Keeping Up With The Youngers

Heart Ball 2012

2012-02-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last year we attended the Heart Ball since Thad was one of the heart heroes. This year the AHA invited Mended Little Hearts kids to Heart ball 2012. The kids got all dressed up and stole the show!

My survivor!

They wanted the kids to hand out the flashing heart pins when people bid during the special appeal. They all wore "Survivor" sashes and had a red balloon tied to their wrist. Thad did a good job handing out the pins but he wanted to hand them out to everyone even if they didn't bid! I'm always worried what Thad will do in these situations when I really need him to be good......... He did great handing out the pins even though he wanted to take a bite of someone's dessert and wanted to take everyone's paddle. Luckily he's cute and can get away with things. After we handed out the pins they called our group to the front and introduced MLH. Last year at the ball they had a party up for bid for MLH. The AHA decided to do another one this year so they wanted our group up at the front so people could see the kids. 500 people staring at us, bright lights and lots of photographers (I was really hoping Thad would behave during this).......at this point he didn't want his balloon tied around his wrist, he wanted to let it go. I managed to save the balloon from going up to the ceiling and I held it instead while trying to smile for the pictures. Then my sweet little boy decided to run away from me. I took a deep breathe and started after him. There were tables everywhere close together and he was running in and out of them until he made it over the dance floor to the back of the room. The entire crowd was laughing and the announcer said "One of our heart survivors is making a run for it!" I'm slowly making my way in and out of the tables trying to catch up to him carrying his red balloon. My first thought is "I can't believe I thought he could stand up there for 5 minutes, I'm so embarrassed!" Hearing all the people laughing and them telling me along the way I better catch up, or how cute he was made it a little easier. I found out he was giving people high fives as he was running past them.

Adam called it, he knew this would happen and I told him he would listen and be a good boy. Adam said he wanted no part in going to the front so he was going to hang with Ollie in the back. He said he heard the announcer make the comment about one of them getting away and he knew right away that it was Thad. Silly silly boy, but I wouldn't have him any other way. He is full of life and that is what being a survivor is all about. I was worried about what the people would think of him running but it actually went okay and people called him the "runner boy."

When we arrived they weren't ready for us yet so we got to hang out with the Star Wars characters. Thad wasn't too sure about Darth Vader so he wanted me in the picture with him. I have to admit, he is a little scary! He is so tall and just creepy in all black.

This was Thad's favorite. He told me when he grows up he wants to be one of the white one's. But then he informed me he would be gone for a long time if he became one of these guys.

The storm trooper even let him try on his helmet. He looks pretty darn cute in it!

I'm glad we had a distraction with the Star Wars guys and they were great to take all the pictures with our kids and families.

It was a such a fun night. Two people ended up bidding on a party for Mended Little Hearts. The AHA raised over $6000 for our party and now we get to have two parties where they plan everything for our group. Last year we went to a Sky Sox game and had dinner.

Happy Heart Day! Celebrate a survivor and remember an Angel.

Oliver- 8 Months

2012-02-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Oliver is 8 months old already. He is showing more of his personality every day. He uses his voice to tell us if he is mad or happy! I can officially say his first word is Momma. At first he was just making the mmm sound but now it is clearly Momma. He will say it if I leave the room or if Adam is holding him and he wants me.

He hasn't really started crawling just yet. He gets on all fours and rocks back and forth. He can move around on his belly by scooting and pivoting. He mostly pushes himself backwards to get somewhere and then he will get his leg stuck under the couch. Silly boy.

He started off in the center of the room sitting up and managed to get over to the kitchen area.

He loves to play peek-a-boo. He would put his blanket over his face and bring it down with the biggest smile.

Peek-a-boo!

He also destroys things. He has his basket of toys and he gets over to them and dumps them all out. Thad has made a few comments that it is messy in the living room but he didn't do it, Oliver did.

After he dumped his toys he went for the basket of burp rags and dumped those out too. It keeps him occupied for a few minutes.

He is trying out a sippy cup with water and seems to like chewing on it instead. He loves to eat. Sometimes I have to hide what I eat because he grunts at me and gives me a smile that says "I want some!" I am making his baby food and he gums other foods like pasta and bread. Thad is a good help and feeds his brother. Ollie ends up with food everywhere but Thad likes to help. No teeth yet and I keep saying those bottom ones are going to come through any day.

I don't have the heart to kick him out of bed yet even though I'm really ready for a good night sleep without being smooshed between Ollie and Adam (I'm sure Adam is ready too so he isn't hanging off the bed!). We kicked Thad out when he turned 8 months but honestly I don't want to do the "cry it out" technique so I figured I can do it a little longer for him :) Plus I get more snuggle time because before I know it he will be too busy to give his momma snuggles.

CHD Awareness Week

2012-02-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

CHD Awareness Week is February 7-14th. Congenital Heart Defects are the #1 birth defect in the world. By the 28th day of pregnancy, the baby's heart is formed. A CHD occurs usually before the mother even knows she is pregnant. CHD's do not discriminate- they affect all types of families.

Here are a few CHD facts:

* CHD's are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths

*About 1 out of every 100 babies are born each year with a CHD, approximately 40,000 per year

*There are 35 known heart defects with more being identified every year

*Nearly twice as many children die from CHD's in the US each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHDs

*40,000 units of blood are used each day, half of that is used by CHDers

Before I was pregnant with Emma I had never heard of a Congenital Heart Defect let alone think that I would ever be affected by this. CHD's are real. We need more research so one day they can find a cure. CHD's have affected our lives forever. Most of you know I am a part of Mended Little Hearts. I am a co-program coordinator and we have a great group of families. We are very involved in the community and this week for CHD week we are having our 2nd annual Blood Drive with 6 locations this year. If you live in Colorado Springs, please come out to one of our blood drives and donate.

February 7

Blood Drive- Stetson Hills Police Station

4110 Tutt Blvd 10 am-2 pm

Blood Drive- Culver’s (Falcon Location)

7220 N. Meridian Rd. 12 pm-4 pm

February 8

Blood Drive- Dodge Dealership

7455 Austin Bluffs 10 am-2 pm

YoYogurt Fundraiser (Briargate/Union)

11 am-10 pm

(Must mention Mended Little Hearts)

February 9

Blood Drive- Remington College

6050 Erin Park Drive (on Academy between Vickers and Lehman Dr.) 9 am-12 pm

Parent Support Group Meeting

Dr. Duster will be our guest speaker

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Location: Serco- 1090 N. Newport Rd

Building B (Powers/Aeroplaza)

Dinner and childcare is provided.

New families are always welcome.

February 10

Blood Drive- Walmart (Palmer Park/Powers) 1575 Space Center Drive 2 pm-6 pm

February 11

Quick Quack Carwash Fundraiser

4285 Austin Bluffs Pkwy

7 am-7 pm

Support a “little” heart while getting your car washed! Quick Quack will donate $2.00 for every Good, Better or Best car wash

February 14

Blood Drive- Jackson Elementary

4340 Edwinstowe Ave

11:30 am-4:30 pm

Thad's 4 Year heart-i-versary

2012-01-24T08:30:00.003-07:00

**Warning- pictures are graphic**

Four years ago today Thad had his open heart surgery. It's always hard looking at these pictures and remembering that day but it reminds us of what he went through. Not being able to hold my baby for a week and watching him lay there so helpless, not knowing what the outcome was going to be. The only good thing is he'll never remember that day or his recovery. I hope and pray he will never have to go through another surgery again.

Thad is one tough little boy. With everything that has happened in our lives, we know that each and every day is a blessing and not a guarantee. Hug your babies and always tell them how much they mean to you! Thad has brought so much joy to our lives. He is our little miracle.

And now look at the boy he has grown into. He is a crazy-fun-loving boy who likes to make faces! Adam had a talk with Thad now that he is 4 years old and told him when daddy is gone he is the man of the house. Ever since that talk Thad has told me several times that he is a good boy because he is the man of the house just like daddy told him!

He loves his brother (look at the face Ollie is giving him! He knows he's crazy too).

Behind your Scar
By Stephanie Husted

Sometimes I have those “moments”,
When I think…life’s just not fair,
Then I think of all you’ve been through,
And I see the scar you bear.

... A faded line right down your chest,
Made with such careful precision,
We wanted you to have a chance,
Could there be any other decision?

And so I trace that “perfect” scar,
Made with the utmost care, And I realize there is purpose, Behind this scar you wear.

What have you taught us? You’ve taught us how to face a storm, (Some things are just out of our hands)
Life has no handy guidebook, (Things don’t always go as you’ve planned)

People come into our lives,
(Sometimes it is just for a season)
But God brings them into our lives,
(And I know that He must have a reason)
Normal, uneventful days,
(The kind that we always hoped for)
These are the days I say, “Wow God”, We just never know what lies in store.

If I can place a feeding tube, Without even getting distraught, Perhaps, maybe, I might be… Much stronger than I thought.

It’s okay to be afraid,
And it’s alright to cry,
It’s okay to feel lost sometimes,
It’s even okay to ask…why?

You face life with courage, (Knowing God set you apart) Every little thing you do,
You do with all of your heart.

No crystal ball exists for us,
(To see us through each strife) We only have one wish for you…
An ordinary life.

You’ve taught us to love one another,
(Helping each other to cope)
You’ve taught us compassion for others,
You’ve taught us to never lose hope.

You already have quite a story, Which you can someday share, And I can see it’s beauty, Behind that scar you wear.

A pirate parrrrrrty!

2012-01-22T13:43:00.001-07:00

Thad had a pirate party for his birthday. We went to the Y with the pirate bouncy and the kids had a blast! It was a full hour of running and jumping. The kids all had rosy cheeks and were worn out. I hope they all slept good last night!

Of course the party favors were pirate patches, tattoos, pirate hooks, coins and a treasure map. Everything a pirate needs!

Thad opened his presents from us in the morning. Ollie got him this slinky dog and he loves it.

Daddy and the birthday boy

Papa Steve and Grandma Luci surprised us and came for the weekend. He was excited to have them here. Thad got his own camera from them. His cousin Macie got one for Christmas and that is all he has talked about. So he got one for his birthday and loves taking pictures. It plays games and has cool frames you can put around the pictures. He told me he won't touch my camera if I don't touch his camera!

He got a cool fire truck, fire gear, a Cars driving game that hooks up to the TV, and a Dino Dan DVD.

I found this cool pirate cake at Sam's. Thad thought it was pretty neat his picture was on the cake.

The bouncy was a big hit. They climbed up the back of the ship and slid down. I even got in there for a little bit and almost got trampled by 10 kids!

Thad and his friends. A few of them were trying to escape back into the ship!

After all that bouncing we filled them with cake and juice.

Thad was so excited to open more presents. After the first present he was ready to go home and play with it! He had lots of friends who helped him open his gifts. He has some great friends who gave him some cool gifts- hot wheels track, dinosaurs, toy story toys, and much more. He also got fun play dough sets, books, puzzles and learning cards.

He was excited to play with his firetruck this morning when he woke up.

He has told me a few times today how much fun he had on his birthday. I love seeing his face light up. He is such a great little boy!

Happy 4th Birthday Thad!

2012-01-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. We have a 4 year old! In the past few months Thad has turned into a such a big boy. A big boy that doesn't want to take naps anymore (sigh). He would rather take a "rest" in mommy's bed and watch cartoons. He understands more, he still has meltdowns but not as many, he helps me more around the house and is great with his little brother. He says and does the funniest things. He thinks if he asks me to do something for him and adds the word beautiful to the end I will do it. For example, he'll say "Mommy, will you get my baby (blanket) for me, beautiful???" Then he gives me this little head nod with a sweet smile. How can I resist that! He is my little helper around the house and reminds me if I forget to do something, even if I told him he couldn't play with a toy because he was being naughty and I forgot, he will remind me and say, "remember mommy, I can't play with my toy because I was a bad boy." Then he promises a thousand times he will never be a naughty boy again. Ha!

Thad is definitely all boy! He is rough, tough and not afraid of anything! He loves riding his bike, wrestling with daddy, and going to the park. Being this rough tough boy he is also a sensitive boy which I love. He can cry easily but he also is concerned when he see's something that isn't right.

This year we decided to do a pirate party with his friends from preschool. We made pirate chocolate suckers for his snack at school. They were a big hit! He is having a pirate party later today with about 10 other 3-4 year olds! Oh boy, it will be a fun time :)

I found this treasure chest unfinished at the store and Adam stained it, added handles and a padlock so he can keep his treasures in it. I painted the letters and added the skulls to it. It turned out so cute!

Our pirate birthday boy!

We are so blessed to have Thad as our son. He is sweet, sensitive, funny, loving, and caring. I can't wait to see the man he will grow up to be, just as long as it doesn't come too fast! Happy birthday to my big 4 year old!

Oliver- 7 months

2012-01-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

Oliver just turned 7 months old and is such a fun and happy baby! He is such a good little boy and is starting to get more expressive! His new trick is sticking out his tongue. If we stick ours out he immediately sticks his out. He is also spitting or blowing bubbles and thinks that is pretty fun.

He loves the water just like Thad. His favorite thing is taking a shower and trying to grab or lick the water coming down. He is eating more foods and tries reaching for my food if I don't feed him quick enough.

He sits very good but falls over occasionally. He isn't too interested in rolling over anymore but when he is on his belly he pushes himself up. He will be crawling soon enough so I will enjoy that he isn't mobile yet!

He loves his jumperoo and bounces like a maniac! He is definitely a momma's boy. I am home all day with him and I feed him so he has grown very fond of mommy! He does this new thing if Adam is holding him he reaches for me and moves his whole body towards me! Soon enough he will be all about daddy so I'm enjoying this!

I say it every month but it's hard to believe he is already 7 months old. He is growing up way to fast. He amazes me everyday and I'm so thankful we have Mr. Oliver in our lives. Thad and Ollie get along great and Oliver likes to "pick" on Thad when they are sitting on the couch. He is good about grabbing hair and faces and at this point Thad laughs when Oliver gets him!

Denver Dynamites

2012-01-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Mended Little Hearts had the priviledge of going to Denver to watch a pro soccer game- The Denver Dynamites. The head coach, Chuck is a part of the leadership team for MLH and invited our families to participate in the home opener game in January.

My Aunt and Uncle from Arvada came to watch and was a big help with Thad and Oliver. Adam was asked to help keep the stats during the game so they helped me maintain the kids!

Chuck had some special plans for our group. We were invited out to the field to greet and cheer on the pros! The kids all had fun giving high fives to the players.

Chuck also had a surprise for Mary and I. We are the co-program coordinators for MLH and he gave us both a signed soccer ball. Chuck has done so much for our group and we are so greatful he included MLH in this event.

Thad decided he needed to come with me on the field and took the soccer ball and started playing! He definitely knows how to ham it up for the crowd!

After the game we took a team picture. We had a fun night and even though it was only in Denver it was nice to get away for a few hours!

Great Blog- MUST READ!

2011-12-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

If you need a laugh you need to check out this blog: People I want to punch in the throat. I found it through face book and can't stop reading it. She is from Kansas and tells it like it is. She is brutally honest and says what most of us are thinking but are to afraid to really say it. She does cuss a lot but she is hilarious! It is laugh-out-loud-funny! Happy reading.

P.S. Make sure you read her elf on the shelf post- it's what made her blog famous!

Fun pictures

2011-12-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Oliver loved looking at the lights and playing with them. I saw this idea on Pinterest and had to try it out. He would have sat there for hours if we let him! They turned out great in black and white.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

This year was our turn in Russell for Christmas. We had a great time with my family. We got to Russell late Thursday night and drove home on Monday. The time always flies by and goes way to fast. On Friday we went to Hays to have the Budke Christmas, my mom's side of the family. I think this year there was 66 of us there and missing lots of cousins and a few aunts and uncles. My mom has a huge family :)

Christmas 2011

After about 5 pictures of Thad's silly face we tried getting a nice smiley one and this is his best- no smile!

He did give me a little smile in this one so it was okay. He looked so handsome in his little vest. We went to the Christmas mass where his cousins were Angels and sang a few Christmas songs.

Ollie wanted no part in a picture! He wasn't feeling the best and was mad I put him down. He caught a little bug Thursday night and had a fever so we took him to Hays to see a doc. After a few doses of motrin and tylenol he was as good as new.

Both boys were good this year so Santa brought them what they wanted. Ollie could care less but Thad was very excited for this Christmas. He finally understood what Santa meant and had fun leaving him cookies and milk the night before. On Christmas morning he was very excited to see what Santa brought him.

Ollie got a driving toy and a toy you put on the table that spins. Thad got what he asked for- binoculars and a boat with animals (noah's arc). He was also excited to see Santa left him a little cookie. Santa ate 2 full cookies and took one bite of a cookie and left it for Thad. He thought that was pretty neat Santa left him a cookie to eat in the morning.

He loves the binoculars. He has wanted them ever since he saw Dino Dan had them to hunt dinosaurs. Now he can too :)

The best part was opening the gifts Thad got us. At his school they have a little shop that the kids can buy gifts for family. I sent him to school with $10.00 to buy Adam, Oliver and myself a Christmas gift. He was so happy to give them to us. He got Adam a notepad that said Best Dad Ever, Oliver got a stuffed animal and I got a little green jewelry box. I was pretty impressed with our gifts. Thad's teacher said all the kids had fun picking out presents for their families.

(I love the look on Adam's face opening his gift)

Of course the boys got too many toys they don't need but they had fun opening all their gifts. Next year I need to buy extra batteries. One of the toys needed 8 AA batteries! We were stealing batteries from Grandma to make them all work.

Santa's little helpers

Mike, Mindy and Michelle

The family

We set the self timer and took a few pictures of the whole family. Dawson had to go home early so he didn't make the picture but everyone else did. It took a few try's but here is what we got!

We hope you all had a great Christmas. It's hard to believe another year has come and gone but we are looking forward to 2012.

Toy Story 3 on Ice!

2011-12-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

I think I was more excited then Thad was to go see Toy Story 3 on ice. We bought our tickets a few months ago and went to Denver to see the show. Once we got there Thad was very excited to see all his favorite characters.

He is always excited to see Mickey and Minnie.

It was really neat when the army guys came marching out.

Woody and Buzz were the stars of the show!

I love looking at Thad's facial expressions. He stood most of the time and was amazed at all the characters he saw.

This was my favorite part. I love the pizza planet aliens. They all came out and everyone went wild!

Oliver had a fun time too. He actually slept through the second part of the show even though it was so loud. He liked seeing all the lights.

Being silly with his alien hat that came with his cotton candy. He also got a slushy in an alien cup. He had enough sugar to last a few days!

Barbie was fun to watch too.

Lot-so was big and springy.

Of course Hamm, bullseye, T-Rex, Mr. and Mrs. Potato head were there too.

It was a great night. I'm glad we are able to take Thad to such fun things. I love watching him at these events and he talks about it for weeks and months after. I have to admit I have just as much fun if not more at them too!

Meeting Santa

2011-12-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Every year our Realtor has Santa come to visit and they give free pictures out. We have gone the past 3 years and have always been impressed with the Santa they have. This year Thad was excited to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. He told Santa he wanted binoculars like Dino Dan and a boat with animals like Noah's Arc. Santa asked him if he was a good boy and he answered Yes pretty quickly! Oliver didn't really know what was going on and sat there like a good boy. 6 months is a good age to meet Santa for the first time. Now we will wait and see if Santa brings Thad what he wanted (I have a feeling he will!)

Oliver- 6 Months

2011-12-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Oliver is 6 months old today! What a little cutie pie he is. We had his check up today and here are his stats: 18 lbs 4 oz and 28 inches long. He is in the 70th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height. He is very tall! I guess he will take after his Papa Steve. He hammed it up for the Dr.'s and nurses today and they all LOVED his diaper :) He had to get a few shots but was a little champ. Thad was happy it wasn't him getting those shots.

Oliver is slowly starting to roll over. I guess I shouldn't worry too much because Thad didn't roll over until he was around 7 months. He is sitting up but falls over occasionally. He isn't sleeping through the nights either. It's probably my fault since he sleeps right next to me :) He only wants to snack 5 times throughout the night! When I told the Dr. that today she said it was up to me if I wanted to keep doing that or make daddy get up with him to put him back to sleep. I'll run that by Adam and see what he thinks ;)

We have started feeding him cereal/veggies/fruits but he doesn't seem too interested in them just yet. He just likes his mama milk :) I am going to try the little disposable puffs this weekend and see if he likes that. He is always interested in what I am eating so maybe he will like a little snack of his own.

It's hard to believe he is already six months old. He is so fun and is still such a happy baby. He is outgrowing his carrier for his car seat and it's way to heavy to tote around all day! We may be switching him to Thad's car seat he had when he was a baby and bump Thad up to the next level of car seats. Our Dr. told us today that they recommend keeping babies in a rear facing car seat until they are 2 years old! Yikes! I remember when Thad turned 1 we switched him to forward facing and he LOVED being able to see me and out the front window. I can't imagine keeping Ollie turned around until 2!

Adam and I were looking through Thad's baby pictures last week to see the resemblance between the two. I was trying to find the same shirt Thad wore when he was 6 months but it's packed away with the summer clothes. Look how chunky Thad was a six months! We were talking about who was cuter at this stage but it just might be a tie! They are both super cute! I remember Thad being so chunky he looked like he was going to pop if you touched him. Ollie is chunky but he seems to have his weight evenly proportioned to his body. Two sweet boys!

Family pictures

2011-12-07T14:57:00.001-07:00

We went and saw Santa last weekend and the boys were all dressed up so we took a few family pictures.

Love this sweet boy.

These two boys really melt my heart. Thad is becoming a little man and Ollie is growing way to fast.

Best buds

I don't know why Thad has decided we need pictures like this but he always has to sneak one in.

Me and my boys.

I am so glad this picture turned out well. We have had issues with taking pictures with the self timer but this one turned out good. Both boys looking at the camera is a good thing!

Christmas decorating

2011-12-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

We decorated for Christmas last weekend and made a few ornaments for the tree. Of course I saw this on my new favorite website Pinterest so we had to make them. We made reindeer's out of their handprints. I thought they turned out really cute ;)

I tried putting Oliver's handprint on this ornament and it didn't turn out very well so I decided to paint a Christmas tree instead.

I thought since Thad was a little older I could do his handprint but it just wasn't working very well. The blue blob is our attempt at a handprint but then he wanted to paint over it. Still turned out cute and unique.

Here is the Christmas tree all decorated and lit up.

Trying to get a good smiley picture of both boys isn't that easy! Here is the best one.

We had to get a few silly pictures too. This is right before Thad dropped Oliver and he did a face plant into the carpet!

Thad wanted to decorate his room too. We put up a little Christmas tree for him. He didn't want to hang ornaments on his tree but instead he hung them on his dresser drawers!

Cloth diapers

2011-12-06T16:48:00.001-07:00

What have I done without cloth diapers? When I was pregnant with Oliver I got a gift card to this little shop that sold cloth diapers and organic baby items. We went in to use the gift card and I remember feeling so overwhelmed while looking at all the options. They seemed so bulky and I didn't want to do laundry 5 times a day keeping up with them. After much thought and now that Oliver is a little older we decided to give it a try. I LOVE THEM! We started out with 2 diapers to try a few different kinds. I love both of them- Dry Bee's have the velcro and the insert already sowed in the diaper. The Whamies have snaps and you have to put in the insert. They are both great and hold up very well with no leaking. They make such cute designs it's hard to choose! They are expensive to start with- about $20 a diaper but in the long run will save us tons of money and they are better for Oliver and the environment. Ollie has had diaper rash every time we used certain disposable diapers. Ever since we have had these his little bottom is rash free!

I am addicted to them now! I can't wait to get a few more designs!

Check out his chunky legs!

If you are considering using cloth diapers you will love them. Give them a try, they are so much better for the environment and baby!

Precious boys

2011-12-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have these two little boys in my life. They can both be ornery at times but it makes it who they are. Thad says and does the funniest things and never misses a beat. Mr. Oliver is turning into such a sweet little boy. Okay, he was sweet from day one but he is now making all kinds of noises and likes hearing his voice! He is almost 6 months old and is getting so BIG. He thinks his brother and Chauchi the pug are pretty funny. He watches Chauchi so close and you can tell he wants to grab ahold of him and squeeze him tight! I remember when Thad was mobile all he did was chase that pug. Poor Chauchi will be hiding in his kennel a lot when Ollie starts moving!

Time goes by so fast. We were looking at Thad's baby pictures the other night and remembering like it was yesterday when he was this small. Now he is a big boy.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

This year for Thanksgiving we went to Goodland and Tribune. Adam's aunt hosted Thanksgiving lunch for close to 60 people! She lives on a farm and the weather was beautiful so the kids had fun playing outside.

We tried getting a family picture but couldn't get one with both boys looking at the same time.

Papa Wayne and Ollie hanging out.

Thad had a good time with his buddy Maddix.

We went back to Tribune for a few days. Ollie and Jude had fun hanging out together. They were checking each other out here!

Titus is such a good big cousin. He is always good about playing with the younger kids. He liked pushing Jude around in the backyard and Jude liked it too!

It's always nice to go back to see family for the Holidays. Thad always has so much fun playing and never wants to come home. It takes a few days of him being sad around the house saying "I just had so much fun" or "I just like playing with all my cousins." We tell him he will see them again and he gets over it quickly!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. We are thankful for God, all of our children, family and friends. We are surrounded by such caring people. Thank you to each of you for being a part of our lives!

Ollie- 5 months

2011-11-14T19:33:00.001-07:00

Oliver just turned 5 months last week. He has changed so much from last month. He is definitely a Mama's boy! He loves his daddy but loves being with mommy.

Ollie doesn't have much interest in rolling over just yet. He has rolled from his belly to his back a few times but now when we put him down he just kicks his feet and is happy on his belly or back. Adam thinks it's because I hold him too much......

He is a little drool bucket and I think those bottom teeth are close to coming in. He loves chewing on his two fingers and anything else he can get in his mouth. He has started blowing bubbles with his mouth and is making more cooing sounds. He woke me up at 4 am the other night blowing bubbles and smiling! He is such a happy boy!

Thad loves his little brother so much. He told me the other day he can't wait for Oliver to get bigger so he can wrestle him! It won't be long and Ollie will be down on the floor wrestling with daddy and brother. Oliver lights up so much when he see's Thad. He thinks Thad is the funniest person and is always laughing and smiling at him.

We gave him cereal last month and he really doesn't seem to be interested in it anymore. The first few times we couldn't feed him enough and now he will barely open his mouth to the spoon. I'm sure in a few more months he will change his mind.

More Pinterest........

2011-11-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Thad does A LOT of art in preschool. Every week we bring home about 4 paintings/drawings he did during the week. I like looking at it and I don't want to shove it in a drawer to never be looked at again. Of course I saw this idea on my new addiction- Pinterest. Adam hung fishing wire on a couple hooks in Thad's room and now we have a nice place to display all the hard work Thad does in school! I will rotate the artwork out and Thad likes looking at it on his wall.

Another fun project I saw on Pinterest is colored shaving cream for the bath. We mixed food coloring in with the shaving cream and Thad had a blast in the tub.

By the time he was done his water was a dark purple! I was afraid it might stain his skin but it all washed off.

Once again I highly recommend Pinterest if you have never gone to the website. They have so many fun ideas for all kinds of projects. I am working on a fun one right now but can't share it just yet because the Grandparents are getting them for Christmas!

Angel turkey

2011-11-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

Thad had a homework assignment that the whole family was supposed to work on. We were given this turkey to disguise and use whatever materials we wanted. It was supposed to be something that related to our family. The teacher said past turkeys have been disguised like Elvis, clowns, ballerina dancers, etc. We were to be as creative as we could be.

We (I) colored the turkey normal then we needed a disguise for it. Adam came up with a good idea.......

We decided to do an Angel turkey! I went and got white feathers, glitter paint and some fun accessories to make the halo. I had fun dressing the turkey up as an Angel. I am excited to see the other turkey's at school tomorrow.

Remembering Emma

2011-11-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Keep in mind, at all times, that we grow the most from our greatest suffering. As we go through it, it hurts. But as we move through it, it also heals. When a jug of water falls to the floor and cracks, what was hidden within begins to pour out. When life sends you one of its curves, remember that it has come to help crack you open so that all the love, power and potential that have been slumbering within you can be poured into the world outside you. And, like a fractured bone, we do become stronger in the broken places.
-Robin Sharma

Today is 5 years since Emma passed away. We remember her everyday and always wonder what she would be doing or what she would look like. She is and will always be a big part of our lives. She is our first born child. Thad knows about his sister and Oliver will grow up knowing her as well. Today is bitter sweet. Our sweet Oliver turns 5 months on this same day. I am so happy and thankful that we have had three children in our lives to love. Our lives have been so blessed over these 5 years and every moment has made us who we are as a family. The sad times have strengthened our relationship as a family and with God. Each day is a new day, it never gets easier but we learn to cope with it as each day goes by.

Emma's G-tube surgery was originally scheduled on October 31, 2006. Our surgeon called and said he had to move the surgery until November 8th. I remember being frustrated with the change because I didn't want her to have the NG feeding tube through her nose anymore. It was uncomfortable for her and I just wanted it gone. I am so glad the surgery was pushed back because that was 9 more days we got to spend with her. God was giving us another week with our precious little girl.

We didn't go trick or treating with her but she did dress up! She was a ducky. She didn't really like being in her costume and we always joked that she didn't want to be a duck, she wanted to be a care bear!

Over the years I have found these quotes or sayings and wanted to share some of them. Sometimes they put things in perspective:

**When something bad happens you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.

**In the happy moments praise God. In the difficult moments seek God. In the quiet moments trust God. In every moment thank God.

**God doesn't give us what we can handle, God helps us handle what we are given.

**Faith- it does not make things easy it makes them possible.

**Someday everything will all make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.

You probably have noticed this quote on our blog above Emma's picture but I wanted to post it again. Some people are afraid to bring up Emma's name to me. Please don't be afraid to. I love talking about her. She lived and I want to tell her story. Sometimes I cry while talking about her but she is my child.

"If you know someone who has lost a child, and you're afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad by reminding them that they died--you're not reminding them. They didn't forget they died. What you're reminding them of is that you remembered that they lived, and that, is a great gift." ~Elizabeth Edwards

Hug your children tight today and everyday. Don't take anything for granted. Enjoy every minute of everyday and don't sweat the small stuff. We are not guaranteed time on this earth and at any minute our lives can change forever. Don't have any regrets.

Love you baby girl!

Play dough and noodles

2011-11-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

At Thad's preschool the families take turns making homemade play dough and dyed noodles for all their fun projects. It was our turn this week and Thad was my BIG helper!

Thad really had fun making the play dough. I measured everything out and he poured it all in the pan to cook.

He was so excited every time I measured something out so he could pour it in. We made 5 colors of play dough- pink, purple, yellow, blue and green.

(do you notice Ollie in the background in his swing.....he was NOT happy he had to be in the swing while we were having all the fun!)

This is the first time I made play dough and it was really neat how it smells and feels like real play dough from the store. I had just as much fun making it and playing with it as Thad did :)

Once it cooled we divided it in bags.

There are all kinds of recipes online but I really like this one:

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/4 cup salt

2 tsp Cream of Tartar

1 Tbs vegetable oil

4 drops of food coloring

Mix all ingredients in pan, cook on medium heat while stirring. Once it begins to form a thick substance put on wax paper to cool. Store in air tight container.

Pretty simple and fun to make!

Of course I had to keep some out for Thad to play with.

We used bow tie and pin wheel noodles and dyed them with vinegar and food coloring. Our house smelled like vinegar all night!

I love doing things like this for Thad's school. I love it that he likes to help me and is so proud of himself once he does something.

A trip to Grandma's house

2011-11-02T14:15:00.000-06:00

The boys and I went back to Kansas for a long weekend. We always have such a good time when we go back to grandma's house. Our schedules are always full but we have a lot to get done!

Dawson was back this weekend and Thad and him always have a good time together.

There were two things Thad wanted to do this trip, have Papa take him on a motorcycle ride and go see Papa's fire truck!

He looks like a true biker here!

Avery was a pirate for Halloween so she was practicing her pirate smile! Poor Ollie's cheeks were red from the wind.

We have gone back to Russell the past 3 years for Halloween and walked in the parade. We walk down Main street for about 5 blocks and then go parade around the Middle school. Each kid gets an apple and a big candy bar.

The weather was good this year. Thad lead the pack down Main street. We had to remind him to slow down when he got too close to the Police truck.

Waiting to parade around the gym of the middle school.

Poor Ollie had too much fun and fell asleep. Here is a picture of the grandkids-

Thad- ironman, Macie- witch, Hannah-Ragidy Ann, Shayna-didn't dress up, Ollie- giraffe, Jaelynne- vampire, Avery- Pirate and Dawson- Mario.

After the parade we went to the fire station so Thad could see Papa's firetruck. He had fun climbing all around inside.

Thad wearing papa's helmet......

and boots........

and jacket.......

and he fell over after putting all that equipment on. It was too heavy for him!

We had a big day on Saturday. After the parade we went to Granny Mae's pumpkin patch in Dorrance. Oliver was ready to go in his overalls.

The pumpkin patch was really neat. They had all kinds of things to do for kids. Thad rode this train a few times and loved it.

The weather was good except for the wind. It was so windy! We still had to pose for a picture with the grandkids.

Me and my boys

Ollie found the big pumpkin. They had a few of these pumpkins that were HUGE.

Papa propped him up against it and let go for a few seconds. I think Ollie was amazed by the big orange thing in front of him.

Here is a picture that shows how crazy the wind was. Everyone's hair is blowing like crazy.

They have this huge corn maze. We were lucky we didn't loose anybody in it. The boys had a good time running through it.

The kids had fun running around on these hay bails and going down the slide.

Ollie was enjoying himself too.

Love this little boy

After our big day at the parade and pumpkin patch we went home and took a little nap. We drove to Great Bend and went to their Zoo Boo.

We got there 30 minutes before they opened and were back about 2 blocks! The line went fast and we made it through the zoo.

Thad is usually afraid of people in masks but he wanted to take a picture with this creepy clown! It freaks me out just looking at the picture.

It was so much fun going back to Russell and seeing all our family. The boys did good in the car. I had to watch the movie Cars about 5 times but it was a good trip and it kept Thad occupied in the back seat. We made it home in time to go trick or treating with Adam.

Halloween party

2011-11-02T10:12:00.000-06:00

Thad had his preschool Halloween party last week. He had so much fun with his friends eating all the fun snacks. We were in charge of a fruit tray. I found a few ideas on the internet and had a fun time making them.

I saw this idea made with a butterfly clip so I decided to make a frankenstein clip. Thad helped me paint the clothes pin green and then I painted on the hair and scars and glued googly eyes on them. I think they turned out pretty cute!

We also made ghost bananas, apple smiles and oreo eyeballs. The kids really liked them and had fun eating all of it.

One of Thad's teachers Ms. Gloria and his friends.

Oliver joined in the party too and wore his Halloween shirt!

After they all ate they played in colored rice and found bugs.

Thad decorating a pumpkin.

Rock Ledge Ranch

2011-10-27T09:25:00.000-06:00

Thad has been asking for the past month to go to a farm and see chickens, sheep, cows, pigs, and horses. We finally made it to Rock Ledge Ranch here in Colorado Springs. It is beautiful there. It was a nice afternoon and so Thad, Oliver and myself decided to go for a walk and see all the animals.

Thad loved this pond with all the ducks.

This was a pretty cool tree that Thad could climb inside of. He had to wear his soccer metal to the farm :)

The horses didn't want to come by us but we still got a good look at them. Thad really wanted to pet one but maybe next time.

This piggy was being lazy laying in the mud.

So excited being at the farm. I love this kid so much and seeing all the excitement on his face is priceless.

Oliver was sleeping in the stroller most of the time. I wish this picture didn't turn out so dark. (I still need to learn features on my camera!)

He scared me a few times getting so close to the water but he really wanted to see those ducks.

We were the only ones walking around the ranch so it was peaceful. Thad did want to see the farmer though! I told him he was probably taking care of other animals.

Oliver woke up so we tried one more picture on the self timer and every time I tried Ollie was looking over at Thad.

This place was so nice to walk through. The leaves were falling and some of the paths made a bumpy stroller ride for Ollie but he didn't seem to mind.

I love going out and doing fun things with the boys. Thad just wants to go, go, go all the time and he keeps me and Oliver hopping :) It's much better being able to do these things whenever we want and not have to worry about working!

No cavities!

2011-10-27T09:01:00.000-06:00

Yes, Thad is almost 4 and I have never taken him to the dentist. Most of it was because I was afraid he would scream and cry and I didn't want to put him through it or me! Well my child has surprised me and he was PERFECT at the dentist. He let the lady clean his teeth with cotton candy paste. He sat up there like a BIG boy. I was so proud of him.

The dentist came in and Thad let him scrape his teeth and look inside. He even got x-rays taken but when he came out of the room he said "I didn't like that part!" I gag every time I get the x-rays so I can imagine how he felt :) The dental staff were so friendly and great with Thad. I don't think I would ever be able to work in a pediatric dentist office!

Thad was excited because they gave him a glove to wear and he got to play with the water dispenser, the sucker that goes in your mouth and a little brush. They had Lion King playing on a TV on the ceiling and he got a goody bag on the way out. It was a great first visit. The best part is no cavities! We go back in 6 months for another cleaning. The dentist talked to him about making sure he gets all the sugar bugs off of his teeth every morning and night.

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-26T21:54:00.000-06:00

We have gone to Boo at the Zoo since Thad was a baby. We had to start the new tradition with Ollie too. We went opening night and as always had a great time. Thad has been talking about being Woody for the past few weeks and when I took him to the store to pick it out, we left with Iron Man. I think he saw the mask and thought it was cool and I wasn't going to argue with him (even though I think he would have made a cute Woody!)

Oliver is wearing Thad's first Halloween costume. He makes a pretty cute giraffe.

Thad is usually afraid of the characters but this year he wanted his picture with all of them.

This one cracks me up. These two characters freak me out just looking at them!

The zoo had about 30 trick or treat stations. It's a safe and fun place to trick or treat. It's also fun seeing all the other costumes. Two years ago when Thad was Elmo we went by the Lion cage and one of the lion's jumped up and pawed at our little Elmo. It freaked everyone out and I grabbed Thad like it was an open glass and the lion was going to eat him! This year the lions weren't liking the costumes either and they were growling on the other side of the glass. I'm glad there is a thick piece of glass between them and us!

Love this little Iron man!

Oliver slept through most of it, but towards the end he came out to play. I was holding Oliver and a little girl walked by and said, "look mommy, she is holding a baby giraffe!" The mom explained to her that is was just a baby in a costume :)

Thad got these cool vampire teeth and had to try them out.

Thad and Liv. Liv is a friends daughter and is a dancer and was one of the zombies that danced to Thriller by the graveyard.

If you ever get a chance go to Boo at the Zoo! Or you can come visit us at Halloween and we can all go!

Preschool Picture

2011-10-25T18:54:00.000-06:00

Picture day was a few weeks ago at Thad's school and I have anxiously been waiting for them. Thad talked about climbing up on the stool and he said a lady told him to smile. Thad has a unique smile and just smiles so hard and also uses his fists to show his excitement, so I figured that is what his school pictures would be. I love this picture. He looks so big and so handsome! I just can't believe my baby is in preschool. The time is flying by and needs to S L O W down!

My new addiction.....

2011-10-24T19:42:00.000-06:00

I have discovered Pinterest and am now obsessed with it! If you haven't checked it out go to www.pinterest.com. It has so many neat crafts to do. Most of it is stuff you can get from around the house.

Here are a few of the projects we have done so far:

Rock Art- I had these rocks sitting around so we painted them. I made our cute little rock family and glued eyes on them. I glued magnets on the back and now they decorate our bland white fridge :)

Thad had fun helping. He picked out his rocks and got to paint them.

I took a Cheerios cereal box, cut it to this shape and then glued scrapbook paper on it. Glued a few magnets on the back and now it collects papers on our fridge. At least it hides some of the clutter :)

I love this cute frame for Halloween. I got a cheap $1 frame from Michaels and painted it black. We glued eyes all over it and now we have a cool Halloween frame.

I need to get a picture of the boys for Halloween but until then, Thad decided to be my model of the frame.

I have so many projects I want to do from this website. You can "repin" them and post ideas you find online. It is highly addicting though so watch out!! Stay tuned for more crafts!

Fall fun

2011-10-24T17:27:00.000-06:00

We went with our heart group- Mended Little Hearts to the pumpkin patch. Thad was very excited to go and see his heart friends!

We went to Venetucci Farms and picked out the perfect pumpkins.

We went down the first row so it was a little picked over but Thad still found the perfect pumpkin.

Thad wanted to paint so bad one day so we decided to paint pumpkins. At first he was so good with only putting one color on at a time but by the end one side was completely black from all the mixing of colors!!

He had so much fun painting.

I love doing little activities with him. He has fun and it's good bonding time for the two of us :)

Kansas Visit

2011-10-19T10:10:00.000-06:00

We went to Goodland a few weeks ago to meet the newest addition of the family. Adam's sister Jena and Matt had their second baby Cora. She is a little doll. She is so petite and so sweet.

Aunt Jill got this dress for Cora and dressed her up :)

Of course the three boys- Thad, Maddix and Josh always have a fun time together. They played outside for hours together!

The neighbor had a truck full of pumpkins and let all the kids pick one. They had fun picking out their pumpkins.

Jude and Oliver are buds

You might remember this picture from 3 years ago with Thad, Maddix and Josh. We were trying to reinact the picture with Jude, Oliver and Cora.........

(I love how Thad is smiling and the babies are crying- Maddix (brown shirt) and Josh (green shirt) were just about 5 weeks old)

It didn't turn out exactly the same but makes for a cute picture! Oliver is trying to eat Jude's shirt and Jude was getting sad because Cora was crying.

This is little Claire and she is Adam's cousins baby. We couldn't get over how Claire and Oliver look so much alike! It's those big round eyes and cute little noses. Oliver takes after the Kemp side of the family for sure :)

Cousins having fun playing but I made them stop for a quick picture. Titus is always so good with the younger kids. They all like playing with him.

Cora and Oliver had the same little sister/little brother shirts so we had to get a few pictures.

They have good big brothers to help take care of the babies

Little Maddix didn't want to sit on the couch so he snuck in on the side and he didn't even know I was taking his picture :)

It was great seeing the family for the weekend. Everyone made it back except for the Younger's in Hutch. It's always a little chaotic when everyone gets together but it's a good chaotic and fun to see everyone together. The kids have so much fun playing and get along pretty well. Of course they each have their moments but who doesn't! Every time we leave family, Thad gets sad because he just misses everyone sooooo much!

Jena, Adam, Jill, Maddix and Beth

My boys.......

2011-10-17T15:10:00.000-06:00

How is it possible that out of all the Little Boys in the whole world.......we got the best ones?

Not too sure about this....

2011-10-17T15:05:00.000-06:00

Oliver tried rice cereal for the first time. He seems very interested in food but doesn't really like the bland rice cereal! He opens his mouth when he see's the spoon coming but makes a sour face after he tastes the cereal.

Thad wanted to feed Oliver so BAD! He did a really good job but would get a little too much on the spoon at times :)

Oliver 4 Months

2011-10-11T14:24:00.000-06:00

Our little man is 4 months old. He is such a good baby. He is very calm and mellow. You hardly hear a peep out of him unless he's hungry or wants to be picked up! He is really starting to notice things and definitely knows when his momma walks by.

He loves to laugh and giggle especially when Thad is talking to him.

Love this picture with his tongue curled!

Today he had his 4 month check up. Here are his stats:

16 lbs 3 oz (I actually thought he would weigh more than this)

26 1/4 inches

He is in the 75th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height. He is the perfect size right now! I started recording him in the Dr's office because he was so close to rolling over! He just needed to get his shoulder over and he would have had it. It's probably good he didn't so Daddy could see it too. He loves his baby milk but we will probably start him on rice cereal soon because he LOVES to eat and I feel like he needs something more than my milk!

He was such a good boy today even though he got 2 shots.

Look at these fat rolls! It's so cute!

Oh sweet Oliver! You are such a good baby and we are so blessed to have you. I am excited to see what life has in store for you. As long as it doesn't go too fast........

If you need a good laugh.....

2011-09-21T13:35:00.000-06:00

.......checkout this article. It made me laugh. It is so true. Every mom has been through this or will go through this when their children are old enough. You never know what your 3 year old will do, say or how he will act that day. All you can do is laugh at the end of the day and remember they are only little once and then when your 3 year old out grows that stage, the next one will be there to take over :)

Happy reading.

2011-09-21T10:38:00.000-06:00

We had some visitors last weekend. Adam's sister Beth came out with Tatum and Jude. We had a fun time and Thad loved playing with Tatum even though they fought some of the time like they were brother and sister!

We went to the zoo on Saturday. It was our children's activity for Mended Little Hearts so we went with some of our heart friends.

Tatum

Jude

Oliver liked to be able to look out at all the action.

Jude got to feed the giraffes!

Mary, Melissa and Me. Melissa has been our fearless leader for Mended Little Hearts for this past year and just got a great job opportunity in another state (tear, tear). We are going to miss her so much!

We always have to ride the train when we come to the zoo.

Thad waiting patiently to ride the horse's.

Tatum loved riding the horse.

Since Tatum went by herself Thad decided he would go by himself. Usually Adam walks with him but he wanted to be just like Tatum and go by himself.

They had fun feeding the chickens

The monkeys put on quit the show for us. There was one who was very ornery and was antagonizing the other two in there. Everytime the monkey would swing over to the glass all the kids laughed. I think we stayed in that spot for 15 minutes just watching them.

Tatum wanted to ride the sky ride really bad so we all braved it. We wanted to ride together but couldn't so Beth, Tatum and Jude rode together and our family rode together. I have been on it before when Thad was almost 2. It gives me the heebie geebies! I was clinching onto Oliver so tight and would barely move because I didn't want the seat to swing anymore than it already was. Thad did very good and sat like a good little boy. They have a playground at the top where the kids played and climbed.

Beth, Tatum and Jude are in the seat above us.

Oliver and Jude had fun together too. Every time Jude saw Ollie he would just smile.

We had a fun weekend and so glad Beth came out to visit us. Thad was sad when Tatum left. I think he has told me about 15 times "Mommy, I miss Tatum. But she will be back next week right?" I guess we'll have to make a trip to Kansas soon so he can see his cousin again.

(Beth, I will send you the pictures I took from the weekend-there are a lot!)

Team Lightning

2011-09-20T16:23:00.000-06:00

Thad started soccer a few weeks ago and LOVES it! I don't think he is going to be the next David Beckham but he still has a fun time. Adam is the coach and I'm not sure if that is a good thing for Thad because he thinks he can get away with anything since Daddy is the coach!

This was the first practice

This picture says it all! All the other kids are listening to Coach Adam and what is my son doing......he is looking in the sky at a bird or plane maybe????

The kids got to pick the name of their team and they chose Team Lightning. I think it was rainy that day and one of the kids suggested it and they all went for it! They like putting their hands in and saying "TEAAAAAMMMM LIGHTNING!!!!"

We couldn't play soccer without Jesse and Chloe on our team! These are Thad's best friends from Rhonda's house. Poor Jesse looks like he is getting smooshed and screamed at! They all ended up on the ground after this shot.

This was their first game. I love this picture of Thad and Chloe. So sweet.

Thad loves when the other kids fall down because it gives him a reason to dog pile them! Before every game I have to tell him two things: 1. Don't touch the ball with your hands and 2. Please don't jump on any kids if they fall down. It doesn't help because he is the first one to fall on top of them when they go down. I got a couple good one's on video :) Thad scored a goal at his first game.......but it was for the other team.

The best part of the game is the snacks and juice after!

This was at his second game and I love this picture.

Thad being the goaly (not sure how to spell that one!) He stopped the ball a few times but as you can see he was running over to me to ask me if I was watching him! Good thing it takes the other kids a while to get the ball back to his goal!

If you haven't watched 3 year olds play soccer I highly recommend it. It is very funny to watch them try so hard to kick the ball. Most of them get confused on which goal to kick it in but it's all for fun. Thad has a great time playing even though he gets very distracted sometimes! He told me after his game "playing soccer is hard work!"

Fun Blogs/Websites

2011-09-20T16:10:00.000-06:00

I have found some neat blogs/websites recently that I thought I'd share.

One of my favorites is: Money Saving Mom - http://moneysavingmom.com/

Deal Seeking Mom- http://dealseekingmom.com/

Blog of fun food ideas- http://meetthedubiens.blogspot.com/

The Budget Mommy- http://www.thebudgetmommy.com/

I'm sure there are tons of websites out there like these. I found these through face book and they give some really good advice and let you know what deals are out there. I have even got a few ideas for working at home jobs. They won't make you rich but it gives you a little more income each month.

Happiness book

2011-09-15T10:08:00.001-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-10T12:32:00.001-06:00

We went back to Kansas to my parents cabin at the lake for labor day. Both my sister and brother's family also made it back.

The weather was beautiful and I probably didn't pack enough long sleeves! Thad discovered a DS Nintendo. He wouldn't let that thing go all weekend. He LOVED it. Luckily he has forgot about it for now but I see us buying one in our near future!

We always get a picture with all the grandkids but this year didn't go too well. I got that new camera and all I wanted was to take pictures of them all together!

This is the best we got...... Of course my child has his eyes closed! Oh well, it's still a good picture of with them all and it will be funny to look back on later.

This one didn't go well either. Thad and Avery were screaming the entire time! Dawson and Jae look like they are so far away from the others but oh well!

I think there was something about pictures this weekend that didn't go well. Thad already had this big brother shirt and Oliver just got the same one from my aunt. In every picture that Oliver was smiling, Thad was either crying or looking away. In every picture Thad was smiling in, Oliver was looking down. It still turned out cute.....

Thad and Dawson are good buddies! They played so well together all weekend. Dawson is such a good little boy. He is 2 years older than Thad but they have such a good time together. Dawson says the cutest and sweetest things too. There was a scare at the lake this weekend with a jet ski- luckily everyone was just fine. When we saw all the commotion by the water with the cops Dawson says "I just said a prayer in my heart that the person will be okay." I asked him what his prayer was and his response was "I don't know, I already forgot, but it was a good one!" He is just so sweet.

There was alot of climbing and wrestling with Papa. He always gets beat up on and the kids love it!

(Not sure what Thad is doing in this picture but it reminds me of a cheer move....shhhh don't tell daddy)

We played Phase 10 and Oliver jumped in to play with us.

Macie was making Oliver laugh so hard here. It was the first time he really laughed out loud. It was so cute. I wish I would have gotten it on video.

The boys love driving the barbie car! They wear it out so much it has to be on the charger every night.

We all sat around the fire and had smore's.

The last day we were there we finally went in the water. My parents have a fishing boat and the guys went fishing a few times. The neighbor was selling his boat and my parents ended up buying it that weekend. It is a nice boat to take out and fish and cruise around the lake.

Adam, Thad, Mike and Dawson went tubing and about gave me a heart attack watching. I knew Thad was in good hands but it still makes me so nervous seeing your child go that fast in a tube!

The guys were saying faster but I was saying No! After awhile the little ones wanted to get out and the water was pretty chilly. Adam and Mike went in a different tube that spun them around constantly and they were both sore after that ride!

We had a fun weekend with my family. It's always a good time getting together with them even if it is chaotic!

3 Months

2011-09-09T12:23:00.000-06:00

Ollie is 3 months old today! He is such a happy and mellow baby. He hardly cries except when he's hungry(which seems like all the time!) or see's me walk by him and not stop! He LOVES Thad. You can see it the way he looks at him. His face lights up every time Thad starts talking to him. I know they are going to be best friends!

Checking out his arm!

He is such a happy baby. He loves to smile and loves to talk. You can tell he is just itching to say something.

I was in the store the other day and someone asked if he was about 6 months old! When I told them he was 3 months they were very surprised and said oh, he's a big boy! He doesn't have a checkup this month but I'm sure he is 15 lbs by now. He is wearing anywhere from 6 months to 12 months in clothes. The onsie he has on now is for a 12 month old.

He loves chewing on his hands and is already drooling everywhere.

Two peas in a pod!

I remember Thad sitting on this exact same couch and falling asleep sitting up. I looked over and saw Oliver in the same position sound asleep........

Happy 3 month to my sweet healthy boy. We are so blessed to have him in our lives.

Leave of Absence

2011-09-09T07:50:00.000-06:00

I just realized this week on Tuesday I would have had to go back to work. I am taking a 1 year leave of absence from my job. I am so blessed to be able to do this. After a year we will see how our finances are and hopefully be able to keep me at home permanently. My job will be waiting for me after a year if I would need to go back to work. I couldn't imagine going back to work right now. Oliver is only 3 months and I couldn't be without him during the day. I am so greatful to my work and everything they have done for me over the past 8 years I have been there. They have been so generous with time off during births and the women there are good friends. I will enjoy this next year and cherish every moment!

Buddy Walk 2011

2011-08-30T13:13:00.001-06:00

Buddy Walk 2011 was this past weekend. We have walked the past 5 years with the Krause family. We met them in 2007 through our church. They have been such great friends to us over these years and have an awesome family! They have 6 kids and their son Peter has Down Syndrome. Peter is one of the most loving kids I know. He doesn't know a stranger and is always so ready to give you a hug or knuckles. If you are having a bad day all you would need to do is spend one second with Peter and he would cheer you up. I am so glad we met this family! Thad loves Peter too. The first thing he asks when we are going to church is "Can I play with Peter outside after church?" And if he sees Peter in the pews ahead of us, he always shouts out his name!

Catherine and Peter

Thad had fun seeing all the characters. His favorite one is Sox the Fox and he was so excited when he saw him.

He also loves white powder donuts and ate a whole pack before the walk! He had powder all over his face. Last year he was afraid of the Armadillo but this year he wanted his picture with him.

The Krause family had these shirts made for us this year. They are so neat and have our names spelled out with sign language. Little Ollie's was a little big but we will be ready for next year's walk!

Thad walked most of the time but rode on Daddy's shoulders some too. He held his sign proud and shouted "Peter, Peter, Peter!" It was a 3 mile walk in Manitou Springs. Some of it was up hill and it was a workout- but well worth the cause!

Peter crossing the finish line. So proud of you Peter!

Peter has been through a lot in this past year. He was diagnosed with leukemia and is currently going through treatments. Peter, we are so thankful for you and can't wait to walk with the Peter Warriors next year!

Loves of my life

2011-08-28T15:05:00.000-06:00

I can't stop taking pictures of my boys! They probably think a camera is attached to my face. Every time I take a picture I think it's my favorite one and then I take another one and think the same thing.

These next few might just be my favorite.....

Look at those eyes!

Tummy time

I LOVE my boys

This one is DEFINITELY my FAVORITE. I can't get over this picture.....this boy melts my heart. He can be the orneriest little boy and I might get frustrated with him at times but at the end of the day he is the sweetest!

Fun with Cousins

2011-08-26T19:11:00.001-06:00

Shayna, Hannah and Macie have been here since last Friday. Thad loves when his cousins come to visit and likes to wrestle and rough them up a bit! My parents brought them out and then they took a little trip to Nevada to gamble for a few days and left them here with us.

Shayna LOVES baby Oliver and was a big helper. She would hold him while I was doing other things (like blogging).

They went swimming a few times even though the water was a little chilly!

Thad kept right up with them and went under water when they did.

The girl's brought this baby doll with them and we would see it laying face down on the couch and your heart would drop for just a minute. All of us at one time saw this baby laying around glancing at it real fast and thinking it was Oliver. I had to take a picture of them together. I would have to say Ollie is much cuter!

Thad adores the girls. He is rough with them and picks on them all the time but he really does love having them here. He likes to do the things they do. I would have to say he wrestles Hannah the most. She is the closest thing to his size and he just likes to pick on her.

Papa makes for a good horsey. They all like to ride Papa around until he can't go anymore!

Then they just wrestle him.

Nana and Papa with their boys.

It was fun having them all out here. Thad was sad when they left today and asked when they were coming back. We will see them and the rest of the family in just a week for some lake time during Labor day weekend.

Silly face!

Macie, Thad, Hannah, Shayna and Ollie

Photo Friday

2011-08-26T09:02:00.000-06:00

Sky Sox game

2011-08-25T18:25:00.000-06:00

Ready for some baseball!!!!!

At the AHA heart ball in February Front Range Orthopaedics was the winning bidder on a Mended Little Hearts activity. They planned a wonderful night of baseball, food and special surprises! The CHD kids got to walk around the field and one boy from our group got to throw out the first pitch. They also got to sing "Take me out to the ballgame" into the microphone.

The Sky Sox played the Salt Lake Bee's. We had good seats in the picnic terrace and had a nice buffet dinner. They also handed out goodie bags with a blow up bat and baseball, hats, and other fun things.

Ollie had fun hanging out in the baby Bjorn.

Family fun! Thad wouldn't put down his whistle for a good picture.

Sox the Fox came by for a visit and all the kids loved it! Thad is usually afraid of people in costumes but he LOVES Sox the Fox!

Big hugs!

Watching baseball with Papa

It was such a fun night. My parents and nieces were able to come to the game with us. There were 3D fireworks at the end but it got so cold and windy we had to leave a little early so we missed the fireworks. Maybe next time.

Garden of the Gods

2011-08-23T16:54:00.000-06:00

My parents and nieces came out for the weekend and we went to Garden of the Gods. We had a fun time walking around and of course taking pictures with my new camera :)

The kids had fun holding up balancing rock. They think that's pretty neat they can go under the rock and act like they are holding it up. Thad had a great time. Papa gave him shoulder rides and helped him climb up rocks!

Great view!

Thad's excited fists. He always had to be in the pictures. I tried taking a few of just the girls and had to sneak the pictures when he wasn't looking.

Shayna, Hannah and Macie

They are getting so BIG and growing up too fast. I remember holding Shayna when she was just months old and now she is 10 years old!

Nana and Papa with the grandkids

Our family photo. We had to pry Thad away from climbing to take a quick picture.....as you can see he doesn't look too happy!

We always have a fun time when my parents come out. It's fun to live in a place where we can do fun things when company comes to visit!

7 Year Anniversary

2011-08-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today is our 7 year wedding Anniversary. 7 years! oh how time flies when you are having fun. Our wedding was such a good time. Small town weddings are the best! We got married in Russell, KS on August 21, 2004. It will be a day we never forget!

Adam and I met in college the summer of 2001. He moved into the apartments below me. My roommate Shiloh saw 4 guys moving into the apartment and said to me "there is one that I think you are going to like" I told her that I had already saw them and didn't think any were my type. Little did I know that wasn't true! Adam and I started dating July 19, 2001.

Here is the first time we saw each other on our wedding day. I was so nervous and when I opened my eyes seeing Adam standing there made it all go away. He looked so handsome (and young!)

This picture has always amazed me. You notice the light shining on my face like there is a window there right????? If you look at the picture above you will see there is no window there.

Adam and I have been through so much in our marriage. We have 3 beautiful children who are all so special. We have gone through something that no parent should ever have to experience. Through all of the laughter, tears and heartache we are a stronger couple. I couldn't imagine going through life with anyone other than Adam. He is so kind, gentle and loving. He has always been there for me and tells me like it is! He has a different way of looking at things and keeps me in my place when I need it. He is a great father and isn't afraid to show his emotions. He is my best friend.

Pictures from the past! This is at my 21st birthday party- August 2002.

We traveled half way around the world together in 2003 when we went to Paris. This is us getting ready to go to Moulin Rouge.

June 2002

Oh to be young again! I know we aren't old but looking back at some of these pictures we look so young. I have to say I miss my long blonde hair!

Hawaii - November 2005

July 2007
We went on a cruise with my family. I was pregnant with Thad in this picture.

February 2011- Heart Ball

Love you Adam! I look forward to celebrating many more years with you.

Funny boys

2011-08-20T13:51:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist buying these matching pajama's. Oliver is wearing a size 12 months and Thad is wearing a size 5T. They look so cute wearing them! And they were on clearance so even better!

To infinity and beyond..........

I took a few pictures and Ollie had enough! His face says it all........

New camera

2011-08-19T13:49:00.000-06:00

I got an early birthday present.....a Canon Rebel T2i camera. It is so NICE! It has a lens on it and I love taking pictures with it. It is 18 megapixels which makes the pictures so clear. With my other digital camera you always have to wait for the flash to take a picture. This camera is so fast and I can take picture after picture without waiting.

Here are a few I have taken over the weekend

Fun at the zoo

Sweet Ollie

I love this one right after his bath

Best friends

Handsome boy

Cutie pie

Now I just have to figure out how to use all the settings because I know there are tons of things I can do with these pictures.

First day of Preschool

2011-08-19T13:05:00.000-06:00

Thad had his first day of preschool last week. He only goes twice a week for a few hours. We enrolled him in our Catholic school. He cried when I dropped him off but as soon as I walk out of the room I hear him stop. By the time I pick him up he has so many stories for me.

He got to pick out his back pack and he wanted spider man!

There are 7 kids in his preschool class. He has a fantastic teacher who we met through our church. She also has a daughter in his class and they are going to be good friends!

He has had such a fun week. He keeps telling me stories about preschool and everything he has done. He already learned a new song and has been singing about the monkeys hanging from the trees and snap they fall in the alligators!!

I can't believe it's already time for preschool. This will be good for him to go a few days a week and start to get in the habit of school. Our Catholic school has a great preschool program and I'm excited for him to be in that environment!

Oliver - 2 Months

2011-08-14T17:01:00.000-06:00

Oliver had his 2 month checkup last Friday. He has gained 3 lbs since his one month checkup! He is now 13 lbs 10 oz and almost 23.5 inches. He is in the 90th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. He is one chunky 2 month old! He had to get 2 shots which he did not like! Since he is so chunky he is in 3-6 month clothes and quickly outgrowing them. Soon he will be in 6-9 months and isn't even 3 months old yet!

Oliver is doing so good. He is very healthy and LOVES to eat. He is eating every 2-4 hours during the day and is sleeping a little longer at night. He goes to bed around 9 and sleeps until 2ish. He then wakes up 1-2 more times before 7. He is such a good baby, very mellow and laid back. He does like to be held a lot but who can blame him.

Ollie is very photogenic and loves the camera. I just can't get over how sweet he is!

Sweet smiles

Tribune Fair

2011-08-12T22:04:00.000-06:00

We went back to Tribune for the fair. It's kind of a tradition for all of Adam's siblings to make it back during the fair. This year a few couldn't make it back but it was still a good time. Thad and Tatum were excited to ride on the rides. They had a fun time on the swings, cars, train and little farris wheel.

The weather was nice so the kids played outside alot!

Larry the turtle is a big hit with everyone. If you don't know his story, here it is.....Jena got Larry about 15 years ago (right Jena?) from a pet store. He could fit in the palm of her hand. Years later he is now over 80 lbs and has free range of the backyard during the summer. In the winter he stays in a huge cage in the basement.

The kids love to go swimming in the hot tub. (the water isn't actually hot) They could stay in there forever if we would let them.

This is quite the picture! You know he is excited when his fists are clenched!

Uncle Brett took Thad on a ride on the tractor. He loved it!

Cousins- Thad, Zekke and Tatum

It's always fun seeing Rachel and her family. She has twins- Emmy and Eli. Rachel is married to one of Adam's classmates and we all met in college.

Jude and Oliver had fun hanging out together. Jude is such a sweet boy and is so happy all the time. I know they are going to be great friends!

Oh Thad....

2011-08-09T16:38:00.001-06:00

Thad is definitely one of a kind. He knows how to be sweet, loving and just plain ornery! He knows what buttons to push of mine and knows when I need an extra hug or kiss. I love the boy he is turning into. He is filled with questions and always wants to know why something works the way it does.

He has recently started feeding his baby Oliver. I caught him in the chair that I nurse Oliver in the other day with his shirt up and baby Oliver facing his chest. He even makes the slurping noises that Ollie sometimes makes! He thinks I feed Oliver through my stomach. He likes to burp his baby when he is done too. Just look at this face!

He makes us smile and is so excited about everything he does. He asks about things over 100 times and then when he knows I am tired of telling him the same thing over and over he'll say to me "stop asking mommy?" Where does he come up with these things?

Our neighbor gave him this tray and he loves being able to sit on the couch and eat his food. He doesn't do it often because we like to eat as a family at the table. Here you can see he is occupied with Garfield on tv.

Before every meal he starts us out in prayer by making the Sign of the Cross. If we are out to eat and forget to pray he always reminds us and jumps right into prayer. After he makes the Sign of the Cross he starts with the Blessed our Lord prayer. He knows it by heart but has a little trouble with the last few words. He then prays for a few things like his friends and family.

He loves his baby brother and wants to be by him all the time. He will stand by him when Oliver is in the swing or if I am feeding him he will just come over and stand so he can touch his head. I'm sure he is wondering if Oliver will ever grow up so he can wrestle and play with him!

He crawled up the other day and started reading Oliver "Curious George" He is such a good big brother.

Thad you are such a good boy. We might get frustrated with you sometimes or you get frustrated with us when we don't know what you are trying to tell us but we love you. I can't believe he will be starting preschool next week. Your teacher is going to have her hands full!

Thad meets Oliver

2011-08-09T09:33:00.001-06:00

I finally got the video of Thad meeting Oliver for the first time uploaded. It is so cute! Thad likes to watch it over and over. Click here to watch the video. He was so excited to meet his new brother. Oliver even brought Thad a few presents to open.

Christina and Paul's wedding

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is my best friend Christina. Doesn't she make a beautiful bride? She got married to Paul on July 16th and I was lucky enough to be her maid of honor. It was such a fun day and a wedding I will always remember!

This is one of my favorite pictures! I met Christina over 5 years ago at my work. She happens to be my boss's daughter in law :) They now live in Georgia and I wish they were closer. She has been with me through everything and has always stuck by me in my saddest moments.

Here she is dancing with Oliver.....such a sweet picture.

Thad was staying with Grandma Luci in Kansas so he didn't come to the wedding (which was a good decision...with me being in the wedding and so involved Adam would have had to chase a 3 year old and take care of Oliver)

Oliver was such a good baby throughout the whole wedding. He was such a trooper for the few days before going to the nail appointment, hair appointment and rehearsal dinner. He was our mascot for the wedding! I would feed him in between pictures and getting ready and then he slept for 3 hours straight during the wedding and until the dinner!

We had to get a dance in too!

Congratulations to Christina and Paul!

Smiles

2011-08-05T16:37:00.000-06:00

What a sweet boy we have. He has started smiling the past few days and each smile just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. He loves to be talked and sang to. The way he opens his mouth like he wants to say something so bad is so darn cute! If you are having a bad day just take a look at this sweet boy and I promise it will make you forget all your troubles for the day!

Memories

2011-08-04T16:12:00.002-06:00

I took these pictures at my mom's house last month. I just can't stop looking at them. They make me so happy. I really am so blessed to have two sweet boys. I can't wait to see who they will become in life. It is already going by too fast and life needs to slow down.

Happy birthday Emma

2011-08-02T07:57:00.000-06:00

Today Emma would be 5 years old. Every year as we approach another birthday it just doesn't seem real sometimes. It seems like such a long time ago but when I look at her pictures I remember like it was yesterday what it was like to hold her and to see her precious smile.

This picture is one of our first family photos. This was the day our lives changed forever. We welcomed this sweet little girl into our lives not knowing what her future would hold. It didn't matter that she was only here for 3 months, it was the best 3 months and we are so blessed we got to spend that time with her.

She is on our minds all the time and I'm always wondering what she would look like today. I would like to think she would look like me when I was a little girl since both of my boys take after their daddy. I can picture this sweet little 5 year old with long brown hair and blue eyes.

September 7, 2006

This picture was taken 5 days before we got to bring her home from Denver.

October 1, 2006

Adam's sister Jena and husband Matt came for a visit on this day. Jena took a bunch of pictures of us. I am so glad she was able to take these so we will have them to always look at. Emma was a trooper this day because it seemed like we took hundreds of pictures!

October 10, 2006

I loved the days when we would change her NG feeding tube and oxygen pads. I loved posing her for pictures without her tubes. I'm sure she liked it too!

November 5, 2006

This was taken 4 days before she passed away. I remember this day so well. We took her for a walk. At the time we only lived a few blocks from my work so we walked to my work and showed her off to all my coworkers. I am so glad we did this and that they got a chance to meet her.

So much has happened over the last 5 years in our lives. We have two incredible boys who we are so thankful for. We know Emma is with us everyday and is watching over our family. We are truly blessed even though she isn't here with us physically. The heartache we face in life just makes us stronger. We have to take the bad and the good and make the best out of it. And that is what we do everyday. Everyone always says to us "I don't know how you do it, you are so strong." But the truth is nobody knows how to do "it" until you are put in this situation. You can either accept it and or not. We chose to accept it and make the best out of it. We think about Emma everyday but you find ways to get through these days, especially knowing we will be with her again. Our life will never be the same.

Every time I hear this song.....If Heaven wasn't so far away, I'd pack up the kids and go for the day.......I think of her. I would love to go up to Heaven for the day and visit her. I'm afraid if we went to visit we would want to stay and not come back. Has anyone read the book "Heaven is for Real" It is a wonderful book about a 4 year old boy who died and went to Heaven and then came back to life. I just finished reading it and would recommend it. Be prepared to have tears and chills go through your body. What an incredible journey this little boy went on. Could you imagine going to Heaven for 3 minutes? I can only imagine what he saw. One thing he told his dad was- there was a lot of children in Heaven. That means Emma has lots of friends to play with and keep her occupied until we see her again.

We love you so much Emma girl, you have changed our lives forever and we are so blessed to have you in our life.

Happy birthday Emma! We will continue to celebrate your life everyday.

Oliver's Baptism

2011-07-25T15:01:00.007-06:00

Oliver was baptized on July 24th at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship.

Oliver did so good on his big day. He had this adorable outfit that his Godmother Sue got for him. He looked so cute in his baptismal outfit and little hat! Both Emma and Thad were baptized in the hospital before their heart surgeries so it was so nice to have a baptism in the church. It was a special day for our family and we are so blessed!

Our sweet family!

Thad wanted to be in the picture too and put on a big cheesy grin!

Almost time to be baptized

Thad was sitting in the pew with Grandma and Grandpa but wanted to be with us up front so he came running to us with one shoe on and one shoe off. It was cute. In this picture it looks like he is hiding from Fr. Mark!

Oliver was sleeping up until this point when Fr. Mark poured Holy Water on his head. He woke up and squirmed a little but he never cried. He is such a good baby. He loved the oil rubbed on his head and he smelled so good.

Thad was proud of his little brother.

Tony and Sue (my dad's brother) are my Godparents and now they are Oliver's Godparents too. We are so lucky to have them be such a big part of our lives. They are always there for us and are willing to help us out anytime we need them. Thank you Tony and Sue for EVERYTHING you do for us!

Tony, Fr. Mark, Me, Ollie, Adam and Sue

We had a BBQ at our house with family and friends after his baptism. It was a great day and one we will remember for the rest of our lives!

Thank you to all of our family and friends who came to Oliver's baptism and shared his special day with us.

Younger Family Get Together

2011-07-14T14:38:00.000-06:00

We went to Salina last weekend to celebrate Adam's Grandma's 82nd birthday! It was a big surprise and Adam's brother and sister's families made the trip too. We all came into town and surprised her at a hotel. We told her we came to visit because we were in Russell for a few days and decided to come to Salina for the day. She knew we were going to go swimming at one of the hotels and asked her to come watch the kids! She fell for it and was very surprised when she saw everyone.

Great Grandma Monie meeting Oliver for the first time

Here is all the grandkids and great grandkids. Adam's dad had the banner made with all the names.

Great grandpa Erv holding Thad and Great grandma Monie holding Oliver

I always love Thad's facial expressions in pictures. He never makes a picture dull!

After we had cake it was swimming time! Thad is the biggest water bug I know. He has no fear for the water which scares me to death! He knows he can only jump in the water if Daddy is there to catch him. I love this picture of him jumping in the water!

He also had to fear of going down the big water slide on his own. He probably went down the slide over 20 times by himself. Daddy had fun catching him at the end.

We always have to get a picture of Maddix, Thad and Josh. They are all 3 years old and have a good time together. You never know what kind of picture you are going to get so I just start snapping away!

Adam, Thad, Grandpa Max and Ollie

We had a great weekend and it was good seeing all of Adam's family. It has been way too long since all of us were together at his Dad's house. The kids always have a fun time playing with each other too.

One Month Checkup

2011-07-12T13:25:00.004-06:00

Today was Oliver's one month checkup! He did great for his visit and got to meet Dr. Hoover our favorite pediatrician! (It looks like he is squeezing poor Ollie but he is in good hands!)

Listening to his healthy heart!

He weighed in at 10 lbs 11 oz and is 22 3/4 inches long. He has almost gained 3 lbs and grown 2 inches. He is getting so big! He is in the 75th percentile for weight and 90th percentile for height.

He was wide awake for his appointment and had to get only one shot. He cried for a few seconds and then was done.

Sweet boy

Here is the cross-stitch project I made when I was pregnant with Ollie. I put the finishing touches on and it's ready to be framed. It looks crooked on this picture but I promise it isn't!

Ollie's first trip to the zoo

2011-07-12T13:10:00.004-06:00

Thad loved showing Oliver around the zoo. He showed him the giraffes, elephants, tigers, bears and many more animals! Thad is a pro around the zoo since we go about twice a month. Oliver enjoyed his first day at the zoo although he just wanted to sleep most of the time and nurse!

Of course we couldn't leave until Thad rode "Buddy" on the carousel. He loves riding the carousel and wants to know what all the horses names are.

We got to see a tortoise!

It was fun going to the zoo for the first time even though Ollie won't remember it! He has lots of zoo days ahead of him :)

My boys.......

2011-06-28T15:31:00.003-06:00

.....are so much fun. I love being at home with them. I can't believe Oliver is almost 3 weeks old. The time during the day goes by so quickly. By the time we get up in the morning, eat breakfast, watch a little dino squad on netflix it's already time for lunch, naps and daddy to come home!

Thad loves his baby brother so much and always wants to hug and kiss him. He loves holding him but only for a little bit then he will say Oliver is too heavy!

It looks like he is squishing Oliver but he isn't :)

I love this picture of my two boys

Oliver is doing very well and loves to snuggle and eat! He sleeps much better when he is laying on my chest :) I am so thankful that he is so healthy and doing so good. I have to admit I am constantly looking at his fingernails and mouth to see if they are blue. Then I realize his heart is healthy and so is he and I need to stop worrying about it. He is perfect in every way.

Thad is doing good and is a big help with his baby brother. He is 3 1/2 and is ornery as ever but is still a good big brother. He likes to push my buttons a little and knows what he can get away with. He has taken a few steps backwards but that is to be expected with a new addition in the family. He has gotten all the attention for 3 years and now he has to share it with Oliver. He has decided he wants to be a baby since Oliver is a baby. He has asked me a few times when Oliver is going back in my tummy!

My boys are so special and I love them so much. Everyday is a new experience and we look forward to see what the next day brings.

Oliver Thomas Younger

2011-06-11T12:53:00.005-06:00

We welcomed Oliver Thomas into our lives on Thursday June 9th at 12:41 pm.

He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. I went in on Thursday morning at 6 am. Around 7:00 they broke my water and started me on pitosin. They had to stop the pitosin for a little bit because Oliver wasn't liking it! After about an hour they started it slowly and by noon I was dilated to 10 cm. Once I started pushing it was about 40 minutes later and Mr. Oliver was here.

Meeting him for the first time......

Oliver is such a sweet boy! His mommy and daddy are very proud of him.

Thad stayed at home with Papa Steve until Oliver was born. When Thad came into the room he brought me a red rose. He was so proud to meet his baby brother and was shocked Oliver was not in mommy's tummy anymore.

Loving on his baby brother

So curious about him.....

Our first family photo. I am surrounded by boys now!

Thad's excited face and fists!

We spent one night in the hospital and about 26 hours after Oliver was born we were leaving! It still doesn't seem real leaving the hospital so quickly. This was the first time we could keep a baby in our room all night and day without him being whisked away to the NICU. They did an echo the night he was born and everything looked great with his heart. His oxygen levels were 100% and he was a very pink baby!

He looked so little in his car seat

He is such a sweet baby and a good baby. He hardly cries unless he needs a diaper change or wants to nurse. Even with all the noise from his brother he still manages to sleep through it!

It's hard to see in this picture but he has a little dimple in his chin. Adam's uncle has a dimple in his chin so he must get it from him! It is pretty cute and makes him unique :)

We feel so blessed to have Oliver be healthy. It is such a relief to have a baby who doesn't need surgery within 48 hours of birth or spend 6 weeks in the hospital. It is nice taking him straight home from the hospital and being in our own home as a family. This is what it is supposed to be like. Oliver is a little miracle and we are so blessed to call him ours.

Thad is such a good big brother already. He has already started teaching him baby sign language for mommy, daddy and milk! He always wants to be around him and hug and kiss him. The first thing he said when he woke up this morning was "where's Oliver?" Last night before bed he said he wanted to sleep in his big boy room so Oliver could have his baby bed! This was a shocker to us because his big boy room has been ready for about 6 months and he never wanted to sleep in there by himself. Now he knows Oliver is here and will eventually need the baby bed so he is being a big boy and moving rooms!

We are lucky to have an angel in Heaven looking over us and two strong boys with us here. Thanks for all the well wishes, visits, meals, etc. to all. We appreciate all the prayers over the years. I'll be posting lots of pictures of our handsome little guy and the video when Thad met him for the first time.

Thad's Cardiologist Appointment

2011-05-26T10:55:00.003-06:00

Today was Thad's cardiology appointment with Dr. Brames. When he asked me this morning where we were going and I told him to see Dr. Brames he started crying and said he didn't want to go to the Dr's house! I convinced him there were toys he could play with and that Dr. Brames just wanted to listen to his heart. The minute we pulled up to the office he was in tears :( You would have thought he was being tortured during the echo and EKG. He did finally calm down once Alicia put Toy Story on for him to watch. He also brought Woody so that made it a little better.

After his echo he got to pick two dinosaurs that he could take with him. The EKG was the hard part! I held him on my lap with baby Oliver poking far out and a crying 3 year old squirming all around! He is one strong little 35 pounder. He didn't like the stickers they had to put on him and the cords they hooked onto the stickers.

After that he calmed down a little and was a very good boy when Dr. Brames came in. He listened to Dr. Brames heart and his own heart and said "all done, my heart is okay!" Dr. Brames convinced him to let him listen. He kept saying "I'm a big boy, I not cry for Dr. Brames!"

I always have to get a cheesy grin with Thad and Dr. Brames

It was a great appointment and everything looks good with Thad's heart. His mitral valve is functioning good for now and all the pressures looked good. Heart function is great! He said he is a strong healthy little boy! We go back in one year for another checkup. We are so thankful Thad is doing so well. He is such a sweet boy. God knew what he was doing when he made Thad!

Sunday Funday at the Zoo

2011-05-22T14:08:00.010-06:00

It was a gorgeous day today so we decided to go to the zoo. We love going to the zoo and definitely get our money out of our zoo pass!

Tiger Thad and Tiger Daddy posing for the camera

Thad gave his best Grrrrrrrr.........

We always have to stop by Emma's rock. Thad's famous smile to go with it!

Today he decided he wanted to ride the pony instead of the carousel. Do you notice his big boots?!?!? Nana Luci got those for him and he loves wearing them. They are a little big for him but he doesn't care, and they were perfect for pony riding :)

His pony's name was Sunny. He told Sunny to "Go faster!"

We had never rode the little trolly before today. With me being so close to delivery it was a nice break to ride (although my intention of going to the zoo was to get this baby moving and ready!). We rode the trolly one time around the zoo before we left. Thad wanted to keep riding over and over again so we'll probably have to do it again. Of course he told the driver to go faster too!

Here is a video of Thad riding Sunny

Baby Sprinkle

2011-05-02T14:09:00.004-06:00

Oliver had his 'baby sprinkle' on Saturday. It was supposed to be a small version of a shower but the amount of diapers, clothes, etc. I got there was nothing small about it! My coworker from work put on a beautiful shower with games, food and of course gifts!

The cake that Thad decided he wanted to try early. I think there was 3 spots dug in from where he helped himself to frosting!

A few people got Thad gifts so he was happy he got to open a few presents.

Cute baby clothes

Lots of diapers!

The scrapbook I wanted for baby Oliver!

Ang made these adorable pictures....one for Oliver

a Shaun the Sheep for Thad.....

and she even made one for Emma. These pictures are so cute!

Here are the diapers we got and this picture is missing a few boxes! I got a few more delivered to my work the next day. We figured a total of 1,672 diapers ranging from newborn to size 3 and a total of 1,112 wipes! They are stacked in Thad's closet and it will be nice not to buy diapers for a few months!!!!

I am so blessed to have so many good people in my life. My work and coworkers have always been supportive of our family. We are very blessed to have such great friends and family who take such good care of us!

Easter

2011-04-27T17:52:00.006-06:00

We stayed here for Easter and had fun dying eggs and having an indoor easter egg hunt. We went to my Aunt and Uncle's house for Easter dinner and Thad had another Easter egg hunt there! He got way too much candy so mom and dad are helping him finish it.

He was being very careful while dying his eggs

We wrote all our names on them. Yes- Thad picked a pink one...I think he wanted to be like mommy and Emma!

It was too cold to have our egg hunt outside so we hid eggs inside for Thad to find

He found every single one of them and filled his basket full

Going through his Easter basket

We hope your family had a great Easter too and spent time with family. Next year we will have two boys to find easter eggs!