Fall 2011

Gosh, were do I begin. I really need to start updating more often instead of cramming so much info into one entry. The kids are growing up so fast that I feel, that in just some short time, these blog entries will be all that I have left of their youth.

Audrey has stared pre-school for two days a week. For two hours every Tuesday and Thursday she spends the morning with new friends playing, crafting and learning. She LOVES it. She's never had any issue with going and hardly even notices when I leave. I love to witness her independence. Her personality has really started to shine in her tot years. She's out going, and anything but shy. Today she had her first visit to the dentist. I'm always leary about telling her in advacance about doctor's appointments so I wanted to tell her the news this morning. She simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "okay, mommy". Still, even after we walked in the door of the dentist office, she showed no sign of fear or discomfort. She chatted away with the hygentist and even got chatty with Dr. Hunter. We're also very happy to announce, that after a lot of hard work and determination, Audrey is now 100% potty trained. She's quickly weened herself out of pull ups at night and so far we've been accident free for quite some time. Our goal was to have this done by the time she started school and she met that goal with just weeks to spare! Good job Audrey!

Henry is now 7 months old. He's sitting up all by himself, eating all kinds of baby food (and loves all of it!) and is sleeping just a tad bit better at night. He's still dealing with a lot of issues with acid reflux plus he's been teething which doesn't help matters (He has the two bottom already and the two top are coming through). He goes down for the night anytime between 7-8pm and gets up at least twice a night to feed, then getting up for the day usually around 6am. Some nights are good, and some nights are bad. When we get the bad ones, they are BAD! He'll wake up and sometimes it can take us hours to get him back to sleep. He is definately a momma's boy. It's great to walk into a room and she his face light up like a christmas tree! I'm still nursing inspite of the occational bitting. I'm having a hard time giving it up since it's one of few things that helps calm him when he's having a bad night. I hope that within the next few months his acid reflux starts to fade and he starts sleeping through the night and then I can start to slowing ween him but for now it works. He's yet to roll over but he can easily go from sitting position to laying on his tummy all on his own. I don't really recall Audrey doing this so I'm not sure if this is a good feat or not but he's mastered it.

On a seperate note, we are all also very excited to announce that Audrey and Henry will have a new cousin come this Spring. Sara and Dave are expecting their first baby due in April. It will be so nice to have another baby in the family, especially since Henry will be a wobbly tot by then.

Summer 2011

I need to begin this blog by saying sorry to Hankers. While these blog updates are for keeping loved ones up to date as it happens, I've also hoped that one day my children will grow up wanting to read all about their first few years, the years our memories don't store for us. While I seemed to be on top of it with Audrey, I've fallen short for sweet Henry. Henry is now almost 5 months and has changed dramatically since my last post, when he was just a newborn at 6 weeks. So now I'm going to cram 3+ months of changes into this one blog entry. Please bear with me, and Henry, while this may seem like a summary version, every last bit of your 5 months of life has a permanent place within my memory and heart, always.
In the last three and half months Henry has had experienced many adventures. At close to 12 weeks he's started his meds for acid reflux, went on his first camping trip and did great (just like his sister did), began daycare, started sleeping in his crib (for half the night anyway) and was blessed with his big cousin Lola.

To briefly elaborate on each issue, Henry was recommended by his pediatricians to see a specialist in regards to his acid reflux. Not long after our visit, and he was prescribed the right dose of medicine, we began to see great improvements. His fussiness and choking all started to subside, as did his colic. He began to sleep better, although still not on his back. He's a belly sleeper and I've come to terms with it. I figure in just a couple of more months he'd be able to roll over on his belly anyway. He's happy, and we're both getting sleep. I still have him sleeping in my room though after his first feeding. This was because I felt better when he was next to me however he's starting to out grow his co-sleeper so I'm afraid I'm forced to get him to sleep a full nights sleep in his own room. Wish us both "Good Luck"!
Henry's first camping trip was Memorial Day weekend, since that he's been twice more. He loves it just as much as his sister did at his age. Perhaps it's the fresh air and good company. There is never a shortage of warm arms to sleep in when we're camping. Our next planned trip isn't until Labor Day Weekend, but I get the feeling we'll probably sneak at least one more trip in there before then.

I was set to go back to work right after our Memorial Day camping trip however Henry developed his first fever on Memorial Day (a viral infection that Audrey had the week before). I was then forced to postpone my return a few days since he couldn't go to daycare with a fever. It turned out to be a week because I then developed the fever too :( It kind of worked out to our advantage though. It gave us a few more days to get Henry use to taking a bottle. We were pretty much convinced we'd failed and he was going to be just as difficult with the transition as Audrey was. He absolutely refused to take a bottle from me or Mike. We kind of just brushed it off as him being difficult due to not feeling well, and hoping he'd do just fine when it came down to it. We lucked out! He took the bottle from Nana like a champ, and still does. He naps regularly (unlike his sister) and when he's up he loves to be outside to watch the older kids (including big sis) play.

Heather and the kids were in town for the 4th of July and at that time we decided to have both Henry and Lola blessed together. We had a small gathering at my house where an ordained friend of my mom's, Audrey, blessed both kids. It was short, but sweet ...and hot! The temp kept most of us indoors, but that is July in Michigan.

Just this past weekend Henry had his first visit to Lake City to see Grandma and Grandpa. Audrey always enjoys her time there and while she loves the water, Henry not so much yet. That goes for the drive too. He wasn't happy about sitting in his car seat for three hours but we tried to make the best of it. It's worth it to to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa.

So on top of all that I found that he's cut two teeth already! Both bottom ones, and aside from excessive drooling he hasn't showed much sign of discomfort. He's an extremely happy little boy that will give you a smile anytime. My heart gets so full just thinking about him. While I'm excited to see all these milestones, it's also a bit bittersweet to see him growing up so fast.

Now quickly, I want to update you on Big Sis. Audrey has come a very long way too. She celebrated her 3rd birthday with family and friends with a Princess themed birthday party. She's also started to play soccer and loves it, but most importantly she is fully potty trained! We had a few issues, mostly the stubbornness (wonder where she got that from) but it seriously took us just one weekend of no more diapers and that was all it took. It's been over two weeks now and she hasn't looked back. She adores her baby brother and has been the one who's given him all his nicknames (chewy, french fry, Henish, and Hankers are a few of my favorites). She's a creative and outgoing little girl. This Fall she'll start a preschool program that we're all looking forward too. I'm positive that she'll do great!

6 Weeks, Really?

The title ...well that seems to be what I'm hearing a lot lately. People can't believe Henry is only 6 weeks old. He's filled out quite nicely. In fact, I clearly remember Audrey having chicken legs that plumped up after some time. Henry, he just skipped the chicken legs and went straight to plump! He's a wonderfully easy baby. He nurses well (kind of lazy but never a problem with latching), he loves to nap in the swing (Audrey wanted nothing to do with that), took a bottle a couple of times with no problems, and will occasionally take a numie but he really could take it or leave it (Audrey would leave it every time). Now, I said he was easy but I didn't say perfect. He has fussy time every evening, between 7 - 12am. Sometimes it's for an hour, sometimes five hours. He sleeps really well at night, waking to eat every 2 - 4 hours, however he is still sleeping with us. I've tried to use a co-sleeper (aka bassinet) and even tried his crib however he doesn't seem to enjoy laying flat on his back (he'll probably be a belly sleeper, like his sister). He is really congested at night, which I think contributes to his dislike for back sleeping. The doctor has placed him on a small dose of Zantac in hopes that the congestion is due to a small case of acid reflux. If they can clear that up then hopefully the congestion will clear up as well and he may learn to sleep alone. All this, hopefully, sooner rather than later. Audrey slept with us for 6 weeks ...I'm giving Henry til 8 weeks then he's getting the boot! We've gotten a few random smiles from him, mostly gas related I think, but cute all the same. Audrey has come to terms that he's here to stay. She competes for attention, especially when she feels he's getting too much, but other than that I think she's a fan of her baby brothers.

And speaking of 'lil Miss Audrey. She's a little girl now, with attitude! Her birthday is right around the corner and she's super excited about it. Aunt Heather was in town over the weekend and she was able to capture some absolutely beautiful pictures to help capture Audrey's personality. We found Henry is favorable in front of a camera too!

Welcome...

Henry Michael

Born: March 7, 2011 at 12:52pm.

Weight: 8lbs 6oz

Length: 20in

My water broke at 5:30am, by 7:00am the contractions started. Luckily that 90 minutes gave Mike and I the chance to shower and to give Grandma time to head over to help Audrey off to daycare. When we got to the hospital I was dilated 3cm. We had to quickly decided weather we were going to follow through with the c-section or to continue on with a VBAC. By 9am we were well on our way to giving birth naturally, but with the ever loving support of an epidural! By the time I received the epidural (aka pure bliss) I was dilated to 5cm. The epidural lasted about an hour and then I quickly started to feel the contractions again. I now went from 7cm to fully dilated in 25 minutes. Things were moving fast; it was now time to push. After just a short sixty two minutes I heard the most beautiful sound to a new mother's ears and then he was laying on my chest. A beautiful experience, etched in my memory for a lifetime.

Henry's Room

Henry's room is finally done. Only two more weeks and he'll be here to see for himself!

...and soon there will be FOUR!

Here we are, only 5 weeks to go until our family of three becomes a family of four! We're getting really excited for Henry's arrival. The nursery is fairly ready (not ready enough to post pics yet), my hospital bag is packed and his closet is now full of newborn clothes thanks to many friends and family members. Since I had the option of having another C-section we went ahead and scheduled Henry's deliver date for March 9, 2011.

Henry gave us quite a scare last week though! I wasn't feeling all that great one morning and was pretty sure I was having some form of contractions yet I went to work anyway, against my better judgement, thinking it would all pass. By mid morning I was instructed by my doctor's office to head to the hospital. I was indeed having contractions however I wasn't in active labor. Turns out I was extremely dehydrated due to the stomach flu which in turn caused my contractions. After 6 hours of IV fluids (I couldn't keep anything down) the contractions stopped and I was able to go home and let it run it's course. After 2 days of very little to eat and early bedtimes (Audrey was tucking me into bed ...very sweet) I was finally feeling back to normal. The good news through all this ...Henry was just fine! The midwife at the hospital gave us an ultrasound for reassurance. He was active throughout the contractions but the ultrasound showed us that he was exercising his lungs and already weights over 5lbs! Both really good signs of a healthy baby.

This past Saturday my girlfriends threw me a wonderful Sprinkle! For those that aren't familiar with the term, it's a smaller version of a Baby Shower for your second little bundle of joy. We had it at my house because there had still been so many of my friends that hadn't seen our new home yet. I was a little concerned about how well we would all fit but it turned out to be a warm and cozy setting. I'm sure the mimosas and wine helped with that as well. Henry got SPOILED too! His closet went from nearly empty to jam packed with clothes for months to come. I can't thank all my friends enough for helping us celebrate the arrival of our little boy. We are truly blessed, that's for sure!

And now we just wait! With the arrival of Henry coming early March we can only hope that Spring will follow close behind. Within the past week we've received almost 10 inches of snow. We had our fun in the snow. Audrey would stay outside until her little fingers turn to icicles if we'd let her. And while I love snow days too I also start to crave the sunshine and warm breeze this time of year. It would be really nice to enjoy that while I'm home with Henry in March.

I'll post pictures of the nursery as soon as I have the final touches applied but for now here are some pictures from the Sprinkle and our recent snow day.

Wrapping up 2010

Well I can't say I know where this year went. Here we are and it's December already! Christmas is just 10 days away. I imagine the busier the year is the faster is seems to fly. Our 2010 sure did bring a lot of changes into our lives. We are all so happy in our new home which reminds us every day how lucky we are to have been able to make this change. Not a moment too soon either since the added space is much needed for the growth of our family. Baby Henry will be here in just 3 short months. We're staring to get things ready for his arrival (or at least thinking about it). For the past 5 months Audrey has enjoyed the spare bedroom as a "Toy" room but she seems to be very open to giving it up for baby "Hemry" (This is how she says it) once he arrives. After Christmas we'll be slowing rearranging both kids bedrooms. Henry will take on Audrey's gently used furniture while Audrey will get all new "big girl" furniture. We've pepped her up on this for some time now that she is actually asking for her big girl bed.

I'm just over 6 months along in the pregnancy and everything is going great. I can't say this is a better pregnancy than with Audrey but it is certainly different. I seem to be growing at a rapid rate with this one. Sometimes I can't believe that my belly is going to stretch any more over the next few months. I've gained about 17lbs already (I blame the Holidays) however I've been told I only look like I'm smuggling a basketball under my shirt (comforting). Early in the New Year we should have a birth date scheduled for the planned c-section. I assume it's like riding a bike ...all this newborn stuff will come right back to me (I hope). Audrey I know is going to be a big help! She already hugs my belly while saying, "I love you so much baby brother"!

On a sadder note, while our family is growing in one aspect, we have decreased in another. Our 17 year old dog Tia has passed on. It was a tough decision for Mike to have to make and one that was postponed for quite some time but in the end it was impossible to ignore the signs. While she still had most of her health she was fighting the toughest journey of all ...old age. Audrey sometimes asks where her dog is and we tell her that she's in Heaven with her mom and dad. George is now Audrey's best friend. It seems, that since Tia's passing, he's taking a great liking to her (....hmmm, perhaps he things she's the one who makes the decisions in regards to who stays and goes around here). He loves to wake her up in the morning with his extra powerful Siamese cry. This can usually turn "grumpy" Audrey into "giggly" Audrey.

Well as I said Christmas is right around the corner. Audrey is very excited and I think she's starting to understand the idea of Santa. She has gotten a little confused when it comes to the feastive decorations though. Christmas trees and Christmas lights are refered to as Birthday trees and Birthday lights. We don't correct her mostly because it's cute but also because she's not all that wrong ...we are celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Heather and the kids are coming to town in a couple of days. I absolutely love it when all the kids are together ...the big kids and small ones :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Fall Fun

Fall is in the air! I absolutely love this time of year. Pumpkin picking and cider mills with warm donuts and cider have replaced our summer time camping weekends. As much as I love fall camping we have put the RV to bed for the winter. It was proving to be difficult the further along in my pregnancy to plan even the shortest of trips away.

Speaking of pregnancy, all is going well. We had a brief scare at about 14 weeks but were quickly reassured from our doctor that the baby had a strong heart beat and there was nothing to worry about. I think he could tell that we weren't all that convinced so he ordered an ultrasound to help ease our minds. He was right ...we saw our precious little one moving around and growing at a perfect rate. We also found out that we're having a bouncy baby boy! When I asked Audrey what she wanted to name her new baby brother she responded with "Sister"! She is so sweet with her baby dolls that I have no doubt that she's going to be a great big sister, even to a boy.

The rest of the pregnancy is going good as well. I'm growing much faster than I did with Audrey. I'm amazed on how big my belly is already and can't believe it's only going to get bigger. I have the normal early pregnancy symptoms like back aches and heartburn but I'm so happy to announce that the morning sickness (all day sickness) has subsided. I've heard that nausea is worse with a boy ...that I can confirm! Our 20 week ultrasound is in just a few days. Audrey will get to see her brother for the first time. She's been asking to see him ever since we told her he was in there.

Little Miss Audrey ...where do I start. This little girl has developed into the biggest sweetheart of all. I know she has stolen her daddy's heart already but even the ladies at daycare said that she is the best behaved toddler they've had in a very long time ...even going as far enough to say that she is their favorite! She has no problem communicating and getting her point across. She's found a new love for chocolate and cake but unfortunately still no love for veggies. Loves to be outside, especially on her new swing set, and spending time with her BFF, Remi Roo. She loves to wear new clothes and to show them off. She'll say, "Look at my new coat!", even to a stranger walking by. She experienced her first tear-free doctors appointment recently with and even stood on the scale all by herself (this was an amazement for me). She also had her first in salon haircut in which she sat still like the perfect lady. She makes me so proud everyday. I'm so happy that her little brother will have such a great role model to look up too.

Where has summer gone?

We certainly do not have a lack of things to blog about so it has been entirely too long since my last post. It has been a crazy, busy summer! I can hardly believe that it's already September. Our summer begain normally. Had our first camping trip over Memorial Day weekend and had a visit up north in Lake City with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson. Heather and the kids came down for a week which was a great visit for us and all the kids. Audrey loved playing with all her cousins. We just closed out our Labor Day trip with the St Clawdale group. Our end of summer trip felt more like the start of Fall with chilly temps and rainy days however the kids didn't seem to be affected. We followed up our camping trip with a stop in Lake City to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson before they head south for the cooler months. In spite of two instant bee stings upon arrival Audrey was really happy to see her Grandparents and her cousins.

In early June Mike and I found the house of our dreams. It was a perfect mixture of everything we both wanted so we made an offer. To make a long story short, we got the house and are now settled in our new home. Mike and I are already so comfortable here and feel like we've lived here forever. Audrey had no problems adjusting either however she still calls it the "new" house. The "old" house is still ours and we were lucky enough to find a renter. So far so good as we embarge on the landlord journey although we do have hopes of selling it one day soon.

Then, as if moving wasn't enough to keep us busy in July, we learned (the week of the move, no less) that we are expecting; Audrey is going to be a big sister! It was tough getting things settled while fighting "morning" sickness but somehow we got it done. I'm now 12 week and slowly starting to feel better. According to the doctors everything looks good and there is only one baby (Mike was glad to hear that)!
As for Audrey, she is really excited to be a big sister. When I ask she seems to be favoring a sister vs a brother but I think she'll just be happy to have a real "baby" around. She has crossed quite a few milestones herself. Audrey received her first haircut from Aunt Heather just a few weeks ago. It went over so much better than I had antispated, perhaps because it was her aunt and not a stranger. She also went potty on the big potty! She's only done it once so far but she was so proud and was especially excited to have received "potty treats", aka gummy bears. In July see was tested again to see if her urinary reflux has cleared and unfortuantely it hadn't. One more year of antibiotics and hopefully it will be cleared up by the time she's fully potty trained. We also attempted to change her crib into a toddler bed. She was really excited about a "new bed" as we pumped it up for days however three hours into her first night she began to cry. When I went in to see what was wrong she simply said, "I don't like my new bed!" so at 12:30 in the morning daddy gave her back her old bed.

Audrey has found a new love for Pixar movies, Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Cars are among her favorites so far. She's also found a new friend in her neighbor Grace. Grace is five however they play really well together. Probably because Audrey does whatever Grace wants. Remi is still her best friend though. There is not a day that goes by that Audrey doesn't ask to see Remi and luckily there really isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't see her.

We're now looking forward to the fall months ahead and forming Audrey into an Detroit Lions fan. Hopefully they'll deserve a new fan this season!

Look Who's Two!

Audrey celebrated her 2nd Birthday yesterday. Days leading up to the big day we made sure she knew what to say when asked how old she was going to be. There were times she'd say "two" and other times she reply with "dos". Thanks to Dora the Explorer, Audrey not only counts to ten in English but she can do it in Spanish too. We're certain she's a genius!

I took my first official extended weekend away. I went to Chicago with my sisters and my mom and had a great time. I will admit though, I missed Audrey a lot! I hadn't never gone a day without seeing her so this was a big step for me. Daddy and Audrey had a great weekend together, although he said she did asked for me at times. When I got home, I received the biggest Monkey hug ever! She's become very affectionate, giving a lot of hugs and kisses but only if the mood strikes her.

At just two years old she is talking quite a bit, even full sentences. It's so nice to be able to ask her what she wants or what's wrong and actually get an answer. While she's changing so much there are still a few things that remain the same. Like the fact that she is still a very picky eater. If it weren't for Mac n

Cheese and cereal she'd go probably go hungry. She's a late sleeper now. Most days we have to wake her up in order to get to out of the house on time. It's nice on the weekends though. There have been times I'm awake before she is. She's still a very strong willed little girl. She knows what she wants and wants it when she wants it. We've beared witness to a few tantrums here and there but luckily not in public yet. We've been contemplating her first haircut so something tells me we'll see that soon rather than later.

Easter and more

Time flies ...really! I swear I just did an update but apparently that was two months ago. Easter has come and gone, which by the way was really nice. We had a really nice early dinner with my mom and Wayne, hosted by the Partin family. It was a beautiful Spring day so we were able to enjoy our dinner out doors while the girls played. Audrey has really found a good friend in Remi. Even though there is a year difference you can certainly tell they enjoy each others company. God knows they spend enough time together!

Audrey recently went through one of her worst illnesses of the season. She had a sinus infection and ear infection that kept her out of daycare for a whole week. High fevers and runny noses make for no fun so we hope (finger crossed) that was the last of it for the cold season. We're now looking forward to her birthday and camping season which are both right around the corner! But first Mom gets to go on her first long weekend trip away! I'm going to Chicago with my Mom and my sisters at the end of April while Dada and Audrey will remain home having some fun of their own!

We knew she wouldn't go for sitting on the Easter Bunny's lap so we opted for the real deal. She LOVED this bunny and showed no fear what so ever when it came to sitting together. The sitting itself only took 5 minutes but I'm sure she would of been okay if we were there all day!

Terrific (and sometimes Terrible) Twos!

Audrey has molded into quite the sweet toddler recently. Well, okay, maybe not always sweet. She does have a tough-girl side too. She, like most toddlers I'm sure, does not like the word "no". It can sometimes send her into a full blown, red faced, tear streaking tantrum. But on her good days she loves to pamper her babies (and she has a lot of babies), will give many hugs and kisses when asked, and has become quite the "cookie" monster.

Some other recent developments:

*Little Miss Talks Alot. She'll pretty much repeat anything you ask her too (or even don't ask her too). This includes calling her dada "Mike". I've now been instructed to refer to my husband as "dada" at all times.

*She's wearing 2T clothes already and wears a 6.5 shoe! She's tall so it's a bit of a challenge finding pants that aren't floods. Shorts will be nice come summer.

*Her canine teeth have finally all cut. Now she's working on her second molars.

*Loves Dora, Golden Grahams, hummus and popcorn although if you ask her what she wants for lunch or dinner it's always "mac n cheese".

*Babies and Legos are her favorite toys. She's not "attached" to any one thing however at bedtime she has to have her "original" baby and "Elmo's Ducky Day" book with her.

*She can count to 10, mumble the ABC's, and is getting to know her colors.

*She now enjoys her books instead of destroying them. We read a few books every night before bed. She has her favorites but "Elmo's Ducky Day" is a given and must be read before she takes it to bed with her (I can read it by heart now). "Good Night Moon" and "Are You My Mother?" are some other favorites, but these can go back on the bookshelf before bed.

*She has a love/hate relationship with Tia the dog, but LOVES George the cat. I think he may be developing a soft spot for her too. Gracie, the other cat, is warming up to her however I think there are still some trust issues that she's hashing out.

*She still loves the outdoors! She has a great time in the snow and enjoys tossing snowballs however we're all looking for Spring though!

Florida and the New Year

Happy New Year everyone! We've had a pretty eventful last few weeks. Our trip to Florida was great. There were a few bummers, like Audrey's unexplained temperature, some crummy weather and the cold I was lucky enough to take home with me. The good stuff... Audrey is a born flyer, she loved spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson, she got to pick oranges from a tree, and she played at the beach and the park with her cousins. We were a little surprised that her fear of the sand and water had returned. We though we had moved passed that last summer however she refused to get in the pool and would not walk on the beach without her socks and tennis shoes on!

In the last few weeks she developed quite a few quirky, cute and pondering habits. She loves to go for walks around the house while holding our hands, so we're "walking together" as she puts it. She loves to dance around the kitchen and run through the house at top speed hollering, "Ready, Set ...GO!" Her love for the bath is gone :( It's a struggle to get her in and she's usually the one to end it by saying, "All done now". We're not exactly sure why this changed but we're thinking it has to do with teething (she's got 4 more coming in) or perhaps she's just growing up and changing her ways. She still loves Elmo and SpongeBob but has a new-found love for Dora the Explorer. She enjoys being outdoors, even playing in the snow, but only after much convincing to dress properly for the elements. Once she's out there though, you can't wipe the smile of her face ...and her smile is priceless!