family! Our Grandma is getting older and always appreciates visitors. The was the 1st time she met her Great-Granddaughter, Reese. They were both smitten.

Grandma and Bella

Will, Grandma, Reese and Bella. 3 of the 24(I think?!) great-grandchildren!! Wowsers.

Grandma and Kristi

Me and my Grammy. The one who would pick me up from school when I left sick. The one who always made everything better.

Then we headed 'into town' and stopped by our brother's house. Our nephew, James, was home visiting from the Navy.

The siblings! Kristi, Jeff and Me!

And I couldn't help but post this picture as well. Leave it to the rednecks up north to say it like it is!

2011-09-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

This sweet girl has been sleeping in a VERY bare room the majority of her life! I was finally able to add to the tree design I put in her room a few months ago. It is probably the most creative thing I've ever done. Take an old shelf, old picture frames, a new "R" and 99 cent scrapbook paper from Michaels and you get this!

Her room feels complete!

Excuse Me!

2011-09-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Please excuse typos and off centered paragraphs!! Our laptop (our only working computer right now) is, um, sick? Not sure of the right term, but it won't let me edit my posts! Ugh!

Chicago!

2011-09-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

We took a mid-week vacation last week to one of our favorite cities: Chicago! We scored free Cubs tickets and great deals all around; it was definitely our chance to go! Will stayed back home with Ms. Katie and his old daycare friends as well as his Auntie Kristi's house. With all that we wanted to do and see, a 3 year old would get bored/tired very easily. Reese, on the other hand, came along. That'll happen when your baby girl doesn't want to take a bottle! But, it was great. She got 2 on 1 attention, which she's never had!

We got a great deal online to stay at the Belden Stratford Hotel in Chicago. It was 1 mile north of the Magnificent Mile and 1.5 miles away from Wrigley Field. For only $100, it was a steal. It was the perfect location and we thought there was a serious mistake in rooms once we opened the door. Neither of us have ever stayed in this big of a hotel room, especially in Chicago! It was probably a little over 400 sq feet big!

The living room was seriously bigger than our living room at home.

The bedroom. We requested 1 king, but we got 2 queens. It was quite all right though. Once we got home from the Cubs game (after 11pm) these 2 beds suckered us in and we decided that a night of sprawled out, not worrying about kicking the other person sleeping was very inviting. Yeah, we slept in seperate beds. It was kinda great! ;)

Reese slept in the living room. The hotel gave us a brand new pack n play to use. It was wonderful.

And the full kitchen, fully stocked with pot and pans, dishes and steak knives.

Once we got unpacked and settled, we purchased our bus passes and headed to the bus stop to get downtown. The moment we crossed the street, I became sad that Will was at home. We were right across the street from a huge fenced in playground and the Lincoln Zoo. (We will have to come back another time with him when we plan to do more kid friendly activities.) We also walked by this garden right by our hotel. It was beautiful!

The Magnificent Mile and my favorite store, ever.

Josh's favorite store, Hershey's! The mug says, "Reese's!" We almost bought it.

We found perfect off street parking downtown. See! *clears throat* Seriously, we've never seen a Lamborghini in real life. Josh was salivating.

An early dinner at Giordano's! It was delish. You know the old joke where you unscrew the parmesean cheese and wait for your friend to dump it all over their pizza? Well, that happened to Josh. The previous customer must have been 12 years old. It was quite funny.

Baby girl was SO tired and did not want to nap!

Finally, we are at Wrigley Field!

Reese even got her official "first timers" certificate from the stadium.

Even though we lost, it was still a great game!

On our way out of the city. It was a beautiful morning. Next stop: IKEA and then home!

The Apple Orchard

2011-09-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived and that means time for the apple orchard! We love coming here....we have been every year since Will was born. The first visit was when he was just 3 weeks old! The kids had a blast. Reese loved sucking on the fresh apples and Will downed at least 2 apples during our picking experience. Note to self for next year - Honeycrisp are ready in EARLY September!

I love this sweet face.

2011-09-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

Pics of the Kiddos!

2011-09-05T11:54:00.001-07:00

Reese's Baby Dedication

2011-08-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Reese's baby dedication! This was a time for us to dedicate back to the Lord what he has given us...life. We committed before the Lord to submit Reese to God's will and to raise her according to God's Word and ways. It was a beautiful day!

Will, Daddy and Reese before the service!

Reesy Roo and Mamma.....and Will-Will

Sorry for the dark photo! Josh was introducing us and Will was telling everyone, "hi"!

After the service, my family came back to our house for a lunch celebration!

Yup, It was delicious!

Reese wanted a bite too....sorry darlin', you'll have to wait till your 1st birthday!

Reese and Jeff (her Godfather!)
Reese's Godmother was out of town...missed you Em!

Her gifts!

Reese Victoria - May you always find delight in the Lord. May he be the One that fills your heart with joy. May you accept the salvation of Christ at a young age and walk in His light all of your life! We love you!

Time lost & thoughts....

2011-08-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

I had a random thought today during naptime. I'm not sure if it'll make any sense to you, but I'm going to share it anyway.

I worked for the first 2.5 years of William's life. Really, we didn't have a choice. Josh was still in school. Bills still needed to be paid.

I've been a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) since Reese was born. I was scared and nervous at first, but now I can't imagine re-entering the workforce. At least not full-time or until the kids are a bit older. Now I realize that my mission is at home with my children.

Which made me wonder....how much time did I loose with my son?

Will was in daycare 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. That's 50 hrs/week.

He slept for 12 hrs a night. That's 84 hrs/week.

Out of 168 hours a week, I saw him for 34 hrs/week. This includes weekdays and weekends, not including naps.

It's like saying I only saw him for 73 days out of 365 days per year, for the first two years of his life.

I really don't know what to make of my thoughts and I'm trying not to be a Debbie Downer. I do know that I completely sympathize with any mom that has no choice but to put their children in full-time daycare. I understand why mom's cry the first day they drop them off for daycare/preschool/kindergarten. For those of you that think in order to be a SAHM, your spouse must have an awesome job and bring in boat loads of cash, you're wrong. It means that there are budgets, cutbacks and less entertainment. It isn't glamorous, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

How's that for a random thought?!

3 years & 6 months

2011-08-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

We had Will's 3 year check-up today as well as Reese's 6 month check-up! The kids are healthy and doing great! Here are the stats:

Will - 30 pounds and 3' 1.5" tall

Reese - 15.5 pounds and 26.5 inches long

Reese is definitely my little peanut. Will already had another 4 pounds on him at her age. I'll keep her baby size just as long as possible!

Will's Birthday Party!

2011-08-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is how we celebrated Will's actual birthday last week. Will received a bat, tee, glove and baseballs from us! He was super pumped to try everything out. He doesn't have a bad swing either!

On Saturday we celebrated with friends and family! On the agenda....a pool party! However, the weather threatened our plans. Radar showed storms and showers moving through our area at the exact same time as the party! So, we (selfishly) prayed the God would move the rain clouds away from our house and not let it rain until after the party at 5pm. Once again, God showed off by moving clouds to the north and south of us. Around 5:02pm, the wind picked up and rain came falling! Like I've said before, He's such a show-off....

Reese was ready to party!

Thanks to everyone who came to party with us! William had a great time ringing in his 3rd birthday....and God blessed us with a beautiful day!

Will's Birth Story

2011-08-10T06:05:00.001-07:00

In honor of Will's 3rd Birthday, I am going to try to remember just how the day played out....

Sunday, August 10, 2008

On the morning of the 10th, I woke up around 4:30am. Sleeping well was unheard of at this point in the pregnancy. So, I grabbed my pillows and headed to the living room to try and snooze on the couch. After watching T.V. for an hour or so, I fell hard asleep. Josh came downstairs around 9:30am and asked if I was ok and if we were going to church…but we were already late because church started at 9am. After a bowl of cereal I asked Josh if he would go with me to Wal-Mart. The cupboards and refrigerator were getting very empty and since I was due any day now and still working full-time, I thought we should at least stock up on groceries. We headed to a busy Wal-Mart and filled the cart, followed by brunch at a local restaurant. We headed home and had a lazy early Sunday afternoon. We watched the 2008 Summer Olympics and I even caught a few more zzz’s as Michael Phelps won another gold medal. When I woke up I asked Josh if he wanted to go to the pool. I loved swimming while I was pregnant because it took all the pressure of my belly, back, hips and legs. Josh was very eager to please me at this point. He knew how uncomfortable I was and just had another breakdown the day before about still being pregnant. I wasn’t due until the 14th, but the thought of having to go to work the next day just killed me. I was ready to be done. We headed to the pool and had a great time. We actually ran into quite a few people that we knew! I had just got done swimming some laps in the deep end and Josh swam out to meet me. We were just talking away. I was so relaxed and felt like I could float forever.

Then something happened….and it probably wouldn’t be as ironic if we weren’t just talking about this. Rewind 3 minutes and this was the conversation that Josh and I had:

K – “How would I know if my water broke in the pool?”

J – “Um….I guess it would be warm, like you’re peeing. Why do you ask?”

K – “Well, I’m just curious. I know that they say you shouldn’t take a bath after your water breaks because of the risk of infection. So, I’m just wondering how I would know if it broke in the pool (or any body of water for that matter), because I wouldn’t want to chance the risk of infection.”

And that was the end of the conversation. A few minutes went by, but, then it happened. I felt warm. I looked at Josh with a panic look.

J – “What’s wrong?”

K – “I feel warm.”

J – “Did you pee?”

K-“Um, no. (You can’t be too certain when you’re pregnant, so I did think about it.) No, I didn’t.”

At that moment I jumped out of the pool as fast as I could and hightailed it to the restroom. It was that moment, in the rec center’s looker room, that I knew I was going to meet my baby soon.

I rushed back out to Josh and confirmed that my water had broken. We gathered our things, got to the car and headed back home. I called the hospital on the way home and the nurse told me I could take a shower to rinse off, gather my things, but then I should really just come to the hospital. I was rather confused at this point because contractions hadn’t started, my water had only broken. But, I followed what I was told. Thank goodness I did. I don’t know an exact time that this started, but I believe it was about 5:30pm when I jumped in the shower. I remember all the thoughts running through my head. It was chaos. I didn’t expect my baby to be early. I didn’t expect my water to break, in the pool nonetheless. I didn’t expect to want the labor to stop even though I wanted to desperately meet my baby. And, I expected it to be a LOT more painful. But, as the hot water ran down my back in the shower, they hit me like wrecking ball. Contractions. Every 3 minutes. We finish off the hospital bag and jumped in the car. It was the longest car ride of my life. It is only a 15 minute drive to the hospital….but that was 5 full sets of contractions in a bumpy car. Thank goodness for handrails in vehicles.

We arrive at the hospital and the nurses quickly hook me up to check my progress and make sure the baby wasn’t in distress. I told them that I didn’t want to be hooked up to machines the entire time, so to please unhook me as soon as they could so I could walk. I am definitely not against pain meds, but I also wasn’t against giving it a shot without meds. (I was told earlier in my pregnancy to only plan for the unexpected. It is then that I won’t be disappointed as to how things will end up. I took that to heart and knew that in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter how the baby came as long as he or she was breathing and healthy.) So, the nurses checked me. I was 6cm dilated. Note – I didn’t hear this part. Josh heard it but I was too busy trying to make it through a contraction. They said I was good for walking but to check in frequently so they could keep monitoring me. I did one lap around the floor. One. That’s it. I got back to the room and started to rock in the rocking chair. The nurse came in and asked how I was doing. At this point, I was thinking epidural. She did a check and said I still had a little ways to go. I asked when women normally got the epidural. She said about 4cms ago. Only, I heard 4cm and thought that’s how far along I was. (It’s amazing what we hear and don’t hear in labor!) I thought that I’m only at 4cm and there’s no way I can go on for 8-12 more hours at this rate! I wasn’t having any break in between contractions!! Note – I was 8cm at this point, not 4cm. Thinking I still had a long road ahead of me, I asked for the epidural. (Had I known that I was actually 8cm along and in the transition phase, I probably could have done natural childbirth. However, I am totally happy that I got an epidural.)

I received the epidural about the same time my sister joined us in the room. I was thrilled to have her there as I had the honor to be there when my nephew entered the world. I was relaxed and HAPPY! I was so relieved to have a break from the pain and actually enjoy the time with Josh and my sister. We had great conversation and had just broke out the cards to play Kings in the Corner when my doctor came in. This was about 30-40 minutes after my epidural. She said she wanted to do a quick check. There was silence in the room, the doctor “did her thing” and then she exclaimed, “We’re ready to push!” WHAT?!?! “What” was the exact word that came out of all 3 of our mouths at the exact same time! I was so confused. I expected labor to last for hours upon hours. I was ready to play a fun game of cards. I thought I would still have time to take a quick nap. And then the biggest emotion came over me….I am going to finally know if we are having a boy or a girl! I was so excited and nervous all at the same time. It only took 4 pushes and there was a baby laid on my chest. I remember just gazing into those eyes with pure love and amazement and then finally heard the words, “It’s a BOY!”

William Christopher was born at 9:25pm.

7lbs, 11oz. 20 ½ in.

His name – It is filled with meaning. William means “strong protector.” William is a name that is common on my side of the family. My Great-Grandfather’s name was William and there are other distant relatives with that name as well. Christopher means “to carry the heart of Christ.” Christopher is just a name that I have always loved. We call him “Will.” That is our favorite part of his name. When Josh and I were talking about starting a family, we were not necessarily in an “ideal situation.” He still had 3 years of school left and I had just changed jobs. Finances were a concern but we just kept saying, “If it’s the Will of God, everything will work out.” That sentence was spoken multiple times. Therefore leading us to the “Will” of God. We have said many times that it was God that gave us Will’s name.

Rain, Rain, come again!

2011-08-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

This was the image on Monday afternoon as the sunny sky changed to cloudy and rainy in a matter of seconds. The rain fell sideways and hard. Really fast. We stood at the screen door in amazement at how fast everything was coming down. And then it happened. The boys stripped and outside they went!

Thank you CO Grandparents!

2011-08-09T06:21:00.001-07:00

Will received his first birthday gifts this past weekend from his Grandpa and Grandma from Colorado! He was excited to see what was underneath the wrapping paper!

Thank you for the Car's racing cars and book! Will loves them!

Another Summer Day

2011-07-30T13:49:00.001-07:00

We headed out to the Fossil Gorge this morning for a visit and some family time. It was starting to heat up fast, so it was short and sweet! Daddy got to show Will how to skip rocks and Reese was content with me wearing her.

After naptime, everyone enjoyed this....

Reese thought Will was pretty funny.

The boys laying out. Do you see Will?

Toe Suckers

2011-07-26T06:07:00.001-07:00

William, Spring 2009

Reese, Summer 2011

Tired girl.

2011-07-20T17:21:00.001-07:00

Time for bed!

Farmer's Market

2011-07-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

I love the Farmer's Market! There is always so much culture, yummy food and wine and very interesting people to watch. I've been to the Iowa City Farmer's Market and the Cedar Rapids Farmer's Market several times. Even though I consider Iowa City to be more of my "home," I do favor the CR Farmer's Market. I took the kids this past weekend and met up with my sister and mom to do some shopping. We spent 2 hours there and still didn't get around to all the stands. My favorite purchases this weekend: the anticipated sweet corn and this cute bow holder for Reese's room! It's already full!

Where have I been?!

2011-07-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

You'll have to forgive my non-blogging streak. Usually blogging happens during nap time and I've been the one napping lately. My perfect sleeper (Reese) went through a terrible sleep regression the past 3-4 weeks. She slept through the night since 7 weeks. Okay, up once to nurse but that's it. I still consider that sleeping through the night. She was sleeping from 8pm - 7/8am and eating around the 3 o'clock hour. Well...she's been up every hour for the last few weeks, leaving me exhausted. This season really taught me that every baby is truly different. We made Will cry it out (CIO) when he started to pull this stunt. It worked like a charm. 3 nights of crying and then he slept perfectly, 12 hrs a night. We tried this with Reese and it just didn't work. The crying was totally different than the protest cry Will gave us. I was honestly heart broken. So, I comforted her. Waking up with her usually just involved popping the paci back in and an occasional rock back to sleep. We even took her to the doctor late last week just to be sure there was no ear infection. There wasn't. The doctor just suggested doing a mix of CIO with comforting her. The past few nights I've been doing just that. I will let her CIO for no longer than 5 minutes before I tend to her. Last night was probably the best night of sleep I've gotten in weeks. She was asleep by 7:30pm and woke up 3x through the night, just needing her paci back. She nursed at 5am and then slept until 7:15am! Here's to hoping we are getting back on track! Here's a few pics from the last couple of weeks!

Big girl in her highchair! She tried rice cereal - not a huge fan. Tried sweet potatoes - big fan...just like her mama!

Will and Aunt Kristi on his new scooter! An early birthday gift!

The cousins - they could seriously be brothers.

Reese's favorite poolside activity!

a little color

2011-07-07T08:58:00.001-07:00

We've lived at our house for just over 3 years now. When we first moved in, our builders were the HOA and in charge of the grounds. They promised that many things would be done, including landscaping the flower beds around our house. Well, it's 3 years later and our builders are no longer the ones in charge of the HOA and our flower beds are still weeds! So we took things into our own hands and started to throw a little color into our backyard! With the helps of some clearance items and a friend that split a few plants, we are off to a good start!

Getting things prepped!

We purchased a couple Hosta's and Lilac bushes. We also 'transplanted' a Peony plant.

These are red and purple iris's. They were transplants as well.

I will also be getting a few more perennials from friends later this year. Hopefully next spring everything in our beds will be in full color!

Silky Blankets Rock

2011-06-16T17:40:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Will has a very special blanket that he must sleep with at all times. Well, we actually have 2 of them....and then 2 smaller versions of them. The smaller ones are for trips in the car and the big ones are for nap and bedtime. I like to call them "magic blankets" because once the blanket hits their face, they're out!

Just minutes after the blanket came in contact with Will's face....

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Well, I knew I wanted to get Reese one of these as well. But they haven't been on store shelves in 2 years!!!!! I am pretty darn lucky when it comes to garage sale-ing and found 2 of these blankets for $4 total this last weekend.

Only seconds after the touch of the blanket.

Sweet dreams!

A little reading.

2011-06-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I was cooking dinner tonight and saw Will get up to the table and grab something to read. I thought he pulled a book from the library stack we had gotten earlier today. Nope....but, I fully support his decision!

Apparently, the book of Revelation was on list to read today!

A new view.

2011-06-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Someone can roll over!

A little project...

2011-06-16T15:35:00.001-07:00

Reese's room has had major neglect in the decorating department. I guess the "2nd child" will do it to you! So, on Sunday afternoon, this wall went from khaki to brown in 1 hour (thanks to leftover paint from a previous project)!

Add one of these from Target for $17.

Viola!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Reese Victoria - May you grow strong in the Lord and thirst for His fruit all the days of your life!

I'm Back!

2011-06-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just kidding! I haven't gone anywhere....I've just been a terrible blogger lately! Here's a bunch of randomness!

Josh and I at Pete and Laura's wedding!

The entire Faith Family and the newlyweds!!!

Will thinks that it's funny to sit in Reese's car seat....

....and have her paci too!

Willow came to swim...

...Forest too. Will had a great time!

Eva was a little timid but got the hang of it!

Girlie, Girl

2011-06-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

We always knew we wanted to get Reese's ears pierced. It was just a matter of when? How do you know when it's the right time? By asking our pediatrician as well as other moms, we decided the earlier, the better. Not only will she not remember it, but she won't be touching her earrings either - lessening the chance for infection. So, yesterday was the big day!

Hanging out with daddy beforehand....

Yep, my tummy started to turn a little! :)

Pretty girl!

Super silly girlie girl!

She did great! Oh course she cried her little heart out. But, it wasn't any worse than shots. We took her into the piercing hungry so I could nurse her immediately afterwards. She took a 3 hour nap once we got home and was in a perfect mood the rest of the day. Just like nothing happened!

Niabi Zoo

2011-05-30T18:52:00.001-07:00

We decided to take a trip across the boarder to Niabi Zoo! This was the first zoo experience for Will and Reese and this zoo was the perfect size for little ones. Our friends, the Augsperger's, also joined us!

Not quite sure what to think about these....

Lisa, (Baby #2!), Lyla and Dan

Our family portrait!

10 minutes into the drive home.....

Evelyn's Party

2011-05-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

We kicked off the Memorial Day Weekend with Evelyn's 4th Bithday Party! Yahoo! It was a great time and perfect weather for a backyard bash! Happy Birthday, Sweet Thing!

Will and Dadda

Ev and the work of art her MOM made!

That'a girl!

Mamma and sleepy girl.

Another sweet pea....

Great Visit

2011-05-24T11:37:00.001-07:00

We were blessed today to have a visit from Josh's aunt and uncle from Texas! Aunt Kim and Uncle Terry were in Kansas for a reunion and made a side-trip to Iowa to visit us! We were trilled to see them as we haven't seen them since...our wedding! Gulp! And, Aunt Kim was so happy to finally meet Will and Reese! We went to Red's for lunch and had a perfect time lounging on the patio in the shade!

And.....Happy Birthday Colorado Grandpa! We love you and wish you were here!

Welcome Spring!

2011-05-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that spring is finally here! It was a great day for a park adventure!

Meanwhile....our little girl was amazed by her view....

Potty Training

2011-05-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

Potty training is, well...non-existent in our home. The potty chair has been out now for over a year. The booster seat has been hanging by the toilet for at least 6 months. And, Will has had underwear in his dresser for the past 4 months. He has absolutely no desire to actually go potty on the potty. He will sit on it, with clothes on or bare bum, but no wee-wee or poo-poo. *Sigh* I've tried bribes and all kinds of advice. (Really, I've heard it all. Please don't give me advice on how to make it work.)

Fast forward to yesterday in church. I was nursing Reese in the ladies room when a mom came in with her little boy. They rushed to the toilets. The mom pulled down his underwear. NOT his pull-up, not his diaper, his underwear. She props him up on the potty and he goes. A minute later they come out and begin washing hands. I ask the mom, "How old is he?" She responds, "22 months." I exclaim, "And he's potty trained?!" She looks me over and pauses before she speaks. She says, "Well, he's #10, so he has lots of brothers and sisters at home that he looks up to. My kids have been potty trained anywhere from 17 months - 3 1/2 years old." And then she looks square into my eyes and gently says, "How fast your child is potty trained pulls absolutely NO weight on how good of a parent you are. They are much deeper heart issues to work on than potty training."

Wow. We continue to talk about potty training and how she worked with her kids on it, especially with her boys. But, all of the sudden, I no longer care that my son is almost 3 and not potty trained at all. For some reason I was thinking that I must be a horrible mom because my almost 3 yr old son has no interest in potty training. I need to remember exactly what she said....there are much deeper heart issues to work on than potty training. Luckily, God knows what's best and what I needed to hear. He totally orchestrated that conversation yesterday in the ladies room. He's such a show-off! :)

May 11th

2011-05-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I was supposed to be returning to work from Maternity Leave. Guess what - I'm not! I am now a Stay at Home Mom and I love it! I get to spend my days with these silly monkeys!

(Not sure what happened to the other half of the photo...you still see the most important part!)

Garage Sales ROCK!

2011-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

I love garage sales. I always have. Last weekend was city wide sales in a couple neighboring towns. I totally scored. 83 items for $78. YAHOO!

New Blanket

2011-05-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

A former co-worker of mine (that's still weird saying that) made a blanket for Reese and dropped it off the other day! WE. LOVE. IT. It is absolutely beautiful! Enjoy the happy girl! Note - it is folded in half in the 1st picture.

Last Day

2011-04-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

William's last day at Ms. Katie's was on Monday. As you can see, he is always so happy with her. We are very grateful that she was able to take care of our little man when we couldn't! He will miss her! Can't wait to meet her baby boy in July!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Coloring Easter Eggs!

Slowly, but surely, getting it! Next year will be even more fun.

Yep....this is the best smile I got with the eggs. Coloring them was more than enough for him. Next year the glitter and stickers will make it to the eggs too!

Easter Baskets from Mom and Dad!

William and Reese!

We spent Sunday afternoon with my family at my sister's house! We had a great meal together and a fun Easter egg hunt.

Will is getting to the age where he's enjoying "roughing around" with his cousins!

Ben, Will and Nate!

This has been our most memorable Easter with William to date because of this....

Conversation with dad:

Dad: William, what does the Cross mean?

Will: Jesus died for me!!

Dad: William, what does Easter mean?

Will: Jesus is Risen!!

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -Matthew 19:14

Visit to school!

2011-04-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

On Friday we made a trip to Ben and Bella's classrooms for their open house! The 1st graders have been working on their "Woodlands" projects and they were showing them off! On a side note - Will is going to love school. He had no problem taking a seat and picking up a marker. He was also super stoked that they has the ABC's and 123's around the classrooms!

Bella and William

Isabella!

Ben and Will (They could be brothers, right?)

Ben and Bella.....womb mates!

I love these legs.

2011-04-25T10:43:00.001-07:00

Sibling Love

2011-04-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

Guess who loves his baby sister! Will is asking to hold Reese on a daily basis now!

Smiles

2011-04-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

Baby Girl is flashing big smiles these days....even though I can't quite capture them on camera.

Sweet Girl

2011-04-12T13:11:00.001-07:00

Who knew girls would be so much fun to dress?!

Storytime

2011-04-10T11:46:00.001-07:00

R.A.N.D.O.M.N.E.S.S.

2011-03-29T08:18:00.001-07:00

My life has been ever so random and chaotic the last few weeks. Reese has been a wonderful baby. She's pulled out MANY 5-6 hour stretches of sleep at night, followed by more 2-4 hour chunks. But last night was more realistic. She was up every 2 hours. Not because she needed to eat, but because the poor girl has a stuffy nose and can't quite kick it. She wants her paci, but then needs to breathe out of her mouth, paci falls out....you get the picture.

Unfortunately, Will is understanding that Reese is here to stay.... Bedtime with him USED to be so easy. Many times we could just lay him down, no tears, he would talk for 5-20 minutes and then go to bed. Sometimes he would cry, but it would be that fake cry, for 1 minute and then talk and go to sleep. Last night, he screamed for a solid hour and twenty minutes. This was also coupled with some wall pounding and wall kicking. There was also a 20 minutes episode of this around 2am. So excited for this season of screaming to be done.

Anyway, I have decided that God really does know what's best for us. I used to always say that I would be thrilled if I had all boys. And, I really would have. But, I'm loving my little girl. I will say that I want at least one more of each. (Insert - God laughing.)

I'm really wondering when the rest of the baby weight will come off. I was down to my pre pregnancy weight with Will at 4 weeks postpartum. I just assumed it would be the same this time around too. (Insert - God laughing.)

I'm wondering if we need to get a 3rd freezer to store all of my breast milk. Seriously. I wasn't kidding when I said I have enough of a supply to feed a small orphanage.

Okay - now pictures.

Doesn't she look like she's tanning? Who knew you could use a bow as your goggles.

Mama and Reesy Roo

She LOVES to nap on the couch.

Na na na na na na na na na BATMAN! His new favorite saying!

Last Friday - old friends from CO were passing through from NY to CO. We were totally stoked to meet them for dinner! It's Shannon, Caitlin and Elisabeth. They just sent Max off to Afghanistan for 1 year. Max is Shannon's son, Caitlin's brother and Elisabeth's husband. They are expecting their first child in July. He is hoping to come home for 2 weeks in July to spend time with his baby girl! Prayers are welcomed!

After having her only 2nd ever blowout. But seriously - stuff was in her arm pits. She outdid herself with this one.

I just can't seem to find quality time to do my memorization verses. So, I figured, I look at myself for probably 20 minutes a day - I might as well tape the darn verses to my mirror and review them while I get ready. Hopefully it works! :)

Friends

2011-03-21T10:35:00.001-07:00

On Sunday after church, we noticed that all of our Faith Family friends (except the Isbell's) were present and dressed so nicely that we needed to try and take a picture of the kiddos. There were multiple attempts. Go figure that our oldest child was the one to make the biggest fuss about this!

Ethan, Evelyn and Reese

Kiddos, left to right, Lyla, Amara, Ethan, Evelyn, Reese, William

sMiLe!

She did look so stinking cute on Sunday!

Herky's Blessing

2011-03-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we spent the day at my sister's house with her family. It was a much needed family day. While we were there, my sister explained how my nephew, Ben, wanted to baptize Herky, their dog... Herky joined their family last summer and Ben has been asking for months when Herky was going to get baptized. Through scripture we know that Herky doesn't need to be baptized because he is a created being. He doesn't require salvation. But given my nephew's desire with this, she took the question to their Children's Ministry Director and asked how to handle this. The answer was a Blessing of the Animals Ceremony. He doesn't need to be baptized, but we could definitely give thanks and ask the Lord's blessing upon him! Josh was asked to lead the ceremony!

I'm pretty sure we were supposed to be praying right here....

Reese slept through the whole thing!

Josh performing the ceremony...Will helped!

Praying for Herky!

Even though this wasn't a baptism, Ben still wanted to sprinkle water on his head. We decided this was okay. So, we got the Holy Water ready and carried it in the most royal and honoring way...

a Hawkeye cup!

Ben did the honors of blessing Herky in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Ben was automatically his Godfather, so I asked if I could be his Godmother. Ben said yes! Here's Herky and his Godparents!

The look of sweetness....

2011-03-16T14:17:00.001-07:00

Reese had her pictures taken this week by our good friend, Missy. They turned out fabulous!!! Here's a little sneak peak. To see the full photo shoot, check out my facebook page! Grandparents, let me know which pictures you want!

You can check out Missy's photography blog here: http://thelaidbacklens.blogspot.com/

Why do I forget...

2011-03-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

...that God will supply all our needs? I always seem to forget this. And, then I get caught up in the worry game at how everything will work out. Our storage area is pretty much a disaster right now. We had Will's newborn clothes bins pulled and torn apart as we were awaiting the arrival of Reese. Even though we didn't know her sex, we were still getting gender neutral items, blankets, etc pulled and ready to go. So, I am slowly getting everything blue put away and things organized. I was starting to get very worried about clothing for Will for this summer and fall. I didn't think we had anything for him. Not that we couldn't afford to get clothes for him, but a brand new wardrobe (even from garage sales, consignment etc) still gets pricey. Take this worry and pile in on the fact that we now have a girl and had only 1 pink outfit for her to start with. Well, as I was in the storage area, I came across a bin from my sister's boys. It was labeled 3T & 4T! SCORE!!! We NEED the 3T clothes for this summer and fall! I quickly pulled everything out and got Will's closet organized. It looks like we won't need much of anything besides some shorts, pants, shoes and a couple more short sleeve shirts for summer!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Will's closet. All 3T and 4T shirts hanging up!

Reese's closet! It looks like a lot....but it's really from size 0-3 month - 18 months in here! But, still...so thankful for the Lord's provisions!

Random shot. Don't we look sleepy!? :)

2011-03-09T14:39:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to bribe my son to have interest in the potty, I decided to purchase some underwear for him. They, of course, have trains on them. He was very excited to see them!

"Ooo....pitty!" (Oh, pretty in Will terms.)

We told him he could start wearing them once he uses the potty and not his diaper! Let's see if this helps!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T14:30:00.001-08:00

Okay...I've been a little busy. Here are some common scenes from our home lately. Will is learning how to be a great big brother. He loves to whisper sweet nothings to his baby sister.

It's a GIRL!!!!

2011-02-25T06:08:00.001-08:00

On the morning of 2/17/11....

Will-Will and Mama about 5 hours before hearing the words....

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

Reese Victoria was born at 2:17pm. She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 inches long...with a full head of dark hair!

The quilt that Grandma (my mom) made. She was the only one to know the sex of the baby.

Miss Reese

Getting ready to go home!

William and his baby SISTER!

The results are in.....

2011-02-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

He PASSED!

Waiting is the hardest part.

2011-02-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

Warning - long, but worth reading.

Yesterday was the big day…Josh took the NCLEX (National Council Licensure EXamination) for RN’s, which is a computerized adaptive test (CAT). Don’t know what this means?? Me either!!! Well, I do get it, but I can’t explain it very well…here is an answer copied right from the web!

"The goal of Computerized Adaptive Testing or CAT, is to determine your competence, based on the difficulty of questions you can answer correctly, NOT how many questions you can answer correctly. This is a fundamentally different approach than is used on paper-and-pencil tests, where everyone receives the same questions. CAT examinations are individualized.

We know the exact difficulty of each of the approximately 3,000 questions in the pool, because each has been taken as a tryout question by thousands of candidates and then statistically analyzed. Picture the questions all lined up, from easiest to hardest. If we asked you the easiest questions, you'd get most of them right. If we asked you the hardest, you would probably get most wrong. As we move from easy to hard, there will come a point where you go from getting more right...to...getting more wrong. This is the point where you are answering 50% correctly. Questions harder than that, you would probably answer incorrectly (you'd get some right, but more wrong); questions easier than that, you would probably answer correctly. That point is different for everyone. Nursing experts could probably answer at least one-half of the hardest questions we could ask. Whereas, we'd have to ask beginning nursing students the very easiest ones before they could answer even one-half correctly. You probably fall somewhere between those two points. The goal of CAT is to find that point for you. Your competence level is related to the difficulty level of the questions at the point where you can answer half of the questions correctly.

First, the computer asks a relatively easy question, and if you answer it correctly, it asks a somewhat harder question. As you continue answering correctly, the questions get harder and harder. When you start missing questions, they get easier until you start answering them right again, then they get a little harder. Each time you answer one correctly, the next is harder. Each time you answer one incorrectly, the next is easier. This process continues as it zig-zags, narrowing in on the point where you answer 50% correctly, e.g., one right, then one wrong. That point represents your competence level. This is why everyone ends up correctly answering 50% of the questions they are asked.

After you have answered the minimum number of questions, the computer compares your competence level to the passing standard amd makes one of three decisions:

· If you are clearly above the passing standard, you pass and the examination ends.
· If you are clearly below the passing standard, then you fail and the examination ends.
· If your competence level is close enough to the passing standard that it's still not clear whether you should pass or not, then the computer continues to ask you questions. "
http://caring4you.net/concept.html

Now – many of you have asked Josh how he felt he did. The answer – he’s a wreck. He feels like he failed (which is the most common feeling after taking this exam). He summed it up perfectly on Facebook when he said he felt like puking.

When I initially asked Josh how he felt after the test, he said it felt like the questions got harder as they went. Which – from the info stated above – I would take it as a good sign. This is another insert of an article I found online:

"Consider from your own observations how many difficult questions you answered. If you had a high number of top-level questions before your exam ended, that's an indicator that you passed. NCLEX, being dynamic, makes your next question easier if you answer one wrong, whereas if you answer correctly, it makes your next question more challenging. Answer enough of the most challenging questions and you pass. Many candidates who end the exam feeling like they were struggling are the ones who passed because their last round of questions were all very difficult. "

http://www.ehow.com/how_7804292_interpret-nclex-test-results.html

When will we know? You can pay $7.99 after 2 business days to get an unofficial online pass or fail answer. Yes, we’ll be paying for that. Considering the test was Thursday afternoon, we aren’t sure if the results will be up on Saturday afternoon or Monday afternoon. Waiting is definitely the hardest part! Please pray for peace and we wait it out. You could also throw in a little prayer for baby to come…that would help pass the time!

Countdown!

2011-02-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

1 day until the 2nd anniversary of my 29th birthday.
2 days until Josh’s NCLEX!! Good luck honey! Extra prayers welcomed at 1:45pm on Thursday.
3 days until my parent’s 43rd wedding anniversary.
4 days until the 4th annual Biaggi’s celebration (my birthday, Josh’s birthday, my parent’s anniversary and my brother-in-law’s birthday). It’s a good excuse to get together!
5 days until Josh’s 32nd birthday!
6 days until Valentine’s Day.
7 days until my last day of work before Maternity leave.
8 days until my day of chaos = getting last minute things done before baby!
9 days until INDUCTION!!!!

Eeekk! The date is set for February 17th…unless, of course, he or she decides to come before then. We are just praying that if the baby comes early, it will be AFTER Josh’s boards! I'm also feeling much better about the thought of induction. I definitely feel calmness about knowing a timeline for things to come. And, for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can focus at work/home on the things that need to get done vs. the things I would like to get done - and knowing the difference between the two!

And a couple random things…

Will pretty much thinks he's a stud. He doesn't need to sit down to play the guitar anymore. He can stand up AND play at the same time!

We had a bunch of friends from our Faith Family over to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday! Great times with great friends....the pictures are totally random!

37 weeks

2011-02-06T04:04:00.000-08:00

Almost there! Here's a 37 week shot (almost 38 weeks really)!

Blizzaster 2011!

2011-02-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

The weather on the night of February 1st turned crazy and we ended up with 12 inches of snow and 35 MPH winds! It wasn’t so much of a “disaster,” but it did throw us for a loop… Work was cancelled for me on the 2nd, which was very much appreciated! Especially since all roads in the area were labeled as Travel Not Advised. This also meant that Josh’s NCLEX was postponed too!!!! YUCK! He is rescheduled for Feb. 10th – which is only a week from today. I guess this will give him some more time to prepare. At least he got rescheduled for the 10th. Lots of people in his class got rescheduled for the 16th and dates past that! ALSO, the crazy amount of snow and wind caused our furnace filter (on the outside of the house) to get all jacked up and the furnace to shut down. We woke up to Will crying for mom and dad at 4am….because it was 59 degrees in the house. So, Josh got all bundled up and headed out to clear the filter. It still took a good hour for the house to “feel” like it was warming back up again. All in all, it wasn’t a horrible day. We were warm (most of the time), safe and had the company of each other!

Check out the drift line that cuts the trees off!

Welcome! Okay, maybe not. (It's funny that there are parts of grass showing, yet drifts of 3-4 feet! The wind was wild!)

Brrrr!!!

Getting ready for another haircut.

Other things that have been happening:

Will’s vocabulary has really been taking off, even though there is still a lot we don’t understand. Too bad we don’t see the same interest/enthusiasm in potty training.
Josh is still looking for a job. Much prayer needed here. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he is not a “licensed nurse” yet. Hence the anticipation for the NCLEX.
We are continuing to prepare for the arrival of Baby #2. I had an appointment on Tuesday and I am 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. I am feeling lots of pressure and contractions. More so than I remember with Will. The doctor also gave us the option to be induced after I hit the 39 week mark. She said she only does this with non-1st time moms who have had a normal, non-complicated 1st delivery. At first, I was very nervous about this and was really struggling with the concept of “playing God” as to when our child would be born. However, the more we think and pray about it, the more it doesn’t bother me. The baby could come well before the 39 weeks mark. And, just because we have an induction date – doesn’t guarantee that it will happen on that day. We would still have to call in, see if there is a bed available for me, etc, etc. If God doesn’t want the baby to come yet, He will make sure it doesn’t happen. So, my next appointment is on Monday. We’ll discuss this in more detail at that time. Just to calm the curiosity. She offered induction dates of the 14th or 17th.
I’m in the last few days of my 20’s. Not sure how I feel about this.
It’s really cold outside.

Time - Outs

2011-01-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes time-outs look like this.....

I hate it when he does something so adorable/cute while in time-out, even if he's pouting. It makes it so much harder to discipline when you want to crack a smile!

Just a good verse to remember...

2011-01-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 (NLT) 11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

Will's new Guitar

2011-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

In light of recent developments with Will's fascination for Daddy's guitars, we have decided that it was time for Will to get a guitar. Will had a gift card for Christmas from Grandpa John and Grandma Kaye, so this is what he got!

He. Loves. It.

Especially when he plays and sings...and mommy dances.

It even has a wicked design of skulls on it!

Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

Guitar

2011-01-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

Guess who loves daddy's new guitar more...

34 Week Comparison

2011-01-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

Here's more comparisons! The teal shirt is with Will. The black shirt is now!

Will gives the baby lots of love! There's always a kiss involved followed by, "Bye-bye baby!"

I've been thinking that I'm carrying differently this time around, but when you compare the pics side by side, it doesn't look that different, huh?

Where have I been?

2011-01-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone?! It’s been a while since my last post, so excuse me while I ramble about the things that have happened since Christmas Eve!

On Christmas Eve, we went to church and then came back and had our friends, Bill and Bethany over. This is the 2nd Christmas in a row that they’ve come over to play board games! We had so much fun and realized that this is now a tradition!
Christmas Day was spent at our house. We (Will) opened presents in morning...after singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, of course. Will receives 3 gifts on Christmas, because that's how many gifts our Savior received on his birthday. We've done this for the last 3 years and I just love this concept. Not only does it make sense and show symbolism to our King, but it just makes it easier for me to shop for! No worries about, "Did we get enough for him"...etc, etc. That afternoon all of my family came over for the family Christmas celebration!

Happy Birthday, Jesus! (I'm pretty sure Will thought it was his birthday! ;))

His Leap Frog - and most favorite gift.

The cool expandy ball!

The stomach flu hit our house the day after Christmas. It started with Josh, and then I got it. Luckily, Will totally avoided it! Thank the Lord!
We stayed in on New Year’s Eve. I think this is the 1st year we’ve done that and it was WONDERFUL! Between the mix of bad weather, drunk drivers, still getting over the flu and the fact that we’re expecting, a night on the couch watching Great Migrations with the hubby was just what we needed. I think I was asleep by 11:15pm!
Baby news: I am 34 weeks pregnant today. This means that the baby could really come anytime in the next 3-6 weeks! I had an OB appt last week and everything was great. The heart rate was 150 which is the highest it’s ever been! The only thing that concerned me (but didn’t faze the Dr.) was the fact that I was measuring 1 week behind. (For some reason – this is really bothering me. I know I shouldn’t worry. My pregnancy has been totally normal.) I also hadn’t gained any weight since my last appointment – Thank you stomach flu. My next appointment is next Wednesday and then I start my WEEKLY appointments! We are just working on getting the baby’s room organized!
Today I am totally jealous of my parents. I am stuck in cold, dreary Iowa. They make port today at the Turks and Caicos. Stupid cruises!

Random shot of Will with my new Swivel Sweeper! I ♥ this vacuum. It moves from hard surfaced floors to carpet so easily. And, it actually works. Best $32 spent ever. And, Will loves to use it. He's actually vacuuming in this shot!

32 Weeks Comparison

2010-12-28T06:42:00.001-08:00

Here's me at 32 weeks with William...

Here's 32 weeks with Baby #2...

So far, this pregnancy has been identical to Will's pregnancy. I do feel like I'm carrying slightly different. Maybe just a little lower. Will's heart rate was always in the 140's. Same with this pregnancy. Any guesses out there???? Only 8 more weeks and we'll know for sure!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2010-12-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

No need to dream here! Just open your eyes and look outside!! A solid 3+ inches on the ground and more to come. Hopefully it will taper off for family traveling tomorrow to our home to celebrate the birth of Christ!

We are very thankful for snow, a warm house, laughter and each other today! Merry Christmas Eve!

From Degree Candidate to Alumni!

2010-12-19T08:25:00.000-08:00

Josh graduated from the University of Iowa yesterday morning!! We were very blessed to have all of our parents in town for the occasion! And, luckily, William behaved very well for the 2 hour commencement! Phew!

Josh's "crew" for the last 3 years.

Will's time was occupied with videos for only a while...then we had to walk around the arena.

The prelude!

Walking across the stage!

Trying on Daddy's cap!

Mmmm....

We had an open house that afternoon with our friends and family. We were OVERWHELMED with the number of people that came to celebrate!! Our house was packed and therefore, I have zero pictures. ;) It was a great time. Thanks for all who came and those who sent well wishes. For many who have asked - Josh will be taking the boards in the next 4-6 weeks and we would definitely appreciate your prayers with that. Josh is applying for jobs now and can be hired, contingent on passing the boards.

Joshua - I am very proud of you. Your hard work and dedication has come to fruition. I am very excited to see where you will lead our family in the next few months! I love you!

Proverbs 16:9 - In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

A Powerful Testimony

2010-12-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, my dearest cousin, Josh, was killed in a plane crash on November 13, 2006. He was only 23 years old. He was young, successful, gorgeous and engaged to be married to the love of his life. He was flying with 3 co-workers to a business meeting in Indiana. It was just a day trip. The return flight was not favorable. The weather turned ugly and all commercial flights in the area cancelled. Since they were flying through a private agency, the pilot could make the call of whether to stay or fly. The pilot choose to fly and no more than 10 minutes into the flight, the plane spiraled to the ground and all 5 lives on board perished.

As much as I love my cousin and love talking about him, this post is not necessarily meant to be about him. It’s about a co-worker of his that was on that plane…actually he was NOT supposed to be on that plane. The co-worker’s name is Eric Jacobs. Eric was going to the meeting that day to fill in for a co-worker that could not make it. Even more interesting, Eric found small planes unsafe (a family member of his actually died in a plane crash just a couple years beforehand.) He choose not to be on this flight with his co-workers and booked his own commercial flight to and from the meeting. However, once the commercial flights were cancelled that evening, he called his buddies from work and with 10 minutes to spare, jumped on the small air craft to get home to his wife and kids (the 5th was on the way).

Just a few days after the plane crash, Eric’s wife received a DVD along with copies of the life insurance and will from their agent. The DVD was named, “Eric last wishes.” I will post the links to the stories below. The Des Moines Register did a fantastic job with this story. It is done in 3 segments. I will warn you that articles are not short articles. But, they are powerful and well written. About the DVD – Eric had a dream 4 months before the plane crash that he was going to die young. He felt like God was leading him to sit down and record himself. In it, he gives final instructions to his family. How they should live the rest of their live, how his boys should be raised, that his wife needs to remarry a Christian man to be the leader in the family, etc., etc. Most importantly, Eric pleads to have this video shown and shown again and for the Gospel to be shared with all before the return of Christ, so all will be saved. The video is also posted in the links. Its 38 minutes long. I don’t expect all of you to have time to watch this. But, this video is amazing. It is the most powerful testimony I have ever seen. It’s proof that our God is very much alive and working through His people. And, just another reminder of why we celebrate our Savior at Christmas time.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101212/ERICSLASTWISHES/101208008

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101213/ERICSLASTWISHES01/101209026

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101214/ERICSLASTWISHES02/312130005 (This link will lead you to Eric’s full video. To the right of the screen.)

Name Confusion

2010-12-02T15:51:00.001-08:00

I don't have a ton to blog about... We are home from Colorado now. It was a great and much needed trip. Will did amazingly well with the 12 hour drive. So much better than we expected. The only thing I can think to talk about is baby names. We have our boy names squared away. (We've had them for quite some time.) However, girls names are a different story for us. We don't agree on many and there are a ton out there that we love, but either a family member or close friend has used the name. When we found out we were pregnant in June, we had immediately agreed on one name that we loved. It was a fairly uncommon name and I had only known of one other little girl with that name. Since then, it seems to be the name of every new baby girl we know! Yes, the way we would spell it is a little different than others...but still. Oh well, time will only tell. And, who's to say that we'll have a girl? I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out if a little "Norah" is in our future. For now, we are still searching and coming up with new names daily!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T20:07:00.001-08:00

We were very fortunate to be able to spend Thanksgiving with Josh's Dad and Step-Mom in Colorado! This also meant that we were able to meet and introduce Will to some of his family on his Grandma Kaye's side of the family. Will's new favorite person is Harper. His face lit up when he saw her!

Meeting his cousin, Harper, for the 1st time!

Now to the rest of the photos...They are so NOT perfect. Of course we have a beautiful day and the perfect background from the backyard and this is when Will doesn't want to cooperate. Oh well, maybe we can try again next time!

Look at that LOOK!

So not going for it.

Different background?

Nope.

You can fill in your own caption here!

Oh well!

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's to being with love ones even when you don't get to capture it the way you remember it!

The Butterfly Pavilion

2010-11-25T05:35:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday afternoon we (Josh, Will, Grandpa and I) headed to Denver to visit the Butterfly Pavilion. I have been here many times, but never with my own child. Will only lasted about 30 minutes, but I think he enjoyed himself!

Look at those mountains!

Will and Dory!

Pretty starfish!

Beautiful flowers everywhere!

Will, Mommy and Grandpa John

Such pretty creatures.

I don't know what this is, but it looked slimy and cool all at the same time.

More cool plants/flowers to feed the butterflies!

Will and the stingray!

Then we get to the "icky section!"

Hissing Cockroaches. Glad they're in captivity!

The biggest freakin' beetle I have ever seen. Luckily they are only found in Asia. Could he be related to Darth Vader?

And, Rosie the Spider! Eeekk!

I know a couple of you are squirming in your seat right now!

Momma and Will.

We ended the night with dinner at Gunther Toody's. The most wonderful 50's style burger/milkshake joint in Denver. It was a rockin' good time. Our server's name was Jughead. :)

More fun...

2010-11-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

I mean....who doesn't stop at Super Target on vacation? Oh course, we had to make a stop. Check out these carts. Don't they look like they're from the future?

We had dinner last night with a bunch of old friends. My bestie from my old sorority days is also pregnant! She is due one week after me! She and her husband found out that they are expecting a little boy. Here's the fun part....his name is William! (After her dad!) It's so crazy to think that we will each have a first born named William! :)

Good Morning!

2010-11-22T06:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Sun - Please follow us home to Iowa. We miss seeing you there.

The first couple of days!

2010-11-22T05:56:00.001-08:00

We were super blessed to have such an awesome time driving out to Fort Collins on Saturday! We rented a mini-van, a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country to be exact. It is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! It is very spacious and has lots of storage...and SIRIUS radio. We were able to listen to the Hawkeye game through the last stretch of the trip. Bittersweet. Anyway, Will was great on the way out. No crying spells, no fits, just a great little boy. He did so well with having to stay in his seat for 12 hours.

Will was quickly acclimated to Grandma and Grandpa's house on Saturday night. It took no time for him to get settled! On Sunday, we went to our old church service. It was great seeing familiar faces. That afternoon Will took a great nap and then we went to the mall play area for Will to play (it was too cold for the park). We relaxed that night at home! Great start to a vacation!

Grandma and Will reading....again.

Smiley boy.

Oh, yeah...his new game....flying spider monkey.

He cleared this one.

Not so much this one.... :)

4 years too many

2010-11-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the 4 year anniversary of the day my "baby cousin" (I used to tease) met Jesus. Not a day goes by where I don't think of him. I wish he was still here. Follow the link to see the tribute his company made to him and his co-workers. http://blog.tworiversmarketing.com He accomplished so many things in his short 23 years. I can't wait to see him again!

Random

2010-11-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

Will's favorite book of all time is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We were so happy to find the video on YouTube too.....well, not so happy anymore. If we never have to hear this song again, it'll be too soon. Here's Will watching his obsession! (FYI: He thinks the monitor is a cell phone, you will catch him talking on it.)

Here's me and my second baby!

25 weeks!

Pretty deep for a Friday morning...

2010-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

This may be a deep one today. Consider yourself warned. :)

This morning was unusual. Will unexpectedly cried out around 5am. I did the normal mommy listen….is he just dreaming, uncomfortable, fake cry, real cry - bit. Yep, a true cry. I go into his bedroom to assess. I get him resituated (really, what do kids do when they sleep?) and all comfy cozy again. I tell him everything is alright, give him a kiss, tell him I love him and quietly close the door behind me. I stand still outside the door and wait. Yep, there’s another cry. Okay, he’s just gonna cry for a little bit. There’s not much I can do. I go back to our bathroom and pee for the 4th time during the night and crawl back into bed. I can still hear him whining, but no cries. Josh asks what’s wrong. Nothing that I can tell, I say.

I couldn’t fall back asleep for the one hour that I had left to sleep. Dang it. I just laid there. I think I was close to falling asleep a couple times though. It was chilly in our room and I was nice and toasty under the covers. And, for once, my belly was actually comfortable. Baby was also awake. Lots of little kicks kicking.

Sometime after 6am I hear Josh get out of bed and bring Will into our bedroom (I was already out of the shower, getting ready). He had been crying again. Who knows why? It’s so hard to tell when they are at this age when they can’t quite verbalize what’s happening or what they’re feeling.

Fast forward an hour to when I sit down at my desk at work. I turn on my computer, open my outlook and the 1st email waiting for me is one our agency gets often. Maybe often is too strong of a word? But, it’s not unusual. One of our consumers passed away early this morning. This one seemed to sting a little harder than usual. She was only 22 years old. Already a couple years past her life expectancy for the disability she had. Her family is very well known and liked in the community. Our agency is very fond of the family. They stand strong and are true advocates in the disabilities world. Their other daughter, unfortunately, has the same disability. The email read that the consumer had a slight cold. The dad thought that he had heard her cough around 4am. So, he went to go check on her. It wasn’t a cough he thought he heard. She had already passed sometime in the middle of the night. She was gone.

4am…5am. Suddenly I am just struck with grief for the family and the anger I feel towards myself with my own selfishness. This morning I was annoyingly awakened by my child. Why is he up? Does he not want me to sleep? Why can he just tell me if he doesn’t feel well or if he’s scared? Does he not understand that I am not only pregnant, but have to get up to work in just an hour? Why! If only I could look pass myself and my own needs and think of how I should be overjoyed with the fact that my child has air in his lungs. He is healthy. He definitely doesn’t have a life threatening disability. Does it matter why he’s up? Does it really matter that I don’t get that extra hour of sleep? Why do I care so much about me? Shouldn’t I be putting the needs of my child before my own, regardless of cost?

Now I just think about the family. My selfishness I was feeling at 5am is nothing compared to the grief that this other family was feeling at that time. Their child is gone. They will never get to run to her room again to comfort her, tell her that it’s okay, get her resituated, tell her they love her and close the door quietly behind them. They will no longer stand outside of her door just to make sure she is okay…..

My selfishness needs to turn to joy and thanksgiving. I should be joyous and fill with thanks that I have my son, as well as another baby growing in my belly. For some reason, God has deemed us fit enough to care for His creation. He has bestowed on us these amazing gifts, which unfortunately, is taken from some people to soon. I look to God, my Father, my Everything at all hours of the day. Many times to thank Him, lots of times to gripe, to complain, to vent, to ask favors from Him. How does He respond to me? Is He frustrated or under slept? No. Within the breathe of air that I begin speaking (sometime yelling) to Him, He is there. No questions asked. He is there the moment the thought rolls off my tiny brain. Why? Because I am His child. I am His. I belong to Him. Perhaps I need to practice the same graceful parenting that is given to me…and be thankful for the moments that I have to parent my own child.

Last Friday

2010-11-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

Will just got done from his Halloween Party at daycare and I was about ready to leave for a jewelry party with my friend, Sandi. We got a discount if we dressed up....we were housewife's! However, this is also the best pic I've had taken that shows off Baby #2 in a long while!

For the CO Grandparents! Love, Will

2010-10-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:55:00.001-07:00

Happy "Sugar-high, Crazy Kid" Day! Will was stoked about wearing his costume this year (even though the pictures don't really show it). He loved his dragon costume. He just learned what candy is and is always begging for more. He had a great time Trick-or-Treating with his friend, Olivia....while out and about, we ran into Abbie and Olivia C. and spent time with them too!

Will and Olivia

Abbie, Olivia C., Olivia B., William

Will was super hungry when we got home and ate pretty much an entire box of Mac and Cheese...not even kidding!

Hope your day was filled with treats!

Ms. Katie and Irakli's Wedding

2010-10-19T06:45:00.001-07:00

William’s daycare provider, Ms. Katie, got married on Sunday!!! (Well, they were actually hitched on February 14th this year, but they had their big wedding on Sunday!) Ms. Katie asked all of her daycare kiddos to be honorary attendees and they all looked darling in their suits and dresses…I’m bummed I didn’t get a picture of the dresses. Ms. Katie’s husband, Irakli, is from the country Georgia and is wonderful with the kids. Will LOVES him. As a matter of fact, when Irakli came to the front of the church, I had to take Will out of the church. Will was going to loose it if he wasn’t able to run up to him!

Pimpin' on the ride to the church...

The love-birds...Irakli and Will

The true love-birds, Ms. Katie and Iraki...and William! Oh! It was also Ms. Katie's birthday on Sunday! What a Birthday present!

They are Greek Orthodox and I swear we attended My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It was beautiful!

Will and Mama

Wilson's Apple Orchard

2010-10-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Even though all the apples were picked...the cider was still hot, the apple turnovers were delicious and the weather was beautiful!

20 week Ultrasound!

2010-10-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 week ultrasound this afternoon! It is always exciting to see that baby pop up on the screen. The ultrasound tech was super sweet...she was probably a couple years younger than me. She loved it that we didn't want to know the sex of the baby! And, because of that (I think) that she really took her time explaining everything she was doing AND she copied a CD of 51 pictures and small videos that she took through the ultrasound! The baby even kicked her twice...HARD! The baby was super wiggly, so we didn't get great profile pictures. However, I do love the ones we did get. A few things that she could tell us: the baby weighs roughly 13 oz, the heart rate was 147 and the baby is measuring a day ahead of schedule! It's really hard to tell from these pictures, but the profile of this baby compared to William's ultrasound pictures is identical! We can't wait to meet him or her in 19 - 20 ish weeks!

Date Night

2010-10-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

It was our 5th wedding anniversary last Saturday! We decided that the traditional dinner and a movie date night needed to be spiced up a bit….so we opted for a quick bite to eat at Wendy’s (baked potato and chili) and headed to the Hawkeye Game! It was a great night for football! Another win against Penn State. William spent the night with his uncle and auntie and we had the evening to ourselves…much needed!

Heading to the game on the Hawkeye Express!

The bad-a$$ players coming out from the locker room...about to take the field.

Beautiful night. It was homecoming and the challenge of the night was to wear specific colors depending on the section you sat in. We definitely pulled it off! Go Gold and Black!

On IOWA!

Great night! Happy 5th Anniversary, Love.

ABC's

2010-09-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

Will received these flashcards as a birthday gift from our friends, The Oswald's! Will LOVES them and so far have made a huge impact in learning letters! We quized Will last night and he got 15 out of 26 site letters correct! Good Job, William! Now we need to find flash cards similar to these that have the colors and 123's and we'll be set.

Texture, Prime and Paint!

2010-09-27T19:11:00.001-07:00

WARNING - A TON OF PICTURES!

Okay, here's the update on the basement....2 weeks ago, Josh and Tony textured the basement. Here they are hard at work!

Last week, Josh primed everything. I was having severed back pain and couldn't lift a thing. ...pregnancy!

On Saturday, I started doing what I love! Throwing on color! Also a thanks to Alicia who gave me a hand last night! It is NOT done....but the 1st coat is!

The end is near! We can't wait to start enjoying it! A big thanks to my hubby for taking on this project! You have done a terrific job~thank you!