The Koehns

God's tests... and reminders...

2012-02-04T10:43:00.000-06:00

In the past month or so, God has tested my faith in several ways. He has also tested my patience, my resolve, my trust in Him. In the last few weeks, Grace had surgery, my grandpa passed away and my mom had another serious health scare. My hurt and anger and frustration over everything got so bad one night that I just screamed as I prayed to God. I screamed that it wasn't fair that we had to go through all of this. I yelled and said I was MAD. I asked how God could just stand by and watch us suffer like we were. Then, I gave all of that anger and frustration and hurt to God (something I struggle with often). I kind of chuckled as I said, "Here, YOU deal with it for awhile!"

And then it was silent.

That period of silence reminded me of several things. Though God tests us from time to time, he never forsakes us. During the silence, I felt this incredible calm come over me. God took my cares and put them on His shoulders. He was there with me the entire time I was suffering. All I had to do was stop everything to see that. I had to stop trying to control what I should have given to God in the first place. Instead of blaming God for everything that was happening, I began to look at everything positively: If Grace hadn't had surgery, she would still be suffering with chronic ear infections and partial hearing loss. If my Grandpa were still alive, he would be suffering through the pain of heart and kidney failure, while losing his quality of life. If my mom had been at home instead of in the hospital when she had her heart attack, she wouldn't be alive today.

I then began thanking God for all of the little blessings I was starting to notice (I shouted again, only this time with happiness). I need to do this more often (something else I was reminded of).

I also started reading the Bible more (again, another reminder), and looking up special passages to help give me peace and comfort. One of my favorite passages to read was from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount...

"Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted."

~Matthew 5:4

This Bible verse lets me know that it is OK to feel all of the things I've been feeling lately, because God will comfort me. I just have to believe. I will probably still struggle to give my cares to God. I am, by nature, a "control freak." If I give my worries away, I can't control them any longer, or how I feel about them. But with God's help, I can learn to let go of those urges to control and lay it all at His feet.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

~2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Hello, Blog. It's Me, Amber...

2011-11-27T16:24:00.001-06:00

The other day, Joel told me I needed to update the blog. I know I've been neglecting it this year (maybe that's an understatement). But, with all the different plates I've had spinning in the air this year, one was bound to drop. Since I have a few free minutes, I wanted to make sure I got this in before it actually was 2012. :o)

I hope everyone enjoys the holidays with family and friends, remembering the true reason for the season. From my house to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed 2012!

Check out our family Christmas card (to the left) from Shutterfly. I love that Web site!!!

Grace's milestones (and a family vacation)...

2011-08-22T14:56:00.000-05:00

I have been the worst blogger this summer, but I have a good excuse. With 5 family birthdays, our 10th wedding anniversary, family vacation, etc., I haven't had time to sit down, let alone update a blog.

But, today is a blogging must - it is Grace's first day of Kindergarten!!! I don't know where these last 6 years went, but all of a sudden, she isn't my baby anymore.

Of course, we had to take the obligatory "first day of school" picture. Since Joel also goes back to class today (Wichita State University), he got to pose with Grace... :o)

Once we got to school, Grace got REALLY shy (perhaps that is an understatement). We love her no matter what, though. And, I'm sure once we left, she opened up. She didn't really know anyone in her class (all of her friends were in other classes). That didn't help. Here she is, holding back tears (I was holding back tears at this point, too)...

And here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Cooper. I think she was starting to loosen up a bit...

Way to go, Gracie, on your first day of school!!! We are so proud of you!

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Earlier this summer, Grace turned 6. She changed her mind a lot on what she wanted to do for her party (oh, dear, it's already starting). She ended up with swimming and having a cookout. Our friends Kevin and Jennifer also brought over an inflatable for the kids to play with. As you can see, everyone had a great time...

We love you, Grace, and are so proud of the young lady you've become! You've got such a big heart and a love for life. You are so special - one of God's greatest gifts... :o)

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Shortly after Grace's birthday, we took a family vacation. It wasn't anything too major, but it was enough with three little ones in tow! First, we went to Manhattan to see a few friends of ours and drive through the K-State campus. So much has changed in that town since we left in 2003. There was a lot we didn't recognize, including our first apartment as husband and wife. The landlord has let it get really run down. Actually, it's pretty much a shit hole, and that's no joke! It was sad seeing our old place look so awful.

One of the highlights of the trip, however, was a spur-of-the-moment trip to the Sunset Zoo. We had never been there before, and we decided to take the girls. They loved it! We also saw a new WWII memorial on the K-State campus. We spent a day or so in Manhattan, then it was off to KC for a couple of days, then through Lawrence on our way home to see more friends. Sadly, it was so hot while we were in Lawrence that I didn't feel like taking any pictures. It was great seeing old friends and hanging out with their families. Joel and I don't really get to see or hang out with too many couples with kids on a regular basis, so we really enjoyed the trip. I have way too many pictures of our trip to post here, so I'll just show a few... :o)

Happy 1st Birthday, Madeline!!!

2011-07-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

Joel has been bugging me for several days now to update the blog. But, it's been a crummy summer and I haven't really felt like blogging much lately.

However, I would be the worst mom EVER if I didn't post Maddie's 12-month stats. On June 29th, this cute little cakes turned 1.

I can't believe it! I really don't remember much about this past year (could be a blessing!). I do know, though, that our little Madeline has made me so happy. Not that my other two girls don't make me happy, because they do... all the time. But, when I want a break from the whining and fighting and "senseless crying" (thank you, Sarah and Marc), I escape to the giggles and babbling and grins of my baby girl.

I got the idea from my sister-in-law Sarah to do a 12-month photo collage with Maddie in the same location each time, just to see how much she was growing month to month. So, here's what we ended up with:

Happy Birthday - 6/29/10

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year - 6/29/11

At her 1-year check-up, here's how she measured:
Height - 26" (10th percentile)
Weight - 19 lbs. (20th percentile)
Head circumference - 17.5" (50th percentile)

In other words, she's petite! :o)

Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Standing by herself
Bending down and standing back up without assistance
Walking with minimal assistance
Throwing a ball
Sorting shapes correctly
Understanding simple commands
Playing "Houdini" with high chairs, strollers, shopping carts, car seats... pretty much anything that straps her down, she will figure a way to get out of!
Refusing diaper changes (or making it virtually impossible to do the task)... hey, we had to get to this point sometime, right?

On her real birthday, it was just our little family celebrating with a mini cake for Maddie and cupcakes for the rest of us. We had a big shindig on July 4th with family and friends to officially welcome Maddie to the birthday club (cookout, homemade ice cream, homemade ladybug cake [made by me], swimming, fireworks - what more could a girl ask for?).

Happy 1st Birthday, Madeline Noelle!!! We love you lots!!!

Persevering under trial...

2011-06-19T14:02:00.002-05:00

I finally got to see Mom last night. Dad watched the girls while I went and kept her company. I miss her so much, and the girls miss her, too. We can't wait for her to come home...

On the way to the hospital, I was feeling discouraged. K-Love was playing one of its "Behind the Music" segments, and it was on Laura Story's "Blessings." Laura talked about how she found comfort in James 1:2 when her husband was having health issues, and how that verse was the inspiration for her song. As soon as I got home last night, I looked it up, then I listened to her song.

How does God do that? He knew exactly the message I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it most. He's got the best timing...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance... blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." ~James 1:2-3,12

It's so hard, but it's so worth it.

I love you, Mom. Hang in there...

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

2011-06-10T23:47:00.000-05:00

We celebrate your birthday, as you turn four today,
but we have got the gift, just the perfect gift,
that on this very special day, God gave away,
a gift of love from up above, so unique and so rare

God has specially made you to the very tip of your nose,
as precious as a flower, as tender as a rose.
Fulfilled and blessed our lives we have and all because of you,
as sweet as honey, so innocent and pure

The twinkle of your eyes is brighter than any star,
the smiles you leave behind keep our days bright,
though our laps you have outgrown,
you will never outgrow our hearts

We watch and pray as you grow,
in love and in faith, in beauty and in grace,
you bring us joy and pure delight,
just to gaze upon your lovely face

Our hearts you keep warm and are with you wherever you may go,
and as you go on life's journey, only happiness may you find,
you are the joyful moments through our sorrow,
you are our hope and promise of our tomorrow

'cause you are our pride, our unconditional love we pledge,
'cause you are our joy, our undivided bond we cherish,
'cause you are our sunshine, our embrace is your shield through the rain,
'cause you are our little girl, our hugs and kissed will take away your pain

We asked God for a flower and He gave us a bouquet
we asked God for a minute and He gave us a day
we prayed to God for true love and He gave us that too
we prayed to God for an angel and He gave us you

May God bless you dear angel
especially on this day, that marks your birth,
for all the special ways you bring
a bit of heaven into our world

May God bless you, Today, Tomorrow and Always
in Peace in Health in Happiness and in Love

With Love,
Mom and Dad

Happy 4th Birthday!!!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

In honor of our brave military men and women, Happy Memorial Day!!! Thank you SO MUCH for all you have done and continue to do.

P.S. You, too, Grandpa Shaw! :o)

My Mom

2011-05-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day, 2011

Many of you know that my mom was recently admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. What you might not know is that she has an auto-immune disease (a few, in fact), that prevents her from fighting off diseases. She was diagnosed about 6 years ago and has had several complications since then. However, my mom is a fighter. She has a spirit about her that no one can match. When things knock her down, she comes back to fight another day.

I love and admire her so much for that.

The doctors and nurses are getting this round of crud under control, and they think she will be able to come home soon. Thank God for answered prayers!!!

I just wanted to post a little tribute to my mom for the wonderful person she is. No one should have to go through everything she has been through these past few years. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. But, she is dealing with it (as we all are) as only she could - she doesn't surrender.

The Bible verse on the top of my blog is just for you, Mom. God truly blessed me when he made me your daughter. I love you so much.

Get well soon,
~A

As She Grows - Month 11

2011-05-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

Hardly seems possible that next month we'll be celebrating Maddie's 1st birthday. Words cannot describe how fast this year has gone, and how much joy this little booger has brought to our lives. She is such a bundle of energy - she cannot be contained! :o)

Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Crawling EVERYWHERE (and fast, too!) :o)
Pulling up on everything
Cruising around everything
Standing and walking with assistance (she can do the Playskool Walk-n-Ride all by herself) :o)
She got her second tooth!
Talking a lot more (it's gibberish, but it's talking nonetheless) :o)
Hair is starting to get longer
HATES the feel of grass on her bare feet (but we think it's amusing)

Here she is through the months:

1 month

3 months

5 months

7 months

9 months

11 months

:o)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2011-05-08T16:19:00.002-05:00

These three blessings are the reason I love this day... :o)

Maddie's 1st artwork

2011-05-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

Maddie has been going to her sisters' day care because her regular sitter is recovering from surgery. Yesterday, she brought home her first artwork, just in time for Mother's Day. :o)

As She Grows - Month 10

2011-04-29T22:46:00.000-05:00

Today, our little Madeline is 10 months old. I can't believe it's been almost a year since she blessed our lives with her presence. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

She has her first tooth!!! And, another is not far behind!
She is full-fledged crawling... EVERYWHERE!!! She's a fast little booger!
She had her first taste of dog food the other night, and also got to play in the water bowl for the first time. :o)
Pulling up on things and starting to cruise (bend those legs, Maddie)
Eating a bigger variety of people food, and feeding herself a lot more
Waving "bye-bye"
Saying "ma ma", "da da", and "ba ba"
Imitating our actions and words
Becoming more independent

Here she is through the months:

2 Months

4 Months

6 Months

8 Months

10 Months... and not wanting to sit still for the camera! :o)

Grace's New Look

2011-04-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

Today, we went and picked up Grace's new glasses. We found out a couple of weeks ago at her first eye appointment that she was far-sighted. I'm glad we found out now so she can get used to her glasses before school starts in August. LOTS of changes for her this year as she also prepares to start Kindergarten!!! My baby is growing up so fast!

The glasses are pink (is there any other color?), and they have hearts, stars and butterflies on the sides. She loves them, and was so excited today when we picked them up. Here is our little model showing off her new look:

Pretty darn cute, Gracie!!! :o)

My Hero

2011-04-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

I have always looked up to and respected our men and women in uniform. I was raised on the importance of the military and why we have the freedoms we have today. So many people have fought and died for our country, and I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great nation.

One of those people who fought for us is my Grandpa Shaw. He was a Navy fighter pilot in the Pacific during World War II. He actually flew a plane over Iwo Jima to distract the Japanese while that infamous scene of the men raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi was taking place. You always see and hear about the men on the ground who raised the flag, but you never really hear much about the men in the air who were getting shot at and shot down, all for a diversion.

My grandpa has so many stories to tell. He never really used to talk about the war until recently. As he's gotten on in age, I think he's realized that his legacy can't live on if we never get to hear about all of the wonderful things he and the men who served with him did. Some of the stuff is still painful for him, and you can tell when it hits home because he does get emotional. But, I'm so glad he is now sharing his experiences with his family and those who will listen.

Yesterday, my grandpa embarked on a journey to Washington, D.C., to see the WWII Memorial and the Iwo Jima Memorial, as well as several other national landmarks as part of an Honor Flight. He and a few other veterans from Western Kansas were sponsored by Western Plains High School. Each veteran has a student accompanying him on the journey. What a cool experience for them!

The school created a blog to post about their endeavors. I have been checking it often these past couple of days. Today when I checked it, there were some pictures of my grandpa posted. It was good to see him enjoying himself. Also posted was a picture of him from 1944. Today, 4/7/2011, just happens to be the 67th anniversary of the day my grandpa received his wings (4/7/1944). How awesome is that?

Here he is from that day so long ago. I love this picture of him. Every time we go to my grandparent's house, I go and look at it. It hangs on the wall in one of their spare bedrooms.

It makes me emotional to think about all that my grandpa and his generation have sacrificed. To know that their remaining time on earth is limited is so sad to think about; however, I know that their stories and their legacies will live on forever, and that gives me comfort. They will never be forgotten.

The last two photos I will leave you with are of my grandpa taken today during a tour of one of the memorials. In the first photo, he is the second from the left. The girl standing next to him is his student sponsor, Dakota, and the man in the middle is Kansas congressman Tim Huelskamp. Dakota said she talked to my grandpa the day before they left on the trip, and he told her he would try and behave himself. That is so like him! :o) In the second photo, my grandpa is in the middle.

Love and hugs from Kansas to DC... :o) Have a great trip, Grandpa!

As She Grows - Month 9

2011-03-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

Wow, has it really been a month since I last blogged? Geez, Amber, get on the ball!

Anyway, our little Madeline is 9 months old today. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Scooting backwards and around in circles on her belly (NOT wanting to fully crawl forward)
Standing with minimal assistance
Pulling herself up to her knees from a sitting position
Eating "people food" (seriously, anything I eat she thinks she needs to eat)
Clapping all the time, especially when we say the word "Yay!"
Dancing to music
"Panting" when she gets really excited about something
Wearing size 12 mo. clothes

We go in for Maddie's 9-month check-up in a couple of weeks, so I'll have more "stats" for everyone then. Here she is through the months...

3 months

6 months

9 months - 3/29/11

As She Grows - Month 8

2011-02-28T21:32:00.000-06:00

Today, Maddie is 8 months old. Well, actually, she would be 8 months tomorrow if February had 29 days, so we'll just call it close enough. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Banging multiple objects together
Clapping for herself :-)
Propping herself up on all fours and rocking back and forth
Laughing like a machine gun
Recognizing when family members enter and leave a room
Responding to simple commands, like, "Where's the block?"
Starting to learn body parts (we love noses!)
Eating more and more foods - can't wait for those teeth to come in!
Supporting herself in a standing position (while leaning on something)
Grabbing Mommy's hands and pulling up to a standing position
Growing a lot more hair
Wearing some 9-12 mo. clothes

Here she is through the months:

2 months

4 months

8 months

We love you, Maddie-cakers!!! :-)

Jumping Fool

2011-02-22T19:40:00.000-06:00

Maddie, telling us how much she loves her jumper... :-)

As She Grows - Month 7

2011-01-29T20:26:00.002-06:00

Maddie is 7 months old today - and she's almost crawling! It's hard to believe that we were blessed with this little angel seven months ago... I say it all the time, but it's just gone by way too fast. We love you so much, Maddie! You are the most laid-back, enjoyable baby, and you smile constantly. It melts our hearts, and the hearts of everyone who sees you. :-)

Here's what Maddie has been up to this past month:

Sitting up from a leaning position all by herself (forward and backward)
Going from a sitting position to all-fours (and rocking/reaching)
Making more "understandable" sounds (ga ga, ba ba)
"Growling" (too funny)
Ticklish all over! :-)
Playing all sorts of games (peek-a-boo, clapping, "sooo big")
Eating a larger variety of foods (sweet potatoes and peaches are a couple of her favorites)
Grabbing her spoon while being fed (acting like she wants to feed herself)

Here she is through the months so far...

1 month

3 months

5 months

7 months... carrot stains and all! :-)

Maddie at her "other house"

2011-01-09T16:54:00.000-06:00

Maddie's babysitter took these photos of her the other day... sooooo cute (but I'm a little biased)!!!

Thanks, Jen! :-)

Christmas is coming...

2010-12-31T21:15:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas photos, that is. I'm still waiting on my dad to e-mail me some shots. Until then, here is a little teaser... :-)

As She Grows - Month 6

2010-12-31T21:08:00.000-06:00

On Dec. 29th, Maddie turned 6 months old. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Sitting unsupported
Fully transitioned to formula (though she went out with a fight)
Eating baby food (baby oatmeal, sweet potatoes and squash, so far)
We did try rice cereal first, but found out she was allergic!
Eating A LOT (like, seriously, ALL the time!)
Full-bellied giggles (so cute!)
Wearing Size 3 diapers
Growing lots more hair
Constantly chewing/sucking on her hands/feet and drooling (a tooth HAS to be on the way)

Here she is through the months so far:

2 months

4 months

6 months - after spitting up sweet potatoes all over her outfit! :-)

Annual Family Photos (12/18/10)

2010-12-22T22:57:00.000-06:00

House of the Sickies...

2010-12-11T11:40:00.000-06:00

Grace, Natalie and Maddie are all sick right now. I think it's influenza (apparently, we didn't get our shots in time this year). It's been pretty sad around here - I've even started coming down with something (a cold only, I hope). Joel is the only one who's been relatively healthy (he had a small cold earlier in the month). I've missed 2 days of work this past week due to sick kids.

We even had an incident at Grace's day care Christmas program (she wasn't feeling well and was missing Natalie and Daddy - they stayed home because Natalie had a fever). Grace started crying in the middle of her program and I had to go on stage and get her. She was supposed to be the Star of Bethlehem, but she didn't want to go back on stage for the second half, so one of the teachers had to be the star. It was sad.

Everyone has been laid up with horrible fevers, coughing, headaches, body aches, congestion/runny noses, sneezing, etc. I hope we all get better before Christmas. Having 3 sick kids at the same time is no fun.

Here is a picture of Joel with all 3 of his sick girls...

Our Christmas Tree...

2010-12-11T11:30:00.000-06:00

After Christmas in 2007, Joel and I decided we needed a bigger tree. Our current one was only 6 1/2 ft. tall, and we have a living room with 14-ft. vaulted ceilings. So, we hit up the sales. We found a gorgeous 9-ft. tree. It didn't look that big on display, so we decided to buy it. It would be perfect with our tall ceiling.

Well, when we got it home and put it up the next year, we didn't know where we would put it - it was HUGE! We grossly underestimated its size when it would be in a room with our other furniture. After a couple of years of being cramped, I think this year we've finally figured out what works best.

This year, I let the girls decorate the tree first. They were so excited, especially Grace. This is what they came up with...

All of the ornaments were in one area, and just their height... too cute! :-)

After some rearranging, I got the tree to look like this...

Despite it's size, we love our tree and wouldn't have it any other way. :-)

I've Learned...

2010-12-11T11:02:00.001-06:00

Some things I've learned in 2010...

You can eat healthier and exercise more when someone else's life depends on it
Kidney stones ARE NO LAUGHING MATTER
Having 3 daughters is the greatest joy in the world
Maternity leave is not a "leave" and it is never long enough
Young children are incredibly funny (kids say the darndest things)
Sacrifice now, benefit later
Being "30-something" isn't so bad
It's very difficult to work full time, raise 3 young children, volunteer for church/work activities and still have time for myself (and to blog - see huge gap in posts this year)!
Kids still grow up way too fast
Having 3 sick children at the same time is a very cruel joke
I am so very thankful for EVERYTHING God has blessed me with this year

As She Grows - Month 5

2010-12-11T10:47:00.001-06:00

On 11/29/10, Maddie was 5 months old. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Almost sitting up by herself
Adjusting to formula (yuck!)
First taste of rice cereal (yuck!)
Interacting more with family and toys
Talking up a storm
Holding a bottle by herself
Standing and taking steps (with lots of help, of course)
Discovering feet and how yummy toes can taste
Wearing size 6-9 mo. clothes

1 month

3 months

5 months

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-11T10:38:00.000-06:00

Marc preparing to fry the turkey

The turkey, frying


My father-in-law J. Harvey, Joel and Marc, watching the turkey fry and letting their hamburger dip digest...

Maddie, waiting for her "turkey milk"

My sister-in-law, Sarah, with Grace, Maddie and my mother-in-law, Mary

Grace fixing her plate

Natalie ready to chow down

My Little Patriot

2010-12-11T10:31:00.000-06:00

11/06/10

Maddie is PICKY!!!

2010-12-11T10:27:00.000-06:00

We have started to integrate formula into Maddie's diet because my milk supply has decreased since going back to work. I'm still pumping and trying to give her as much breast milk as I can, but she's not getting what she needs from that alone.

Well, Maddie doesn't really like formula all that well. She spits it out and refuses to take the bottle (unless there's mommy juice in it). She will only take formula if she is absolutely starving. It worries me that she's not eating all the time like she should, but to Joel's point, "Have you ever seen an anorexic baby?" She will eat when she's hungry enough. We even tried some rice cereal (see below), but she spit it out and made a horrible face.

My other two girls transitioned really well, so I just assumed Maddie would be the same way. My mom said, "She can't be perfect." Even though we're having some feeding issues right now, I still think she is... :-)

Not sure why this picture is sideways (I've tried to fix it, but to no avail). It is after her first rice cereal experience. The picture above with the bottle is with breast milk (and her first time holding a bottle by herself).

Thanksgiving... Day Care Style

2010-12-11T10:15:00.000-06:00

Grace and Natalie's day care invited parents for a Thanksgiving lunch this year. I took off work for an hour or so to attend with them. We had fun, but I think the girls were more interested in showing me all of their artwork rather then eating their meal. We had turkey and noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, rolls and apple crisp for dessert (which Grace's class made). It was pretty good, and I'm glad I got to spend that time with my girls. :-)

Precious Sleeper

2010-12-11T10:11:00.000-06:00

Maddie is so precious when she sleeps. I love snapping photos of her while she's dreaming...

Halloween Fun 2010

2010-12-11T10:09:00.000-06:00

Grace and Natalie were fairy princesses and Maddie was a monkey (same costume worn by both of her big sisters). Here are some photos from our church Halloween party and of Trick-or-Treating on Halloween...

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

2010-12-11T10:03:00.000-06:00

No, this TV show didn't come to our house, but we have done some work on the outside this past fall. We had a company come in and replace some siding that was going bad and replace the framing around our three front windows. Then, we had another guy come in and re-paint everything. It was pretty extensive. Our house was built in 1995 and had never been re-caulked or re-painted. It was definitely time.

Here are some pictures of the painting process (after the construction):

Straight No Chaser (aka - Amber's latest obsession)

2010-12-11T09:53:00.000-06:00

On Oct. 21, Joel and I took a short road trip to Salina, KS, to see Straight No Chaser, an acapella singing group made popular by You Tube. It was my birthday present to myself.

This group, which started back in the 1990's at Indiana University, reunited after being discovered by a rep from Atlantic Records. They have recorded two Christmas albums and their most recent album with cult hits. They sing songs from all genres of music, and they are FABULOUS!!! I could listen to them all day, every day, and still not get enough.

Joel is well aware of my obsession with SNC. Please click HERE to learn more about them. Below are a couple of pictures from the evening. My flash wasn't working too well, but I think they're OK. We had pretty good seats. I was going to post some video that I took of their songs, but their Web site is much better quality. Enjoy! :-)

As She Grows - Month 4

2010-10-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Today (10/29), Madeline is 4 months old. Here is what she's been up to this past month:

Giggling
Sleeping through the night (most nights, anyway)
Rolling over from tummy to back
Holding things (up to her face is the cutest) and putting things in her mouth
Crying when she doesn't get her way (and it begins...) :-)
Staying awake for a lot longer during the day (so alert, too!)
Interacting more with people and animals (look out, kitties... Maddie likes to pull hair!)
Growing a lot more hair (it's a mohawk!)

We just adore our little Maddie-cakes! Here's how she's changed from birth to now:

Happy Birthday!

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4 - talking to Mommy and rockin' the mohawk!

She has her 4-month check-up on Monday, so I will update everyone on all of her stats then... :-)

Back from hiatus - our October...

2010-10-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

I've taken a break from blogging and Facebook this past month... not really an intentional break, but I guess it was needed. I was starting to become too reliant on my computer time and I decided to spend that time with my girls instead. But, I miss my computer time... I NEED my computer time. When I'm typing at the keyboard, I feel the stress from the day just flowing out of me.

So, I'm back to get everyone caught up on this past month. I apologize in advance if anyone suffers from "photo overload." Here we go...

Koehn Family Birthday Dinner
At the beginning of the month, Joel and I got together with his family to celebrate my birthday and my brother-in-law Marc's birthday. Marc turned 36 on Sept. 25 and I turned 31 on Oct. 16. We chose a date somewhere in the middle to celebrate. As always, the food was amazing. I received another set of Fiesta dishes (I still haven't received all the sets I registered for when we got married 9 years ago). I have 3 more sets to obtain. I also got a Barnes and Noble gift card and a KU doorknob hanger (Marc got a Texas Longhorns one). Here are a couple of photos from the evening:

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Maddie
Maddie has gotten so much more interactive this past month. She is so inquisitive and she loves to hold things and put things in her mouth. She even rolled over for the first time this past month! Here she is on her Tummy Time mat:

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Rose Hill Fall Festival Parade and Pumpkin Patch
This is our own little family tradition that Joel and I started I think 4 years ago. On the day of the Rose Hill Fall Festival (2nd weekend in October), we take the girls down to eat at our church's pancake feed, then we stay for the parade. Afterward, we drive up to Towanda to eat at the Gambino's Pizza restaurant (our fave!) and out to Walter's Pumpkin Patch just north of El Dorado. This year, the girls actually got to be in the parade with their day care/preschool float, and I walked beside them. Joel and Maddie sat and watched the parade and took our picture. I think the girls were all "paraded" out by the end. After all, it was their 2nd parade in as many weekends (the Andover Days parade was the Saturday before). Here are some photos of this fun day we share every fall:

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Straight No Chaser Concert
For a belated b-day gift to myself, Joel and I went to Salina on Oct. 21 to the Stiefel Theater to see an AMAZING a capella singing group called Straight No Chaser. I first became a fan of this group a few years ago after seeing one of their performances on YouTube. I haven't been able to get enough since then! They are awesome! The concert was well worth the nearly 2-hour drive. We had really great seats, too! One downside to the experience - I discovered that my camera only takes 3-min. videos, max. So, while I was recording some of their songs, my camera would stop after 3 minutes. I'd have to push the record button again, missing some of the song, or getting the end of the song completely cut off. :-( Oh, well. At least I can still hear them in my head! I will post some of that video in another blog update. For now, here are a couple of still pictures (sorry about the poor flash quality):

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Thank you for reading this enormously long post. I feel better now that I've gotten caught up on several posts. Come back soon to read more about the Koehn household happenings! :-)

Needing to blog...

2010-10-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

... but I just haven't had much time lately. The laundry is piling up, the house is a mess, I need to go to the grocery store...

I don't know where all my time has gone lately, but I can't seem to get anything done. My b-day is coming up on Saturday. We're having church directory photos taken that afternoon. I'm also having a girls' night out with my sister-in-law and some old friends (old as in, "we've been friends for a long time," not old as in "age"). Hopefully, I'll be able to catch the blog up after that.

We'll see... :-)

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

2010-10-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Maddie rolled over from her tummy to her back two times!!! I was so excited. I didn't even see her do it the first time because I stepped into another room for a minute and came back to see her on her back. The second time, she did it in front of me, so I went to get the camera to film her. However, twice was all she wanted to do, because she fussed and would not cooperate once I hit the "record" button! Little stinker!

My baby girl is growing fast!

Here she is last week helping me blog. Big sister Grace snapped the photo. :-)

As She Grows - Month 3

2010-09-29T20:21:00.001-05:00

Today, Madeline is 3 months old. I have not a clue where these past 3 months went - they just flew by. She doesn't have her next doctor's appointment until next month, so I had to do some "at-home" weights and measurements.

Today, Maddie weighs 13 pounds and is 23 1/4 inches tall. Here's how she has progressed:

Month 1...

Month 2...

Month 3...

Coincidentally, her outfit says "Watch Me Grow." :-)

Too cute, Maddie-cakes... too cute...

Some other things Maddie's been up to:

Grasping at everything, including hair!
Sucking on her hands and fingers
Making lots of cooing noises ("talking")
Fully supporting her head on her own - kickin' some butt at "Tummy Time"
Starting to work on rolling over from tummy to back
Smiling constantly
Making lots of splashes in the bath tub
Tracking up and down and side to side
Recognizing mommy's face and voice (and when I go away) :-)
Recognizing her daddy and sisters

Shopping for Halloween costumes

2010-09-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

The other day, the girls and I went shopping for some Halloween costumes. After much debate and changing of the minds, they finally decided on some cute fairy costumes. However, they had a really fun time in the adult aisle trying on witch's hats. The second picture is of them and their "scary witch faces." :-)

Mail

2010-09-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

Maddie got her first official package in the mail the other day. Joel's great aunt and uncle (Florence and Les), who live in Pennsylvania, surprised us with a small brown box in our mail. While it's always fun to get mail, Maddie will have to be a little older before she truly understands what's going on. :-)

Once inside, we opened the box and discovered an adorable porcelain keepsake:

Florence and Les are always sending the girls cards or money for their banks or cute little gifts in the mail. They have never even met the girls, just seen them through pictures. They are so good to them - but we think they are pretty special, too! Thank you, Florence and Les, for your thoughtfulness and generosity. We are so lucky to have family like you! Love you! :-)

Cows and "Forsees"

2010-09-29T19:47:00.000-05:00

Natalie LOVES animals. She goes nuts any time she sees one. She always has to point out the cows and horses we pass as we're driving down the road. She also told Joel and I that she wanted a cow after seeing one up close at the Fair. :-)

She can't say her H's very well yet, so "horsie" comes out as "forsee." It's pretty cute.

Anyway, when I was at the grocery store the other day, this huge trailer was parked outside. It had a ginormous cow on the back, promoting an ice cream brand. The people from this company were also giving away free ice cream samples.

The cow reminded me of Natalie and how much she likes them right now. I just had to snap a photo.

Thunderstorms

2010-09-29T19:40:00.000-05:00

I LOVE thunderstorms. A couple of weeks ago, we had a big one, complete with heavy rain, lightning, thunder, hail, 80+ mph winds and tornadoes. When the storm passed, I snagged a couple pictures of the clouds as the sun was setting. I really like how brown clouds can look when there's hail in them.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho...

2010-09-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

... it's back to work I go!

Today was my first day back from maternity leave after 12 weeks off. To say it was bittersweet would be an understatement. I enjoyed the adult conversation, though, and was reminded just how much I love my job.

I didn't like the 1,100+ e-mails waiting for me in my inbox, though (I still have more than 500 to sort through).

I only called the sitter once to check on Maddie... she was fine, of course. I was sure she would be - it was me I was more worried about. I didn't sleep very well last night - I was kind of a basket case. But, I was OK today.

The 4-inch heels might have been a little much on my first day back since I haven't worn heels since before my pregnancy (about a year ago). My feet definitely were NOT used to them (OUCH)!!!

All in all, it is great to be among the working again. If I could, though, I might seriously consider being a stay-at-home mom. Financially, we're not at that point yet. Maybe someday... :-)

Sure did miss my baby. It will get easier, though...

Maddie-Cakes

2010-09-20T10:04:00.000-05:00

A couple of pictures of Maddie, wearing one of my favorite baby outfits. It is a light blue linen overall set with a flowered shirt. I wanted to get a picture of her wearing it before she outgrew it. I think it looks pretty good for its third time around! :-)

Such a happy baby all the time!

A greasy mess!

2010-09-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

Natalie found the Vicks Vapo-Rub and decided to smear it all over her body! YUCK!!! Does she look ornery in these photos, or what? :-)

Grace tried to help clean it up...

"Fair" well

2010-09-20T09:54:00.001-05:00

This post is a little belated, but I didn't have much time this past week to update the blog.

Last Saturday (9/11), Joel, me and the girls went to the Kansas State Fair with his parents and sister's family. My sister-in-law hit it on the head when she blogged that it was definitely a kid-focused trip to the fair. The majority of our evening was spent in the carnival area. Grace and Natalie were so excited to finally be big enough to ride some of the rides by themselves. And when I wasn't watching them on the rides, I was looking for a nursing room for me and Maddie. I don't think I saw anything at the fair that I wanted to see. Oh, well. That's what happens when you have kids. Perhaps another time...

On the way to Hutchinson, my car reached 100,000 miles...

This was a shaved ice truck we saw a few blocks before we got to the fair. Joel, of course, made a perverted comment... :-)

Natalie and the bunnies...

The girls and the bunnies...

Carousel fun...

Another "Merry-Go-Round" ride at the fair...

My nephew, Luke, watching Grace and Natalie on the rides...

The girls, Luke, and my sister-in-law Sarah on the Tonka Trucks ride. We all have a little "kid" in us, even in our 30's... right, Sarah? :-)

Riding the State Fair choo-choo train...

The "Lucky Ducky" prize booth. The girls each "won" princess jewelry. Oh, boy... :-)

A choo-choo carnival ride. As Natalie said, "We rode two choo-choos!!!"

Wrapping up the evening at the horse stables. All Grace could talk about was the horse that made a "BIG poop!" :-)

Our car ride home... :-)

I will never forget...

2010-09-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Nine years ago today, I was parking my car on the K-State campus, preparing to go to my Mass Communications Research class, when over the radio was broadcast news of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I stayed glued to the radio, listening intently to what was unfolding... then came plane number 2.

I couldn't believe what was happening. Needless to say, I didn't go to class that day. I don't think many people did, and those who were already in class had it canceled. I walked through the student union and witnessed something I don't think I'll ever see again. Everyone in the union was huddled around the big-screen TV in the lounge area, watching in horror as our great nation was being attacked. Some were crying, some were pale with shock and disbelief.

I made my way to the Collegian newsroom, where I found much of the same. Those of us in that room knew we were preparing to report on one of the biggest news stories of our lifetime. It was very difficult to concentrate on my work because I just wanted to watch the TV. I did the same when I later went to my other campus job in the Research and Extension office.

When I got home that day, Joel, me and our good friend, Andy, sat in our living room, glued to the news. I just sobbed at all of the images from the day... the two towers... the Pentagon... the Pennsylvania field...

Like the Pearl Harbor attack, Kennedy assassination or the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, those who witnessed the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 will always remember where they were and what they were doing when their lives changed forever. I can't believe it's already been 9 years since that fateful day.

To borrow from another blog:
May we never forget the pain.
May we never forget the lives lost.
May we never forget the heroes.
May we never forget the way we became a nation united.
May we never forget that we are the most incredible nation in the world.
And may we never forget that it was God that saw us through that terrible time.

I know I will never forget.

God bless you all as you remember 9/11...

Random survey (fun, fun)...

2010-09-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name: Amber
Birthday: October 16
Birthplace: Wichita, KS
Current location: Rose Hill, KS
Eye color: Brown with a splash of hazel
Hair color: Red
Height: too short
Right-handed or left-handed: Right-handed
Your heritage: Something European
The shoes you wore today: My black "fit flops" from Victoria's Secret
Your weakness: In men, it is a sense of humor or an accent; in myself, it is my love of food
Your fears: Being cheated on; spiders; snakes
Your perfect pizza: Pepperoni, mushroom and EXTRA cheese
Goal you would like to achieve this year: Reduce my debt
Your most overused phrase on an instant messenger: LOL
Thoughts first waking up: Just 5 more minutes...
Your best physical feature: My eyes or my smile
Your bedtime: Whenever my newborn decides to go to sleep!
Your most missed memory: Driving my Grandpa Shaw's golf cart
Pepsi or Coke: COKE!!!
McDonald's or Burger King: Wendy's
Single or group dates: Single
Lipton Iced Tea or Nestea: Lipton
Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla with chocolate on top
Cappuccino or coffee: YES, PLEASE!!!
Do you smoke: Not anymore
Do you swear: Sometimes, especially when I'm really stressed out
Do you sing: All the time - you be the judge if it's good or not
Do you shower daily: I try to, but I'm a busy mommy
Have you been in love:Yes
Do you want to go to college: I have already graduated, but I miss school (call me crazy)
Do you want to get married: I'm already married to a wonderful man
Do you belive in yourself: Most days
Do you get motion sickness: Yes, and altitude sickness
Do you think you are attractive: Sometimes
Are you a health freak: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Do you get along with your parents: More so now than when I was younger
Do you like thunderstorms: ABSOLUTELY - They're sexy!!!
Do you play an instrument: Clarinet, piano and some percussion
In the past month have you drank alcohol: No
In the past month have you smoked: No
In the past month have you been on drugs: I've NEVER done drugs
In the past month have you gone on a date: Our anniversary on 8/4 was the last time I was on a date
In the past month have you gone to a mall: Sadly, yes
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: No
In the past month have you eaten sushi: No, but I've had fish sticks... does that count?
In the past month have you been on stage: No
In the past month have you been dumped: I hope not, otherwise, I'm pretty clueless
In the past month have you gone skinny dipping: No, but that used to be one of my favorite pasttimes...
In the past month have you stolen anything: No
Ever been drunk: Yes
Ever been called a tease: No comment
Ever been beaten up: Only by my brother when we were little
Ever shoplifted: Yes, but I was 7 and after paying the consequences, I will never do it again
How do you want to die: Peacefully, in my sleep
What do you want to be when you grow up: A writer/producer of movies (but I will always be a kid at heart)
What country would you most like to visit: England/Ireland/Scotland
Number of drugs you have taken: NONE
Number of CDs you own: Too many to count
Number of piercings: 4
Number of tattoos: None
Number of things in your past you regret: I don't have any regrets, only mistakes that I have learned from

In a Boy/Girl...
Favorite eye color: Grayish-blue
Favorite hair color: Dark brown (almost black)
Short or long hair: Short
Height: It doesn't matter, but he needs to be taller than me when I wear heels
Weight: It doesn't matter, but he should NEVER be able to fit into anything I wear!!!
Best clothing style: T-Shirt, jeans, well-worn ball cap

Anniversaries remind us about how much we've forgotten...

2010-09-10T20:53:00.000-05:00

Repeating our same mistakes: Hope springs eternal, our memories do not By Neil Cavuto, Fox News

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4334407/cavuto-repeating-our-same-mistakes/

First day of preschool

2010-09-09T12:30:00.004-05:00

Since Grace has a summer birthday, we decided to wait a year before sending her to kindergarten. We enrolled her in a preschool class (M, W, F - 9:00-11:30) at her day care to give her something extra to do and to help prepare her for the next step. The center is an outreach of our church, so I know she is in great hands! Plus, she and Natalie have been going to day care there for several years, so she is already familiar with the environment.

Wednesday was her first day, and she was SUPER EXCITED!

After arriving, her teacher told her the first thing they do every morning was get books off the shelf and sit on the reading mat. Grace really liked this idea! It also helped that she had a friend, Anthen, in class with her. It didn't take her long before she was kissing and hugging me and telling me to leave. :-)

To pass the time while Grace was in class, Natalie, Maddie and I went to Target to look around for awhile. I also grabbed a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino, sans whipped cream (my favorite) while we were browsing. Maddie slept the entire time, but Natalie and I looked at the purses, jewelry, sunglasses, toys (EVERY aisle!!!) and Halloween costumes.

Natalie had some good one-on-one time with Mommy, which was good for her since she didn't quite understand why Grace got to go to preschool and she didn't. She almost didn't want to leave to go pick Grace up. :-)

Brace yourselves...

2010-09-09T12:18:00.003-05:00

A very poor pun on my part. You may remember this post from a couple of weeks ago...

In it, I talked about my mom's back issues and what needs to be done to fix them. In short, she needs surgery (a risky one, at that). However, she received word from her insurance company that they won't pay for the surgery until her doctors do "more" to try and fix her back, rather than just jumping into a procedure. However, the insurance company has had 3 different doctors tell them that surgery is the only thing that will fix my mom's back. It's all really frustrating for my mom.

She has been in pain since March. We found out the first week of July that her back was broken in 2 places (why it took her doctors that long to figure this out is beyond me). She was supposed to have surgery on Aug. 23, but the insurance company canceled it (for the reason above). Now, she has to wear a back brace for 60 days (pretty much all the time except for when sleeping), and then the insurance company will re-evaluate whether surgery is still needed (it will be). That still doesn't guarantee that they will give the thumbs up for the procedure, though, so my parents are in the midst of an appeals process. More frustration for my mom.

I hope she gets some relief soon. She has been in so much pain. She hasn't wanted to eat much. Her spirits are down, and she is very disappointed that she won't be able to babysit Maddie, like she had planned to, when I go back to work. What a way to spend your first few months of retirement, huh?

The doctors told her she would be able to live as normal a life as possible after the surgery, so we're hoping we get some good news soon. My mom could really use some encouragement, and she wants to be able to play with her grandchildren without constantly being in pain. Until then, she's in this brace, wishing and hoping...

Labor Day 2010

2010-09-09T12:08:00.005-05:00

This year for Labor Day, Joel, me and the girls went over to my parents' house for lunch. My dad's parents, who live in Derby, were also there. This is significant, because my grandmother has Alzheimer's Disease. She still has a fairly good long-term memory and can recognize people, but her short-term memory is virtually gone. She has her good and bad days, but she doesn't feel well often, and my grandparents don't usually get out when she's under the weather. I'm glad they were able to come over to see us and Maddie.

For lunch, we had steak, potato salad, Miller's baked beans (yummy), cole slaw, rolls, watermelon and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Everyone was stuffed! Maddie celebrated her Labor Day with some "Grandma Time" and a nap:

It was a great lunch spent with family. Wish I would've taken more pictures. Oh, well. Next time... :-)

When a 5-year-old plays "beautician"...

2010-09-09T11:57:00.004-05:00

Pals, or Partners in Crime???

2010-09-09T11:55:00.002-05:00

Through the eyes of a child...

2010-09-09T11:45:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when a 5-year-old gets a hold of your camera:

Zoo randomness

2010-09-03T11:10:00.015-05:00

The other evening, Joel, me and the girls went to the zoo with his parents and sister's family. It was the last night of the year when the zoo had extended hours. There weren't any crowds and the weather was nice, so we all really enjoyed ourselves.

We first started out feeding the fish and ducks/geese.

Then we went to the petting zoo, because it closed earlier than the other exhibits. Grace is afraid of the goats, so we just went and looked at the cows, horses and pigs.

Then we went to the African Farm to see some camels and more goats. Grace was OK with these because they were behind a fence. The girls enjoyed feeding them. :-)

Up to this point, this was the extent of Maddie's zoo trip:

That's OK, though. What do you expect when your first zoo trip is the same day as shots at the doctor's?

After a quick bite to eat at the zoo "Beastro," we headed to the giraffes and elephants.

Maddie then decided to wake up for a short while... emphasis on "short":

Then we saw the gorillas and the tigers.

By that time, it was getting close to closing time, so we headed back toward the exit, stopping at the cheetah cage on the way. Joel named him "Chester." :-)

Before I end this post, I have to tell you a story about a hat. My nephew, Luke, is really into hats right now. He had two hats with him at the zoo, one of which was my father-in-law's. Luke paid more attention to these hats than he did the animals, and got really upset every time he dropped one of the hats out of his wagon. My brother-in-law Marc would then have to run back and retrieve the lost hat.

Well, on our way out of the zoo, Luke dropped my father-in-law's hat. We noticed it shortly after, and Marc went to get it. Upon his return, he gave the hat back to Luke without inspecting it. Can you notice anything about the hat?

If not, how about now?

Yes, that is goose poop on the hat. Needless to say, Luke didn't get it back after that! :-)

And, here we are at the gift shop, where we found more "poop":

Whatever became of the hat, you ask? Upon returning home, my father-in-law washed it off with the garden hose and left it to dry propped up on a tin can on his garage floor. I'm betting he never wears it again... :-)

And this concludes our fun evening at the zoo!

2-month check-up

2010-09-03T09:06:00.004-05:00

Maddie had her 2-month check-up and shots the other day. Here are her stats:

11 lbs., 5 oz. (75th percentile)
21 1/2 inches (20th percentile)
14 3/4 inch head (25th percentile)

These were her first shots since birth, so I wasn't sure how she'd react. It was a relatively short crying session considering she got 5 shots. :-(

Here she is before:

And after:

Poor baby... :-(

Here she is afterward getting some comforting by Grandma:

My mom had to put a blanket up because she is wearing a brace for her back and it is really hard. The blanket is more cozy to snuggle up to... :-)

Early bird...

2010-09-03T07:42:00.003-05:00

My morning so far...
5:15 - Maddie woke for her early morning feeding
6:15 - Maddie is still awake, so we go for a 3-mile walk (haven't done that for awhile) and watch the sunrise (beautiful). We also see a neighbor girl's chalk drawing of Justin Bieber. :-) Cool mornings like this remind me of fall mornings in Manhattan - I'm a little misty-eyed...
7:00 - Maddie is still awake, so we make coffee and blueberry muffins
7:30 - Muffins are cooling and she finally gave up the good fight

Here she is all wrapped up like a burrito ready to walk... :-)

Promotions

2010-08-30T16:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday at church was "Promotion Sunday." All of the kids in the Sunday school classes were promoted to the next level. Natalie was promoted from the Nursery class to the 3- & 4-year-old class, and Grace was promoted from the 3- & 4-year-old class to the pre-kindergarten/kindergarten class. Here is a picture of Grace and Natalie with one of Grace's friends, Ella (who was also promoted up to the pre-k/k class), a very uncooperative AJ (also promoted up), and the teachers of the 3- & 4-year-old class, Miss Madison and Ms. Bobby. Grace decided she wanted a picture with Bobby instead of her new teacher. ;-)

As She Grows - Month 2

2010-08-30T10:12:00.005-05:00

Maddie was 2 months old yesterday. Kind of hard to believe. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

Lots of cooing and making sounds, lots of big, toothless grins, holding her head up really well (very alert), kicking and reaching, filling out nicely (her 9-week check-up is tomorrow, so I will update the blog with her stats, but she is close to 12 pounds), recognizing mommy and daddy - mostly mommy, discovering her tongue and the ability to make spit bubbles (she hasn't figured out yet how to blow them, so they just run down her chin at this point), developing a severe case of what her Uncle Marc and Aunt Sarah have coined as "Hyper Mommy-itis" (I will explain this in another post), catching her first cold :-( , and sleeping 3-5 hours at a time... I really like the 5-hr. nights... :-)

You may remember this post from last month. My creative sister-in-law took a picture of my nephew Luke in the same spot every month for 2 years to see how much he had grown. So, I decided to do this with Madeline. Here she is at 1 month:

And here she is at 2 months:

She apparently likes her legs a certain way. Such a happy baby... :-)

We love you, Maddie-cakes!!!

Summer Portraits

2010-08-27T18:10:00.004-05:00

My Little Learners...

2010-08-26T13:40:00.002-05:00

The girls went to their bedroom to play last night. They shut the door and it was really quiet. That could only mean trouble, right? Well, I peeked in to see what they were up to, and I found this...

They love their learning laptops (and, apparently, they also love to play dress-up)! :-)

Funny quotes...

2010-08-23T09:53:00.003-05:00

Question: "If you could live forever, would you and why?"
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should
not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." - Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss Universe contest

"Contrary to popular belief, 'Damn It' is not God's last name." - Construction wall, Philadelphia, 1969

‎"Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

Dinner with the fam

2010-08-22T14:20:00.008-05:00

Last night, my parents came over for dinner. It was supposed to be a pre-surgery meal for my mom, but due to some complications with insurance, Monday's back surgery has been postponed. We still enjoyed a good meal and each other, though.

Here's the spread - porcupine meatballs, mashed potatoes, corn and veggies from my parents' garden.

Chocolate cupcakes my mom made.

Everyone enjoying dessert (cupcakes and mint chocolate chip ice cream):

After dessert, my mom played with Maddie, my dad played with Barbies and Grace made sure my mom was doing things right... :-)

My family (why must Grace insist on being such a goob?)...

Good times... :-)

Friday Evening Ramblings...

2010-08-20T21:33:00.003-05:00

Joel is at a class right now and all of the girls are sleeping, so what better time to update the blog, right?

I'm actually really bored right now. I couldn't wait for the girls to go to bed, and now that they are asleep, I want them to be up to keep me company. Actually, Maddie can sleep. She hasn't slept well today and has been fussy. I don't know if she's had a tummy ache from nursing (something I ate, perhaps?) or if she is catching Grace and Natalie's cold. Natalie has been complaining of an ear ache the past two days, so we went and got a prescription filled for her today. I hope Maddie is not coming down with something. Having a sick baby is no fun at all. :-(

Joel's class is actually a 2-day seminar he has to take for the WSU School of Business. It is tonight and most of tomorrow. He is going out for some beers with a friend afterward tonight. I don't ever get to go out with friends anymore - makes me kinda jealous... and tired... There isn't a day where I'm not without at least 1 child. With Joel taking 13 hours of class this semester and working close to 60 hours a week, he's not around much to give me a reprieve. I long for a day all to myself to do whatever I want. Most of my friends don't live around here anymore, but that's OK... I wouldn't mind traveling for a day... Don't see that happening anytime soon, though.

My mom is having surgery on Monday for her back. It is broken in 2 places. The surgery is kind of risky, but not having the surgery is risky, too. I just want her to start feeling better. These past few years have been pretty rough on her with her auto-immune disease, and this back injury is just one more thing she's had to deal with. She's got to have this cement stuff injected into her spine to help the bones fuse back together. Some of the risks include paralyzation if the surgeon injures her spinal cord, or death if the cement leaks into her lungs or brain. She is really scared... I am, too. But, I think it's a risk worth taking if it will help her to finally feel better. I keep telling myself, and her, that we have to stay positive and know that everything will be fine... and we have to pray... a lot...

Well, that paragraph was a total downer, so I will talk about something cheerier. I weighed myself today, then weighed myself again while holding Maddie... 11 pounds already! She is getting to be a little chunky monkey. I love her to pieces. Here are a couple of recent pictures of her:

And, finally, as if this post wasn't random enough, I've been working on several things lately, but haven't managed to finish any of them. I'm vowing to have at least 2 of the following items marked off my to-do list by the end of the month:

Update the girls' baby books
File pictures in albums
Organize the girls' school scrap books
Hang new curtains in the girls' room
Hire a contractor for some home repairs on the siding (bids are in, just need to decide)
Re-caulk and re-paint the house (probably hire someone for this, too)
Complete the family budget (something new I'm trying via Dave Ramsey)
Complete the following books I've started reading:

"Bringing Up Girls" by Dr. James Dobson
"The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie Omartian
"The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey
"Financial Peace Revisited" by Dave Ramsey
"Culture of Corruption" by Michelle Malkin

It's quite a daunting list, I know, but it's all got to be completed sometime. A mother's work is never done... or so I've heard...

Well, this post has been random enough for one evening. I am going to go feed Maddie and go to bed. Tomorrow evening my parents are coming over for dinner - porcupine meatballs, mashed potatoes, corn, homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes, and cupcakes and ice cream for dessert. Should be a good time, and hopefully, we can all take our minds off Monday. Prayers for my mom that everything goes smoothly and she makes a fast and complete recovery. :-)

Blessings and love to you all...

~A

My father-in-law's 61st

2010-08-17T14:33:00.004-05:00

My father-in-law's birthday is not until the 20th, but we celebrated a little early this past weekend.

Here's my clan - Grace is doing her favorite pastime at the moment (holding the baby). Not sure what Joel and Natalie were looking at...

Here is my brother-in-law Marc and my nephew Luke...

Here is the dinner - the birthday person gets to choose his or her meal. My father-in-law chose steak, scalloped potatoes, broccoli salad, strawberry whip and German chocolate cake for dessert...

Shooting BB guns...

Natalie swinging...

My father-in-law, J. Harvey, with 3 of his 4 grandchildren...

My mother-in-law's infamous German chocolate cake (half-way eaten)...

Maddie and her momma...

Natalie all tuckered out ("I wear my sunglasses at night...")... :-)

Fun in the sun!

2010-08-17T14:30:00.002-05:00

Maddie LOVES her mobile

2010-08-17T14:16:00.002-05:00

HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

2010-08-17T14:10:00.003-05:00

This past week has been a scorcher, to say the least! Here is a picture of my car's temperature gage inside the shade of our garage:

And here is a picture in our driveway in the sun:

I am so glad it has cooled off some the past couple of days because our A/C stopped working and I don't think we could've survived in that heat with a baby. I don't know what people did in the days before air conditioning, but I'm so thankful we have it now!!! :-)

Short visit from my brother

2010-08-17T14:03:00.003-05:00

Maddie seemed to really take a liking to my brother when he came home the other day for an appointment - she wouldn't stop staring at him (or maybe it was his Fu-Man-Chu mustache).

At any rate, it was cute. I'm glad he stopped by to see us. :-)

My mom joined us, too...

Field Trips

2010-08-11T11:00:00.003-05:00

The girls have had a couple of recent field trips with the Rose Hill Parents as Teachers group. Last week, we went to the Mulvane pool, and yesterday, we went to Krispy Kreme to see how doughnuts are made. I forgot my camera at home yesterday, so no Krispy Kreme photos (boo), but I did manage to snap a couple of the girls at the pool. Grace wouldn't let me take any pictures while they were actually swimming, so all I got was the aftermath. :-)

The girls really enjoy the activities we do with Parents as Teachers, but a lot of the field trips are usually during the workday when I am gone. It's been nice while I've been on maternity leave to be able to do things with them that we don't normally get to do. I just wish there was more to do in the evenings so we could participate more often.

Maybe someday...

My 5-year-old

2010-08-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

She took these pictures of herself. What a ham! Can she be anymore like her father? LOL!

9 years!

2010-08-10T16:32:00.004-05:00

On August 4th, Joel and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. We decided to try a place we had never been to for dinner, so we went to Carraba's, then to a movie at the Warren Theater. We saw "Inception," which was a VERY good movie! Grace and Natalie spent the evening with Grandma and Grandpa Koehn, but Maddie tagged along since I'm nursing. So, it wasn't a totally kid-free evening, but having the baby along wasn't bad at all. She was quiet the entire time. :-)

At dinner, we ordered fried zucchini (YUM!) for an appetizer (see picture below). Joel had the Seafood Cannelloni, which was lobster, shrimp and scallops, blended with roasted garlic and chives, topped with shrimp and a light tomato cream sauce. I had the Filet Marsala, which was a 9 oz. center-cut filet, topped with mushrooms, prosciutto and Lombardo Marsala wine sauce. It was incredible! For dessert, I ordered Bacino, which is “Little kisses” in Italian. It is a mini-dessert. They had a few to choose from. I got the chocolate coconut mousse. It was served in something slightly larger than a shot glass, which was good because I didn't want a whole lot. It was really rich - chocolate mousse with pecans and a fudge crust with toasted coconut on top - DIVINE!!! I begrudgingly let Joel have a bite. :-)

Here are some pics from the evening. I wish I would've taken more (one of my yummy dessert would have been neat). I guess I was just too sidetracked...

It hardly seems like we've been married for 9 years (together for 12 1/2). Joel really is a wonderful man and a great father to our 3 girls. He works very hard to keep a roof over our head and food on our table. He is studying for his bachelor's degree in accounting. He is the lone male in a house full of Estrogen. He has conservative morals and values. He loves his family. He really is amazing. I love him more and more every day.

Happy anniversary Joel! I love you! Here's hoping for many more years of wedded bliss! :-)

Bath time!

2010-08-10T16:25:00.002-05:00

Maddie's first bath in her "big" baby tub - she finally outgrew the tiny pink hospital tub! :-)

8/4/10

Lawrence

2010-08-10T15:47:00.009-05:00

On July 31st, Joel, Maddie and I went to Lawrence, KS, for the day. We went to a wedding (one of my former Cap Fed colleagues and dear friend, Kyle), hung out with some good friends (Eric and Larisa Kimuri and kids) and ate at my brother's restaurant, Tellers. I love going to Lawrence to hang out - there are so many neat shops, restaurants and places to visit. Plus, having a chef for a brother is awesome when I get hungry! He's an AMAZING cook, and his restaurant is one of my favorites (but I guess I'm a little biased).

Grace and Natalie got to spend the day/night with Grandma and Grandpa Koehn. Here they are with their new back packs, or "pa-packs" as Natalie calls them:

After dropping them off, we were on our way (Maddie's first road trip!). Our first stop in Lawrence was "First Watch" for some brunch. I used to eat at this place a lot when I went to KU. It's very similar to Manhattan's "Early Edition." They're only open in the morning until 2 p.m. VERY tasty (and reasonably priced)!!!

After brunch, we went to my brother's house to change for the wedding. Here are a couple of pictures from the wedding. It was at the Eldridge Hotel on Massachusetts Street, just up the block from Tellers.

My friend Kyle, his new wife, Cindee, me, Joel and Maddie.

After the wedding, Joel and I went back to my brother's to change, then headed to Eric and Larisa's house. Larisa just had a baby on May 28, one month before Maddie was born. She named him Henry. He is a cutie, a BIG cutie! He was over 9 pounds at birth and was around 14 pounds at 2 months when we saw him. He was definitely a lot bigger than our Maddie, but she will get there soon enough! :-)

Here is a link to last year's Lawrence post when we visited the Kimuris. They went to dinner with us at Tellers last year and this year, so it was nice getting to spend time with them again over good food, good drink and good conversation. :-)

And, here are a couple of pictures from this year - one of Eric and Larisa's oldest boy, Gabe, holding Maddie; one of Maddie and Henry having some tummy time together; and one of Joel reading a bedtime story to Gabe and the middle child, Morgan:

Overall, it was a short, but very nice trip. Maddie was well-behaved and we were able to enjoy the company of several great friends. Will we make it 3 years in a row? We're considering it - and considering taking all 3 girls next time.

The key word is "considering"...

:-)

As She Grows - Month 1

2010-08-02T18:17:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law Sarah is doing this with our nephew on her blog, so I thought I'd try it with Maddie. Every month, I will take a picture of her in the same spot and compare them to the previous pictures to see just how much she is growing. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Here is Month 1:

1 month

2010-07-30T18:48:00.004-05:00

I meant to post this on the 29th, but got sidetracked and forgot...

Our baby Maddie is 1 month old. Here is what she's been up to this past month:

Sleeping

Eating

Sleeping

Pooping

Sleeping

Eating

Sleeping

Smiling

Cooing

Crying

Tooting

Burping

Sleeping

Pooping

Sleeping

She makes a squeaking noise when she nurses - probably from eating so fast! What a shark! She smiles at us and lets out the occasional coo. She is a very gassy baby. That definitely comes from her daddy. :-)

She is a very good baby - hardly ever fusses... except when she gets the hiccups, which can be frequent at times. Nevertheless, we are so very blessed.

We love you, punkin'! :-)

Happy 5th birthday, Grace!

2010-07-28T12:29:00.006-05:00

Can't believe my first baby girl turned 5 years old on July 26th!!!

7/26/2005

July 2008

7/22/2010

We love you lots!

Love,
Mommy, Daddy, Natalie and Maddie :-)

High-5!!!

2010-07-28T12:12:00.006-05:00

Grace turned the big "5" on July 26th. On the 24th, we had a party for her at home. We had Papa John's pizza delivered, and we had a Disney princess ice cream cake from daddy's DQ. :-)

Grace received a lot of really nice gifts, but the best gift of all was having so much family able to come. I hope she realizes that someday... Happy Birthday, Grace! :-)

Western Kansas Clan

2010-07-28T12:04:00.003-05:00

My grandparents and uncle (mom's side of the family), who live in Oakley, KS, came down this past weekend for Grace's 5th birthday party and to see baby Maddie for the first time. They got here on Saturday and left Tuesday. We usually only get to see them at Christmastime since they live about 4 1/2 hours away, so this was a special treat for us. I love you guys lots! Thanks for coming down! Miss you already!

Rock River Rapids

2010-07-28T11:58:00.003-05:00

We went to the water park in Derby for the first time last week. The girls had a blast, but they didn't want me taking a lot of pictures of them. I guess they wanted me to watch them swim instead. :-)

Grace is dying to go back. But at $7.00 apiece for the girls and $8.00 for me, we're carefully considering it!!!

1st tummy time

2010-07-28T11:46:00.002-05:00

7/5/10

4th of July

2010-07-28T11:04:00.004-05:00

This post is somewhat overdue, but we've been a little busy this past month. :-)

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I have really fond memories as a child going out to Western Kansas to visit family and friends and shoot off fireworks (our home movies are hilarious). It's most likely because of these memories that I always really enjoy this time of year.

This year was slightly different since I had just had a baby and kidney stone surgery. I didn't feel like my usual self, but I wanted to celebrate with family nonetheless. My brother and his girlfriend were in town to see Maddie, so they and my parents came over for dinner and fireworks. We grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and brats and had my favorite - homemade vanilla ice cream (my mom's recipe is literally the best I've ever had).

Then we hung out on the driveway and shot off fireworks. The girls really enjoyed their "Snappy Pops." Maddie just slept through everything. One thing we didn't do this year is sparklers (my mom is really afraid the girls will burn themselves). Afterward, we sat on the driveway and watched the city fireworks. We are really fortunate that they shoot them off just a block from our house.

Even though I wasn't feeling well, I still have to say I had a good time. I can't wait until next year. :-)

This last one cracks me up - the girls were soooo excited for the fireworks to start, but once they did, they both had to hold their ears. Through it all, though, they kept saying "Oooh, look at that one!" "Oooh, I like that pink one!" "Oooh, purple!" They were making us laugh! :-)

Our Little Maddie-Cakes

2010-07-16T22:46:00.009-05:00

Grandma Miller with Grace and Maddie

Grandpa Miller and Maddie

Maddie and Aunt Sarah

Uncle Marc takes a turn holding Maddie

Uncle Shawn and Aunt Danielle (with a jealous Bella Donna) meet their third niece

Grandpa Koehn and Maddie

Grandma Koehn with Maddie and Grace (Grace is infatuated with Maddie's feet... well, all of Maddie, really) :-)

A very tired Mommy and her three girls... :-)

Kidney stones: waaaay worse than labor!!!

2010-07-09T19:48:00.003-05:00

Well, as promised, here is the post about our eventful week last week. I decided to do it in a time line - much easier to explain.

Saturday, June 26 - I woke up about 11:30 p.m. with extremely sharp pain in my lower left back. I thought it was the onset of labor. I was up pretty much all night off and on with a horrible shooting pain in my left side.

Sunday, June 27 - I started throwing up in the morning and continued throughout the day. I couldn't keep anything down. I started to think it was a virus and not back labor. I was feverish and I could hardly stand I was in so much pain. When Joel got home from work around 5:30, we headed to the hospital. The nurses had a difficult time putting an IV in because I was so dehydrated. Once in, they gave me some wonderful pain medicine called Delotid. One of my nurses said it's better than Morphine. I wouldn't really know because I'm allergic to Morphine, but I'll take her word for it - it was amazing stuff! But, I digress...

Once the meds started to work, they did a sonogram on my left kidney. They found two small kidney stones, which seemed to be the cause of my misery. I was only dilated to 3 cm, so they determined they would send me home with oral pain meds and lots of fluids to try to get me to pass the stones. I was dismissed at 2:00 a.m. on Monday, June 28. We arrived home shortly after 3:00 a.m. (we stopped at a 24-hour pharmacy to get my meds).

Monday, June 28 - At 5:30 a.m., I was vomiting again and doubled over in pain. The oral meds weren't working. So............ trip #2 to the hospital. This time, the nurses decided to continue the oral meds - they tried different combinations of things to get the pain to subside, and it eventually did. They also gave me some nausea medicine so I would stop throwing up. I was still only dilated to 3 cm, so once I was stabalized, they again sent me home. We arrived around 4:00 p.m.

At 6:00 p.m., I was crying and screaming I was in so much pain. I couldn't stand. I was still vomiting............ trip #3 to the hospital (did I mention we live 30 minutes from the hospital, so the drives there were excruciating).

Once we arrived (and the admin nurse now knew us by name), I told the staff this was our third trip in, so I wasn't leaving again until I either passed the stones or had my baby! I was seriously annoyed. And to top it off, we found out that my OB hadn't even been called until earlier that afternoon, so she didn't even know what was going on with me until I had already been in twice!

We were admitted for the third time, they hooked me back up to an IV, started the pain meds, and ran some blood tests. They determined that my kidneys were in distress, I was severely dehydrated (duh) and my blood pressure was way above the tolerated threshold. I hadn't eaten anything since dinner Saturday, and my pain was not getting any better. If anything, it was getting worse.

At 10:00 p.m., my OB decided to go ahead and induce me. They started a light Pitocin drip to see how much my system could handle. I was having some mild contractions, but nothing compared to the pain of the kidney stones. I received an epidural around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29th. I have never had one before (my other two births were natural), but the kidney pain was so bad that I elected to try and get some rest before having to push Maddie out! A nurse anesthetist put it in. He kind of sucked. My labor didn't actually start until 5:45 a.m., when the on-call resident broke my water.

Tuesday, June 29 - My water was broken at 5:45 a.m. The contractions picked up. They also started putting a lot of pressure on my kidney/bladder and the stones. The epidural numbed my contractions, but my stones were being squeezed, and I seriously thought I was going to die. The pain was so excruciating. I had to be put on oxygen so Maddie wouldn't go into distress. An actual anesthesiologist was called in. His name was Dr. Dae, and I will never forget him. I received a second epidural lower in my back. Once this took affect, I felt so much better. I told the nurses that I wanted to send Dr. Dae a thank-you note because he was magic. He came back to check on me a little while later and I told him I loved him. He just grinned and told me he was glad to see I was feeling better.

After all of that, labor went pretty fast. Maddie was born at 9:08 a.m. after only 1 push!!! I thought I was in the clear with the kidney stones, too. Once the epidural wore off, I didn't have anymore pain............ until about 10:30 that night. Then came more excruciating pain and vomiting. I was hooked back up to an IV and given more Delotid (the only thing that seemed to take the pain away).

Wednesday, June 30 - A CT scan was ordered to see what was going on. It was discovered that I had a third kidney stone that they couldn't see on the sonogram. It was about 1 1/2 cm in diameter, and it was blocking my ureter (the tube that connects the kidney to the bladder). It was lodged in the ureter. The doctors thought it was "bobbing" in and out, and when it was "engaged" I was having all my pain, and when it was dislodged, I felt fine. Well, according to the doctors, the biggest stone people really are able to pass is around 4 millimeters, or about 1/3 the size of the stone I had. So, it was determined that I would need surgery to break up the larger stone and flush all 3 of them out.

Thursday, July 1 - I had surgery late in the afternoon - they had to put me completely under. The large kidney stone was broken up and everything was flushed out. A stint was also placed in my ureter to keep it open so other contaminants could pass through and I wouldn't get an infection.

Friday, July 2 - We FINALLY got to go home after 6 days in the hospital! I was sent home with lots of pain meds and some antibiotics. I was just glad the whole ordeal was over.

------------------------------------------

Today, I'm feeling better, but still not 100%. I still have discomfort when I go to the bathroom, especially when I don't get enough water to drink. But, it's nothing like the pain I had with the stones. I have never had kidney stones before, and I hope I never have them again. It was the worst pain I've ever felt - seriously worse than labor!!! I would choose to have 100 more kids naturally than to ever have another kidney stone!!!

I go back to the urologist on July 15 to have the stint removed. It's supposed to be just an outpatient procedure - I have to get some x-rays, too, to make sure everything is OK. Then, hopefully, I can put this all behind me and never have to deal with it again!!!

I thank all of my friends and family who were praying for me (and who continue to pray for me) throughout this ordeal. Thanks for your love and support, and your well-wishes for me, Maddie, and our entire family. :-)

~A

Madeline Noelle Koehn

2010-07-03T16:33:00.004-05:00

This past week has been somewhat crazy, and definitely NOT expected, but I wanted to at least get this posted: Our third baby girl has arrived!!! Here are her stats:

Madeline Noelle (Maddie)
6/29/10
9:08 a.m.
6 lbs., 6 oz.
18 in.

Since this is a holiday weekend and I want to concentrate on spending most of it with Maddie and my family, I will post all the details about our rough go sometime in the near future. I will say that God always has a plan and purpose for everything, and it was all worth it when I finally held sweet Madeline in my arms. We are all so very blessed.

In the meantime, hopefully these pictures will satisfy for now. :-)

I will post pictures of all of our family members holding Maddie in an upcoming post, along with all the details of our experience.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!!! :-)

Catching up...

2010-06-24T22:22:00.008-05:00

I figure I'd better catch everyone up on what we've been doing the past couple of weeks, seeing as how my doctor thinks I could pop this kid out anytime. :-) My time could be very limited after she comes! LOL!!!

On June 10th, Natalie turned 3. I can't believe it has been 3 years since God blessed us with our little Natterbug. On the 12th, we had her party. She was so excited about all of the new presents, and it was a lot of fun hanging out with family. My best friend, Laura, also came with a couple of her kids. We haven't seen each other for awhile, so I was glad she could make it. Here are some pictures from the fun day...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The next weekend was Father's Day. Sadly, I was too distracted to take pictures, but I do want to say that I have the best dad, husband and father-in-law, and I would be remiss if I didn't post a picture of each of them. They are all wonderful role models and have done an amazing job with their children and grandchildren. I love you, Dad, Joel and J. Harvey!!!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

On Monday (6/21), Joel took the girls to a new sprinkler park in Newton, KS. His sister, Sarah, lives there, and she met them there with her son (our nephew) Luke. The girls had a great time, but as you can see below, Joel got a little ornery... :-)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

And last, but not least, I haven't posted an updated preggo picture of myself in quite some time, so here I am at 35 weeks, 2 days (on 6/12 - Natalie's party). I was miserable then, and I am miserable now. The doctor says we're just playing a waiting game now - she thinks it could be anytime - so I'm glad I've made it to 37 weeks (full term). However, if by some miraculous chance I happen to make it to 39 weeks (7/8), I will be induced on that day. Because of the gestational diabetes, my doctor won't let me go past 39 weeks. So, if all else fails, we will definitely have a baby on July 8th!!! Can't wait!!!

:-D

I got a chuckle yesterday...

2010-06-11T20:01:00.003-05:00

Well, according to the Dr., I've got about 2-3 more weeks. I'm already 50% effaced and starting to dilate. She says if I make it to July (and that's a BIG if) it will be a miracle. She scheduled an induction on 7/8 anyway - that is almost comical. :-)

If you're wondering why it's comical, I have never made it past 39 weeks in a pregnancy. Also, with me only being 35 weeks and having gestational diabetes and, recently, high blood pressure, it's not looking like this chica wants to cook much longer. The effacement and dilation tend to support my theory.

Basically, due dates are meaningless to my unborn children!!! :-)

It's official... maybe...

2010-06-09T22:36:00.003-05:00

I have to be careful with what I proclaim, because I don't want to jinx anything. Natalie has gone the past 3 days and 3 nights without a potty accident. She has been diligently going in her "big girl" potty - even #2, which usually doesn't happen right away!

We've been trying on and off to get her potty-trained for several months now. Our goal was to have it done before Baby Maddie came. It's looking more and more like a possibility at this point. Last month, we thought she was there, but after a day or so, she went right back to refusing to even sit on her potty. We were all very frustrated.

So, we let it go and decided to come back to it later.

Monday, after a day in no pants at all, she decided she was going to go pee and poop on the potty - and she did it multiple times. I was ecstatic, but cautious, too, because I didn't want to get my hopes up if it was going to be another one-time deal.

Well, she continued the behavior Tuesday and today. She is cracking me up with it, too. Talk about being Little Miss Independent! No one can watch her do it and she has to empty and clean her toilet out herself! Then, she runs out and announces what she did to everyone and we all have to clap for her, including Grace! Not sure what made her start doing this, but I'm not gonna complain!!!

WAY TO GO, NATTERS!!! WE'RE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU!!! :-D

Hopefully, having Maddie around won't make Natalie regress. Wish us luck...

Rose Hill Parents as Teachers Big Truck Night 2010

2010-06-08T20:39:00.003-05:00

2010-06-08T20:39:00.001-05:00

My little waterbugs...

2010-06-08T20:27:00.001-05:00

2010-06-08T20:26:00.001-05:00

Sunbeam

2010-06-08T20:05:00.000-05:00

Some of God's artwork...