Friday, December 30, 2011

December in Pictures


Daddy and Miles


Miles was really into using anything and everything as a phone and if you look close enough you can see he's holding a piece of Coco's dog food as a phone.


He thinks he's pretty cool when he stands on things but it gives mom a heart attack, especially when he stumbles a little and almost falls off. We're working on his listening and obeying skills right now.


I can't believe he can still fit in something so small!


Miles is getting good at making messes.


Every night when Pat drives in I say "daddy's home!" and Miles runs as fast as he can over to the garage and stands in his spot waiting to greet daddy.


He won't eat mashed potatoes or noodles but he'll eat chili. And loves it. A lot.


I love finding things from Miles.


A New Year

2012 is one day away already! December has flown by a lot faster than I though it would and I'm happy about that because it  means that meeting Baby #2 is even closer! This past year has flown by just as fast as December has. It's crazy to think that this time last year Miles was a month old and now he's running around, babbling, and making us laugh constantly. I'm sure this time next year I'll be saying the same thing 'I can't believe I was about 8 months pregnant!'






















I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions and remembered how I made a "birthday resolution" back in May. That resolution was to read more for my 24th year of life. Reflecting on that commitment I can say that it almost fell into that same category as a New Year's resolution does where it's forgotten about after 2 months. I say almost because I truly made an effort to work on this resolution and it was always in the back of my mind. I ended up reading a couple books but as the first trimester of pregnancy exhaustion came on I tended to put my books down and take naps instead (well worth it to keep up with Miles).

I worked harder to read more by starting small. For instance I used to just flip through a magazine reading captions and looking at pictures, but now I read almost every page and even some of the articles that look super lame or boring. Those articles actually turn out pretty interesting! I'm happy about the effort I put forth to accomplish my resolution but know I could have worked harder. So, for my New Year's resolution I am reestablishing my birthday resolution and will try to make more of an effort to read by reading fun books and books by my favorite authors Mitch Albom and Scott Hahn.

Other than having the baby on my mind constantly and trying to keep up with Miles things around here have been going pretty smoothly. Although I CAN NOT wait to have the baby due to being so uncomfortable and ready to meet him, I'm trying to enjoy the last weeks of pregnancy. Once the baby comes I won't be able to sleep through the night, I'll be adjusting to a slower pace where I'm attached to the couch for 45 minutes at a time feeding the baby, and all things that come with a newborn and toddler. Aside from that I'll be able to bend over again! I'll be able to sleep on my stomach! I'll be able to have a real work out and walk up the stairs without being completely out of breath! There are so many things I've taken for granted and wait in anticipation to be able to do them once again. But above all those things we'll have our little boy and get to see how much Miles loves his little brother, that's what I mostly can't wait for.

Lately, Miles has been super cute and learning so much. I wish I could just video tape him all the time because there is so much I want to remember and share with others. Since recording his every movement is a little over the top I just record little clips here and there and have posted a few below. The first one is super cute but made me so sad for him! He got a little glowworm for Christmas from his Aunt Cheri, Uncle Zach, and cousins. It's face lights up and plays music. He went to bed with it the night he got it and rolled on it turning the music on and waking him up. He cried so I had to take it out of his bed. When we got home I gave it to him and he hugged it turning it on and the music made him react like he does in the video. After getting a few laughs out of how cute he looked I finally felt bad enough for him that I had to help him realize it was a fun toy, not a sad toy. The funny thing is is that he liked it the entire time it was just that the music probably reminded him of going to bed or waking up to the music. Now he dances when he hears the tunes. So cute, yet so sad!


And to make you feel better about that cute, sad face here's a fun and happy video...


Monday, November 21, 2011

Happy Birthday Miles!

Over the past year I've continually learned more things about life, being a parent, patience, happiness, and personal growth than I have in any other thing I've experienced and I can attribute it all to Miles. As I write this the day before he was born a year ago I can't help but recall the intermittent contractions I was breathing through and the excitement Pat and I were experiencing. I couldn't wait to hold Miles, to see what he looked like, to hear what he sounded like, and to get to know him. I knew my life would change the moment I held him and I had heard from everyone that it indeed would change forever but to actually experience that change is beyond words.

I get what it's like to be a parent now. Without children one can only fantasize about what it is like but when a child enters their life the realization of that fantasy is blown away. I understand even the little things that parents do because of their children. For instance, going to bed at 8:30. As a person without kids I wondered how late I could stay up and how late I could sleep in the next day and not worry about getting anything accomplished but getting myself ready for work. As a parent I ask myself 'Do I want to be a zombie all day tomorrow and not have enough energy and patience to take care of my son, feed, change, play with him, and get dinner prepared for my hard-working husband or do I want to get that extra two hours of sleep and feel like I can conquer the world tomorrow?' Even the simple task of getting ready. It used to be a two hour production including shower, makeup, curling hair, trying on different outfits. Now it's take a long enough shower to get clean while Miles is pulling things out of my cupboard, 5 minutes of makeup if I'm going out of the house (yes! all time record!) and brush my hair if it's not being thrown into a pony tail. The list just goes on and on and on. (you parents sure know what I'm talking about!)

It's amazing how those little things used to be such a big deal without kids, and now my focus has completely changed. It's veered off in a direction that was hard to fathom without Miles. But I'm okay with that. Miles has helped me realize that there is more to life than the 3rd outfit that I try on, or sleeping in until 10:30, or curled hair and painted nails. He's taught me to put things into perspective. Life is short so why not get all you can out of it by enjoying it with friends, family, and children who will most likely teach you more than you teach them.

Miles has truly been one of our biggest blessings and we're looking forward to completing the reception of another great blessing by holding our next little one in our arms in 14 weeks. Oh the infinite things we'll learn with each addition to our family! Here's a good chunk of pictures. I'll be adding more when I get the ones that Grandpa David took.

Decorations

Nono and Miles

Grandma Di


GGma, Grandma Di, and Nono

Grandma Rhonda and Grandpa David

Cousin Austin

Taco Salad bowls for lunch!

Miles had fun chasing Austin around. Miles thinks he's a big kid too :)





The aftermath of Miles' cake

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Happy Halloween!

Miles had so much fun dressing up for Halloween! We went to our weekly mom's group at St. Michaels and had a Halloween party this time where all the little one's dressed up. It was fun to see all the other kids in their costumes. After the party we went over to Patrick's office to show off Miles' costume and show dad how cute he looked. Everyone got a kick out of him. I kind of felt bad for Miles because the costume looked like it could be pretty warm, and sure enough when I took the hood part off his head he was a little sweaty. Poor guy! But he still enjoyed it. Next year we'll actually go out trick or treating, that way he'll actually know what's going on and be able to have a couple pieces of candy.


Hand-me-down shirt from Aunt Cheri and cousins


Little Horse


I couldn't stop laughing when he had this on and especially when he crawled around because he really looked like a horse walking around.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

So Silly!

In my pre-nesting stages I feel the need to either clean everything in the entire house, clean or organize way before I really need to, or clean or organize things that don't really need to be cleaned or organized. For instance, over the past few months I've reorganized my pantry several times. Mainly because it's become harder and more taxing on my back to bend over for tupperware three times a day, so I moved everything up a shelf.

Last week I decided I needed to wash the Boppy Pillow covers and store it away so it's ready for baby number 2. I was sitting on the floor putting the clean covers back on when Miles decided to attack the pillow like a cat to catnip. It was hilarious! I couldn't tell if he remembered the pillow from millions of nursing sessions and it brought back fond memories or it was just a new fun thing to wrestle with. Who knows, but when dad got home they sure had a blast together.

Friday, October 14, 2011

October Already?

October is halfway over already and so is my pregnancy. I thought this time around it would feel like time was crawling by but it seems to have taken a liking to Miles' speed of crawling; I can hardly catch it! Miles is almost 11 months old and has started taking a few steps. He gets a wild hair every now and again and works really hard to walk, and then gives up and goes back to crawling. It is much faster at this point that taking wobbly steps. I think he knows something is different with his momma because all of the sudden he's become super clingy. I'm not sure if it's a sixth sense sort of thing or that he is going through that detachment phase that babies go through. Ugh, it could be both. Either way, he's super cute and learning something new everyday.

Patrick, Miles and I got to see baby number two yesterday. It was so awesome and a little weird to think that it wasn't Miles in there. He was moving a lot and we even got to see him yawn and smack his lips (could have been drinking the amniotic fluid). I knew all along it was a boy. I felt exactly how I did with Miles. Nothing feels different between the two pregnancies. He's a healthy 11oz and had a heart rate of 134bpm. Pat and I are really looking forward to getting bunkbeds for them eventually, and I'm sure they will be too when the time comes.

Here's a little update of Miles on the changing table. It's more like 10 1/2 months instead to 10. And a few pictures of baby #2 along with a video. I've posted some other videos on youtube as well.




16 wks


20 wks





Monday, September 12, 2011

Oma and Opa Visit

A couple weeks ago Patrick and I got the privilege of having Patrick's Oma and Opa, Bridget and Horst, over for the weekend. They were visiting from Wisconsin for about 2 1/2 weeks. Miles loved spending time with his great grandparents. This was the second time I met his grandparents with the first being a few days before our wedding. We had a blast just hanging out, exploring downtown Olympia, and talking and sharing stories. Bridget taught me how to make some amazing German food. We made Rouladen, Spaetzle, and Plum Cake. It was so yummy and we've officially added it to our dinner routine. Hopefully we'll be able to see them in the midwest sometime soon!





This is a giant dragonfly eating another bug. I almost walked into it and was really grossed out, and then Pat had to get this picture. You can even see the fur on it's back. EW!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

7, 8, and 9 Months

I'm finally posting the changing table pictures that I've been too exhausted to post. It's funny how Miles looks totally the same, just bigger.

7 months


8 Months



9 months


Miles has three teeth now, two on the bottom and one on top. We call him our hillbilly baby. He has three more on top coming in at the same time and I felt another one this morning on the bottom just beneath the gum. He's been cruising around the coffee table and crawling everywhere lately! I can hardly keep up. And just over the weekend he started standing for 5 to 10 seconds without holding onto anything. Looks like he'll be walking in no time, then I'll really be exhausted from chasing him around!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Picture Dump




Watermelon Boy


Little brother or sister





Someone got into my stamps

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Miles Gets a Promotion

I bet you can guess what a 9 month old baby's promotion could possibly be? BIG BROTHER!

You read that right.

We're expecting our second little one and couldn't be more excited. When the pregnancy test came up positive my heart leapt out of my chest. I was shocked and in disbelief. Thoughts raced through my head about having a newborn and a 16 month old, what will Pat say, and how will we do it? Along with the initial shock was an overwhelming sense of excitement and joy. I was carrying our next baby, a life we created in cooperation with God's plan and love for us and our family. With that I had a realization that although we thought spacing our children a certain amount of years apart would work for our family, God clearly says that spacing them a year and a half is plenty. What a compliment to us that God says we are capable to take on another child. We may not feel completely ready or equipped but if I keep reminding myself of the common saying "God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called," I know we will be awesome parents and the blessing of a baby will not be overwhelming in the sense of work but more in the sense of joy. It will be wonderful for Miles to have a brother or sister so close in age.


When pat got home from work I explained how I had been feeling the past few weeks and announced that I was pregnant. He was so excited! I couldn't believe it. I was a little scared to tell him because I thought he would be worried about how soon it is, but he wasn't. Pat had the biggest smile on his face and that made me feel so good and comforted to know that this is going to be great.

I told Miles and he doesn't understand (of course), but it's fun to call him big brother. Wow, this time next year we'll have a 5 month old and a 21 month old. Weird. Yet again I've become a broken record saying "my, how things have changed in a year, and will change even more in another."

We went to my first prenatal appointment. Pat held Miles while we all quietly listened to the little one's quick heart beat at 164bpm. Then we got to see him/her in an ultrasound. It was so cute! I'm 12 weeks along and the baby already has arms, hands, legs, and little tiny feet! It's crazy how I'm barely even showing and it's a full human in there. According to my baby book, it's the size of a large plum. How cute!

Needless to say, I haven't posted over the past month and a half because of how tired I felt. Now that Miles crawls everywhere I have to chase after him and that really has worn me out in addition to the fatigue I feel with the pregnancy. The other day, however, it was as if a switch was flipped and I had all my energy back. I felt like myself again, something I hadn't felt in over three months. I'm so happy to be in the second trimester (well, almost) because I feel like a good mom again. I want to play with Miles, I want to make dinner and clean the house, I want to go on walks. It's good to be back.

Now that I feel human again I'll be posting more and putting up pregnancy pictures. Here's to another belly, another baby, and more happiness than we can ever imagine.