Family of Monkeys

The Painted Pumpkin

2011-11-24T06:00:00.002-06:00

The tradition we decided to start last year was painting pumpkins instead of carving them. (Yes, I'm talking Halloween on Thanksgiving Day.) Due to various reasons that didn't happen before Halloween this year. The kiddos had picked out their pumpkins and were adorable and Uncle LeRoy's Pumplin Patch, and were even more adorable as a bumble bee and Captain America on Halloween, but we hadn't gotten to the most fun part. Yet. So, last night, Thanksgiving Eve, I decided to let the kids paint their pumpkins. Figured they would get 30-60 minutes of fun, I'd get quiet, and we'd have pretty pumpkins the last weeked of November. You know, just in time to put away the fall decor and bring on the Christmas. Ya'll didn't know I was a procrastinator? Oh COME ON!

Any way in which it came about, the kids DID have fun. Painting their pumpkins, themselves, and the tub. Yeah. There was no containing the creativity juices once they were flowing. That's okay, we were able to get some practice with being responsible for your mess that way. Cause I'm trying to teach them that. You know, clean up your own mess and such. Cause I'm a responsible parent like that. Hahahahaha. Okay, because I'm tired of cleaing up the mass of messes they make every damn hour. I'm lazy like that. Didn't know that either, did ya ;)

It all started out clean and tidy....sorta.

E painting her pumpkin

...and M painting his.

Moving on to body art.

Full body art I should clarify.

And then to tub art.

I think her theme was TRIBAL.

Max's completed pumpkin. (He was fascinated that combining all the colors made BROWN!)

E's final version.

Final Step, Operation CleanUpChildren

Snip, Snip....Snip

2011-11-20T07:37:00.000-06:00

Miss E. had her first haircut Satuday (11/19/11). She didn't do as well as I hoped, but I guess I should have expected that. I wanted her to sit by herself on the booster in the chair. You know, how you're supposed to. But she wouldn't. For anything. Each time we tried she turned into a boneless mass of scream. So, in my lap she went. And sat perfectly still, thankyouverymuch. All that to explain why I don't have in-progress pics. Just the final version :) We didn't really change anything, just cleaned it up. I thought maybe her hair would lose some of the curl with the lengh shortened, but instead it seems to have made it curlier. Yay! Curls are here to stay!

And for my future Miss E (from your 21 month old self), see girl. You were ahead of your time ;) Long sleeve red shirt, blue striped pajama pants, red plaid swimsuit, grey socks, and brown shoes. Such a trend setter.*

Oh yes. I definitely let her leave the house looking like this. Always making sure to have photographic evidence. She's too stubborn to let me change her into something she didn't pick out.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

2011-09-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

People are funny.And stupid. Never forget society as referred to in general is STUPID. But, the peeps who made the following are exceptions. Because they made me laugh, and not through their stupidity.
So, today I bring you the funnies that saved my days this week. Enjoy. Happy FRIDAY!

I guess that was the problem with Mike and I. Not enough wine. Did you know? We've filed for divorce. No pity please; none needed.

And finally, the answer to the title question:

My 18 month old Fashionista.

2011-08-30T20:20:00.001-05:00

My 18 month old Fashionista.

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Max Draws Himself with a Rocketship

2011-07-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

Max Draws Himself with a Rocketship

Max Draws Elly

2011-07-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

Max Draws Elly

Max Draws Daddy

2011-07-06T21:24:00.001-05:00

Max Draws Daddy

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Max Draws Mommy

2011-07-06T21:22:00.001-05:00

Max Draws Mommy

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I'm in Love!

2011-06-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

I'm in Love!

Earning her keep : )

2011-06-12T08:59:00.001-05:00

Earning her keep : )

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Party Time!

2011-05-17T14:28:00.000-05:00

Make your own invite

What her bday should have looked like!

2011-05-14T19:39:00.001-05:00

What her bday should have looked like!

Book It!

2011-05-05T15:17:00.000-05:00

I was (am!) a voracious reader growing up. It is my sincerest wish that my children continue to share my love of reading. But, this isn't about them.

I am a series reader. I like singletons just fine, but I love finding and falling in love with characters and following them through multiple adventures. This love of mine started early. As in, EARLY. Here's a smattering of what I read growing up:

Baby-Sitters Little Sister Books

Baby-Sitters Club

Nancy Drew

Sweet Valley High

Do you know how many books are in each of these series? TONS. I'd have to google it to know for sure, and I really don't have time for that. I may have read the Little Sister books to completion, but I want to say I had matured and moved on in my reading with the other series' before they reached their conclusions. But every once in a while I would think back on them and wonder where would the characters be today? I grew up with these books, I think it only natural to wonder ; ) And, surprise surprise. I'm not the only one. What I love about Blog-land is that you inevitebly find somebody who has the same intersts/questions you do. And they've answered them! Woot!
So the creator of Sweet Valley High (did you know most of the books were ghost written?) wrote the sequal, Sweet Valley Confidential. No, not interested enough to read the book. The twins lost their appeal long ago; but I did have fun reading another blogger's play-by-play review :D That left me wondering about...The Baby-Sitters Club. What happened to that beloved bunch of girls? Were Logan and Mary Anne together FOREVER? Kristy and Bart ever hook up? Is Dawn still a tree hugger? These are the questions people! And thankfully, there are answers! Go! Read! Be amused! Wonder no more!

In case you, too, love series, here is a current sampling:
Twilight (you know you wanna), Stephanie Meyer
The Belgariad and The Mallorean, David Eddings
Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
Venus Prime, Arthur C. Clark
Merry Gentry, Laurell K. Hamilton (warning: graphic)
Bride Quartet, Nora Roberts (my FIRST Nora Roberts read ever! Can you believe it took me 29 yrs?!)

It's All About the Bab-ehs

2011-04-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

Making it Pretty

2011-04-23T11:09:00.001-05:00

Here are some detail shots of E's party decor, and a little of the prep work too ; )

Besides the fresh flowers, and the cupcake arrangement, the other flower decorations were "hand-made" flowers.

Petals = Lemon cake and Raspberry frosting, Stem and stamen = Banana cake with chocolate frosting. YUM

(final product for our "hand-made" efforts)

A Little 'M'

2011-04-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

He picked out the jacket and hat all by himself at Kohl's :) "I a cowboy mommy. Giddy-up, yaw!"

(note, he was properly fastened in the seat before we actually went anywhere in the car)

Max loves Daddy's new iPod Touch. He's really good at using it and has his own games on it. It's become a special treat to play it after dinner if he eats well.

Par-tay

2011-04-20T22:56:00.002-05:00

So we finally celebrated Elly's birthday a couple weekends back :) We were originally going to celebrate in early March, but my grandmother passed away and her funeral happened to be the day of the planned party.

I planned most of the deets with my girl Chibiko months ago. Location (an awesome heated pavillion) and food (cake and lemonade anyone?), decorations (cake and flowers/balloons) and activities (slide, tunnel, and coloring). Since the original plan was for early March, and, you know, we live in IOWA, we planned for indoor activities :D Then we have the party in April, and fate shined down on us and gave us an absolutely beautiful day. Sunshine and warmth and(maybe a little too much) wind. So we upgraded our activies to playing at the park and bubble chasing (E got a bubble machine as a gift on her ACTUAL bday). I'd like to think everyone would have had fun with the original plan, but I think we (parents) all appreciated the condition playing outdoors at the park left our kids in! Early bedtime anyone?

So, what you really want here are some pictures, right? Right? Here is a run down of E celebrating her big day a fat 2 months after the fact ; )

Starting her day off annoying the cat....

Doesn't everyone like to read sans clothing?

A daycare buddy had a birthdy party that morning. So here she is having some fun at Monkey Joes!

(she LOVES this place!)

Snuggling with Poppo at the beginning of the party.

CAKE TIME!

She did better than Max on his first birthday, but not by much.

The cupcakes were more of a success :) A huge hit all around (no leftovers!!).

Then she moved on to the gifts.....

Then home for more playtime.

(Hi! Thanks for coming everyone! I had fun playing with you and being smooched on!)

And at last, bedtime. Happy Birthday Party Sweet Girl!

(please excuse the state of disarray I display...it was a long day!)

Haircut!

2011-04-13T16:07:00.001-05:00

Haircut!

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Sunday Morning Messes Are the BEST!

2011-04-10T09:22:00.001-05:00

Sunday Morning Messes Are the BEST!

Max wanted to hold Elly. Love these two!

2011-04-07T17:30:00.001-05:00

Max wanted to hold Elly. Love these two!

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The Eleventh Commandment

2011-04-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

Thou shall perceive happiness, health, and beauty in direct porportion to your weight and body size.

Outwardly, most people would read this and respond publicly with a "screw that" attitude. Inwardly? Yep. We live it as if it were a true addendum to the original 10 written in stone.

With every fiber of my being I can truthfully say I have never believed this. Perhaps it is easier for me because I have always been considered thin. But being thin has never made me happy. I eat a lot. A lot. People, including family, watch me eat and wonder how I manage to stay so skinny. I laugh it off, while feeling decidedly uncomfortable with the inquiry. Are they looking for an answer? Do they think I have some secret dietary magic I keep to myself? I don't know why I don't gain weight (beyond the same 8 pound flux I've had since high school). My guess for myself is genetics and a high motabalism. And the part I stress the most, being thin does not make you healthy. I DO NOT consider myself to be a healthy person. I don't exercise, I don't eat well. I make horrible dietary decisions for myself. I recognize it, but currently lack the motivation to change it. *I do not inflict my decisions on my children*

Anytime someone talks to be about losing weight I try to stress that your weight is not a goal to be reached. If you want to change something concentrate on the inches/size you want to lose. Whatever you do, make sure it's something that is sustainable (as in exercise and diet changes). Looking back, I feel torn at having supported anyones goals to change themselves instead of encouraging them to love who they are. But I guess, since I don't love my body, I feel more secure in supporting their decisions since I can't practice what I preach and such. And exercise is healthy for you, so there's that. Or maybe that's just me trying to justify my actions.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling going on here. I read this post today, and it really resounded with me. Really articulates how I have always felt. Healthy is a word that encompasses so much, and I hope to live to see our society adapt to a, ahem, HEALTHIER vision of the word. So go read the post and come back and tell me your thoughts.

My Max, the Spaceship

2011-03-31T07:18:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T20:33:00.000-05:00

Elly vs The Steak

2011-03-19T08:35:00.001-05:00

I Wasn't Hungry Anyway

2011-03-17T16:40:00.000-05:00

Dude. Bridie has a Healthy Living website that has a ton of great information on it. Hooray for your dedication to making you and your family healthy, Bridie! Me? We try but not with the same gusto Bridie has : D

So she linked to this article today. While this particular article may not bring out too many surprises, there are some additional links within it that were uber enlightening for me. *Sidenote: can 30 year olds still say uber?*
Like the 30 Saltiest Foods in America. There are salads on this list!!!! Also 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper. I mean, come on!
On the up side, they also list The 50 Best Snack Foods In America. Some are no brainers and others were enlightening and appetizing.

So I figure, knowledge is power. Knowing these items and being able to avoid them, or alternately look for them when we're shopping helps us make a few healthier decisions for our families...and ourselves. This is the kind of change I can get on board with : P

Cuz....The More You Know (and shooting star).
You have no idea how long I've wanted to use that line on here!

A Solution

2011-03-16T11:16:00.001-05:00

I would love to take credit for this discovery, but in reality all credit goes to my girl Chibiko.

These frames are available at Target for $14.99. Talk about a Red Hot Deal : )

I'm going to have to get me some. We have an abundance of artwork that needs to be displayed properly. Not to mention protected from little hands!

To see them in action, visit Chibiko's blog post about Kids Artwork. Hopefully someday soon (you know, before the end of the year) I'll have my own and have them up to for display. *This is me dreaming*

Referring You

2011-03-11T13:59:00.000-06:00

I want to send you to a friend of mine. She wrote a post that strikes near to our families' hearts (family's?). I'm sure you all remember the multiple mentions of the 17P shot I received during my pregnancy with Elly. It seems that the cost of these shots is rocketblasting (skyrocketing doesn't cover it) due to some new regulations. No use is writing more as she lays it all bare with more eloquence than I could probably put to it.

I am so sad to hear that a decreased number of women will be afforded the peace of mind I had by receiving these shots.

My Baby is More Expensive than Your Baby

How to Kick B.U.T.T. at Work

2011-03-11T08:59:00.000-06:00

Breakfast of Champions

Oatmeal with raisens, craisens, walnuts, and a touch (or two!) of brown sugar

Mmmmmm.

What Makes You Feel Loved

2011-03-09T09:47:00.000-06:00

I came across this poem and upon reading it got a little teary. I feel like it could have been written by Mike for me.

“I'll Be There For You” by Louise Cuddon:

I'll be there, my darling, through thick and through thin

When your mind's in a mess and your head's in a spin

When your plane's been delayed, and you've missed the last train.

When life is just threatening to drive you insane

When your thrilling whodunit has lost its last page

When somebody tells you, you're looking your age

When your coffee's too cool, and your wine is too warm

When the forecast said, “Fine,” but you're out in a storm

When your quick break hotel, turns into a slum

And your holiday photos show only your thumb

When you park for five minutes in a resident's bay 

And return to discover you've been towed away

When the jeans that you bought in hope or in haste

Just stick on your hips and don't reach round your waist

When the food you most like brings you out in red rashes

When as soon as you boot up the bloody thing crashes

So my darling, my sweetheart, my dear...

When you break a rule, when you act the fool

When you've got the flu, when you're in a stew

When you're last in the queue, don't feel blue

'cause I'm telling you, I'll be there.

Can I Tell You...

2011-03-07T22:54:00.000-06:00

How much I love this kid?!

There were days I truly worried about his behaviour. But he has really turned a corner and is such a good kid (most of the time!). Every day I look forward to what he can teach me next; and he never disappoints : D If he'd just figure out the potty training we'd be golden!

Current favorite Max-moment: Everyday, first thing, "Mommy! I wake up! I get down now?"

It's a Party!

2011-03-01T02:00:00.000-06:00

A free invitation card by Smilebox

Growing Up - Miss E., 12 months

2011-02-09T14:56:00.004-06:00

*Disclaimer: For whatever reason, I am currently unable to upload pictures.*
3/7 Updated with pics!

Life with Elly at 1 year:

Holy Cow! How did you get to be one year?!?! Time has literally sprouted wings and flown by.

You are getting back to being a good sleeper : ) We aren't quite there, but we'll keep working on it until you are!

We have started an 8 o'clock bedtime. This seems to suit you, and you have gotten to be a better dispositioned baby. We are currently working to get you to soothe yourself to sleep instead of Mommy or Daddy rocking you.

You rock the walk, and are starting to own it. By that I mean you have started adding attitude to your stride. You can get moving pretty quick, but still no running.

You continue to love food. We continue to love you loving food : )

You have started to say some words besides Mama and Da-da. We've gotten Thank you, Nigh-Night and a couple others.

You finally got your fourth tooth! Finding out was painful for me, as most nursing moms will understand.

You have transitioned to daycare so well!

You have gotten to be quite the big girl! Still in size 3 diapers, but officially in 12-18 month clothing. You weigh around 21 lbs.

You are such a good girl; you listen to us very well, and usually share well with Max.

Speaking of Max, you are such a copy cat! Anything he does you try to do. We've has some not great moments where you follow him up something and don't know how to get back down : (

We love you Birthday Girl! Stay sweet : D

Growing Up - Miss E., 11 months

2011-02-04T11:54:00.003-06:00

Life with Elly at 11 months:

You have three teeth! (finally!)

You have started daycare for the first time. You seem to enjoy being there, but you are SO happy to see me when I pick you up! <--BTW, Miss Debbie just adores you!

You're sleeping has not improved :(

You are still in a size 3 diaper, but wear both 12 and 18 month clothing. Big Girl! I'd say you weigh about 20 lbs give or take a few ounces : )

You continue to be a great eater! Many times you will eat your meal, plus finish whatever Max didn't eat.

You love to "rub, rub, rub" your hands. (handwashing/sanitizing)

You have experienced your first real cold since starting daycare. Hopefully your immune system catches up fast!

You're favorite word to say is "Uh-Oh"! It's super cute!

You love bath time. It usually lasts longest when shared with Max : )

You're brother has taught you many things! Including how to drink out of a big cup (bath time). You love to imitate him in any way you can. Sometimes Max enjoys it, other times not so much. Hopefully we have very few of the not so much moments!

You LOVE to dance! The music plays and up and down your little butt goes. You also love us to hold you and dance with you. It's such a hardship ; )

You never hold still! Diaper changes to photos, I can't get you to not move for anything! (as evidenced by having to use bath photos!!)

We love ya girl!

Growing Up - Miss E., 10 months

2011-02-04T11:15:00.005-06:00

Life with Elly at 10 months:

You walk!!!!! It's not always great, and when you want to go fast you still revert to crawling, but you've done it! You walked by 10 months!

You wear 12 month clothing and are still in size 3 diapers.

You're hair is starting to fill in more. I can't wait for it to get longer!

On the hair note, you no longer leave your headbands alone : (

You are a great eater! You've given up on baby food, and anything that reminds you of it (i.e. yogurt, applesauce), but you eat anything else we put in front of you!

You love to clap! "YAY" get's a pretty happy reaction from you as well ; )

You still only have the 2 teeth, but boy do you know how to use them.

You are getting more vocal and trying to "tell" us a few things.

You're sleep pattern seems to be going thru an adjustment as you are now waking up at night sometimes. Unfortunately, this hasn't improved your naps!

You watch your brother SO closely! I can tell we won't have much more time before you are a mini-Max!

You are just the sweetest girl and we love you to pieces!

Growing Up - Miss E., 9 months

2010-11-17T14:24:00.004-06:00

Life with Elly at 9 months:

You eat a lot of table food, and a little baby food. You LOVE to feed yourself!

It would probably be easier to say what you don't like than what you do, so you're not a big fan of cooked apples, cheese...and I'm hard pressed to think of anything else right now ; )

You still wear a size 3 diaper, and size 12 mo clothing. You can still get into a couple 9-12 month things, but not too many.

You are a horrible napper, but usually a great night sleeper. This past week you've been getting up in the 4 a.m. hour, so I'm hoping we've just hit a growth spurt!

You crawl EVERYWHERE. I swear, if I didn't already have a shadow, you would be it!

You've now started to pull yourself up to everything also. You've started to cruise the furniture, so I feel pretty confident that you'll be walking soon(ish)!

You've still only gotten the two teeth.

When we go out, we get comments all the time what a great baby you are, and how happy you seem. Ha! If only these people could see you at home. You are definitely discontent in the evenings for sure. During the day you are pretty happy to play at your leisure and don't express your grumpiness for the world (me) to hear, but...oh, boy. I don't think we'll have to teach you to use your words.

When you are happy, girl you are a cutie. You have the best laugh, The Best.

You are turning into a Daddy's Girl. I won't lie, I don't hate it ; ) I won't lie, I don't think your daddy minds!

You love to play with your brothers toys. Max doesn't love it so much. We're all coping.

You also love water. Bath or shower, as long as it's warm you are good to go.

You have an insane amount of nicknames. Elly Belly, Sugar Lips, Cutie Pie, Pumpkinhead, Bright Eyes, Elly C....there are more. Even Max calls you by them sometimes!

We love you more and more each month my Bonnie Bluebelle.

Reflections

2010-10-27T18:53:00.003-05:00

With permission from Bella K Photography, for your viewing pleasure here is Max's First Year Milestones:

Photos and design by Krisi Stephens

I can't believe how far he came from preemie to 1 year old! And where we are now from then? WOW.

Growing Up - Mighty Max, 2 1/2 yrs.

2010-10-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Life with Max at 2.5 years old:

Things you love...

Mommy : D you are a total mama's boy.
Your blankets! Fortunately you don't have one specific blanket you are attached to, as long as it's soft/fuzzy you are good to go.
Chocolate : )
Mints (tic tac's specifically)
Staying in your jammies all day.
Pancakes (you see a syrup bottle and freak out!)

Things you dislike...

Vegetables!
Having your picture taken : ( unless I'm taking a crazy # of pics of Elly, then you want in on the action
Having your diaper changed.
You are in a size 5 diaper. I am hoping potty training goes better soon because it pretty well isn't going anywhere right now and I'd love to stop buying your diapers!
You are transitioning to 3T clothes.
You have a very broad vocabulary, and are pretty clear in your diction. Or maybe that's just me since I hear it all the time : )
You are still a huge fan of going outside, and can now unlock the door so that you can get yourself there. Some scary moments result from this!
You still DO NOT sleep through the night. Agh!
You recently went to your first haunted house. Daddy says you did well. You woke up screaming two nights later though. Not your usual.
You love flying. Or rather pretending to fly. Buzz Lightyear, airplanes, helicopters, fairies, dinosaurs...all of these things fly and therefore are imitated multiple times a day.
Speaking of imitating, almost everything you see you try to do yourself.
You are fearless. You are the kid parks were built for. There is one particular park that has a toddler area vs a big kid area (5-12yr); you have already conquered the big kid area. My heart stopped while you were climing...you were above Daddy and out of his reach! All by yourself!!!
You are a great big brother! So kind to Elly and always wanting to make sure she has everything she needs. Your toy sharing could use a little work, but I suppose that will come in time.
You are just an all-around great kid. most days Daddy and Mommy look at each other in awe and amazement. (we have days we look at each other and wonder what were we thinking too!)

We love ya kid! Stop growing up so fast, would ya?

Growing Up - Miss E., 8 Months

2010-10-12T22:26:00.007-05:00

Life with Elly at 8 months:

You have your two bottom front teeth!
You love to eat solid food, especially with the teeth : ) You still eat regular baby food because you don't seem to quite fill up enough without it. It's two jars at lunch and dinner, and puffs for breakfast. You also will have rice husks, cheerios and other edibles for snacks in the a.m. and p.m. You are also still nursing like a champ ; )
We have to sing to you while you're eating supper or it's almost a continual whine between (and during) bites. I totally do not get this.
You are crawling! You love to go! go! go! (on an adventure...) You also pull yourself up to stand anywhere and everywhere. You are happy to have us hold your hands and walk from object to object too! (nooo!!!)
You officially wear a size 3 diaper.
You are still in size 6-9 month clothing, but I think we'd be okay to move you to 12 month clothes...especially sleepers.
You're napping needs a lot of work! But your bedtime routine is magical : ) 7:30 every night you are ready to start winding down and are ready to be down for the night just after 8. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this!!!!!

You love to blow raspberries : D
You are pretty much over the baby toys that your brother loved for so long. If it's not something Max or friends will play with you don't want to have anything to do with it. I cannot tell you how much I wish you were entertained in the activity jumper!
You are talking more and whining less, although there is still a lot of room for improvement here.
I think your eye color is pretty permanent : D When you wear denim, they are so dark blue, but when you wear purple they take on this lovely lavender hue. I love it!
You have really started to imitate those around you! SO entertaining!

We ALL love you SO much!

(hoping this shows off the teethers a bit better!)

Elly moment: I was watching her crawl today. Obviously this has occured before, but I am usually on the floor with her, or watching her from farther away. Today I was standing just a couple feet from her as she was crawling towards me. It just struck me how small she is, (no, not really...she's right on target) or looks at least, as she's doing these big girl activities. I don't remember Max seeming this small as he worked his way up the skillz ladder. It was such a proud/sad moment. And now it's memorialized.

Pumpkins in Patches

2010-10-06T21:57:00.004-05:00

We took our first ever, and now annual, trip to Patches Pumpkin Farm. It was a BLAST and I'm thinking we'll actually be going back this year just for some more cheap Fall fun. The pictures don't capture all the fun we had, but they do it more justice than words, so enjoy : )

See a pumpkin.... pick it up!

So big, and so mad!

Say it ain't so!

A great little petting zoo, and Max wouldn't touch any of them!

(he actually was more interested in the fake horse -not shown- than any of the real animals)

Max, Celina and Jack ready to head to the pumpkin patch.

BREAKING NEWS: Just the 6 of us.

(not funny? well, it's late for me and I'm not that into you ; )

How come the kids never want to cooperate when we have a family photo op?

Elly is IN LOVE with Celina. And of course all the kids love Mike!

Thanks to Anna, Jack, and Celina for helping us make this trip the success it was!

Soup, Salad, and...

2010-09-22T17:00:00.004-05:00

BREADSTICKS!

Also, because I think they are so stinkn' cute, Elly's 6 mo photo session is up for viewing here. Password: hanson. Only available for viewing for a month : )

Growing Up - Miss E., 7 Months

2010-09-09T19:33:00.004-05:00

Life with Elly at 7 months:

Everyone who sees you compares you to a cabbage patch doll. Okay, not everyone...but it is darn close!
You gabber a good deal, but so far you prefer grunting to get your point across ; )
You started sitting last month, and boy have you mastered it! The only time you fall over is when you are getting tired.
You have started to "crawl" from your sitting position. You'll reach for something until you fall forward into a crawl position. You can't really get anywhere, and you can't get yourself sat back up so this has become a bit frusterating for us all.
You love to pat. I love when I pick you up from your nap or diaper change and you just pat my shoulder or back : D
You are a piggy! Veggies and fruit twice a day, and if you would stay awake you'd get breakfast too!
You have also started to drink from a sippy cup. I don't know if you love getting the drink or the opportunity to gnaw on something new more.
You LOVE to be outside. I'll carry you in the wrap and we'll follow Max around many afternoons and you think it is all for your entertainment! The laughs you share with us are great!!
You've moved into size 6-9 month clothing, right on target.
You still wear a size 2 diaper, but soon we'll have to move to 2-3 or 3!
At your last appointment you weighed 16lbs 13 oz and were 26 inches long. I looked up your brothers stats from the same time in his life and he was a pound heavier and an inch longer! I guess it's all going to the cheeks ; )
You got to meet Aunt Mel for the first time this month. I think you have another fan : )
You tried table food this month, too. Meat loaf, baked potatoe, ribs, mashed potatoes and a deluxe grahm (from grandma!) are the things you've sampled so far!

HELP!

2010-09-07T14:54:00.005-05:00

I'm not a good decision maker. We are FINALLY finished painting, and now onto haning our pictures. But appointing the place to hang remains to be decided. So, HELP! Let me know what you think in the comments. I'd put up a poll, but find that the blessed nap time is over ; ) And...THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP : D

First

Second

Third

Growing Up - Miss E., 6 Months

2010-08-16T16:24:00.005-05:00

Life with Elly at 6 months:

You are a little piggy! You started eating cereal just a week or two into your 6th month, and have already progressed to eating a serving of veggies too! You're a good, clean eater, the main mess maker is me ; )
Your cheeks seem to get pudgier every month! I guess it's a good thing, people seem to adore them : D
You officially sit up now. Your balance is better every day, and you're so much happier now that you can do it yourself....and play with toys on your own.
You love to stand! I don't think there will be much crawling in our household this time around either.
You're verbal skillz are growing...but we seem to be branching into an area your daddy and I would prefer to leave behind...WHINING. You spend a great deal of the day doing this!
You are straddling the line between 3-6 and 6-9 month clothing, it won't be long now!
We recently had to switch you from Huggies Snug and Dry to Huggies Lil Snugglers because you were leaking through! Now Mama's considering a switch to clothe. We'll see.
You're smiles and laughs continue to highlight our days : )
You love to watch Baby Einstein's Baby Neptune. This is my sanity saver when you keep scooping the loop in Whineyville.
You love to dance with your family. I hope this is a love that lasts a lifetime!
You love to look at yourself in the mirror : ) If I were as pretty as you, I guess I would too!

Jump, Jive, and.....

2010-08-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

Those crazy kids can dance! The parents aren't too bad either ; ) This past Saturday was National Dance Day. This is something that is common in our house every weekend, but recording it was a little tricky, and a little embarrassing!

We Love Cheese

2010-07-31T21:00:00.008-05:00

Wheel or wedge...

On a toothpick, with fruit...

Sliced or shredded...

Baked...

....and in many other forms and flavors. But our favorite, our absolute favorite, is this:

It's a classic for a reason; Ham and cheese ; ) Notice how his hand is up in both pictures? It's becuase along with the "cheese" comes the camera click!

Captivating

2010-07-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

I think I mentioned that Elly likes to be read to. Is this not the cutest thing!?

Growing Up - Miss E., 5 months

2010-07-11T23:08:00.004-05:00

Life with Elly at 5 months:

You're eyes are still blue!!!!
You are still chewing on everything you can, but no teeth to show for all your effort! I think we've just about exausted all our teething avenue's w/o finding you much relief : (
You love to grab at things now that you've figured out how to *kinda* hold on to them. Tonight you took Mommy's water bottle away from her!
You are finding yourself and your brother HILARIOUS.
We have finally moved you into a size 2 diaper; with that change came a change in your diapering demeanor.....meaning you no longer like them! I blame Max.
You've figured out how to roll from your back to your tummy, but for some reason you don't like to show this new talent off!
We've started some Baby Einstein videos and you are slowly starting to pay a little attention; you are finally playing more independently for longer periods of time too! (Yay for macro breaks!)
You've really discovered your voice and love to exercise it before bedtime : P
You're hair is starting to get noticebly longer (to me anyway!) and I've started to daydream about hairbows : )
You are liking to be outside a little more now; I think you figured out the scenery changes more frequently!
We cannot take you anywhere without at least one person mentioning your cheeks! I confess, I love to kiss them!
You cheered the ICubs at your first baseball game ; )

At your last well baby appointment (6.29.10) you weighed 14 lbs (75%) and were 25 inches (80%)=combined 50%. I took you in a week later for an ear check and you had already gained an additional 6 ounces and grew another 1/2 inch!!!!! WHAT!

As a side note...this is our/my 100th post ; ) It took me almost 2 years, but here we are. Hopefully we'll be adding to that count considerably more often in the near future. Tell me, how do the other mommy bloggers do it??? I can't seem to find enough time to sit down and put a post together between my two (and I will not be making a habit of doing it at 11 pm as I have tonight!).

Bird Watchers

2010-06-25T10:00:00.001-05:00

There was an untended baby bird in my parents front yard this week while we were visiting. Max thought it was pretty cool to see a bird so close. Tweet tweet!

Elly wasn't as interested ;)

An Update in Pictures

2010-06-24T13:32:00.003-05:00

Father's Day

Getting ready to paint!

This picture makes me want to sing, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..."

Favorites

2010-06-11T02:14:00.002-05:00

It's no secret. Mike and I love to read. Max loves to pull out and look at books (not so great at sitting and listening to a story, but still). So it comes as no surprise that the 'lil miss likes books too.

And who doesn't like baths? I dream of one day having a bathtub big enough for Mike to fit in comfortably. Fortunately for the offspring, our current tub is plenty big for them! Here they are sharing their first joint bath.

Growing Up - Miss E., 4 months

2010-06-11T01:44:00.007-05:00

Life will Elly at 4 months:

You love to chew on your fingers, sometimes getting your entire hand in your mouth! I hope this is just a sign of teething and not a habit.
You are starting to show some interest in holding toys; you seem so surprised when you make the noise!
You love to grab in general. My fingers (or just skin!) and your clothes are the faves. Aunt Jill's long hair seems to rank up there too!
You love to watch other kids play. You're eyes go all wide as you absorb everything going on : D
You LOVE to have your diaper changed (size 1-2 btw), and will just lay there and smile and talk to us. I had forgotten that diaper changes could actually be fun!
You recognize our voices now. If Mommy starts talking you turn your head/body about until you find me : ) I love it!
Still loving bath time! You shared a bath with your big brother for the first time this week. I don't know who was more entertained: you, Max, or Mommy and Daddy!
You are SO interested in real food. You cannot get enough of watching us eat. It's so cute the way you will follow the fork from plate to mouth!
You are trying so hard to roll over! Too soon you will be mobile : (
Your hair is finally starting to come back and fill in. It's not coming back the pretty red you were born with, it seems to be blonde ; )
We all love you so much and cannot imagine our lives without your precious smiles!

What are Weekends For?

2010-06-06T07:47:00.000-05:00

Having fun!

We spent last weekend with friends. Something we haven't been doing a lot of. Must. Have.More.

Sunday we went to a little get together of some of my sorority sisters. Lot's of new babies to meet! Of course, no pictures were taken, so nothing to post and share : (

And then on Monday, we went to my friend Bridie's house and had a blast doing this:

And this...
And this...
A little of that...
And no day is complete without...

Denim Eyes and Muddy I's

2010-06-05T19:16:00.010-05:00

We are loving summer, except for Elly still not liking to be out in the heat. Max is having a great time being down at Aunt Jill's. He gets to go outside almost whenever he wants to, plus two great playmates!

I am still on the job hunt, and we're going nowhere fast : ( As much as I love spending lots of time with these cuties, I want - no, need - a little security on the income side. Here's hoping that changes soon. In the meantime, I get to spend every day seeing.

Girl has eyes the various colors of denim. LOVE THEM!
And from me, Max gets eyes the color of you-know-what.

What? Mud of course! Silly you, where's your head? Showing off some mud (from the toes on up!)

Who would have thought a little bit of wet dirt could make a kid this happy?

Growing Up - Miss E., 3 months

2010-05-31T17:28:00.001-05:00

Life with Elly at 3 months:

You've giggled at your brother. It was so great to hear that!

You have settled into a pretty good routine all on your own.

We have poop! That's right, you finally poop regularly w/o any intervention. YAY!

You love to "stand" on Mommy's hand and look over my shoulder. You think you're so big.

Right on target, you've moved into the 3-6 month clothing. You look so adorable in your summer outfits!

You are the happiest little girl right after you've nursed.

Your favorite toy is Mr. Turtle on the toy bar of your bouncy seat. I don't think anyone gets as many smiles as that guy ; )

You severely dislike being outside in the heat! This is awful for mommy, as your brother loves to be outside : (

You hate being in your car seat unless we are MOVING. No stopping for us!

You do not sleep well when you are held. You absolutely want to be in your bed to sleep. Someday I will appreciate this, but today I just wish I could cuddle you a little more!

Your eyes are still blue! I'm hopeful there will no changes here ; )

Growing Up - Mighty Max, 2 yrs.

2010-05-25T15:15:00.000-05:00

Life with Max at 2 years of age:

You're finally growing into your skin, looking less like a baby.
You are down to one nap a day. You held on to that morning nap for a long time though!
You STILL do not sleep through the night. If only you could tell me why you wake up!!
You sleep in a big boy bed, and have for almost a year now : )
You love to run and jump. And boy, you are Speedy Gonzalez and, WOW, you excel at the jumping.
Some of your favorite things: balls, stickers, pickles.
You have a great vocabulary and know how to use it. You still sign please instead of saying it though, so we're working on that one.
You love, LOVE to play outside. I believe you really think the world has ended if you are told you can't go o.u.t.
You love your baby sister (and her toys) to pieces.
You do not love how much time Mommy spends nursing her.
You still love to snuggle. Another reason you don't like the time Mommy holds Elly.
You weren't a picky eater, now you are. We go through long periods of Feast or Famine with you at the dinner table.
You want what Mommy and Daddy have to drink. Thus, you drink tea a lot. But not a lot of it, for those worrying about your health : )
You love blankets, and almost always have one within reach, and absolutely will not fall asleep without one. This is strange, as you didn't have one for well over a year. But, it's just a blanket, and any blanket will do (even Elly's in a pinch!).

Life with you is an almost constant adventure filled with fun. We love you Mighty Max!
2 yr stats: WT 29lbs HT 35.5in. Both register in the 75th percentile, 60th combined.

Three Word Thursday

2010-05-20T06:53:00.000-05:00

Third word: Adorable!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T18:43:00.002-05:00

Growing Up - Miss E., 2 months

2010-05-08T00:29:00.004-05:00

Life with Elly at 2 months:

You love to look around, which translates into you love to be held. If you aren't facing out to see the world you are not a happy camper. Mommy calls you Snoopy for this, Daddy calls it high maintenance!
You are a good eater. During the day you want to eat every 2-3 hours.
You have just started to share some smiles with us. Your dimple is adorable : )

You are starting to talk back a little bit, usually during your diaper change ; )

You still aren't fond of baths, but you like showers a little better (like brother like sister!)
You are an excellent sleeper. You will sleep 8-10 hours a night w/o getting up!

You love to be swaddled to sleep, you'll take up 30 min. into a nap if you aren't swaddled.

You still do not like pacifiers, but your fingers are sampled a couple times a day!

(I'll update another time with a pic of Elly at 2 mo. I can't seem to remember where I put the spare memory card!)

2010-05-07T15:20:00.003-05:00

***Warning - this post may contain TMI***

February 09, 2010 (Happy 29th Mike/Dad!)

We spent the morning doing nothing. Mike had the day off because he was suppose to head to the dentist for a check-up, so we were all enjoying each others company.

Shortly after nine o'clock I headed to the bathroom, again. I think I spent 1/3 of all my days peeing in my third trimester. This would be the last time my bladder was affected by a baby kicking around inside. I was pullin' up the pants when my water broke. (Side note - what's with me, my bladder, and my bag of waters?!) Yes, I know it was my waters and not urine (Mike checked).

I hadn't had any contractions yet, and still none were coming. I figured we wouldn't head to the hospital if I wasn't contracting. Nothing like going in to be sent home and all. So nine turns to ten and I start having small contractions, somewhere around 7-8 minutes apart. I tell Mike that we should start getting ready to leave, since we had to take Max to daycare first. I wasn't feeling rushed, so it was another hour before we were heading out the door. I kid you not, as soon as Mike took our bag down to the car my contractions suddenly got painful. Aren't they suppose to work their way up the pain scale? It was an intense jump. And they were coming nice and close together. Just my luck.

I happen to look at the clock as we were pulling out of the garage, 11:00 exactly. We managed to drop off Max at daycare and were on our way to the hospital in record time. My contractions were coming less than a minute apart by now (less than 20 minutes later), and I was wondering if we were going to make it! Mike was pulling off the freeway as the nausea hit me. I made him pull to the side so I could vomit, but ended up just dry heaving. He had to pull me back into the car my contractions were hurting so bad!

The hospital is just 2 minutes from the freeway exit, so we were there in 1 : ) Mike dropped me off at the sky walk to the maternity ward and went to park the car. I started making my way to the elevators. I got about halfway there before I couldn't walk/communicate through my contractions anymore. I kind soul leaving the hospital helped me the rest of the way to the elevators. We were just getting on when Mike caught up with me. Down two floors to maternity and the few feet to the registration desk. We will later learn that it was 11:28 a.m. I make my way to Triage to be evaluated.

The nurse hands me the gown with instructions to change and lay on the table. I'm in so much pain that I can barely change w/o Mike's assistance, never mind getting up on the table/bed. Mike stuck his head out into the hall and yelled at the nurse to come back, that I was ready to go. She was all like, I'm coming, I'm sure she's fine. She does come back soon, just not as soon as I'd have liked ; ) So, they check me, and she tells us that I'm at an eight. (BTW, that means we're past the point where they can give you drugs.) Now, I don't remember it exactly like this, but Mike swears to it's truth: Mike maintains that the nurse stepped out of our Triage room and calls to the other nurses, "Holy shit, she's an eight!" Nurses storm the little room while the initial nurse gets on the line to call my doctor. This conversation I remember, "You have a patient here, (me), and she's ready to deliver.....Yes, she is definitely feeling pressure."

Feeling pressure? Understatement! I was pushing to relieve the pressure/pain. They are all like, don't push! Then give me something for the pain! Anyone who has been through labor w/o drugs knows that you cannot help but push, it's your body's natural reaction to the process! And, nope, nothing available to help the pain now. It was fun, or not, getting transferred from bed to bed while my body was racked with constant contractions. They set me up, and from what I remember hearing, the doctor on call had the nurses manning the door with a gown and gloves ready for my doctor when he arrived. (He was at another hospital in town, getting ready to do a c-section.) So, Dr. Munro gets there and literally walks into his gear and over to my table. I push once and get an episiotomy. I push twice and we have a baby girl! And, for the record, there was screaming involved in this process; something that was lacking when I delivered Max. Elly was born at 11:48 a.m., exactly 20 minutes from when we walked up to the reception desk, and less than three hours after my water broke. And from here on out, Daddy shares his bday with his little girl.

For the record, I never wanted an un-medicated birth. Now having done it with meds and w/o, I felt much more in control when Max was born. People keep saying to me that it must be nice that it was over so fast; no, it going fast did not make it easier! My body went 0-60 too fast for me to deal/process/adjust to the pain; I felt completely out of control of my body. Precipitous labors are traumatic and dangerous. I wish everyone a safe and easy delivery, but fast? No. (Precipitous labors run risks of hemorrhaging for the mama.) Side note - S.A.: you are a hero for laboring for 30+ hours before delivering, all w/o meds! The bright side was that in addition to no meds, there was also no time for an iv, so no swelling for me this time : )

The nurses/doctors informed me that with the next child I am to go directly to the hospital after my water breaks or risk delivering elsewhere. What next child? I do believe I'm done!

Coming Soon to the Hanson Household Nearest You...

2010-04-29T20:10:00.004-05:00

Or maybe not nearest you. Whatever. We were supposed to be hooked up on Wednesday. Thursday night and still nada. Hopefully we'll have a brilliant technitian fix us tomorrow.

Once we're up and running updates will be coming at ya like crazy : )

(you know, when I have more than an hour/kid free/at the library)

Here's what to expect:

Max is 2!
Elly is 2 months (now 11 weeks!!)
Wedding Receptions that ROCK
The promised birth story!

Three Word Thursday

2010-03-11T16:15:00.001-06:00

Oh, so pretty.

Three Word Thursday

2010-03-04T10:00:00.002-06:00

The Max Attack

Life Changes

2010-03-03T15:15:00.005-06:00

Lot's of change in our household! Of course, what else would you expect when you add a fourth member to your family?

Presenting: The Incomprable Miss E.

Elise Clara

2/9/2010

7 lbs 10 oz. 19.5"

Life with two kids is busy, especially when your 22 month old decides to start the Terrible Twos! He loves his little sister though. Every time she cries he comes over with his arms outstretched, "Help?, Help?" Or, "Hug?" Adorable I tell ya, adorble. Birth story coming soon, pinky swear. Here's a teaser to bring ya back for it: no drugs, 20 minutes. And I have to ask, who in their right mind wants to do labor with no drugs? I declare myself sane and say, not me.

Oh, and here is the last belly shot we got (doesn't it look fake?!):

Santa Claus Came to Denison

2009-12-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Mahlberg Christmas at the American Legion building in Denison. Poppo played Santa!! Max was still scared, but Jill's boys loved it, and they didn't know it was Poppo! How cool that they couldn't tell : )

Were you a good girl this year Renie?

Santa and Great-Grandma Renie

G-gma Renie and Santa

Max...
Sheldon...

Evan...

Kolten...

AND JUST FOR KICKS.....

MOMMY AND SANTA

I Didn't Have to Dream of a White Christmas

2009-12-28T08:55:00.003-06:00

Me, the month of December:

As most of you know, Iowa got snow in abundance. This changed our Christmas plans little bit : ) We had our regularly scheduled Christmas celebration with Mike's family last Sunday. Matt and Melissa made it back from San Francisco, so it was a really nice gathering of all the family (pics on the memory card not currently in my possession, hopefully time to post soon). We planned to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Mandy's family, but the impending storm threatened to change that. We ended up traveling to Denison on the 23rd and just beat the storm. That meant Mommo and Poppo Mahlberg had 8 extra people 24 hours earlier than expected, but we all survived with very little in the way of conflict. Yes, the kids are all still alive and well : P Christmas Eve was suppose to be a big shin-dig with the Mahlbergs, but for the first time in memory, it was postponed due to weather. We celebrated yesterday. It was a nice get together with a wonderful turnout considering the time and weather. Pics to come later. Mike missed that one, he had to work extra early this morning (3:45 anyone?) so he went home to get some much needed quiet time and rest. I got lucky, and my dad had some PTO coming, so Max and I got to stay and extra 1 1/2 days and not worry about transportation home. Yippee!

Oldest nephew Sheldon got a Nintendo DS for Xmas, and Mike just had to try it out. Max and Shel enjoyed watching him conquer....whatever.

Our Xmas Elf

Shel gave us some stained glass art. What a sweet kid he is!

Max opening one of his most favorite gifts, a Magna Doodle from Mommo and Poppo.

And now naptime is close to being over, so I'm going to have to come back another time. Perhaps I'll get a spare moment to prepare something for you to enjoy later this week before it's time to leave my current internet access (thanks Mom and Dad!).

I hope you all had a safe an happy holiday. I look forward to hearing/reading about it!

Three Words

2009-11-12T13:30:00.000-06:00

Grandma's.Are.Great.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T09:00:00.002-06:00

Make My Monday

2009-11-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

These guys make life good every day, especially Monday : )

Catching up is Hard to Do

2009-11-08T12:55:00.005-06:00

Especially when you still don't have internet. That should be corrected in the next couple weeks. Keep you fingers crossed that the techs don't get too booked up and make it even longer!

Not too much to report. Being at home has been busier than I ever thought it could be, and that's with Max still in daycare part-time! We've used the extra time for some fun stuff, but nothing too exciting. Still needing to get baby girl's bedroom picked out so we can move forward with painting.

Halloween was fun this year. Max was our Lil Stinker. We only took him to Night Eyes, as I figured he doesn't eat the candy yet, and I surely don't need it. He loved all the entertainment at the end of the trail. Blow up Toddler Town and a maze that ended with a corn box. We certainly went home with a tired little boy.

And that's it as I can now recall. I'm sure there's more. I'm sure you'll forgive me for forgetting. And here are some pictures to make up for the lack for the past weeks!

Dad, Max, and Rascal

24 Weeks:

What Chiefs fans think of the Raiders:

Night Eyes 2009:

Clifford and Curious George!

Show Me What You've Got

2009-10-20T16:41:00.002-05:00

I'll be back to post some pics, but just wanted to get the word out....

We have a GIRL on the way!

Woot!

P.S. My position was eliminated 10/8, along with many others in my general area. Luckily, I work(ed) for a great company and we will be okay for awhile with some good options in the near future. Right now, I am enjoying the unexpected gift of time at home. Unfortunately, we don't have the internet right now. I hope to rectify that soon. I think I'll need this space for some sanity saving before this ordeal is over!

What Friday's Should Be Made Of

2009-10-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Sleeping in. Who's with me on this?

Well, these two for sure : D

What Friday's should not be made of...

...we're working on this one.

Today I am 21 weeks pregnant. Holla! Officially on the downhill slide and it feels so good! Same struggles as always, but the little one is worth it.

This weekend Max and I are going to spend some quality time with Mommo. I'm looking forward to it : ) Mike's a good cook, and I love to eat out, but nothing beats Mom's cooking (just ask my siblings!). Hopefully, Max will be the same good boy he was last weekend, and so far this week. He has a mass under the skin of his outer eye and we started some intesive antibiotics Wednesday so I'm hoping we have some progress on the lump before we head back. This is offiically the prescription from hell. He has to take 12 ml's twice a day (over two teapsoon's), and he very much does not like it. This is the first medicine we've given him that he hasn't liked, and of course it's the one he has to have the most of. We also have to hold a heat compress on the lump 4 times a day, for at least 20 minutes each time. Any suggestions on getting him this medicine without fighting him? Or on getting him to sit still for the compress? Right now, we shoot for when he's sleeping, but that will make for a long 10 days....

Three Word Thursday

2009-10-08T10:35:00.001-05:00

Week.Twenty.Belly.

In other Pho-tastic viewing:

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

P.S. Belly shots tomorrow.

Three Word Thursday

2009-09-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

My.Girls.Rock.
(including those not pictured!)

Holiday weeks are always long, aren't they? This week has been no exception. As I was loading Max into the car this morning, my thought was, is Friday over yet? No, Thursday is only beginning. SIGH.

I started the prescribed synthetic progeterone shot regime this week. The home nurse was very nice and very talented. However, she cannot change the size of the needle. Nor can she change the fact that the shot has a castor oil base, which requires a slow injection. Two days later, I have a lovely bruise and my hip still hurts when I move. One down, 19 to go.

Cute Max moment of the week: Last night we were all cuddled on the floor when he decided it was time to dance. So, up he went and the grooving started. But he was dancing alone, and that just wasn't acceptable. So, he starts pulling on my hands and grunting with his effort : ) Baby boy wanted to dance with Mama. If it were possible to love him more...

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T12:26:00.005-05:00

Little Kids + Runny Noses =

2009-09-02T12:44:00.003-05:00

Boogie Wipes. Seriously the best.product.ever. for kids with runny noses. And let us not forget the adults. C'mon. You know your nose gets sore too when you have a runny nose! As we enter cold season I think we all need to go and stock up on these. I know they're already on my shopping list.

I picked up a pack last weekend since Max had developed a cold on Friday. Let's just say I don't have to chase him to wipe his nose anymore, and that makes for a very happy Mama.

Give Him a Star (Updated)

2009-08-28T13:44:00.001-05:00

Update: Well, the good run has ended. As of Friday he was slapping (not hard, I was assured) the other boys.

When I picked Max up from Daycare on Tuesday, she told me that he was her best little one that day. I don't think that was one we had heard before! (This is my version of marking it on the calender ; )
In addition, he was a good boy Wednesday and Thursday. My little lover. Is he on a streak or what?! Hopefully he keeps it up for the weekend. Mommo and Poppo here we come!

P.S. I hope to get some pics up this weekend while the 'rents occupy the little one's time.

P.P.S. We'll be starting belly shots soon. #2 has started to make his/her presence known : ) Today I am officially 15 weeks along. Hopefully we hear back from the drug company soon as to whether or not insurance will cover progesterone shots for the next 20 weeks. Not that I'm excited about weekly shots in the hiney, but I'll do whatever they tell me to in order to cook this bun a little longer than Max was able to.

Peace Out.

Oh Muffins

2009-08-19T09:42:00.003-05:00

I wanted blueberry muffins this morning. And since Max was up before 6:00 I decided I could have them. Of course that meant making them : P (The only flaw in my plan.) But make them I did; my craving was strong enough to overcome my laziness.

Have I mentioned Max loves blueberry muffins? He does. I sat him down with a warm muffin and was able to get my lunch packed and his toys picked up before he was done. Then it was time to head out the door.

I Declare: I love blueberry muffins, and what they did for my morning today.

Who Are You?

2009-08-17T16:17:00.002-05:00

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Audrey!

You are an Audrey -- "I am at peace"

Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

* If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure

* I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this

* Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit

* Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally

* Ask me questions to help me get clear

* Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery

* Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings

* I like a good discussion but not a confrontation

* Let me know you like what I've done or said

* Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life

What I Like About Being an Audrey

* being nonjudgmental and accepting

* caring for and being concerned about others

* being able to relax and have a good time

* knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around

* my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator

* my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now

* being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe

What's Hard About Being an Audrey

* being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive

* being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline

* being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally

* being confused about what I really want

* caring too much about what others will think of me

* not being listened to or taken seriously

Audreys as Children Often

* feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant

* tune out a lot, especially when others argue

* are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves

Audreys as Parents

* are supportive, kind, and warm

* are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Makeover

2009-08-17T09:24:00.001-05:00

Hope you enjoy the new look! A big thanks to April of April Showers Blog Designs.

I lovingly title this post "Catching Up and Making Up"

2009-08-13T12:19:00.007-05:00

Here are the pictures I have failed to post for you the last month or so. Maybe two? My apologies. Prepare yourself for a feast (in no specific order):

Happy Birthday Grandpa! (Max just completed a run through the sprinker)

Oh, the things boys will eat. Chalk, check. Bubbles, check.

Mmm. He joins the ranks of those of us who know the goodness of Sushi and Seaweed Salad. Complete with use of chopsticks! Well, a chopstick.

Max had his first official playdate. Hudson was a great host, even sharing his cheerios!

(Sorry Pat, I didn't end up with a single picture of Hudson's face!)

Playing in the rain for the first time. Yes, there have been repeats!

Climbing a tree with Grandpa. Do we have a headstart on Daddy?

Besides trees, we also like to climb cribs. Eat your heart out Batman!

Mommy was too nervous to let him do it all by himself ☺

And introducing....

The New and Improved......Haircut!

Max got his second official haircut yesterday. Now his 'do matches the other 'tude he sports every minute of his life ; )

Quickly and Quietly

2009-08-04T12:23:00.003-05:00

Max had his 15 month Well Baby appointment last week:
Weight: 25 lbs 12 oz (75%)
Length: 32 inches (90%)
Shots: 7 (2 "live")

He was amazing! He cried of course. I would have too. But he was a super happy kid that night.

Max also got his first two molars this weekend. Both on the left side. Right ones will be following shortly I'm sure.

The signs he has been exposed to for a year now are finally coming into play. He signed Daddy one night at supper, and then Mommy after a little prompting : P And just this morning he signed Please for me. Super sweet, especially matched with his super cute smile.

Pictures coming as soon as I can force myself to upload them when I get off work. I've been struck down by pregnancy fatigue though, so let's not turn blue holding our collective breath.

Sea World

2009-07-24T09:50:00.005-05:00

So, have I kept you waiting long enough? Don't answer that, please.
Deb and Gail were over-generous and bought us all Sea World passes before we got there. That meant we got to go to Sea World almost every day we were there, as it was less than a 10 minute drive from their house : ) It rocked. The shows were amazing, even Max was interested enough to sit through most of them!

Up close and personal with a Budweiser Clydesdale. They are HUGE!

Feeding the dolphins. Max loved it!

Meeting an aligator.

Shamu!!!

And because the images were on the same CD, here is a pic of Kenney Chesney from the concert we went to for Mother's Day. I think it's the only one we have that actually shows his eyes!

Still Among the Living

2009-07-15T12:18:00.002-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged! We're all alive and kickin', just really busy. I guess summer gets like that. What am I saying, our entire year is like that! I keep thinking that someday, we'll have more time for ourselves, but I'm beginning to think perhaps not. We're going to have to schedule ourselves some time off! On one hand that would mean time for us - yay! On the other hand, that would mean we'd be missing time with our friends or family - boo!

So, everyone is doing good. Max is amazing us every day with new things. He talks all the time now (not that we can understand 98% of what he's saying!) and is getting more clear every day. His little/BIG personality is getting more and more evident. His daycare provider was telling me today that yesterday at lunch the other little boy was making noises at Max, and Max gave him a big belly laugh each time : D Went on for like, 30 minutes! Yay, a longer attention span is forming!!! Along with the good of course comes bad. He is testing his boundries like CRAZY. I'm so thankful that I have Mike to go through this with; whenever he pushes one of us too hard, the other is there to lean on. That's for both Max and the other parent, no giving in! Can I tell you how hard it is to distract this one from his indended action? Any suggstions?

Mike and I are both surviving. So far, this pregnancy has treated me pretty well. I'm not nearly as nauseous as I was with Max, and not nearly as tired. With Max I'd come home from work, nap an hour, get up and eat, and then go to bed within two hours of waking up. So far, I've been able to limit my naps to weekends, which is keeping the guilt level down. The only major hurdle so far was waking up with a crick in my neck last week Thurs. I couldn't hold my head up straight, so off to Doc I went. After some MAJOR pain there (I've never cried so much in his office - in fact, in 6 yrs, only one other time) I was able to at least keep my head vertical (I hope they didn't have any new patients in while I was there...my screams may have scared them off). But, since we couldn't fix the problem, I was sent home with a Cervical Traction Device. While Mike may have the words to explain it, I do not, so you'll have to wait for pictures later. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. After talking with the OB, I was able to get some muscle relaxers to help get my head moving again. It took two days and another day off work, but I did get most of my motion back. There is still a little restriction, and a lot of tenderness (what I wouldn't give to take some ibuprofen!) but we're almost back to normal. Mike is good, working a lot and playing a little. He's feeling the itch to take a LONG bike ride soon. Thankfully he has friends that want to go with him because this girl isn't up for it!

Anyway, if you're still here (good for you! you make me so proud : ) ) I will try my best to get a new post with some pics up soon. I still haven't finished telling you about our vacation....which was over almost 2 months ago ; )

Happy Father's Day - Take 2

2009-06-21T20:21:00.003-05:00

First - Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there. You ROCK.

And, to the daddy in our house:
I couldn't ask for a better daddy to my babies. Thank you for all your patience and understanding, humor and you that you inject into our days. We love you for it!

Oh, did you catch my grammar? Babies. As in 2:

A surprise souvenir from vacation : D My estimates say baby is due mid February. Not quite what I would have planned ; ) Also not something I would plan, baby will be here before Max is 2. We are looking to have quite the busy household.

Anyone and everyone, if you have thoughts on what we can do to help prepare Max please share in the comments!

My Husband Rocks

2009-06-19T10:42:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, shortly after Max and I got home, Mike came in and gave me this:

He remembered that I had made googly eyes at it before we went on vacation, and decided that I should have it. He got the last one they had in the store, and it fits! Now, I just need somewhere to wear it. And a way to thank my husband!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T22:01:00.002-05:00

Max vs. The Gulf of Mexico

2009-06-14T18:50:00.002-05:00

Vacation - Mustang Island

2009-06-14T17:13:00.009-05:00

One of our days in the lovely, sun baked state of Texas was spent traveling to, enjoying, and traveling back from Corpus Christi. More specifically, Mustang Island. Our original destination was Port Aransas, but by the time we got on to Mustang Island, Mike was ready to be done, so we just pulled into the first beach available. We ended up having a great time. (The drive back -- not so much.)
Max LOVES the beach/ocean. We knew he liked water, but this did surprise us a little. We played in the sand, met some fellow beach-goers, chased birds, and played in the waves. In fact, when Mike first decided he was going to go dive into the waves Max watched him go, and then followed him in. Yep. Max followed Mike right into the ocean. Waves didn't faze him. I had to run in after him because he was showing no signs of stopping!

I'll try to get a video up tonight of Max vs. The Gulf of Mexico.

Holy Crap!

2009-06-10T15:28:00.004-05:00

So, (Wednesday) I head down to my favorite coffee shop for my favorite afternoon pick-me-up and whoa! Soneone is a filming a movie scene!

At first, this was more of an inconvenience than anything. I mean, I wanted my 'Medium White Mocha Latte'. Was I going to be able to get it? Would I have to walk through the drive through? Would I be able to get the d @ mn barista's attention? Luck was with me. A barista that knows me and my co-worker well was working. I was able to get his attention and he let us in the side door. We quickly placed our order and were cautioned to be quiet during filming (they weren't yet filming). We patiently waited for our beverages to be ready (quickest service ever!) and turned to be entertained whilst we were waiting. They were just setting up a shot, so we were in luck. So, shooting, shooting, in walks none other than:

Yep! LUKE PERRY. One of the two heart throbs from Beverly Hills 90210 (nope, I don't count Ian Ziering or Bian Austin Green --B.A.G. not back then anyway). Didn't you know I used to be a big 90210 fan? We didn't miss episodes, even when it aired Wednesday's right after C.C.D.

My co-worker quickly turned to me in surprise. She recognized him, but couldn't remember his name. It was, of course, ingrained in my memory long ago (right along with Jason Priestly, who's picture hung on my bedroom wall). Got back to work to look up the movie. What, you thought we were going to do actual work after that? Who are you? Turns out that there is a movie that is actually "set" in DSM: Sam Steele and the Junior Detective Agency. So watch for it to hit theaters, and look for the scene(s) set at Amici.

So, yeah. I have now lived through my first celebrity sighting. Sigh. My life will never be the same. And if you didn't catch the sarcasm in that last line you'll just have to go back and re-read it with your newfound knowledge.

What Have You Been Doing?

2009-06-07T21:30:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all your patience on our lack of updates. First, we were getting ready for vacation, then vacationing, and then recovering : )

We flew down to Texas and spent the week of Memorial Day in San Antonio at my aunt's beautiful house. We loved it. Max especially loved it. They have a great patio/deck/yard so Max got to spend as much time outside as he wanted. Which was a lot. Which hasn't translated well since we've been home :~P

We also spend a lot of time at Sea World, spend a day in Houston at the Johnson Space Center (you know, the site of Mission Control 'Houston, we've had a problem'), and made a day trip to Corpus Christi to let Max dip his feet in the ocean. Oh, who am I kidding. The trip to the ocean was for me. Yep, this girl who will not willingly swim in any water where she can't see her feet can't resist wading in the ocean. It's a weird, conflicting emotion of repulsion of what I could encounter, and strong attraction to the actual "life of the sea". If you know what I'm talking about, well, I feel free to call you weird.

I'm gonna tell ya straight up right now, I don't have as many pictures as I would have liked. We were too busy enjoying what we were doing to stop and take pics all the time. I'll try to post more specifics over the week of all that we've done since last we met, but here is enough cuteness to take the edge off for now : D

Soon, I Hope

2009-06-07T14:08:00.003-05:00

New post coming soon. So much to share!

In the meantime, please go here and read some thoughts on parenting (actually, it's broader than that) that I could not have said better myself. Bridie, thanks for putting into words a feeling I would not have thought to share.

Lions, Tigers, & _____!

2009-05-17T21:23:00.006-05:00

Okay. This is me trying to be clever. Be nice, it's past my bedtime!

Mike took Max to the zoo. His first ever solo trip with Max. (Me? I got the opportunity to pack and clean.) So, they went to the Blank Park Zoo (you know, the _____ ) : P It works, because, you know, our zoo isn't big enough for bears. I'm pretty sure that there are lions and tigers though. Maybe just lions. Yep, small zoo. Mike met some friends from daycare there, so Max had a familiar playmate to keep him company. Liam's a year older than Max, so they're close enough to get on well.

Max got to pet the goat while Mike fed it. He even tugged his beard!

This is as close at those ducks would allow Max to be.
Daddy got the starfish out for Max to explore.
Max and Liam would have played in these troughs all day.
All that playing left Max famished. He ate 1/2 the apple by himself! (as in no help of any kind!)

All the Mamas & Other Party People

2009-05-13T21:20:00.009-05:00

My second Mother's Day. Really great. When originally asked, I said it was great, better than last year....cause, you know, we were in the NICU. But looking back, I think maybe they tie. Last year on Mother's Day the docs finally said those fateful words all NICU parents long to hear, you'll be going home soon. For us, that meant in a couple days.

This Mother's Day brought the chance to be with my family. I got to spend the morning with my mom and sister. I actually got to spend the previous Thursday night with them too, attending the Kenny Chesney concert!!! <-- AWESOME (more on that later, when I can get a copy of the pics). And thus, the matching attire. And, all the boys were well behaved. What more could a mom ask for?

All the Moms with all the grandkids (I can't say all the kids, my bro wasn't there : ) )

Just the girls.

This is how we'd all spent the previous hour ; )

Mommo with all her little boys. Yep, not a girl between us.

My parents and Mike, Max, and myself then proceeded to the park for some recreation.

Max crossing the bridge.

His favorite, the slide. Loves to go up the wrong way.

Down the "right way" is okay.

But this way is better....

and of course, this way is best!

Why is it that when a boy goes to the park, he must always at least contemplate

doing something that he shouldn't???Someday, my little man, but not today.

I hope you all had a Mother's Day worth smiling about : )

Closer Than You Think

2009-05-09T07:12:00.007-05:00

Alternately titled: Dog-gone Cute.

Based on photographic evidence, I am going to make the bold statement and say, Dogs and Humans are more closely related than you think.

For your consideration, a love of ribs/bones:

Ladies and Gentlemen, also for your consideration I present to you chewing on discs and a love of all things ball:

Pretty solid evidence, if I do say so myself.

I rest my case.

Party Time!

2009-04-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

So, this party happened last Saturday, the day before my little boy turned 1. It was a good turnout for the brutal cold snap we were experiencing. Note to self: five space heaters + 1 fireplace do not a shelter house heat (in 4 hours time anyway).

To start the day, Max got his first haircut. He didn't pitch a fit, so I will consider this a success:

Then it was PART-AY TIME! (notice Max was all about the kisses that day!)

Some of the peeps:

Some of the gifts:

The Cake:

He was being "Mr. Clean" so Poppo stepped in to help...

Did it help? A little : )

I guess we should have had Kolten demonstrate first!!

All partied out. The End.

A Year Long Journey

2009-04-26T14:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Max!

Our dear Maxwell,

Today you are one year old. How has so much time passed? How did you get to be such an amazing little boy? Where has our baby gone?

This past year has been wonderful. You have come so very far from the preemie we took home from the NICU. You have spoiled Daddy and Mommy unbelievably. You gave up your own pacifier when you were 4 months old. You decided on your own that you would rather be layed down to bed and fall asleep than be rocked to sleep. You are currently showing less and less interest in your bottle. Shots don't hardly bother you. In fact, unless you're tired, not much bothers you at all. There are exceptions to that of course, no one is perfect : D

While it's still "fresh" in our memory, here is your birth story:

Mommy traveled to Denison with Aunt Jill for her first baby shower. They left after work on Friday night (4/25/08), and arrived in Denison a little before 8 o'clock. We got all our stuff inside, and while Mommy was waiting to use the bathroom she felt a rush of fluid. At first she felt embarrased thinking that she had her first experience with losing bladder control! But she soon realized that this was not the case. Her water had broken!

Mommy called her doctor to let them know what was going on, and then Aunt Jill took Mommy to the Crawford County Memorial Hospital to be evaluated. It was around 9 o'clock when they confirmed that yes indeed, Mommy's waters had broken. They quick hooked her up to fetal monitoring to make sure you were okay, and checked to see how far dialated she was. We had 2 centimeters. Mommy was given a couple doses of antibiotics and magnesium to try to slow or stop the labor. Then, the doctor approved the transfer by ambulance to Des Moines (at first they wanted to send us to Omaha because it was closer, but thanks to the fact that the doctor on call in Denison had been classmates with Mommy's doctor in DSM, we got to go "home" instead!).

We were leaving Denison around 10 o'clock; the ambulance ride was pretty quick, making it from Denison to Des Moines in under 1.5 hours. And that included being pulled over in Carol County! Yep, that's right, our ambulance was pulled over on the way to Des Moines. This would only happen to us : ) Anyway, we got to Des Moines and Daddy met us at the hospital with Gma and Gpa Hanson.

They checked Mommy again and it was determined that labor was progressing instead of stopping, so we were moved to the labor and delivery room. Mommy was going through the regular rigamaroll, and when they check to see how we were doing around 3 a.m., the nurse thought Mommy was fully dialated! So Dr. Johnson was called and the NICU Team arrived, and the nurse was wrong! By this time, Mommy had been awake for, oh, about 27 hours and she was EXAUSTED. So, she asked for an epidural so that she and Daddy could rest. It took a litte doing, becuase Mommy kept throwing up from all the stress, but the epidural was finally complete. Aww, sleep!

After Mommy got a couple hours of rest, Gma Hanson came in to visit with her. Soon after, Mommy's labor started to progress towards the finish line! Yeah! So the doctor was called back to the hospital, and the NICU Team was called back to the room. The normal progression of delivery was proceding. As you came out, at 7:02 a.m. it was discovered that you had managed to wrap your umbilical cord around your neck a couple times. Perhaps that's why you decided you needed to come out 6.5 weeks early.

While not dangerously early by any means, this was all scary for Daddy and Mommy. We spent 18 days in the NICU with you. Watching over you, encouraging you, cuddling you when we were allowed, caring for you when we were allowed, crying with you. Someday you will understand the word stressful, and sweetheart, having your baby in the ICU is about as stressful as parenting gets! All parents have a profound love for their child, but having a baby that has to fight to survive from the first moment, it just turns your world around and you forever look on with a completely different perspective.

Thank you for blessing our lives. We love you.

Mommy and Daddy

**More to come later on his b-day party. Check back, you won't want to miss it!**

In 11 Days...

2009-04-15T12:49:00.002-05:00

...Max will be 1 year old. Crazy, huh?

Max had his last round of Synagis today. I was once again reminded of how lucky we are, what a great baby we have! Max gets a pretty hefty dose of Synagis becuase of how big he is. Two big shots actually. And you know what? Hardly any crying, and none of it "serious". Not to say it isn't painful, but he handles it so well. His cries start when they poke him, and are done as soon as I can sit him up after they put the bandaids on. Jealous? Yeah, I thought so.

So, 11 days from his first birthday, Max weighed in at 22 lbs 15 oz. Such a long way away from the 4 lbs 14 oz. he started at!

What Up, Spring? What took you so long?

2009-04-14T11:37:00.013-05:00

Max participated in his first Egg Hunt on Sunday. I can't say he was very interested in participating , but he had fun being outside. Thanks to some generous girls, he ended up with more loot than he actually "found".

Sheldon, Evan and Kolten had a little more individual luck than Max did (yep, Kole was enjoying the "fruit" of his labor).

His first hunt is fairly well documented, don't you think? I think the only way he'd be cuter is if he had bunny ears on himself : P

Max and his loot. Mmm, plastic eggs....

Max got 3 new sets of summer pajama's from Mommo and Poppo, and a cute new sweatshirt from Mike and I.

Jill, Sheldon, Kolten, Max, and myself all paid a visit to Great Grandma Bernie on Sunday.

(clockwise: Gr8-gma with Kole, Ggma with Sheldon, Max-Uncle Red-Kole-Shel-Ggma, Ggma with Max)

Hmm, do you think walking on stilts is in his future?

This is too cute not to share:

Max has spaghetti for the first time last week. He liked the noodles well enough, but he loved the sauce.

Today in Iowa

2009-04-05T17:18:00.002-05:00

This is what it looks like today in Central Iowa:

If April showers bring May flowers, what do April snow storms bring?

Since it is so crappy outside, I thought we should make it as comfortable as possible inside, so...we had a pajama day : D Here is the little man late this afternoon. Any Lightning McQueen fans out there? Hello-O? Anyone?

This is not what I had in mind for Spring!