November 2010

Hello everyone! November ended up being a pretty quiet month for us. We had some birthday parties and dinner with friends throughout the month. We had a visit from Joe's dad and his girlfriend so they got to spend some time with the kids! Joe was able to take the kids to his sister's house for Thanksgiving while I stayed home with the stomach flu. We had our first snow of the season which Kaelyn absolutely loved!! Other than that things were pretty low key.
Kaelyn and Austin are doing well and growing up!!! Kaelyn is talking in full sentences and learning to dance like a ballerina!! She loves arts and crafts and being with friends. Austin is starting to use new words as well. Some of them include down, baby, Shhhhh (with his finger pressed to his lips), soft, Dora, bye bye, puh (for please), wa-wa (for his cup), and blanket (which sounds more like baby!). They love laughing together and making each other laugh! They definitely keep us busy and laughing!

November 2010

Winter Wonderland

This is what we woke up to!

Kaelyn LOVED it!!!!

Austin HATED it!!!!!

Austin was SO happy to be back inside!

Kaelyn wasn't ready to come in so she went out on the balcony

We had our first official snow of the season!!! We got close to a foot of snow! Kaelyn absolutely loves it and could play outside all day! Austin on the other hand, not so much. He cries as soon as you get all of his gear on and continues to cry the whole time outside unless you pick him up and hold him. But they both look pretty cute all bundled up! We got Austin's snow suit from an old co-worker of mine. It is 18-24 months so it is a little big, but it was free so it works!!! Kaelyn is actually wearing the jacket and snow pants we got last year which are 18 months. It fits her perfectly!!!! So we have been enjoying building snowmen and sledding with all of this white stuff outside!!!! It has been fun to actually be able to enjoy it this year!

Looking back....

So Austin and Kaelyn are 15 1/2 months apart. Austin in now 15 months, so I have been thinking......I am SOOOOOOO glad I am not 9 months pregnant right now!!!! Or even pregnant at all for that matter!!!! I love my kiddos, but they keep me busy enough right now!

October 2010

Well, it's been another crazy month for our family! We started off the month with a 10 day vacation to Idaho and Utah. Joe served his mission for our church in Boise, ID from 2001-2003. We started our trip flying into Boise and having lunch with the Teuscher's. Judy was like Joe's mom when he was on his mission. Then we drove out to Parma which is very close to the Oregon border. We stayed with the Jeffers who have a farm. The kids had an amazing week with all of the animals!! Kaelyn really bonded with one of the dog's named Wally and Austin held his own with all of the big wagging tails!!!! Joe got to do some shooting and even got to wrangle up a sheep to bring to slaughter. We drove into Oregon and got to see some of the areas where Joe served during his mission. It is a beautiful part of the country! At the end of the week we stayed with the Teuscher's daughter and her family for a night. Their kids watched our kids and we were able to have a night out with grown ups!!!! It was great!!! Then we drove down to Utah and stayed in Orem for a few days. We were able to meet up with our friends the Russell's who live here in MN. They were visiting family out there. We were also able to see an old friend Joe grew up with and one of his Tongan mission companions who is now married and living in Provo. At the end of our trip we had to drive back up to Boise to fly home, so we stayed with the Teuscher family again. It was actually a pretty nice and relaxing time because we just went with the flow and took it easy. The kids did really well on the airplane rides and we were sad we had to come back to reality!!! We had a fun Halloween with the kids this year. I don't think Austin really knew what was going on, but Kaelyn was able to go trick or treating with her cousins and absolutely loved it!!!! Kaelyn has been loving going to school twice a week and being able to do lots of art activities. She is very independent and loves to help with anything she can. She is talking in full sentences, but still has a lot of jabbering in between so it is very interesting to carry on a conversation with her! She loves to tell stories and sing too! And she climbs on everything! Austin is really starting to come into his own. He is very talkative and has a few words: Mama, Dada, ball, Dora, and fish. He loves Elmo and trucks. He is still very into books and can now climb up on Kaelyn's bed. He has started pushing back when he gets pushed and is very strong. We are definitely in for it with these two!!!

Idaho 2010

Utah 2010

October 2010

September 2010

Well, I guess I can say that September was a little less eventful than August was! Thank goodness. Aside from coughs and sniffles which seemed to follow us the whole month, we are all doing pretty well. The big thing that started this month is ECFE (early childhood family education). We decided to to a class for Kaelyn and for Austin. Kaelyn's class is Tuesday mornings and Austin's is Thursday. During Kaelyn's class Austin is at home with Joe, but on Thursday mornings Joe is sleeping. So Kaelyn goes with us and stays at sibling care. Each class is 1 1/2-2 hours long. It is divided up between play time, circle time-which includes singing, parent education time, and snack time. Both kids are really enjoying it and it's nice to get out and meet new people.
Kaelyn is working hard at learning her colors and shapes. She gets them correct about 50% of the time. She loves to count too, but always ends up saying 1,2,6...so hopefully she will figure it out eventually!!! She is talking so well now and it is so much fun to have a conversation with her that you actually understand!
Austin is such a little man! He is into everything but especially loves music. He is always dancing or bopping his head to the music. He loves to read and look at books and is walking all over the place. He really loves his sister too and is always wanting to get into what ever she is doing. His collar bone seems to be healing well and doesn't seem to bother him at all.
Joe is doing great with keeping up with his school work and working and being a husband and being a dad! He is one busy guy!!!!
We are looking forward to a trip out west to visit some friends in Idaho and Utah. I'm sure we will have lots of pictures to share!

Please click on the picture below

September 2010

August 2010

As if the summer wasn't busy or crazy enough, August sure didn't disappoint us. We started off the month with the kids having a virus. Austin ended up covered in a rash from head to toe. Then Joe came down with a really bad headache. We ended up going to the ER late one night and after a spinal tap confirming that he had an infection, he ended up being admitted to the hospital overnight. It turned out to be viral meningitis. Which is the "good" meningitis to get. (Verses bacterial meningitis.) There wasn't really anything that could be done since it was a virus, but it completely wiped Joe out. He was out of work for three weeks and flat on his back for most of that time. He couldn't sit up or stand up without getting a severe headache for those three weeks. Luckily he is all better now and things are finally back to normal for him.
A week and a half after all that excitement we celebrated Austin's 1st Birthday!!!!! We had a party in the club house at our apt complex. It was a nice gathering of friends and family and the kids seemed to have a good time! My parents were able to come up for his party and stayed for two weeks. This was especially helpful since Joe was recovering.
We had planned an outing to Wisconsin Dells at the end of August with Joe's parents. But then Joe's mom ended up in the hospital with a bowel obstruction. She ended up having surgery and is now finally back at home. She is improving everyday which we are so thankful for. So, we ended up being able to go up to the north shore with my parents for a couple of days. We went to Knife River for 2 nights and then Joe, Kaelyn, Austin and I stayed in Duluth for a night at a place with a water park. We really enjoyed the chance to get a way for a few days and just relax!!!
Joe started school at the end of the month again. He is going back to North Hennepin to complete another Associates Degree. He only needed 9 more credits to complete an Information Systems Management degree. Then he will start at Metro State for a Bachelor's degree in January.
To wrap up a fun filled month, on Tuesday, August 31st Austin fell and broke his collar bone. He was with a babysitter, and fell down about three stairs. The babysitter caught him before he hit the floor, but the damage had been done. We didn't realize he had broken anything until I took him to the Dr two days later. He seemed to be okay the day after it happened but then two days later you could tell he has in some pain. He only cried whenever we picked him up under his arms. He was a trooper. There isn't anything they do for it as far as a cast or splint goes. You just have to watch him and it will heal within 4-6 weeks.
So we are hoping that Sept will be less eventful. But we are grateful we are at least mostly healthy and able to enjoy being together!
Click on the links below to view pictures

August 2010

Austin's 1st Birthday!

July 2010

Hello everyone! Well, July has been a busy but exciting month!! We started off the month with 4th of July. We spent time with Joe's parents and went to Canterbury Downs. They had free food, rides and a big playing gym for the kids. It was fun to get out and enjoy the day. Joe had to work that night so we didn't make it out for fireworks. The kids were too tired and mommy didn't want to venture out without daddy!!!! Maybe next year!
We have loved spending time at the pool this summer. Austin and Kaelyn are little fish!!! They love the water and have no fear! We ventured out to the zoo and the Children's museum this month. The kids love the animals and all of the fun things to do.
We had a visit from my parents in the middle of the month for a long weekend. It was so good to see them!!! The kids had a ball while they were here! My parents got in some much needed grandparent time!!! Then at the end of the month Uncle Nate and Auntie Elizabeth came for a visit. The kids were a little under the weather so it took a little time to warm up. But they did have a lot of fun swimming and going to the mall. They even took the kids to Build a Bear and they got to make a new stuffed animal. Kaelyn chose to make an owl named Hoot!
We celebrated Joe's 30th birthday on July 22nd!!! The day before we went to Valley Fair with our friends the Russell's. We rented a cabana at the water park and spent the day in the sun! Ethan and Joe were able to venture out and do some water slides and rides while Kim and I spent time with the kids at the kiddie area and mini lazy river. The kids had a blast!!!
We also celebrated our 5 year anniversary on July 16th!!! We were able to go out to our favorite restaurant called Ichiban's while my parents were here! It is a Japanese steak house where they cook the meal right in front of you. We did this on our 1st anniversary and have turned it into a tradition. They have the best food and we look forward to going every year!!!
Austin took his first steps this month!!! He is having fun practicing walking between two people but hasn't taken off quite yet!!! He has also FINALLY started feeding himself which is such a relief for us. Although he is really messy!!!! His little personality is really shinning through and he is such a happy kid!!!
Kaelyn is as independent as ever and loves to do things herself. She likes to play dress up and loves to "cook" in her kitchen. One of her favorite things to do is put people to sleep. She tells you to close your eyes, she sings you a song, rubs your back, and then tells you when it's time to wake up!!!! She is very nurturing and caring, but definitely has a wild streak to her. She is a handful but is so much fun too!!!!!

Click on the photo below to view all of our July pictures-scroll down to see a video of Kaelyn singing Happy Birthday to Daddy and Austin walking!!!!!

July 2010

May and June 2010

Well, two months have gone by and we have been busy busy busy!!! The kids are doing really well and are keeping us on our toes!!! Austin has accomplished so much in the last two months. He has finally figured out how to crawl on all fours, he can go from laying down to sitting up, he is pulling himself up on everything and cruising around on the furniture. He has even stood by himself for a few seconds without falling over. He is finally drinking out of a sippy cup and holding it him self. The one thing he still won't do is feed him self. He likes to pick food up and smash it between his hands, but will not put it in his mouth. He is laughing and talking all of the time. He is such a happy kid!!!!!
Kaelyn is definitely two! She figured out how to flip herself over the side of Austin's crib to get in there with him. Then within a few days she figured out how to climb out of her crib. One day I put her down for a nap and within a few minutes I heard some noise coming from her room. Then all of a sudden she walks around the corner and says "hi mom"!!!! I couldn't believe it!!!!! So we took her to pick out new sheets for her big girl bed and changed her crib into a toddler bed. She absolutely loves it!!! The first week we had some late nights where the kids just did not want to go to bed. But things have settled down and bedtime isn't quite so awful anymore.
Joe graduated from North Hennepin Community College in May with an Associate Degree in Business Management. It was fun to see him walk across the stage and get his diploma!!! It's been a long time coming! He wants to continue on and do Information Systems Management.
We are enjoying being in the Plymouth area and are feeling settled in our new place. There are so many pictures between May and June that I set them up through google. So please go to the link below and enjoy all of the pictures!!!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lindsayreinwand/MayAndJune2010#

cute little Austin!

April 2010

Hello everyone! Well, another month has gone by and we have been busy. We finally have our new place settled for the most part. I have one project I would like to do of changing out some of the pictures in our picture frames. But they are finally hung up on the wall!!!! The biggest thing that happened this month is that Kaelyn turned 2!!!! We had a wonderful birthday party for her in the community room at our apartment complex. She picked a "Dora" theme. We had a Dora cake and balloon which she loved!!!!! It went really well and she seemed to have a lot of fun!!! People even went swimming at our indoor pool!!!! She has had a big improvement with her words this month. She is saying so many new words every day and using 3-4 word sentences. It is so much fun to be able to communicate with her. She finally started calling her brother Austin instead of "Austy"!!!
Austin has also done a lot this month. He finally started sitting up really well on his own. He is rolling all over the floor. At the beginning of the month he was scooting backwards and by the end of the month he was starting to army crawl forward. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth. He is sooooo close to crawling!!!! He also has started eating "real" food. He will pick food up but he doesn't get that he should put it in his mouth! He also finally started sucking out of a sippy cup instead of just chewing on it. It has been fun to see him progress in so many different ways.
We are absolutely loving seeing our children learn and grow!!! They keep us busy but we are so happy to have both of them in our family! They are amazing!!!!

April 2010

Kaelyn's 2nd Birthay

March 2010

So I know this is a little late, but hey I figure better late than never! March was a crazy month for the Reinwand family. We did get to get away and visit my parents in Florida!!!! It was a lot of fun and the kids did really well. Both flights we were able to have extra seats between the four of us so the plane rides weren't too bad. We all slept in the master room with two pack and plays for the kids. That actually went really well too! It was a little cooler than we would have liked for the beach and the pool, but we still got to spend time at both. Kaelyn loved swimming and jumping into the water!! She was a little dare devil even going under the water. She loved standing in the ocean and even got into waist deep water (which isn't hard considering she's almost two!) We went to the zoo, the aquarium and the children's museum. Kaelyn had a blast! I think her favorite part had to be my parents new dog Mia! Every morning Kaelyn woke up she had to ask about the "Gog" and make sure she was still there! During the trip Joe and I even got out to see three movies and have dinner alone! Thanks Bapa and Grandmama! We all had a wonderful time!
Right before we went to Florida we found out that the bank had accepted the offer on our house. For those of you who don't know the whole story we put the house up for sale the end of December. We actually got an offer from our first showing. Unfortunately it was for less than what we owe so it ended up being a short sale. It took the bank a few months to decide if they would accept the offer. They ended up saying that the original offer wasn't enough. They went back to the buyer with a counter offer and she accepted. So we found this out right before our trip to Florida. We had a 3 bedroom apartment that was being held for us until the middle of April. After talking it through we thought maybe we should get a two bedroom and save some more money that way. So I called the apt complex to see what they had. One of the biggest two bedrooms was available but we had to take it right away because someone else wanted it for April. So we signed the lease before we went to Florida. While we were there we decided to move sooner rather than later. My mom also volunteered to come up and help us pack, move and unpack. So we got back to Minnesota on Thurs 3/18 and moved a week and a half later on Tues 3/30. Everything went well and we could not have done it without the help of my mom!!! We hired movers so the moving part was not bad at all. Now we are just trying to get everything settled.
Other than that the kids are doing great!!!! Austin is sitting up and moving around all over the floor. He hasn't figured out crawling quite yet but he can pivot around. He is slowly trying new foods and absolutely loves his big sister!!! Kaelyn is talking up a storm and using new words everyday. She is learning how to undress and dress herself. She loves to pick out her own clothes. They seem to be adjusting to sharing a room and being in a new place. They are an absolute joy to watch and be with!!!!

I am having trouble doing a slide show for pictures, so I will post just a few below. Enjoy!

These are from Florida





These are from March and an Easter Eggstravaganza

February 2010

Big Boy!!!!

Austin had his six month check at the Dr last week. He weighed in at 17 pounds 14 ounces and is 28 inches. At Kaelyn's 1 year check she weighed 17 pounds 6 ounces. I can't believe that my six month old officially weighs more than his sister did at 1year!!!! I can't imagine what he is going to grow up to be......

January 2010

Well, we survived another crazy and busy month! The kids are doing really well and are so much fun to watch! Kaelyn is starting to talk a lot more and is saying new words everyday. She babble a lot too and then she will throw a real word in the middle of it and it just cracks us up!!! She loves her little brother and is always wanting him to sit by her and play! She has found a favorite new word which is "mine" and has developed a little attitude to go with it. It will be interesting to see how things develop with her in the coming months. She and I started ECFE classes again this month and she seems to be enjoying it. She graduated from the infant room to the toddler room. There are many more toys for her to play with and the parents leave the room for part of the time. She doesn't seem to mind too much when I leave so I'm grateful for that! Just in the last few weeks she has started not liking to take baths. She is afraid of the floaties in the tub. Everyday is a new experience with her!!!!
Austin is getting so big!!!! He has started eating baby cereal, fruits and veggies. He seems to really like bananas and sweet potatoes. He loves his big sister and is always watching her to see what comes next! He puts up with a lot from her but doesn't really seem to mind!!! He has started spiting and buzzing his lips as one of his favorite activities. He has also really started rolling around and will even end up on the opposite side of his crib in the morning! He is a great baby! We realize everyday how blessed we are!!!!!

Kaelyn talking

Here is a video of some of the things Kaelyn is saying. It was a few weeks ago so she has gotten better at some of them, but I thought it would be fun to share!!

Markers....

So Kaelyn absolutely loves markers! I don't usually let her use them unless she is supervised. I accidentally put a highlighter and permanent marker in a drawer in the desk in the kitchen. One night while I was washing dishes Kaelyn was playing behind me. After I tuned the water off I head this familiar noise. It was the sound of someone using a marker. I ran around the corner and........luckily it was the highlighter!!!!!!!! It came right off and it was soooooooo hard not to laugh! But we had to take pictures!!!

Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!! We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Ours was busy but fun! We started off December by getting a few packages in the mail from Uncle Nate and Aunt Elizabeth. Kaelyn got her first cabbage patch doll which she absolutely loves!!!! And Austin got his first Build A Bear which was an adorable little puppy!!!! I'm sure he will love it when he gets a little older! But right now Kaelyn is taking good care of it for him!!!! We spent Christmas Eve with Joe's family. We had dinner at his mom's and opened presents afterwards. The kids seemed to have a good time seeing everyone and Kaelyn had fun unwrapping her gifts. Then we woke up Christmas morning and opened gifts at home. Most of them were from Grandpa and Grandmama Sanders. Kaelyn had to open everything right away and test it all out! Then we got to go and enjoy the snow while Joe helped plow his parents driveway. Kaelyn wasn't too sure about the snow, but thought it was fun when we threw snowballs at her!!!! Then we got to see some more family and have some yummy crab legs!!!!! It was a busy but fun couple of days!