One Day at a Time

Woof!

2009-03-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

It's March and daddy's 35th birthday!! Unfortunately, Jeff is working in MO still so we weren't able to celebrate with him today. He will be home on Wednesday night and I am taking Friday and Monday off so we are going to do a little spring break here in MN. Just spending time together will be a treat!!
Over the weekend, Cam and I had an extra house guest...Jason and Milissia's dog, Max. Jeff has mentioned in the past that we need to get another dog so Cooper has someone to play with. I wasn't totally opposed to the idea but after this weekend, that idea has been blown to pieces. Separately, Coop and Max are well trained dogs (ok, most of the time). But together, they are how we all acted when we got together with our cousins and caused havoc!! Needless to say, I've been a little worked up this weekend trying to clean up messes of things they've decided would be fun to chew up and then cleaning up the puke because obviously they weren't supposed to eat it!! Oh well, the house is now quiet and all is well.
I'm not sure if it was the extra dog around or what, but tonight when I was reading with Cam I was pointing a picture of a dog out and said woof and she said woof right back. It was so cute! She did it a couple times but of course when jason came to pick up Max she wouldn't do it. She is imitating a lot of sounds lately...something that sounds somewhat like thank you...such a well mannered little girl!!

Electrifying!!

2009-03-01T17:31:00.001-08:00

We were all getting a good laugh at Cam's hair. Jeff had put her on the couch to put her coat on and started laughing and told me to get the camera. just a titch of static electricity!

Baby Steps

2009-02-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Cam is on her way to the next milestone...walking! For the last week or two she has been walking with her little push cart and this weekend she was able to take a couple of steps on her own. When I picked her up today at daycare Bethany asked me if I knew Cam could walk. Her definition of walking was a bit liberal but she too was excited to see Camryn take those first little steps. So maybe by the time daddy comes home next week, Cam will be completely mobile...even if she seems too much of a little peanut!! Fun, fun!

2009-02-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

This is Cam's serious face!

It seems I've taken a hiatus from blogging this month. And I also realized I haven't taken any new pictures since Christmas. So I took some snapshots this weekend to make sure I'd have record of what she looks like as a 10 month old =) Now that March is just around the corner, I'm in awe of how fast this year has gone with Camryn. I started filling out her baby book last night and looking at pictures from when she was born. I already feel like I forgot what it was like to hold that tiny little angel, she isn't much of a cuddler anymore as she pushes me away to get on the ground and get moving. I suppose that is why people have a second child! =)

Cam is getting to be a big girl as she now wants people food. Bethany is much more adventurous at daycare with real food. I think it's because i'm afraid she'll choke on things or making sure she'll get enough "good" food but i suppose that comes with being a first time mom. She is now walking along the coffee table and couch and walks with us when we hold her hands. She can stand on her own for about 5 seconds before she plops down oh so gracefully. She enjoys pulling all of her toys and books off the window bench...some day we'll teach her how to put her toys away but don't think that is in her developmental milestones anytime soon! Her bottom two teeth are now coming in so she'll have some to match her top. She is definitely working on her vocabulary. No mama yet, although when she was eating today it kindof sounded like it but i think she was just enjoying her food. Bethany says at daycare that she often times tries to mimic her when she calls out to one of the other kids and Nana said that she made some sounds that could have passed for Cooper.

With Jeff being gone quite a bit, Cam and I get into our routine and we do pretty well. I do give single mom's so much credit. I also have the help of my family too so I can't feel too sorry for myself. I feel blessed to have my in-laws minutes away who are always willing to help out and now with my parents in town, we have been spending time with them as well.

Jeff will be home next weekend and I am so looking forward to our date on Friday night!!

In a matter of days...

2009-01-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

our life has become a little more hectic! Since I posted a mere week and a half ago, Camryn is full on crawling, constantly wanting to pull up on furniture, her parents and Cooper! And her two top teeth are almost in...which they say usually comes after the bottom two but I guess our peanut likes to do things her own way. Let's just hope she has those bottom teeth. I am happy to report that her ear infections have not come back. We do have a follow up on Tuesday just to make sure she doesn't have any lingering fluid. I am thankful for a happy baby as I am going to be a single mom for most of the winter.
Jeff left on Wednesday for Springfield, MO. He will be working there 3 weeks out of the month as the weather is a bit warmer than MN and so getting on people's roofs to check out storm damage is a little more safe. We miss him but things are going well for him already so that makes it ok! So far, so good with having to drop off and pick up from daycare. I've been lucky to be able to take a shower while Cam contently talks and hangs out in her crib. Thursday morning I walked in and she was standing up smiling waiting for me and today she was sitting up and when I walked in and started clapping...what a great way to start a day!! When Cam is hanging out playing in our bedroom while I finish getting ready for work makes me have a flashback to when I would sit on my mom's bed while she sat at her vanity putting on her makeup in the morning. It's sometimes still hard to believe I'm the mom now!!
Something else some of you may or may not know, my parents are going to be moving to Minneapolis (yes, the big city!) in a mere two weeks!! We are very excited to have them so close and are excited for the adventure they are embarking on! They will be caretakers for a condo downtown...two buildings from the Guthrie, and the Mississippi in their backyard. Pretty cool!
Lots of changes and a wonderful start to 2009!!

2008-12-30T20:56:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A New Kind of Holiday

2008-12-30T19:30:00.000-08:00

As the Christmas celebrations (I emphasize this because we had many!) come to an end, I am more aware than ever how much a child changes your life. Gone are the days of actually being able to have a conversation with relatives you haven’t seen in ages, don’t even think about trying to take a nap after you’ve stuffed your face with holiday goodies and the pile of gifts under the tree no longer have your name on them. But I wouldn’t have it any other way after experiencing the pure happiness Camryn brought to our family this Christmas!! Even though she was fighting her first double ear infection and had bouts of fussiness and sleepless nights, she was for the most part the happy baby we’ve been spoiled with for the last nine months. And speaking of spoiled, both sides of the family succeeded in going above and beyond making sure she had plenty of cute clothes to wear, cuddly pajamas to sleep in and fun toys to keep her entertained! The octopus from Nana and the bongos from Erik and Wendy seem to be her favorite at the moment. She was very interested in opening the pretty packages even though the paper went right into her mouth, which is the norm for anything she picks up!
Camryn is 9 months today and she is becoming more and more mobile. I don’t think you can call if crawling yet. It seems she really wants to go and she starts to crawl and then it seems she thinks, nah, I’ll scoot back and stay on my butt! Over the last few days at my parents she was getting closer and closer. She’s beginning to pull herself up on things as well. She is still toothless so our teething excuse we’ve been using for the last 5 months when she is fussy or drooly or anything that isn’t normal may have to end! She’ll probably get them all at the same time and then we’ll really have some fun! She is enjoying feeding herself her little flavored puffs and it’s entertaining to watch as she grabs several at a time and stuffs them in. Let’s hope she didn’t learn that from watching me eat. Her new thing now is when she hears If You’re Happy and You Know It or Pat-a-cake, she starts clapping…it’s so cute! She continues to babble da da a lot and likes to imitate sounds.
We went to the Dr. today for her check-up and she is going for the waif model body type...long and skinny! She is 17 ½ lbs. (28th percentile) and 28 inches long (82nd percentile). She still has fluid in her ears and we have a prescription for more antibiotics but her disposition is back to normal and her smile is bigger than ever so the Dr. said to wait and start them only if she starts having symptoms again. Although when I introduced meat into her diet tonight she was NOT smiling. So, we’ll keep trying on that one.
And as for New Years Eve tomorrow, we will be at home with a couple of movies. My goal will be to stay awake until midnight but I’m sure Jeff is not counting on giving his wife a New Years kiss. So, as we look toward the New Year, we look forward to getting back on a routine (for both Camryn and us!), anticipating all the new things Camryn will discover as she turns one! and enjoying family and dear friends!

Girls Weekend!

2008-12-08T17:59:00.001-08:00

Driving home in a wintry wonderland tonight made the last four days of sunny, warm weather seem like a distant memory. Thank goodness Jenny called me during our long commute to reminisce of our fun girls weekend in Scottsdale, AZ! It was the perfect mix of relaxation, rejuvenation and rebellion...ok, so we didn't really rebel too much.

Jenny and I had been talking about taking a trip since this summer and finally just said, let's do it. We did the typical girly things...laid out by the pool, went to the spa, went to dinner and shopped. We also did some hiking on Camelback Mountain which we could see from our pool (well, kindof). And I say some hiking because we weren't completely prepared to go as high as we could have on the trail. I'm going to blame it on my shoes and not my fear of heights! As I said, the weather was absolutely perfect but it did feel a little weird to see Christmas lights on cactus and listening to Frosty the Snowman on the pools speakers while lounging in our bathing suits!

So yes, the weather was great, but the thing I'll remember most about the weekend is how fortunate I am to have such a dear friend in Jenny who I even called my sister this weekend because I do consider her family. We can be both silly and sad in the same hour as was the case this weekend when I got a little homesick for my baby girl. We made lots of great memories to add to the countless others made by two friends who have known each other since diapers!

2008-11-30T10:16:00.000-08:00

It is easier than ever to keep in touch with friends and family...there is blogging, facebook, web cams, email etc. If I was ever curious about what people were thankful for this year, I could find out by checking my facebook home page as the status of many expressed their blessings, blogs updated with memories of a successful Thanksgiving with family and email exchanges between friends wanting to make plans for a holiday get together exuding excitement and thankfulness for good friends.

It's through these exchanges that we update people on our everyday lives and let people know what we are proud of and what makes us happy. It gives us something to look forward to in a time when the country we live in is a downward spiral. In some way, big or small, we are all being affected by the economy. From losing a job, spending less on Christmas gifts or making less of a contribution to Caribou stock, we are all thinking twice about what we spend, not knowing what the future holds.

For Jeff and I, we have been blessed with a healthy, beautiful daughter that makes us so happy, our health, jobs and family and friends who go out of their way to make us feel loved. We've also had our ups and downs this year with the decisions we've made...always trying to get to a better place while sacrificing time spent together, knowing it will be worth it but hard at the same time.

Thanksgiving is a blessing in itself to reflect on what is important to us and to let go of some of the worry and anxiety of what is unknown. Over the last week, I've been reminded by my friends and family how much I have to be thankful for this year.

ROARRRRRR

2008-11-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Camryn enjoyed her first Halloween and she loved her lion costume which she wore for four hours straight!!

Tagged

2008-10-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Here are the rules:
1.Post the rules on your blog
2.Write 6 random things about yourself
3.Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4.If you are tagged, just do it, and pass the tag along!

I am a little tardy in my response to being tagged and now I've been tagged twice so here it goes...

1. I love scary movies. Jeff does too, so every Halloween since we've been together, we've rented the scariest movies that are still available at the video store at 5 p.m. on Halloween. (sometimes we actually planned ahead and rented a day before), turned off all the lights and enjoyed the suspense and chills of a good horror flick...think Saw!

2. Unfortunately, I can not stay awake through a whole movie if we start the movie past 9 p.m. It never fails, we'll pop in a movie and I am out before the plot even begins. Then I'll wake up when it's over, with my contacts stuck to my eyes and want to know what happened. I'm a fun date.

3. Sarah made Camryn the cutest Halloween costume. She is going to be a lion and we are hoping she makes it longer than 5 minutes in it or at least long enough to get a few good pictures.

4. I am not a crafty, projecty sort of gal. I have admiration for those have the patience and gift for sewing, knitting, painting or any kind of "project". Those of you who shared the talent of using a sewing machine (Jennifer) and sacrificed their hair (Jenny) to help me make it through Home Ec and Shop class in 8th grade, I thank you!!

5. For as long as I can remember, my favorite part of the day is the time right before sunset. It's usually the prettiest time of the day and I think the most peaceful. Working as a camp counselor in college, my favorite memories are of the nightly campfires and watching the sunset on the lake.

6. My favorite sound is Camryn laughing.

I tag Jodie, Jaime, John and Mandy (it will keep you occupied while waiting for Baby Menke). Everyone else I know that blogs has already been tagged!

Rewind to 1988...

2008-10-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, how the times have changed for New Kids on the Block fans, who finally got to see a reunion by the former teen idol quintet at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center -- and this time they got to drive themselves. Some of them hopefully sought a ride home, though.

Half the fun of Tuesday's concert was the crowd-watching. The Boston-reared boy band's first tour in 14 years drew a surprisingly large audience of 13,000. Not surprisingly, about 95 percent were women in their 30s, many of whom treated it like a chance to revisit their youth without the watchful eye of Mom and Dad.

-Excerpt from Star Tribune's review of NKOTB concert - October 21, 2008

Yep, I was one of those crazy 30-something ladies last night. I got chills before they even got on stage, I screamed at the top of my lungs at the first sight of them on stage and I loudly sang along to all the old hits! It was so surreal to see this band that I listened to in my bedroom growing up and stared at every night before I went to bed because their faces were plastered on every inch of my walls.

As I posted back in May, when they first got back together, I never went to their concert back in the day. So 20 years later, I had some doubts that they would still be able to perform and be entertaining. However, I attended the concert with quite possibly the biggest NKOTB fan ever, my sister-in-law, Wendy. This was her 9th NKOTB concert so I was definitely in good hands and she reassured me I would not be disappointed. She was absolutely right! It was one of the funnest concerts I've been to and what made it even better was the fact that these were all ladies my age who for one night were able to relive memories of a simpler time in life. It was like a two hour pardon to act star struck and boy crazy. It was great!

We had great seats, 17th row on the floor. Twice I turned my head and realized Wendy had run up to the stage to get a closer look and that's when I realized I don't hold a candle to the level of fandom (good word) of the majority of the ladies present. That's ok...it was fun for one night to pretend I had a chance with Jordan Knight. =)

Equal Opportunity

2008-10-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

I broke down and allowed (ha!) Camryn to be dressed in a Vikings outfit. Because I love my husband and want to keep a peaceful household, I bought Cam her first purple and gold attire. However, it did not bring the Vikes luck last weekend against the Bears (wahoo!) so we are now 0-2 when she wears our team's colors. We figure she will be a Packers fan just to spite us for trying to brainwash her so early in life. Of course we had to take some pictures with daddy...cover your eyes Hummels!!

Catching Up!

2008-10-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have never been a scrapbooker and now that I have a baby, I'm still not a scrapbooker. I did buy a baby book though before Cam was born with every intention of filling it in whenever she reached a milestone with a corresponding picture illustrating each feat. Can you guess how far I've gotten on that? I think that is why I like blogging, it's convenient and no need for paper, stickers, scissors etc. And it's been 3 weeks since my last post so one can tell how much time I would have for scrapbooking.

We've been very busy since my last post. We spent a weekend in Okoboji, IA with my parents and rest of the clan. It was a great fall weekend with lots of walks by the lake, Scrabble and plenty of eating. It was very relaxing and just what i needed before a busy work week getting ready for a trip to Nashville, TN and also hosting a baby shower for our friends, Aaron and Mandy Menke. The trip to Nashville was my annual national trade show trip and of course this year it was a little tougher to get on the plane. I left early last Sunday morning and got home late Tuesday night. Not a long trip but long enough without having my baby!! However, Jeff and Nana were able to spend good quality time with Cam and she didn't even know I was gone (tear, tear). The trade show went well and it was a fun trip and good for me to get out and about too. Needless to say, this weekend we've been home and enjoying every minute of not having something planned!

Camryn had her 6 month appointment too since the last post. She was 15 lbs. 12 oz and 26 3/4 inches long and growing right on track. She is a very curious little girl and loves to reach and grab anything in sight and then put it in her mouth. It was such a fleeting time when we'd go to church and actually hear what the Pastor said. She still has yet to sit on her own but getting there soon. She is loves Peek-a-boo and is becoming very much a daddy's girl which I am dealing with (tear, tear again). We are just enjoying our little peanut and are thankful everyday that she is healthy and we are able to experience all the joy she brings to our lives.

The pictures are from our weekend in IA. Until next time...

Five years later

2008-09-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

and Jeff and I will both admit, this marriage thing takes some work! Between our work schedules, a new baby and life's own twist and turns, the word "us" doesn't seem to exist! We were able to enjoy an "us" day yesterday though and we went golfing in perfect weather and enjoyed a dinner out. During dinner I kept reminiscing about when we first started dating and asking questions like, what made you want to ask me out, were you nervous etc. I wanted to conjure up those emotions of young love and what it felt like to have that anticipation and excitement...not that we don't have fun now but i think most people can relate to what I'm saying. Jeff wasn't playing along though so that didn't get very far! He kept saying he called the wrong number and he really wanted to ask my co-worker out...so much for that trip down memory lane!

We will both agree that our greatest accomplishment as a married couple is Camryn. Since I last blogged, the transition of daycares went great and Cam is in a good schedule at Bethany's. We've now added carrots in addition to cereal...what a mess! But she sure looks cute. She is definitely not stingy on the smiles and Jeff can definitely make her laugh as only a daddy can. Last week she flipped from her tummy to her back which I think is helping with her sleeping as she can get comfortable without needing assistance from her sleepy parents! She is beginning to scoot up on her knees too so we may need to get going on the baby proofing!

One thing of course we don't agree on is our football teams. However, Jeff was quite outnumbered today as my parents, aunt Diana and Ryan and Sarah were here and we watched the Bears game. Ryan and Sarah gave Cam an adorable Bears outfit the day she was born and we've been waiting 6 months for her to wear it. After finding it our closet after Jeff tried to hide it, we all had fun exclaiming how cute she looked in Bears colors. It didn't bring the Bears luck as they got beat so hopefully that isn't a sign that she'll be a Vikings fan.

With all that said, I am blessed with a wonderful husband who loves his family very much and I look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries.

More Firsts, More Changes, More Fun

2008-09-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

Even though I haven't had a first day of school in eight years, I still remember the feelings of excitement, hopefulness and the twinge of apprehension another school year would bring. I really am a true Minnesotan in the fact that I love the change of seasons and the anticipation of fall! Who doesn't enjoy 60 degree days, the leaves changing color and the start of football season??!! Don't get me wrong, I love summer and all the activity but I am also looking forward to having some weekends where we just might not have anything planned!!

August went by in a blur with weddings, birthdays, golfing, and family get togethers. Camryn's last day at KinderCare was on Friday and for the most part we were pretty pleased with the experience. She was getting well adjusted and we were getting reports that she was very smiley! =) But, tomorrow we start at our regular in-home daycare so we are hoping that adjustment will go just as smoothly.

Cam turned 5 months on Saturday and she is becoming more and more a little girl instead of our little baby. People keep commenting on her blonde fuzz as she keeps getting more and more hair. We were excited when she started rolling over but now we can't wait until she learns to roll from her tummy to her back as she wakes herself up at night and crys so we have been getting up to roll her back over...always something!! We decided to try cereal this weekend too. She seemed to like it on Saturday when we first tried but not so much the last couple of days. So we will continue to try and watch her become a big girl! On Sunday, we spent the day at Jeff's mom's and thought we'd try out the pool. Unfortunately the "heated" pool was freezing so the toes went in and a scream followed so that was pretty short lived...but next summer for sure!

So as summer comes to an end, we think about all the fun memories we've had and the true joy Camryn has brought to our everyday lives and we look forward to another season of change.

Celebrating 30 Years!

2008-08-17T18:35:00.001-07:00

30 is...

2008-08-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

feeling comfortable in your own skin.

realizing you can do whatever you put your mind to.

being surrounded by loving friends and family.

knowing you deserve to be happy...

Turning 30 is a celebration of the free-to-be-yourself decade.

I recieved this card from my friend's Aaron and Mandy on my birthday (Saturday) and thought it was perfect to describe the milestone of turning 30. A lot happened during my 20's...mostly good - graduating from college, getting my first real job, meeting my husband at that job, marrying him, buying a house (or three), having a baby! I think about how much I've learned about myself, other people, and life in general in the last 10 years and it makes me excited to begin my 30's to experience all the things that will come my way with the added wisdom I've gained from the big and small experiences of my 20's.
And what is turning 30 without a celebration?! I had a fabulous day starting with waking up hearing Camryn's sweet little coos, a walk with the whole family, dinner with good friends and a night out with more good friends at the Shout House downtown. As you can see from the pictures, it was a great night!

Four Months

2008-08-05T20:03:00.001-07:00

Monday we had Camryn's 4 month check up and vaccinations. She wasn't 100% that morning as Sunday night she had some nasal congestion and didn't sleep well. I would have to say it was one of Camryn's worst days as she was quite miserable all day yesterday. I worked from home yesterday afternoon and all I wanted to do was rock my poor little baby! She is feeling better today, although the morning was rough at KinderCare. By the time I got her home she was all smiles and we had fun laughing at each other in the bathroom mirror. We also went to our neighborhood block party and everyone got to meet the newest member!

Other than her congestion, Cam's check up was great. She is now 14 lbs. 3 oz. (60th percentile) and 26 inches long (90th percentile). The nurse even measured twice as she thought it was quite a jump from two months ago. Developmentally, she is doing well although she decided rolling over was fun the first time and hasn't done it since!

We've decided she has a flair for the dramatics which Jeff says she gets from her mother. I think I'd have to admit he is right. She has one cry that really isn't crying but she wants to let you know she is there. We know when she is really serious when the big huge tears come out! We continue to be entertained by most everything she does and like my mom said this weekend, it's amazing how much time you spend just watching her.

No more single friends.

2008-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were in Mankato celebrating Erik Mann's, Jeff's best friend, wedding. Jeff was the best man as Erik was his when we got married. He is the last of Jeff's close friends to get married and we weren't sure the day would ever come! The wedding was very nice and Erik added his own personal touch by pre-recording four songs that they played during the ceremony. I got chills as Erik's voice is amazing and I thought how lucky Patti was to have a man that could sing. No offense to my husband who can't carry a tune!

My parents drove from Sioux Falls to Mankato on Saturday to babysit Camryn at the hotel while we were at the reception. You gotta love first time grandparents! So, Jeff and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves that evening! Jeff gave a great toast which he procrastinated putting together until the night before. Something we had never seen before was a casino night during the first two hours of the reception and then if you felt the urge, you could do karaoke. Although I shouldn't be surprised since the first time I met Erik, almost eight years ago, we sang karaoke!Amazingly, I didn't make a fool of myself this time thinking I could sing after several beverages.

All in all, a great weekend!

More Firsts...

2008-07-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today, Camryn went to KinderCare for the first time which, for me emotionally, was worse than the day I went back to work five weeks ago. Jeff dropped her off this morning which is wonderful since I really think that is the hardest part...I get the fun job of picking her up. They called once to give an update and said she was doing just fine. She will need to get used to the commotion and activity as things startle her a bit and she didn't take very good naps. Jeff also stopped in at lunch to see how she was doing too. I know it's so good for her to be around other kids and by the time she starts full time next week this will be just another adjustment made. We have been lucky to have Sarah here the last month. She has been so good with Camryn and it's fun to see how much she has gotten to know her.

As you can imagine, I was very anxious for the end of the day but I had to wait a little longer than normal as my battery was dead when I tried starting it after work. Of course, the first day she isn't at home and I need to pick her up. Jeff was working out of town so he couldn't get her and they wouldn't let my sister-in-law pick her up because we haven't turned in our emergency contact sheet since we don't really start until next Tuesday. KinderCare was fine with me picking her up when I could get there so I called AAA and they jumped my car and told me to leave it running for 45 minutes. Well, that would be no problem since it would take me that long to get there. I picked up Cam and got the scoop on the day and went out to my car that I had shut off thinking no big deal. Nope, it wouldn't start again, so we spent another 45 minutes waiting for another tow truck to come and jump my car. I kept it running when we got home but it didn't start again. So, we figured it was a bad battery and Jeff just informed that he installed a new battery and we are good to go!

I think Camryn knew I wasn't having the best night so she decided to roll from her back to her tummy for the first time when we were playing tonight!! She has been on the verge for several weeks and we knew it would happen anytime. I'm glad I was home to see it! I had to tell Sarah right away as they've been practicing the technique. Hopefully Jeff will get to see her do it soon too!

We pulled it off!

2008-07-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

Keeping things from my mom is a tough job. She tends to ask a lot of questions about everything and is always afraid she is going to miss something. The thought of trying to throw her a surprise party for her 60th birthday almost seemed impossible, but we did it! The party was on Saturday night in Tyler which worked out well that is was Tyler's Danish festival, Aebleskiver Days, so there was a reason for everyone to be in town. The weeks leading up to it, mom would drop comments such as "you know it's not just another birthday." She really thought we were all too busy and that her 60th would pass us by. With help from the whole family, we managed the impossible and she had a wonderful time with her family and close friends.

Family is the most important thing to my mom and she is always planning the next time she will see us or how it will work out for everyone to get together (extended family included). It's one of the qualities I hope I can carry forward as our family becomes larger and our lives become busier and busier. It was nice to finally be able to do all the planning for her this time and for us to celebrate her and the amazing role she plays in each of our lives as a wife, mom, grandma and friend.

2008-07-14T20:59:00.001-07:00

Baptism

2008-07-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

For this child I prayed...1 Samuel 1:27

Camryn's baptism was held on Sunday with all her family present to witness the special occasion. She fell asleep at the beginning of the service and woke up during the baptism. I think everyone was holding their breath when the pastor poured the water on her head, but she didn't make a peep. She was such a sweetie looking up into her daddy's eyes as her baptismal candle was lit. The pastor made some comment about the fact that he hopes Camryn makes more noise when she is in Confirmation. She made plenty of noise at home after church...no worries on that one!

It's hard to imagine her old enough to go to Confirmation and that comment made me start thinking about my own church growing up and what an impact it had on my life. I am grateful to my parents for bringing me to church every Sunday. I have many fond memories of singing songs in the church balcony, attending Confirmation retreats and bible camp at Lake Shetek (sometimes there were even cute boys there!), attending the National Youth Gathering in Atlanta during high school (singing lots of Jay Beach Band...TO BE ALIVE!) and forming a lifelong friendship with my dearest friend Jenny who when we get together still laugh about the good times at First English!

My prayer for Camryn is that her Baptism is the first of many special moments she will have in that church, learning about God's love for her and making a lot of fun memories along the way.

Fun on the Fourth!

2008-07-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

We spent the holiday weekend in Sioux Falls with my parents. They hadn't seen Camryn for a month and the anticipation was killing them. My grandpa was also there so it was great to spend time with him as well. Camryn is his ninth great grandchild! It was a very relaxing weekend and as they all do, went by too fast.

Enjoying the Balance of Life

2008-07-07T20:41:00.001-07:00

I've been back to work for two weeks and I must say I am glad to be back! I think the idea and anticipation of leaving Cam was much worse than the actual act of leaving. I am blessed with great co-workers who went out of their way to make sure my first moments back to work were not traumatic and tear-filled as I had imagined in my head. I had balloons, flowers and welcome back signs on my desk when I arrived. I think the happiest person to have me back was my boss as he took over some of my responsibilites while I was away and everyday he smiles and reminds that he no longer has to take on those tasks!! So yes, I am glad to be back but of course I can't wait to get home!

Jeff definitely gets to spend more time with Camryn now that I'm back to work. With his schedule he usually doesn't have to be out the door until early afternoon. It's nice to see his bond with her growing everyday. I was told they have a ritual of singing and watching the video for Summertime by NKOTB. I was lucky enough to partake in this ritual one morning and I have to say, I am so proud of Jeff for admitting he likes that song! Too bad he isn't going to the concert with me. Yep, I'll be in attendance on October 21.

Another aspect of my life I'm trying to focus on again is my physical well being. They say it takes 9 months for your body to make a baby and 9 months to get back to your pre-pregnancy body. I'm not sure I want to believe that! I considered myself somewhat disciplined when it came to exercising and eating well but since having Camryn, trying to find time to exercise and make a balanced meal hasn't seemed to fit into my lifestyle. Until today! I will choose to return to that part of me that takes time to do things that make me feel good and want to wear shorts again!

Being a mom, wife, and working is definitely a balancing act but I haven't been happier than I am right now. Things aren't perfect, we are making mistakes, a few raised voices here and there, but I guess that's why our name is Olberding and not Cleaver!

Twas the night before work...

2008-06-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

24 Hours Old 12 Weeks Later

Twelve weeks ago tonight I was running on complete adrenaline after being up for almost 36 hours. We had just brought Camryn into the world and we were so excited and in love with our new baby! Those emotions have only deepened since then, but tonight I am also filled with sadness as I go back to work tomorrow. I've never been a big fan of Sunday nights but I have a feeling they will only get harder!

I am excited to get back to work and ease myself into the professional world again. It's only been 3 months but when your days have been filled with diapers, bottles and baby talk, it may take a bit to get into meetings, spreadsheets and office politics. I'm not sure I can get away with wearing my pajamas and flip flops until lunch anymore!

I've tried to prepare myself emotionally for tomorrow and have had a few good cries thinking about it. It's exactly the time you have to go back to work that you finally feel like you've figured out each little cry, what makes her smile the biggest smile and when she just needs to be held and now you have to entrust that someone else will do the same. The transition will be a bit easier this first month as my sister-in-law Sarah will be taking care of Camryn which means we don't have to get her ready and out the door and I know Sarah will do a tremendous job. She will go to KinderCare the month of August and then we will start at our regular in-home daycare after Labor Day.

But I am still sad for the things I will miss about being with Camryn all day, everyday. Seeing her first smile of the morning as she wakes up in her crib, taking our daily walks in the stroller, playing on the floor, hearing her little squeals and coos as she discovers her voice. I am already excited to see her tomorrow night after work!

So begins the next chapter of our lives as parents...stay tuned!

A little rusty...but good times!

2008-06-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Friday night was our first golf outing of the year. Neither of us had golfed since last August so we both had to dust off the clubs. We play in a couples golf league at Stonebrooke Golf Course in Shakopee every other Friday night during the summer. We joined last year with David and Lisa (Mundt) Leary and really enjoyed it. We met fun couples and even recruited some more friends this year. It's more on the social side than competitive. Jeff and I find it to be a great way for us to get some "alone" time and Nana Olberding enjoys her Friday nights with her granddaughter.

The weather looked a little sketchy when we arrived but it ended up being a beautiful evening. I think I am in the majority when I say I suck at putting which makes the game a bit frustrating. When Jeff tells me how to line up I don't really listen but then I get mad when I go back and forth and back and forth! Hmmm...maybe next time!

Jeff also managed to get in trouble once again with the grouchy pontoon driver. There is a hole at Stonebrooke where the men tee off on one side of the lake and then you take a pontoon ride across and the women tee off on the other side. You would think the pontoon driver would enjoy his job as it is a beautiful evening and I'm guessing not too stressful of a job. We've never once seen him smile though and Jeff always seems to get reprimanded by him for one thing or the other...Friday night it was for driving the cart off the cart path...only because he was going back to the previous hole to retrieve my pitching wedge which I had forgotten. Like I said, a bit rusty!

Hopefully by the end of the summer I will report that I have mastered my putting...or perhaps master drinking more than two beers without them getting warm is a better goal. I am a little out of practice on both!

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks...

2008-06-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Considering Jeff and I love sports and enjoyed going to games together before we had Camryn, it wasn't a surprise that Cam went to her first Twins game at only two months old. Ryan and Sarah had two extra tickets for last night's game and invited us along. Besides having a fun family night together, it was Dollar Dog night and who can pass that up! Camryn had a great time and she was a very good girl. You can't predict how she will be in a new environment but we can't be afraid to try and take her places. I remember being at games and seeing cute little kids with their parents and thinking how fun it would be when we had kids. It will be even more fun when she is older!

The game started off a little rocky for the Twins but they ended up winning 7-5...so all in all a very fun night! We received her Twins onesie from some friends at a shower and it's nice that we both are Twins fans because when football season rolls around, she may look funny in her cute Bears shirt and ugly Vikings pants =) Sorry honey!

Two Month Check-Up

2008-06-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

Mom, why are you taking a picture of me when I'm in such pain!

30 minutes later

Today Camryn had her 2 month check-up. In general, I think new mothers await this appointment with a little bit of dread as they have to watch their precious, helpless baby get poked several times for their first vaccinations. I was also very interested to see how much Camryn had grown since our last visit a month ago. She now weighs 10 lbs. 11 oz. and is 22 3/4 inches long. Both measurements put her around 50th and 60th percentile respectively so she is right on track. The shots went pretty well too...there was the normal crying you would expect but she settled down once I held her. She's been acting pretty normal so thankfully no reactions or fevers to the shots so far.

We also had to answer a developmental questionnaire to see how Camryn is progressing. I am happy to report I was able to answer yes to a lot of the questions. It's amazing how much they just start to pick up as they get older. She is doing the basics: responsively smiling, cooing, following objects with her eyes, grasping at rattles/blankets and playing with her hands. She still is not a fan of tummy time but when the Dr. put her on her tummy today she held her head up really well. Jeff and I are also quite pleased that Camryn has decided to sleep through the night regularly over the last two weeks. I almost feel guilty for getting 8 hours of sleep at night but I think that will come in handy when I go back to work in 3 weeks! =(

All Smiles!

2008-05-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Today we did a little photo shoot on the changing table! Camryn has a tendancy to scream bloody murder when we change her wet diaper or change her clothes, except when it comes to changing a poopy diaper. I actually look forward to changing her poopy diaper because I know she will be all smiles and in her happy place =). It's amazing that she will be 2 months tomorrow! She continues to entertain us with her cooing, spit bubbles and smiles. We go to the Dr. on Monday for her 2 month check-up and vaccinations.

NKOTB...Reunited!

2008-05-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

Like many of you out there, I was a complete New Kids On the Block (NKOTB) fan when I was growing up. My favorite was Jordan and I had posters, buttons and of course the VHS video tape of a live concert. I remember being at a slumber party and they came on the TV and we all ran to the TV and kissed it...seriously! I never was lucky enough to go to one of their concerts though. But that could all change now that they are back together again, 15 years later!! Since I am at home right now, I can keep up with all of this really useful information and I posted their performance from the Today show last Friday. It was just funny to see all fans in the audience and they are in their 30's!! It kindof makes you feel young again. I have to admit, I got a tear in my eye as it made me quite nostalgic for my younger years. They didn't change their name even though they really aren't kids anymore. I suppose when Camryn is 16 and they make their third comeback they will have to change their name to Old Men on the Curb. So, here's to another fun ride with the boys from Boston!

Mommy and Me

2008-05-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of our Mommy and Me group. This is the picture of the six babies...it was a little dangerous getting them all on the floor, a couple fists in the face but nothing too serious. It was nice to know that I would have a place to go each week and vent and talk about my week to other moms in my exact situation. Overall I enjoyed going as I received insight on how others handle certain situations and it's always fun to compare husband stories (all good of course)!!
Last night Camryn slept the entire night...from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. Of course I was up at 1, 3, 4, and 5 to check in on her!! We started putting in her crib since Saturday night. I'm sure the sleeping through the night was just a fluke but we can dream!

Six Weeks Old

2008-05-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

My First Mother's Day

2008-05-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Contentment is how I would describe my first Mother's Day. It was definitely a different feeling celebrating it as a mom! For me it just made me that more grateful and thankful for the miracle that Camryn is for Jeff and I. We feel so lucky to have her and to watch her smile, feeling her fall asleep in our arms and hearing the way she makes everyone around her start talking all goo goo ga ga. Not that motherhood doesn't come with feelings of guilt, doubts and just plain bewilderment but these emotions are all are swept away the minute you can make her smile or when she wakes up at 3 a.m. and you rock her back to sleep on your chest.
Mom's do so much for the children they love. I know my mom did and still would do anything to make sure we are happy. Mom's have a selflessness about them the minute their child is born and nothing is more important than making sure their child is happy and content. So for all you mom's reading this, Happy Mother's Day! I am so glad to be a part of this amazing group of women.
Camryn is six weeks already and so I've posted some pictures of her from this weekend. A lot of her hair has fallen out and we fondly refer to her as an old man...she has a sweet comb-over! I'm her mom, I can say that!

2008-04-29T10:24:00.001-07:00

Our trip to South Dakota!

2008-04-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Our time in Sioux Falls went so fast as it seemed we were always on the go between visiting family, showing off Camryn to my parents co-workers, shopping and celebrating Ryan and Sarah's wedding. My parents are definitely going through granddaughter withdrawal right now as they thoroughly enjoyed their quality time with Camryn. They were an enormous help and it was nice to be taken care of while Jeff was in Illinois. We were very happy to see him when he came home!
The wedding was perfect even though it snowed the day before and it was a little chilly! I guess I shouldn't say perfect as Jeff would disagree because he missed the whole ceremony. Camryn was the flower girl and I carried her up the aisle and passed her off to my parents as I had to go to the front of the church to do a reading. For whatever reason, Camryn was not a happy camper after the hand off and so Jeff took her out missed the whole thing. We don't think she liked her dress and as you will see, there aren't any pictures of her in it as we changed her out of it after the wedding. Thankfully she slept through the whole reception!
Camryn is doing well. She is definitely getting longer and she is still a very petite little girl. She is staying awake more and more so it has been fun to interact with her instead of watching her sleep...although i could stare at her forever! We have a one month check-up tomorrow. I can't believe how fast the days go!

Earthquake!

2008-04-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

So, I am nursing Camryn at 5:30 this morning and I have the news on and hear about the earthquake that has occurred in Illinois. My first thought was I've never heard of an earthquake in the Midwest. And then my heart skipped a beat and I thought, Jeff is in Illinois!!!! I called his cell phone right away and it went right to voicemail so I left him a message and told him I had seen the news about the earthquake and to call me right away. There were no reported injuries at that point so I wasn't too worried but of course my imagination starts to work overtime. Thankfully Jeff called me back at 8 a.m. (his hotel room does not get cell phone reception so he didn't hear me call) and said that at 4:30 a.m. he awoke to his bed shaking. Still half asleep he looked outside thinking it was raining and then he opened his door but didn't see anything so he went back to bed! He figured they would sound the alarms if anything was wrong. He told me he is located about an hour and a half from the location of the earthquake. I was surprised he didn't feel it more. Good thing I wasn't too worried since he apparently wasn't! He found out through my message that it was an earthquake. That is the thing about Jeff, he kindof goes with the flow. But, now he can say he has experienced his first earthquake!

What Day Is It?

2008-04-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Posing with the Rook girls

Cam in her I love Nick onesie (thanks Jody!)

Cooper wants some attention too

A little tummy time!

My days are running together as each day seems very similar to the last. We continue to focus on Cam's feedings as she hasn't quite made it back to her birth weight. She was 7 lb. 15 ozs. yesterday and we go in on Friday morning for one more follow up. Everything is going well in that area for the most part except for the fact that it is very time consuming and sometimes frustrating when I have to wake Camryn up to feed her and trying to keep her awake long enough to feed her.

We have been busy with friends and family stopping in and Grandma and Grandpa Hummel just left after being here for a couple days and were a HUGE help. They joked that they were going to put an offer on the house down the street that is for sale. I'm not sure Jeff thought that was too funny. There have been a few tears shed, especially yesterday when Jeff left for a week and a half to go to Illinois for his new job. He has naturally slipped into his father role and we have made a wonderful team these first two weeks of parenthood. We miss him already but are excited for him to start his new job! So, Camryn and I will tough it out these next couple of days and then we will head to Sioux Falls on Friday night and spend the next week with my parents. Ryan and Sarah get married next Saturday so we will be in Sioux Falls through the weekend. Jeff will drive from IL to SD on Friday night for the rehearsal and grooms dinner.

As the title of our blog states I am taking one day at a time. With each day that passes, we learn a little more about ourselves and our daughter. There will be good days and bad days. Today was a good day! I was able to take a bath (it's the little things!) and we went for a walk in the beautiful spring sunshine!! I am thankful that I have bounced back quickly from my C-section and am able to get around with no problems. I look forward to the days ahead of watching our little peanut grow and change!

Moving on Up!

2008-04-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

We had a follow up pediatrician appointment this afternoon and Camryn gained 8 ounces since Monday! What a relief to look at the scale and see the weight go up! She probably won't be at her birth weight by the time she is 2 weeks (Sunday) but at least she is on the right track.
Cam and I ventured out on our own yesterday to the Mommy and Me group. There were six of us with newborns all under 4 weeks. We all shared our birth stories and another girl and I had very similar experiences with being in labor and pushing and ending up with C-sections and our babies were both 8 lbs. 2 oz. I am looking forward to the upcoming meetings as it is so nice to ask questions and talk about all the things you wonder about and for me, worry about! It was also quite liberating to drive a car after almost 2 weeks!!

9 Days Old...

2008-04-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have been hesitant to update the blog as our status of how we are doing changes daily! The biggest thing we are dealing with right now is getting Camryn's weight up. A little ironic that we are worried about her gaining weight when I was so worried she'd never wear the little newborn outfits we have because she'd be too big.
We had our first pediatrician appointment yesterday and she had dropped to 7 lbs. 2 oz...a pound less than when she was born. I'd been experiencing quite a bit of pain during breastfeeding which made it more difficult to give her the nourishment she needed so I wasn't totally surprised by her weight loss and I had already made an appointment with a lactation consultant for today to get some direction on what we should be doing differently etc. I left the ped. appointment feeling horrible as I felt somewhat of a failure for not being able to provide for our daughter. Fortunately today at our lactation appointment we made sure Camryn was latching on well and have a set plan on how to get Cam's weight up. In addition to breast feeding, pumping and formula supplements I will be taking herbal supplements to make sure I am producing enough milk. It is seriously a full time job!! The consultant also noticed that Camryn was "tongue tied" which means the little thingy (i know, real descriptive) under the tongue was restricting her tongue from moving up which could be hindering the breastfeeding process. So, we went to the office building next door and had it clipped. It sounds horrible but she hardly made a peep and this girl has lungs! I didn't really watch as Jeff held her in the chair while the nurse held her head and the Dr. did his thing.
But overall, we are totally in love with her and can't stand how cute she is! She is truly a miracle and we are blessed. I am planning on going to a Mommy and Me group on Thursday afternoons for six weeks starting this week with other moms who have newborns. It will be nice to get out of the house other than going to Dr. appointments! We did make it to Target today but we were with Daddy and he doesn't enjoy aimlessly walking the aisles as I do...that will be something Cam and I will do when he isn't with us.

Camryn's First Days

2008-04-05T08:18:00.001-07:00

Camryn Marie Olberding, A.K.A. Baby E.J., Has Arrived!!

2008-03-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

Finally!! All the waiting and anticipation came through for us in a big way on Sunday, March 30 at 12:02pm. That was the date and time Camryn Marie Olberding came into this world. It was not an easy process but it was very successful. She weighed in at eight pounds, two ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long.

Normally it is Erin doing the posting on our blog, but today I (Jeff) am doing the posting. I am going to try to do the best I can to describe the events of the last day or so, but I know it will pale in comparision to Erin's writing. But I will give it a try, so here goes.

We were admitted into the hospital Saturday night around 7:30pm. The nurse started Erin's cervical ripening (I hope that is the right term) around 8-8:30pm. Everything was going great because it was working. By starting that process it actually helped Erin go into labor around 1am. Around 4am Erin's water broke after she had just gone to the bathroom, so things were really starting to move. At that time the nurse check her and she was 6cm dilated. Around 8am she was fully dilated and we going to try to bring EJ into the world. Well, the key word was try. After about 2 1/2 hours of pushing EJ just wasn't going to be able to make through Erin's pelvic region. So, it was at that time the doctor starting getting the wheels in motion to do a C section. It was very hard on Erin to go through the labor process and have nothing to show for it. She worked really hard during the pushing stage but at this point she was very tired and fatigued. Much to her displeasure she agreed to go ahead with the C section.

At 11:30am Erin was admitted to O.R. I was able to join her around 11:45am. It was pretty intimidating walking in there because there were doctors and nurses every where. Erin was laying on the table when I walked in. I felt bad for her because of all the work she went through and we still ended up doing a C section. Fortunately, I didn't take that long before, on the other side of the curtain, we were able to hear Camryn, the baby formerly known as EJ, take her first breaths. It was very exciting! The nurses brought her over to a table and started to clean her and check to make sure she was in good health. Fortunately she was! Erin was able to share a quality moment with Camryn before she was take back to our room to get weighed. On the way to the room Camryn and I were greeted by Bev and Randy. They had just gotten to the hospital and were lucky enough to see there new grandbaby minutes after she was born. It was a special moment for everyone. I did feel bad for Erin because she was unable to share in the moment because she was still getting stitched up.

Erin joined us in our room about an hour later. By then Ryan and Sarah were there and so was Erin's aunt, Diana. My mom, Connie, and my brother's family (Jason, Milissia, Alex and Emma) and Erik and Wendy came to visit a little later in the afternoon. It was great to see everyone and have them share in our moment. It was truely special.

Around 5pm everyone left so Erin and I can get some rest. It was nice just having "our" family together for the first time. I am very fortunate to have the loving and supportive wife I do. I know she is going to be a fantastic mom. I am also blessed to have a beautiful, precious new baby girl. She is such a treasure. I actually have changed her diaper several times and I kind of like it. For those of you that know me, I know it is hard to believe I just said that, but it is true. Now, that will probably change when I am doing it 15 times a day for the next 6 months. But for now I am going to enjoy taking care of my little "pumpkin".

We appreciate everyones thought and prayers for us during our pregnancy and before. We are blessed to have the support we do! Erin said she will be editing my work, so enjoy it in it's raw form. Also, she said she would be adding more pictures and slides shows down the road. We will be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday so I am sure she will be posting her thoughts on what has taken place with "our" family shortly.

Denied

2008-03-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, i was hoping the next entry would be announcing our baby's arrival! Unfortunately, someone has others plans! I called the hospital last night at 6:30 p.m. to confirm the procedure for 7:30 p.m. and the nurse said yep, we'll see you then. I told Jeff, well, we've passed one obstacle as I was worried all day that they wouldn't have room. Then at 7:10, only a few minutes before we were going to head out the door, the nurse called back and said, sorry we can't have you come tonight and the earliest will be tomorrow (Saturday) night. Apparently things had changed within 30 minutes that wouldn't allow for an "elective" procedure to occur. I am wondering when this "elective" proceudre become non-elective. I am trying to be patient and because my blood pressure is still very good and the baby sounds good, there is no need to worry but again, this baby is not getting any smaller! I am going to call this a.m. and just make sure they have me on the schedule for tonight...we will see!
The positive is I get to go to Sarah's shower today and my parents are here so there are distractions to keep me from going crazy! We will keep you posted. Again, thank you all for your support and well wishes!!

No baby yet...

2008-03-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

As you can tell by the title, I am still very pregnant! Today at work someone told me I should start boiling the water and it came from a male who couldn't possibly understand what it is to be 9 months pregnant...I didn't think it was funny. My sense of humor waivers at times these days! I just saw the report on the couple that gave birth to their daughter on the side of the road. She was in labor for a mere 12 minutes before the baby came out. I am thinking a fast delivery would be great but not that fast!!

Just wanted to update everyone...I am scheduled to go into the hospital tomorrow night for the cervical ripening but since this is an "elective" procedure, I could get bumped if they don't have enough beds. But, we are hoping for the best and then depending on how that procedure goes will determine what happens on Saturday morning. Either I'll go into labor from the procedure or will be given Pitocin. Our bags are packed, camera and video camera charged and thoughts of a baby girl dancing in our heads!

I also wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers throughout the pregnancy. It has been amazing at all the support and well wishes we have received from so many people. The last 9 + months have been pretty incredible for us as we've experienced the growth of our daughter...from the little blob with the fluttering of a tiny little heart to seeing her little elbow or knee poking my stomach to the anticipation of meeting her in a few short days! We are blessed and we can't wait to share in our excitement with family and friends.

Spring in Minnesota...Guaranteed!!

2008-03-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

What is the 2nd day of spring without six inches of snow?! We, as most of you did, awoke to heavy snowfall and fun driving conditions! I luckily had a Dr.'s appt. this morning so I was planning on working from home anyway. I even had my chauffeur drive me to my appointment...thanks Jeffy! Luckily these late snow falls don't last long! It does hinder those Easter egg hunts though.
I left my appointment today in a much better mood than on Monday. I am now a little more than 1 cm dilated and am 85% effaced which is progress!! He even said her head is now positioned low which is good too. I've been noticing the difference when I've taken my walks this week. One night Jeff was worried he'd have to carry me home...that would be a funny sight.
The Dr. and I did talk about the next steps should I not go into labor before next Friday. Most likely I would be admitted next Friday evening and start the process of "cervical ripening". Basically a suppository that softens the cervix and prepares it for labor. Sometimes this alone will start labor. If it doesn't make me go into labor and my cervix is "favorable" they will start Pitocin Saturday morning which should induce labor. Sorry if this is TMI!
So, we will go about our business this weekend and see what happens. We are planning on going to Jeff's brother's house here in Lakeville on Easter Sunday. I think because it's so early this year, it just doesn't feel like Easter. Or perhaps because we are waiting for a little miracle of our own!
Happy Easter!

39 Week Update

2008-03-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

I know many of you were expecting a post yesterday after my Dr. appointment but I have saved you from reading a bunch of whining etc. I came home quite crabby and emotional and so Jeff and my mom were the lucky ones to hear me complain that I'll be pregnant forever! But, now that I've had a day to think, I know that I'm being impatient and that if my body isn't ready, then I will need to wait and let nature takes its course. I haven't even hit my due date so why am I being this way?!?!?
My Dr. is going to be out of town next Mon-Wed so I will have an appt. this Friday and then I scheduled one for next Friday in case I still haven't had the baby. During that appointment next Friday, we will probably do something to induce labor as I will be 40 1/2 weeks. After reading the side effects of being induced it is kindof scary and amazing how many Dr's do induce. It's my Dr's opinion and mine too that we don't want to jump to induce because if my body isn't ready, there is a higher risk of C-cection. The only reason I am thinking it would be a good thing at that stage is the fact that she is a larger baby and the more she cooks, the bigger she is going to get!
I am impatient for many reasons but I am getting a little tired of the stares when I walk through Target and have to pull down my shirt to make sure my belly isn't showing or when I'm at the gym walking on the treadmill and I feel the stares of the people beside me. Yes, I'm going to have a baby soon!!! And of course the people at work who have seen me the most through my pregnancy feel the need to ask, you're still here?? Yep!!
I know, I'm complaining...so, I will enjoy the last days of it just being Jeff and Erin. Spending 3 hours on the couch last night watching Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor will become a thing of the past soon...which is probably a very good thing!

The Weigh-In!

2008-03-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I had went to our ultrasound this morning to see how big this girl is! Let me tell you, my imagination has been running wild with images of a very large headed baby who can already walk when she comes out! The ultrasound tech kindof laughed when she saw the Dr's order to estimate the weight as ultrasound isn't completely accurate but she said she would do her best. With doing measurements etc. she estimated the baby to weigh 7 lb. 9 oz. and that can be 15oz. off higher or lower. So, not a small baby but not extraordinarily large either. Although I still have 12 days to my due date so she probably isn't done gaining weight either. My next appt. is on Monday so I will see how my progression is and what the Dr. feels are my best options. I know there are several of you out there who have delivered 9 lb. babies naturally (or larger as in the case with my mom...we were all over 10 lbs...go Mom!) It can be done!!!!
Most importantly, the ultrasound showed that she is measuring right on schedule and from all their testing points, she is doing fabulous. She looked like she was pouting this morning...again, like mother, like daughter?

Like mother, like daughter?

2008-03-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

Now that I am 38 weeks and knowing our baby is full term, I can't wait to meet our little girl and wishing perhaps for a earlier arrival than expected. After last week's appt when the Dr. was pleased to see my progress, 1 cm dilated and 75% effaced, I was sure today he would tell me how much further along I had progressed since last week. Well, not so much. Instead, after he checked me today, he wheeled in the ultrasound machine to check the baby's position. Not fully understanding what was going on, I was a bit nervous. However, she is still head down and in addition, he reassured me after seeing her breathing activity on ultrasound, our baby was doing well. I was still a little confused when he told me to get dressed and we would review my chart. Bascially he explained that at this point, most babies have dropped further down in the pelvic region. When he did the internal check he said she was still sitting high and he couldn't feel the head which is why he thought she had switched positions and why he used the ultrasound to confirm. So, thinking all is well, he then proceeds to tell me he is a little concerned about the size of the baby...as in, she could take after her mother and be a large baby! If that is the case and because she hasn't dropped, could cause complications if I were to go into labor and deliver vaginally.
So, I have a sonographic ultrasound scheduled for Wednesday morning to determine the weight and depending on what that says, I may be facing the decision to have a c-section or perhaps it won't be my decision at all but a necessary means to make sure the baby is safe. The Dr. said he doesn't think I am carrying a particularily large baby but is taking precautions to make sure we are safe as possible, which I very much appreciate. However, a bit nervous at the unknown. I've also read that ultrasounds aren't particularily accuarate in determing the weight either and aren't necessarily grounds to determine a c-section versus natural delivery. So, I am putting my trust in the Dr. and God that whatever happens is the way it should and that we will have a healthy baby girl soon.

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!

2008-02-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

I'm dedicating this post to my Dad!! He turns 60 today. My mom coordinated a surprise party for him this past weekend at our house...he had no idea. He will be the first one to admit that it doesn't take much to get things past him. My mom is a different story (more on her when she turns the big 6-0 in August!) It was a fun night and we were all glad to see family and good friends help celebrate Dad.

To many who first meet my dad or don't know him well, I'd say they are intimidated by his serious expressions and distinguished goatee. He was an English and Speech teacher for 34 years and I think many students were scared of him. However, he would quickly earn the respect of those same students with his sense of humor and his ability to make students want to learn. My brothers and I all had the privilege to have him as our teacher and I will always consider myself lucky to have been taught by the best teacher in school. He retired several years ago but his legacy continues in the halls of RTR high school. He still receives Christmas cards from former students and he can't get very far without running into former students who want to stop and chat and tell him what an influence he had on their lives...makes me proud to be his daughter!

As a dad, I couldn't ask for better! I know I always have the full support of my dad and he'd do anything to help me out. I remember in college calling home in a tizzy about something, he would always say, let us worry for you...you aren't alone. I never do feel alone knowing I have the love of my dad.

With the new title of grandfather just around the corner, I am excited to see my dad with our daughter. I have a feeling he'll be wrapped around her finger the first time he lays eyes on her. I'd have to say, it's a nice feeling!!

Happy Birthday Dad! Love you!

Nesting or Freaking?

2008-02-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

Some call it nesting when they have a strong desire to organize, clean, arrange, re-arrange...my husband may call it freaking when it comes to me. Friday night I was experiencing some major Braxton Hicks contractions and I realized this baby could come any day and she wouldn't have a place to sleep (our crib does not have a mattress yet and we didn't have a bassinet). What would we dress her in? Nothing has been washed yet and a going home outfit has not yet been picked out! The car seat was still in the box...how do we even put it in the car? Needless to say, I awoke on Saturday with a mission and Jeff was included in that mission. He sometimes refers to me as Monica (from TV show Friends) when I get in these moods...just a bit obsessive compulsive. But on the other hand, sometimes I really don't care about housework and Jeff likes me much better!
By Saturday evening I was feeling much more under control when I had sorted through clothes, bought the dye and perfume free laundry detergent, the car seat and stroller sat assembled, we picked up the bassinet from Dave and Lisa and we set it up in our bedroom, read the instructions for the bottle warmer and even had time for a quick 30 minute nap....ahhhhhhhh.
So, going to my 35 week Dr.'s appt today in the back of my head I thought he'd tell me I could go any day. I know this is irrational thinking especially since this is my first baby but rational is not the first word I would think of to describe myself in this last month of pregnancy. The Dr. assured me I would not be having this baby anytime in the next week or two after he checked my cervix and the fact that little EJ is still sitting high and has not yet dropped. When I told Jeff, he said, "so we'll have more time to nest." I know he is looking forward to the next nesting episode!

The Gene Machine

2008-02-18T17:27:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, we celebrated my co-worker John's 40th birthday with a surprise party at Dave & Buster's in Maple Grove. Needless to say, he was very surprised and everyone had a great time! John's favorite part of the evening was when everyone showered him with reasons why they love him so! =)

Jeff and I also got the chance to enter the Gene Machine and see what our future daugther will look like. Jeff and I weren't impressed with our big foreheaded daughter...maybe it has something to do with Jeff's receding hairline?? Our friends Jaime and Paul had a much better experience in the machine and there son came out looking normal and cute! Just thought it was funny and everyone would get a good laugh of this REALISTIC look into the future!

A Weekend of Celebration

2008-02-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

My Oh Baby! cake

Jenny and Joanna

After this weekend, I need another weekend to recover! On Sunday, my friend Lisa hosted a baby shower at her home in Shakopee. It was a special day with yummy food, fun gifts and most importantly great friends and family! We are fortunate to have such caring and generous people in our lives and we are lucky our daughter will have such great support when she arrives.

Today starts my 34th week of pregnancy. With each day brings more anticipation, more excitement and more anxiety!! EJ is now approximately 4 3/4 lbs (about the size of a canteloupe) and 18 inches long. I find myself daydreaming about what she will look like and hoping she gets her dad's long eyelashes and dimples. No crazy dreams since last week so I'm happy about that...you can only take so much Whoopi G. We continue to check things off our list as we are 99% sure we found our daycare provider. She doesn't have an opening until September which means finding another option for a couple of months but we think it is well worth it to have peace of mind that she will be well taken care of when she does go to daycare.

My next Dr. appt is on Monday and then I start going every week...makes me realize this is really going to happen =)

2008-02-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Sarah and April playing with the menus at Chino Latino
Naughty, Naughty! My sisters!!
Sarah with the lime after a Tequila shot!

As many of you know, my brother Ryan is getting married on April 26 to Ms. Sarah Tapper. Last Saturday, we celebrated Sarah's bachelorette status with a day of shopping, pedicures, food and of course drinks (a lot of virgin drinks were ordered as there were five of us who are expecting!) Sarah's sister, Laura, flew in from San Francisco as well so it was great to finally meet her after we exchanged many an email in preparation for Sarah's party.

It was a really fun day and we are all looking forward to the wedding! I am truly grateful Ryan has found such a great woman in Sarah. She is smart, funny and beautiful and we are all happy that she will be joining our family. We always need more Bear fans =)

We're getting closer!

2008-02-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

Last week, with the help of Jeff's mom, we put up the border and did some touch ups to the paint in the nursery. We really are happy with how it turned out! So of course I immediately wanted to put the crib up. I got my wish when on Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. Jeff got up from a restless night of sleep and decided he'd start putting it together. I let him! I awoke four hours later to an almost assembled crib and shortly thereafter Jeff had it all up. My parents donated their glider to the nursery too which I know we will appreciate!!

My Dr. appt last Friday went well. He believes the baby is head down which is nice to hear but know that can change too. I was just happy my streak of gaining 7 lbs every four weeks was over! I am beginning to get a bit uncomfortable and I have been having trouble sleeping and find myself waking up and not being able to go back to sleep.

I am having a reoccuring dream in which our daughter seems to be able to talk the minute she comes out. I always think in the dream why are you so big and how come you are talking already. My dream on Saturday night was actually quite disturbing because of the fact that when she talked it was Whoopi Goldberg's voice...I know, scary! And she didn't want my "old milk" and she told me I had an "old womb". WHAT?? I'm hoping for nicer dreams tonight!

2008-01-27T13:03:00.001-08:00

Update on the Olberdings!

2008-01-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

January has never been my favorite month as I feel the letdown from all the holiday festivities and the COLD days seem to drag on forever. This January has been different. There has not been time to feel that letdown and the days have never gone by so quickly!

This year Jeff and I started off the New Year in South Dakota with my family...we celebrated Christmas and rang in 2008 with a competitive and rousing Wii bowling tournament as you will see from the pictures. My mom even got out her Spencer Cardinals megaphone from days long ago to cheer on her man! As always, it was a special time for our whole family to be together.

Shortly after the new year, Jeff lost a very special friend, Jeff Timm, to cancer. It was definitely a loss you don't expect to experience at such a young age and the feeling of loss will continue for the Timm family and all the friends who loved Jeff. He left behind a very strong wife in Danielle and a adorable one-year old son Garrett.

We are now in the final stretch of preparing, planning and celebrating before EJ arrives in March. We are half way through our parent preparation classes with four more weeks left of information and hoping to retain a tiny bit of what we learn. Last week we took a tour of the hospital/nursery and it all becomes a little more real. Jeff even went to a class by himself one week when I was out of town for work...the teacher let me know he did a wonderful job and she was proud of him. I am too!!! He still is not a fan of watching the Wonder of Birth video but as long as he stays conscious during our "wonder of birth" we'll be good.

We had our first of several baby showers last night. It was a fun evening with food, games and me asking a lot of questions of the many mothers in attendance. I feel clueless 99% of time but it helps to have people that have gone through this before to give some good advice! Thanks to all who were there to make it a memorable evening for Jeff and I!

The nursery is being painted as I write this...I like that I get to pick stuff out and Jeff and his mom do all the dirty work. It is looking good and we will put the border up later this week. Then we can put the crib up and slowly but surely add more and more to make it a nursery!

We hit 32 weeks tomorrow and for the most part I can't complain! I have had a few requests from friends who don't see me often to post a belly profile shot...you get one! I enjoy the different comments I recieve on how I look these days. Let's just say, women are much more tactful than men and a little more in tune on what makes a girl's day. I have a Dr.'s appt on Friday and then I start going every two weeks!

Our daughter the contortionist!

2007-12-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

We had an ultrasound today and little girl Olberding had herself in quite a position. I'll post the picture and you can see what I'm talking about. Her feet were way up by her head like she was kicking herself. Being the ripe old age of 29 I know my body won't do that!! It didn't look very comfortable to me and of course I worry that she'll hurt herself. All contortionist moves aside, she is growing right on track (27 1/2 weeks) and even has some hair growing!! My placenta is now positioned higher which is good news and was the reason i had the ultrasound. It's hard to believe i'm in the 3rd trimester!! March will be here before we know it!
We are headed to Sioux Falls later today to celebrate Christmas with my family. Next year will be so different with a little girl to spoil!

A 2007 Montage

2007-12-20T20:57:00.001-08:00

Jeff, put the gun down!

2007-12-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

We had our 24 week check-up on Friday. It was a routine four week check and everything was normal...even if the nurse commented with a laugh that I'd made quite a leap in weight and that Thanksgiving was good to me. I am measuring as I should be though and the Dr. said my body is just catching up to where it is supposed to be! I like telling Jeff my weight and he can't say anything about it since I'm carrying his child!! We will have an ultrasound in 3 weeks to monitor my placenta which was positioned lower than normal when I had my 20 week ultrasound. The Dr. said it will most likely not be an issue but they want to keep an eye on it and we get to see the baby again which is definitely always a bonus!!
As we get closer and closer to the arrival of our daugther, Jeff and I are reminded daily that we have a lot to do and a lot to learn (as much as you can without actually having the baby)! In the last couple of weeks we've interviewed two potential daycare providers. Infant daycare is in high demand and when you do find openings, you also have to figure out if these people are who you want taking care of the most important thing to you. It's going to be hard to find that perfect person who offers the right combination of price, flexibility and compatibility of what we foresee our child needs in a daycare provider. We are hoping to meet with a couple more people before we make a decision so if anyone knows of a great daycare provider with an infant opening in June who lives in the Lakeville area, let us know!
Another learning experience for us happened yesterday when we armed ourselves with a registry scanner at Target. When we did the same thing almost five years ago when we registered for our wedding we felt a little more sure of the items we scanned. Jeff hasn't grown up any in those years as the minute he got the scanner gun, he started to zap things "just to make sure the scanner was working." GRRRRRRRRRR! At any rate, we felt a little bewildered by all the things we will need for this little person. While on our little scanning adventure, Jeff learned that our baby will need to be in a rear facing car seat for the first year of her life...just one of the many things you don't know or think about it when you don't have kids yet!! I didn't even attempt to take Jeff down the breast pump and feeding aisle. So all my friends that have babies, expect a call from me to get your expert advice on what you recommend in the world of breast pumps!
These are the experiences that come with being first time parents and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! I am savoring each moment and I am at that stage in pregnancy when I still have energy and not uncomfortable so I am trying to take advantage of that and get a jumpstart on things we need to get done!

My favorite time of year!

2007-11-25T08:34:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This year we hosted my side of the family (including my aunt Diana and my uncle Delvin). We woke up to the prettiest snowfall coming down outside and the smell of pheasant in the crockpot. It was a perfect day with everyone enjoying a wonderful dinner (very thankful to all family members for bringing a portion of the meal), playing games and watching football. I have to apologize again to those that played Scrabble with Jeff...we now know that game is offlimits to Jeff.

I like to think I take the time to think about what I'm thankful for more than just one day a year, but I know that life gets busy and I take for granted the things that I have in my life. From the big things (my husband, our little girl coming in March, Cooper, our families, our jobs, our home, our friends) to the small things (sleeping in on Saturdays, Twizzlers, my favorite TV shows, a really good book, the smell of a real Christmas tree) there are endless things to appreciate.

As the title of this entry states, this is the my favorite time of year. A tradition I am hoping to start with Jeff and keep within our family is picking out a real! Christmas tree every year. Growing up, I loved going with my family to pick out the Christmas tree (not so much helping with the lights) and decorating the tree with ornaments we either made in school or were gifts that became our favorites. Living in a townhome for the last four years did not allow us the space for a tree. So, Jeff and I and my parents went on Friday and picked out our very first Christmas tree.

Now the fun begins with Christmas parties, concerts, shopping, watching old Christmas movies on TV and the anticipation of family gatherings. It seems that people smile a little more, say hi a little more quickly and in general have a brighter disposition this time of year. As in any situation in life, people make Christmas what they want it to be and we've been lucky to have families that understand the true meaning of Christmas and make it a special, memorable season every year!

EJ is a GIRL!

2007-11-11T08:02:00.001-08:00

Baby EJ!

Posing for her face shot!

Her little fist in the air
Her cute little toes (hope she doesn't get my feet!)

The final photo - it's a girl (she will be so embarrassed in about 16 years!)

Let the planning begin!! Friday we had our 20 week ultrasound and found out we are having a little girl. I giggled in glee and Jeff asked, "are you sure?" Within the next breath he added, well, she can still play hockey. It was pretty apparent from the last ultrasound picture that it is a girl . The tech said it either looks like a hamburger or a turtle...we had a hamburger!

More importantly, we were able to spend time looking at the entire anatomy as the ultrasound tech explained what she was looking at and what they look for to make sure everything is developing normally. Our little girl was pretty wound up during the ultrasound and very active. We saw her put her fist to her mouth, make a sucking motion with her mouth and open her fist so we could all her little fingers! Another amazing moment was looking at her little heart and all the four chambers and how the vessels opened and closed with each breath. I remember our first ultrasound at six weeks and the fluttering of the heart is the only thing you can see, but oh so important! The tech isn't supposed to say anything to us either way regarding the baby's development but as we were leaving she said to tell the Dr. everything looks good. When we saw the Dr. after the ultrasound he said he had taken a quick peek at the pictures and said she looked fabulous...music to our ears!

We are so grateful to be blessed with this little girl and can't express how much we appreciate everyone's thoughts and encouragement as we pass each milestone! We now look forward to painting the nursery, picking out names and going to parenting classes!!

Q.F.T.

2007-10-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

Erik enjoying the peaceful morning.

Ryan, you are such a dare devil!

Dad being silly for the camera!

Sarah learning how to make the perfect Aebleskiver!

My family was able to spend quality family time up north last weekend. We all headed up to Nisswa, MN to spend the weekend at my parents timeshare on Gull Lake. It's a rare occasion when all of us can be together in one place. I think my favorite part of the weekend was just sitting around the breakfast table and talking about two upcoming events in our family...everyone throwing out their suggestions for names for the first grandchild arriving in March and Ryan and Sarah's wedding in April. As you can tell by the picture above, Sarah is being initiated into the family by learning how to make Aebleskivers (a round danish pancake and a food of our past growing up in Tyler).

And what is a family weekend without games?! The ladies took on the men in an exciting, intense game of Taboo...well, not really that intense considering we beat up on the boys quite handedly! We also took advantage of the great weather and enjoyed taking a couple walks around the resort. It went by too quickly as time always does!

It's hard to believe November is already here. I am 19 weeks and I'm still trying to squeeze into my normal clothes! I am going shopping this weekend with my friend Joanna and hope to find some cute maternity clothes...I hear that is actually a possibility these days! EJ is about six inches long, 8 1/2 ounces and the size of a large heirloom tomato (hmmm...ok!) They say the baby can hear us talking now so I better be careful! I still don't think I've felt the baby move. I think it's hard to tell your first time. We are anxiously awaiting next Friday when we have our ultrasound.

Oh A Hunting We Will Go!

2007-10-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a day filled with everything that is fall in Minnesota...crisp air, burnt colored leaves crunching underfoot, the smell of chili in the kitchen and the color orange everywhere! Jeff, Cooper and I made the three hour drive to Tyler early Saturday morning to meet my parents and others at the home of Dale and Jeanne Nielsen, wonderful family friends for many years.

It has become somewhat of a tradition for Jeff and my dad to go pheasant hunting each fall and now with the addition of Cooper, Jeff has become quite passionate about hunting. With several outings last year with Coop and again on pheasant opener last weekend with no success, I began to wonder if my little tagteam would ever bring home a bird! But, as you can tell from the pictures, Jeff shot his first pheasant on Saturday and enjoyed posing with his bird and dog!

As the men and woman, Jeanne's niece Laura, walked the fields all day, the ladies enjoyed a leisurly day of chatting over coffee, preparing lunch for the hunters and reminisced about the countless memories made over the years. And posed for pictures pretending we had something to do with the successful hunt. It was one of those days that you wish wouldn't end.

Of course we had to drive by our old house before we left town. It never fails to produce a lump in my throat and I immediately go back to my childhood and all the wonderful memories made growing up in that house and in Tyler. I can't wait to take our kids back to Tyler someday and show them all the places that made me who I am today.

Our Large Onion

2007-10-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Already four weeks have passed since our last doctor's appt. and on Friday we had our 16 week appt. and checked the baby's heart rate which was a normal and healthy 142 beats per minute. Last time it was at 160 but the Dr. said it will vary anywhere from 120 to 160. The Dr. also mentioned that the baby's heart rate is somewhat affected by my heart rate...hmmm, today it probably went up and down a lot as we watched the Bears get beat by the Vikings. I tried to keep the emotions in check but for those of you who watched the game today, you'll understand.

Within the last month, I recieved a wonderful pregnancy journal from my friend Kristi (due in Decmeber) and the book, A Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy from my friend Missy (who just had a baby girl two weeks ago!) Both are fun to read and validate some of the emotions and worries I've experienced over the last couple of months. I'm not one of those women that uses PMS as an excuse for crabbiness or being emotional, but since becoming pregnant, my hormones are definitely something to watch out for! I am reassured by reading the books and talking to other pregnant friends that I'm not the only one to want to throw things at my husband (or co-workers!!), it's normal to start crying at the drop of a hat and it's ok to feel a little freaked out as your body changes and you no longer have control as it being taken over by the little miracle inside of you.

In the next four weeks, the baby will go rapidly and double in size. I think our little EJ doubled in size overnight. At least that is what my jeans are telling me. The feeling that I should still be able to fit into those jeans is slowly but surely being replaced by the thrill and excitement of what lies ahead. We have our next appointment in four weeks and this is the big one where we have an ultrasound to find out the sex....which I'm 99% sure we are going to do. The other 1% is Jeff saying we are going to wait. I think he is just saying it to see what I'll throw at him.

Neglect. Not really but...

2007-09-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

I feel bad that this is our third entry and I have neglected to mention our dog Cooper. She is anything but neglected!! Jeff asked me if I think people really care about our dog...I suppose not, but I definitely think she is worth an entry in our blog as she really is part of the family.

They say the first step to starting a family is having a dog first as it is good practice before the real deal. I know some believe this and some people roll their eyes. For us, when we first got Cooper, it felt like we had a baby in the house...we took turns getting up in the middle of the night to take her out when she whimpered, she slept a lot and we couldn't be gone for more than a few hours because we had to get home for the dog! I for one have great comfort in having something to take care of and love (and to feel loved!)...besides of course my husband!!

This past weekend, Cooper passed a big test. We went to my parents in Sioux Falls and Cooper made her first trip to SD! Until now, my parents felt it best if we left Coop with others when we made the trip...until now! She had to abide by some rules (no couches, no beds and she had to be kenneled when we left the house). So she broke one or two...but the funny thing was, mom got out her camera and started taking pictures of her laying on the couch which I thought was pretty funny. She was either really excited about her new camera and making sure she knows how to use it when the baby comes or she is just warming up to Coop! I think it's a little of both!

Ok, enough about Cooper! We are now in week 14 with 182 days to go! EJ is approximatley 3 1/2 inches (about the length of a lemon!) The hands and feet are are more flexible now and the baby may even be able to suck its thumb. I won't be able to feel any movement for several more weeks but it was pretty cool when I had my 11 week ultrasound because I was able to see the baby's arms moving around! I think it will make all of this so much more real when I feel the baby moving...one of the many things to look forward to!

Time goes fast when...

2007-09-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

Today Jeff and I our celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary. The old cliche time goes fast when you're having fun comes to mind when I think of the last four years being married to Jeff. It also goes fast when we are working, traveling and trying to start a family!

As with most married couples, Jeff and I do have our differences. We seem to find plenty of time for bickering...which has led us to be coined by my parents, Doug and Carrie Heffernen from the TV show King of Queens. We had never really watched the show but when your parents identify you with characters from a TV show, it piques your interest. We now watch it on reruns almost daily! If you haven't seen the show, Carrie can be a bit sassy at times and ok, a little mean to her husband...but sometimes things just need to be said! Doug and Jeff have some of the same mannerisms in that they are a guy's guy who likes their sports and food equally but also have a sensitive side!

My reality is this...I am very fortunate to be married to Jeff. He endures my many emotional rants, he listens and helps me sort things out when I've got too much on my mind (well, except when he is watching sports) and most importantly, he makes me laugh. Oh, and he's not afraid to cry which I find very sexy! He is my best friend and I love him very much!!

On a baby note, I receive a weekly update from babycenter.com that lets me know how big the baby is by comparing it to a food. It's quite comical at times. For example, I think week 4 it's the size of a kumquat (a type of fruit)...I had no idea what a kumquat was when I first read it. Jeff wanted to make sure I shared with everyone that this week our baby is the size of a jumbo shrimp!

Grateful...Appreciation...Excitement

2007-09-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

These are all emotions Jeff and I are feeling right now. Jeff and I will become parents for the first time on or around March 24, 2008! We are grateful for the fact that we are entering the second trimester this week, we have a stronger appreciation for the amazing miracle God has given us due to the struggles we've encountered during the last two years trying to get to this point, and we are excited for obvious reasons!!

With some encouragement from friends who currently blog, I've decided this is a good way to share our thoughts and experiences with our family and friends about our road to parenthood and the days to follow. (I will be authoring most of these posts but they will be a combined expression of both of our thoughts...if Jeff doesn't sensor too much!) I like the idea that our family and friends from all over the country can stay updated on what is going on in our little world and an easier way to stay connected! Our journey thus far has been bearable with the support and love from our family and friends.

From trying to get pregnant, dealing with two miscarriages, and now with the optimism of having our first child, Jeff and I have gone through our ups and downs. As Jeff would point out as well, I am not the optimist in this house and sometimes find it hard to see the good in the situations we've been given. However, I've come to realize that we are given these obstacles because we find ways to deal with them and ulitmately become stronger and closer to each other in the end. I think we've both kept our sense of humor through most of this and because of my frequent visits to the Dr., I feel fully qualified to give a class on the reproductive organs of women as I've seen mine on ultrasound it seems bi-weekly for over a year and a half. And I know Jeff has fun stories from his visits to the clinic as well, just ask!!

Due to our history, this time around we've already had three ultrasounds to check out little EJ (my mother-in-law's nickname for the baby -Erin & Jeff) to give us (mostly paranoid me!) some piece of mind that everything is progressing as it should be. So, i'm going to share the ultrasound pictures. I think for us and our parents these are the greatest pictures in the world...I realize the first looks like a little blob, but it's our little blob!!

On another note, I realize the color scheme of this blog is blue which is not an indicator of the sex of our child as it is too early to know but it's the color I chose as it seems calming to me. Although Jeff would disagree as he knows it's a boy!

Six weeks 8 weeks -3D ultrasound 11 weeks