Vidoes

Here are a few videos from November. Enjoy!!!!!

November 2009

Well, November has been a very fun month. The kids are both getting so big!!! We can't believe that we have a nineteen month old and a 3 1/2 month old. Where does the time go?!?! Austin is getting to be so much fun now that he is more aware of everything going on around him. He loves to talk! He will lay on his play mat and talk and talk and talk!!! He is starting to reach for things and hold on to them now. He understands that he can make his hands do things and loves to swat at the toys hanging in front of him. He is also very smiley!!!! Which just melts my heart!! He also loves his big sister! He will just sit and watch her to see what she is doing. He loves when she comes and talks to him. He is also a very good sleeper! He wakes us once at night to eat which means mommy is getting more sleep! Yeah! We met with the cardiologist again last week. They had us do a 24 hour monitor of his heart. We heard back this week that everything was fine so we are done with Austin's medication!!!! Everything looks good so we don't have to do anything else!!!
Kaelyn is in to everything and anything! She keeps us very busy! She is starting to use her words more which is very nice for us. Some of her favorite words are "bubbles", "Bapa"-for Grandpa, "NO", "puh"-for please, "Autin"-for Austin, and "ticka ticka ticka"-for when she is tickling you!!! She is also eating with a fork and spoon very well now. One of her favorite activities is playing in the water. She loves bath time and also standing in front of the sink. She still loves music, which includes dancing and being sung to. He new favorite thing is Barney-which we aren't very happy about-but she loves to watch him over and over and over again! I have been doing a mommy and me class through our city with both kids once a week and Kaelyn seems to love it!!! She has done lots of painting and new activities through the class.
We are really enjoying how well Kaelyn and Austin get along and are excited to see how that progresses as they get older. We are so greatful for our family and look forward to all that is to come!!!!

Halloween 2009

Okay, so I have been a big slacker at updating this blog and I feel really bad!!!! Then on top of it Joe did something to the computer and I can't access all of the pictures I took in October. So that is part of my excuse!!!! So hopefully I will be able to update at the end of the month with new pics of the kids! We are all doing really well! We had a fun Halloween, although we actually didn't go out on Halloween. Our church had a Trunk or Treat on Oct 17th along with our chili cook off. We lined up our cars in the parking lot and decorated our trunks. All the kids came around and Trunk or Treated! It actually worked out great! Kaelyn was the cutest little lion and also had the best "ROAR"! Austin was a cute little pumpkin. We had the kids in their costumes for various picture taking sessions so we definitely got some good use out of them this year. Kaelyn was up for 2 1/2 hours the night before Halloween so we had a rough day on Halloween. Everything got pushed out a little because she woke up late and by the time we got home from running around it was going to be too crazy to try and get the kids ready to do some trick or treating. We figured she wouldn't remember anyways so it was okay. She had fun answering the door with daddy to give the kids their candy. We also had fun carving our pumpkin. And like a true "girl" Kaelyn didn't want to get messy!!!! She stuck her hand in a few times but then would make us wipe her off!!!! She is crazy but we still love her!!!!

August 2009

So I know this is totally late, but I thought it was better than nothing!!! August was a great month for our family!!! Austin arrived on August 11th and we are so happy to have him be apart of our family! Kaelyn is a wonderful BIG sister!!! She loves to help get diapers, put the pacifier in Austin's mouth, give him his blanket, and then take it away!, and she's always trying to share her food with him! She seems to be adjusting very well which I am really greatful for. My parents were here all of August to help with getting used to having two kids. They were a tremendous help and they really enjoyed being able to spend time with their grandkids!!! Here are some pictures from August.....

He's here......

Austin Michael was born on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 12:09pm. He weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and was 20.5 inches long!!!!! We are so very glad that he is finally here!!! Joe and I went into the hospital Tuesday morning at 9:30am. I was hooked up to the monitor so they could check his heart rate and my contractions. I got an IV started in my arm so they could hydrate me and then use it for all my medications. They took some blood and got me all ready to go. My parents came to the hospital about 10:30am and we just sat until they were ready to go. Then Joe and I headed to the OR with the anesthesiologist and the nurse. Joe had to wait until they gave me my spinal block before he came in. So I got my spinal and they laid me down and got me all ready to go. Then Joe came in and was able to sit next to me and hold my hand. The surgery went well but took a little longer to do this time. They had to get through my scar tissue from last time and that just takes longer to do. The nurse asked Joe if he wanted to film Austin while he came out and Joe said no way!!!!!! So the nurse took over and we actually have his birth on video. Joe has yet to see it!!!!!! Austin came out butt first and had a little squeaky cry!!!! Drs from the NICU took him into an adjoining room to get him stable and make sure everything was okay. Joe went with him and I could see Austin through the window in the door. Once they got him stable they brought him into me and I got to see him, talk to him, and give him a bunch of kisses!!!!! Then he went with Joe to the NICU. I spent about 1-2 hours in recovery and then they wheeled me in my bed down to the NICU so I could see him.
Since then Austin has been doing really well. He needed a little help with his breathing so he was on oxygen for a little bit. He had some IV's in so they could give him some medicine. He was able to come off of all of that by Friday/Saturday. We kept hearing different answers from different Drs/nurses about when he could come home. I was discharged on Saturday and thought that he would be too. When we got there Sat morning to feed him they said he would need to stay another night because of his bilirubin (he is jaundiced and his bilirubin when up instead of down). So they told me I could stay in one of the sleeper rooms they have for parents Saturday night so I could feed him every 3 hours. After I was discharged we went to the NICU and the Dr that had been working with him during the week saw us and asked what we were still doing there? I said we were wondering the same thing. Then when we got in there his nurse asked us the same question. The nurse and the Dr worked it out so we could finally bring him home on Saturday. By the time everything was said and done we finally pulled into the garage at 10pm Saturday night. It was a very long day!!!!! But totally worth it!!!!!
So now we are home and things are going pretty well for now. Kaelyn was so cute with him on Sunday morning. Joe and and I brought him down stairs where Kaelyn was playing with Grandmama and Grandpa. As soon as she saw she got sooooo excited and squealed. She sat on Joe's lap and checked out her new brother. She gave him lots of kisses and rubbed his head very gently. She seems to really like him and always checks on him when he cries. She is also a good helper with changing him and burping him. Hopefully things will continue to go well.
So now we will try and figure out a new routine and how it's going to work with having two kids. We are excited and nervous but looking forward to all that is ahead of us. We know we will be busy but hope to be able to enjoy all that is to come!

The end is in sight!

I had a Dr's appt last Friday and got some good news. We are going to move my c-section up to August 5th!!!!! Now I'm a little scared because that is in 10 days, but I am so glad that this pregnancy will be over! The week before my ultrasound showed that the baby was 8 pounds give or take a pound either way. Because of this as well as the medications I am taking the Dr thinks it will be better to deliver sooner rather than later. I will be 36 weeks and 1 day on the 5th. So that morning I will have to have an amniocentesis which is where they will take a needle and put it in my stomach to take out some amniotic fluid. (They use an ultrasound machine to guide the needle). The fluid will be tested to find out if the baby's lungs are fully developed. If they are then we can have the c-section that afternoon! So keep your fingers crossed!!! It is bitter sweet because I know the longer he is in there the better it is for him, but I am soooooooooo ready to be done! So keep us in your prayers.

Major update....make sure you read the whole thing

Okay, so a lot has happened in the last month which is my excuse for not giving an update for Kaelyn's 14th month. And now here we are at her 15th month so there is a lot to say! The last 2 months have been so fun with Kaelyn! She is learning and growing everyday. I think one of her most favorite things is music. She has a little piano that plays songs and she loves to dance and twirl to the music. She has gotten some new toys which loves! She loves to be outside and we even took her to the pool in Crystal-finally!!!! She was a little hesitant at first, but then she started walking right in and splashing and playing. She is making lots of new sounds and noises. She isn't talking too much yet, but there are a couple of words she has said, but only once. She can follow directions and is such a big helper. She loves to put things in the garbage and help clean!!!! (She definitely got this from Grandma Faye!!!) She loves to color and use pens to draw although she is still learning that crayons and pens are only used on paper! Her other favorite thing is to read books, especially ones with animals. We are working hard on which animals say what. Her favorite sounds are the bear (grrrrrr) and the cow (mooooooo). So those are a few things about our munchkin and how she is doing.

As for me and the baby....we had an exciting adventure to the hospital the end of June. I had gone in for my regular OB check on 6/23. The babies heart rate was pretty high and I was measuring a little big. So my Dr sent me to have an ultrasound the next day to see how everything was. After my ultrasound was over my Dr called right a way and told me that the baby's heart rate was very high and he was retaining fluid. He wanted me to go to Methodist hospital right away. He said they were expecting me and that I would have a consult with a perinatologist. So I called Joe right away and told him I was headed to the hospital right away. So he met me there.
Once I got to the hospital they admitted me and started monitoring the baby right away. I even got a shot of steroids that were to help the baby's lungs develop. The Dr came in and told me that I would be taking a ride over Abbott Northwestern in an ambulance. It was during rush hour so I got to have the lights and sirens on too!!
So then I got admitted to Abbott and Joe met me there. I met half a dozen Drs that night. Some were perinatolgists-for the baby, and others were cardiologists-for me. So what ended up happening was they put me on medication to help bring the baby's heart rate down. His heart rate was over 200 and normally should be between 120-160. So basically we just had to sit and wait until the baby's heart rate converted. I had to be in the hospital until this happened. So finally Friday night/Saturday this finally happened. It got down to about 170 and they were happy with that. During all this I was having an EKG everyday along with the baby being monitored everyday for 1 hour twice a day. We found out that he is also breeched so I will have another c-section for sure. I also was having a lot of contractions in the hospital so they put me on medication to help stop those as well. So there was a lot going on for both of us. I finally got to go home on Monday. Now the plan is for me to "take it easy" and go in to be monitored twice a week along with having a BPP-which is basically an ultrasound to see how the baby is doing. I also see the perinatologist for my weekly OB appt. I had a C-section scheduled at Abbott for 8/25but this week the ultrasound showed that Austin is already 8 pounds-give or take a pound either way. So we could see about delivering a little earlier than that!!!!! Now it's just a waiting game.
Also I fell down the stairs about two weeks ago. They wouldn't do an x-ray to see if it is broken, but either way there isn't anything they can do for that. So I am finally getting a little better, but I can't sit very long, and I can't stand very long. My mom came up on July 4th, so she is helping a lot with Kaelyn. I am not supposed to lift her anyways. So things have been hard and I am really ready to have this pregnancy over with. So I am taking it one day at time...


Here's me at 33 weeks.....a week ago

Water Park of America

So, at the very last minute we decided to take a family trip to the Water Park of America on Friday. Joe had a comp day from work because he worked Memorial Day so he took Friday off and we booked a room at the Radisson in Bloomington by the Mall of America. I have to say that it was really nice to "get away" for a night! The hotel was amazing!! Our room was really big! It had a bathroom with a vanity and tub in it. Plus there was a vanity in the main hallway with a microwave and mini fridge and a long counter. There was even an extra "room" with two bunk beds in it with out a door on it. The main bedroom had a queen bed with built in night stands and a little table and lounge chair. We stuck Kaelyn's pack 'n play in the extra room and everyone slept great! Our room came with four passes to the water park that were good from 4pm Friday to 4pm Saturday. So after we checked in we ate dinner at the Split Rock Grill. It was a little spendy but super good food. Then we got changed and headed to the water park. They had a few water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, a regular pool, and a play area for kids that didn't go above 6in deep! Kaelyn wasn't too sure what to think of it all at first, but she eventually warmed up and even went on a little slide with daddy. They had double inter tubes you could sit on for the lazy river and she really ended up liking that. There were a few spots along the way that had waterfalls coming down and she didn't like that so much. She liked sitting in the wave pool when the waves weren't coming and loved watching daddy dive into the waves!! On the lazy river there was a bridge you went under that had a bear sleeping on it and she loved to point and look at him. She discovered this wonderful toy in the play area where if you turned a big wheel it would spray water out. There was a little boy spraying his mom and she thought that was the funniest thing. So then of course we had to spray daddy which was even better!!!! We ended up having a really nice time and I think Kaelyn will enjoy the pool a lot this summer!!!!!!

13 months

So I am a little late getting this posted, but it has been a busy and fast month! Kaelyn is doing very well and is lots of fun! She is definitely a sweet little girl. She loves to gives kisses especially during meal time when her face is all messy! She still loves to hug everything and even pats her baby dolls on the back while she's hugging them. She also loves to pat daddy on the back when he gives her hugs! She really likes to walk backwards which she practices often. Usually its when she wants to sit on your lap. She will stand a few feet in front of you and walk back until she falls in your lap! She has started helping mommy by putting things into the garbage. If I had her something and say lets go put it in the garbage she follows me to the kitchen and drops it in!! Then I have to say all done or she will try and take everything out of the garbage!! She loves to go bye bye also. If you say it's time to go bye bye she walks over to the gate at the top of the stairs. Then when we get down stairs she knows she needs to put her shoes on first. She also loves to wave, so if you say bye bye she waves at whoever is there, even if she is the one going bye bye! She now wants to go up the stairs and down the stairs like a big girl. She will hold on to your hands and take the steps one at a time. You have to be really careful because she will start going down them without you. She has discovered she really loves spaghetti, which you will be able to see in the pictures, and strawberries are her absolute favorite. She doesn't have too many words yet, but one morning during breakfast when I asked her is she wanted more or if she was all done she proudly announced "done"! But she hasn't said it since then. If you ask her to say certain words she will produce the sound of the first letter of the word, so she is definitely on her way! We had our first trip to the zoo on Memorial Day and she loved the monkeys-just like her daddy!!! She seemed to have a fun time although she didn't like the tea cup ride which she went on with mommy. She cried almost the entire time :(

25 weeks

So I have had these pictures taken for almost a week and I am a total slacker on getting them on the blog. But life is a little busy right now, so what can I say!!! Everything has been going very well with my pregnancy. I have been feeling pretty well and am enjoying being pregnant. I have to say I am a huge fan of the
2nd trimester!!!!! We have officially picked a name for our baby boy. It is going to be Austin Michael. I have been having fun feeling him move around and beat me up inside!!! Joe has been able to feel him kicking for the last few weeks. I'm pretty sure Kaelyn has felt him too, although she doesn't seem to care. I have to say that the second time around is totally different. I am so busy with everything that sometimes I forget I am pregnant. With Kaelyn it was all I could think about!!! We are getting a few boy things here and there and I am hoping to do a little garage sale-ing. My friend Anna was able to find a Graco double stroller for $15!!!! It doesn't match our car seat, but for $15 who cares!!!!! My other friend Jamie has a co-worker that had a baby boy last August and is wanting to get rid of all of her stuff. So I am going to go have a peek at all of that stuff!!! So things are going well and we are excited to meet our baby boy!
Also, I compared pictures from when I was pregnant with Kaelyn to now.......

First pregnancy at 24 weeks


This pregnancy at 24 weeks

Kaelyn's 1st Birthday

Well, Kaelyn's first birthday was a hit!!!! We went to the Maple Grove Community Center to play in the indoor play area. First we had pizza, cake and opened presents in one of the rooms. She was very girly when it came to eating her cake. She did not want to get dirty!!!! We had a lot of friends and family there to celebrate with us which was really nice! She got a bunch of new, fun toys that she absolutely loves!!!! She has been busy breaking them in over the last week. She really likes all of the things she got and isn't bored with her toys anymore!!! We had to get a new bookshelf to store everything in because our living room was being taken over! We just wanted to thank everyone who was able to be there and also say we really missed those who couldn't be. We have such great people in our lives and we are so grateful for that!

Kaelyn's 12th month

Wow!!!! We can't believe a whole year has gone by since Kaelyn was born!!! It has been an amazing year!!!!! Kaelyn is as cute as ever and so much fun!!!!! She is walking all over the place and is almost running!!!! She loves life and is a very happy kid!!!! She loves people and putting on a show for them! She loves playing with her toys, especially her baby dolls. I think she will be a great BIG sister!! I think her favorite place to be is out side. She loves going for walks in her stroller and walking around outside. She discovered our deck this month and loves to go outside and inside and outside and inside!!!!! She loves to play with other kids and enjoys trips to the indoor play areas at the mall. Kaelyn's favorite thing is music! She loves to dance to it and especially loves all of her toys that make music. It will be interesting to see what that love turns into.

Pictures!!!!!!!!!

20 weeks



We have one of Kaelyn with her arm up by her face that looks just like this one!!


During the ultrasound it looked like he was waving at us with his little hand!


It's a boy!!!!! Can you see the "turtle"? If you cover the bottom portion of the picture it looks like a turtle!!!

20 weeks........it's a.............

Well, I am half way through my pregnancy and we had our ultrasound today!!!! It went really well and we got some cute pictures! The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know what the sex was if she was able to see and we told her yes. She said that there is a 50/50 chance that it works out to be able to tell. So she started the ultrasound and the first thing she tells us is....."there is the penis and testicles!" So we are having a baby BOY!!!! I was a little shocked because I figured she would start off doing everything else and then try and take a peek between the legs! But we are really excited! I always wanted to have one of each :) So now we have some shopping to do....all we have is pink! We are pretty sure about the name, but I want to save that to tell everyone myself! As for pictures, I am having difficulty getting them on the computer so I will try and post them tomorrow.

Look at me!!!!!!

11 months!

I can't believe my baby is already 11 months!!!!! It has been such an amazing year! We are so blessed to have Kaelyn as a daughter and we love her soooo much! She is an amazing little girl and brings so much laughter and joy into our lives! She has had a busy month. She took her first steps on March 7th at my friend Anna's baby shower. And she has been practicing ever since! She has gotten really good over the last two weeks and we can officially say that she is walking! She loves to laugh and be chased. One of her favorite things is for us to crawl after her saying, "I'm gonna getch ya!" She is exploring her voice and all of the different sounds and noises she can make. She loves to talk and does it the whole ride on the way to daycare in the morning! She keeps me entertained!!! Kaelyn is a cuddle bug and loves to snuggle with us, her animals, her toys, etc. She even walked up and gave her cousin a hug last week! It was too cute! She loves to dance to music and play with her toys. She has started to point at things and loves to explore. We are really looking forward to her birthday next month and what the next year with bring!

I'm really pregnant!!!!....16 weeks

Well, I thought it was time to show that I am actually pregnant!!! I had a Dr appt last week which Joe and Kaelyn got to come to. We got to hear the babies heart beat which was so nice a reassuring! It's hard at first when you are pregnant because the only real way you know there is actually a baby in there is by hearing the heart beat!!! The heart rate was 154-average is 120-160. They say if it is in the higher rage it is a girl! But the baby was moving around so she said it could be exercise induced!!! We will have our ultrasound in 3 weeks on April 16th. Hopefully we will be able to find out what it is! So far the pregnancy has been okay. I was really sick at first that I even had to get some medication. But I have been weaning myself off of it and going 2-3 days without it. So that is an improvement. It has gone by really quickly this time! I think it's because I am so busy focusing on Kaelyn that I don't have time to sit and think about it like the first time! I have felt the baby "flutter" a few times already. I didn't feel Kaelyn until I was 20 weeks, but that was partly because my placenta was in the front and acted like a cushion. And I know what I am feeling this time. I am excited for the first real "kick"!! We are really excited for all that is in store, although I have definitely had a few freak out moments as well!!!!

10 months!

This has been the quickest month yet!!! Kaelyn is getting really active and having a lot of fun!!! Her favorite thing is to climb up the stairs and walk along the furniture. She loves her bears and stuffed animals. She snuggles with them and loves to get cozy with her blankies. She is a cuddler!!! She is starting to hate her baby food, so we are having to come up with new things to feed her. She loves Mac & cheese!!!! She shoves it in by the handfuls!!! She is becoming very independent and hasn't been liking mommy very much. She pushes me away and cries when I hold her :( I'm hoping it's just a quick phase and it won't last too long. She definitely will let you know when she is not happy and isn't getting her way. She is very opinionated. We are looking forward to what the next few months bring!!!