Holly, Dan, Gregory and Asher!

Merry Christmas 2011!!

2011-12-25T21:09:00.000-06:00

We didn't get to make our usual trip to California this year, so we made Christmas at home, just us. It was definitely sad at moments - missing the rest of the family - but mostly it was really fun making great memories with the kids.

Earlier in the week we tried our hand at making Christmas cookies. I am no baker, so it was interesting! It all worked out quite well, and I must say they were delicious! Gregory enjoyed helping at every stage and did all the sprinkles himself. He really let his creativity shine!

We decked our halls and even though we didn't get a white Christmas, it felt quite homey and festive. Well what Christmas tree and mountain of presents doesn't feel festive? Gregory could barely wait until dawn broke before getting started on the unwrapping! Many thanks to all those that sent gifts - each and every one is truly appreciated! Your thoughtfulness made us all feel so special!

Hope you all had as lovely a Christmas as we had!

Four Months in Pictures

2011-12-02T17:06:00.000-06:00

I'm not even going to try to make excuses for why I don't update this blog more often. Sorry, I wish I could to better, but its pretty low on the priority list. Its not that I don't want to share pictures, its just that I barely get any computer time at all these days. Not to mention, we forget to take pictures most of the time too. The kids move too fast, and most of them turn out blurry anyway!

So, without further ado, here's what we have for summer and fall!

My garden! Deer ate the beets and chard, but thankfully a lot of that grew back. The summer was too late and not hot enough to make very many decent tomatoes, but we got plenty of cherry tomatoes. Asher ate every last one of them - he wouldn't let anyone else have any! The squash and zucchini didn't produce, but we did get plenty of little carrots and green beans. I learned a lot and will do things differently next year, for sure!

A great picture from Dan's birthday. I love how even the dog is smiling!

From 2011-07-28

Gregory painted his face at the Children's Museum

From 2011-08-04

We found a wonderful bike for Gregory on Craigslist! He loves it and is able to ride it all the way to the park and back - still with training wheels but he is getting better and better. When he started he could barely figure out how to pedal, or steer, let alone both together. So he has really come a long way! I bet next summer the training wheels will come off pretty quickly. Of course, Asher has to do everything big brother does, and doesn't like to miss out on any fun!

Asher took his first steps in California back in July, but it took him until about the first of October to really start walking! Of course, he is still climbing everything, and now running around too. Here are some pics of him enjoying his food. He loves to use his utensils and eats almost anything you offer. He often eats more than Gregory at any given meal! Now he is doing a lot more communicating, using signs, nodding yes and no, and even saying some words, so he likes to tell us what he wants and doesn't want. He is obsessed with apples and repeats "apple, apple, apple" when he sees one. Its so fun to know some of his thoughts! He clearly understands everything we say, and we can get a lot of information from him by asking yes or no questions. Maybe I should get some video of that, he is so cute!

We have a simply enormous oak tree in the front yard, and 3 more in the back. The amount of raking is kind of ridiculous. I think Dan and Gregory must have filled over 50 yard waste bags through the course of the season. At least they had fun, and the weather was mild. It didn't really turn cold until Thanksgiving!

Fall is apple season, especially in the midwest, and there are a plethora of harvest activities. We took the boys to this orchard festival, where they had all kinds of fun. Train rides, face painting, places to climb, haystacks to jump off of, a musician and kids musical instruments, apple cider, hot dogs, apple donuts, etc. etc.!

I was a doula for several births this fall, but I did get a chance to escape to Omaha for a few days in between clients. Wow it was so awesome to see those dear friends again! Then we took off for 10 days to California for Uncle Benny and Tita Liz's wedding. Asher instantly took to Grandpa Nick, and was glued to him whenever he was around! It was so cute! His hair was getting pretty long - lots of lovely baby curls - but with the wedding coming up, we decided it was time to tidy it up, so I gave him his first haircut. If anyone recalls the disaster that was Gregory's first haircut, you'll understand that I insisted on doing it myself and made sure he kept some of those sweet curls!

The wedding was held at Las Rocas Resort in Rosarito, Mexico. We loved the old charm of the hotel and had a great suite. The weather was a little chillier that we would have hoped for, but we still had a great time. Just a little less swimming that we thought. The food was amazing, and thankfully no one got sick, which was one of Dan's biggest concerns. In fact, the Lobster dinner we had the night before the wedding was one of the best meals we've ever experienced! The fresh tortillas were absolutely huge and the soup was amazing. Not to mention the fresh lobster, and margaritas! Everyone looked beautiful for the wedding, of course, especially Liz! It was truly a weekend full of fun!

After the wedding we had a few days to hang out, and had planned on mostly helping Ben and Liz move into their new home. But my Grandma Juanita's condition quickly deteriorated and she passed away on Monday, October 17th. Plans changed and it was decided that Asher and I would stay through the weekend to be with the family and attend the funeral, and Dan and Gregory would return to Minnesota as planned. It was sad to realize that Grandma was gone and wouldn't be with us for the holidays, to play games and share emails online, or to visit with. She was a month shy of her 90th birthday. But she was blessed by a relatively quick and painless end to her long and productive life, and she gave us all the gift of being able to be together a little longer and share our memories of her. Cousin Sarah and her little son Alex came out, as did several other family members that hadn't been able to come for the wedding. We shared many meals and many hours enjoying each other, playing with the kids, and helping to organize Grandma's belongings. Claire, Sarah, and I took the little ones to the pumpkin patch, where they had a great time. Asher even insisted on going down the giant slide, and he loved it. Alex wasn't too sure about the carousel, though!

After a red-eye flight home, the rest of October disappeared with me being gone to a 4-day birth! We had a couple of normal weeks in the beginning of November, then took off again. This time to North Dakota for 10 days, for Auntie Kim and Uncle Troy's wedding and Thanksgiving. Kim's wedding was lovely, but somehow I didn't manage to get our camera out for that at all! Thank goodness for photo sharing on Facebook! The week of Thanksgiving didn't go as smoothly, though. Asher suffered a dislocated elbow on Tuesday and we were in the doctor's office for several hours. There, we all caught lots of wonderful germs. By Weds night, Asher was vomiting everywhere. Dan and I took turns going to family Thanksgiving dinners. Poor little Ash! He and I also ended up with a sinus infection from that lovely doctor's office too. Ah well, we still had fun! Grandma Bonnie and the boys played and played. They even went over to the Hogan Pioneer Farm on Thanksgiving morning and rode horses and visited their 1-day old puppies! Then on Saturday morning we were all feeling decent enough to go visit Santa and go for a covered wagon ride in Mandan with the Hogan cousins.

Finally headed home and looking forward to nesting in now that the weather has actally turned cold. When we got home, we found out that we had been exposed to the chicken pox, so we waited a few days and sure enough, Gregory broke out in spots on Tuesday. First one, the next day 10, the next day maybe 20-30, now they are pretty much all over, but its not a terrible case. He sure feels just fine - it hasn't really slowed him down at all. Asher amazingly doesn't have them, but that is not unheard of in kids who are breastfeeding - the mom's immunity gets passed to them so they don't get it. I guess we'll have to get him his own pox when he's older! Lots of kids came by to catch them from us - its definitely best to try to get them over with before kindergarten and we do have a lot of preschool age friends! Of course, then I came down with the stomach flu on Thursday night - we are hoping our little friends didn't catch that as well! So here I sit with extra time to update the blog - because I'm too sick to get up and do anything else! Ah well, I figure we are getting all our winter sickness out of the way at once and can look forward to several healthy months. That's the plan, anyway! We'll be staying home for Christmas this year - a rarity since we always go to California. But after 2 wedding trips there this year, its not in the budget. Still, it will be kind of special to have our own Christmas here at home. We've already got some decorations up inside, and will hopefully feel up to getting a tree and putting up outside lights this weekend. Pictures to come, I suppose! Hopefully I won't wait until April to put them on the blog!

July California Trip

2011-07-26T23:59:00.000-06:00

We went to California for a week to celebrate Claire's wedding. We also had the rare chance to spend time with my cousin Sarah and her family. (By the way, she used our camera to take a lot of the following photos...mostly the good ones!) She has a new baby, Alex, who we met for the first time, and the last time we saw her daughter, Beka, she was just over a year old. Of course, they hadn't met Asher yet either! We hung out quite a bit at my parents' house, and enjoyed a visit to the neighborhood Farmer's Market for a train ride, pony ride, and petting zoo.

Sunday afternoon on the 17th was the wedding at Heritage Park. It was a really nice day, Claire looked perfect, and the ceremony was lovely. Some of the choir members from Claire's high school sang some beautiful music. My sister Kayla and I sang a little part also. Gregory's job was to help Ariana (his cousin) walk down the aisle. But at not-quite-17 months old, she wasn't too sure what she was supposed to do. He took his job very seriously though, and did his absolute best. After the dinner, we all danced into the night. Gregory was quite the party animal!

After the wedding was over, we had nothing but free time to play and have fun! We went to Santa Monica Pier, walked along the shops, rode a ride, and played at the beach. It was the first time the boys had really had a full beach outing at the Ocean. No one got sunburned except poor Dan. That night we went to the Music in the Park with the Long Beach Municipal Band. I have so many memories of doing that when we were kids, it was really fun to go as a grown up with our little guys. El Pollo Loco made the perfect picnic. Even Great Grandma Juanita and Aunt Karen came along.

We spent an afternoon at the Orange County Fair, another favorite childhood experience my mine. In the morning, Gregory, Dan and I fed a few ducks over at El Dorado Park while Asher was napping. Then we met up with most of the Aunties and Uncles at the Fair. We petted the animals, watched a circus act, ice sculpting, and the Peking Acrobats, and ate too much fried food. We did not take enough pictures, at least with our camera!

On Thursday, our little family plus Auntie Audrey, took an excursion down to the San Diego area. We visited the San Diego Botanical Gardens. What a fabulous place! Amazing gardens, including 2 children's areas. The boys played for hours. Asher even climbed up a 5 ft high cargo net and back down again all by himself. We were amazed. He knew he could do it! We might be in trouble with him and the climbing, considering he isn't even walking yet! Afterwards we had dinner with Dan's cousins, Julie and Angie, and Angie's new baby Enzo, who was adorable! Again with the camera fail - we forgot to take pictures of them!

Towards the end of the trip it seems like we did get a little tired of taking pictures, but we got a few of our trip to the Cabrillo Beach, Marine Aquarium, and Point Fermin in San Pedro. Gregory seemed to really like the Touch Tank and the Tidepools. And the face-cut-outs. You know, the photo-op ones - he kept insisting that we take pictures in those! And did I mention that he and Ariana are totally infatuated with each other!?! They were hugging and kissing each other the whole week - we had to curb the kissing to cheeks only - but how adorable! Gregory really loves HIS cousin!

We did a lot of other things involving playing with the Aunties and Uncles, and a good time was had by young and old alike. There was a lot of foosball, Wii Rock Band, rolling in a giant inflatable ball, and building with Tinker Toys. On Friday night, Dan and I were finally able to sneak away to see the Harry Potter movie - thanks Audrey for babysitting! Late on Saturday night, Asher actually took his first steps! It was so fun for that to happen with the family all around, just like we witnessed Ariana's first steps back at Christmastime. And we were able to get in a last minute goodbye with Great Grandma Juanita on our way to the airport on Sunday morning. The traveling went really smoothly too - we kind of have it down to a science now. It was a very full trip, and we are really looking forward to visiting again for a week in October for Ben and Liz's wedding. 3 days in Mexico, plus visits with Michal and family, and Angela and Galiano all the way from Germany. Oh what fun! Can't wait! But I do promise to make at least a couple of blog posts here before then!

From 2011-07-24

June Catch-up

2011-07-26T23:02:00.000-06:00

I am so sorry I didn't manage to post before we went to California last week. So we have a lot of catching up to do!

We have been really busy and distracted since May, with the new house. All throughout May we were working on construction and yard work. We finally moved in the third week of June. This was our 3rd move in 2 years, and it was by far the worst. We still haven't gotten fully settled, but since we don't plan on going anywhere for a long time, I guess there is not a huge rush. Sometime soon I will have to post before and after pictures of the remodeling.

At the beginning of June, Grandma Bonnie, Auntie Kim, and her fiance Troy, and his three kids, Joey, David, and Eden, came to visit for a few days. We had a lot of fun with them. Outings included a couple of pools and the Como Park Zoo, and the Minnesota Zoo. It was great making memories with the soon-to-be cousins - we really look forward to having them in the family officially after Kim and Troy's wedding in November.

Over the boys' birthday weekend we went on the annual API camping trip. You may recall that my labor with Asher began there last year! This was the first time we tent camped with the boys and it was a damp, rainy weekend. It really was pretty fun, though, and we look forward to doing more camping. I am sure with a little practice, we will get the hang of it and it will run more smoothly. Still, we gorged ourselves on S'mores, potluck food, good company, and of course, birthday cake. We don't indulge in too many birthday presents but the Grandparents never fail in that department. Of note this year were the amazing fabric art pieces that Grandma Mary made of their names. Hopefully I can incorporate them into some custom headboards or something like that.

It might have been insane, but our moving day was actually the day we came home from camping. But we managed to get things sort of presentable enough to have a great party on the 4th of July, complete with the big fireworks show around the corner at the park. I snapped some photos of the boys looking adorable (i.e., before they got all dirty and sticky!)

Otherwise, we have been spending our days at playgroups and splash pads, trying not to make too much of a mess at home! Gregory is taking gymnastics, which he loves. Asher finally got some more teeth, so now he has 6 on top, including 2 molars, and just 2 little ones on bottom. It doesn't slow down his eating, though, he is voracious! He weighs a full 2 lbs more than Gregory did at a year. He also took to sign language really quickly, within a couple of days of starting to show it to him. He really loves being able to signal some communication of his opinions. His dexterity isn't too good yet, but I can usually tell what he means contextually. Sometimes he tries to say a few words too, though its mostly a lot of adorable babbling. I have heard him say Mama, Dada, Ga (or GaGa or GaGee, meaning Gregory), Hi, Bye, Bug, Bird, Tweet, and Doggie.

July update to be posted momentarily...

Spring Fun Update!

2011-05-18T20:48:00.000-06:00

We have been chugging along here in lovely Minnesota, experiencing a rather cold and wet spring. Aside from a day here and there with decent weather, things have really only warmed up the last couple of days! Ah well, the boys have continued to grow and blossom even in spite of the chill.

We enjoyed a trip to the Children's Museum at the end of March with a friend. Gregory really had so much fun and even Asher was entertained in the baby room. He was just starting to really crawl and pull up on things at that point. Now he is really fast and cruising around the furniture too.

Asher has been ramping up on eating solid foods in the last 6 weeks or so. He really kinda took off with it and is now eating a lot of most things that we eat. He hasn't really met a food he doesn't like yet! He gets an adorable pathetic look on his face when we are eating and he doesn't have any. Then he yells at me until I give him some, or at least something that he can have! He is pretty efficient, especially considering he only has 3 teeth! He finally cut the first one at the beginning of April, and it was the top one, which is unusual. He is pretty cute with those little pearly whites, though!

The boys had a pretty laid back Easter this year since we had all suffered with the stomach flu for the previous week. But we did manage to pull together some baskets and do a little egg hunting.

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie were in town for Mother's Day and we went to a nice brunch. However, the weather was dreary, and the boys were rowdy, so it was rather humorous to attempt taking any nice family pictures...

I try to get the camera out sometimes when cute things are going on, but both Asher and Gregory get weird and distracted by it, so I am not usually lucky enough to catch the best moments. Here are some of my attempts though!

One more thing and then we are pretty much caught up for now. Last Saturday, Gregory had his first dance performance! It was an informal class showing for his Creative Movement class, but it was at the U of M Dance Center, with lots of people there, so it was pretty neat. He had such a fantastic time this past year in Dance Class and we are really thankful to Miss Denise for her wonderful teaching!

Spring!

2011-03-20T14:27:00.000-06:00

Spring has definitely been creeping in over the last few days. We had over 80 inches of snow this winter, and it is all but gone from the ground. Today it is raining. Soon the buds will start swelling on the tree branches and tiny leaves will sprout. The sunlight is stronger and longer each day - its hard to believe we are at the vernal equinox already! All I have to say about all this is 'Bout Time! I am ready to start hanging out at the park! Or maybe digging around in a garden box at our new HOUSE!

That's right, we bought a house! We will be closing in May, doing a little work, then moving in June. We absolutely CANNOT wait, we are so thrilled! The new house is on a cul-de-sac street in a lovely quiet neighborhood in a first ring suburb, so its minutes from all the things we like to do in the city. We will have a lovely guest room, so come visit us!

The boys have both been doing a lot of growing over the winter. Gregory is around 37 inches tall now, which means he is big enough to go in the IKEA ball pit play area, something he has been dying to do for the last couple of years! He's coming up on the 30 lbs mark too! Another milestone was his first emergency room visit for an injury. Twice in two weeks, actually. First a finger smashed in the hinge of a huge door, then a split lip from a fall on the concrete. Thankfully, neither required medical treatment and he has recovered nicely. We're pretty sure those won't be the last times we have to take a boy to the ER, but hopefully we can keep it to a minimum!

Recently Greg has had a lot of cognitive development too. He is a pro at complex puzzles, patterns, and block building. He can write all his letters and draws fairly identifiable pictures with lots of different colors. He can sound out basic 3 and 4 letter words and reads the first level of the Bob Books at preschool. He has been asking how to spell things all the time. He started asking a lot of questions about outer space and physics, so we have been explaining how the rotation of the Earth on its axis causes night and day, etc. He has a lot of imagination about outer space - its pretty funny! His balance and coordination have also been growing, especially through his Saturday dance class, which he loves. This summer he will do a sports class and swimming, and maybe gymnastics too, through community ed.

Asher turned 9 months old yesterday, and is slowly becoming mobile. He rolls all over the place now, and scoots backwards. He will surely be crawling forwards within a week or two. We can tell that he is quite pleased with himself! He is a cuddly little guy, with a pretty cheerful and laid back personality. He really loves playing with Gregory, who is a fantastic big brother! I think they really truly like each other, which is, of course, one of my greatest hopes as their mom!

Despite lacking any teeth, Asher has been trying out eating some foods. We follow the child-led approach, which means we don't use pureed baby food, and we look for the baby's individual signs of readiness. Basically, we let them tell us when they are ready to eat. Asher really enjoys playing with and tasting foods, but so far, he still has a fairly strong tongue-thrust reflex, so the bits that go into his mouth often pop right back out again. He does manage to swallow a little, though, and we see food as just for fun at this point anyway. So far he has tried bananas, butternut squash, apples, pears, green beans, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, rice, quinoa, and egg yolk. He seems to like squash really well - maybe its the mushiness?

Well that's pretty much the update from us for now. The next couple of months will be really busy with the new house and moving preparations, and I'm sure especially Asher will just be changing so quickly this summer too. We'll try to keep up!

Christmas! Why not, its only the middle of February?

2011-02-13T22:29:00.000-06:00

OK folks, I have finally managed to put together all the stuff from the Christmas 2010 trip.

Just before we left, we opened the presents from the Fix and Hogan grandparents. Gregory had so much fun ripping open all the packages! Thanks for all the wonderful gifts, Grandmas and Grandpas!

This trip was the first time we got to meet my niece, Ariana. She is about 4 months older than Asher, and she took her first steps while we were visiting! What a smart little sweetie! She had fun watching Gregory running all around the house! We also enjoyed spending time with friends of the Aunties, especially Erick, who entertained us with a lot of great music!

We had a great big party at Aunt Vicky and Uncle Brian's house for Christmas Eve, which was wonderful as always. Two more babies in the family this year made it extra fun!

Christmas morning at my parent's house we all opened stockings and lots more presents! Oh my goodness, there was so much! That evening Uncle Ben and Tita Liz brought over their Foosball table and we had an epic tournament!

The day after Christmas we enjoyed the Orange County swapmeet, where Gregory found several opportunities to cut a rug...

We had a very fun day at the Santa Ana Zoo on Grandma Mary's birthday!

We also visited the Discovery Science Center in Orange, and the Griffith Observatory in LA.

This year instead of Disneyland, we went to Knott's Berry Farm. I haven't been there since high school, and a lot of changes have been made since then. Gregory got to know who the Snoopy is, and Dan and I got to ride some big roller coasters. There was kind of a lot of waiting in line, but we had a great time anyway, and rounded out the day with a proper Chicken Dinner.

We did so much more that we didn't get pictures of! We had a wonderful visit as always. And there will be a couple of weddings in the coming year, so we are looking forward to going again sooner than next December! OK, so now that the Christmas stuff is finally up, we can start taking pics again!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2010-12-14T23:21:00.000-06:00

We went out to Bismarck/Mandan for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with Dan's side of the family. It was a long drive, but it didn't seem so bad! We have figured out to give the baby a bottle so we don't have to stop for feedings all the time, but its kinda funny since he is not too used to them. He doesn't object but it is a novelty. We had a lovely time visiting with all the relatives, especially the Hogan clan, with all the little cousins! Lucy made the trip out with us, but she will be staying with Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Rod until January, since we will be out of town for a lot of December. Boy we miss her at home though!

We brought the boys for check-ups at the doctor last week. Gregory has gained over a pound and grown an inch since June! He also is no longer slightly anemic (yay!) Asher weighed just shy of 15 lbs and was 68th percentile for height! Unfortunately, it appears that he may have caught something while we were there and now he's feeling under the weather. I sure hope he recovers before our big trip!

We've put up a few decorations around here and done various holiday crafts and activities. Gregory is really getting into it all this year. He has a cloth finger puppet Nativity set, and has been playing with it quite a bit. Its funny, he acts out the whole scene of Mary giving birth, with sounds and all - guess what made a big impression on him this year!?!

We got a huge snow storm last weekend - it was the 5th most snowfall in recorded history here. The temperatures have also been downright frigid. We've been staying in, except for Dan, who did a whole lot of shoveling! I have to say we are looking forward to escaping to California on Saturday!

From 2010 12 12

Asher is Five Months!

2010-11-21T21:40:00.001-06:00

It can't be! How can it have happened? My newborn is already five months old! He loves to grab and chew on toys, fingers, sleeves, blankets, and anything else he can reach. He loves to stand up and hold up his own weight. He is rolling from tummy to back reliably, and even with clothes on! He blows bubbles and coos and laughs. He gets mad when you have to take a toy away from him. He pees on the potty!

That's right, he pees on the potty. Its called Elimination Communication (EC) and its really not as strange as it sounds! Basically, whenever you have the inclination, you just set your baby on a potty of some sort, or hold him over a sink or toilet (we mostly use a soft silicone kitchen bowl). Occasionally the baby will actually go pee or poo, and you can associate a sound with it (we use "psssss"). Pretty soon your baby kinda gets the idea to go when you sit them on the potty, and therefore, you end up with fewer soiled diapers. Think of it as just another way to take care of a baby's pee and poop needs, like a diaper alternative.

Its certainly not an all or nothing kind of thing - we sit Asher on the potty a couple of times a day, sometimes more, sometimes not at all. It just depends on whether I think about it. But he seems to really like it and lately I have been surprised to find he will stay dry for 3 or 4 hours in a diaper, as if he is holding it for the next chance to go on the potty. I am frankly amazed, considering how little we really do it. I am serious, we did it a little bit pretty early on, then really not at all for many weeks, then here and there maybe once every few days, and lately I've been trying to do it a bit more, but still often miss a day or two here or there. The most would be maybe 5 or 6 times in a day if we are at home and not doing much else and I am thinking about it. Then I just offer a "potty-tunity" at diaper changes. Its truly not stressful at all, and is actually pretty fun!

The point is not really to potty train them early, although that is a common result. My friend's daughter was recently out of diapers during the day at the age of 14 months, and another friend's son I believe was 17 months - these are people I know in real life! Anyway, the actual goals are a) to maybe use fewer diapers, which is good for the wallet and the environment, but more importantly, b) to increase the connection and communication between you and your baby, and c) to help your baby learn about and be aware of his body functions, which does set him up for easier potty training later on.

Let me go back to b) for a moment. At first, catching pees and poos is sort of just luck. But babies are way smarter than we give them credit for and they usually associate the action of using the potty and the cueing sound with their bodily functions pretty quickly. Contrary to popular belief, they actually can and do develop control over their functions. So then you are communicating with them and they are responding to you, and you having a real back and forth interaction. And pretty soon, you get in tune with your baby's expressions and you might even just start thinking, "I bet you need to go pee" and you find out you were right. You are in tune with the baby on a whole 'nother level! Its a little like knowing your baby's different cries for hungry, tired, bored, etc. You just know them better and you can just tell. I think this might be the most fun part - its rewarding for the baby because you are responding appropriately to his attempts to communicate with you, and its rewarding for you to know that you know your baby and his needs so very well. Its just a fun, no-stress, casual thing to do, and I hope you try it with your baby sometime!

Anyway, enjoy a few sweet pics of Asher at 5 months old! (I keep trying to get videos but they are not turning out...)

And one of him on the potty way back when he was only about 6 weeks old!

From 2010 07 31potty

The last warm day... or, the first cold day

2010-11-15T23:37:00.001-06:00

Well once I posted on the blog that it was 70 degrees, nature decided to change it up. We had our first snow over the weekend! Gregory was finally big enough to go out and really play in it this year. He made his first snowman, with Daddy's help, and then had fun throwing snowballs at trees. We are talking about getting a sled, or as he suggests, a toboggan. There is a HUGE sledding hill a few blocks away at the park, but it would be much too big for him. I suppose we could just go partway up, but I have a feeling he would be very tempted to want to try it from the top. I think its too steep even for grown-ups!

Also enjoy Asher's verbal stylings...

Well its not winter here...yet!

2010-11-10T22:33:00.000-06:00

So the last three days we have had about 70 degree weather, beautiful, sunny, a little breeze, and tonight we even had a little thunderstorm. Yes, it is November 10th. Yes, this is Minnesota. Chalk it up to global warming, but hey, I'll take it! We have been outside enjoying the blissful weather because we *know* it can't last forever!

Anyway, for Halloween, Gregory dressed up as a Superhero. I made his costume, which was a success except for the mask, which was uncomfortable for him if we tied it tight enough to make it stay on his head. Oh well! We went trick-or-treating with some friends and had a fabulous time! Last year, it was very cold and Greg didn't really get what was going on. He tried to run inside at the first house. This year, he was totally on the ball and kept up with the other kids, and even said "Trick-or-Treat!" and "thank you!" We didn't let him eat much candy, but he didn't even ask for it the next day and didn't seem to feel deprived at all. I am sure we won't be able to keep it from him in the future but its nice to have been able to get away with that this year! Asher rode around in my orange wrap, and I pinned on some eyes and a mouth that made it look like a jack-o-lantern, and I wrapped some green fabric around his hat to look like a stem. It was pretty cute considering the minimal effort!

Otherwise, we are just having fun around here and doing our thing. We have a pretty great routine with playgroups and preschool. Gregory is figuring out how to make Asher laugh, and I am sure it is the highlight of his day when Asher wakes up and he gets to "be sweet to him," which is exactly what it sounds like. Asher has been having plenty of naked time lately, in an effort to help him develop his body awareness and maybe start rolling over one of these days. He sometimes makes it from front to back, but I think its mostly still accidental, and he really has no clue how to go from back to front, though he did actually do it in his sleep this morning, oddly enough. I am sure its only a matter of time, and while I want to make sure he is developing as best he can, I have to admit, I want him to stay tiny and immobile because he's just so stinkin' adorable!

A few photos

2010-10-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd put up a few photos before the Halloween extravaganza...

We had a little fun last weekend carving a pumpkin... And a friend of ours had a great birthday party at a bowling alley. We had the whole place to ourselves and the kids had a great time not only bowling but also running around in a little pack. Approximately ten 3 and 4 yr olds - quite hilarious!

Stay tuned for the Halloween adventures...

Asher's 16 Weeks

2010-10-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

Well, actually, he's 17 weeks as of today, but I started writing this post last week! Anyway, I'm not willing to say he's 4 months yet - its not 4 months until the 19th, right? Time is just flying and our little guy is growing up so fast! He is working hard on grasping toys and getting them into his mouth. He loves biting and sucking on his hands, his blanket, and anything else he can get a hold of. He sometimes even pulls his pacifier out and starts sucking his thumb instead! He also has quite the sense of humor and smiles and giggles whenever we talk to him. He's even starting to like playing a little peek-a-boo.

Otherwise, we have just been trying to enjoy this blissfully mild fall. Grandma Bonnie and Auntie Kim were here for a visit last week, as always lovely to see them. Auntie Kim took lots more pictures but she hasn't sent them to me yet!

Enjoying Fall

2010-09-30T16:18:00.000-06:00

I love Fall in Minnesota! Its so pleasant, and it lasts more than a week, in contrast to NE. Its been pretty rainy (south of here has had flooding) and we had a few days where it was a bit chilly with the breeze, but we've also had really gorgeous days, perfect for getting out for a little family walk after dinner. Many of the trees are starting to turn colors, but there are a lot that are still green. So I expect we will enjoy Fall for several more weeks to come.

We are adoring Asher more and more every day, if that is even possible. He's so sweet and happy! Chatty too... Incidentally, it seems he is not going to have Gregory's bright blue eyes. We thought he would, but they never lightened up. For now, they are a mysterious gray blue, with perhaps a bit of hazel coming in, but who knows. Maybe they'll be dark green? How would that be? - no one in the family with the same color eyes!

Fall Approaches

2010-09-16T10:07:00.002-06:00

Well Summer wound down rather abruptly here, at least weather wise. One day it was still really hot, next day we are looking at a week of highs in the 60s! Well, we weren't quite ready for that and had to dig out long pants and long sleeves in a hurry. I am totally not prepared to give up my flip flops yet, so I guess my toes will just have to suffer a little longer. But actually the change is otherwise welcome. Gregory started going to preschool 3 mornings a week, so that is giving us a whole new routine. I also started a midwifery study program through the National Midwifery Institute. So of course, I'm trying to study while Gregory is not home. Asher is amazingly cooperative - he's such a nice baby! He is content to sleep most of the morning, with intermittent bouts of playing on the floor or nursing. I can really get a lot done with only him around!

August 30th was, of course, my birthday. My 30th birthday this year, so some would call that my Golden Birthday... We didn't do much but we did have cake. At least we tried to have cake - it was kind of a fail! But it tasted great.

Over Labor Day weekend, we went to Omaha. It was Asher's first big car trip. He did ok on the way down, but cried most of the way back, poor thing. He has since been quite testy in the car pretty much all the time, which is a major bummer. But still, if that's the only time he's ever upset, that's not too bad. Anyway, we had a lovely time visiting our friends in Omaha. Dan participated in a fantasy football draft. We barbecued with two different sets of folks, the old college pals, and my mommy friends. Both were wonderful. The kids had a great time playing together, especially now that they're all older and can actually talk to each other and play games like hide and seek. Very cute! Unfortunately, I did not seem to remember to get the camera out while we were there...here's one from the hotel room:

From 2010 09 03

The Grandparents have been out in full force in September. First Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie were down for a Vikings game. Then Grandma Bonnie and her friend, Laurie, came to visit and took Gregory to the Renaissance Festival. They had a great time. Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie are going to be here again this coming weekend for, you guessed it, another football game! Boy, we are already counting down the days til Christmas in California so we can get some good quality time with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick again!

And of course, I've been trying to get some more fun pics of Asher, he is growing so fast! He is about 13 lbs now, at 12 weeks, so seems to be slowing it down just a little. He seems really tall to me, though. I looked back and saw that Gregory did not hit 13 lbs until 4 mths, so I'll be curious to see if their size differences continue. I think I am figuring out that another reason that Gregory was/is so tiny, he never slept! Asher just sleeps so much, but I think its actually normal, and Gregory was the off kid that fought it so hard. I remember spending literally hours every day trying to get him down for naps, and then he'd only sleep 20 mins. Different kids! The first few of the following pictures are from Labor Day weekend, but the majority are from this morning - so you are up to the minute!

Interview with Gregory, Age 3

2010-09-07T22:16:00.000-06:00

I just had to commemorate this to the blog - its too funny!

What do you want to be when you grow up? A firefighter, and a police officer. And when Asher grows up he can be a bumblebee, and when Daddy grows up he can be a hot dog, and when you grow up you can be a banana.

What is your favorite color? black

How do you make bread? Um, it’s a little tricky so I need someone else to help me, like you.

What is gravity? I don’t know, what?

Where do babies come from? Yonis

Where does electricity come from? I don’t know, where?

What would you do with $100? Put it in the mailbox.

If you could go anywhere in the world to visit, where would you go? To Sam and Tristan’s house

What is one new thing you would like to try this year? A new shirt. Right now.

What is one memory you have from this summer? Naptime!

If you could have only one present this year what would it be? A new shirt. Let’s get one right now.

What do you love about your brother? Holding him

What is your favorite food? Hmmm, ice cream and orange juice and brownies and cakes and pies. Those are all my favorite foods.

What is your favorite toy? My red robot. Actually, the picnic food.

What is your favorite thing to do? Wearing your slippers, Mommy. And sliding in water.

August Visitors

2010-08-29T15:48:00.000-06:00

Last weekend my friend Michal and her son Xander visited. Its been almost a year since we've seen each other, and Xander has grown so much! He was a little baby last year and now, at 22 mths, he's a full blown toddler! Gregory had a bit of a hard time sharing some of his toys, but all in all, they had a fun time together. We just brought them along to our usual playgroups and other activities, and it was great to share some of my life, such as it is, with Michal. She is expecting her second baby next spring, so she was absorbing the scene with two kids! It was sad for me to see them go, but we're planning to visit them in Cincinnati after their new addition arrives.

Gregory is blooming as a brother, and has so much love and affection for the baby. He always wants to hug, hold, kiss, and be close to him. The other day Asher was laying on the floor in the living room and I was getting lunch together in the kitchen. It was a little too quiet in there so I peeked in to see what was going on. Gregory had brought a stack of books and was "reading" them to Asher. SO SWEET! I'm sure its every mother's wish that her children like their siblings, and obviously its pretty early, but so far all signs point to brotherly love in our house!

Asher is just growing like gangbusters and has really woken up these last couple of weeks. Well, he still sleeps a whole lot, but he seems to be much more aware of his surroundings and more responsive to us. He has started cooing a lot and having little conversations with us. He is also really enjoying having some playtime on the floor. We did end up going to the lactation consultant because he was having some trouble maintaining suction. Turns out his palate is rather short and flat, preventing him from getting a deep latch. Since he is growing fine, there is not much to be done and it will probably improve as he grows. But it is good to know what is going on, anyway.

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie were in town this weekend. Yesterday we went to the State Fair. It was fun, but a little hot and crowded... Then Dan and Grandpa went to the Vikings preseason game. We always love when grandparents visit, and they'll be back in 3 weeks for more football. I guess Fall is approaching!

FINALLY!

2010-08-14T17:56:00.000-06:00

Asher is 8 weeks old today and he started smiling! And we got a new camera to capture it and share the cuteness with the world... Its a reeeeaaally nice camera - we spent more than we should have... Gregory will NEVER touch it, so hopefully it will last us at least like 10 yrs! So now I'm having fun just experimenting with it and learning all its little tricks...

In addition to smiling, Asher has been enjoying some exercise. The gorgeous wooden toy hanger that was subsidized by Aunt Karen when Gregory was a baby is now dangling toys for Asher's delight! He's been awake a fair bit more these last couple of days. It might be a new developmental phase, or it might be a side effect of the antibiotics I have to take for the strep throat I caught this week (I don't recommend it...) Either way, its been kind of fun to see him start playing - he figured out how to kick his toy really quick and he loves it!

PS - I forgot to mention that Asher was up to 11.5 lbs at our 6 wk checkup...he must be up to at least 12 by now!

As for Gregory, he is getting ready to start preschool, and he got a brand new backpack and lunch box that he picked out himself. He is very proud of them!

Bad News

2010-08-10T22:18:00.000-06:00

Our camera is broken. A certain little someone threw it on the floor and now the lens won't open. And it would cost at least $200 to get it fixed, and of course you can get a new one for that much...

But the upside - we get to get a new camera! I'm shopping, hoping to get something in the next few days - we have no time to waste with a rapidly growing tiny one around here!

Baby Blue Eyes?

2010-07-31T22:02:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to coax more expressions out of Asher lately. He just sleeps so much, and when he's awake, he is fixated on eating and/or peeing and pooping! He does like to look out the window at the contrast of the trees and the sky, and has noticed the mobile above the swing. He always turns to locate Gregory when he hears him nearby. He likes to look in the mirror. But he just takes it all in - he's so serious! He still hasn't given us a real smile! Anyway, I am fairly convinced his eyes are blue - what do you think?

As I mentioned, Asher sleeps a lot, so this is how he usually looks to us:

From 2010 07 29b

And, he is already outgrowing his newborn clothes. The newborn diapers I made are long gone already and I have had to make bigger ones... and this was the first time he wore this brand new onesie, and it will be the only time! Love chubby babies, but I wish they didn't have to grow so fast!

From 2010 07 29b

Its hard not to compare your kids once you have two of them, especially when they are the same gender. Gregory and Asher have completely different temperaments, as babies anyway. Starting with his birth, I guess Asher is proving to defy my expectations. Those expectations are merely based on my previous experience of Gregory, though, so its no wonder! I have so much to learn! Here are some good comparison pics of the boys at about the same age - pretty easy to tell them apart by their hair color, though I do think you can see a likeness...

From G/A 5-6 wks

Dan turned 31 this past week, and we celebrated with a delicious ice cream cake. Last year, Gregory had just kind of gotten the concept of celebrating a birthday, and was none too pleased that it wasn't HIS! This year was a fair bit better, though he declined participation in singing Happy Birthday to Daddy. Clearly, he's still working through those feelings, but hey, its a lot better than last year!

In other news, we finally decided Gregory's fate for the fall: PRESCHOOL! He has been going sporadically (once-a-week-ish) to a small Montessori school and we decided that increasing to a regular three mornings a week would be perfect. This gives Mommy some sanity time, and gives him the chance to delve into more advanced learning. We love this little school because it is all of the opportunity and none of the pressure. Of course, when he gets there, the first thing he heads for is the number work, and at home he is always asking us to teach him to read, so we know he is ready for more stimulation and more challenge. He is already very good at sounding out a lot of simple words. This is what I walked into in the bathroom this evening...yes, it proves he has been watching far too much TV, but, hey, its educational!

From 2010 07 29b

5 weeks

2010-07-24T21:24:00.000-06:00

Asher is five weeks old today. Sorry for the lack of posting - its very busy with two kids!

After my mom went home, we had about a week to ourselves and then Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie visited. We went to the Minnesota Children's Museum. Greg and I had gone about 6 mths ago and he was not quite ready for a lot of it. What a difference 6 mths makes! He was totally into it! Gma and Gpa enjoyed getting acquainted with Asher too! I think there are better pics on their camera though - like ones with Gma!

Remember that we had gotten a huge birthday cake for Gregory but Asher ended up being born on the day we were going to bring it to the park to share with our friends? Well we finally got another chance, so he finally got to have his song and blow out his candle! He's official now...

And lastly, some baby pics. I was looking back at pics of Gregory from the same ages. The two of them do look a lot different, though I can see some similarities. Well, they ARE related... Asher seems to be less expressive than Gregory, or else I just have less time to sit and take pictures of him! Honestly, though, he sleeps a lot more, and is a much more mellow kid in general. I am not complaining, in fact, its amazingly wonderful! But I am still waiting for that first real smile! I think Asher might just have a little bit of a serious personality. We'll just have to see how he comes along! We did get him a pacifier and a swing. We are pretty against baby gadgets, but the swing allows me to set him somewhere safe and comforting when I have to tend to Gregory, like to take him to the bathroom or get him down for a nap. So far, so good! Asher seems to like it pretty well, but not as much as being held, of course. I mentioned he is laid back, well as long as he is being held! But even when he is unhappy, his complaints are just little squawks, not the screaming we experienced last time! Anyway, its getting late, so enjoy the pics, and I'll try to be more consistent with posts! They do grow and change so much in these early days!

Some Firsts

2010-07-08T21:42:00.000-06:00

I know you all are desperate for more baby pictures! Its true, we haven't been taking quite as many pictures as we did with the first-born, but there are a few new ones! We have been busy trying to figure out this two-kid thing. Thankfully, my mom (Grandma Mary) was here for the last week lending a hand. We really loved her company and she helped us a lot with getting out and about, helping me strategize about how to handle dealing with both boys when I am finally on my own.

Asher has been having a lot of "firsts," like his first bath, and his first outings! He has been taking it like a trooper. Actually, he is pretty laid back. He doesn't complain much, and when he does, its usually just a little squawk and he is easily comforted by holding or nursing. The last couple of days he has started being a little restless in the evenings, and definitely doesn't like to go anywhere in the car during that time, but as long as he has the boob and the sling, we get through it without much drama. Its certainly nice to not have to exhaust ourselves with the baby-soothing rituals!

Gregory has been adjusting, slowly but surely. He ADORES Asher, wants to constantly lavish him with affection. I cannot fault him for that! However, he has also been pretty sensitive and demanding a lot of attention. Its hard because that translates into a lot of rowdiness, noise, and tantrums...not exactly endearing. I keep telling myself that he needs compassion and extra affection, but man its hard not to get mad when he is whining and yelling and throwing things. Not to mention the total lack of any level of cooperation! I have had a lot of less-than-stellar parenting moments with him and am not real proud of myself for that. I'm working on it...

That being said, today was the first day that we did not have a Grandma around to help, and thankfully, it actually went fairly well. Gregory went to preschool, and we actually walked out the door at the time we said we would be there, which made us only about 15 minutes late. That is NOT bad, if I do say so myself! Asher and I ran a bunch of errands, and then picked Greg up. Lunch and nap went reasonably smoothly! All in all, I think we will be ok!

Here are the latest pics, with some captions!

Newborn Photos

2010-06-29T14:04:00.005-06:00

On Sunday my friend Allison Kuznia, who happens to be a great photographer, came over to snap some shots. I LOVE THEM!!!!!!! Let me know if you want a print of anything! (they can all be done in color or black and white)

Just Hanging Out

2010-06-27T18:09:00.000-06:00

Around here things are pretty chill. Asher and I are mostly laying around, though we are slowly venturing out of our nest a little. We've been into the kitchen quite a bit, down to the basement the other night when we were having a big thunderstorm, and today we even walked around out in the yard for a few minutes. It was nice to get a little fresh air and sunshine. It was Asher's first time in a sling...the new ring sling I made! We didn't use this kind with Gregory, but we really like it!

Dan worked from home on Friday and tomorrow will be his first day back at the office. Boy are we going to miss him around here! He has been keeping everything running smoothly, especially with the food and laundry. And there has been a LOT of laundry! Thankfully Grandma Bonnie is so good at entertaining Gregory, that should give me a chance to pick up on some of the household things without too much distraction from wild toddlers, anyway! Hey, he's 3 now, doesn't that count as "preschooler" now? He doesn't exactly toddle anymore... He sends his thanks to Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie for the neat learning books they sent for his birthday, too!

And today is our 7th wedding Anniversary! Wow, time flies! We didn't get to celebrate in any high style, but Dan is bringing home a nice little cake tonight - yum! I'm sure we'll get to go out to dinner sometime in the next few weeks when we have babysitters around!

"Lotus" Birth

2010-06-23T14:08:00.002-06:00

Ok, first some new pictures...

You might have noticed in the pictures up to now, that Asher still has his umbilical cord attached. Not just the stump, the whole thing! For my non-birth-geek friends and family out there, this is a practice referred to as "Lotus" birth. In the US, this started as a really hippie thing to do out in California, and is still pretty fringey, even for natural birth and home birth people... All it really means is that you never cut the cord, but instead allow it to separate on its own, which usually takes 3-7 days. There is not a good physiological or evolutionary reason to do this, but some proponents believe there may be emotional/spiritual benefits to the baby. The placenta nourished the baby in the womb, and the baby may have an emotional attachment to it, and its nicer to let the baby "let go" of it in his own time. Another reason I've heard is not wanting to introduce any foreign instruments, such as scissors, into the birthing process.

For me, there were a couple of reasons I decided to try it out. I am just plain old curious about it, for one thing! But probably more important, I knew that keeping the placenta attached would mean a very different immediate post-partum period than what I had done last time. With Gregory, we had friends over the afternoon of the day he was born. I did not stay in bed at all. We began going out of the house the very next day, and I think Gregory was about 9 months old before there was literally A DAY that we did not go somewhere, even if it was the gas station or the grocery store. I really believe that this depleted me! So with Asher, I wanted things to be different. I know that I am going to need to be fully recovered in order to be a good mom to both my boys, and the time when I will be on my own with them is coming very quickly! So I am taking a full two weeks to "Lie In." I am planning on staying basically in my bed for the first week, and staying in the house for the second week, also probably mostly in bed.

This is incredibly hard for me! It is the 5th day, and already I am feeling lonely, stir crazy, and cabin feverish! I want to go out and sit with my friends in the park! I want to get up off my tailbone! I want to get back to life! I am having to reign myself in, keep telling myself all in good time, take it easy, you need to rest! One of the hardest things is seeing how Gregory is acting out. I want to go to him, to mother him, to help him deal, but I can't. At least not all the time - I have gone to him when he's been desperately out of control! You can't not go when your baby is screaming and crying that he needs Mommy! But even that has been limited and I've forced myself to let Dan and Grandma Bonnie take over for the most part. I am really grateful for their help, I can't imagine being on my own with both kids yet, but I guess its all part of the transition from being a mom of one to a mom of two. Its a huge bundle of mixed feelings!

SO, doing a Lotus birth is one strategy that is helping me to not overdo it these first days. With the cord attached to Asher, I can't just pop him in my wrap and run around the house or go places. He pretty much has to stay in bed, so I pretty much have to stay there with him. And other people find the cord and placenta to be a little cumbersome, and maybe even a little too personal, to want to handle the baby much. Dan was pretty annoyed when I said we were doing this, because it makes it hard for even him to hold and take care of the baby. He can, and he has, but the bulk of the baby care has fallen to me, I think even more than usual. And I believe that is how it should be. Mommy and Baby should be together. Other people should not be passing the baby around! There is plenty of time for that later, the first few days are just so precious for the mom and baby to bond, establish breastfeeding, etc. With Gregory, we did so much running around, and so much visiting, that when I look back, I really do feel that I let other people hold him too much, and I missed out on a bit too much of that sweet newborn time.

And I do believe there are benefits to the baby as well. I don't really buy into the whole idea that the baby has some emotional attachment to the placenta, though I guess I can't prove that they don't! I think the benefit comes from how you have to handle a baby who is still attached. It is incredibly different! You can't really put clothes on them, so skin-to-skin time is increased. You can't swaddle them, so holding time is increased. You can't move them abruptly from here to there because you have to move the placenta too, so you handle them much more gently and slowly, and move them around less in general. Even I was pretty insensitive to the senses of the newborn before this, but now I am realizing that this tiny baby has never been touched by hands before, or cloth, has never used his eyes before, has never heard sounds that were not muffled by water and heart rhythms. What a shock coming into this world must be for them! And then we bundle them up, snap them into a car seat, and whiz them all around the great big world without regard! No wonder Gregory screamed bloody murder every time we went anywhere in the car. No wonder he was such a crabby, cranky baby, crying for hours every night, having such a hard time falling asleep, and a hard time waking up too. It was borderline cruel to rush him around the way we did. So, Lotus birth = a much slower, kinder transition into this world for this new tiny boy.

When I say I was also just curious about Lotus birth, I am mainly referring to logistics. Also, I guess I wanted to "get to know" the umbilical cord and placenta better! A lot of home birth families, especially, DO something with the placenta. They plant it under a tree or rose bush, they make a painting with it, they dehydrate and encapsulate it and use it as medicine! We cut Gregory's off of him about 10 minutes after he was born, and unceremoniously threw it into the garbage. Oh, that just makes me so sad now. The midwives had a good look at Asher's placenta, as they always do, and then cut a few small pieces off. These were blended into a fruit smoothie, which I drank. Yes, I drank some of the placenta, raw, in a smoothie. Placentaphagy is shown to slow post-partum bleeding and help reduce the mood swings and even depression that can often affect new mothers. (In fact, all other mammal mothers eat their placentas too...) And by the way, I couldn't taste it at all.

Anyway, the rest of it, we wrapped up in a waterproof pad with a lot of salt and some lavender essential oil. We have kept this in a bowl next to Asher, and refreshed it daily. It doesn't smell at all...well, it smells like lavender! The first day, the cord was floppy and cold, and gradually shrank in diameter. The second day, it was getting dry in the middle, but still flexible at the belly button and placenta ends. It basically just got more and more dry, and pretty stiff, though it still had a little flexibility in it. We would just move the bowl from side to side, depending on how we wanted to hold Asher. It was a little awkward but not too big of a deal. We just wrapped the blankets loosely around him. The cord ended up having quite a bit of blanket fuzz on it!

Unfortunately, by yesterday afternoon, which was the 4th day, the cord was so dried out, it had basically shrunken and gotten pretty short. The bowl could really only be within about 12 inches of Asher's body. It was also getting pretty stiff, so that if we bumped it, it seemed to pull his belly button. By the evening, moving the bowl from side to side was really causing problems. If you didn't move it just so, it would twist, and poor Asher would cry. Around bedtime, I got to feeling like enough was enough. It was pretty close to detaching anyway, maybe a day away, but it was hurting my baby. I decided it would be best to just snip it off. But when I did, Asher really jumped and started wailing! He was agitated, restless, crying and pretty much inconsolable for the next 4 hours. It was like a magic spell had been broken. He finally fell asleep from exhaustion, and seems fine today. But something has really changed for me. Even though I've been thinking a lot about all of this, somehow today I haven't been able to stop myself from swaddling him up and lying him on the bed, instead of holding him on my chest while he's sleeping. I even got up and carried him into the living room! Obviously, these are things that would have happened soon enough anyway, but it seems premature. That little stump is still firmly attached, telling me maybe we are not ready for this just yet, warning me to slow down and stick to the plan. I feel a little weird about not being patient enough to let things happen in their own time. This Lotus birth journey has already taught me a lot, but clearly I still have more to learn.

The following are photos of the placenta and cord. They might be a little gross to some people, so view at your own risk!

Asher's First Days

2010-06-21T12:27:00.000-06:00

What you've all been waiting for - more baby pictures! Also I realized I forgot to tell the vital statistics! Asher weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz. That's a quarter pound MORE than Gregory! He was 20 1/4 inches long, the same as Greg. If you didn't catch it way back when, his full name is Asher Everett Fix. Asher is a Hebrew name meaning "Happy (or) Blessed", and is the name of one of the sons of Jacob in the Bible. Everett has Germanic and English origins, and means "Strong as a wild boar." Happy, Blessed, and Strong - we hope so!

Big Weekend!

2010-06-20T22:14:00.001-06:00

The last few days have been rather exciting at our house.

On Wednesday afternoon, Gregory went for his annual checkup at the doctor. He weighed 26.6 lbs and was 35 inches tall. He is about 5th percentile for his age! Hey, somebody has to be! He also had some blood drawn to check for lead levels, etc. He did not think that was very fun, and still won't let us take the bandage off... Oh well, it'll fall off eventually!

Gregory celebrated his third birthday on Thursday. He really enjoyed opening presents and playing with his new things: some books from Grandma Bonnie, mini Bilibos from Auntie Kayla, and a tutu (Vikings colors, of course) and a giant floor keyboard from Mommy and Daddy.

On Friday morning, a package from Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick arrived. Gregory loved the ViewMaster, plastic bugs, Tu-tok-a-nula book, and CD. Then we got ready to head out for the day. Our Attachment Parenting group here in the Twin Cities is very active, and this weekend was their camping trip. Being close to the end of my pregnancy, we opted not to actually camp, but the site was only about 10 mins away, so it was easy to go hang out. We spent a lot of the day on Friday there, came home for nap and dinner, and went back to play a little more and have S'mores in the evening.

That morning, I had (TMI warning!) lost some of my mucous plug, but nothing else new was really going on and being two weeks before my due date, I really didn't think too much of it. Well when we got home from the camping site I really was getting a bit uncomfortable. I couldn't really sleep and by about 11:30 I was getting up to the bathroom quite a lot. Dan said twice that maybe we should call the midwife, but it wasn't until about 12:30 that I really started considering calling someone. By then I was really having contractions, feeling shaky and nauseous and making labor noises. I called my doula, Janine, at 1 and told her I wasn't sure if I was really going to have the baby tonight. She decided to come over. Shortly thereafter we also called the midwife, Clare. She headed over too. Interestingly, neither of them had gone to bed yet!

Labor progressed slowly, contractions seemed far apart, but strong, and I was feeling normal in between them. There would be a short one, a little harder one, and then a few big ones in a row that sent me retreating to the bathroom. Pretty soon our other midwife, Emme, arrived. I felt bad that I had all these people out of bed waiting for me and it didn't seem to be going anywhere. After all, there had been many lighthearted comments about a one-hour labor during our prenatal visits. Usually second babies come quicker than the first, and Gregory only took a little over 3 hours... So much for that theory! By 3:30, Dan and I were getting pretty darn tired. I was just so sleepy and things were going really slow. We just rested in between contractions and actually got some sleep. When the sun started coming up, seemed like things started to pick up again a little. Gregory woke up and started doing his thing, and he brought a lot of energy. I sat in the bath tub for a little while to try to relax, and while it was nice, it didn't really help move things along. We all had a chat and figured the baby must be in a strange position. Emme and Janine felt my tummy during a contraction and they thought they might be feeling a shoulder above my pubic bone. Clare and Emme thought an inversion (going upside down) would be good, followed by lunges. At that point, I was willing to try it, knowing it would make everything hurt worse, but also knowing that we had to go there to get the baby unstuck. Well it worked! By halfway through the lunges, there was definite progress. My body started pushing hard. Though I had been leaking fluid for a while, there was a big pop and gush. We were in the carpeted living room so thank goodness the midwives had laid down plenty of waterproof pads! I was kind of standing up, holding onto Dan for support, but as the baby's head came down, it felt like I didn't have enough room for him to get out. I asked them to help me down to a knee. With another contraction or two, the head was born. Another one, and he was here! It was 8:10 am. He cried a little right away and I sat down on the floor with him. Emme, then Janine sat behind me for support.

I really still could not believe he was born already! He was so cute, looked a bit like Gregory did, and was surprisingly chubby for being two weeks early. Dan didn't think he looked as big as Greg was. His hair looked dark, but seems like it always does until it gets washed, which we still haven't done! I think he has a dimple on the right too, but I've only seen it a couple times.

Aside from being significantly longer than my first labor, this time also seemed a lot harder. I think a lot of it was mental. I just didn't feel ready. We had planned on having a birth pool set up ahead of time, but we didn't even have it in the house yet. Our water was all rusty from some plumbing work we had done earlier in the week, so even if we had set up a pool, I am not sure we would have used it with the rusty water anyway! None of our support people (i.e., Grandmas!) for Gregory were in town yet. So I guess I was just not mentally ready to have the baby, but he had other ideas. Much of the beginning of labor felt like a tug of war between my head and my body. I wasn't really committed. Even when I cut off the yarn from my Blessingway and said I was committed, I didn't really feel like it in my heart. I think it wasn't until the morning, when I was so tired, I just couldn't really fight it anymore, I gave up, stopped thinking, and started just doing what I was told! I don't know that it could have been any other way. This baby had positioning issues throughout the whole pregnancy, which I had done a lot of bodywork to try to correct. He just had his own needs, his own way he needed to come out, which was not the easiest way. I hope that if that is a character trait, that he just does things his own unconventional, yet ultimately successful way, not necessarily the "hard way" in life! I am quite sure that if I would have been in the hospital with an epidural, I would have ended up with a c-section. But with the great support I had at home, we were able to get through it. I hope I can be that kind of support for Asher as he grows, to help him get through things and not end up scarred!

Well, its only been a day and a half, but we are all completely in love with our new little guy. He nurses like a champ already. We decided not to cut the umbilical cord, for no other reason than that I didn't feel like it. We're putting salt and lavender on the placenta and the cord is drying out and will probably fall off tomorrow or the next day. We are staying in bed, except for bathroom breaks, another difference from Gregory's birth, when we were up and going out right away. I tell ya, babymooning in bed is such the way to go! However, this might be the only time that I do regret not having a TV in the bedroom! Poor Dan has been trying to keep up with Gregory until Grandma Bonnie arrives tomorrow afternoon. Greg has been acting a little nutty, which I am sure is to be expected. He is just so loud and rowdy...but he really adores Asher, wants to be near him, give him hugs and kisses, and bring him clothes, toys and books. Here are some pictures for now, and we'll keep adding more as the days go on!

New Baby Preparations

2010-06-14T13:09:00.003-06:00

We are on the final countdown before the new baby arrives. The infant car seat is installed in the van, the diapers are all stocked in the dresser, the birth kit is assembled. Our weekly check-ups with our midwife team continue to go great - baby is healthy, mommy is healthy. Mommy is also getting really uncomfortable! However, a weekly regiment of chiropractic adjustments and massages have been helping a lot!

On Saturday night, my wonderful friend and doula, Janine, along with our friend Allison, hosted a Blessingway for me. A Blessingway is a different kind of baby shower. Instead of bringing presents and playing silly games, guests bring special food, a bead for a necklace, and share a lot of good wishes and good energy for the birthing mom. Its a time for the community of women to come together to support her and to honor the milestone in her life. There were a lot of beautiful rituals, starting with a welcome chant and sage-incense cleansing of the house, which is meant to clear away negative energy. I was crowned with a flower wreath, then we shared a meal of foods that reminded each woman of her own mom, family, or comfort. The bead necklace is made up of beads chosen by each woman for the mom, for her to wear or have in her space during her birth. Guests also wrote intentions on cloth squares, which will be made into prayer-flags to hang up in the birth space as well. We did a really wonderful ceremony of releasing fears, where each person was able to express a fear to be released by sprinkling sage on a flame. Then we had a yarn ceremony, tying us all to each other in a web of support. Everyone will wear their red yarn bracelets until the baby is born. Much pampering ensued, including a shoulder massage, foot washing and massage, hair brushing and braiding, and henna design on the belly. We had plenty of henna left, so everyone else got a small design too! I can't express how loved and supported I felt being the center of all this amazing feminine attention! Its amazing to be part of a community that takes care of each other this way!
Photography by Allison Kuznia

Gregory had fun playing with my flower crown too!

Sunday morning we had a photographer come over to do some maternity photos. It was a little damp and muddy, but we made the best of it! Its been hard for me to take a lot of pictures of myself this pregnancy, partly because I'm always chasing Gregory, and partly because I am a lot bigger this time and its hard to see! But Gabby managed to make me feel beautiful. I think of it as documenting the first stage in a series of upcoming changes - waiting, birthing, getting to know our new baby...its a transition process into a new phase of our lives.
Photography by Gabby Hagelstrom

This Thursday will be Gregory's 3rd birthday! I can't believe my baby is such a big boy, and we have a few special little things planned for him, which I'll update afterwards! It's great to have a chance to spoil him and give him a lot of attention right before the new baby comes! He also has a Dr checkup and his first trip to the Dentist coming up, so there will be a lot to share!

Spring Recap

2010-05-21T14:36:00.003-06:00

Here's some pics from this spring. We've been keeping busy, going to a lot of playgroups and otherwise entertaining ourselves. We have a nice little routine of taking it easy in the early morning, heading out to play, and napping after lunch. Gregory has a lot of friends that he enjoys seeing regularly at playgroups. I enjoy the company of their moms too! It is a real blessing to have found a wonderful community of friends here, and we are starting to feel like we really belong. I can't believe its been almost a year since we moved here!

We are definitely enjoying the Minnesota spring weather - we have had a nice long period of mild weather here. Its very different than Omaha, where it seemed to turn from cold to hot overnight. We went to some outdoor things as soon as it was tolerable to be outside, like the zoo. Dan was pretty busy studying for his exam at the end of April, but we stole some quality time when we got the chance... We are very much appreciating all his free time now that the exam is over!

As the weather has warmed up, we have spent more and more time playing outside, of course!

We visited the Minnesota Children's Museum for the first time. It is much bigger than Omaha's, and also geared for kids a bit older than Gregory. There were still plenty of things he enjoyed, but there were also a lot of things that were over his head, or even scary, like the dinosaur exhibit! I don't think we'll be getting a membership there for a few more years, but we'll probably go every once in a while if our friends are going...

We had a quiet Easter weekend at home, just enjoying each other. We went to a neighborhood Egg Hunt, complete with a petting zoo. Gregory thought that was pretty neat. He had a good time gorging on his Easter Basket goodies too... As you'll see, its a little hard getting nice pictures of him any more - he really hams it up...at least he is having fun!

I am sure there are more pictures on the camera just waiting to be downloaded, so hopefully I'll be able to get to them soon. Need to be all caught up before the baby comes...6 more weeks! Look forward to more frequent updates after that!

He's Got Skillz

2010-03-07T20:40:00.002-06:00

Gregory has been doing a lot of growing up lately, experiencing a major phase of motor skill development. Maybe its just because its been such a long time since the big skill developments of the first year, but I am just astounded every day at the things he is suddenly doing! He is climbing on everything, jumping off of said things, and hopping, twirling, somersaulting, and otherwise flailing all over the place! He does frog leaps, gets quite a bit of air on his hopping, and experiments with balancing on one foot. He is also constantly dancing, even imitating some dances he has seen on TV, like ballet! He is getting much better at using a spoon to eat things like cereal with milk, without making such a huge mess. He has an increased interest in coloring and drawing, going from just scribbling without regard, to trying to actually color in the picture on the coloring book page. Perhaps one of the most amazing things to me was when he grabbed a crayon and a blank paper this last week and drew something, saying "This is a G." Sure enough, it was actually a G, though backwards!! Incredible! I have never attempted to teach him to write, but of course we do show him the letters and his name, etc. Yesterday he was drawing reasonable semblances of spiderwebs. I can't wait to see what he draws next! He's drawing recognizable pictures - WHAT!?!

Another major accomplishment is that he suddenly is able to keep himself dry during sleeping times. This happened spontaneously when we visited Omaha at the end of Feb. He did not dirty a diaper or have an accident on the entire 5 day/4 night trip! He has been in regular undies during the day for a few months now, but today we took him to buy some "big boy nighttime underwear" aka padded training undies to be worn with a wool cover at night, just in case. Goodbye diapers, at least for a few months! There is a part of me that thinks surely he will regress any day now, but then again, considering all the other major leaps lately, maybe not!

Another fun thing is that Gregory has been showing increasing interest in his baby brother. He loves to look at pictures of developing babies in a couple of books we have. He often asks me if he can feel the baby kicking, and I think that just the other night he actually did feel a little kick! He loves to hug and kiss my belly and talk to Asher through my belly button. He will tell anyone who asks that his baby brother Asher is inside Mommy's tummy, and when he comes out he will share the milkies with him! He is down to nursing only once or twice a day for only about a minute at a time, which is just fine with me! He might increase again once the milk comes back, and that will be fine too! He has also been pretending to nurse all of his dolls lately, which is too cute. He has been paying more attention to the babies at our playgroups, and is always very sweet, touching their cheeks and noses so gently, and giving them hugs. He is going to be a wonderful big brother!

I guess there has been one downside to all this growth - seems that whatever level of impulse control he had before (and it wasn't much) is completely gone! Or maybe its just that since he is using his body in all these new ways, he is thinking of lots of new and impulsive things to try. Things like hitting other kids, throwing stuff, dumping things out, banging on everything in sight, and making really loud irritating noises. Ah, to be two and a half... This too shall pass, right!?!

Ballet Dancing

"G"

From 2010 03 07G

Christmas Pictures Overwhelmed Me!

2010-02-09T21:44:00.002-06:00

Finally getting up the motivation to go through them all!

Gregory and I went out to CA a week before Dan, so we went on many adventures to entertain ourselves and enjoy the nice weather! He loved feeding the fish at the Japanese Gardens, feeding ducks at El Dorado Park, and seeing all the animals and riding the rides at the Santa Ana Zoo. We actually repeated a couple of these fun free things once Daddy joined us.

We got a chance to spend time with all the Aunties and Uncle Benny, hanging out, making music, and checking out the town...

When Dan came, we went to an amazing new children's museum called Pretend City. It was pretty awesome!

Christmas Eve was really fun at Aunt Vicky's house with all the favorite traditions. Gregory was really into it this year! We tried to help him turn his focus from getting presents to giving presents by having him help with package management and distribution! He really did love his gifts, though, and wanted to stop and play with each thing so we had to remind him to finish opening the rest first! He is still in love with all the new fun things he got - our family does such a great job spoiling, eh, I mean, shopping for him! As always, we concluded the evening with our caroling boat ride. I included a couple of videos so you can experience it a little, its really very dark without the camera flash, the lights outside are awesome, and this year Gregory really got into the singing too...the kid has a good ear and is a quick study on lyrics too. He still breaks out in a round of Jingle Bells every now and then!

Christmas morning was another round at Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick's house, of course with stockings and more presents, and a fabulous breakfast!

And for Grandma Mary's birthday we all went to Disneyland. Gregory remembered a lot from when we went in June, and we got the chance to do some things we didn't do then, like riding It's a Small World and meeting some of the characters. Many small kids are afraid but Gregory went right up and got hugs from all his favorites, especially Mickey. I was amazed! He wore his First Trip to Disneyland shirt, even though it was his second time, and he also got his first set of embroidered Mickey ears... I couldn't believe how choked up I got when he got so excited to see Sleeping Beauty's Castle light up at dusk...I maintain its because of my hormones... We did brave the Pirates ride, which he thought was ok but kinda scary, and the Haunted Mansion, which was definitely too scary! We'll skip that one next time for sure. Seems like I can't find a lot of pictures I remember taking, but maybe they were on someone else's camera?? Anyway, we had a fabulous time and it was so fun to share it with Dan this time! We are already talking about when we will get to go again. If at all possible, I think this might become another Christmastime tradition!

Here are some videos from Disneyland too, though I can't actually embed them because they are on Auntie Audrey's page...go watch, though, they are fun! http://www.youtube.com/user/mstruthchaser#p/u

We had to say our goodbyes a little earlier than usual this year, because we had to get back to the midwest to go to Fargo for a very special New Year's event, the baptism of Gilbert, the son of Patrick and Keri, who are Gregory's godparents. Dan and I were honored to be Gilbert's godparents, so I guess that makes them godbrothers! Grandpa Mike actually officiated the ceremony, and he and Grandma Coralie brought even more presents! Patrick, Keri and Gilbert stayed overnight with us on their way home to Chicago, but we wish they could have stayed longer! Gilbert is the sweetest little guy! It was a wonderful way to wrap up the holidays!

It has actually been over a month since the holidays were over and I have gotten out the camera a little bit since then...but this post has fried my brain, so the rest will have to wait!

It's a.....

2010-02-09T20:14:00.002-06:00

BOY!!!!!!!!!

Two little guys in our family! I think it will be so nice to have brothers, though admittedly I was a tiny bit disappointed that it wasn't a girl. That's ok, maybe there will be another chance for that someday!

We are 95% sure on the name: Asher Everett Fix

Also the ultrasound did not show any abnormalities so it seems he is healthy and there should be no issues going ahead with our plan to birth at home. The midwives we chose are so wonderful and I am enjoying doing a little prenatal yoga. We took a little childbirth class taught by our friend Janine, which was fun and it was nice to bond with some other couples who are also planning home births. From here on out, its just about trying to eat better, exercise more, and grow little Asher until he's ready to come out!

No, I'm not just fat!

2009-12-07T14:57:00.003-06:00

From 2009 12 07

Its true! Baby number 2 is on the way! We are so thrilled! We are about 10 weeks right now. We heard the heartbeat on Friday, which means the baby is healthy! He or she will be expected sometime in early July, right after Gregory's 3rd birthday. Many of you may remember that we had quite a complicated journey to conceive Gregory. With this one, it did take a little longer than we might have liked, but at least it did not require doctor intervention! So far this pregnancy has been quite different as well. I have been feeling physically better than last time, since I am not dealing with the huge ovarian cysts I had in the first trimester with Gregory. However, I have been far more nauseous, and have major food aversions. I have not been able to look at, smell, talk about, or think about any kind of meat. Actually just typing that makes me a little urpy! I have occasionally been able to eat a little of it if I distract myself and don't think about it too much! I haven't been able to do any cooking really...I haven't even hardly been able to open the fridge - I have to hold my breath! Thankfully, Dan is in between exams right now and has been able to take over all that, bless him! I am expecting to be back to normal after the holidays...please let me be back to normal after the holidays!!!

We have interviewed several home birth midwives here. There are so many to choose from! They were all wonderful, but I am having a little bit of a hard time deciding which one to choose. I need to get that figured out soon! Since midwives are all legal and cool here, it is really nice to be able to talk about them by name and not have to be all sneaky like it was in Omaha. Nebraska really needs to get its act together when it comes to all that, its just plain crazy there! Anyway, I am just so grateful to be in such a fabulous environment now, because I truly appreciate what having access to birth options means.

We have talked about the new baby with Gregory a little bit. So far, he knows there is a tiny baby in Mommy's tummy, which will grow bigger and bigger. He has seen other moms around here with big bellies so I think he sort of gets that. We have also talked about having to share the milkies when the new baby comes, and he seems to be ok with that. He says that they will "switch" which I think means that they will share both of them! Greg has already reduced his nursing quite a lot from before I was pregnant, probably due to my decreasing milk supply, but I am really hoping that he will nurse through. You may recall, I had serious oversupply problems with Greg and I am hoping that if that happens again, having a nursing toddler will be a welcome relief. If there is anything I am fearing about having another baby right now, its that - the engorgement pain is just a place I don't want to go again! I'll birth a baby any day compared to that! Anyway, I showed Gregory a picture of what the baby looks like right now, from a book called A Child Is Born that my parents used to teach us about babies when we were little, and he took the book and gave it a big hug! I think he is really looking forward to having a sibling, but occasionally he does say things like "I'M your baby" and he tells the dog "No Lucy, thats MY mommy!" So of course, there is an ongoing process. Knowing him, I definitely think it was the right idea to start talking to him about it sooner rather than later...he will need the time to adjust to the idea!

Well, I am hoping to do regular pictures again with the pregnancy. I think it will be special for the kids when they get older, and I also think it will be fun to compare!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-02T20:53:00.002-06:00

We had a nice little Thanksgiving season this year. Dan went down to Omaha the weekend before for the annual Midnight Ballers Turkey Bowl. Grandma Bonnie stayed with us while he was gone, and she and Gregory had a fabulous time together as always. The Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie came out for Thanksgiving and the weekend after. Coralie's brother Russ makes a very magical Santa, who we visited at the Excelsior Cristkindlsmarkt Festival. Gregory was not very sure at first, but I think having a familiar face in that Santa suit definitely helped him have a positive first Santa experience. And of course, what visit would be complete without Grandpa and Dan going to a Vikings game? Now the Christmas decorations are starting to go up around here and we are looking forward to our trip to California coming up very quickly!

I guess our blog isn't dead after all...

2009-11-18T21:24:00.004-06:00

If there is anyone out there that even checks this blog anymore, I apologize for the long hiatus! It has just been a really insane several months, and our camera's memory card has been lost for several weeks. We finally found it, so I guess we can get a little back on track here.

The pictures pick up back in July, so we'll start there. Gregory and I visited North Dakota a little bit and he had a great time riding HIS "Sadie-horse" with Grandma Bonnie. Then, back in Minneapolis, we celebrated Dan's 30th birthday with an ice cream cake.

We spent half of August sick with summer colds, and then at the beginning of September, my Grandfather passed away. Gregory and I traveled home to be with the family, which was Grandpa's last gift! We were really grateful to be there with everyone, and especially, to meet my cousin Sarah's daughter, Rebecca, for the first time. She is stinkin cute and Gregory adored her. He really adored being with all the family, as always.

All the hugs were the result of the 1-2-3 Huggie game:

More Gregory and Rebecca cuteness:

I also got to visit with my friend Michal, and her son Xander, who happened to be there in California while we were there. Xander ended up getting sick and being in the hospital, and I was really glad I could be there for them during that rough time. Xander got well and is just fine, thankfully! Michal was also able to make it to the Memorial Service, which was a real comfort and help to me.

From Downloads

And of course, Fall brought the start of football season as well:

When Gregory and I got back from CA, Dan went to Seattle for a week-long exam seminar. Then on Oct 1st we moved out of the townhouse, into a house. We love the house, it is much more comfortable and conveniently located than we were before, which is a good thing because it looks like we'll be in it for a couple of years at least. Our house in Omaha is still on the market, and even if we sell it at this point, we will have to rent for a while to save up enough for a downpayment. I think we were a little naive about the cost of housing here in the Twin Cities, but the honest truth is that it is really about double what we were used to in Omaha. The rest of October was spent unpacking, and Dan was desperately trying to study for his exam, which he took on Oct 29th. As usual, we were all just glad it was over. Results don't come out until January, so we are just trying to relax and enjoy our time together.

More to post before 4 months from now, I promise!

Hangin in MN

2009-07-18T20:29:00.003-06:00

Grandma Bonnie came to visit over the 4th of July, and we enjoyed a lot of fun time together. One of the highlights was the Taste of Minnesota festival. Gregory got to try a lot of classic fair foods for the first time, went on the pony ride TWICE with Grandma, the petting zoo, and even a carnival ride. Pony rides definitely make for great Kodak moments! Grandma and Gregory got to spend a lot of time together while Mommy and Daddy went out house hunting too. We feel like we have a pretty good handle on the areas we would consider living, so as soon as our house in Omaha sells, we should be ready to make offers here. Anyone know anyone in Omaha looking for a house?

And now for some merciless humor at Gregory's expense...it won't be long before we won't be able to post pics of him like this anymore, but for now, its hilarious! Gregory has been working on potty learning, so I often let him run around the house with no pants on. This day he wanted to play ball with Lucy in the backyard, which is shared with our neighbors, so I thought he'd better put on some shorts. I quickly grabbed a pair which turned out to be a little too big... I am very proud to say that he is now wearing underwear during all waking hours though, even when we go out! We didn't even have to bribe him! Such a big boy! And yes, I did get him some shorts that fit without the diapers!

Greg has also been experimenting with self-portraiture:

Whirlwind

2009-06-28T18:31:00.003-06:00

Can it really have been 2 months? The time has just disappeared, and now we find ourselves with a whole new life. Dan has a new job and our family has relocated to the Minneapolis area. Yes, that's Minnesota, people. As in Minne-soh-tah! Our house in Omaha is probably going under contract in the next couple of days (yay!) and this afternoon was our third trip out with our realtor here to house hunt. In the meantime, we are renting a nice little townhouse. I, personally, am just trying to keep my brains from imploding. In between leaving Omaha and arriving in MN, Gregory and I visited CA for two and a half weeks. It was a great trip, but just added to the chaos of this time. So without further ado, I present May and June in pictures (and a few videos). I will do my best to break it down into digestible bits and explain a little context.

This was early May, including Mother's Day. We went to the same great brunch as last year. We learned that Gregory loves coffee.

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie came down for a long weekend. We hadn't seen them in a LONG time, I think since November! We had a great time exploring the zoo, reading books, and dancing to music.

A little Gregory cuteness as we began the packing process:

My captions aren't working, but the one with the phone should say "Auntie Kayla, I'm calling to let you know I found your cell phone that you lost 4 years ago!"

Having a little fun with our friends before saying goodbye! We'll miss you Omaha!

Then while Dan organized the move, Gregory and I were off to California! The first day we arrived was Audrey's confirmation, and the next day was a big party to celebrate Claire's graduation from high school and Audrey's Sweet 16. We all had a great time, as you can see...we especially had a good laugh over Audrey's relighting candles - she had never heard of them, I guess!

We went on a nice nature hike with Uncle Benny and Auntie Kayla. There was a very friendly duck that we played with for a long time.

We played at the playground whenever we got the chance, and one of Gregory's favorite things was when Uncle Benny would wear him in the wrap and go for a walk. He was out like a light almost instantly!

Tita (Auntie) Liz was able to get us all tickets to see Sesame Street Live, Gregory's first stage show! At first he didn't really know what was going on, and wasn't real excited about having to sit still, but once he saw Big Bird, Elmo, and Abby Cadabby dancing and singing on stage, he was hooked! We all went out for a nice lunch afterwards, and when Mommy and the Aunties went out to the movies in the evening, Grandma Mary and Gregory hung out together.

The Bowers Museum and Kidseum in Orange County had a day for free attendance during their Pacific Rim Cultural Festival. Uncle Benny learned some Tahitian Hula, and Tita Liz won the cake walk! At the Kidseum they had a lot of fun masks, drums, and a puppet theater. Gregory got a big kick out of the way Tita Liz's hair was blowing in the breeze!

One day we went to Mother's Beach. We hoped it would be a little warmer, but it was pretty darn chilly. Gregory, Auntie Hannah and Auntie Audrey braved the water, though they didn't stay in for long. We got dressed again and chased seagulls and played on the playground.

When we were hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's house, Greg's favorite place to be was the backyard. He showed the Aunties how to play broom ball, and we all laughed at Maggie frolicking around - she's almost 15, you know!

We also had a fun time at the La Habra Children's Museum! They had some cool trains, a carousel, and lots of other neat stuff...

We continued our enjoyment of the Long Beach Marina with a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific, and a boat ride with Uncle Brian and Aunt Vicky. Gregory took being the First Mate very seriously!

We were proud to be there to celebrate Claire's high school graduation. She graduated with honors, and won the Jacqueline Vail Memorial Award for excellence in the arts - all four of our sisters who have graduated from Connelly so far have won that honor! It was a little emotional seeing (and hearing) Claire and Audrey sing "May the Lord Bless You and Keep You" in the Advanced Women's Ensemble for the last time together. It was a beautiful ceremony, but Gregory had a hard time appreciating it until he found some other boys to hang out with! We finished off the evening with a dinner at P.F. Chang's, making Uncle Benny-style moustaches from our wax sticks. The food was good too!

For me, the absolute pinnacle of the trip was taking Gregory to Disneyland for the first time. Grandma Mary treated us all to the special day. The only thing that was not 100% perfect was that Dan and Grandpa Nick weren't there to share it with us! I think Disneyland blew Greg's mind! The Tiki Room was the first thing we did, and it was fun but the drums were a little startling for him. He loved the Tea Cups even though he was so dizzy. He got to try Cotton Candy for the first time, and is now officially addicted. After the Winnie the Pooh ride he said "really really scary!" He adored the train, the carousel, Dumbo, and Autopia. We were so busy having fun, we didn't really take all that many pictures, and I think there are a lot of shots on other people's cameras (hint, hint, send them to me!) Some people think almost-2 is too young to take kids, but he is still talking about it, especially when he wears his new "My First Trip to Disneyland" shirt! I think it was totally awesome and I can't wait to go again at Christmas!

The day after we returned to MN was Gregory's 2nd birthday! Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie were in town so we had a little party. He blew his candles out all by himself and sang the Happy Birthday song for days afterwards! He got really into opening the presents too! I can't believe my little baby is already 2!

Since then we have been trying to get over our jet lag, learning our way around, unpacking a little bit, and house hunting. We've also gone to a few playgroups and started to meet some new friends. Its all very overwhelming, but all in all, its shaping up to be a positive change. I will start getting the camera out again now that I have all of these downloaded and I can erase my memory card! I'll do my best to post more often to keep you all updated on Gregory's adventures in Minnesota!

April in Pictures

2009-05-04T09:10:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the long delay - the camera was, gasp, lost for a while there. Its ok, we recovered it!

April started off like this:

From 2009 05 03

So we were still all in the mood for being bundled up:

From 2009 05 03

But the snow melted pretty quick and soon enough, it was Easter. Greg got his first Easter basket, and he really enjoyed it! He got so excited for chocolate, he was about to eat it wrapper and all!

And recently Greg has gotten the clue about smiling for the camera, so we will need to be taking advantage of that more!

From 2009 05 03

I do have some videos from Easter, but I'll have to post them later - it takes forever to upload them!

2009-03-29T14:03:00.004-06:00

Well, I have a LOT of pics and videos to catch up on from our trip to Chicago last week. Dan attended a seminar during the day while Greg and I visited our friend Becca and her two darling children, Jacob and Georgia. In spite of being sick, we all really enjoyed ourselves. Becca and the kids showed us around some of their favorite spots - the mall playground, the library, the zoo, the children's museum... Also we stayed at Gregory's Godparents' home, but they were away in Greece - we missed them, but we loved the comfort of a familiar home. Gregory had fun playing their piano, but I think their sweet cat was a little put off by the noise and rapid movements of a toddler... She did let him pet her a little bit though, and he loved her!

These coasters have musical instruments on them, mostly horns...

Thanks for the caterpillar, Patrick and Keri! The way he says caterpillar is so cute!

On the way home we stopped at an indoor playground to let Greg burn off some steam, which was a big hit! But then we were attacked by a coyote that threw itself in front of our van, demolishing the bumper and radiator. The bad news is that our van is STILL in Iowa City getting repaired. The good news is that we got to spend a little time in Iowa City and see a couple of old friends from our time during Dan's grad school days there, and we will have to go back to get the van when its done, so we'll visit a couple other people then...good friends that we do not see often enough!

WAAAHHHH!!!!!

2009-03-14T15:48:00.003-06:00

I took Gregory for his first professional haircut today. It was a big mistake. I told the lady I did NOT want it too short, I just wanted her to fix it so the back was more manageable. The poor kid looks bald - he looks like one of those kids who is born bald and never grows any hair until they're three. I am so upset - all his beautiful soft hair is gone! That is the last time I let anyone else near his hair! I just hope it grows out quickly! Then again, looking through the pictures again, its pretty hard to diminish his innate cuteness...but still, he was cuter with hair!

A Little Gregory Humor...

2009-03-12T21:08:00.005-06:00

Our boy is quite the little funny man - I heard some loud thuds the other day, and found him upstairs entertaining himself. He was so hilarious and having such a good time, I just had to grab the camera. (And yes, that is one of my bras around his neck!)

And here are some videos of him singing songs - he loves to sing! Its amazing how many of the words he knows, too! I can sing pretty much any song, stop in the middle, and he will sing the next word...even in the ABC's... I am so impressed with him!

"Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?"

"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (distracted by the proximity of milkies after the 3rd line...)

"ABC's"

I don't even know what to say about this, except its typical Greg...and I love it!

I swear, he asked me to put this rubber band in his hair! Soak it in because he's going for a real haircut sometime soon...somehow, I don't think he'll mind shorter hair...but I'm not sure I'll be able to stand cutting off too much of it! Still, something must be done - we need a professional!

From 2009 03 12

Greg and Daddy - my cute guys! Greg did take a spill yesterday and has a bruise on his upper lip...poor baby!

From 2009 03 12

He does slow down sometimes! This is him at nap time - all tucked in with the requisite "two babies"

From 2009 03 12

Hilarious!

2009-02-27T13:17:00.001-06:00

Watch for the big finish!

(not so) Little Update

2009-02-23T13:19:00.006-06:00

Hello all - I've been sorely neglecting this blog, my apologies. I have really not gotten the camera out much this month - work has been insanely busy for me, but its about to slow down some so I should have more time to take pictures, and post them!

Here are a few things that have been going on around here lately. We've been in somewhat of better routines with Gregory - he is maturing so nicely and able to a lot of things more independently. He also has discovered the power to refuse our requests, and uses that quite frequently! He is really quite the spirited toddler, and he's not even two yet! But I'd say he is absolutely delightful and fun at least 80% of the time, so that's really not too bad. We've also had a major breakthrough with the nap/bedtime process, which really takes the stress off... he will now basically go to sleep on his own! We have our little routine getting ready, then if its me putting him down I will lay and nurse him for a few minutes, or if its Dan he will rock him a little, and once he's sort of mellowed out, we tuck him in with his little lullaby glow worm and kiss him goodnight and leave! He will often talk to himself a little bit and then drift off without much fuss. Sometimes he calls us and we go back in and comfort him a little more, and all this goes for naps too - so we think he is really doing so great! He is getting closer to sleeping through the night too - I still nurse him once in the middle of the night, but other than that, he usually doesn't wake up much, and more and more he is able to go back to sleep himself too. Wow, its amazing to be getting better sleep now, and when we look back on all the effort we have spent on it, we are glad that we didn't force him into a rigid sleep schedule before he was ready. Here he is, not even two yet, and doing it on his own, without trauma! It reinforces the tough choices we made and all those times we wondered if it would be worth it, well, the answer is yes!

And yes, we are still nursing and still loving it. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until at least 2 years old, and I have no intention of forcing him to stop - I can't even imagine how traumatized he would be! As it is, I do have my limits and will tell him "later" sometimes, and its hard for him to accept it, but he does. I think it is a fabulous opportunity to teach him about limits and boundaries in a most loving context. I am also so grateful to have it as a tool in my parenting toolbox! For example, last week we were all sick and he didn't want to eat or drink anything except "milkies." He nursed like a newborn, but at least I didn't have to worry about him getting dehydrated or malnourished! And I didn't have to go out and buy some Pedialyte or any other ridiculous high-fructose corn syrup filled nonsense, either!

He is also coming along beautifully with his language skills - often he puts 3 or 4 or even 5 words together! He is learning new words and also new signs every day...its so much fun to hear his thoughts! Of course, a lot of the time, we are the only people who can understand him, but his pronunciation gets better all the time too... He loves reading books, so we go to the library and check out new ones all the time - he asks me to read the same thing over and over and over again! He loves to sing, and when Hannah was here, she taught him the solfege scale, Do Re Mi, etc, so he sings that all the time... He can count to 8, but not exactly in the right order! He is starting to work on singing the ABC's too - he can go up to D by himself... he is so funny!

OK, well I think that's a pretty good update for now. I will work on getting more pics and videos to share soon!

These are from lunch today - he was pretty tired as it was right before nap, but its easy to film him in the highchair because he can't run away!

"More Water"

"More 'Dilla"

"La de dum - Gregory sings a song"

And this was from Inauguration Day

Very Very Belated Christmas Videos (and more!)

2009-01-31T23:21:00.004-06:00

My deepest apologies to those who check this blog frequently - I have been working about 30 hours a week this month, not counting grading and class prep, so I haven't had a lot of time to upload videos, which takes inordinately long! Anyway, here are some from California and a few from this month when Greg's Auntie Hannah was visiting. There were lots of silly ones of him ripping open Christmas presents, but really, they were not that interesting...I have only posted the funny and cute ones here...but if you really want to see him opening presents, I can hook you up, just let me know...

This one requires a little explanation - it was the first time he ever saw what a golf ball returner does...you hear the pop sound at the beginning and can briefly see the ball roll by, but his reaction is the fun part...

Very Belated Christmas Post

2009-01-18T00:48:00.002-06:00

Sorry its taken so long to get these up - we had over 300 pictures to sort through, and that doesn't even count videos! Those will come soon...

I put captions on the pictures to give you an idea of where we were and what was going on, so hopefully you'll have a good idea of what we did while there. We took several fun day trips around the LA area, enjoyed spending time with family, and relaxed. It was pretty low key and wonderful! It was pretty hard to come back to Omaha considering that when we departed it was -7 degrees, and it was 52 when we got to LA.

Early Christmas with Gma Bonnie

2008-12-19T18:27:00.003-06:00

Grandma Bonnie came to visit for a long weekend to celebrate Christmas early. She is also so wonderful to have with us - Gregory just adores her! She always brings lots of surprises like new books and a couple of toys - I guess spoiling him is her prerogative! This being Christmas, though, she had a few special surprises in store. A whole mountain of Christmas books - I think she read him each one 10 times while she was here! A wooden train set from Grandpa Rod, and some other trains from cousins Anna and Gracie, and a lot of other little things... She also found a cloth nativity playset with finger puppets and a stable that doubles as a carrying case - Greg loves to take everything out and then put it all back in! But the coolest thing was something she mail-ordered. You can see it in the pictures below - it arrived just today! We couldn't wait to open it and he doesn't know that you usually have to wait until Christmas morning to open gifts - I guess we'll have to institute that rule next year when he can understand it. Anyway, the present was a huge hit!

While Grandma Bonnie was here, we went to the Capitol for one of our Nebraska Friends of Midwives lobbying days. We passed out M&M trail mix to all the senators' offices along with some information about our upcoming bills. They were having a tuba concert in the rotunda and Santa was there. It was fun to enjoy all the holiday festivities and Grandma and Greg ran all over the halls exploring.

I have to teach classes this weekend and then on Monday we head out to sunny southern California for Christmas as usual. We are particularly looking forward to it considering the huge storm we had last night. It was Thunder-Snow...rather unusual - kind of a cross between a snowstorm and an ice storm. Really fun to drive in - gotta love a white Christmas...

Christmas Photo Shoot

2008-12-14T20:35:00.004-06:00

Shoot! is right! Enjoy the bloopers reel below!(I made it bigger so you can see his facial expressions...) For some reason, Greg got it into his head that he does not want to be in any pictures. These are the result of 3 different attempts over the past 2 days. We finally got one that was acceptable, but you'll have to wait to see it until you get it in the mail! Which will obviously be a little while since we just ordered them...hopefully you'll get it before Christmas!

Ah! Oh no!

2008-12-03T11:31:00.002-06:00

I was considering changing the template of my blog but I decided not to. Unfortunately, as a result of my experimentation, I lost my list of Blogs I Read. I have recovered a few but if you know I read your blog, would you mind adding a comment with your URL so I can put it back on my list? Thanks!!!

Follow Me!

2008-12-03T10:48:00.001-06:00

I added the button to follow my blog, so please do join! It'll help me know who is out there!

So much traveling!

2008-11-25T01:09:00.007-06:00

Well we have barely been home for the last several weeks, hence the lack of posting, my apologies! Here is the catch-up, but before I get started, I have long neglected to announce my first blog award! Many thanks to Annie of the Junior, Mints and Reeses blog for the honor. Apparently there is a whole world of blogosphere stuff like this that I am not aware of, and honestly, its a bit overwhelming! Its odd to remember that there are actually people out there who read this!

So I am supposed to send this award on to 5 blogging friends: Michal, Sarah, Becca, Anne, and the Smart Baby Sign Language Holly.

The Gold Blogging Friends Forever Rules are:
1. Only five people allowed.
2. Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog. (I only have 1 official follower, so I'm just picking people I know who have their own blogs)
3. One has to be someone new, or recently new to your blog, or live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the 'Blogging Friends Forever' award.

OK, now to the updates! Gregory and I spent a week in Cincinnati with my friend Michal, her husband Jonathan, and their new baby Alexander, Xander for short. He is adorable and a really nice baby! I can't wait to see him grow and see him and Gregory playing together. Greg already likes him - every morning when we got up, the first thing he would say was "Baby? Hiiieee!" He liked to get down close and wave at the baby and give him hugs. The second thing he would do was loudly make a high-pitched screeching meowing sound, indicating he wanted to see the cats...he also loved the cats, but I am not sure they liked him quite as much, especially when he made that noise! Michal and I had a great time hanging out and doing mommy things together. We went out a lot, Michal practicing her wrapping and nursing in public skills. Traveling alone with Greg was not too bad either, I think I have it basically down to a science now! And remember how last time we went to Cincinnati we got stuck overnight on the way home? Well we got home a day later than we planned this time again, but at least we found out early enough that we were able to just spend the extra day with Michal and Jonathan. So all in all, a really great trip! Boy do I miss living near Michal!
Alexander:

Cincinnati Children's Museum: Greg was so focused on playing that I don't think I saw him smile - just a very studious concentration all day long! If anyone is ever in Cincinnati with kids, you have to check this place out!

Chicago Midway Airport Layover: This soccer ball has been all over the country!

Only 2 days after we got home from Ohio, we drove to Canton, Kansas, to visit my great uncle Lawrence and great aunt Irma and their family for Thanksgiving. They live in the home that my grandpa's mother and her father built! Of course, it has been somewhat renovated since then...you know, indoor plumbing and things, but it was really special to be in the old family home. Greg and Lucy both had a wonderful time playing with Austin and Leah, two of the grandkids who live there as well. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner and also did a little sight seeing. I have to say, I am totally impressed with a little town called Newton, nearby, which had a fabulous health food store and a natural baby shop to die for. Check them out online: http://www.healthybabyboutique.com/

Kansas Thanksgiving: The only problem was we didn't take enough pictures - hello, it might have been good to take pics of the people we saw in addition to the places! Sorry!

We are going to be home now for 3 weeks before the annual California Christmas trip. In the mean time, I am beginning to teach this quarter for the community college again, 2 sections of Intro to Biology, Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons...what did I get myself into? Between that and the preparations for the 2009 legislative session with Nebraska Friends of Midwives, I will barely have a moment to spare, but I'll try to remember to get the camera out a little...

Recent Fun

2008-11-04T22:51:00.005-06:00

We've had a busy last couple of weekends. First Grandma Bonnie and Cousin Stephanie, with Gracie, came to visit from North Dakota. Grace and Greg had so much fun together! We went to a little family dairy farm and they had a great time climbing on a tractor...ok, it was a riding lawn mower, but hey, it was a John Deere! We visited the zoo, and we went to the mall playground...we kept ourselves really busy. We had to stay out of Dan's hair as it was his last weekend before his big exam. It wasn't too hard with such nice company!

The week was pretty tough as Dan was preparing for his exam on Thursday. But he lived through it and on Friday we all piled in the car and went up to Minneapolis. Dan's cousin Angie was married on Saturday, but had a Halloween Party on Friday night. We had a great time at both events, and just spending time with the Fix clan, especially Grandpa Mike. Grandpa and Dan also caught a Vikings game on Sunday. We took our time coming home on Monday which was a much needed chance to spend some good family time just us. Now back to the grindstone, but with a lot more together time since Dan doesn't have to study for a while now, thank goodness!!! I can't say how great it is to have him back!

Here are a couple of videos from some fun we had running through the downtown St Paul skyway system. We were trying to get Gregory to burn off some energy so he would have an easier time going down for a nap. He played some soccer and also enjoyed looking out the windows at the passing cars and people below and the pigeons roosting on the ledges.

Video Dump

2008-10-23T10:02:00.002-06:00

As promised, you get to see some of the cute and funny things Greg is doing these days. Lots of jabbering, some of his first words, and lots of signs...

Grandpa?

This was back in August when the Aunties were here:

Quiz time part 1:

Quiz time part 2:

All that quizzing wore me out!

This is a little game he invented with Daddy's hat, and it was so funny we had to tape it! Honestly, we didn't teach him this!

Photo Dump

2008-10-22T20:42:00.002-06:00

Hi All - my deepest apologies for the major lack of posting recently. We have a lot of photos and videos to show you! This post will be pics, and when I have all the videos uploaded, I'll do another post with them!

Here's a fun time we had at the park - we go almost every day that we can, trying to soak up the last of the decent weather. Greg loves slides, swings, sand, and just plain running around.

Mr Personality! Greg had a great time on our trip to ND for cousin Stephanie's wedding. Here are some cute ones Aunt Kim took:

Mr. Potato Head's glasses

From 2008 10 09

Yes, its a tantrum. And its funny.

Helping Daddy study...its all Daddy does these days!

From 2008 10 19

And we went to an Obama event to hear Hillary Clinton speak. It was pretty cool - we've never gone to anything like that before. Once again, can I say how much we love babywearing!

Mazel Tov!

2008-10-07T23:50:00.004-06:00

Congrats go out to my best friend Michal and her husband Jonathan on the birth of their son! He was born around 9am on Tuesday Oct 7th and weighed in at 6 lbs 11.5 oz, and was 19 inches long! I am not posting the name as of yet because I am not sure if they have officially announced it yet. As I understand it though, it was a smooth labor and birth with not much pushing, go Mama!! Michal was a little woozy there for a while afterwards but she is doing better now and baby is also doing very well, and I can't wait to have some pictures to share! The completely objective report from Jan (his grandmother) is that he is pretty darn cute and fabulously content...who wouldn't be, coming into the world surrounded by all that love? :)

Trip to the Zoo

2008-09-19T21:48:00.008-06:00

We often go to the zoo, since we have an annual pass, but we don't often take many pictures. This past week we went with some friends and did whip out the cameras! Our little toddlers have been growing up together and it is so much fun!

Left to right: Etta, Gregory and Lici. This is Etta's wagon and she was kind enough to share it - good thing Greg is still small or he wouldn't have fit in the middle!

From 2008 09 16

Nurse that toddler - any time, any place!

From 2008 09 16

The newest exhibit is a butterfly house, which was so cool! The most beautiful butterflies and moths everywhere you looked!

From 2008 09 16

Whoa, one flew right in front of us - see it on the left! Still loving the babywearing!

From 2008 09 16

In the aquarium - I was trying to get him to do his fishy mouth impression - he did it for a second, but he was really pretty distracted in the awesome shark tunnel.

I do have to tell you, I had a bunch of awesome pics and videos that accidentally got erased a few days ago - I was nauseous over it! I am working on replacing the videos since they were of things he does a lot, like his signs. We are headed to Minneapolis this weekend so there will no doubt be many great photo ops!

Last but not least, the developmental news. We went in for Greg's 15 month check up yesterday. He weighed 19 lbs 4 oz, which was a gain of about 3 lbs in 3 months - pretty good! He was a generous 28 inches tall, up only a half inch (if that.) So that puts him just barely under the curve for weight and pretty far under for height - I guess he takes after my side of the family in that dept! He might catch up later, but there's nothing wrong with being short! I bought him some footie pajamas since we've had a couple of cool nights, and they are 12-18 month size - they fit him totally fine except his feet only make it about down to the knees! Oh well!!! Also it seems I have forgotten to mention it, but you may have noticed the absence of the binki in the photos for a while now - thats because he gave it up! We have been binki-free for a couple of months now - what happened was that we actually lost them all, and then I realized we hadn't used it in a day or two so we just decided to see if we could survive without. Lo and behold, it was no problem at all! Since then, I have actually found them again and even offered one back to him to see what he'd do, and he played with it a little and then threw it on the floor. I have to say, I am so relieved we got that over with so easily - I was afraid I'd be bribing him to give it up before he went to kindergarten!

The Story of Stuff

2008-09-13T15:48:00.004-06:00

I know this blog is supposed to be about Gregory. And this is not directly about him, but really, if you think about it, it is. Its about what I want to teach him and about what kind of world he will inherit.

So go! The Story of Stuff

More About Baby Sign Language

2008-09-08T21:05:00.005-06:00

Well I want to try to get some videos of Gregory doing his signs, but in the meantime, check out these promos for the new Baby Signing Time series - I am posting them as part of a contest to win a set of DVDs and CDs. Grandma Bonnie actually gave us a few episodes of the original Signing Time on VHS, and we are really enjoying them - it would be awesome to have the whole set that is especially designed for babies!

Some of you may know that Gregory's Grandma Bonnie is a deaf educator. She grew up signing with her deaf grandparents, so sign has been a family language for a few generations now. Not only is it convenient and fun to teach Greg, I also feel like I am giving him a little piece of his family history. And there is actually more and more research coming out showing that sign can help hearing children improve their language skills and learning aptitude, so there are just so many good reasons to keep on signing!! Gregory has already reduced his whining a whole lot, and is so happy when he signs to me and gets the results he wants, and he only knows a few signs! I can't wait to keep teaching him more and more and find out what he has to say!

Maybe a little something about the Boy!

2008-09-05T15:00:00.003-06:00

Well, time has flown by and I haven't posted at all about Gregory in ages! Heck, this blog is supposed to be about him! Sorry! There are many new developments you will be delighted with, as we are. My sister Claire was here for the first 3 weeks of August, and my other sister Audrey was with us for the remainder of the month. What a blessing they both were, helping us out so that I could work on BOLD. I could not have done it without them, and we had a lot of fun and I think Greg really enjoyed spending the time with his Aunties.

We got a new toy - a rather big toy - from a friend who didn't use it anymore...a ball pit! Gregory loves it, but it is a little hard to keep Lucy from destroying the balls...as you'll see, Greg isn't much help in that department. So we only take it out on occasionally, which actually helps keep up the fun value.

One of the most memorable things we did while the Aunties were here was a trip to the lake (ok, ok, its one of the only times we remembered to take pictures...but it was really fun too!) Technically swimming is not allowed because they do not have lifeguards, but we were just "wading" so we figured it was fine! Lucy did swim, though, and she had absolutely a great time going after tennis balls. I am so glad she is finally grown up enough that we can go places like this and not worry about her running off.

Greg has really come a long way in motor and language skills. He figured out how to do some of the baby signs we have been trying, and once he figured it out, he has been picking them up like gangbusters. He learns a new sign every day or two. He also tries to say the word that goes with it sometimes, and he can get the beginning sounds a lot of the time. He is learning the names of things and pointing a lot more too. It is so much fun to see how he shows us that he knows what we are talking about. He's a smart kid, if I do say so myself!

From 2008 08 27

Also he doubled his number of teeth in the last round of teething, so can now eat basically anything he wants... it really opens up the culinary world for him and he is eating like a grown man - and has the belly to show for it!

From 2008 08 27

A couple of other cute things he's been doing are "talking" on the phone and playing around with sitting on the potty seat. We are not potty learning in earnest yet, but he has shown some interest in pretending, and we have successfully caught a couple of number twos in there, which is always good.

From 2008 08 27

We have also been going for walks every morning with our friends, and we often stop at the playground afterwards. Greg has discovered the joy of playing in the sand, and also loves to go down the slide. Its been really good for me and Lucy too - its good to start the day off with some fresh air, sunshine and activity, and it seems to be helping Lucy with her loneliness as well...since Giggles has been gone, the poor girl has been pretty whiny and mopey...to be expected I guess.

From 2008 08 27

One less cute thing he has learned is how to turn the tv on and off...that does get old pretty quick, but we are glad he is clever.

From 2008 08 27

OK, I promise I will be updating you more frequently now that the busiest part of BOLD is over... 3 more shows to go: Norfolk tomorrow, Grand Island on the 14th, and Lincoln on the 24th. Please pray for a good turn out for us!!

BIRTH play opening in Omaha Aug 30th

2008-08-19T23:40:00.003-06:00

Hi all - I know many of you who read this blog are not in Omaha, but I am posting this information everywhere I can!! Spread the word to anyone in NE and please consider becoming a sponsor and purchasing an ad in our program. Your regularly scheduled blogging will resume sometime soon - can't promise when - I've been a little busy... But I do have pictures and milestones to share! :) In the meantime, check out www. boldaction.org to see if Birth is performing in an area near you!

Please share, repost, and forward this to as many people as you can! We are also accepting ads for the program through Monday Aug 25th. Thanks!!!

Birth a play by Karen Brody - touring NE Aug/Sept 2008
www.freewebs.com/boldnebraska

Birth is a dramatic, funny, touching, and thought-provoking piece that examines the importance of giving birth in the lives of women and families. Performances are followed by a talkback panel discussion, which will provide an opportunity to explore the important issue of maternity care in our own community. This program will be valuable to anyone who is interested in honoring mothers and babies by making sure the care they receive at the time of birth is safe and respectful of the sacred nature of this life event. Please share the following information with your members and clients. Let us know if you would like to receive an advertising flyer for display - contact Holly Fix at (402)659-6734. Also please add this event to your weekly newsletter or bulletin, including contact information.

Thank you sincerely!

Holly Fix
BOLD Nebraska Organizer

Performances:

Omaha – UNO Eppley Auditorium
Saturday August 30th 6:30pm
Sunday August 31st 2:00pm

Norfolk – Lifelong Learning Center at NCC
Saturday September 6th 1:00pm

Lincoln – The Loft at the Mill
Wednesday September 24th 7:00pm

Kearney - TBA

"This play must be seen by everyone – parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts. It’s life-changing.”
– audience member, BOLD New York City

Birth is a critically-acclaimed documentary-style play that tells the birth stories of eight women, painting an honest picture of how low-risk, educated mothers are giving birth today.

BOLD is a global arts-based movement inspiring communities to create childbirth choices that work for mothers. Since BOLD’s founding in 2006, education about the issue of options in childbirth - through watching the play Birth and the post-show talkback – has been at the heart of BOLD’s efforts.

Visit our website at www.freewebs.com/boldnebraska for ticketing and sponsorship information.

To obtain an advertising flyer, reply with FAX number, or call Holly at (402)659-6734.

In Memoriam: Giggles 12-23-97 to 8-7-08

2008-08-08T01:02:00.003-06:00

It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of our dear Giggles. A few weeks ago she was affected by what seemed to be a UTI and a minor cough. Our worst fears were realized when the vet told us she had fluid in her belly and lung, caused by heart failure. Medications kept her stable and comfortable for a while, but her condition deteriorated. While we were in ND, she and Lucy stayed with Caroline, as they usually do when we go out of town. She couldn't keep the fluid under control and her belly grew to twice its already bloated size and though she was hungry, she couldn't bear to eat. The vet was able to remove some of the fluid and she felt some relief and ate again, but within a few days, went downhill again. The medications couldn't help her advanced state of heart failure. Caroline and I comforted her and said our goodbyes as she went to Heaven today.

Giggles was an angel in fur...the most loving, loyal, wise and beautiful dog you would ever have the fortune to meet. She lived a full life, traveling the country participating in (and winning!) many dog shows in her youth. She bore several large litters of beautiful puppies, several of whom have gone on to have show, obedience, agility, and hunting careers. She came to live with Lucy and us and gave us her devotion unconditionally. She accompanied me to puppy classes, where she taught youngsters about proper doggy etiquette. She went to schools and nursing homes, bringing joy and love to all she met. She showed in Junior Showmanship even as recently as the end of April, where she helped her handler, Bridgette, win first place as usual. Everyone was impressed at how she enjoyed going around that ring even at her age, and how beautiful she still was. She loved walks and especially chasing tennis balls, rolling on top of them in the grass, dropping them in her water bucket, and chomping them, busting them in half! She loved to give hi five. She got so excited to eat that she danced around in circles with a huge grin on her face. She loved to cuddle and be pet for hours. She tore up tissues if you left her alone. She loved nylabones, and even though she was bigger and stronger, she often left Lucy take the one she was chewing, just because she wanted it. She was endlessly patient with Lucy, who could certainly be obnoxious at times, pestering her to play tug...she usually obliged. She was a benevolent queen. She loved children and never minded their intrusions into her ears, nose, eyes and mouth. She was so easygoing and trusting, we joked that you could probably do minor surgery on her and she wouldn't mind - which we actually did put to the test once. She had a skin thing removed under local anesthesia when most dogs would have been put under, and she held perfectly still the whole time. She was steadfastly by my side, wherever I went in the house or outside. I will miss her smiling face and her calm, angelic presence probably more than I even realize right now.

Giggles, you were a perfect companion. I, for one, will never forget you, and look forward to seeing you in Heaven some day. Enjoy your treats and tennis balls in the meantime. I love you!

This was in the old days - they used to have fantastic up-side down wresting matches. Giggles always won, but she allowed Lucy to get her shots in to make her feel good! The one on the left is Gigs.

This was just in April, they went on sharing this bone for what seemed like an eternity - probably at least 10 minutes!

ND Family Reunion

2008-07-30T21:45:00.002-06:00

We took a long weekend and went up to ND to visit Dan's family. The Fix side was having a reunion and relatives from all over the country enjoyed the cabin on Lake Sakakawea together. It was so great to hang out with Dan's extended family and for the kids to play together. We are truly blessed by such wonderful relatives. We went for a boat ride on the lake, but Greg's enjoyment of that was quashed by his irritation with the life jacket. Grandpa Mike did manage to get one or two little smiles out of him... We also went swimming, which he liked better once he got used to the cool water. But the majority of the time, Greg spent playing with rocks in a bucket of water, and on the slide and swingset, and he was having a ball! Walking is really serving him well, opening up a whole new realm of play opportunities!

We also got to spend some time with the Hogan side, visiting the great grandparents and 2nd cousins on that side too. Its amazing, Gracie is the youngest of the 3 babies, but she is the biggest!! They're all growing so fast! We had fun seeing Grandma Bonnie's new horse, Lily - Greg was a little nervous around such a big creature! They are getting the farm ready to move next year after Bonnie retires, so Rod has been busy with a lot of organizing projects and the place looks good. Up and back, it was a long drive both ways, but Greg was a real trooper, sleeping a lot, and reading a lot of books. He got creative with them and did take a bite or two out of them as well! All in all, it was a great trip!

Officially a toddler!

2008-07-18T10:15:00.003-06:00

Gregory has been growing braver every day in his quest to become bi-pedal and master his environment! We have some great videos for you. He has also definitely transitioned from infant to toddler from a social and cognitive perspective as well. In the videos, you'll not only get to see his movement, but also, his development - he's trying to talk, and you can see the little wheels turning in his brain. One of the most exciting things for me is to see him responding to what I say in a way that I know he actually knows what I mean. Greg has always let us know that he has strong feelings and opinions, from birth! But now, he is having more dramatic reactions when I try to distract or divert him from something he wants, or when I refuse him something. How dare I! A friend said to me, you don't want to break their spirit or their will, but you do have to civilize them! That about sums it up right there! He's our little monkey! Guess its time to start reading up on gentle discipline...oh Dr Sears!!

Bathtime

Walking

Driving his car

Going downstairs

Going upstairs

walking and talking - sort of!

2008-07-07T22:42:00.003-06:00

As promised, here are a few little clips...I will continue to strive for better ones! I will say, he has a lot of drool and snot going on these days due to a major teething effort underway...

Oh yeah, we had professional pics done...

2008-07-07T01:36:00.002-06:00

We have a few prints for the family we'll be sending out as soon as I can get to the post office, but if you see any you want, let us know and we can get it for you!

Sorry no blogging - busy outside!!

2008-07-06T23:46:00.005-06:00

Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! We have been outdoors as much as possible, but its been pretty rainy and humid lately. Actually, on our anniversary (5 years, thank you!) there was a storm with 90 MPH winds that knocked down half the trees and power lines in Omaha! We escaped with very little damage, thank goodness, but our neighborhood lost a LOT of trees, which is sad, and some of our neighbors had some significant damage to their roofs, fences, decks, and cars... Its still a mess with branches, uprooted trees, and busted-up sidewalks everywhere. We did have a glorious day on the 4th though...a whole day out at the park, and great fireworks at night - thankfully one more year of no one blowing themselves up! We also hung out at the lake last week and enjoyed the water together!

Greg, Bonnie (Dan's mom), and I also made a trip to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, for the YMCA National gymnastics meet, to hang out with my mom and Aunt Karen, and see Claire and Audrey compete. Bonnie was a fabulous traveling companion, keeping Greg (and me) entertained on the 9 hour drive! The girls did great too - Claire made All-American for the 3rd year in a row, and Audrey took first in beam and tied with her teammate for 12th overall out of about 180 girls in her category! Their gym also took 4th place in the team competition, which is awesome because their team is tiny compared to most of the others!

The first time Claire has ever landed this full-twisting Tsukahara vault in competition - there was only 1 other girl at the meet who did it too (and Claire scored better...):

Audrey's first-place beam routine:

Since my family flew through O'Hare and their flight home ended up getting postponed a day, we decided to stay an extra day with them in Chicago, and visited Gregory's godparents, Patrick and Keri too. We only wish Dan could have been with us! We had a great time checking out downtown, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. We even saw another babywearer there! I guess it shouldn't have surprised me considering the International Babywearing Conference was there over the weekend too - if I had ever wanted to be in 2 places at once, it was then...but I definitely made the right choice as it was...

In other developments, Greg had his 1 year checkup at the doctor. He is doing great on all his milestones of course, but is definitely on the small side for his age, 16lbs 9oz and 27 1/2 inches. His height and weight match, though, and frankly, he matches my family...we can't be that surprised. And the boy eats like a grown man, so we are not worried. He has been practicing his walking and is getting steadier every day. This week's project is to get video of it. He has also started to try to imitate some sounds - the beginning of talking... For example, on the 4th, Dan was trying to get him to say "Boom" which came out more like "Bouuu" but you can tell he was definitely trying. He also attempted "ball" which sounded remarkably like his "boom"! :) Ok, ok, we'll work on video of that too! Stay tuned...

First Birthday Bash!

2008-06-23T23:12:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday we had a big barbecue party at the park to celebrate Greg's first birthday. Many of our friends were there and it was so great to enjoy it with them. We can't believe how fast this year has gone, and how big and wonderful Greg has grown! We are just so proud of him every day! And by the way, he took his first steps the day before his birthday. He's still only doing 3 or 4 at a time, but he's getting braver all the time. He's so proud of himself when he does it too - its hilarious. We'll keep working on a video, but its a little tricky since he's distracted by the camera. Anyway, here's a few pics and videos so you can feel like you were there too!

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-20T22:23:00.003-06:00

Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie were down for the weekend - it was so great to visit with them. Greg just loves all his Grandparents - I guess he likes all that attention! We mostly just hung out, went out to eat a few times, and enjoyed each other's company. Here's a few pics:

Video Catch Up

2008-06-20T22:22:00.002-06:00

Sorry these videos from our CA trip in May are so late... Enjoy!

Kayla playing videographer:

Sorry this one is sideways, but its cute. Greg shakes almost everything he plays with just to see if it makes noise. Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick fittingly got him a music set for his birthday with bells, maracas, etc., and a drum too. He loves them!

Cuteness playing with Grandpa Nick. Some adorable clapping in this one, and the funny face he was making the whole time we were out there - scrunching up his nose.

Aunt Kayla - need I say more?

California Trip

2008-06-05T21:54:00.002-06:00

We were in California last week - Dan had a conference in LA and we took advantage of the opportunity to make a visit out of it. It was so great to spend such quality time with the family - words cannot express how much I miss you guys!! It was so special to see Gregory bond with each person - I grieve that those relationships cannot be more continuous. As he gets older, though, he'll start to remember these good times in between visits and will be able to communicate on the webcam and stuff - that will help. I know we have always said that closeness is not dependent on proximity, but it sure helps!

Anyway, here's some pics to enjoy. There are many videos too, but they take a long time to upload so it'll be a few more days before I have them up.

Enjoying Spring

2008-05-17T21:13:00.003-06:00

The weather has turned nice, I think for good, so we have been venturing outside a little more. Here are a few more videos and a picture...its kinda hard to get good shots of what he's been doing lately. For example, he has been practicing walking around all the furniture and with his wagon and has started standing independently (look ma, no hands!) but every time I get the camera out all he wants to do is grab at it, so a picture has been elusive. I'll keep trying though...

attitude...

a try to record clapping...

a little clapping...

a little walk...

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2008-05-11T17:09:00.007-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful moms and moms-to-be that we are so blessed to have in our lives! We hope you are having a day filled with love and family!

Our little family enjoyed a sinfully delectable buffet this morning. Gregory particularly liked the bacon. He had some bacon at home before and was not impressed with it as it was overdone and really only good for crumbling, not eating. The bacon at the buffet, however, was meaty and succulent. He went into an altered state as he was enjoying it, the bacon trance, which went on for a long time since he was not very efficient at chewing it and mostly just gummed it up and sucked on it forever! Sadly, we neglected to bring our camera! We did snap some shots once we got home, though.

Another milestone on this Mother's Day, Gregory had his first haircut. Well, ok, I did trim one or two stray ones before now, but this was the first one of any significance. You may have noticed that he was a little untidy around the ears - well that's all taken care of now... Daddy was getting annoyed with it, but Mommy wanted to wait - well I will admit that he looks better now...

We also have a couple of videos for you to enjoy. The first one is Gregory on his rocking horse - this was a gift from Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Rodney and he gets a kick out of it.

The second one is of him out in the front yard - it ends abruptly because I had to go fish mulch out of his mouth...

And a few more pictures:
All in a day's work...

Sweet Potatoes!

...sweet...

Daddy and Greg at Tyler's birthday party

Tyler and Greg

Feeding Gregory

2008-04-21T21:26:00.009-06:00

(ask and you shall receive, Michal!)

So it has been not quite a month since Greg started eating new foods in earnest. And still, about 97% of his nourishment comes from me - which I'm totally great with! This past Saturday, we attended the Nebraska regional La Leche League conference, which was great in so many ways, including reaffirming the decisions we have been making about "solid foods," so I thought I'd ruminate on them here a little.

We are essentially following the principles of “child-led weaning,” or rather, my interpretation of it, which is influenced by LLL guidelines, attachment parenting, and even some Montessori principles. Most basic to feeding a baby is obviously nursing. “Weaning” begins with adding in solid foods, not stopping or reducing nursing, and is a long and very gradual process that can take years for the child to transition from getting his nutrition solely from mother to solely from solids. American culture in particular seems to want to rush the stopping nursing part. Actually, we rush the starting solids part too! For us, “child-led” meant waiting for Greg to let us know in no uncertain terms that he was ready to start solids, not going by an arbitrary date or age. In addition to being able to sit up alone, having teeth, and noticing us eating and chewing, we wanted to see him actually asking for food. And he did! One day he was not interested and the next day he was demanding!

To us, right now it is about learning how to eat, not about getting a certain quantity of food into his belly. I know he is still getting all his nutritional needs met through my milk. Right now, it is about having fun! He is exploring new tastes, textures, and temperatures. He is developing his motor skills by picking up the food pieces and getting them into his mouth, which is especially challenging when they are small and slippery, not to mention learning to chew and swallow things other than liquids. He is absorbing the social skills of eating together with others both at home and in public by sitting right at the table with us. Keeping these goals in mind really helps us relax if a day goes by when he doesn’t eat anything, or when he throws most of it on the floor or makes a huge mess! We don’t stress out if he’s not eating everything and we don’t shovel spoonful after spoonful down his throat to finish the container. In fact, we don’t give him any pureed baby food at all. He decides whether, what and how much he eats of the real food we happen to be having. This also helps him develop a sense of control over himself and his environment, and in this way we are showing him respect. Our obligation is just to offer him healthy foods to explore, and make sure he doesn’t choke!

I must admit that when he turned 6 months old, I began to stress out about solid foods. I know that this is the typical age when most people start giving their kids solids, if they didn’t already start at 4 months! And everyone typically starts out with rice cereal – oh, rice cereal! There is even a gal at Dan’s office who has been regularly asking if Greg is eating rice cereal yet (even after Dan said he was eating chicken and vegetables - LOL)! (ask me about the history of rice cereal some time…) I was really starting to sweat it, but deep down I felt that he wasn’t really ready yet and regardless, rice cereal was probably not in his future! Thank goodness for my wonderful mamas at La Leche League – their reassurances about the signs of readiness and that many of their kids weren’t interested in solids until closer to a year old laid all my worries to rest. And so far, we are really pleased with the choices we have made in starting this next phase in Greg’s life! It sounds so serious when I say it that way, but it really is kind of a milestone! And I know what we are doing isn’t what works for everyone, but hey, its working for us!

So I have perhaps some slightly more boring videos for you today, but here’s Greg enjoying some broccoli. He also has been playing shy – here he is playing with Daddy sitting across the table, but he frequently does it when new people greet him as well – too cute!

And we just got him a set of baby-sized silverware (silver-plated!) and he actually uses it – how cute!! I have to load it up for him, but he can get the food into his mouth with it – here he’s eating some peas which I have squashed so he doesn’t choke on them… Also I’d like to point out that he has adorable baby blue enamelware dishes – no plastic or melmac around here – are you surprised!?! ;)

And fortunately, children are washable!

Fun getting around

2008-04-05T13:16:00.003-06:00

Greg has been pushing the limits of his mobility and has been gaining ground every day. We got him a walker wagon so he could practice (courtesy of Uncle Benny) and he has been having fun with it - although we had to weight it down a little to keep it from tipping back - its not the fanciest thing. But hey, it does the trick!

The wagon is also good for teething - who knew!?!

Greg and Daddy having fun (well maybe Greg is having more fun than Daddy!)

Also I have recently been learning how to knit - and this is the first finished project - a diaper soaker - I think it turned out pretty good. My definition of pretty good is that he can actually wear it for its intended purpose! (Although our little friend Jacob thought it also would make a good hat!)

So he doesn't like bananas, but...

2008-03-28T21:29:00.009-06:00

He loves asparagus:

And hard-boiled egg yolks:

And green beans and chicken and broccoli and potatoes and pineapple and Orange Ginger Mint Tea! so far...though he continues to reject bananas! I knew that one day he would wake up and start yelling at us to feed him some of what we're having! He still doesn't reach (except for cups), but the squawking abates when we give him something off our plates, so I figure that must be what he means. He also will open his mouth for you to put food in, and does the cutest imitations when we instruct him in chewing. I'll work on getting some videos of that and other funny things he does over the weekend.

For Easter we went over to our friends the Jones' house and played with their two little girls, Sophie and Eva. Eva had something of a little crush on Greg!
(this one will be embarrassing when they're older!)

Otherwise we've just been having a grand old time exploring the world with ever-improving mobility. He has been earning the nickname "monkey" with his climbing antics! Of course his favorite climbing objectives have been moving targets, namely Mommy & Daddy...
The indoor playground at the mall:

AAAHHH - Lemme outta here!!! Standing at the gates and hollering is becoming a favorite pass-time of his

Boo! (climbing under the end tables to get at the phone cords)

travel & food

2008-03-13T12:38:00.005-06:00

Well our little monkey has been keeping us so busy we haven't had time to post!

At the beginning of March, Gregory and I traveled to Cincinnati, OH, to visit Michal and Jonathan. What a fantastic trip, but it was an adventure traveling alone with an 8 mth old. We endured some delays to say the least, and killed a lot of time in the airport. Greg kept himself entertained by practicing his crawling and pulling up on furniture. We made the best of it, and it was totally worth it for the visit - I hadn't seen Michal in almost 2 years!

We finally got a picture of all four of those new teeth!

Even though he has teeth, my impression is that Greg is not really ready for solids, but Dan seems to think that his behavioral "issues" (waking up so many times a night) are because he needs to eat food. So in spite of my reservations, I went ahead and offered him some banana. First we tried small pieces. Greg was happy to mash them up and smear them on the table, but didn't really attempt to taste any. You can see what happened to them!

So I thought there would be a better chance of mouth contact if I gave a bigger piece...

Mommy was right again! We are definitely going to just wait until he actually starts asking for food. He is growing and developing just fine as he is, so we do not need to be in a rush to push it on him.

Been a very busy boy!

2008-02-17T15:59:00.004-06:00

It has been bitterly cold here lately, but Gregory has been keeping himself and us very busy! In addition to finally figuring out crawling, as you can see below, and getting all 4 front teeth at once (though it is virtually impossible to get a glimpse of them, especially the top ones), he has also been learning how to say a few new sounds: ya, da, and ba. I'm trying to convince him to try "ma" to no avail... But it sure is fun to hear him say more than just AAAHHHH! He also learned to clap, but he hasn't figured out how to keep his hands flat, so its kind of a sloppy clap - all the more adorable! Through all of this growth, he continues to show his charming personality and sense of humor... He lets us know exactly how hard it is to move himself from here to there, and also exactly how much he dislikes the taste of Baby Motrin! He has also had a bit of a runny nose, but stronly protests the use of Kleenex. We are really enjoying him and just love all the funny new facial expressions!

Crawling!!

2008-02-17T15:46:00.002-06:00

Here are some delightful videos of Gregory finally learning to put one hand in front of the other! He is still pretty slow, which is good for us, since the living room is not baby-proof! Guess we have to (read: finally get to) go shopping for basement furniture...

First Tooth!

2008-02-11T00:30:00.000-06:00

The sharp little tip of Gregory's first tooth, the bottom one on the left, has finally cut through this week, and the second, the other bottom one, is not far behind. Frankly, it appears the top two are also coming in soon! He has been taking teething like a trooper, with the help of his amber necklace, homeopathic teething tablets, and a little baby Motrin when all else fails...

We also took a trip up to Sioux Falls, SD, this weekend for a visit with Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Rod. We went shopping and went to a cool Brazilian steakhouse that was an absolute steal of a deal - $15/person for a huge all-inclusive Sunday brunch - a similar meal (without the breakfast foods) cost about $70 each when we went in Chicago a couple years ago! And that didn't even include drinks or dessert! The fact that there even is a Brazilian steakhouse in South Dakota is amazing enough and definitely was the highlight of the trip. We'll have to do it again sometime...

Otherwise, Dan and I are keeping busy with work, studying, and volunteering and Greg is happy to come along for the ride. Unless the ride is in the car... ;) But he is very social and is perfectly happy once we get to wherever we are going! He is beginning to enter the typical clingy stage that is normal for his age, but so far it has not extended to fear of strangers... He is crawling every direction except forwards - he still can't figure out how to put one hand in front of the other...but he gets around! We decided we'll have to use our tax return this year to outfit the basement as a proper playroom because the living room is basically impossible to make childproof. That will be nice when our friends with toddlers want to come over too...

Well enjoy the pics!

Mr. Personality

2008-02-01T23:10:00.000-06:00

That's Greg - he is really expressing his sense of humor lately! He plays with things in the funniest ways - and he makes ridiculous faces! He and I have also been having screaming contests - he screams, then I copy him, and he busts up laughing! Then he goes again and I go again, and it continues... Another new antic is pinching me, though - I don't find that so funny... But the good news is that he's been sleeping quite a bit better at night, so that is a big relief, and restores my patience for the pinching a little!!

7 months!

2008-01-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

I can't believe our little guy is already working on his second semester! He is growing so fast, learning new things every day! We have been having some struggles with getting back into his sleep and nap routine since we came back from CA, but he slowly seems to be getting back on track. Dan and I have been suffering a level of exhaustion we have not previously encountered, even in the newborn phase. It has forced us to contemplate a variety of coping strategies (like kicking him out of our bed and night weaning!) that conflict with our fundamental parenting style, but so far we haven't actually acted on anything yet. Just when we think we can't take it anymore, he has a good night so we give it another chance. But its alright - he's a good kid and you just can't stay upset with him!

Lion from Godparents Patrick and Keri for Christmas - isn't he the best Lion you've ever seen!?!

Push Ups! Still hasn't figured out how to move forward yet though!

Next fall we'll have to get him a hat that actually fits!

Well you know he's not happy all the time, but he IS cute all the time! And no, no teeth yet...

An upright perspective

2008-01-09T12:48:00.000-06:00

Greg is really enjoying learning to sit up, and is getting pretty good at it, though he still tips over frequently! It gives him a whole new perspective on the world and playing with toys!

Also I don't think I ever posted a pic of Dan using his custom mei tai!

Baby's First Christmas

2008-01-03T00:11:00.000-06:00

California was once again a glorious way to round out the year. We enjoyed almost 2 weeks with the De Los Reyes clan. We were awed by a performance of Circ du Soleil's Corteo on the 23rd. Even Gregory was enchanted by it (well, most of it)! Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were filled with family, prayer, food, and music, as always. Then we journeyed up the coast to visit Solvang, a Danish town, Big Sur, home of the coastal Redwood trees, and Monterey - well the famous aquarium anyway. Near Solvang we visited the ranch of The Horse Whisperer, Monty Roberts, whose autobiography we listened to on the drive up - gotta love those books on tape! We saw wild elephant seals on the beach on our way to Monterey - it was calving season and it was hard not to stay forever watching this newborn pup trying to find his mother's teat - we're telling ourselves he did just moments after we departed! We hiked through the Redwoods to a waterfall, and visited Point Lobos State Reserve, one of the most beautiful coastal areas I've ever seen. And of course, we wrapped it all up with corned beef and cabbage (and dimes) on New Year's Day. Dan was in heaven, fitting in 3 rounds of golf in the perfect weather. And me, I was just feeling blessed to spend some desperately missed day to day time with my people, and share our little guy with them. There are a lot of pics, and these are only the best ones! Enjoy!

Also, sorry its sideways, but here's a video of Great Grandpa Wil talking to Gregory. He had a stroke about a year ago that took his speech, but it sure seems like Greg knows exactly what he's saying! They have a special rapport.

Almost 6 mths

2007-12-15T21:33:00.000-06:00

In a couple of days Gregory will officially be 6 months old, and boy has he come a long way! We have a dr's appt on Wednesday, so we'll give you the vital stats then. Developmentally, he is right on track, rolling all over the place, scooting around backwards, and working on sitting up and crawling (forward!). The next several weeks will prove exciting on that front and we really must begin baby-proofing in earnest when we get back from Christmas! Enjoy the pics and video - check out the knee action!

Holy Roller!

2007-12-07T15:44:00.001-06:00

Its official! Greg's a roller, even with clothes on! We were listening to Godfather Patrick's organ music in the background... And Lucy wanted to help too...

Enough pictures for you?

2007-12-07T15:27:00.000-06:00

Well he was so cute in the bath this morning, I just couldn't resist!

Snow Day!!

2007-12-06T11:30:00.000-06:00

Well we both took a nap and were feeling better, and lo and behold, I looked outside and its the first snow day!! We had a little dusting once or twice this year, but nothing measureable. I had to take Greg out in spite of his too-big snow suit!

Happy Boy!

2007-12-06T08:15:00.000-06:00

Well Gregory has decided that he likes to wake up and cry multiple times during the night. This morning, he thought 6am would be a nice time to wake up. Now everyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person. But instead of chucking the little *@#%! out the window into a snow drift, I decided to look at pictures of him from a couple of days ago when he was so happy and sweet! Grandma Bonnie sent him a hook-on high chair for traveling and he had the best time trying it out. He thought it was pretty cool to sit up at the table and play with toys. It put him in a good mood for the rest of that afternoon!

5 1/2 months

2007-12-01T23:39:00.000-06:00

We got some cute pics of some of the things Gregory's been doing lately. He has finally discovered his toes, which is of course adorable. He likes to hang on to them and kick his leg, and also try to pull them into his mouth, although he can't quite reach - his belly gets in the way! He is also becoming very interested in all kinds of household objects in addition to his toys. And he is really scooching around, especially backwards - I turned around the other day and saw that he had gotten halfway under the couch! Also you'll see in the picture he is wearing an amber necklace - it is supposed to help relieve teething pain. A bunch of ladies from my La Leche League group swear by them and I figured it couldn't hurt to try in case he has been feeling discomfort from his teeth. None have broken through yet, but we suspect that they bother him sometimes. We just got the necklace yesterday so we have yet to see if it really makes much difference.

I've been everywhere, man!

2007-11-26T10:28:00.000-06:00

The last three weekends have found us out of town, which along with the end of my school term, has contributed to the lack of blogging. First Greg and I went to Chicago for a midwifery summit - what a great time - we met a lot of midwifery "celebrities" and got a lot of great info and networking for our group.

Then, while Dan went to Minneapolis for a Vikings game, we went to Norfolk, NE, for a big to-do at the birth center there. We had been working hard at planning it for over a month and it was a smashing success. The Nebraska Friends of Midwives annual meeting was a part of that event, so it was great to put faces with a lot of names I've only known over the internet. Also I was elected to the Board, in the position of Education Chair - I am very glad because there is a lot I want to do!

And for Thanksgiving, we all went up to Bismarck to spend time with Dan's family - both sides! It was a whirlwind trip but I know the family, especially the Grandparents, were happy to see Gregory! We were especially thankful that he actually did pretty well in the car, only crying when he was tired, which he does no matter where he is. So if we weren't in full gear before, we will be now, with Christmas fast approaching, a new quarter starting for me next week, and a lot of work to do to get ready for the January start of the legislative session.

Much to my dismay, several people have reported that they cannot view the slideshows from Photobucket, so I am trying yet another program. If you are having trouble please let me know. Enjoy!

Greg's First Halloween

2007-11-09T00:20:00.000-06:00

Sorry its taken me a little while to get these up - been quite busy between school and the Nebraska Friends of Midwives stuff...

Well we had a little fun dressing Gregory up for his first Halloween and he was a pretty good sport about it. He didn't go trick-or-treating this year, but we did make it to a couple of parties.

Otherwise, there have not been any new developments in the arena of rolling over (still only naked) or riding in the car (still usually hates it). We did attempt to drink some water out of a cup a little bit, which didn't go half bad... He had fun playing with it anyway!

Greg and I, along with our friend Becca (Jacob's mommy), are going to Chicago this weekend for a very exciting midwifery summit - hopefully we'll learn some things that we can use to help the situation here in NE. And certainly network with a lot of other great people from around the country who are concerned about the same things.

Well enjoy the pics!

4 month update

2007-10-26T23:43:00.000-06:00

Well Gregory is your typical adorable 4 month old! He giggles and smiles all the time (almost) and is really starting to interact with the world around him. He went to the dr yesterday and actually weighed quite a bit less than I thought - 13 lbs 3 oz. He is still doing fine for his age and height and as you can see in the pictures, is far from malnourished! I just thought he was more because when we were last in ND we weighed him on Grandma's scale and it said 14 lbs, and that was a month ago! Must have been off, but I'd say thats good news for Grandma! Anyway, he has been working hard at learning to roll over. He gets pretty good at it sometimes, but seems to have a hard time remembering his technique from one day to the next, so its back to square one... I'm sure it'll start sticking soon! Funny thing, he seems to be much better at it when he's naked! Rolling and all kinds of other movement as well - when I set him down for some fresh air time, he wiggles all over the place and ends up off of his blanket, but if he has clothes on, he seems perfectly content to lay in one place... Maybe being naked gives him extra body awareness, I don't know?? I have been trying to catch his skills on video, but I don't think he would appreciate me posting footage of his nakey-ness on the web - with the rolling you inevitably get views of his personal areas! Pictures of his chubby buns, on the other hand...well thats just too cute to not share! I did want to figure out how to post a video though, so here's one of him not rolling over - he makes a lot of noises though!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to give an update on how the Montessori stuff is going too, since we thought so much about it before he was born. The nursery is working out fantastic! He loves the mirrors and the mobile and I love the floor bed! We are also increasingly grateful that we decided to go with all natural toys. My latest issue of Mothering Magazine just arrived today and guess what the theme is? Natural toys of course, with a huge article on toxic plastics and dangerous chemicals. Not to mention all those awful toy recalls. Of course, we didn't have any of them in the first place! So we will continue to stick with natural toys - wood, cloth, safe metals, etc. And in Montessori fashion, we'll try to have things that are as realistic as possible, so he can learn about the real world. Kids really have no capacity to understand the difference between real and imaginary until they are much older - like first grade!

Soon we'll need to start thinking about some dishes and cups for Gregory too since he may want to start trying out some solid foods in a few months - I think we'll go with wood, glass, stainless steel, or enamel for those as well. I already have a great stainless steel water bottle that you can put a sippy cup adapter on! Next we need to get a baby-sized table and chair for him. I think we'll also get a nice wooden high-chair - the kind you pull up to the table - they used to be called "junior chairs" - so he can sit at the big table with us as well. Wow, eating will be a whole new adventure...good thing we won't really think about that until he's at least 6 months.

The one thing we have been doing is combining a lot of Attachment Parenting philosophy with our Montessori approach. Some things seem a bit contradictory, but you gotta do what works. For example, we carry Gregory in a sling or wrap a lot (very AP), but when we're home and he's in a good mood, we do set him down to play on his own (more Montessori), which some days ends up being several hours altogether. Also, we have resigned ourselves that he is just not one of those kids who you can lay down drowsy and they'll drift off to sleep on their own...no, he needs a lot of help! But, we do lay him down once he's out, and he has been doing a lot better sleeping in his own bed for naps. He still sleeps with us at night, but he is starting to kick and wiggle a lot so I am starting to think of transitioning him to his own bed. That is a huge step for me because only a few weeks ago I couldn't imagine ever wanting him to sleep anywhere other than next to me. Those tiny toes digging into me are slowing changing my mind! Of course, we won't force it and will continue to do whatever allows all of us to get the most rest. Anyway, the goal of Montessori is to help kids develop at their own pace and to grow in self-confidence. AP has the same goals, but sometimes somewhat different ideas of how to reach those goals. I do believe that the more securely attached children are to their parents, the more confident and independent they can be because they have trust and security. I think both philosophies are working together quite nicely for us...

Enjoy some pics - mostly of playtime...

busy, busy, busy

2007-10-12T23:29:00.000-06:00

My goodness the last couple of weeks have been a total whirlwind around here! I can't even remember how many weeks old Gregory is now - I'll have to look it up. Ok, he will be 17 weeks old this Sunday, thats in two more days. Oh my goodness!! He's not technically 4 months old until the 17th, but he is getting so big! I am not sure of his weight but I estimate him to be close to 15 lbs - we'll find out officially on the 25th at his 4 month dr's appointment.

Anyway, as promised, here are more pictures from the baptism weekend.

We bid farewell to Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick on Monday afternoon, but the activities were just starting to get going for National Midwifery Week. We (Greg and I) have been getting more involved with Nebraska Friends of Midwives, so on Tues, we went to our weekly pot-luck lunch for socializing. Tuesday night we went to a showing of Born in the USA that we helped to organized. That was a good event with some new faces, but as these things tend to go, it was a bit like preaching to the choir. Wednesday a bunch of us trekked out to Lincoln for the Governor's Proclamation Signing. There was an amazing turnout there with people from all over the state. We filled the entire front of the legislative chamber and the Governor was taken by surprise. The picture only shows maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of the people that were there! The whole crew had lunch at Old Chicago with a few midwives and a couple of representatives from some senators' offices too. The energy was amazing with all the families there. As people trickled away it sort of evolved into a mini planning meeting for our Organizational Meeting in November. I am SO excited for the next few months - we are hoping to be able to get some legislation on the agenda for the next session starting in Jan. It feels really great to be teaming up with other passionate people and working towards something we all believe in so strongly. It also keeps me out of trouble (but it keeps me from keeping house too, much to my and Dan's dismay...gotta get more organized...)

Gregory's Baptism

2007-10-08T21:25:00.000-06:00

This weekend we celebrated Gregory's baptism. Grandpa Deacon Mike was the celebrant and all the Grandparents were here for it, which was very special. Our friends Patrick and Keri Godon also came in from Chicago to be the Godparents. Patrick and Dan have been friends since 3rd grade! Many of our local friends also joined us for the ceremony. It was a very beautiful opportunity to thank God for giving Gregory to our family and was made extra special because of the personal touches that Grandpa Mike put in. He said a touching homily that had everyone dabbing their eyes! Afterwards we all enjoyed lunch together. It was a short weekend since people had long journeys home and had to get going, but Grandma Mary and Grandpa Nick were able to stay until Monday afternoon, so we got to go to the art museum and the zoo with them. It was a great visit. I have about 200 pictures from the weekend, but the following slideshow just highlights the baptism. I will add more later!

First Bismarck Trip

2007-09-27T21:29:00.000-06:00

We took Gregory up to Bismarck last weekend for his Grandpa Mike's ordination as a deacon. We finally made it after our trip was delayed several hours by a bout of the stomach flu - apparently it has been going around - I suffered with it Friday and Dan and Coralie had it on Monday. Greg even threw up a couple times, but fortunately he didn't seem too upset by it and was otherwise fine. Anyway, Greg got to meet a LOT of Fix and Hogan family members including Aunt Kim and Grandpa Rod for the first time! Boy does he have a lot of 2nd cousins too!

We all had a great time and the ordination was wonderful. However, we did have a little scare at the rehearsal. Gregory tumbled right off a chair head first onto the marble floor of the Cathedral! I think I scooped him up before he actually hit the floor, as he did not have a bump or red mark, but we were both scared and he screamed for a couple minutes. I am sure it is the first of many falls, but it did come a little sooner than I expected I guess. I guess he is his father's son - Dan fell off a table when he was small and broke his arm! And then, one night at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Coralie's house, he rolled over from tummy to back about 5 times in a row, but when Grandma came to see, he got shy and wouldn't do it anymore! Between that and the chair incident, I think I'd better not leave him alone anywhere he could get into trouble from now on! Time to start baby-proofing!

He did a little better on the drive - he seems to be starting to learn that it is best to just sleep in the car. Hopefully this becomes a trend, but I'm not holding my breath for that. It was probably because he was still tired from that stomach bug...

Well I switched to a new photo website that doesn't cut off the pics in the slideshow. However, it does have a limit to how many pics can be in one slideshow, so if there are a lot, you get two! Enjoy!

3 months old!!

2007-09-17T10:50:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe Gregory's already 3 months old. The time is just flying, but it also seems like he has always been here! He has grown and developed so much in the last month.

It astounds us how much longer he is - I had to remove the newborn insert from his baby bathtub - now he loves to kick in the water. He is also surprisingly heavy when you lift him. People comment that he is small, but he is solid and his belly and thighs are as chubby as can be! I think maybe he just looks smaller because he doesn't carry his weight in his face.

He has also been working on his motor skills. He's now an expert at getting his hands into his mouth and has become rather fond of sucking his left thumb. He is holding toys better and gets them into his mouth most of the time too. He was working on rolling over from tummy to back this morning and *almost* did it! He did move himself across his blanket and got the toy he wanted. He's getting better at batting hanging toys with his hands too, in addition to kicking.

But the most fun thing he's doing now is having conversations! He is a very vocal boy, always sharing his feelings and thoughts about things. He loves to talk and will engage in witty banter with anyone willing to chat! Its pretty darn cute to exchange oohs and aahs with him.

He is generally very happy and smiles easily, even at strangers. His favorite person is Daddy, though - he always has a smile for Daddy! He still hates the car, though it seems he may be getting just a little better...we still don't know exactly what the problem is - we have no idea why he cries some times and not other times.

We have been doing a lot of traveling, as we always do in the fall, and aside from the car, Gregory is an easy traveller. Next weekend we're off to Bismarck, ND, for Grandpa Mike's ordination as a deacon...that will be the longest trip so far, but we'll get to introduce Gregory to the rest of the Fix clan for the first time, including Aunt Kim!!

3 mths

NEWBORN PICS ONLINE!!!

2007-09-07T12:17:00.001-06:00

Our professional newborn pictures have been put online for your viewing and ordering pleasure. Go to http://www.amberandrobclients.com/mp_client/login.asp?eventid=32052&eventstatus=0&categories=no&keywords2=yes&groupid=0&bw=true&sep=false&ckw=true. The password for our file is "Gregory" - let me know if you have any trouble getting in. THE GALLERY WILL ONLY BE ONLINE UNTIL OCTOBER 6TH. You can order prints online as well. Just to let you know, we received the prints we ordered and they are absolutely beautiful in real life! They come enhanced, mounted and coated, and ready to pop into a frame of your choice.

Back to work...

2007-09-04T23:11:00.000-06:00

Well I have started up again with both of my jobs. The RESPECT shows are no big deal because I don't have to be gone too long. We have some gracious friends who don't seem to mind looking after Gregory during those times, so I guess he'll just bounce between them when I'm scheduled. However, my biology class takes me away from home for about 5 hours, which Gregory does not seem to be too happy about. Tonight he only slept 30 minutes during that time, and only ate about 1 oz. He is apparently not very good at taking a bottle despite our attempts to introduce it to him at the right time. He was starving and exhausted when I got home - poor Dan was at his wit's end. Well we'll try a different kind of bottle nipple and hopefully that will solve the problem and the two of them can get into a better groove.

Otherwise the last week has been quite nice. It was my birthday last week and we went to a neat little restaurant. I am going to get Photoshop Elements for my birthday (just haven't ordered it yet) so I can perfect all of my digital photos and hopefully use it to make a scrapbook. I have ugly handwriting, so making one by hand is not really a great idea for me... Speaking of digital photos, of course we have more to share! The stupid Webshots cuts off the pictures so weird in the slideshow, but it takes up much less space than posting them individually. Lets have a vote - slideshow or individual - which do you prefer??

A couple notes on the pics: you'll see Gregory is already interested in the arts - studying Van Gogh quite intently. I got these famous painter books for him at the museum and they are the first books he really likes to look at! Also shown (though maybe cut off in the slideshow) is the new setup of the toy hanger - he just loves kicking those jingle bells - he'll go at it for an hour at a time! Lastly, he is getting much better at hand-to-mouth and is beginning to prefer his hand over his binki - I am somewhat relieved because I hate the binki, but I suppose you can't throw thumbs away!

10 wks

9th week

2007-08-25T14:45:00.001-06:00

Grandma Bonnie and her friend Laurie came to visit us this week and we had a lovely time. We did spend quite a bit of energy trying to figure out why Gregory hates the car and we even attempted some aromatherapy. Nothing has completely quelled the crying yet, but so far the most effective intervention is Daddy singing show tunes. That's it, Dan has to come with us everywhere we drive! Obviously thats not practical, but maybe we'll have to make a tape of him singing??

Its coming upon the time that I have to start back to work a little bit. I have 2 RESPECT shows next week and after Labor Day I'll begin teaching an evening class at the community college again. It will be great for Dan and Greg to be together just them for 2 nights a week, but I know I'll miss them both while I'm away! I am looking forward to having a little paycheck again though!

Well here are some pics - some more from the Napa trip courtesy of my sisters. If anyone has any others, please email them to me since our camera wasn't working on that trip. Thanks!
grandma bonnie aug 07

sometime in Napa

with Great Grandparents

dim sum in Chinatown San Francisco

Pier 39 watching sea lions

Ghiradelli Square

oops - I forgot to tell you...

2007-08-19T20:51:00.000-06:00

Gregory had his 2 month checkup at the doctor. He weighed 11 lbs, 7 oz, and was 23 inches. He was around the 50th percentile for both, so he is perfect, but I could've told you that! Anyway, the doc was very pleased with him and said to keep doin what we're doin. I did ask about Greg's hatred of riding in the car, but he had no suggestions other than to hope that he grows out of it - thanks a lot! So I put it to you - has anyone else ever heard of a baby that loathes car trips?

Holly, Dan, Gregory and Asher!

Merry Christmas 2011!!

Four Months in Pictures

July California Trip

June Catch-up

Spring Fun Update!

Spring!

Christmas! Why not, its only the middle of February?

Getting Ready for Christmas

Asher is Five Months!

The last warm day... or, the first cold day

Well its not winter here...yet!

A few photos

Asher's 16 Weeks

Enjoying Fall

Fall Approaches

Interview with Gregory, Age 3

August Visitors

FINALLY!

Bad News

Baby Blue Eyes?

5 weeks

Some Firsts

Newborn Photos

Just Hanging Out

"Lotus" Birth

Asher's First Days

Big Weekend!

New Baby Preparations

Spring Recap

He's Got Skillz

Christmas Pictures Overwhelmed Me!

It's a.....

No, I'm not just fat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I guess our blog isn't dead after all...

Hangin in MN

Whirlwind

April in Pictures

WAAAHHHH!!!!!

A Little Gregory Humor...

More Fun Videos

Hilarious!

(not so) Little Update

Very Very Belated Christmas Videos (and more!)

Very Belated Christmas Post

Early Christmas with Gma Bonnie

Christmas Photo Shoot

Ah! Oh no!

Follow Me!

So much traveling!

Recent Fun

Video Dump

Photo Dump

Mazel Tov!

Trip to the Zoo

The Story of Stuff

More About Baby Sign Language

Maybe a little something about the Boy!

BIRTH play opening in Omaha Aug 30th

In Memoriam: Giggles 12-23-97 to 8-7-08

ND Family Reunion

Officially a toddler!

walking and talking - sort of!

Oh yeah, we had professional pics done...

Sorry no blogging - busy outside!!

First Birthday Bash!

Father's Day Weekend

Video Catch Up

California Trip

Enjoying Spring

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Feeding Gregory

Fun getting around

So he doesn't like bananas, but...

travel & food

Been a very busy boy!

Crawling!!

First Tooth!

Mr. Personality