Well we had a great Christmas. Again the kids were spoiled as ever, but I guess we were as well. We started out on Christmas Eve celebrating at my Dad's in Adams. He made the traditional oyster stew and chili (for those non-oyster eating folks) for lunch and then chow mien for supper. We watched a movie, opened gifts, and relaxed until 8pm or so.
From there we headed back to Rochester in time for Christmas mass with Dave's family. It was a beautiful mass with lots of Christmas music! We were home close to 11:30pm and decided we wanted to open gifts. Everyone was wide awake and looking forward to see what was under the tree. In addition to opening our Christmas presents, Dave's Mom and sister surprised me with a little baby shower. It was such a fun surprise! I had went to change into my pj's before opening gifts and when I returned to the living room to find baby shower decorations, a cake, and baby gifts. Apparently they had planned to surprise me with the shower at Dave's Mom's family Christmas the weekend before, but we had to cancel and reschedule due to the weather. Since they already had the cake, they didn't want to see it go to waste so they decided to surprise me with it then instead. It was so fun! We even played a couple games. The highlight was guessing the size of my belly. Dave's Dad won with an exact guess of (shhhh....a whopping 45 in). He even won a prize, which was a tape measure. We ended up staying up until close to 3am, by the time all the gifts were opened and everyone was ready to head to bed.
In the morning, the kids were up by 8:30 to see what Santa had brought them. I was surprised they were up that early given how late we went to bed. Dave's parents and sister also came over to see what the kids had gotten and brought some delicious breakfast. Before we knew it, it was time for us to leave. The kids had their bags packed for their Dad's and we were off to volunteer at the Salvation Army Christmas meal. It was such a great experience. The kids really enjoyed spending part of their Christmas giving to those less fortunate. I think it will be a new tradition at our house. As you may have noticed from my previous post...Kyle was interviewed by the TV station. He did such a great job with the interview....we were so proud of him.
From there we took the kids down to Dexter to spend the rest of Christmas Day through Saturday with their Dad, and Dave and I returned to his parents in Rochester. We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening, relaxing, watching TV/movies in front of the fireplace, playing cards and enjoying an amazing supper.....steak and lobster! It was SO good!
Friday and Saturday were spent working on projects around the house and getting our wardrobe from IKEA setup in our bedroom. Dave's parents gave us this as our Christmas present (big thanks to John and Nancy for this!). It looks amazing....now baby Ava will have her bedroom all to herself and won't have to share her closet with mommy!
Saturday evening after the wardrobe was all put together, we headed to Adams to pick up the kids from there Dad and then went to visit my Grandpa Dick and Grandma Shirley. We took down KFC chicken for supper and enjoyed visiting and seeing them for the evening.
Sunday, Dave and Kyle went to the Vikings game (which was one of Kyle's X-mas presents) and Allicia and I stayed home to continue working on projects around the house.....number one being getting baby Ava's room and closet organized, in addition to washing up her clothes, packing our bag for the hospital, etc. We are now officially ready for her whenever she decides to arrive. As we were working around the house we were also watching the amazing game on TV. Kyle and Dave had a blast a the game! To Kyle's surprise....following the game Dave's sister Jen, had arranged for Kyle and Dave to meet up with Matt Birk's(Viking Center) wife, for her to get them into the Vikings family locker room. This was the highlight of Kyle and Dave's day! They met many of the Vikings players and were even able to get their autographs. On the top of Kyle's list was Addrian Peterson! As you can imagine, Kyle was on cloud nine. I don't think he will ever forget that experience.....I'm sure it will be a day he will tell his kids about someday.
Look for another post very soon with pictures from our all of the events above!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
News Clip
Check out the Ch. 6 KAAL website and look for the Salvation Army video clip. Kyle was interviewed when we volunteered at the Salvation Army Christmas meal on Christmas Day. It was a great way to spend part of our day as a family giving to those in need. http://kaaltv.com/.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Very Odd Cravings
Ok, so I have been meaning to post about this for a while, but just hadn't gotten around to it. As all of you know, pregnant women often have strange or unusual cravings. Well, I may be on the top of the list of women with very unusual cravings. I'm not sure if any of you know or remember, I had one very odd craving when I was pregnant with Allicia. Well with this pregnancy I really didn't have cravings until just recently, but I have to admit, my very odd craving has come back. You may be curious by now to know what this craving is...well brace yourself, because it is an odd one. Are you ready??? Ok...the craving I have is dryer sheets. Yes, you heard me correctly...dryer sheets! When I was pregnant with Allicia, it was really bad. I will even admit to you that I would carry them in my bra strap or shirt pocket if I had one. I
absolutely LOVED them...the smell would just make my mouth water. Yes....I did just say that.
Anyway, recently I realized my odd craving has returned. Until not so long ago, I was using un-scented dryer sheets because Allicia has sensitive skin. I hadn't been exposed to them because we were seeing if un-scented dryer sheets and detergent helped her. When we recently ran out of dryer sheets and detergent I went to the grocery store, but they were out of the brands I had been using. Since I didn't want to make an extra trip to another store I just picked up what they had. The smell immediately consumed me. I didn't think much of it, because I have always liked the clean smell, but I should have realized what was happening. Anyway...I bought the dryer sheets and detergent home thinking we would use these and see how Allicia's skin reacts. Well, after putting the groceries and the dryer sheets away, I immediately found myself thinking about that smell and wanting to do laundry. A HUGE red flag went up, because I don't EVER want to do laundry. Now, whenever I go into my basement, I can smell the dryer sheets in our laundry room (even if the door is shut) and yes, my mouth begins to water just as it did when I was pregnant with Allicia. I have yet to wear them around like I did when I was pregnant with her, but I have to admit I want to. And although I hadn't let myself get to that level...I will admit, only to those reading this post, that I have taken the dryer sheet and rubbed them on the inside of my shirt, so I can smell it throughout the day. SHHHHH....it is our little secret! ;) So, now that you're thinking I'm really odd, I will end my post with the list of cravings I have had with each of my pregnancies.
Kyle - Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Spirals (not the regular ones only the spirals), really big pickles (that I would get at the concession stand at wrestling tournaments), and the idea of Tuna Hotdish (as soon as it was made and in front of me....it just wasn't that great, but I always thought I wanted it).
Allicia - One the top of the list....dryer sheets (specifically Snuggle brand), Corn (which I hated and would not eat as a child, but now love), the skin off of fryed chicken (especially from the Adams Chicken Fry), and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (again specifically spirals).
Ava- Ice chips (Dave gets annoyed with me crunching ice all the time...and I love the small pellet ice from the cafeteria at work), really cold water, Country Crock Macaroni and Cheese in the microwaveable tub (although Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Spirals would work too), and last but not least....dryer sheets!
absolutely LOVED them...the smell would just make my mouth water. Yes....I did just say that.
Anyway, recently I realized my odd craving has returned. Until not so long ago, I was using un-scented dryer sheets because Allicia has sensitive skin. I hadn't been exposed to them because we were seeing if un-scented dryer sheets and detergent helped her. When we recently ran out of dryer sheets and detergent I went to the grocery store, but they were out of the brands I had been using. Since I didn't want to make an extra trip to another store I just picked up what they had. The smell immediately consumed me. I didn't think much of it, because I have always liked the clean smell, but I should have realized what was happening. Anyway...I bought the dryer sheets and detergent home thinking we would use these and see how Allicia's skin reacts. Well, after putting the groceries and the dryer sheets away, I immediately found myself thinking about that smell and wanting to do laundry. A HUGE red flag went up, because I don't EVER want to do laundry. Now, whenever I go into my basement, I can smell the dryer sheets in our laundry room (even if the door is shut) and yes, my mouth begins to water just as it did when I was pregnant with Allicia. I have yet to wear them around like I did when I was pregnant with her, but I have to admit I want to. And although I hadn't let myself get to that level...I will admit, only to those reading this post, that I have taken the dryer sheet and rubbed them on the inside of my shirt, so I can smell it throughout the day. SHHHHH....it is our little secret! ;) So, now that you're thinking I'm really odd, I will end my post with the list of cravings I have had with each of my pregnancies.
Kyle - Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Spirals (not the regular ones only the spirals), really big pickles (that I would get at the concession stand at wrestling tournaments), and the idea of Tuna Hotdish (as soon as it was made and in front of me....it just wasn't that great, but I always thought I wanted it).
Allicia - One the top of the list....dryer sheets (specifically Snuggle brand), Corn (which I hated and would not eat as a child, but now love), the skin off of fryed chicken (especially from the Adams Chicken Fry), and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (again specifically spirals).
Ava- Ice chips (Dave gets annoyed with me crunching ice all the time...and I love the small pellet ice from the cafeteria at work), really cold water, Country Crock Macaroni and Cheese in the microwaveable tub (although Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Spirals would work too), and last but not least....dryer sheets!
Rock Band!
Thanks to my Mom, our family has become addicted to our new favorite game for PS 2...Rock Band. Believe it or not, it even kept me up past 8:30pm last night....and not much can keep me up these days. Here we are jamming away! BTW....Maddie, our dog, was not the biggest fan and either was Ava. Ava kept kicking at the guitar I was playing, which was not to easy given I have a very large belly at the moment, and Maddie became fed up with trying to fall asleep on the couch. She eventually headed down to sleep with Allicia, who had already went to bed.
Christmas Cookies
This weekend we made our Christmas cookies and decorated them. It ended up being a two day process....Saturday mixing up the batter and decorating on Sunday. Decorating cookies has always been a favorite activity for my kids, especially Kyle.
Kyle
Allicia
Dave's Dad John and Kyle's friend Johnny (our neighbor).
The finished product!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Enjoying the Snow!
Kyle, Alex and Allicia playing away in the many inches of snow. Oh how I remember doing the same thing as a kid.
Maddie wanting to play too.
Kyle in his fort.
Here is Allicia in hers.
And last but not least....this is Alex in his fort.
They were very ready for the hot chocolate I had ready for them when the finally came in.
Watch out Alex....it's really hot!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Baby Update and Latest Belly Pictures!
Today David and I had a doctors appt. We are just over 33 weeks. Everything looked great, other than the fact that I am still measuring about 2 weeks ahead. This has been consistent ever since our ultra sound. So, the doctor said their is a possibility that Ava could come earlier than we thought. He doesn't see the need to change our c-section date, but said if I were to go into labor before that date we would just do the c-section early. So I guess we will see what happens. I'm still hoping for a Jan 26th baby, but will take her earlier is she comes. : )
It is also time for me to take another belly picture. Again, be prepared for what you are about to see. Ava is definitely growing. Doctor said not to be surprise if she is over 8lbs or more.
Summary...since the last time I posted!
So, its been a while since I posted. I've been meaning to post, but just didn't get around to doing it like I had hoped. So I'll update all of you on what we have been up to for the past week or so.
Allicia has been a busy girl. On top of her usual 2 nights a week of dance, last week she attended a Big Sister class to get her ready for our arrival of Ava. She was able to see where mom would be and what will happen when we go in to have her. She also learned how to swaddle a baby and how to change a diaper. She had a lot of fun and is certainly ready to be a big sister. She also went to the Nutcracker Ballet for a class trip at school. This was a fun day...she dressed up in a new dress and we curled her hair all pretty. She looked absolutely beautiful. Then she ended her week with a birthday sleep over on Saturday. She had lots of fun, they went to The House of Bounce and stayed up till 1:30, doing who knows what.
Kyle was busy with wrestling practice, homework, practicing his french horn (which BTW...I never have to hound him about. He is seriously such a good kid), and staying up to date with the latest sports news. Man that boy cannot get enough of Sports Center and any online sports sites. He was extremely pumped that the Vikings won yesterday and now thinks more than ever that the Vikes have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I guess we will see.
Other than that, last Thursday night was busy. I decided last minute to have the kids pictures taken for our family Christmas card. There is a new portrait studio in Rochester I decided to try, Portrait Innovations, definitely worth checking out. But after I made the appt I realized that Kyle's hair was looking quite long. So, Thursday evening Dave and the kids picked me up from work, all dressed in the outfits I bought them....seriously the night before. We ran Kyle to The Men's Barber Shop to quickly have his haircut. I had packed my hair straightener in my purse so I could fix Allicia's hair while we were waiting for him to get his hair cut (nothing like time management). Then we rushed over to the portrait studio to get their pictures taken. Believe it or not, we were 15 minutes early! Amazing huh!?!? So, expect a Christmas card from us fairly soon. Nothing like being last minute, I know!
And believe it or not after all of that, Dave and I were even able to fit in some time doing things we enjoy as well. Dave played poker on Thursday night at the neighbors..after the kids picture appt (as if we could fit one more thing into that evening). This is a weekly event for Dave and usually fits into our schedule well, because by the time he leaves we've already had supper, cleanup up the kitchen, finished homework, and we're just about ready to head off to bed. We barely even notice he's not there. J/K...no Hun, that does not mean it is ok do this more often. :) Then, Friday we had a birthday party for his friend Gene...and had a great time playing cards and laughing. Finally, on Saturday I spent the morning baking cake balls and truffles with Julie. So see, even Dave and I had some time for fun!
So another busy week ahead....we certainly keep our schedule packed full of activities. This week will consist of Christmas parties, c-section class for Dave and I, my sister Joni coming home, knee surgery for Dad, and maybe even trip to the cities or the Christmas Market in downtown Rochester. I guess we will see what we end up having time for. Look for updates later this week!
Allicia has been a busy girl. On top of her usual 2 nights a week of dance, last week she attended a Big Sister class to get her ready for our arrival of Ava. She was able to see where mom would be and what will happen when we go in to have her. She also learned how to swaddle a baby and how to change a diaper. She had a lot of fun and is certainly ready to be a big sister. She also went to the Nutcracker Ballet for a class trip at school. This was a fun day...she dressed up in a new dress and we curled her hair all pretty. She looked absolutely beautiful. Then she ended her week with a birthday sleep over on Saturday. She had lots of fun, they went to The House of Bounce and stayed up till 1:30, doing who knows what.
Kyle was busy with wrestling practice, homework, practicing his french horn (which BTW...I never have to hound him about. He is seriously such a good kid), and staying up to date with the latest sports news. Man that boy cannot get enough of Sports Center and any online sports sites. He was extremely pumped that the Vikings won yesterday and now thinks more than ever that the Vikes have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I guess we will see.
Other than that, last Thursday night was busy. I decided last minute to have the kids pictures taken for our family Christmas card. There is a new portrait studio in Rochester I decided to try, Portrait Innovations, definitely worth checking out. But after I made the appt I realized that Kyle's hair was looking quite long. So, Thursday evening Dave and the kids picked me up from work, all dressed in the outfits I bought them....seriously the night before. We ran Kyle to The Men's Barber Shop to quickly have his haircut. I had packed my hair straightener in my purse so I could fix Allicia's hair while we were waiting for him to get his hair cut (nothing like time management). Then we rushed over to the portrait studio to get their pictures taken. Believe it or not, we were 15 minutes early! Amazing huh!?!? So, expect a Christmas card from us fairly soon. Nothing like being last minute, I know!
And believe it or not after all of that, Dave and I were even able to fit in some time doing things we enjoy as well. Dave played poker on Thursday night at the neighbors..after the kids picture appt (as if we could fit one more thing into that evening). This is a weekly event for Dave and usually fits into our schedule well, because by the time he leaves we've already had supper, cleanup up the kitchen, finished homework, and we're just about ready to head off to bed. We barely even notice he's not there. J/K...no Hun, that does not mean it is ok do this more often. :) Then, Friday we had a birthday party for his friend Gene...and had a great time playing cards and laughing. Finally, on Saturday I spent the morning baking cake balls and truffles with Julie. So see, even Dave and I had some time for fun!
So another busy week ahead....we certainly keep our schedule packed full of activities. This week will consist of Christmas parties, c-section class for Dave and I, my sister Joni coming home, knee surgery for Dad, and maybe even trip to the cities or the Christmas Market in downtown Rochester. I guess we will see what we end up having time for. Look for updates later this week!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Thanksgiving Pictures
Sorry I am a little late getting these posted. Our Thanksgiving Day was perfect....and thanks to the kids, all of the food was delicious and ready to eat, right on time.
Allicia helping chop the veggies for our stuffing. She wasn't a fan of cutting up the onions. She did quite well until her eyes started filling with tears, then Mom had to take over and finish up.
And here we are enjoying our feast. The long day of cooking paid off. We had tons of left overs, but everyone left the table with a full belly. Especially me! : )
Alli helping Mom peel potatoes and Grandpa Pete observing.
Kyle working on his favorite appetizer.....pickle roll ups.
Allicia helping chop the veggies for our stuffing. She wasn't a fan of cutting up the onions. She did quite well until her eyes started filling with tears, then Mom had to take over and finish up.
And here we are enjoying our feast. The long day of cooking paid off. We had tons of left overs, but everyone left the table with a full belly. Especially me! : )
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