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Monday, October 31, 2011

Trick Or Treat!

Happy Halloween from our little giraffe and lion!!!

Tonight was a crazy busy night but we had so much fun!  We started out at Brett's parents house so they could see the kids all dressed up!  Then we headed out to a friends house where they had a little Halloween party.  Wow there were a lot of kids!  So many of the families had added a new baby since last year!  It was very fun!!!  

Then we headed out to a friends house and went trick or treating with the families in our small group!  This was sooo fun!!!  Ayden was very excited and I might be biased but we had quite a cute bunch of kiddos!  There were seven dressed up kids from the age of 4 to 9 months and Ahnie slept away in her carseat.  They were dressed up as a spider, a pumpkin, giraffe, spiderman, batman, UNI's TC and a UNI Football player.  



I think the best part of the night was the first house!  We got up there and Ayden was so excited!  When they opened the door he ran inside!  I was so embarrassed!  I had to go inside and get him.  Usually when we go to someones house we go inside...  We had to talk about this before the next one.  He loved the whole night!!!  While trick or treating he would run to every house and have to wait for his friends to get there!  I think he will sleep good tonight!!!

Friday, October 28, 2011

My Baby Is 6 Months Old!!!

Ahnie's 6 Month Stats:
Weight: 18lbs 3oz 90%
Height: 26 3/4in  75-90%
Head: 16 1/4in   25th%


Where has the last 6 months gone?!?  Its official, Ahnie is growing up way too fast!!!  As a mom I need to remember to enjoy the moments as they come.  Not wish away my time.  I LOVE this stage, it might be my favorite age in the 1st year but I find myself missing the newborn stage a lot quicker this time!  It might be because after having the first baby I knew we would have more and now after the second I know we will have more kids but I know that our family will be complete at some point.  I will miss that newborn stage so much when our family is complete!  I need to enjoy each moment as they come!  I hate missing stages or waiting for the next stage!  I need to be satisfied with what we have right now and not want anything else!!!

Ayden felt left out!
Like I said, I LOVE this stage!!!  Ahnie is just so fun right now!  This month she learned how to sit up and now loves to just play and play!  She loves when anyone talks to her, she loves her toys and her binky!  She now grabs at everything around!  It is funny, Ayden loves this but hates it and you never know what his reaction will be.  She often grabs for his binky or blanket and a few times has grabbed for his toys!  He loves his sister so much but some things do cross the line!  I love sibling love!  Today we were at the mall and Ayden chose to sit up front in the stroller and Ahnie started kicking the back of his seat.  He kept yelling "Ahnie!  Nice to you brother!"  Then looking at me like aren't you going to do anything about this!  To humor him I told her to be nice and she had to keep her feet to herself! :)

This month Ahnie also started eating baby food.  She now has eaten carrots, sweet potato, squash, and apples.  Sweet potatoes and apples are her favorite.  Ayden loves to help me make baby food and has actually requested her food over his some days!  She also started formula this month.  ( check the earlier post).  Both changes in her diet are going well!!

Ahnie loves her mommy!  :)  Usually if I am in the room and someone else is holding her she wants me!  I like this but sometimes I feel bad!  But, she also loves her daddy!  She just stares at him and when they connect eyes she just lights up!  I love seeing her smiles at him!  The smiles I get don't even compare to the smiles she gives her daddy!  She also just started showing her excitement!  She kicks her feet so quickly, waves her arms and squeals!  I love this!  She does it when someone talks to her, when I get home from work, when we start the bath water and when she sees her bottle!

I love that I can finally say two months in a row that she is very predictable!  She wakes up between 7 and 7:45 then naps around 9 wakes and eats at 11 goes down around 1 back up again around 2:30 or 3 then takes a quick 30 min nap anytime after 4 and before dinner.  Then is up for dinner, bath and her bottle!  I love when they get to a good schedule!  I do so much better when I know what to expect and I also know if they are on a good schedule then we can go a way from it from time to time and she does pretty good!






Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Rejection

I had to blog about this so I will remember it!!!  And, for evidence so I can read it to Ayden and Madi someday :)

On Sunday afternoon we went to prairie lakes to take Ayden's 2 year pictures and Ahnie's 6 month pictures with the Hoffert's.  A few days before we had planned on going to the bouncy park with Madi but it ended up getting to late and it was not going to work out.  Ayden was still bummed 3 days later and talked about it the whole way to Prairie Lakes.  I finally told him he could ask Madi when we got there....  After we had been there for quite awhile Ayden must had remembered.  He walked right up to Madi put his face right up to hers and asked "Madi, you come to bouncy house with me?"  (as he was doing this he was shaking his head yes and moving his face all over to keep it right in front of Madi's.)  She ever so nicely said "Not today Ayden, maybe later."  Ayden then just walked away.  Madi already knows never to seem to eager and don't jump at the first time a boy asks you out!  I guess Ayden will just have to keep asking!!!

I asked Ayden later that night if he asked Madi about the bouncy park:

Me:  "Ayden did you ask Madi if she wanted to go to the bouncy park with you?"
AJ:  "Yeah"
Me:  "What did she say?"
AJ:  "Maybe later..."



Oh Yeah...

This is Ayden's latest phrase..."Oh Yeah..."  I feel like I am talking to a 3rd grader!  He will ask lots and lots of questions and his response is always "Oh Yeah..."  For example:

AJ: "Mom, where Packers at?"
Me: "They live in Wisconsin"
AJ: "Oh yeah"

AJ:  "Football on TV, mom?
Me:  "No, this is their day to practice"
AJ:  "Oh yeah"

AJ:  "I go to school mom?"
Me:  "No, you go on Tuesday and Thursdays"
AJ:  "Oh yeah"

AJ:  "Sean come to my house mom?"
Me:  "Sean is at school"
AJ:  "I go to school with sean"
Me:  "Your not old enough to go to high school."
AJ:  "Oh yeah..."

And you get the idea!  I love that Ayden is starting to be able to communicate better and better every day but he does not stop talking!!!  If we drive anywhere he is a non-stop chatter box!!!  Sometimes I just turn up the radio to get some piece and quiet...  He also asked the same question over and over and over again!!!  Oh, how I love his inquisitive personality but sometimes I just need quiet!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Ahnie's New Diet

This week has been a big week for Ahnie!  She started eating baby food!!  Ayden helped me make her first food: carrots.  He kept saying he wanted to try it but I still have not gotten him to eat any.  He does like carrots just not mashed up like his sister.  She is doing okay with them.  She seems to eat them a little better than her cereal but still doesn't finish a whole ice cube.  We will work on that.  I think we are going to try Sweet Potatoes next then maybe some green veggies like avocado, peas and green beans.  Then the fun fruit!!

The other new thing in her diet is formula...tear...  Again just like after having Ayden I was diagnosed with Postpartum Thyroiditis.  In my case my thyroid is hyper and produces to much hormones and this causes me to loose weight.  With Ayden I didn't know I had it until I had lost a lot of weight and finally when he was almost 6 months old I got it check and that is when I found out my levels were off.  After a few months of medicine I was ok and able to maintain my weight and not loose anymore with out medicine.  My levels stayed normal throughout my pregnancy with Ahnie and for her first 5 months.  At my check up on Monday they said I was a little hyper again.  Luckily I didn't loose very much weight yet and they said I needed to start my medicine again.  While, with Ayden they told me I could not breastfeed so I had to quit quickly.  This time I guess my dosage is less so they said it would be ok so I took a couple days and went back and forth and researched what could happen if I took it while breastfeeding.  I really felt uneasy about taking medicine and breastfeeding so I decided we should switch to formula.  Brett gave it to her for the first time yesterday and she did ok so I breastfed her for the last time before bed last night...  Today she has had only formula and seems to not mind.  I am a little sad that I have not fed her at all today I just have to keep telling myself that it is best for both of us!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Trading Places

Ayden thought he was pretty funny climbing in Ahnie's highchair until I put Ahnie is his...  This was the first time he wasn't so sure about sharing with her.  I love this picture because I think she looks so big!  Ayden also looks pretty funny in a pink high chair...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

My First Race and How it Felt Like Labor...

I ran my first race two weeks ago in Minneapolis.  I have always wanted to run the 1/2 marathon in my home town Duluth.  My bro and his wife ran this year and I told them next time I wanted to run it with them.  After they finished this they decided no more 1/2 marathons but 10 miles would be better.  Then they found that the Twin Cities Marathon had a 10 mile run instead of a 1/2 so they were in!  They asked me to join their team and I agreed.  About 6 weeks before the race my brother threw out his back and decided it wasn't worth messing up his back for ever to run a race.  So, our team was down to Jen and I.

The morning was a beautiful day!  We started at the Metro Dome and finished at the State Capital in Saint Paul.  It was the most beautiful run!  The leaves were just starting to change and we ran along a river for about half of the race then we heading through a gorgeous neighborhood then through St. Thomas' campus and finally over the last hill and down to the finish line.  My parents, Brother and his son and Brett and the kids were waiting at the finish line!!  It was great to see them as I was crossing the finish line.

While I was running I kept thinking how much this race felt like my first labor.  You are anticipating the start but I really didn't know when we were going to get going...I was in the last corral so we started 15 minutes after the race officially started.  The beginning of the race starts out slow and is a bit painful...I always have side ache through the first 2 miles.  Then you get in the grove and start feeling good...just like after you get the epidural.  During this point you think about how great this is and how its not very bad and you totally want to do more and more races...or have more and more kids!  Then its time to push...you are in the last few miles of the race and you notice its starting to get a bit harder.  I had to keep telling myself the faster I run the quicker I get to see my babies faces...just like while you are telling yourself to push harder so you can meet your baby!  Then you come over the last hill and around the corner and you see the finish line...Just like seeing the babies head and you just need a few more pushes.  Then I saw Ayden and Brett and gave Ayden a Hi-Five...just like seeing your baby for the first time.  You cross the finish line and get the metal...just like when you are handed your baby for the very first time!  Then you think this wasn't so bad but you don't want to think about your next race/baby for a little while!

Ok, so not as amazing as having a baby but there are some parallels and it did make me laugh a little during the hardest part of the race...The final 3 miles!

My goal was to run the race in just under 2 hours and I finished at 2 hours 6 minutes.  It was a beautiful morning and I am so glad my brother asked me to run even though he didn't get to run with us!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Cuddle Buddies!



This night we were laying in bed saying our prayers and I just couldn't help snapping a few pictures!  Ayden loves when anyone cuddles in bed with him for a few minutes before bedtime but he always gets a kick out of cuddling with his sissy!  

5 Months

Ahnie turned 5 months on the 28th.  These months are just flying by!  The 2nd time around you realize how quickly they are growing up and I just want to say  SLOW DOWN!

She is finally becoming more and more predictable!!!  Ayden came home from the hospital and I felt like for the most part he was pretty by the book!  Ahnie has been a little more work!  Not that it has been very hard but I just feel like we have had to work through everything!  This month I had to try to make herself cry it out.  She was not taking great naps and would wake up after 30-45 minutes and you knew she was not ready to get up but if she feel back to sleep you would either have to hold her or she would wake up...  Well one day she started crying after a 30 minute nap and it didn't seem to bother Ayden napping so I took out my Baby Wise book and told myself I was not going to pick her up until I read what I was supposed to do. While reading it and finally finding the right paragraph I realized she was quiet...She put herself back to sleep!  Ever since I have laid her down awake and she might cry a bit and I might put her binky back in 1 or 2 times but then she is asleep!  Now her naps are usually around 2 hours!  Beautiful!!!  And they are usually during 1 hour of Ayden's nap!!  The other thing that I feel is finally the way it is supposed to be is breastfeeding.  I don't remember when she really became very comfortable with it but I think it has been in the last 2 months.  When we took her to her 2 month check up the Dr. noticed that she didn't move her head to the left.  This I think made breastfeeding a little challenging.  Then we got over that and she would not eat very well on the 2nd side...it did not matter which side it was but always the 2nd side.  Knowing that she was gaining wight I would just told myself she didn't like 'desert' and kept praying that one day she would love nursing and just relax so I could relax.  While I think we finally have it!  I now can just sit and enjoy every feeding!!

Ahnie has been such a happy talkative baby!!  Brett and I find ourselves saying 'do you remember Ayden smiling like this or talking this much?'  She loves playing on her tummy with her toys and just talking!  She always greets us in the morning or after her nap with a BIG smile and will just stare across the room at Brett and when he looks over at her she gives him the biggest smile!  I just love it!

We started cereal this past month.  She is not loving it but we are practicing for the real yummy stuff to come!  I am planning on making my own baby food again and I am getting excited about do this!  It was so rewarding knowing exactly what she is eating and also saving some money as I do it!  Hopefully she will be just like her brother and be a great eater!!

This month Ahnie rolled from her back to tummy and has not laid on her back since!  She loves to play on her tummy!!!  We are also working on sitting up!  She loves to sit up and look around but can't do it quite yet.  If I am right there I will let you sit by herself but soon after she has tipped!  She loves the bumbo most of time too!


Ahnie fits in so well to our family and we all love her!  Ayden loves to say Good Morning Pretty Girl every morning!  And still showers her with hugs and kisses often!  I just love to see this side of Ayden since the rest of the time is spent tackling things!!! :)