The first mile

She does exist! Eisley 3,4, and 5 months:)

2012-02-12T16:35:00.003-06:00

3 months

At 3 months Eisley was sleeping through the night, taking two huge naps during the day, and we were loving life! She started chewing on her hand constantly, but no sign of teeth. She smiled all the time and even gave a little chuckle if you worked for it. She claimed her pink blanket as "the one", and began burying her face in it for nap. She was still sleeping in her cradle, but transitioned out of it about a week before turning 4 months. Up until this point in time, she literally screamed every time we put her in her carseat, and for the duration of whatever trips ensued.....I think she is over that....praise the Lord!

4 months

The crazy holidays ruined our good sleeper!!! Ok, probably not, but gone are the 9-12 hours of nighttime sleep. She loves to be rocked to sleep, and has to be OUT before you lay her down. The drooling is now out of control..she is either drooling or chewing hardcore on her hands/fingers causing a huge amount of slobber to lather her outfit. She has learned to roll onto her back, but not from her back to her tummy. We tried making her cry it out at night, but find it's basically like torturing her because she is either stuck on her back unable to roll onto her stomach where she prefers to sleep or, awake on her tummy creating a huge cesspool of drool unable to fall asleep. So we (usually Jonathan) get up and rock her at least once, sometimes twice/night. I try to remind myself that I will miss rocking her, but right now we just miss sleep:) I took her in for her four month check up and she weighed in at 15 lbs even. Our chunky monkey seems to be plateauing:)

5 months

At 5 months our little Eisley Kate is SOO happy:) She smiles virtually all the time. If she isn't smiling she is giving you this hilarious dumbfounded stare (upper left corner pic), talking really loud like a pirate, or sleeping. She still drools like crazy, and has no teeth to show for it. She chews on anything she can get her hands on, including on faces. She is such a laid back little girl. Often she is getting shoved into different baby contraptions to keep her entertained for "just one more minute" while we attend to something around the house. She lets you know when you have forgotten her, and demands her due attention, but also is pretty content being along for the ride. She sits tripod style for very short amounts of time before tipping over, but is enjoying the new view!

Where's my corona?

2012-02-09T12:28:00.003-06:00

About a week ago we watched a new Dora. It involved a princess or mermaid...somebody... and Dora was helping her to find her lost crown. I don't know if all of you readers know this, but Dora is bilingual, and sometimes her friends speak Spanish.

Well this princess/mermaid friend spoke Spanish, and the word crown in Spanish, is corona. They spend most of the episode looking for/singing about this corona. I kind of chuckled to myself while it was on, but then forgot all about it.

Today Avery has been singing non-stop, "Where is my corona?" She just walked up to me and said, "Mom, can you help me find my corona?" Why yes I can Avery....and if any of you out there happen to find a corona and would like to deliver it to my house, I prefer it with a slice of lime, please and thank you:)

Jay Leno or snowgirl?

2012-01-27T16:54:00.001-06:00

Avery's first snowgirl (of course its a girl)...her chin is slightly Jay Leno-ish, but otherwise a success!

I don't even know what to title this....

2011-12-21T21:00:00.002-06:00

So lately Avery has been trying to figure out a few concepts, and brings them up several times a day......

A couple weeks ago we went to a UNI basketball game, and she got up close and personal with TC and Mrs. TC. Ever since then, she has had several questions:

-Where does TC live?

-Does TC brush his teeth

-Does TC's friend (Mrs. TC) tuck him in?

We tried to explain that TC was just a fun pretend, and that he wasn't real. It seemed easy to associate it with halloween and that someone was just pretending to be TC and was dressed up in a TC costume. TC isn't real, he's just a fun pretend.......She thinks over this statement, then:

-Does TC wear jammies???

The TC conversation led to an easy segway with how we have decided to handle Santa. Santa was a real person long ago, but now he is just a fun thing we pretend. The Santas we see aren't really Santa, they are just people dressed up in a costume. Last weekend at my Grandma Bridgewater's Christmas, Santa came and handed out gifts to the kids. The man who played Santa was bald and didn't wear a wig, just a Santa hat.

Ave- Why doesn't Santa have hair?

Me-That wasn't really Santa, it was just someone dressed as Santa. Wasn't that fun to pretend Grandma's friend was Santa?!

Ave- It was Santa!

Me- No it was just someone pretending to be him

Ave- I saw his sleigh outside....

Me- You did? I don't think so Ave

Ave- I SAW his sleigh......(quieter)...and his reindeer.....

Sigh.....so we have some work to do.....but clearly the wheels are turning, because this is the conversation we had tonight:

Me- Goodnight Ave, Jesus loves you. (this is something I say every night)

Ave- Jesus loves me!? (This is how she responds to my statement every night)

Me- Yup, even more than mommy and daddy love you, He loves you so much.

Ave- Does Jesus pee in the potty?

Me- uh, yah, He did..

Ave- Cuz He's real, He's not pretend.

Me- Yah, He's real...(pause to see where she wants this conversation to go, and to gather my thoughts on Jesus peeing in the potty)

Ave- Goodnight Mama

Me- Night Ave

Sometimes at the end of my days I wonder if I have accomplished anything aside from keeping my kids alive to see tomorrow........conversations like this make me realize, even if that is all that seems to come out of the day, the real fruit of what has taken place has yet to be seen.

That could have been bad...

2011-12-06T11:26:00.001-06:00

Potty training: I'm in the shower, we have a potty in the living room, ave goes, but knows I can't clean it up right away, so she puts it "up high" where bumper can't get it...somehow I dont think our apple service plan covers spilled urine.....crisis averted macbook safe...for now:)

The "C" word

2011-12-02T15:33:00.002-06:00

Ewww no, not THAT "C" word, but the one I'm talking about also leaves an icky taste in ones mouth.

I found out the day after my birthday that a mole I had removed came back as basal cell melanoma. It's very slow to spread, and the least concerning of all skin cancer. Even so, the word "cancer", is never fun to hear. Yes my days of wearing no sunscreen, or SPF 2 lathered in oil caught up to me. Right on my chest, an inch or two below my collarbone, there was a spot that looked strange, and eventually changed color and shape. It's the place, along with the tip of my nose and forehead, that gets the most sun, and if I burn, burns first.

I found out about it on a Monday, set up a consultation on that Friday, and had the spot removed on the following Monday. Wham bam thank you ma'am, hopefully basal cell melanoma/cancer free! I'm a bit leery of all my other moles/spots, but the doctor said they all looked fine, and not to be concerned.

Speaking of "the doctor"....they sent me to a plastic surgeon to have it removed. I asked if he could do a 2 for 1 deal and give me breast enlargements while he was at it. He did not think that was as funny as I did, and turned down my request. While I sat in his office awaiting my consultation, I saw I could not only get my cancer spot removed by him, but he could also help me with my aging face, suck fat out of places I didn't even know people cared about, and lift parts of your body that hadn't been perky since jr. high. It was all very enlightening...

This whole ordeal shook me up more than I had anticipated. I make light of the situation, but not because I don't take it seriously, but because that is how I deal I guess. I know it wasn't that big of deal, but it was one of those things I never thought would actually happen to me. It made me realize I'm not invincible, and started a whole ordeal of catastrophizing different scenarios of ways I could die. Yup, anxiety got the best of me. I hate it when that happens, seriously, I do.

I had the spot removed, and was reassured that there was nothing more to worry about. However, the worry just wasn't going away. So God found a way to show me how to lighten up a bit:

Today as I sat in the exam room at the surgeons office to get my stitches removed, I had to stifle back giggles. It was a different room this time. It had the same brochures as the last room I had been in, but this room was different. If I worked there, I would call it the "Bubby Room". I was surrounded by tons of breasts, drawers containing them, pictures of them, diagrams of them, sculptures with them sectioned in half....bubbies, bubbies EVERYWHERE! I wanted to take a picture so badly, it was so ridiculously hilarious... but the rule follower in me wouldn't allow it. There were signs all over instructing cell phones to be turned off, and I had immediately obeyed upon arrival. So I let go of wanting to take a picture, but couldn't shake the urge to open up one of the drawers and just feel one of the "specimens" some women have inserted into their breasts,... some of them were so huge! However, the nurse had left my door open, and I would have been mortified if someone caught me with my hand in a booby drawer. Alas the nurse came in removed my stitches, and I was on my way. All I have is a funny story to remember the bubby room.

So as I re-read what I just wrote I realize it makes me sound like a huge weirdo, but I promise you, I'm only a weirdo, not a huge weirdo, and I was just intrigued and amused by my surroundings. I don't know how people who actually get breast enhancements could have taken anything seriously in that room.....I digress.....

So the moral of the story is......well I really don't know....I'm still going to enjoy laying out, but I will be wearing sunscreen (FYI, doc told me SPF 15 is plenty for people who aren't fair skinned). I guess I learned that I am more scared of dying than I had previously thought...I knew before all of this, that truly and totally trusting God's plan is a struggle of mine, but I think God continues to use 2x4's to knock it into my head that I am not in control, until I finally get it....Will this be the 2x4 that leaves it's mark and learns me my lesson?? I'm guessing no, but I am getting closer!

Boycott

2011-12-01T10:09:00.001-06:00

Doesnt matter the temp outside, Ave and I love us some popsicles:) We are boycotting winter!!

Worth it?

2011-11-30T22:02:00.001-06:00

I hate dog hair, and it is an eternal loosing battle to keep it off my kids, clothes, floor, etc. Today I brushed/bathed Bumper, and the picture shows the amount of hair I eradicated from his hide. It begs the question, ....is he worth it???

Today Avery said to Bumper, "I love you so much Bumper, and God loves you even more." It's moments like that, that make him so worth it. Its moments like that, that I remember he has soaked up more of my tears than a kleenex tissue...

Bumps, you drive me crazy. You shed all over, bark at the mailman (who comes at the same time everyday...not cool), lick your butt then my kids face(also not cool), eat dirty diapers, climb on the kitchen table when you think we aren't looking, and just plain stink(none of these attributes are cool). You also fit perfectly behind my legs when I fall asleep at night, let Avery drag you by your collar all over the house, know the difference between your toys and the kids toys, love us all unconditionally even when most days all you get out of the deal is a cup of dry dog food and a roof over your head.
So is he worth it? Depends on when you ask, but today, he is:)

2 months and loving life!

2011-11-21T16:19:00.004-06:00

Pretty much the day after I wrote the last Eisley update, she turned into a completely different baby! We had a chiropractor appointment that day, and it was just what that little lady needed. She is much less fussy, has long periods of being content in her bouncy seat and play mat, and hands out smiles all day long. At first we didn't want to talk out loud about the changes in her, fearing we would jinx ourselves, but we have a great little baby on our hands!

At Eisley's 2 month appointment, she weighed in at 12lbs. 6oz, and is fitting comfortably in 6 month clothes:) She is a great eater, and even tolerates a bottle from Dad every now and then. She still gets up once a night to eat, and takes pretty good naps during the day. She doesn't have much of a schedule, but is getting more predictable throughout the day.

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We are loving our time getting know know little Eisley better each day. She loves to be held and talked to. Her little mouth and fists move like she is trying really hard to tell us a story, but for now only little coos make it out. Avery loves Eisley lots, but really doesn't pay much attention to her except to observe her outfit and give her a quick kiss.

Life is good in the Rogers household, simple and sweet:)

Month 1....getting to know you......

2011-10-15T07:58:00.005-05:00

"Getting to know you" is the theme of Eisley's first month. We had a two week honeymoon stage of being really tired, but ok with it. Then, the next two weeks, the reality of no sleep set in, and both Eisley and I were very confused as to how to function with each other.

I have thrown my "BabyWise" book in the trash (just kidding, I didn't throw it away, but it doesn't apply to my second child). Eisley does not wish to follow a schedule, or be in any way, shape, or form predictable. As a matter of fact, the only thing predictable about my second child, is that she is unpredictable. I have come to accept this fact, and we are getting along much better:)

Eisley is a fantastic eater, she loves to eat! She is also very tolerant of being fed in all kinds of environments. I feel daily that I discover a new place to nurse, or activity to nurse during. I will not post details, but I am grateful to Eisley for allowing her eating to coincide with many of life's everyday tasks.

Eisley is also a fantastic sleeper. However, do not try to dictate where she will sleep. She will sleep when/where she is good and ready. There will be times you are sure she is just exhausted, but she will stare at you like you are crazy to think so....for hours:) There will also be times when you are convinced she is passed out on your shoulder, lay her down, and find that is the last place in the universe she wanted to be placed, and you better pick her up pronto. However, once she is sleeping in a place of her choosing, she is a great sleeper. She has given me some 5.5 hour stretches at night, but mostly 3.5-4.

Her smiles get me through her lack of contentedness. She has just started smiling, and it is really cute. Now I know I am biased, but really folks, I think once the teeth come in, it will be one of those million dollar smiles, and in the meantime the toothless version has got to be worth somewhere in the half a million range. It's awesome, and it really does fuel me. Eisley is by no means a bad baby, she is just harder than the first one I had, making me realign all of my expectations. And if you know me at all, my expectations get the best of me ALL the time. She has much shorter time frames of being content than what I remember with Avery. She doesn't like to lay on a blanket, or be left in a swing or a bouncy seat. No sir-e-bob. If she is awake, and not eating, she wants to be held, and the position she prefers to be held in changes by the minute.

*We see this face a lot*

Holding her as much as she would like, is just not possible with other human beings to care for, myself included. So we hear her cry a lot, and use the Ergo alot. (I should blog sometime about the Ergo, I really love it. It has been added to the list of things I would put in my baby store if I owned/ran a baby store....someday when I have time....stop laughing...I will blog about the Ergo). I feel a lot of guilt about the amount Eisley cries. I am getting better about it, but man it's hard stuff! Luckily I have the best parenting partner anyone could ask for, and he has pulled me off the edge of madness several times:) I love my husband!!!

Avery is still the best big sister around. She loves Eisley to pieces, and tolerates the crying so well. A few days ago, Avery came up to Eisley, cupped her cheeks, and in the most loving/cutesy voice said, "Hi Fussy!". She meant that with so much love!

I feel like this has not been the most upbeat update, but I want to be honest. This first month has been really hard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like I said, Eisley's little smile is just the best, and her cheeks are still my all time favorite landing spot for my lips (sorry to Jonathan's lips, you got bumped for the time being). It has just taken some time to figure this little lady out, and I don't think we are there yet, but we are getting closer! I love you Eisley Kate, and I look forward to knowing you even better by the end of your second month. I promise to never stop trying to figure out how to love you best, even if that means letting you cry sometimes:)

*Beautiful quilt courtesy of Kara Vander Weil

The Lion King

2011-10-06T13:01:00.004-05:00

Avery received lots of fun things when Eisley was born. People were so generous and thoughtful, and I think it really helped Avery during this transition. One of our friends who knows my little girls heart fairly well, gave Avery a little Lion King board book. It basically introduces all of the nice characters. There are only six pages, and it hardly covers the plot of the movie at all, but Avery was pretty intrigued. There have been lots of Lion King commercials on tv, and she was convinced she had seen the movie....

Flashback to last Friday night. It's my wonderful husband's 30th birthday, and we leave Avery and Eisley at his parents to enjoy a quick dinner just the two of us. While we are away Avery convinces Grandma, Grandpa, Kristen, and Uncle that she has seen The Lion King. Uncle was skeptical, but as soon as she mentioned Rafiki, he believed her.

We ate and came to get the girls, and Avery was in the middle of watching The Lion King. Both Jonathan and I were a little skeptical, but since she was already watching, and pretty excited about it, decided to let her finish. Kristen and I could hardly watch ourselves as Mufasa fell to his death, and Simba thought it was his fault. I was so concerned Avery would be bothered by this, but she just stared intently and shoveled popcorn into her mouth. The thought that she may be desensitized to this kind of thing already crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it, and told myself I was over-thinking the situation.

If I was concerned about her being desensitized, my worries were just getting started.....The end scene when Scar and Simba fight to see who will be king comes along, again I'm a bit concerned that this will scare Avery, or bother her in some way....nope....Avery stands up on the couch, full of gusto, and shouts, "Get him!! KILL HIM, KILL HIM!".

Jonathan and I both sat there with our mouths hanging wide open. We had no idea where she would have learned those words, and been able to use them in that context, but apparently we have already failed as parents somewhere along the last 2.5 years.

Sigh....it bothered me for a minute. I thought about how we needed to talk about the difference between animals killing each other and humans, etc. etc......Then I remembered, she's 2.5, let's not get too deep. I shrugged my shoulders and thought...."eh...hakuna matta...".

My 2.5 year old

2011-10-03T14:37:00.003-05:00

Closer to 3 than 2....wow....when did that happen?? September 11, to be exact:) My big girl is now 2.5, going on 10. She tells us she's frustrated, talks about constellations, and has no desire to poop in the potty.

Oh Avery Lynn, where do I begin? There is so much to love about you right now, I could never capture it all in a blog. You crack us up multiple times a day, and usually over the simplest things. Here are some random Avery-isms:

*If someone calls you bud/buddy, you correct them with, "I'm not a bud, I'm a girl", to you, that word is for boys.

*Almost all of your stuffed animals are girls, if we say, "pick him up" or "where is he", and we are referring to a stuffed animal, you quickly correct us and tell us, "she's not a boy, she's a girl".

*Everyday you ask, "where are we going today?" Usually I say, "nowhere". Which is met by a huge dramatic sigh, your throw yourself onto the couch with your face in your hands, and say, "Every single day MOM!" "every single day" is the phrase you use a lot when you are frustrated.

*You roar at me when you are mad, when my tone of voice isn't nice (which is almost every time I say anything to Bumper), or when you think someone is arguing.

*After I scold you, and explain in a nice voice why you were scolded, you say, "You're not mean anymore mom!"

*If someone asks you a yes or no question, you don't respond with yes or no, you say "I am", or "I'm not", or "I did/didn't" example: Avery are you cold?..."I'm not" Avery do you have poopy pants..."I don't"

*You are getting better about this, but many times when we ask you if there is poop in your pants, you say no, when in fact there is. When we go to change it you tell us, "it's just a little guy" or "it's just a little turd", as if that somehow makes it better. We wish we could help you understand that the "little guy" would be better off in the toilet, than next to your bottom:)

* When I apologize to you, you shake your head and chuckle and say, "It's ok mom!"

*Every 15 minutes you say, "Can-I have-a snack?"

*You think you can chew gum, but the 2x I have given it to you, it has been swallowed in less than 10 seconds.

*You memorize the books we read to you, and then lay in your bed and recite them almost word for word. This activity can keep you busy for 30 minutes or better, and it warms my heart.

*Watching a "show" trumps almost any other activity

*You would wear a dress everyday if I let you.

*You chase Bumper around the house, yelling, "collar please", and once he lets you catch him, we let you drag him by his collar for a few minutes, until we finally take pity on him and make you let him go. You love him a lot (which is good because my love is not always so strong for our barky, shedding, four-legged friend) and he tolerates you extremely well.

*You love it when Bumper gives you kisses, except for when they are on your face, and then you immediately say, "Yuck, don't lick my face.....Bumper eats poop on the patio!".....yes we are all still scarred from that incident.

*You love your little buddies, and usually include at least one of them in your prayers every night. You get so excited when you know you get to have a "play date" with them, and if I tell you about it too soon, every minute you have to wait is like a cruel punishment.

*You love your Daddy a lot, and lately it makes me jealous:) EVERY morning when he wakes up, you excitedly greet him with, "DADDY!!!" Lately when I enter your room in the mornings you tell me, "it's too bright!" and we battle over whether or not you can wear a dress for the day.

*You are the sweetest little girl. You are fantastic at sharing, especially food. If you are eating something really yummy, you always say, "want a bite?". You love your little sister, and say the cutest things to her. You love to give her kisses, and to stroke her face. You love it when I lay her next to you in your bed, and get so excited when her eyes are able to focus on yours. You give the best hugs, and give the sweetest little smooches, that even make a smooching noise. You still enjoy being rocked and snuggled, and I hope that doesn't change for a very long time.

We love you so much big girl, thank you for being such a fantastic 2.5 year old. Hopefully the next six months go a little slower than the the last six, because you are growing up too fast!

Eisley Kate

2011-09-27T19:22:00.006-05:00

She's here! Eisley Kate entered the world on 9.10.11 at 2:26pm. I was fairly certain when I awoke for the day, that is was THE day we would get to meet our little girl, however, I had no way of knowing how truly incredible the day would turn out to be.

**sidebar-I love how God does this....just when we think we can know it all: gender, date of arrival, epidural/natural/c-section....He doesn't give us the capacity to understand or anticipate the overwhelming joy you feel when you first lay eyes on your child.....you think you know, but when it actually happens it sweeps you off your feet.....what a miraculous surprise.

I called Kim to see what I should do, and let Jonathan sleep in as I readied our home for what was about to happen. My contractions were getting stronger and closer together, and I'm thankful that it was a time of intense focus for me, otherwise, I would have been a blubbering mess around Avery, knowing it was our last morning together, just she and I.

Avery's reaction was really cute. I told her that Baby Sister was going to come out today, and she responded with raised eyebrows and a cute gasp. We had been talking about this day for a long time, and I don't think she believed it was ever going to actually happen. She quickly turned her attention back to her "show" and proceeded on as normal with her day.

I let Jonathan know that our family would be +1 by the end of the day, and we were both were relieved it was 9/10 rather than 9/11. The date 9/10/11 is so much fun and easy to remember, and 9/11 is such a somber day, not to mention her birthday would have always been on a decade anniversary of those tragic events.

After getting showered up, my contractions were taking more and more focus. Jonathan had told Avery they could go get a doughnut from Casey's, but was nervous to leave me. I told him to go, but hurry! Kim had called the hospital and told them I would be there by 11am, but I was thinking we might need to get there sooner!

Once Avery and Jonathan returned we quick packed up the car and headed to Walt and Jenny's to drop Avery off. It was a bizarre feeling to leave her there, and know the next time we would see her, life would look so different. Like I said before, I think if the contractions hadn't been so strong at the time, I would have been a lot more emotional, and for Avery's sake, I'm glad I wasn't. She was completely oblivious, and it made my heart ache a bit. We took a quick family picture and were on our way.

I drove to the hospital, which Jonathan was none to thrilled about. I wanted something else to focus on, but he didn't think it was such a great idea. Who wants to be a passenger in a car driven by a woman in active labor (who isn't the best driver in her most competent state), and who wants to be the husband who lets his pregnant, laboring wife, drive herself to the hospital?? Well I am thankful he gave into me, because it truly did make the ride more bearable.

When we arrived they quickly ushered us into a closet-like/windowless room to check my dilation and monitor my contractions. It was an uncomfortable way to spend our first hour there, but we have some great video of my wonderful attitude at the time:) I had instructed Jonathan to quit asking how I was. I told him I was having a baby, and to assume I was fine unless I told him otherwise. He always has the comedic foresight to capture these lovely moments for me to see later, but at the time, it's none too amusing!

Once we finished up the monitoring, it was determined I definitely was having a baby, and soon! I was 7 almost 8 centimeters by this time. My nurse had some trouble, but hooked up an IV and I was free to walk the hallways until Kim arrived. I felt like a caged animal, the hallways didn't seem long enough, and it was so quiet! I felt my focus slipping, as Jonathan and I made lap after lap.

Kim finished her lunch and lead me back to the room to check me. I remember leaning over the sink and saying, "I seriously can't remember one reason why I want to do this without an epidural". This remark was met by the comments each person in the room had been coached to say, but I quickly disregarded them and informed everyone that I wanted an epidural. Kim checked me and told me she could break my water, I would have relief for 20 minutes, and then a baby within 40 minutes. Looking back, that seems pretty doable, but at the time, it sounded like 4o minutes too long. It was about then that I looked down at my hand and realized it appeared to have a tennis ball under my skin. I held it up and asked Kim if that was normal. She responded with a quick NO! and rushed over to remove the IV. Apparently my vein didn't like the IV, and decided to just let the fluid build up in my hand rather than flow through my body. From that point on, and through the rest of my stay, my hand looked like Shrek.

Kim and the nurse worked hard to get another IV in me, but it took a bit. It was another 15 minutes of having to be still and not being able to move through my contractions, and my mental game was over. Kim assured me I could continue on, as did Jonathan. I started to believe them, and told myself to try for 10 more minutes, however, right then, the anesthesiologist showed up, and I was all about it! I remember thinking, it's a sign, God wants me to have an epidural:) My nurse was really concerned about me being disappointed with this decision later, and repeatedly asked me if I was sure that this is what I wanted. I assured her I would have no regrets, and instructed them to get the needle in my back!

My mom arrived somewhere in the middle of all of that, and I remember choking up when I saw her. I had just had an emotional moment with Kim in the bathroom, she had reminded me of how incredible today was, and how much I desired and longed for this moment, and it was finally here. So to walk out of the bathroom feeling that way, and then see my mom, I felt like I was 6 years old, and wanted to fall into her arms. Instead I just said, "Hi mama", and was really glad to have her there.

I'm not so sure what time the anesthesiologist actually came, but I know Eisley's arrival followed soon after. I still felt a lot of pressure and pain, but I know that it definitely took the edge off of delivering a 9lb baby! I didn't have to push long and her head arrived, but her shoulders took a little coaxing. I was scared she was going to be paralyzed and told them to just pull her out. Kim ignored my franticness, and calmly maneuvered our little girl into the world.

Our little lady was met with gasps and shock. She looked really big to everyone in the room but me. Kim called her a "butterball", and I chalked it up to being swollen and said Avery looked chubby at first too. They laid her on my stomach and began to vigorously rub her, as she wasn't breathing real well. Looking back at the pictures and video, our baby was very purple, but soon she cried out, and everyone felt relief.

Jonathan cut her cord, and we both stared at the face of our new child. She worked hard to try to open her eyes for us, but it proved to be too much. Everyone kept talking about how big she was, and I kept disregarding it. I was able to hold her for a good hour before they finally put her on the scale. I was shocked to hear them say 9lb 7.8oz. It made me immediately glad for the epidural:)

I loved holding Eisley for that first hour. The first time Jonathan held her was just like with Avery, she stared up at him like they had known each other for years. His daddy pride overflowed out of him. I love that first look dad's have at their baby's....it's like the first time they feel the baby kick....it's tangible....and the connection is made forever.

Watching Avery see Eisley for the first time was pretty sweet as well. I guess the whole way over to the hospital Avery kept saying, "she came out!". Avery has always done this thing with her hands when she is excited, nervous, or upset. Before she entered the room, she did her hand thing, and said "it's fine, it's fine". Poor little lady had been told this moment was coming, and her young mind wasn't sure what to make of it all. When she walked in and laid eyes on her, all she could say was "awww". It was so sweet, and I'm so glad we captured the moment on video.

We had the name Eisley picked out for awhile. Lots of people ask how to spell it, or if they read it, ask how to say it. Eisley is pronounced: Eyes-Lee. Poor girl, she is going to get that her whole life, and it's one of the reasons I couldn't commit fully to the name until I saw her. It's pretty different, but we think it's beautiful. Her middle name is Kate for lots of reasons. Jonathan likes middle names to be family names. Walt's mom's nickname was Kate. She died when Walt was young, but every story we hear about her, depicts her as an amazingly wonderful woman, wife, and mother. I think it's perfect for Eisley to carry on the name of such a noble lady. Some people have asked if the Kate is because my name is Katie, and all I can say is not really. My full/given name is Katie, and have always preferred to be called that, so I was never a Kate. While Jonathan likes family names, I love names that sound strong and seem to fit the little face in front of us. I loved the name Eisley, and Kate seemed to compliment it beautifully, and the fact that is happened to be Jonathan's grandmother's name is an added bonus to me.

Life since Eisley has been busy! I feel like I have transitioned and adapted into having a newborn much easier than I did with Avery. I feel way less anxious about what to do with this little soul, and while I am extremely tired, and have a stretched heart, I am really loving being a mother of two.

Eisley has taken her time figuring out her days and nights, but seems to be catching on. She loves to be held, and if she is awake, expects to have someone doing just that. She is an excellent eater, both she and I seemed to have caught on to each other quickly and breastfeeding is going very well (as evidenced by her weight of 9lbs 15oz at the doctor yesterday). She sleeps well on people and is a great snuggler, but really sleeps best when she is swaddled and left alone. She enjoys her tummy time, and often falls asleep this way. It's a little nerve wracking, but often times I leave her to sleep that way because she just looks so comfortable and content. She has been a bit more fussy and gassy than I remember Avery being, but tummy time seems to help relieve that. We have also taken her to the chiropractor, and that has made a big difference!

I love just staring at Eisley. She and Avery look so similar at this stage, and it's fun to look down, and remember things about Avery, but also memorize Eisley's features as well. Often times I am struck by how much she looks like Jonathan, and I call her my little Jonny. Eisley has the most perfect cheeks. They are like the freshest, softest marshmallows your lips have ever come into contact with. I could literally kiss them all day long. She has very long fingers, and her hands seem like they will someday palm a basketball. She makes a lot of the same facial expressions I remember seeing on Avery, my favorite being this little "o" she makes with her mouth...we call it the cheerio mouth, because it makes a perfect little circle like a cheerio.

Avery has been wonderful with Eisley. I love the little phrases that come from her daily:

-Oh hi sweet girl

-Aw she's so cute

-(gasp)she open her eyes! (This is said as all one word sheopenhereyes....and sounds like sheumprise!)

-Can I see my baby sister?

-Can I hold her?

-Aw she's praying (Eisley often falls asleep with her hands folded)

Avery has just the right amount of affection for Eisley. She loves her dearly, but doesn't smother her. She enjoys holding her, but it's fairly short lived, which is probably a good thing:) We have seen her trying to cover her up, so we are extra careful with this, but mostly she just likes to stroke her face, or hold her hand, and then move on to play with something else. I pray often for Avery and Eisley's relationship, and it warms my heart to see it start off in such a sweet manner.....we'll see how long that continues:)

I still can't believe how incredibly blessed we are. I was staring at our newest blessing the other night, and told Jonathan I couldn't believe she was actually here. I had prayed for a second child, for what I felt like a long time, and now to be looking down at her sweet face seemed pretty surreal. My desire for her was so strong, and I wanted her so badly on my timeline, but as I sit here today, it is clear that she came at the perfect time, and I can't thank God enough for such an incredible gift.

Two Great Guys

2011-09-08T07:26:00.002-05:00

I have written before about how life would be drastically different had I not had my dad in my life. We have talked recently at church about being adopted in Christ....well, my dad never got the opportunity to officially/legally adopt me, but legality didn't matter much to the two of us. Just like God chose me to be Avery's mom, I truly believe He did the same with my dad and me. I love him so much and am so very very proud to be his daughter.

Last night my dad invited us down to an event at Kirkwood, called "The Pig-Out". There was free food, bounce houses, rides, and more! I wasn't able to partake in the bouncy activities, but Grandpa Todd and Daddy came through! We went on a hay rack ride all around Kirkwood's campus, and got to see a lot of neat aspects of Kirkwood, many of which my dad has helped implement. Again, I'm am just so darn proud of him:)

Jonathan left work early to be able to come along with us. He went down the bouncy slide over and over again, crawled through the bouncy obstacle course several times, and between he and my dad, made Avery's night pretty much a dream. She had so much fun with the two of them, and I loved watching pure joy dance across her face. Jonathan is an amazing father, and I can tell that Avery is going to grow up thinking her dad is pretty awesome as well.

As our night came to a close, I watched Avery holding hands with two of my favorite guys, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude. How lucky can two girls be to have such great men to walk beside us:)

39 weeks

2011-09-06T21:19:00.003-05:00

What else do you do when you are 39 weeks pregnant???? But of course, you ride your bike! Not gonna lie, it wasn't easy. Avery only said, "faster" once. I explained to her between huffs and puffs that mommy was incapable of going any faster, and I think she got the point!

We are just playing the waiting game. It's actually a really great place to be. On one hand I'm really tired of being pregnant, so if we go into labor, great! I can't wait to meet this precious new life! On the other hand, if I don't go into labor, it's another great day just me and my big girl:)

Some funny things she has said lately....

-Don't be mean mommy, I love you!

-Oh that's marvelous!

-Oh, is it in this area??.......*This was when I told her we were going to try out a new park today!

So if I'm riding bikes at 39 weeks, who knows what 40 weeks will bring......

Dear Katie

2011-08-31T09:20:00.003-05:00

*This blog is for me to remember this time, and carefully evaluate future decisions....

Dear Katie,

You have been heard telling your husband that you wish to do nothing to prevent getting pregnant again after having your second child. Sure breastfeeding will take care of that for awhile, but after that, you have said you want no intervention. That's all well and good, but I want you to remember what these last couple of weeks of pregnancy are like:

1. Your hip joints behave like a mortar and pestle set grinding against each other as you walk, and walk, and walk, and walk trying to get your childs head to drop.

2. Between seasonal allergies, heart burn, and indigestion your sleep in limited, very limited. However, you are incredibly productive from 4-7am!

3. Your wardrobe is limited, as those cute maternity clothes you loved so much get tighter and tighter......and yup, yesterday, that lady who saw you at Hy-Vee wearing your stripped green shirt (one of the only ones that fit right now) , saw you wearing it again today, and yes, she noticed....CLASSY:)

4. When your husband offers to help induce labor...wink...wink....and you want to kick him in the shin and laugh in his face at the same time.....remember, it really is proven to help bring an end to this waiting game.

5. Atleast your 2.5 year old can walk and be fairly independent. If you choose to sign up for this rodeo again real soon, that age gap isn't going to be as helpful, and you will be bending over to put on 2 pairs of shoes (3 if it isn't flip flop season and you actually have to tie your own shoes), pick up toys strewn about by two children, and load/unload out of carseats twice as much.

This letter is heavily laden with sarcasm, and fairly dramatic. Yes, some days are harder than others, but for the most part, you feel pretty good. No matter when God decides to bless you with a third child, you will be ready and willing.....and maybe you should make sure your husband is on board too:)

That being said, don't throw this reminder away:)

Love,

Yourself

****DISCLAIMER- For when Jonathan shoves this in my face when I bring up having a 3rd......the first few months were rough, and these last couple weeks haven't been the most fun....however, for the most part I have felt great, and thoroughly loved being pregnant:)

Nesting?

2011-08-23T06:47:00.005-05:00

I don't know who I am anymore. Seriously, I don't really recognize myself. Since being home from work (approx. 2 weeks), I have cleaned, organized, and kept things consistently put away, more than I have in my entire life (approx. 27.75 years). I want to say it's not nesting, and I have just turned over a new leaf, but to be perfectly honest, I just don't see it happening long term (sorry Mom).

I had been putting off getting the baby's room ready, because for the last couple months, that room has been a catch all. If we were having people over, it was a great place to throw stuff in, and just close the door. It wasn't to the point of disaster like you see on hoarders, but if it would have continued, you never know. I also didn't want to commit to this task because I knew what a horrible job I had done at putting Avery's old clothes away, and I didn't know where to start. Somehow I gathered the courage and dove in!

Once I started organizing the newborn and 0-3 month clothes, I realized that it couldn't stop there. I ended up dumping out every tote, newborn-5T, and reorganizing it all, complete with detailed post-it note labels describing what is in each box. This may not sound like a very large feat, but if you have a girl, you know the amount of clothing given to you can be astronomical. Not only do you get gifted all kinds of wonderful adorable new clothing....other people with girls pass down to you all of the wonderful adorable clothing they have accumulated. Before you know it you could clothe an all-girls school and still have some left over.

*The room and organizing in progress:

*All newborn and 0-3 month clothes, washed, folded, and ready to be put away...I think Baby Girl will have a different outfit everyday until she is 4 months old....pretty ridiculous

*These are just shoes sizes 0-4, so I'm sad to report we have way more shoes than this......99% of these are hand-me-downs, no judgement please.......ok go ahead and judge, I admit, this is out of control...

Needless to say I got rid of a lot, and feel much better about the future of the Rogers' girls clothing organization situation.

Like I said before I have accomplished a lot, but there is still more to do:) On the list for today: reorganize the pantry, and get started cleaning up the basement. The scary part of this is, I am really excited about taking care of the pantry.....seriously, who am I?????

Coming Home

2011-08-10T06:35:00.007-05:00

My great uncle Ralph passed away, and I have been back home in Van Horne for his funeral the last couple days. I wasn't super close to my Uncle Ralph, he was pretty ornery and most of my memories consist of just trying to get away from him. Not because he was mean, but more like a game. I have about a thousand cousins, and at family gatherings we ran around like a gang with a purpose. When we would make our way by Ralph he would tease us, tell us a silly riddle, and we would all squeal and run on by. He always had a sucker to share, and despite his orneriness, that made him pretty popular.

Being "back home" has been super nostalgic for me lately. I don't know if it's because I'm getting old, sentimental, and mushy, or if it's because I have established a home elsewhere, and my heart feels a slight tug-of-war when defining the word "home". There are things about being back here (Van Horne/Benton Co.) that warm my heart, and recharge my life batteries. I am always ready to head back to Cedar Falls, but there is something in the Benton County soil that makes me yearn to come back, and just breathe in the air.

These are just a few of the things I have loved about this particular trip "back home"

1. Family-I come from a huge family. My immediate family consists of just 3 girls, but my mom is 1 of 10. Like I said before, I have cousins galore, and now they have kids, so when we are all together it's like mice in a lab, on speed, confined to a shoebox....I mean that in the nicest way possible. There are so many people, and most of them are outgoing, loud, and fun. This gathering consisted of not just aunt, uncles, cousins, but all of my mom's aunts, uncles, and cousins. At the funeral, family alone took up a huge section of the church, as there were well over 100 of us. It can be quite overstimulating/overwhelming, but the amount of love and camaraderie in the room is incredible. It doesn't matter whose kid it is, you help them fill their plate, and tell them to knock it off when they are naughty. Keeping track of every one's name is reward-worthy. Everyone knows my mom's pool has an open door policy, and it's just an extension of Grandma's house...come over, bring food to share, and enjoy the ride....if you are going to fight, take it outside. With this many people you may think fights or drama would follow, but the fights I'm referring to are just good ol fashioned wrestling matches, reliving the glory days for most, and seeing which brother is the toughest, now that hair is thinner and bellies rounder. Laughter is abundant, and like I said before so is the love. I was so ready for everyone to head home, and have some quiet time by mom's pool last night, but I wouldn't trade the ~~noise~~ time for anything.

2. The smell....Benton County can have some fragrant smells, like livestock, but right now it smells like the first day of school. Growing up I loved school. I loved the anticipation of the first day. I love the smell of a new notebook, and the way a freshly sharpened pencil writes. I longingly look at the Target ad, and have to refrain from going and buying a box of crayons and writing Katie P. on each one. I loved the first day of cross country camp, which is really just a way of starting practice a few days early. That day seriously has a smell, and it's all around me as I sit on my mom's front porch right now and write. I can feel the way my new socks and tennis shoes would slip on stiffly, and the pride I took in the outfit that had been laid out for over a week in anticipation of the first day. As I walked the streets of Van Horne last night, in all nine months of my pregnancy glory, I could feel the itch to just take off and run the routes I know so well. Each step was so familiar, I could run for miles with my eyes closed, but I wouldn't want to, because then I would miss the details of a town I love so dearly. Today I will probably go up to my old high school to visit mom (it's registration day), and it will smell like fresh paint and waxed floors. The gym will smell so clean and fresh, almost unfamiliar, as it takes on the smell of sweaty socks quite soon in the school year. I will be greeted by so many familiar faces, and it will feel like the second home that is used to be.

3. The legion men. Yesterday at Ralph's funeral, the legion men were there to honor Ralph for serving our country during WWII. Aside from the legion members, there were also two active duty soldiers there to present the flag to my great aunt Macy. I love that our country does this. The astute presence these men have is full of so much dignity and pride, how can it not make you proud to be an American and tear up as taps is played from afar. I only know a few of the legion men, but all of their faces are familiar. They were in every homecoming parade, marched at every Veteran's Day assembly, presented the flags at the homecoming game, and various other community events. These men serve this community all the time, and I love that I don't know all their names, but know all their faces. I love how they look in their uniform, and how those uniforms somehow make them timeless.

4. I love that I can take Avery for a walk, go to 2 parks, look at a van at the local dealership, see 10 people I know, and only be gone 30 minutes. I love the way Avery just runs free here. It feels so safe and familiar. It's funny that even though she won't grow up here, something about it recharges her too. She cheered "Go Bobcats" as the junior high cross country team did laps around the city park. The way she says, "pretty good", and "yep" in a drawl that sounds just like my Grandpa Eldon tells me that she has some Benton County blood in her too. On a side note, just so my husband doesn't think I have corrupted her to country, she did hold my hand as we walked in the street and told me we needed to be careful of cars. She was right of course, but I had to chuckle because as she said it most of my family was standing in the street huddled around the semi that took my great uncles ashes out to his grave site.....not your typical day/activity in CF:)

Whew...it's been awhile:)

2011-08-06T06:44:00.010-05:00

There is no reason for me not blogging lately. I have just really been enjoying the summer, and soaking up the days we have left as a family of 3 and preparing my heart to be a family of 4 and a mommy to 2 girls!

Regardless,I think it's time for an update...........This is a really long blog, so if you don't want to read it all, here is a summary:

1. We swim a lot

2. There was an awesome wedding in our family

3. We went to Colorado, and God taught me a lot

4. I have a new job

So if you want details on the above, read on, and if you don't want to read on, but ask me details, I may refer you back to here anyway:)

We have had a truly terrific summer so far. Pool time has been a favorite activity this summer, be it at The Falls, our kiddie pool, Grandma Jenny's pool, or Grandma Jo's pool, we have had some serious swim time. I have loved watching Avery go from being a little meek and scared of venturing too far on her own, to now readily putting her face in to blow bubbles, and being pretty self-sufficient with some sort of flotation device. We have swam so much this summer that if you ask Avery if she wants to go swimming, she will generally tell you, "no", but as soon as you are at one of the pools, she is all about it. Leave it to my child to have a "show" or "movie" trump just about any activity:)

Uncle Michael got married, and we gained an Aunt Kristen! Their message for their wedding was absolutely amazing. Jonathan and I, (along with the rest of our family), had the honor of standing up with Michael and Kristen as they made their vows to each other. I couldn't help but feel like we were renewing ours as well. Standing there with them was so powerful, and I am so thankful to have had that opportunity. It was a refreshing reminder of our commitment to each other, and am so grateful to have Jonathan as my partner in this life.

We couldn't be more excited about the latest addition to our family:) Kristen is absolutely fantastic. I am so excited to have gained a sister, and Avery adores her. I don't know if she comprehends that Kristen is her aunt yet, or what being married means. When we were all out in Colorado, she asked where Uncle was. I told her, "sleeping with his wife..." (I know brilliant answer right???...sigh.....) and she replied, "and with Kristen?".

Speaking of Colorado.....we went to Colorado! The last time we were out, I was pregnant with Avery, but had no idea yet. Everyone else was fairly certain I was pregnant, but I was in denial. This time there was no doubt I was pregnant, and I have to say, it was a bit more enjoyable:)

The ocean is a place where I feel so close to God, and am in total awe of His work. I totally felt this same way in the mountains. Being surrounded by some of the highest peaks, with trees so old had a way of reminding me how small and temporary I am. It was such a privilege to wake up to mountain air, and read my book while kiddos napped, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Refreshing to the soul!

Most of my time was spent with Avery and James (which was super awesome:),

but I did get to hear bits and pieces of the conference taking place that had the rest of the family super busy. The worship was incredible and so were the messages being delivered that week. I felt like one message in particular, God really intended for me to hear.

Jared Herd (you should look him up, he's great) was talking about how some of us stress about the future. Umm yes, hello, hit the nail on the head with this girl:) We wonder about choice A or choice B, and fret over which one is best.

I have this intense desire to just know the outcome, or duration of a circumstance. I pray for peace and direction, but a lot of times the anxiousness of my heart is too loud for me to hear any kind of feedback. Well, Jared helped me have a bit of a revelation. He said, have you ever stopped to wonder if God really cares whether you choose A or B, that either one is just fine with Him, as long as you know who you are following on the way there, and when you arrive? Have you ever considered that the reason you can't just trust God's plan, is because you aren't taking the time to get to know Him, and understand Him better?

When I think about the people I really trust in this world, it's the people who know me best, and who I know inside and out as well. I know God knows all there is to know about me, but have I put enough effort into understanding Him? Now I know I will never fully comprehend the greatness of our God, but I also can say that I have not invested enough into understanding His will, and that is seriously hindering my ability to hear and trust in Him.

Understanding that God is less concerned with which path I choose, but more concerned with how I choose to get there, and the way I follow Him as I journey, felt like an incredible weight lifted. Now I know it's not that easy, but still it really redirected the way I want to approach decision making, and handle life circumstances in the future.

This being said, I feel like this belief system was directly tested soon after arriving home from this trip. I have worked at U.S. Cellular for almost 5 years, and have, for the most part, enjoyed my time there. I wouldn't say that it is the most fulfilling job, but I definitely had opportunities to reach people. I loved the time it gave me at home, and the way it provided for our family. I love working with people and building relationships, and as strange as using wireless service as a tool to do so seems, I feel like I did really well with that.

In a strange and rapid turn of events, I began to question whether it was the best place for me to be. Should I stay or should I go, choice A or choice B. As soon as I started struggling with these decisions, I remembered the message from the previous week, and immediately prayed for peace. Regardless of the outcome, I just wanted to have peace. I have an incredibly busy mind, and like I said before anxious thoughts can get the best of me, and not once throughout the whole process did I feel overwhelmed by anxiety. I was surrounded by a sense of peace that is truly beyond my understanding, and looking back, I truly do not even recognize myself. Jonathan and I prayed and talked a lot, he was such an incredible support, and again I was reminded that is he such gift to me. Every hurdle that I thought existed between me and leaving my job has either been lifted, or been given reassurance from God that we can overcome it. I chose to leave U.S. Cellular, and the choice so far has felt perfect.

I'm not exactly sure what this looks like for our future. I don't know if that means I stay home full-time, or eventually find another job. I just know that right now God has given me some perfect quiet time, that I think both He and I know I really need and that is my new job for the time being. I am so excited to have some really great time to spend with Jonathan and Avery right before our family dynamic changes. I feel so much peace and contentment with this decision, and I can't sing enough praises of how good our God is.

The other night I had the opportunity to *finally* hold our friends newborn baby boy. I couldn't help but hear the lyrics in my head from the song, Because He Lives..........

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still, the calm assurance.

This child can face uncertain days, because He lives.

This song was sang at Jonathan's grandpa's funeral, and came to life all over again for me that afternoon. I was flooded with emotion to hold this sweet new life, who is such a gift, and know that soon I will be holding my own new baby girl. Each of these children will have struggles, but how amazing to know that no matter what life brings all of us, God will wash it all away and make us pure and whole again. Amen!

Let's Get This Party Started!!!!

2011-06-07T10:17:00.004-05:00

Tis the season for babies....seriously, so many families in our area our expecting little ones, and we are so blessed to be one of them! We are also so excited to be a part of a small group that is about to be abundantly full of little ones!!!!

The first little guy was born yesterday, praying for the next lil gal to appear soon, another handsome Hansen in July, and our little lady in September!! Happy Tobias joined us last December, and started this crazy baby train!

So now that this first precious babe has arrived, let's get this baby party started!!!!! Can't wait to have a pic of them rather than our bellies!

PS- Sorry about all of the exclamation points, I really am that excited:)!!!!!!!

An Exciting Surprise, with a Comical Ending

2011-05-31T22:08:00.003-05:00

After work today I decided it was time to get the family pool pass! I picked up Aves from Jess' and we headed to the Rec Center to purchase the pass. It was so hard to explain to Avery what we were getting, and help her understand we weren't actually going swimming. As we were leaving, I realized the beauty of the pool pass is that we can come and go to the pool as we please, no matter how short the stay. So Avery and I headed home to get changed and head to the pool! Avery was SOOO excited! She could hardly stand still enough for me to get her in her suit!

The temperature was great, but slightly windy outside. However, you couldn't convince Avery that she was cold...shivering or blue lipped, she was all about the pool! Jonathan met us there when he finished up with work. Avery loved watching him go down the slides and do flips off the diving board. She would clap and yell, "Yay, Daddy!!" For awhile, I was wondering who was having more fun, Daddy or Avery!

We finally convinced Avery it was time to go home. Because she was so cold I stripped her down to just her cover-up, and had her ride home with a bare bottom. She thought it as so funny to not have a diaper on in her car seat! When we got home, I told her to go pick out a new diaper. She loves picking out which color to put on.

We keep her cloth diapers in the same bin as her "big girl undies". Avery hasn't shown much, if any, interest in potty training, so the undies are waiting in the bin for when we feel like she is ready to dive into this adventure! However, instead of coming back with a diaper she came back with her big girl undies. I told her, "no", and instructed her to go back and get a diaper.

Avery kept insisting that she wanted to put them on, and if any of you know our little gal, you know she doesn't back down easy. I finally consented, but told her she had to try to go potty first. So I set her on her potty and gave her some books, hoping that by chance she might go, or maybe lose interest in wearing the undies all together.......

Avery loves books, and was pretty content hanging out in the bathroom. I was in the kitchen getting supper ready and heard her say, "I'm done!" I figured she has just gotten bored, but when I went to help her, I was shocked to find that she had actually peed in the potty!!!!

She was so proud of herself, and we made it pretty clear we were excited for her as well! It was so cute, every time we would congratulate her, or tell her how proud we were, she would exclaim, "THANKS!" You can hear her say it in the video:

After supper she got to indulge in one of her favorite treats...a popsicle! She wanted to eat it in her house outside, and I thought it sounded like a great idea (popsicles can get pretty messy)!

We were still gloating and basking Avery in praise as she ate her popsicle....Jonathan asked me if we should put a diaper on her, and I declined. I figured after her popsicle, we'd try to go potty again, then hop right into the bath..........

Our night of victory took a sharp turn. She peed twice on the deck, the first time without even noticing. So off came the big girl undies. Not five minutes later she was playing on the cement patio, and without missing a beat pooped and pointed it out to me. As I was wiping her bottom clean, I watched helplessly as Bumper gulped down the turd with no misgivings whatsoever. With my hands full of poopy wipes, and my shouts of discouragement falling on deaf floppy ears, I had not choice but to laugh as he licked his chops and Avery shouted "yuck-o" in the background. Sigh......don't let my dog lick your face, or lick your childs face, or lick anything for that matter. I am sure this wasn't the first time he's eaten poop, but actually witnessing him ingest such fresh dung puts a fresh perspective on things, and I will never believe that dogs have the cleanest of mouths......

Mi Madre

2011-05-05T07:39:00.003-05:00

I love my mom. a lot. After becoming a mom myself, I would (and still do) have daily realizations of how incredibly grateful I was for my own mother. She inspires me to be my best, work hard, and have fun. I love her vibrant laugh and huge smile. I love watching her with Avery, and seeing the love they share makes my heart swell to immeasurable boundaries.

Mom, thank you for being such a hard worker, not just in your job, but in life. Thank you for working so hard to make me who I am today, cheerleading me and the rest of our family through each journey we enter, and thank you for working so hard to be your best in all that you do. I love you Jomama.......Happy Mother's Day:)

Cloth Diapers

2011-04-23T10:04:00.003-05:00

That's right folks, you read right. The Rogers household is almost fully converted to cloth diapers!! Honestly, I wish I would have done it earlier. Put away your preconceived notions about pins, covers, and huge nasty messes. It's really not that bad!!!

We have been battling a nasty rash on Miss Avery's poor booty since February. It would fade and then flair back up. We just could never completely get rid of it. I took her to the Dr. in early March, she gave us a cream, and suggested possibly changing the type of diaper we were using. We used all the cream, and the rash persisted.....So here we are!

I absolutely love them. Her little bottom looks great, not to mention adorably cute:) I can't believe how the material truly keeps the moisture away from her skin. The mess really isn't that bad, you just use a different method than with disposable.

The biggest change for me has been to do my laundry consistently. I used to wait until the pile of laundry reached the ceiling, and having these to wash, has helped me become more consistent with the rest of our laundry. I also loved using Gain detergent, because I loved the way it made our clothes smell. This has been the biggest adjustment!! I have to use a fragrance free powder, so the diapers don't wear out as fast....sigh....so instead I throw in way more fabric softeners into the dryer:)

I don't know if I am just in the honeymoon phase with these diapers, but so far I have no regrets. I love that we aren't spending money on something that will just get pooped on and thrown away. I love that my little girls caboose feels better. And being the tree-hugger I am, I love that I am doing my part to not contribute to disposable diapers piling up in landfills taking years to disintegrate.

If I could keep it to 10, this would be in the top 10

2011-04-19T06:34:00.002-05:00

Last night before bed, I could feel the baby moving quite a bit. I wasn't sure if I would be able to feel it from the outside, or if this was just movement that only I would be able to feel. I kept my hand on my abdomen for awhile, and sure enough, I felt it again.

Jonathan was beside me and I directed his hand to the approximate location and we waited. Baby girl came through. She gave him 3 0r 4 good somersaults, assuring us she was in there, and not to be forgotten.

Nothing compares to the look on Jonathan's face as he experienced his first tangible encounter with our baby. I distinctly remember him feeling Avery move for the first time, and it's amazing how instantly love spreads across his face. I can't imagine being on this journey of becoming a parent again, and having so few moments to make it real. Guys just have to come along for the ride, and somehow, with only mental prep, be ready to welcome a life 9 months later.

There are so many moments in life that you wish you could somehow bottle and preserve forever, and last night was one of them. Life gets busy, minds get distracted, and it seems there are few times where both Jonathan and I can slow down and just be present with each other. Last night, we were able to share a pretty incredible moment, and if I could keep top 10 lists to just 10, this would for sure be on it. I can't imagine a better partner for this life, and I'm so grateful for times like these.

Bedtime Prayers

2011-04-15T08:34:00.003-05:00

Bedtime really is my favorite time with Avery. It's rough working retail, I miss out on some nights, but I love coming home to stories from Jonathan. Avery is pretty routine, especially at bedtime, and enjoys reading the same books (she can recite them to you), singing the same songs, and praying for basically the same thing. Sometimes she throws in a curveball topic, and it sticks for a few days. Here is the latest bed time prayer she and daddy have been enjoying:

Daddy- Avery who should we pray for next??? Mommy??

Avery- Ummmm, no, .......long pause, deep thought......ummmmm, Avery's butt cream!!!!!

We have had a long bout of diaper rash, and apparently the girl just wants to thank Jesus for a little relief:)

*****

When I put her to bed, we have converted a simple meal time prayer/song into a bedtime prayer/song:

Thank you Jesus, Thank you Jesus

For today, For today

Thank you for my mommy

Thank you for my daddy

A-a-men A-a-men

Then we replace mommy and daddy for all the things we are thankful for from that day. Usually Avery waits for me to finish the verse and decides what she would like to insert next. Last night as I was right in the middle of mommy/daddy, she interrupts:

-Want to thank Jesus for my bat and ball......

Jenny and I had been to a garage sale earlier in the evening and I found a Dora bat and ball. She LOVED it!! We hit a few together with Dad pitching to us, but then she wanted to do it herself...Let just say we have some work to do, but you gotta start somewhere right??!!

Regardless of her lack of skill, she was still elated about the small gift. I love that she wanted to thanks Jesus for something so simple. I love that this small moment in time with her not only is the beginning of her faith, but how it continues to shape mine. Last night as we sang, thanking Jesus for her bat and ball, I was reminded about childlike faith. I am so grateful to God for giving us Avery, she teaches us so much about our Creator.

Mark 10:13-20 (New International Version, ©2011)

The Little Children and Jesus

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

The sins I have committed against my second child.....

2011-04-13T09:02:00.004-05:00

I always knew the second time around would be different, but I didn't know it would be THIS different. I prayed and prayed for this second child. She (yes, if you haven't heard, she is a SHE) arrived on the scene with perfect timing, and has taught me much about life already. That being said, I forget about her often.......

Now that I feel 100% better, and the weather is so so nice, my life is filled with being outside, getting our house back to normal, and really enjoying the wonderful two-year old that keeps our house so alive. Life is so good right now, and not just good and enjoyable, but really pretty smooth sailing. Like I said, I often forget that soon there will be 4 rather than 3. When the thought of having a newborn amongst us does creep into mind, it makes me want to soak up this time even more...Life will look so different!!!

Not only do I forget about this precious little girl, but I am not nearly as cautious, or "rule-following" as I was when pregnant with Aves. I eat lunch meat all the time, hot dogs included. **I never eat hot dogs, it's not that I don't like them, I just don't usually prefer them. However, this pregnancy, I could eat them everyday, especially cut up in mac 'n' cheese. Lately, I have really want to roast one over a fire!!! What the heck??**

I've taken sips of Jonathan's beer, I never would have done that with Avery, and I don't really even like beer. In fact my desire to have an alcoholic beverage has been so strong, I called Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits to see if they carried "Skinny Girl Margaritas". When they got them in they called me, and I had to remind myself that I was pregnant, and no, I could not go buy a bottle of margarita mix! (Although if any of you would like to purchase a bottle, I would love to try a sip!)

I jumped and did toe-touches on my in-laws trampoline, and only had second thoughts when Jonathan bounced Ave and I a little too high, and it made me pee a little.

I have gone tanning!! Yes, it's hard to admit, but I have, and it feels good! My mid-wife assured me that it was perfectly safe, as long as I didn't get overheated. I only go for 8 minutes twice a week, but those 8 minutes are just the best. It feels so wonderful! After being sick and pale all winter, it feels good to be warm, and get a little color. So while I may look like I'm glowing from pregnancy, the ol' tanning bed is assisting with that:)

The ultimate happened last night. The weather was awesome, so we went for a family bike ride. I am usually the helmet enforcer, but I couldn't find mine in the garage, so I decided to bike sans helmet. I NEVER do this! We just put Avery's on her, and took off. The bike paths were pretty busy, so I kept having to slow down and get behind Jonathan and Avery so people could pass us. I am quite the gawker and often have to remind myself to stop staring at people. Well this time it got the best of me. I was busy staring at the person passing us, clipped the back tire of Jonathan's bike, and wiped out!! I have a nice bruise on my hip, scraped up my elbow, and whacked my head pretty good on the pavement. I got up right away, as I didn't feel too hurt, but was pretty concerned my face was going to look bad, because of the way I had fallen. I was dizzy, but was just mostly concerned about having to go to work the next day looking like Jonathan had gone Ike Turner on me. Jonathan held back his laughter until he knew I was ok, and asked if I thought the baby was ok........oh yah.....the baby!!! I was so concerned about my face, I hadn't even thought about being pregnant and biffing it on the concrete...whoops!! Poor baby girl!!!

I am truly truly grateful to be carrying this precious cargo gifted to us from God. I feel guilty about the lack of concern and thought she gets, but I think it comes with the territory of being the second child. I am so curious about how this will affect her personality and temperament. Will she be more laid back like her dad, or will we have three strong willed ladies under one roof???!!! However God decides to create her, I just pray she gets here safe and healthy:) Keep growing safe and sound little sister, and know we love you....even if that love looks a little different this time around:)

Avery's Second Year

2011-04-04T08:32:00.003-05:00

It's taken me awhile to write this post, mostly because I can't believe it's here. How can two years go by so fast??? Avery's 2nd birthday has come and gone, and our now 2 year old is in full force. Some common things we hear throughout the day:

-"Good morning, Mommy!" This is how I am greeted most mornings, no, it doesn't get much better. Usually this is followed by..
-"I watch a show" Her second year of life has only added to her love for television. Although Dora and Diego are still number 1, close seconds are: Umi Zoomi, Fresh Beat Band, Care Bears, Backyardigans, anything Princess, this list could go on and on. The girl likes her tv
-"One more" as she holds one finger up to her face, and looks at you with pleading eyes, when told no,she quickly barters with
-"Two?" Most times this can be heard at her Grandma and Grandpa Roger's as she is negotiating a tootsie roll. Doesn't take much to convince Grandma, but when Mom and Dad are around, it takes a little more persistence.
-"Oh thank you so much" preceded by a big gasp. This girl is grateful, and it doesn't take much..a sticker, candy, a new outfit, a drink of your water, she is good with her thank you's. If you happen to be giving her a gift that she really likes, you may even get an, "I love it!", or "so cute!"
-"STOP IT", this phrase is usually used in context and usually after a meal when she is getting her face wiped off. Occasionally, she gets into a weird mood, and will say it to us out of the blue, and we have no idea what she wants us to stop.
-"NO! Oh,...ok...I sorry" I feel like she has so much emotion, and strong feelings about things, and is really unsure of how to express it, so a lot of times Avery will give us a big "No", realize her tone wasn't nice and follow it up with an "I sorry". She also says, "I sorry" a lot when she doesn't want you to do something ie: kiss her, or engage in conversation when she is tired.
-"No thank you" This one is new, and is so sweet. Every now and then, she will say this in the sweetest little voice and it melts me.
-"You ok? You alright?" If anyone coughs, sneezes, or makes any sort of noise that could resemble one of those actions, she gets very concerned.
-"Hi Dair!" (Hi there!) I heard her say this to some older girls as they walked by the house the other day. Big kids are like rockstars to Avery.
-"I go to Abbie's game!?" We went to several of my sister's basketball games this winter, and I would say at least every other day she says this. I have tried to explain that Abbie will never have another game, and soon we will go to track meets, but I think she is in as much denial about Abbie being a senior as I am:) Watching Abbie has really grown her awareness of basketball, and Avery doesn't really mind her dad watching so much of it lately, and will occasionally ask to watch it.... or maybe it was because it was on 24/7 when she born, who knows???

This is the shortlist of what is coming out her mouth these days, there really isn't much she doesn't say! (She gets that from her dad;) I am amazed at her vocabulary and her ability to remember people's names. She has so many grandma's and grandpa's and can recognize and name them all. For her birthday most of them were there, and it was like being in her two year old heaven, she greeted them all with the biggest smile on her face!

I love 2 year old Avery. Throughout the last year, I kept thinking each month, that this was my favorite age with her, and it just keeps getting better. Just when I think I am really going to miss a stage or a phase, the next one is more fun! She is so into babies, and as much as we avoided it, princesses! She loves to wear dresses, and bows. She is truly a girls girl. That being said, she loves her boys at Jess' house. The other day I got a text from Jess telling me, she was chasing the boys through the house, yelling, "BOO-YAH" at the top of her lungs.

Bedtime is one of my favorite times with her. As soon as you hand her a binky, and her blanket she is ready for a snuggle. Yes, we still give her a pacifier when she sleeps, and I don't see it going away anytime soon:) She loves to sing a little prayer each night, where we say who and what we are thankful for each day. One of my favorites recently was when she wanted to pray for Dave Hansen, and at the end of the prayer she said, "Amen Dave!" Last night after I had said we were done with the prayer and it was time to lay down, she said, "wait, pray for Kris!" I guess she really wants to pray for her friend's parents!

The last two years with Avery have been the best. She is such a fun, smart, and loving little girl. I can't imagine life getting any better than what it is right now, but every time I start to think that, God proves me wrong:) Happy Birthday to my big girl, can't wait to see what your third year brings!

Below is a slideshow with pictures of Avery's second year. It is quite long and has far too many pictures, but this emotional mama couldn't narrow it down anymore.......but if you have 8 minutes of your life to spare, enjoy watching our little girl go from 1 to 2!

The First Trimester

2011-03-16T13:49:00.002-05:00

I know I need to blog about Avery turning, and now being 2, but I am still in denial, so I will save that post for another day.....For today the topic of this blogussion is the roller coaster ride of Baby Rogers #2's first trimester. I have kept a journal, and I can't help but laugh as I look back on the last almost 14 weeks. Everything from pure joy to being downright miserable. I hate to complain at all about being pregnant, as I yearned for it for so long, but this has been a rough road so far!

Starting at about week 7, I have rarely seen a meal go down that I did not revisit later on in the day. My husband and I sleep in separate bedrooms because I tend to wake up at 2 or 3 am and not go back to sleep until 5. Not only has Jonathan been banished to the basement bedroom, but he is officially Mr. Mom.... He does everything around our house, and by everything, I mean everything. Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, cleaning, and being the best caretaker Aves and I could ever ask for, just to name a few. Seriously somebody get this guy a gold medal!!! Girl Scout Cookies have never lasted this long in our home, Easter candy has never looked so distasteful, and the Avery's birthday cake that I normally would have inhaled some morning for breakfast, is still around. I always wondered if I would ever fit back into my pre-Avery jeans, but this is not the way I wanted it to happen, and now makes them much less appealing to wear!

This all being said, I'm am still elated thinking about this new life growing inside of me. I couldn't be more thankful to our loving God for giving our family such a gift and at truly the perfect time. Yes even the view from the inside of our toilet isn't quite so bad when I'm sitting on cloud nine looking into it.

Thank you all for the congratulations, support, and prayers. We are so blessed to be loved by so many, and we are truly overjoyed at the news of our latest addition.

Dear Baby Rogers,
Even though at times I feel like you hate my guts (literally), I still love you to pieces. You have definitely changed our lives already, and we are all very anxious for your arrival!!! (Not to mention your second trimester:) I dream of you often, and usually you are a girl, so I apologize if you aren't. Enjoy your time in the oven, and lets work together to get you the nutrients you need, I want nothing more for you than to be a big chubby healthy baby in September!

Love you lots,
Mommy

Big News!

2011-03-07T11:15:00.004-06:00

Bobcat Pride

2011-02-23T08:08:00.003-06:00

I have written before about how I loved where I grew up, and how school spirit (Bobcat Pride) runs through my veins. Last night was a proud moment in Bobcat Land. For the first time in school history the Lady Bobcats are headed to the state basketball tournament!!

My baby sister Abbie, is on the team, and she gets to have the experience of playing with our cousin Becca, and Becca's older sister Kim, also my cousin, is their assistant coach. (Did you follow all that???)) How cool!!!

I can't explain how fun it was to watch them pave their way to the state tournament. It's not just about the team. If you would sit back in their crowd of fans, you'd be amazed. Parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, friends, faculty, alumni, etc, all come out in their blue and gold to cheer these girls on. I saw a lady last night wearing blue gloves with blue and gold pom poms on all the fingers. She would proudly wave them in the air after each great play, and hold them to her cheeks at every bad call. I heard my aunt start the chant, "defense" almost every time we were on defense! Let me clarify on this instance, she started the chant every time, and there were cheerleaders there, and she graduated in '84 or '85. I saw my mom stand up and throw her hands in the air, much as she did in high school, I know because there is a picture in her yearbook that captured it. There is just something that is left imprinted on you when you grow up in a place like Benton Community. Your pride for this place never goes away.

I think it says a lot for the people who make Benton more than a school, but literally a community of great people. Each person who sat in those stands last night probably could tell you a story, if not several of how a coach, teacher, bus driver, secretary, etc helped shape them into who they are today. All of the girls who sat on the Benton bench last night, whether or not they ever set foot on the court will be effected so positively by what they experienced last night. They will grow up to make this world a better place, and it will continue to be a reflection of their roots. You see, last night they got to experience community at it's best, and that kind of support will continue to live on for generations to come.

So thank you thank you to the people (teachers, coaches, principals, nurses, family, and more!) who gave me such a solid foundation, and make me proud to this day to be a Bobcat. And thank you thank you to those same type of people who have given that same experience to my sisters.

Good luck at the state tournament Lady Cats!!! Can't wait to cheer you on!!!

Is there anything more perfect??

2011-02-18T13:47:00.006-06:00

Is there anything more perfect than holding your sleeping child. When Avery was an infant, I would sit in awe over her every time she would lay asleep in my arms. It took all I had not to hold her all day. How quickly you forget what that feels like to hold your sleeping baby.

I now have a very busy almost two-year-old, and those type of moments are few and far between. Don't get me wrong, I am still in awe of her. When she identifies objects we have never discussed, points out the moon, and calls it, "la luna", as I watch her create an imaginary story line with her Dora dollhouse. I have many moments of being in awe of her, but rarely do they involve her being still.

Today Avery and I shared the perfect morning. We were outside for most of it, collecting rocks, eating the quickly melting snow, watching the mailman, kicking a soccer ball, playing with her Dora vehicles and having them transport rocks from here to there, riding in her car, running up and down the sidewalk, watching the neighbor kids rollerblade. So much fun to be had when the temp is over 30! Our friends Lanna and Nickie came to play for a bit, and we shared lunch together. Then Jonathan came home for lunch and we got to hang with him for awhile too.

All of this excitement left me with one tired little girl. I took her into her room, rounded up the binky and the blankie, and snuggled up in our favorite rocking chair. We read books, sang Jesus Loves Me, but we always end with a song about closing our eyes:

Close your eyes, close your eyes,

close your eyes sweet Avery.

Close your eyes, close your eyes,

close your eyes and go to sleep.

Close your eyes, close your eyes.

Close your eyes sweet Avery.

Close your eyes, close your eyes,

close your eyes and go to sleep.

Over and over again we sing this, her sweet little voice joining me when I say, "eyes" and, "sleep". Today I sing past her body relaxing, and watch as her eyes soften and close. I softly trace her eyebrows, and the bridge of her nose, following the same pattern as when she was brand new in my arms. Not much and everything has changed since I first started rubbing her face. The peach fuzz is no longer there, and her dark hair is now blonde and reaches past her shoulders. She no longer smells like baby lotion, but of mud, sweat, and outside. However, her breathing is still so rhythmic, pausing every now and then to rigorously attend to her pacifier. Her hand still falls in the same place that the strap of my nursing tanks used to be. I'm still so tempted to hold her all afternoon, but I know I can't. I just feel so much contentment in still having those moments, where time stops for just a few minutes, and my twenty-three month old is my baby once again.

**Sorry about the lack of blogging lately, here is a photo update of our favorite little Pujols:)

A very good day indeed

2011-01-11T07:40:00.004-06:00

January 10, 2011, will definitely go down as one as the neatest days of my journey here on this earth. I had the privilege of watching my father-in-law, Walt Rogers, get sworn into office, and for lack of a better word, it was cool. It was one of those days where you get the goose bumps over and over again. I know I cry at lots of things, but watching Walt raise his right hand and swear to do his very best to serve the state of Iowa, "so help me God", was seriously moving.

Just being in the capitol building was pretty powerful. The amazing architecture, art, and history, was so amazing. I am excited to spend more time there, and so in awe of Walt getting to go to work there every day!

Avery just exploring....

Avery, Grandpa, and Chuck, talking about life....

Avery and Representative Rogers a.ka. Grandpa

A really great day in Rogers Family History!

The cutest picture to come out of this Christmas season.....

2010-12-29T09:21:00.002-06:00

The Christmas Card that wasn't meant to be......

2010-12-29T09:17:00.003-06:00

I wanted our Christmas card to be a picture of Avery in her Christmas dress, sitting nicely by the tree, with her faithful companion Bumper at her side......

Neither were willing participants, and instead we used a picture taken last July:) You win some, you lose some....

Avery Rogers

2010-12-28T22:21:00.001-06:00

Irony

2010-12-23T07:55:00.003-06:00

We still haven't decided how we are going to handle the whole Santa scenario, so when I saw this scene Avery had created, I had to snap a picture..........maybe she'll decide for us:)

Shutterfly

2010-12-10T21:54:00.002-06:00

Hey Friends,
Shutterfly is offering bloggers a chance at 50 free cards, and all I have to do is tell you all about why I like them! One of the number one reasons I love using Shutterfly is their great promotions. I am currently designing a photobook for Avery.....FOR FREE! I'm not the most creative person in the world, and scrap booking isn't something I have ever been able to commit to, so Shutterfly is the answer for me. They offer so many products and designs to turn my pictures into lasting mementos. Another great thing about Shutterfly is their product availability. Once I have a finished product, I can pick it up at a local store either that same day, or soon there after. The ease of use is another great aspect of Shutterfly; I have created initiations, Christmas cards, photobooks, and calendars through Shutterfly. All of these projects have taken little to no effort.

Here are some products I liked this season:
• xmas cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards
• photo calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

• Shutterfly cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

So if you are looking for a great place your Christmas card needs, or if you just want to check out a fun way to make a personalized gift, head over to Shutterfly!

Avery! Avery! Avery!

2010-12-09T12:30:00.005-06:00

I've written before about the immediate expectations I had for myself when I found out I was having a girl. Most of them had to do with things I swore I would never do with/to my little girl. I am finding that most things I swore I would never do, I'm now reconsidering. My hairdresser put it perfecty, "I was a much better parent, before I had children."

One of the things I swore I'd never do was to indulge in the "princess" mindset. I want her to know she is a beautiful individual, and to encourage her to be who God made her to be. I do not, however, want her to think the world revolves around her. We avoid t-shirts that say: "I'm the Princess", "if the crown fits...", etc.

Apparently you can avoid the word "princess" all you want...........sometimes it really is all about Avery.

Some of my favorite things:)

2010-11-22T13:58:00.002-06:00

In no particular order......

*Sweet cousins

*Running......a 5k......with my SIL (3 great things wrapped into 1)

*MY BIRTHDAY!!! (and cake)

*Prusha Girls

No Diggity, I got to bag it up

2010-11-16T11:01:00.004-06:00

Warning: This is a guilty pleasure post, and it could change the way you look at me......

So we are moving, which means right now our lives are consumed with packing. We have come across so much junk that we haven't used in years, and also found things we just can't live without and are so glad we found....enter guilty pleasure.

In a hutch I found lots of CD's, most of them Jonathan's, some mine. We both love music, but it has been awhile since we popped in a CD, into the ol' stereo. I do listen to them in my car, but I think I have had the same six in the changer since we bought the vehicle over a year ago. I digress....I came upon a lot of CD's and proposed we get rid of them all. We don't listen to them, and if we ever wanted to relive our musical past, we could just download it. Jonathan whole heartedly disagreed, and was appalled at the suggestion, and decided to go through them one by one.....and thank goodness he did!!!!!

He happened upon MTV Party to Go 1998!!! It was his CD, not mine, but boy am I SOOOO glad to have it. He jokingly said we should listen to it, I kiddingly agreed, and we went about our night as if neither one of us cared. I couldn't wait to head to Wal-Mart this morning to pop that baby into the player, goodbye Garth Brooks, hello MTV Party to Go!!

I'm almost ashamed to say (obviously I'm not that ashamed, I'm sharing this with all of the world wide web) that I blasted my factory installed bass, and rocked the Subaru, like it's never been rocked before. I exposed my child to Return of the Mack, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, and more.

It's no secret that I love to dance. I ripped my wedding dress right up the caboose at my wedding reception, trying to do the worm. I'm not good (obviously), but it invigorates my soul, to shake my booty. I must say my soul is completely invigorated after the short ride to Wally World and back. If anyone is graced with the opportunity to take a ride in my whip in the near future, you can bet your bottom dollar, this CD will be on for your listening pleasure. Play on playa's.....

update

2010-10-26T07:04:00.004-05:00

This blog is like most plants that come under my care, at times very well attended, and most often neglected:) Lucky for me, you can't kill a blog.

I find that when life gets hard, blog entries are constantly flowing through my mind and it would probably be therapeutic to write. However, I get scared of the vulnerability writing brings about, and to be perfectly honest, there are times in life that are too intimate to share with the world.

There has been a lot going on in our lives right now, and it seems my mind is even busier than my physical self. Here is what my mind has been filled with as of late:

1. A joyous, life-filled, 19 month old. She is busy, and I love trying to keep up with her. Her vocabulary is astounding (she can say hippopotamus, not perfectly, but she says it). She renews my spirit daily, and is truly an incredible gift. It doesn't matter what the day brought about, when I hear her excited sweet voice say, "Mommy", I feel the verse 2 Corinthians 5:17 come alive within me.
2. Buying and selling a home. We have been in the process of trying to sell our own home, and man is it work! It is emotional to ready your home for people to come and dissect. It is a push/pull trial of wanting someone to love it/buy it, and mourning the day that will come when we say goodbye to the place we created the foundation for the rest of lives, brought our baby home to, and invested blood, sweat, and tears. Fingers crossed that this journey is soon coming to a close!
3. I've been contemplating going back to school. My job recently changed the way I get paid. It's crazy how job satisfaction can be so closely tied to a monetary value (wait, maybe that isn't so crazy). We have also been short staffed for quite some time, and it's starting to really take a toll on me. I really had no clue what I was doing in college, and now I feel like i could finish well in that category. I'm not convinced this will actually happen, but it has definitely consumed a lot of my thoughts lately.
4. I ache to be pregnant. It's hard for me to write this or share it. I hate admitting that I let this consume my thoughts. I feel guilt that I am not completely satisfied with all that I have. I have felt God telling me over and over again that I need to trust His timing, and I feel guilt that I still want it now anyway. I truly do trust that God will fill my home, and I am so joyful in the life I lead, but I must admit that at times I ache.
5. We lost a great man. Jonathan's grandpa passed away last Thursday. Death has a way of re-aligning your life. Again I find myself wanting to just pause life for a day/hour/minute/second, but over and over again I am reminded that life continues. It's a circle, and thank goodness for that. People die, babies are born, lives change, and God is good. A great friend of mine recently has embraced a reality of the world we live in, and has helped me wrap my head around this phrase as well: Our life here is so temporary. I love love love the life God has given me, but my true gift from HIM is ETERNITY. I want to get busy living this temporary life WELL, and it excites me to the core knowing that the life that follows is even better! Loosing Ralph has helped solidify this position. Ralph painted a beautiful picture of living life well, and left an incredible legacy to show for it. I look forward to the day when we will see him again, and it brings peace to know he is up in heaven, along with other loved ones, who will welcome me and my family home someday. I seriously cannot wait for my family to be completely whole in heaven.

My sister-in-law, Alli, recently sang this song to me. I had never heard it, and it struck me that is is the perfect little hymn for me to remind myself to live well right now, and to trust what is to come. She sang it in the hospital room, as we said goodbye to her Grandpa, and I believe she will sing it again today as we honor Ralph's life. How perfectly fitting.

In His time, in His time,
He makes all thing beautiful in His time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.

In Your time, in Your time,
You make all thing beautiful in Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.

Where are you?

2010-09-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

5 Years/18 Months

2010-09-22T17:33:00.007-05:00

Bumper and Avery shared a birthday this month. On the 11th Bumper turned 5, and Avery is now 1.5!! I can't believe Avery is closer to 2 than she is 1, and I can't believe Bumper has made it to the age of 5 and has yet to be hit by a car:) Quite the milestone for both of them:)

Avery is talking up a storm. She talks 100% of the time, and we understand about 10% of what comes out of her mouth. I am amazed at how new words pop out of her everyday. Last night she very clearly said, "thank you". We were so impressed, and then the rest of the night we heard, very clearly, "MINE, DAT MINE". I have said all along, I can't wait until she has words to tell me what she wants........ :)

Junk

2010-09-20T14:14:00.003-05:00

I am currently cleaning out a junk drawer and cabinet at our house. So far this is the list of random/funny things I have found....

4 broken digital cameras/chargers-I use to break and loose them a lot

disposable camera

sunscreen

1 football/baseball, grip type glove

lots of random cords

guitar picks/pics (sp?????)

candles

candle stick holders-can't remember ever owning these

2007-2008 Benton Community School Calendar

A Valentine's Day card from Jonathan right before I had Ave, so sweet..

15 keys-most that I have no idea what they are to

bubble machine

Manual to something called a Dual-Massager, I called Jonathan and he doesn't know what this is to, and I don't either...weird

a Christmas ornament

3 gift certificates

electronic catch phrase

breast pump accesories

a pair of gardening gloves-yah for all that gardening I do:)

lots of recipes

2 frisbees

4 dog collars

This list could continue because A) I'm not done yet B) I didn't list everything

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2010-09-04T07:45:00.004-05:00

So this is a very random blog post, but this topic keeps getting brought up in various forms throughout my life lately.

Do you remember being little and asking questions about things, and your parents telling you, you'd understand when you were older, they'd explain something to you when you were older, or you could partake in something once you were older?

I remember laying in bed closing my eyes, hoping to wake up age sixteen, and finally able to drive. I also remember being pretty young, but so curious about the man I would marry, and what our children would look like. I remember one of my older cousins telling me, once I was a sophomore, surely my chest would be bigger by then, that's what happened to her, and if I could just wait till then.......well let's just say I'm well beyond my sophomore year, and I'm still waiting until I'm older for that bigger chest:)

I feel like I blinked and I am a grown up. All of those things I had to wait until I was older for, I'm finally old enough (minus the chest, fingers crossed). I am a wife, mother, employee, provider, productive member of society. So why do I feel so ill-equipped? Sometimes, I feel like a clown at the rodeo, with no training, and the bull breathing down my neck! Don't get me wrong I love my life, and that's what freaks me out....why me? How did I get so lucky?.... so blessed to have stumbled into this incredible life? At times, I want to ask God, "Are you sure you didn't mean to give this all to someone else, I mean, really, you trust me with all of this?"

That all being said, sometimes this topic takes a completely different direction. Sometimes I wonder what I'm going to be when I grow up, or have I already missed my calling. College was really hard for me. Not academically, I could get good grades if I wanted to, but it was a strange time for me. I was supposed to be working toward a degree that would enable me to get a good job, but had no idea what I wanted to be. I was told it didn't matter, just get a degree. I tend to be a bit black and white sometimes, so that didn't feel right to me. However, I did it anyway, and it was all I could do to keep my head above water.

Now I work for US Cellular as a sales rep. Not many people dream of being a cell phone sales person, but it's where I am in life right now. I actually do usually enjoy my job. I work with fun people and I enjoy finding solutions for customers. My job allows me to spend a lot of time with Avery, and at the same time provides really well for my family.

But every once in awhile my mind wanders....Will I work for US Cellular for the rest of my life? What will I be when I grow up? Sometimes I think I missed my calling as a racecar driver, I really do think I could have been Danica Patrick. I wouldn't make as much money as her, because I would pass up the GoDaddy commercials, but I think with the proper training I could have beat her in a race.......

Or maybe I should have been a lawyer. I'm sure some of you reading this have had conversations with me where it might have felt like I was arguing with you just for the sake of argument, just to stand up for the cause. I think I could have been a good lawyer.....

Investigative journalism....I just happen to be watching a movie right now that involves lots of that investigative journalism and it's intriguing, I think I would have liked digging up some dirt and unveiling a great story.

While all of these occupations sound great, none of them fit me, right here, right now. Truth be told, my favorite job so far has been being a mom. I never knew it was exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, but it has been an amazing realization. I can't believe I have been entrusted with this perfect little human being, but I will take it. Maybe when she grows up, I can focus on being a racecar driver, but for now I want to excel at being Jonathan's wife and Avery's mom:) So what do you want to be when you grow up?

Moving??

2010-09-01T08:56:00.003-05:00

Looking for a great house in CF, or maybe know someone who is??

If yes, then check out the site below!

https://sites.google.com/site/509divisio
nst/

Thanks for passing the word on to friends and family who might be interested!

Just can't get enough

2010-08-30T07:30:00.002-05:00

A new toy!

2010-08-29T21:34:00.005-05:00

A girl from work has a little girl a couple years older than Avery, and she graciously handed this fun toy down to Avery. Cousin James, we can't wait to share this toy with you!!!!!!!

PS-If you have trouble getting this video to load on the blog you can scroll over the upper left hand corner on the blog and click on "untitled" to view it on youtube

Why? Because I can:)

2010-08-15T09:47:00.002-05:00

When I found out I was pregnant with a girl, I declared she would not wear tons of pink. I knew lots of little girls and it felt like the color pink consumed their wardrobe. Well, that idea went out the window fairly quickly. Little girl clothes come in pink, all shades, and they are too adorable to keep out of Avery's closet. I also vowed I wouldn't put her in ridiculous outifits (containing leopard print) with fountain-esque pony tails right on top of her head......

Today her look has everything I swore I'd never do, complete with a hot pink bow right on top of her head. I didn't buy this outfit, but it was gifted to her, so why not?

Avery, I'm sorry, it was just too cute to resist.

PS- To add to this guilty pleasure, it must be noted that I snapped this photo while she was entranced by Dora....tv lover at 17 months....another thing I said I would never do.......sigh

Where's the beef?

2010-08-14T07:45:00.008-05:00

Remember this commericial????

Well that sweet little old lady doesn't have to look any further, because the beef is in my freezer!!!!!

My good friend Becky inspired my to tackle this project and I'm so glad I did. Fareway had their 93% lean ground beef on sale for $1.99/lb. They limit you to two HUGE ten pound tubes of beef. So I went and bought my limit, and then made my husband go and buy his limit. If you are good at math, you now know that I had just acquired 40lbs. of beef and spent approx. $80 on it! Woof!

Pictured below is one of the lovely tubes 'o' meat:) I could write a completely different post on how I attempted to transport two of the massive tubes of beef home in a backpack, while riding my bike......but I'll let your imagination run with the visual:)

I browned all ten pounds at one time, and the whole process was pretty efficient. I would put about 2.5 lbs. in the microwave, and then divided the rest into two frying pans. Becky let me use this fabulous little gadget from pampered chef to make the process even easier. It saved my pans from being beat to death with a spatula, and made the beef finely ground, and evenly cooked. You can't see it very, well, but it's a star shaped tool resting in the blue bowl

I then let it all cool and bagged it up to be used later for a quick and easy meal preparation! I did ten pounds of just taco meat. I work a lot of evenings, and meal prep just isn't Jonathan's favorite thing. I think this will be a really great way to have most of it ready to go for him.

Reflecting back on this post, it makes me chuckle at the stage of life I am in. Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned myself doing something like this. To top it all off, I was so proud of my accomplishment with this task, I actually stood in front of my freezer admiring my work for a good 3 minutes, not to mention all the photos I took:)

Just to name a few.......

2010-08-13T21:08:00.008-05:00

Avery's language is exploding! To most it probably all sounds the same, but to those of us who are invited into her world, it all makes sense...usually:) She jibber jabbers quite a bit, but whenever the camera comes out, she gets a little shy. The following clip shows a few of her words... not shown are "where go" coupled with a head tilt and cute chubby hands brought up around her cheeks, "uh ho" better known as uh-oh which sometime sounds like the phrase coined by the baby from "Meet the Fockers" (if you don't follow that, I'm sorry, but it's not family blog appropriate), and "MMMMMmmmmm" usually said when eating/drinking things she isn't supposed to. Lately we have witnessed "Mmmm" when she finds an old sippy with yucky milk, and when sneaking gulps of Grandma's chemically treated pool water; it's like she's trying to tell us, "No really guys, it's cool, this stuff tastes great!".

PS- I also have video of her freaking out wanting to watch the above video over and over. She shouts, "UNCLE" repeatedly until we play it, then breaks out the evil laugh when it starts...I think she is enjoying having Uncle Michael at Grandma's house again:)

Vacation?? YES PLEASE!!

2010-07-23T08:07:00.004-05:00

Cameo blog from the husband:) Jonathan is really excited about our latest endeavor, as you will read below......Who doesn't love a vacation, honeymoon, babymoon, or a just for the heck of it get-a-way!!!

Katie and I have started our own in-home travel business, through a company called World Ventures. We’d love it if the next time you’re traveling you would consider checking out our website. travelrogers.com Sign up to be a preferred member (free) and you will get better rates than if you just search without signing in. Thanks for considering our site and let us know if you have any questions!

We also offer a great product called dreamtrips that we’re excited to share. Here’s why I’m excited about dreamtrips… I just got a text message telling me to check out one of the “SIZZLE” deals for the week. I enjoy checking these out so I looked into it. Today’s deal was for an all-inclusive stay at Adventura Spa Palace in Playa Del Carmen which is about 45 minutes south of Cancun. Katie and I have stayed at resorts in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen so I wanted to compare resorts and prices. The deal was for 5 nights, 6 days from Sept. 14 – 19 for $299.99/per person. So for two adults the total was $600. I wanted to check how this compared to booking it directly from the hotel as well as booking from online sites. Here’s what I found for the same package on the same dates.

Directly from the hotel: $1460
Expedia: $1438 (Orbitz, hotels.com, etc. were all about the same)
Bookit.com: $1537

That’s a savings of at least $838!

Here are the details of a dreamtrips membership.

$199.99 one time fee
$29.99 monthly fee
Access to over 400 trips a year all over the world at wholesale prices

The total first year cost of purchasing a membership and paying the monthly fees ends up being about $560. If you were to book the trip I described above, you would make your money back in one trip and still come out ahead!

If you’re considering taking a vacation like this, we would encourage you to check out dreamtrips. Let us know and we’ll get you more information on how to sign up!

travelrogers.worldventuresdreamtrips.com/

--
Jonathan Rogers
319.504.6445
travelrogers.com

The view from our babymoon hotspot, seriously amazing!!! Sign me up!!! ~Katie

The Great Debate

2010-07-13T22:38:00.003-05:00

Don't worry, we aren't arguing about Santa again.....yet. We have a video monitor, it's the best and worst gadget we own. Tonight I'm am staring at Avery sleeping, watching her go from one sprawled out position to another. All I want to do is go pick her up and hold her. She looks so long and grown up. It seems like yesterday she was just a spec on the 5 inch monitor, now her head is in the upper left, and her toes are almost all the way to the bottom right corner. I don't want to interrupt her sleep, and I know it's selfish of me to go pick her up. But I feel like I will wake tomorrow and she will be 8 years old, and we will have to conceal the fact that we still watch her sleep on a video monitor.

To pick her up or let her sleep...........

Tonight I will pick her up......what would you do?

VaCaTiOn!!!!

2010-07-12T10:04:00.006-05:00

We went to the Smoky Mountains the last full week in June and had such a fun time!! My parents let us borrow their van (THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!), as you can see we filled it up quick!

My husband made fun of me, but the night before we left, I made him do a "practice packing" session. We left on a Sunday morning. Jonathan works on Sunday mornings, so it was up to me to pack the van. Needless to say I was a little nervous that I would be hot, sweaty, and alone while unable to fit everything in the van. Hence, the "practice packing". I was so glad we did. What you can't see in the picture is: one adult bike, one child's bike, and one toddler bike. I was convinced that I would want to ride bikes while on vacation, and I really wanted the bike to come along. All of the pre-trip research told me it wasn't going to be a "bike ride" kind of vacation, but despite this research, and my husband's better judgement, the bike came......I didn't ride it once:)

Our comfy cabin was pretty remote, and the driveway/road to it was almost at a 90 degree angle. The surrounding roads were just as steep if not steeper, bike riding was not even on the radar. Just walking up these roads made me completely out of breath!

Avery did a fairly good job in the car.......We spent about 30 hours on the road, and Avery slept about 2 of those! We watched a lot of Elmo, A LOT OF DORA, ate a lot of gold fish, and broke the law a few times by taking some breaks out of the car seat. She was quite the trooper. I love this picture because after loading up the van, feeling like I packed the house, I looked back at Avery, and realized I had forgotten her shoes:) Who needs shoes on vacation anyway???!!

Have you ever seen cuter buns????? One of my favorite parts of this vacation was that it was with the Hansen's!! We had individual date nights, and had separate family time, but our time together was great!! The kids has so much fun together and so did the adults. Almost every night they took a bath together (the kids, not the adults), and I think Avery was in heaven. She loves her some Hansen boys, and falling asleep with them, waking up to them, and spending the day with them made her day (and mine too!).

Avery is such a water baby! She loves the water just like her Daddy!! We went to Dollywood's Spash Country, and although Dolly Parton was nowhere to be seen, lots of others found their way to her amusement/waterpark. They had so many places for kids of all ages to play and enjoy the water. Just when you thought you had seen it all, Jaxon and Dave would lead us to another section of the park. Avery loved it all, I think she could have continually gone down one of the slides there all day long!

This picture was taken on one of the trails we "hiked" on. With the little ones you can't get much of a hike in, but Dave did a great job of finding a short yet scenic route. We drove on lots of winding roads, went in tunnels that went through the moutains, and saw some truly beautiful scenery. One of my favorite parts of vacation is seeing different parts of the country. I love Iowa, but going to the mountains reminds me of the beautiful landscape God has given us, and it leaves me in awe. As we drove through the mountains and watched the road curve through enormous trees, it made me wonder what those trees had witnessed. The history they held was incredible to think about.

We did a lot of just plain "hanging out". I love just "being" on vacation. Our cabin had an awesome wrap around porch that provided a great atmosphere for just that. I read out there almost every morning, and the adults had fun chats in the rocking chairs in the evening. The boys rode their bikes (see not a total waste to take them along), and Avery had a great time splashing in a little blow-up pool Jess brought along. This picture was taken right before Avery decided to poop on the porch. Apparently she wanted to let loose on vacation in every way possible (sorry that was a lame/gross play on words:).

I love love love this picture of Dave and Jess!! We went to a really neat aquarium, and I think the adults thought it was cooler than the kids. Don't get me wrong, the kids liked it too, but I love how this picture caught Dave and Jess' excitement for all of the really neat stuff we saw there.

Jaxon is the funnest six year old's out there. His imagination is fantastic, and he always has a fun idea for an activity. Jaxon is also one of the best big brothers I have encountered. He loves Austin, and does a terrific job of watching out for him, playing with him, and showing him the ropes of boyhood. I am so, so, grateful he is in Avery's life. He may not admit it if you asked him, but he loves Avery too. He is constantly making her laugh, and she just adores him. In a really sweet moment at the aquarium, she was getting a little fussy, and Jaxon just walked up to Avery and said, "Come here Avery, I gotcha". He scooped her up and carried her for a good five mintues. Again, she loved it:) We love you Jaxon!!

And this vacation post wouldn't be complete without lovin on our favorite lil monster:) Austin has graciously shared his home, toys, mom, and more with Avery. I love arriving at the Hansen's and hearing Austin's excited voice cry out, "Wi wi!!!". This is what Austin calls Avery, and what she is now referring to herself as. I am sure someday they will both be a little embarrassed about this affectionate nickname, but for now, I think its adorable. The night before we left, we were packing a little bit, and Avery was doing what she does best, watching Dora....Austin came in and wrapped his arms around her. She grinned at him from behind her pacifier, and they both sat this way and continued to watch the video. Pretty special:)

Like I said earlier, we drove through the mountains quite a bit, especially because our cabin was tucked back in them, and off the beaten path. I loved its remote location, and the peacefulness we all felt out in the middle of nowhere. We traveled "Boogertown" road quite frequently as we traveled here and there. It was more like a winding goat path, than a road, but I want to remember the fun trips back and forth we had on it!!

Hansen's thank you so much for inviting us along on this vacation, and letting us piggyback on all of your planning. Dave does a fantastic job of finding affordable fun, and that coupled with Jess' organization and phenomenal cooking skills made this a wonderful trip. We love your family so much, and couldn't have asked for better vacation buddies!!!! I hope we can do it all again soon!! Dave do you think you could find a steal of a deal on the beach??!!! My next challenge for you my friend:) Thanks again!!

Mommy:)

2010-07-01T08:33:00.003-05:00

Be still my heart. Avery now says, "Mommy". She has said the occasional, "A-mum", and "mama", however, not nearly as much as she clearly says, "Daddy". I have been fine with this. Clearly she likes me better, mommy is just harder to say, just kidding.....er kinda.

I went to my parents the Friday before we left on vacation, and she said mommy twice, clear as day, but wouldn't repeat it when prompted.

Well over vacation, it officially became a part of her vocabulary. She says it lots now, and in the sweetest little voice. It melts me every time.

Below is a video that captures her saying it. It also captures her being a little stinker. Not only does she say, "daddy" every time I ask her to say mommy, she is communicating with her pops via grunts.

****Please disregard the few seconds where I try to partake in the growling, sound possessed by the devil, and like my head will start to spin and spew green slime at any second.

New Life and the Essence of my Heart

2010-06-16T08:12:00.007-05:00

Yesterday our good friends welcomed their second baby boy into the world. There is nothing like new life. As we walked through the hospital halls to meet Julian, we could hear snippets of people's lives. It was such an incredible feeling, and such a privilege to witness, if even for a moment, how each life would be forever changed from this day forward. I wanted to just peak into each room, and say, "Congratulations, this is SO awesome!".......I didn't of course, but the joy new life brings was almost overwhelming.

I can think of few things more beautiful than this...........

My friend Kristyn was back for a week, and I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with her. Kristyn has an amazing gift, that goes far beyond taking a picture. Kristyn has the ability to capture the essence of my heart. When I reflect on her photos, I am taken back to the exact time they were taken, and can truly feel what was happening during that moment. I re-experience the excitement and anticipation I felt during our engagement. I can hear the chuckle of my grandpa on my wedding day. I can smell the ocean mist nearly the same as I did right after becoming a wife. I can feel how incredibly soft my baby girl's skin was just weeks after she entered the earth. Last week she took our family's picture again, and I love that Avery's ambitious grin, and perceptive stare will forever be captured at 15 months of age. Thank you Kristyn, I will cherish the moments you have captured forever.

Confessions

2010-06-14T20:55:00.005-05:00

Today was a long day, and to feel better about my negative attitude, and in an attempt to snap out of it, I'm feeling the need to confess about some guilty pleasures.

Tonight starts oFf my first confession. Jonathan is at a softball game, Avery is in bed, and I'm in quiet house incredibly excited about watching Real Housewives of New Jersery. It makes me feel better to tell you that I only watch the women of New Jersery, and I don't watch ALL of the others. I only watch Tori and Dean when it's on a marathon, and I only DVR it sometimes. I only watch Snapped on Sundays, and I don't usually DVR that either. The rest of the schmut I consume isn't worth listing.

Confession numero 2: We leave for vacation on Sunday to middle Tennessee. We are driving my parents mini-van, and I am SOO excited about this fact. I'm not really sure why, but I have always been in love with the idea of driving a mini-van. Our family isn't quite to the point where we need one, but when we are, I'll be ready. This is weird, I know.

Confession #3: Tonight while watching Real Housewives of New Jersey I will consume several O'Henry bars. Click here for the recipe. YUM

Confession #4: This morning I hid while I ate my breakfast. Avery and I both eat oatmeal with dried fruit for breakfast. For some reason Avery always thinks mine looks better and whines until I give her some. I just wanted to eat my whole bowl of oatmeal without sharing, or interruptions...........so I hid, and it felt good.

Ok my show is on, I'll leave you with a cute pic of me and the hubs.....have I told you yet.....I LOVE OUR NEW CAMERA!!!

New Camera!

2010-06-03T23:38:00.009-05:00

We got a new camera yesterday afternoon, and I LOVE IT!! Avery's expressions are priceless, and she moves so fast, we needed a camera that could keep up:) Along with walking, comes lots of wipeouts. She scuffed up her little nose the other day, and the pictures capture the "owie" really well. I was going to photoshop them out, but was then encouraged to leave it, because it's a reflection of her life right now. Oh Avery, some thought you were the most photographed child of all time before this camera, watch out world!

PS- Poor Bumper didn't make any of the pics, poor guy, life sure is different for him!

A bonified walker!!

2010-06-02T15:45:00.004-05:00

Avery has finally transitioned to a true walker, and she is pretty darn proud of herself!!

Mi Padre

2010-05-29T13:24:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Dad! This blogs for you:) I know I told you (and others) this already, but I definitely would have been a profoundly different person, had I not had you in my life.

Most people probably don't know, but the man I call dad, didn't contribute to my genectic make-up. He came into my life before my memory begins. He told me early on I could call him whatever I wanted, I jokingly said I would call him "tree". I soon came to realize that he was my dad, and that is what he would be called, because that's who he was, and so I did.

My parents would go on to have two more girls, my sisters. I never thought of them as my "half" sisters, and I never once felt like any less of a daughter to my dad.

My dad sat me down very early and shared a story with me. It was an article from a Parade magazine about a girl named Angel, who grew up in an impoverished neighborhood. Angel applied herself to her academics, and ended up getting a full academic scholarship. He told my sisters and I if we worked hard at our academics and extra-curricular, we could recieve scholarships like Angel. He has always pushed us to do and be our best.

Being a dad of three girls, my dad got roped into doing all kinds of things I'm sure he never dreamed he would do. One time my mom was gone on school picture day. In my younger years, my mom would pick out my outfit and do my hair a special way for school pictures. I didn't always agree with her choices, and an epic battle of wills would occur. Having mom gone on school picture day, was like winning the lottery. Dad was like putty in my hands. He took me to Jacks, and I picked out the coolest outfit, with lots of neon colors. I wore a purple turtle neck with the coolest jacket my third grade eyes had ever seen. That evening I kneeled in front of our lazyboy, while he patiently put lots of little tiny braids in my wet hair. I slept on those little braids and the next morning woke up to perfectly kinked hair. It was awesome. I couldn't wait to get those school pictures back, and proudly handed them out to my friends. Thanks for that Dad, obviously it still means a lot.

Living in a house of all women, my dad has come to tolerate watching our chick flicks. I would even venture to say that he enjoys them at times. One time my sisters and I convinced him to watch Legally Blonde. He laughed right along with us, but when it was over felt compelled to share his thoughts on what he gained from the movie, and life in general. He told us we didn't need a boy to define us, that we should follow our dreams, and we have to love ourselves before we can try to love someone else. I still laugh when I think about that night. At dinner, my dad proudly had us recite what we had learned from the movie.

Dad: "Girls what did I tell you about boys today?"

Abbie (age 7 or so): "DON'T KISS EM!!!"

The day I got married, my dad said I was marrying my best friend. He couldn't have put it better, and he couldn't have been a better example of that. When he married my mom, I remember thinking, "Shoot, now who am I going to marry?". My dad set the bar pretty high, but my Jonathan exceeds all of our expectations:)

Dad I could tell a hundred stories just like these, but really I just want you to know I love you. God sure knew what he was up to when he brought you and my mom together. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for expecting me to be my best, and encouraging me when I wasn't. What can I say, you rock.

Avery thinks so too:) Happy Birthday Abuelito!!!

What's Blog-worthy?

2010-05-24T13:51:00.004-05:00

What’s blog worthy? I get in a rut of not blogging because I struggle with this question. Do people really want to read about the first time Avery went to 4 Queens Dairy aka a chunk of heaven right here in Cedar Falls? Am I allowed to complain on my blog? I have lots of sarcastic comments and soapbox topics I sometimes want to post on here, but I feel like it will dirty up my wholesome blog. I also feel like publicly complaining is somewhat sac-religious when I have such a crazy blessed life. The truth is, in the big scheme of things, I have nothing to complain about…but every once in awhile I would like to tout off about how stupidly high-school kids drive in front of my house, or how the elderly should hire me to drive them around (ok maybe I just have road rage….ok, not maybe, I definitely have a mild case of it…….ok maybe more than mild)…..I digress.

The truth of the matter is…. I haven’t blogged because lots of big things have happened around here lately, and blogging about the everyday life seems mundane or disrespectful. When big things happen to me, or people I know, it rocks my boat a little bit and I don’t like it. It takes me a long time to process stuff, and at times I wish the world would pause while I do so….but it doesn’t. Life goes on, it always has and always will.

A good way to describe how I feel about what I just wrote above:

Imagine you are running with a group of people and your shoe comes untied. You notice it. You try to just keep running but the laces are flapping back and forth. “Just keep running”, you tell yourself. You try, but eventually your other foot steps on the shoelace, and you trip. You have to stop to tie your shoe. The group keeps running. It doesn’t take you long to tie it, and it’s not that big of a deal to stop to do so, but part of you wishes everyone would stop while you took the time to make it a double knot. But they don’t. Their shoes are not untied, and they need to keep going. Another part of you wants to quit the run all together. It might be hard to catch up, and it would be easy to walk. But you don’t. You tie you shoe, and rest for just a moment. Then you find the strength to lengthen you stride, quicken your pace, and you catch up and keep running. It feels good to be back with the pack, and confidence is restored.

I found out the Friday before Mother’s Day that I was pregnant. It was an answer to many prayers, and the end to lots of planning for this event to occur. You see patience is not my strongest characteristic, and I think sometimes my husband wonders if I am even capable of having any. When I decide I am going to do something, I want it done yesterday. I decided in November we should start trying to have another child. Jonathan was not on the same page, but by the end of December, he was warming up to the idea. I charted, took my temperature, read books, and spent a lot of time on the internet, as an afterthought I would pray and ask God not only to fill my womb, but to help calm the anxiousness I was feeling towards needing to be pregnant NOW! When that didn’t work the first month, I bought ovulation predictor kits. I did that for two months and finally received what I thought I was desperately needing to see………

I was elated, and could hardly contain myself. I immediately looked up my due date, wrote my weeks down on the calendar to see when I would have a 20 week ultrasound, and scanned the internet for great deals on maternity clothes.

Jonathan was excited too. Part of his excitement probably came in knowing my anxiousness, and need to control when we got pregnant was over, but I know he was genuinely excited to be adding to our family. And what guy isn’t pretty proud of himself when his wife ends of up pregnant:)

That Sunday, Mother’s Day, was very special. Sitting in church knowing of the miracle within me, while holding Avery, and worshipping was one of the best feelings of my life. It was one of those moments where you feel so incredibly overwhelmed by the blessings in your life and all you can do is let the tears of joy stream and thank Him for trusting you with the path He’s laid before you.

We talked about when to share this news with people. I couldn’t wait to tell our parents and siblings, so we did right away. Part of me likes to keep it to ourselves, because all too soon you have to share this child with the world while they help you raise her….but the other part of me wanted to shout at the top of my lungs: YAHOO, I’m preggers!! With Avery being such a surprise, it was such a different and fun feeling, to have planned this pregnancy and wanted it so badly, and have it finally come to fruition. In the end we decided we would wait to share the news with anyone else…..just in case.

Well the just in case happened, and the Thursday after Mother’s Day, just six short days after finding out, I started to bleed. It was two short days of that, with very little discomfort, just a heavy heart. I truly feel blessed in the lack of discomfort I physically experienced. I was extremely disappointed, and my heart was sad, but I felt peace.

My first thoughts/prayers were, “Oh God, no, please no.” But immediately I felt the peace come over me.

It felt strange and wrong to feel peace about this. I had wanted this badly and tried to control it with every fiber of my being, why did it feel so ok when it was gone, and over?

It was like I was finally able to listen to God and what he was trying to say to me. I felt His arms wrap around me as I told Jonathan what was happening. And as Jonathan held me, the peace overcame me again, and I knew we would be ok.

Like I said before, normally, I want to put life on hold when something like this happens, but God gave me strength. I got out of bed, knew that this pregnancy was not to be, and went in to get Avery up for the day. Her smiles brightened my spirit and it was an affirmation, that I would be ok. I went to work, where I found it hard to concentrate, but again would feel peace fall over me throughout the day.

My sister came up and spent the weekend with us. It was a great time to have some distraction, but at the same time, great family time to reflect on what I had rather than what I didn’t.

Rachael and I went for a really long bike ride on Saturday afternoon as Avery napped, and Jonathan did various projects around the house. We talked about lots, and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I wanted to show her where I used to live in this creepy old apartment. As we drove down the street where I used to live, we rode by this cute little red house. There were lots of kids toys in the driveway, and a cute blonde-haired lady was outside picking them up. She was short, and looked young, and I remember thinking, “she looks too young to be a momma, and if she is, she looks great”. I smiled at her and said hello. She smiled a big grin and said, hi back. I just recently got a very pink, very fun, retro style bike. So while I knew she was just being nice by saying hi back, I could tell from the grin on her face, she was entertained as me, my sister, and my overly pink bike traveled past her driveway.

I didn’t know who she was then, but would soon come to find out her name is Stephanie Ricketts. The very next day she and her husband would wake from a nap, and find themselves in a nightmare no parent can ever imagine. They found their little boy Ben, 22 months old, accidentally tangled in the cord from a window covering. Ben is currently in Iowa City, and we are praying for a miracle.

Although the events that have unfolded are incredibly unfortunate, and I wouldn’t wish them upon anyone, I have seen God at work. I have seen incredible strength and faith come from a family who otherwise would have nothing else to turn to in a situation like this. I have seen thousands of people in a facebook group, and hundreds during two worship services witness this faith, and possibly find theirs as well. I have felt my heart grow closer to God as I lean on him for understanding and knowledge to walk through this journey with friends who are directly affected by this tragedy. I have heard Him whisper contentment to me as I tied my shoes and chose to get back up and keep running. He has laid this race out before me, and I intend to keep running with all the strength I have, and when that runs thin, I know He will be there. At the end of this race, I want to hear not a whisper, but a cheer, “well done”.

It was a difficult decision to share this part of our story with you. One the most difficult things about having a miscarriage is telling other people. It was hard to tell my mom because I didn’t want her to hurt, and I knew that by telling her, she would know I was hurting, which would in turn cause her pain. I felt like I had to lead into telling people with a preface about how I was ok, so they should be too. The people I chose to tell I was pregnant, I know are the people I would want to know about a miscarriage, but it’s so much easier to share the previous rather than the latter:) There are also friends and family that I wish I had told rather than letting them know by reading a blog, you know who you are, please know we love you, and thank you for loving us. I don’t know if the next time I am pregnant I will share with more people sooner, or less, later. I just know that it didn’t feel right not to share this event; it’s part of our story.

We intended to share this news with some close friends and family on the Monday after our miscarriage, but that is when we learned of Ben’s story. I wanted the focus to be on him and his family. I still do. Hearing his story helped me to step outside of myself and truly see what I already knew, but really needed a good reminder: that God is with me always, even when I am not looking for Him or asking Him to be. Life keeps going, and with Him, I can too.

So for now the plan is not to have a plan, and to do what I should have been doing from the start: trust. Trust that God will indeed give us more children in His time, and if He doesn’t, then trust that He will give us the peace and knowledge of why that is His plan.

Today is a crucial day for Ben and his family. Please pray for them. Pray that they feel God’s love wrapped around them, and for all of us to wrap our love around them as well.

James 1:2-4

Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.

No Daddy!

2010-04-27T17:32:00.000-05:00

The last few days

2010-04-26T11:20:00.003-05:00

We have a lot of creeping charlie growing in our yard, and it's producing pretty purple flowers/weeds. I thought it would be cute to take Aves out and get pictures in them before we have it all sprayed and killed off. Avery thought my idea stunk:)

I was able to get a few good pictures, but overall this is how she felt about being in the semi-damp grass.

It's been a trying last couple of days. Since Wednesday she has had a fever that at times was as high as 104. Scary stuff. Every day she has gotten a little bit better, but our happy go lucky girl, is still not 100%.

It has been so hard to just wait for her sickness to go away. I hated not being able to just make it better. We spent a lot of time just cuddling, and have watched lots of Dora and Diego. The first night we put her to bed with a fever Jonathan and I prayed that God would direct us as parents, that He would guide us to comfort her in the ways she needed, and to be with us as we struggled through not knowing exactly what to do. I focused on these prayers every time I held her. As I would rock, and snuggle Avery, I would feel our Heavenly Father wrap his arms around the two of us, and rock right along with us softly whispering, "I am here".

Matthew 28:20

..And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Avery's 1st Year

2010-04-21T07:46:00.001-05:00

*If you click on the title "Avery's 1st Year" within the video you can watch this on youtube and see it widescreen*

Bathtime Giggles

2010-04-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

EASTER!

2010-04-16T12:20:00.005-05:00

I know Easter was two weeks ago, but better late than never right??!! Like most holidays, we did a lot of running around, but we got to see almost everyone, and that makes it worth it!

Good Friday we headed to my parents house and had a non-traditional Easter celebration with the Bridgewater's. We grilled out, hung out, and had an Easter egg hunt. It's always a really fun time when we all get together. My mom has ten brothers and sisters which makes for lots of fun cousins! I love seeing everyone, catching up, getting to know each others kids, and hearing about new ones on the way...which with that many people some body's usually pregnant! Every year my Grandma Bridgewater hands out punch balloons (we used to get kites too, she must think we have outgrown the kites because they don't get passed out anymore, but Grandma just so you know, I'd still love a kite if you have some laying around). See the video below of Avery catching on quick to fun traditions with the Bridgewaters!! (My favorite part of this video is that you can really hear my Grandma's laugh. Her laugh is really distinct to me, and I love that I have it captured. A fun memory of her is when something is really funny, she calls it a "knee slapper", and it's usually followed with a big sigh and an "oh my". My attention was focused on Avery, but from the sound of Grandma B, this was a knee slapper!)

On Saturday we went to my Grandma Prusha's house. It was just the Iowa Prusha's at this Easter, so all Coyle kids were focused on Avery. She loves the big kids, and they love her. They tried to teach her to skateboard, but I think it might have to wait until next year. I love this picture of Aves and my Dad watching all the commotion outside.

Avery and Daddy hunting for eggs. (This hunt was not "Ridder" style, but I think Jonathan is grooming her to be aggresive)

Dabblin' in some chocolate with Great-Grandpa Prusha

When my sister Rachael was Avery's age, she was pretty particular about who she allowed to hold her, and sometimes even look at her. She was pretty sassy to Grandpa Prusha for awhile, until he started bribing her with quarters. Since then, Grandpa Prusha has learned to bribe them right away and then the kids love you forever, as evidenced above:)

Avery crashed on the car ride home.

Saturday evening we headed back to CF. We dropped Avery off at Grandma and Grandpa Rogers' house, and Jonathan and I got to attend church together! IT WAS AWESOME! Jonathan is usually working on Sundays, and I work every other, those schedules combined with Avery don't leave many church services for Jonathan and I to just sit and attend together. It was so great to worship together. Not your typical date night, but I'll take it!

Avery and James Thomsen

On Easter Sunday I forgot to bring my camera along, so Ralph thanks for the picture! We all really love gathering at Dave and Linda's and catching up with everyone. Their backyard is like a child's play land heaven! No Easter Egg Hunt this year, but the company was good anyway!!

13 Months Old

2010-04-12T10:45:00.002-05:00

Avery was 13 months old yesterday and I didn't even realize it. For some reason I was thinking it was today. I took a bunch of pictures of her yesterday because I liked her outfit, so at least the day was captured:)

Not a whole lot has changed in the last month. She stands independently for longer periods of time. She could definitely take a few steps, but she refuses. She thinks about it, but then plops to her bottom and crawls.

She has started patting my back when I rock her, and other random times throughout the day. I love it, I will take little pats of encouragement anytime!

Avery has become a pro at identifying people's noses and teeth. She even says "teeth", not all the time, and if you aren't around her much you wouldn't know what she is saying, but we know she is saying , "deeth". She says, "hi daddy" to most people who cross her path, and twice she has distinctly said, "hi Bumper". She works really hard to get the "b" sound out. She has to really focus, but the "d" sound comes out quite well.

I will update more later, on topics including Easter. I had a slight, ok not slight, more like slightly huge mishap with our laptop. I slipped down the stairs with it. I was carrying it open, it landed on the corner of the screen, ruined the LCD, and the hard drive. It stinks. So right now I am on our eight year old eMac that I've had since high-school graduation. Let me repeat, it stinks. So anyway, more later:)

Looks Can Be Deceiving

2010-03-28T21:49:00.003-05:00

My mom has very curly hair, and my Grandma used to say this rhyme about her when she was little. (My Grandma didn't make it up, but apparently it fit her well:)

Once there was a girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very, very good,
And when she was bad, she was horrid.

Now I'm not one to call anyone horrid, especially my darling baby girl.....that being said....she does have a bit of Jekyll and Hyde in her.

Enter Exhibit A:
Angelic, Innocent, Precious, Pure, Sweet, I could go on and on

Enter Exhibit B:
I have no words, and plead the 5th, I have no clue as to where this attitude may have come from.
Cousin James- Until Avery can express this on her own......I'm sorry. I would like to say it won't happen again, but I'm afraid I will end up eating my words.

GO PANTHERS!!

2010-03-26T22:22:00.005-05:00

We Love This Team:)

The Panthers are playing tonight in the NCAA tournament, and we couldn't be more excited!! One of the reasons I love Cedar Falls is the overwhelming sense of home-town pride. This town loves their Panthers!! Everyone I saw today proudly sported their purple and gold. Win or lose, it's a great day to be a Panther!!!!

OnE yEaR oLd!!!!

2010-03-13T08:29:00.005-06:00

Our big girl is now officially 1! She has had a pretty nasty cold, so the celebrations weren't super festive, but we all enjoyed them despite not feeling the best.

Avery had her 1 year pictures taken by Emily Hoffert on Wednesday, she has already given us a few sneak peaks and I'll post those soon.

Thursday was Avery's actual birthday. Like I said she hasn't felt the best all week, so we spent the morning just snuggling, watching Dora and Diego, and reading books. It was great. She got in a few good naps, then went out to eat with G&G Rogers at Becks. She didn't want what we had brought along for her dinner. So, for her birthday feast she enjoyed, puffs, croutons, french fries, and Grandma got her to eat a few bites of baby food. She maintained the attitude, "It's my birthday, and I'll eat what I want to." After dinner we all came back to our house and opened up Grandma's (& Grandpa's) swim/summertime themed gifts. We are all excited to put these gifts to good use!

Friday was the big party....well sort of. We decided to have grandma's and grandpa's,and aunts and uncles over. It was about all the people our little house could handle. Avery loved being sang to, and despite her lack of appetite, put a fairly large dent in her "smash" cake. The cakes were from Scratch Bakery, and they were delicious (thanks Natalie!!)!

Avery played, read books, and cheesed it up for her guests. She received lots of fun gifts and some great outfits. Our little girl never lacks in cute clothes:) It was a great night with family, and it warmed my heart to witness how loved and blessed Avery is. Our parents have been incredible examples for us, and are the best grandparents. I love watching their relationships with Avery blossom.

Avery isn't walking yet, and we are ok with that. She crawls like it's an Olympic sport, and moves full speed, determined to get to wherever she is headed. She still loves books, and gets upset when we have to finish reading to go to bed. My favorite things she developed this month: snuggling. It doesn't happen all that often, but a couple times a day she will lay her head on my cheek or shoulder. Every once in awhile, I get a pat on the back, or sweet little arms wrap around my neck. As you can see from the pictures above, Bumper gets lots of love these days, however he isn't as enamored as Jonathan and I;)

Avery continues to grow, but not quite as proportionally as before......
She is 20lbs 15oz.....50th percentile
30 inches long...75th percentile.......
and her head is 19 inches........100th percentile!!!! Thanks for that G'pa Rogers:)

We love watching our little girl experience life. We are truly thankful for all of our wonderful family and friends who love us, teach us, and support us on this amazing journey.

The first year

2010-03-08T11:39:00.006-06:00

I choke up just writing it. I can't believe the first year of Avery's life is almost past. I have learned more about myself and life in general in this past year, than any other year of my life. She has been more than a gift to me, she has been a blessing.

There is something about this first year that has been almost magical. It has sped by, but at times seemed to crawl. I read a lot about pregnancy while I was pregnant, but neglected to research what to do with the little life I was growing. I remember being shocked to hear the nurse tell me that I would need to feed her every 3 hrs or so. By the time I had managed to keep her awake long enough to feed, changed both of our clothes soaked in all kinds of gross liquids, and put her back to sleep I would be discouraged to see this would all take place again in another hour. It felt like those days would never end. I couldn't figure out how life would work with breast milk flowing like a river, sore nips, and breast pads and laundry piling up.

However, before I knew it, I was back at work and a pumping pro. I had a routine, Avery was nursing like a champ, and I longed for our days spent trying to figure each other out. No one could have told me what it would feel like to love my child the way I did, and how much I would miss spending every second with her. No one could have prepared me for the ache I felt when the milk stopped flowing, and the tears that came as I scooped formula from a container, and fed her a bottle.

It didn't phase our little girl. She has been the happiest baby from day one. She loves her time with us, and adores her little buddies and day with Jess. I never thought I would let go of wanting to be home all day with Avery, and truthfully it's still there a little, but having Jess saved me. She loves Avery like she is her own. Jaxon and Austin are the big brothers she will never have biologically. It warms my heart to know that when Jonathan and I can't be with Avery, she is in a home that loves Jesus, and shares that love with her as well.

There are nights when it's time to lay her down for the night, her long eyelashes resting peacefully on her soft cheeks, that long tuft of hair is hanging down the center of her forehead, and all that can be heard our our soft inhales and exhales, and the occasional rigorous love on her pacifier. These are the times where my heart stops. I want to freeze these moments. How did the little bundle that nuzzled on my chest grow to the sweet girl sprawled out in my arms holding on tightly to a blankie? Now when I lay her on my chest her feet are scrunched up, and her head dangles on my shoulder. I never want to stop rocking, maybe if I keep rocking we will stay this way forever.

I have come to realize that I will do many things differently with our next child and our future as a family. Things don't have to be all or nothing. Formula isn't the end of the world. A perfect sleep schedule doesn't always exist and doesn't have to dictate life. Other people are more than capable of taking care of her, and may even have a better way of doing things. You can't avoid germs. Daddy is just as capable as me, and maybe even sometimes better. I will rock my next child more, even if it ruins them a bit, the time just goes too fast. There are many more things I could add here, but at this rate, I may not stop crying.

Avery I am sorry that you have to be our guinea pig, but there is a pay-off. You will always be our first. You have captured my heart in a way I never thought possible. Every milestone, age, stage, phase has, and I'm sure will continue, to take my breath away.

God could not have given me a more perfect partner in all of this. Jonathan has loved me so gracefully through this first year of parenthood. He has stood behind me when I was clearly crazy and hormonal, and had the courage to tell me when I am out of line. He has encouraged and reinforced my ability to be a great mom. I still melt nearly every day when I see him interact with Avery. He has taken on incredible amounts of responsibility and become one of the most hands-on dads I know. Avery adores him, and so do I.

As I said before this year has been the best of my life. I remember being in high-school knowing I was good runner. It felt good to know our team was ranked #1, and being a part of a winning atmosphere was so fulfilling. I went to college and joined a team where everyone was great, and even better than I was. I kind of lost track of who I was and the confidence my previous success had brought me. I eventually started to develop an identity outside of that success, but it was hard. I wanted to know what I would be good at, that would contribute to someone other than myself. I prayed and prayed for a calling, and found it somewhere I least expected. Becoming a mom caught me off-guard, but being good at it surprised me even more. I know God has called me to be Avery's mom, and to excel at it. Like every race I have ever run, it will be a challenge, but one I will put my heart and soul into. I love it and can't wait for what the future holds!

Confession

2010-02-26T10:09:00.004-06:00

It's no secret that I love to eat. However, I love to eat these cookies way more than I should. I think the love for them borders on a somewhat sinful nature. I mean I loved them enough to take pictures of them. Would I have taken pictures of them had I not had a blog??? One will never no, but it's quite probable.

*The above cookies don't even make it off the cookies sheet, whenever I make them, they are all eaten the same day

*Our favorite flavors, I seriously hope Avery is NEVER a girl scout, I would need a second job.

So this post is about confessions. As a former Catholic, I feel it necessary to at times purge my not terrible, but not-so- proud moments.

My first confession is that while I was waiting for these pictures to upload, I successfully finished a sleeve of thin mints (sorry Jonathan). I have no self-control when it comes to sweets in my house. This lack of self-control has caused me to hide all the cookies we purchased. Jonathan put some in freezer, that helped a little. I took it a step further. I put them all in various cupboards in my kitchen that are beyond my reach. If I want to get at these cookies, I have to put some major effort(aka haul out the step stool) into it. I'm ashamed to say these actions will not be enough, and the cookies don't stand a chance in my house.

Confession numero dos:
A couple weeks ago I was reorganizing my closet and came across my favorite maternity jeans. I loved them when I was pregnant. They were so comfortable, and for maternity pants, they were pretty cute. So, I put them on and happily finished my organizing with the ease of an elastic waist band. I didn't pack them away with the rest of the maternity clothes. I left them on the pile with the rest of my jeans, and will probably indulge in them again soon. A few days after that I was getting ready for church and came across my favorite maternity sweater.....I didn't do it, but I wanted to.

Tres:
Early this week, I was in a little fender bender, nothing serious, nobody hurt, except our poor Subaru. (By the by-not my fault:) So while it's in the shop, we have a rental car. Enterprise was out of standard size cars, so we were given a Chevy Tahoe. If you don't know what that is, picture an SUV on steroids. The thing is a beast. At first I was really intimidated and felt like I was driving a semi. It barely fits in our garage, let alone a regular parking space. This beast has grown on me. I LOVE IT! I love being higher than everyone. I love how it sounds like ~~gas is flowing out the tailpipe~~ a beefy truck. It's comfortable, roomy, I could go on and on. I love our Subaru, but my heart is not broken that I have to drive the Tahoe for awhile. (Have you ever heard that country song that says, "there's somethin woman like about a pick-up man", it's stuck in my head right now)

There is a lot more that I could confess, but maybe I'll make this a weekly post, anything you'd like to 'fess up to today???

A Librarian's Dream

2010-02-22T21:19:00.003-06:00

*click on picture to view larger image*

Polka Dot

2010-02-22T12:46:00.001-06:00

All I Want For Christmas Are My Two Front Teeth

2010-02-14T13:37:00.002-06:00

.......................instead I got them around Valentine's Day

The day we gave Avery goulash

2010-02-13T08:28:00.003-06:00

11 months!

2010-02-11T21:21:00.006-06:00

I realized right before I went to take today's pictures that my job was going to be more difficult this time. Avery now knows how to pull herself up, lower herself down, and move from one location to another.....quickly. Last month I just stood her next to the ottoman, and she really didn't know how to move from there. The hardest part was getting her to smile.

This was definitely not the case this year. I stood her next to the ottoman and set up the "11 month" sign. By the time I had turned the camera on, she had crumpled the sign and taken off. I tried sitting her on the couch, the video below shows how well that went:)

The only way I could get her to stand/stay remotely still was if she could look outside. My outdoors girl loves to look out our big picture window, and just observe the world.

***No 11 month olds were injured in the making of this video.

What happened this month:
*Two top teeth- they aren't completely through, but enough so that she has the ability to grind them (one of the only things she does that makes me cringe rather than smile)

*Pulls herself up on everything- She pulled a tv tray over onto herself this morning and has the beginning of what appears to be a black eye/shiner....she is so close to standing unassisted, she just doesn't know she can do it yet:)

*Walking along furniture and between our fingers. She loves this, I think she feels like such a big girl. However, there are times when she is walking along, sees something she REALLY wants, drops to her knees, and takes off at warp speed crawling to get to it

*Pointing-She points to people, noses, pictures in books, food she wants, and things she is interested in. She also likes to connect her pointer with Daddy's pointer. SIDE STORY- The other night Jonathan and Avery were connecting their pointer fingers and he said, "You know what this reminds me of?" Me-"ET" Laughing Jonathan-"No! Creation of Adam by Michelangelo". Whoops, dang that trivial pop-culture knowledge.

*A new noise- This is hard to describe in words, but it's an inquisitive little noise that has recently popped up. Its a two-pitched, high to low, noise. Sometimes she raises her eyebrows and makes it, which I interpret to mean, "Hey whats that?". Other times it comes with a point, maybe meaning, "Wow that is cool, hand it over".

*Whining/Yelling-this isn't entirely new, but it has definitely become more urgent, especially when it comes to food. When the girl wants it, she wants it 2 minutes ago!

*Table foods- She still likes her morning and night-time bottle, but she loves eating what we are eating. Tonight I handed her a big chunk of melon and she handled it like a champ. I will post some fun pictures of her falling in love with goulash sometime soon. At Jess' house she is the family pet. She graciously picks up and eats any morsel of food the big boys pass up or toss down to the floor for her:)

*Window watching- She loves looking out our big front window as cars drive by, or out the french patio doors as Bumper galavants around the backyard. We can't wait to be out there ourselves. She could do this for hours. I have to pull her away because her little hands get too cold. (I have great pictures of this and will try to post them soon)

*Books- This really isn't super new either, she has always loved being read to. Lately you can find her "reading" by herself. She picks up a book (sometimes upside down), makes her new little noise, turns the page, points to something on it, and laughs. Every once in awhile she'll be holding the book like she is really reading it, bring it closer to her face like she needs a closer look, and then crack up. Most the time she just turns the pages, saying a phrase we hear a lot, "ah da da da"

*Waking up slightly earlier- We were so spoiled to have Avery sleeping 7a-7p. She is still sleeping great, but lately she has been waking anywhere from 6:15-6:45. I know I should NOT complain, but I loved the predictibility of her prior sleep schedule. Another way God is trying to pound into my head to expect the unexpected, and to create some flexibility in my sometimes too rigid "schedule".
Avery Likes:
*Her blankie-UPDATE: We broke down and bought the used one we found online for a back-up
*Dora and Diego-We watch them almost every morning, and enjoy dancing and singing along to their fun adventures.
*Her maracas- I would say these are her favorite toy
*Books- Again I have great pictures capturing her "reading", but I'm hoping to get some video of it as well before I post them
*Playing with Daddy, while being held by Mommy. Its a game for her to tease Jonathan. She thinks he's hilarious, but finds it even more fun to refuse to go to him if I am around. A momma's girl for now, and I must say I'm enjoying it, I know it won't last forever.

Mobile Uploads

2010-02-10T21:17:00.004-06:00

Even though I haven't blogged much in the last month, I've still captured a lot of fun Avery moments. I have a nice Canon point and shoot, but my phone is just so much more convenient! I need to stop this, because the quality of the pictures aren't nearly as good, you don't mind do you?? Here are some cute pics from my phone of Avery over the last month, I can't believe she is almost 1!

Ave's and her Binks. I will be so sad the day she doesn't have her binky anymore (unless she is like 15). I love seeing her grin behind it. We waited so long for her to be able to put her binky in her mouth by herself. When Jonathan and I see her do it on the video monitor, we cheer for her. Now she is a champ with it, and will even share every once in awhile.

I would be the first to admit that I sometimes treat Avery like my own little doll (well isn't she??). I love picking out her clothes everyday. Sometimes her little buns look so cute I can hardly stand it. That is when I try to get her to pose standing up so I can capture the whole outfit! Kinda wrong, but also one of the joys of having a little girl! Plus I know these days will soon be gone, and she will be picking out her own clothes. So I will continue to take full advantage of this situation, and love every minute of it. Besides, what childhood would be complete without a mom dressing her kids in clothes that all will later regret, and make fun of??? At least I'm not perming her bangs or something.....not yet anyway:)

This is Avery sleeping folded over like a taco, taken via my phone, via the video monitor. I was a skeptic of the video monitor at first. I thought it to be frivolous and unnecessary. However I have since been reformed, and am now a true believer/supporter. We see her do so many funny things, like falling asleep sitting up, and then folding over.....like a taco.

I am usually the one behind the camera, so we have very few pictures of me and Aves, or the three of us for that matter. Maybe that should be my belated New Years Resolution.......more pictures of the three of us:)

It was almost 40 degrees one day, and I had a little bit of cabin fever. So I broke out the jogging stroller and made our way around the block a few times. I looked on Amazon for snow tires for the jogging stroller but didn't find any results, maybe it's my ticket to millions! PS- In case you can't tell from this picture, she really did love being outside:P

My parents got Avery some Bobcat gear for Christmas, and I could not wait for her to sport it. Call it livin for the "glory days", or maybe just hometown pride, but there is something about being a Bobcat, it just never goes away...at least it hasn't for me. I don't have a huge desire to move back to Van Horne, but I was SO excited to dress Aves in the royal blue and gold and cheer on the Lady Cats! This may sound silly but I can't wait for her to get her first CF Tigers shirt and develop her own school spirit/pride:)

Just being a big girl, eating big girl food, with a big girl sippy, in her big high chair! She is starting to reject baby food in hopes of getting food she can feed herself, or better yet, whatever is on the plate of someone next to her. In this picture she is feasting on some home baked goodies from her babysitter, and our good friend, Jess. We are so spoiled, not only by her excellent child care, but by the yummy snacks we are graced with quite often!

The infamous headphones. Avery's crazy Grandma Prusha, my mom, wears these at Aunt Abbie's basketball games. She listens to the panther games when they fall on the same night as Ab's games. She looks ridiculous, but doesn't really care. A pair similar to these were once in a white elephant gift exchange and Jonathan stole them from my mom. She will never let it go, and my Dad ended up buying this pair for her to replace them. So needless to say my mom is a little protective of her big ridiculous headphones. I think Avery is the only one who could get away with "borrowing" them.

Bumper is quite tolerant of Avery. He really likes to snuggle in the morning, and will put up with just about any circumstances just to be on the couch, under a blanket snuggling. So when Avery gets up in the morning and lays on him, pulls his fur, tail, and toe nails.....he takes it. Anything for a good snuggle with a puggle. *****Also in this photo is THE blanket that Avery has become quite attached to. She received so many wonderful and beautiful blankets when she was born, and instead she chose a hand-me down. A friend of ours was cleaning out kids gear at her dad's house to put in a garage sale. She graciously let us go through it first and the blanket was one of the items I kept. I don't really know how it happened but Avery definitely wants THIS blanket, and gets very excited when she sees it. I did a little research on this blanket from what is left of the tag on it. I found that it is made of chenille (the girl has expensive taste), and when I searched for more, the only one I could find was a used pink and white striped one for $18. Guess we'll just take REAL good care of the one we have, because I'm not paying that much for a used blanket to replace it!!

Hope you enjoyed this month being recapped with mobile uploads. I will try to do a better job of taking pictures with my actual camera, and posting them on here sooner:)

Blog Status

2010-02-10T09:46:00.004-06:00

I know I have a very irregular blog pattern. Sometimes I don't blog for months and then I will post several in one day. Today begins this process:)

Facebook is always asking whats on my mind, otherwise known as one's "status"

I was contemplating what was on my mind, and was again reminded of how good life is right now.

Status:
-I am looking at/contemplating car seats. Avery will soon be out of her infant car seat, and we need to make plans for the next step. A couple months ago, I purchased one off of woot.com, a daily deal website, and have been waiting for another to pop up for our second car. Well, they haven't. The next step in car seats are expensive! I want it to be safe and comfortable for her, but I also don't want to spend lots and lots for it. Don't get me wrong, I will, but do I need to? This decision makes me slightly stressed. Do I buy a Costco brand for under $100, or a Britax or Radian for ~$200 or more. Is there a huge difference in safety? My number one goal for this car seat is that she will be rear facing as long as possible, so if I do that, does the brand matter that much??? What are your thoughts???

-Diapers. I love, love, loved pampers swaddlers. They were soft, smelled like baby powder, absorbed well, and seemed to be comfortable on Ave's bum. Well, I pushed the limit, and she has definitely outgrown them. I am contemplating what brand/kind to go to next. I tried Pampers Baby Dry and wasn't real impressed. They absorb fine, but just don't seem as comfortable. But who am I kidding, it's a diaper that gets filled will p&p, is it ever comfortable to sit/sleep in that??? Suggestions??

-Sugar cookies! I love this recipe for cut-out sugar cookies. It's time consuming, but they are delish and fun to share! So on the agenda for today will be to mix some of these up, and hopefully get them ready for delivery by tomorrow! We'll see if that actually happens!

****An addendum to this post, I started making cookies, first I added flour instead of powdered sugar, then I realized I don't have eggs (we had breakfast for supper last night) and my child is napping....might scratch this plan and try to tackle to the whole thing on Friday.....still contemplating my options...
****Second addendum: I was able to get eggs, make the cookies, and all before heading to work for the day....just patting myself on the back a bit:)

As you have read, my thoughts are not real deep or incredibly important today, and for this I am grateful! I have a slightly anxious mind and it always seems to be busy and full of thoughts, and I'm glad today they are pretty low-key. It does, however, help ground me, and reminds me that many people are not so fortunate and have much heavier loads to carry. Life is good, and I shouldn't sweat the small stuff! More posts coming soon, maybe even today.....maybe:)

Haiti

2010-01-19T08:28:00.002-06:00

This topic has been on my mind 24/7 since the earthquake. Why did it take a huge catastrophe to keep the people of Haiti in my thoughts and prayers daily? I don't know. What I do know is that my heart is breaking for them.

Although my heart breaks, I see hope.

I see hope, when I see our liberal media constantly showing pictures and footage of Haitians worshiping in the midst of this storm, wearing crosses around there neck, and praying in the streets. These images tear me apart and renew my spirit all in the same moment.

I see hope when I see people from opposite ends of the political spectrum working towards the same goal: bringing relief and life to the people of Haiti.

I see hope when people who have a hard time thinking outside of themselves (myself included) taking advantage of this opportunity to serve others.

Jesus, you AMAZE me. Thank your for your light and grace. Please help me to keep YOU at the center of my life. Help us all to bring glory to YOU while helping the people of Haiti.

My Husband is Hot

2010-01-16T23:29:00.004-06:00

He's going to kill me, but Avery has been dominating the blog, so I thought I'd give the hubby a little shout out.

Tonight my husband stood in our living room with jeans that are labeled "skinny" hugging his buns. He tried on a couple different shirts, and I rendered my opinion. As I did so, he asked me what I was smirking at.

-"You look like you are trying not to laugh at me".

-"No, not at all". And I meant it. My smirk was coming from the opposite end of the spectrum. He was already in a vulnerable position, so I resisted saying what I was really thinking....

YOU LOOK HOT!

I smirked because not only was he hot, but he was mine:) Tonight he is playing with Sugarfoot at VooDoo Lounge. I'm sure there are some "mature ladies" dancing their bubbies off to no avail. Sorry mamacitas, he's taken!

I have a picture of him sporting the aforementioned pants, but I think I've gotten into enough trouble for one night:) So instead feast your eyes on my handsome groom....

Snow and Pajamas

2010-01-15T20:48:00.002-06:00

Today after a walk, I took Avery out in the snow in her pajamas.......

she was not amused.

She didn't move her feet,

or her hands, or anything, the whole time......she just sat there, stared at me, and waited to be taken back inside.

Avery was very unaware of the remaining snow stuck on her caboose, and her damp tootsies. She was just happy to not be in the snow in her pajamas:)

Success!

2010-01-12T18:30:00.003-06:00

I successfully made stir-fry tonight,....... without setting my kitchen on fire! In case you missed it the first time, click here:)

10 months!

2010-01-11T10:32:00.003-06:00

Big things happened this month in the life of Avery. She had her first Christmas, started crawling, and more!

She spent the night at her Grandma and Grandpa Prusha's on New Years Eve (first night away from mom....it was hard!......for me not her). When we went to pick her up she showed us a new trick she learned overnight: She waves hello and goodbye. It's so cute the way she opens and closes her hands. It reminds of the way my Grandpa Bridgewater waves to this day:)

Her ability to shake her head "no" has evolved from a cute mimicking game, to a serious communication skill. She definitely lets you know, "NO!".

Along with saying Dada, and Mama, she knows what those words mean. When you say, "Where's Daddy?", she looks right at him and squeals with delight. This goes for Bumper too. She finds it intriguing to follow him around.

She know's the phrase, "I'm gonna get you!", or "Get ____!" She thinks it's so funny and you are sure to get some giggles out of her!

Avery goes to daycare with two little boys who run circles around her....literally. They run and run and run, saying, "Go! Go!" Every once in awhile we hear the phrase coming from Avery. You can hear it in the last video I posted.

Avery we can't believe you are only two short months away from your first birthday. You sleep and eat like a champ. We feel so blessed to have such a fun and happy baby. You becoming mobile has given us a few new challenges, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We can't wait to see what the next month brings (unless it's walking, please feel free to take your time on that one:).

We love you Aves,
Mommy and Daddy

The next family percussionist

2010-01-09T12:14:00.003-06:00

Avery got a drum for Christmas that holds all kinds of percussion instruments. We are so excited about all the noise this gift brings, and how much she seems to be enjoying it (can you sense my sarcasm?) Sorry it's sideways, I forget to hold the camera correctly sometimes:)

Two 4 Tots

2010-01-09T10:22:00.005-06:00

Over Christmas break, my mother-in-law Jenny saw a feature story on this cute store on KWWL. She told me about it, and we were both excited to go check it out. Neither one of us had ever heard of it before, and man were we missing out! I selfishly was hesitant to share this fun find, but Emilie's (store owner) deals are too good to keep to myself.

Two 4 Tots is currently having a HUGE sale and everything I found there was 25-75% off! If you haven't visited this treasure in downtown Waterloo, now is a great time! I found cute name brand items for CHEAP!

Check out their website, and become a fan on facebook http://www.two4tots.com/

A pair of jeans for now, and two for next Fall/Winter

I got these jammies for $1/pair

Some cute outfits for next year!

A Christmas dress for next year...This dress was 75%off $2.24 for a grand total price of $0.56

A sweater that was too cute to resist for this year:)

Some shoes, and a must have for our night-time reading routine

I got everything you see here, plus some maternity clothes (No, I'm not prego, just couldn't resist the deals), for $50!

Avery's Cage

2010-01-09T10:15:00.006-06:00

Avery started crawling a few days before Christmas, and hasn't looked back since. I have found her with numerous cords in her mouth, playing in the dog dish, and right behind me, when I expected her to be in the room I left her in. To gain some peace of mind, we are borrowing a "cage" from our friend Nickie. She used it for her dog, who has since out-grown it, and now we are using it Miss Avery.

So far she seems to like it. I think she likes having lots of her toys accessible. I love knowing she is safe, and having fun while I am getting things done around the house.

Nose Frida

2010-01-09T09:58:00.004-06:00

I have been meaning to blog about this product for awhile. It is one of my favorite baby contraptions, and one I definitely recommend whenever I can. My sister-in-law, Alli, introduced me to this snot-savvy tool, and for that I cannot thank her enough!

The concept of sucking your kids boogies out of their nose with your mouth is a bit daunting, but trust me, it's worth it! Remember looks can be deceiving; snot does not actually get anywhere close to your mouth.

The filter between "the sucker" and "the hose" is the barrier that protects your from inhaling green phlegm. The directions tell you to change this out between every suction, but when I am using it frequently, I change it out once a day.

Jonathan and I have found the Nose Frida to work WAY better than any bulb on the market. Avery doesn't exactly enjoy it, but she is way more tolerant of this method than the bulbs. We also get the not so fun process over with much quicker and more effectively than with a bulb.

So if you find yourself in a super snotty season of life, try the Nose Frida. Jonathan is willing to give a demonstration on himself anytime:)

Avery and James' First Christmas

2010-01-09T09:56:00.003-06:00

We all went crazy taking pictures of these two, and their rosy cheeks were deserving of their own post:)

Baby's First Christmas

2010-01-09T09:35:00.006-06:00

Our Christmas started the Sunday before the 25th, and didn't end until the Saturday after. It was awesome to see everyone and spend time with lots of family. Kirk and Alli were here for a couple weeks, and it was so fun to spend lots of time with them. We were spoiled with lots of fun gifts, and filled with even better food! I would describe this holiday season as busy, but blessed!

I started strong with taking lots pictures, and faded fast. I'm bummed to say that I have no pictures of the three of us from this Christmas, nor do I have any from the last two family gatherings we attended:( That being said, I still was able to catch lots of the fun we had this Christmas.

I love this picture not only because the kids are so cute, but also for the look of fascination on Kirk's face!

Bumper, these toys are NOT for you!

Some of the aftermath of Christmas morning at the Rogers!

Avery with her Aunties on Christmas Eve-
My family came up Christmas Eve and came to church along with the Rogers. This was my favorite time, having all of us together, celebrating the birth of our Savior!

Christmas Eve morning was really fun. The three of us opened gifts from each other, and had fun just hanging out in our p.j.'s!

Who needs presents, when you have paper!
(Notice her hand are blurry, she was excited!)

Avery and Aunt Barb
I love this pic! Barb is not only my Aunt, but my God-Mother, and somebody who holds a very special place in my heart.

two years ago

2009-12-30T21:08:00.005-06:00

Two years ago today I went to sleep out on a balcony. I was laying on an air mattress listening to the Florida waves gently whoosh up onto the beach, and whisper their way back into the ocean. I closed my eyes and imagined what the next day would bring. I stared at the back of my eyelids and created all kinds of hopes and dreams for my future. I am so pleased to say, two years later, the excitement and dreams that danced through my head that night have been far surpassed by the reality of my life. I love you Jonathan, happy anniversary.............What are you doing New Year's Eve?

Stupidity

2009-12-12T21:34:00.003-06:00

I went to Wal-Mart today. It's Saturday, less than 2 weeks before Christmas....and I chose to go to Wal-Mart......bad choice. I didn't really put all of that together on my way out there, just had a few things to pick up. However, as soon as I pulled into the parking lot, it hit me. I scolded myself the whole time I was there, desperately trying to navigate through the store, and quickly check off my list.

After nearly having an anxiety attack from the madness, I made it back home. I quickly fed Avery supper. She seemed a little needy, and I was starving. I had to do some quick thinking, and my solution worked out well.....

Avery loves her baths. I needed to eat. So why not make both happen at the same. I laid out one of our huge towels on the living room floor, and put her bath on top of that. I filled her tub with warm water and toys, and let her have at it. She was completely content through the whole meal, and we ate uninterrupted. It was glorious!

Not only did Avery enjoy her bath in the living room, but she also watched Rudolph as she soaked. What a life!

Too bad I can't drag my bath into the living room, might undo some of the mental damage I caused myself at Wal-Mart today.

9 MONTHS!!

2009-12-11T16:28:00.007-06:00

AGHHH! I can't believe we are only 3 months away from her first birthday! I'm sure it will be here before we know it, because these last 9 months have just flown by! For now, lets just focus on recapping the last month!
Avery has become incredibly busy! She scoots and rolls everywhere! She is not exactly crawling. She will get up on her hands and knees and rock back and forth, but eventually collapses to do something that resembles "the worm". Our once content in one spot little girl, is now into trouble before we can blink. She loves the power cord to the laptop, eating dog hair and fake needles from the Christmas tree off the rug (I know, I HAVE to vacuum more frequently), strings on hooded sweatshirts, and basically anything that could really harm her. If you get down on the floor with her, she likes to attack your nose and mouth, and pull and eat your hair. Does she sound like a monster, because sometimes I wonder:)

Avery is sleeping much better after an almost two week stint with a nasty cold. She usually goes to bed around 7:30. She might wake up once or twice for a pacifier, and then wakes up for good around 7am. She takes a quick nap in the morning, a longer one in the early afternoon, and sometimes another quick one before dinner.
Avery has discovered she likes whatever someone else is eating. She gets a bottle when she wakes up, but if she sees me eating, she gets pretty sassy if I don't put her in her highchair, and either 1. Share what I am eating, or 2. give her some puffs (little cereal like baby snacks that dissolve in their mouth). In the evening she gets a fruit and vegetable of pureed baby food, and some baby cereal. She usually devours that in less that 5 minutes, and has small bites of whatever we may be having for supper. A fun snack we have found she really likes are whole wheat pancakes. I make a bunch at one time and then store them for snacks later on in the week. She can put down a pancake pretty quick!
Avery L-O-V-E-S loves Bumper. Every time she sees him she gets a huge grin on her face. ( Her grin by the way still contains two very adorable bottom teeth, we thought she was getting more, but they have yet to show themselves) When he lets her, she will grab his tail and put it in her mouth, (I know that is gross, but sometimes I like to watch how far he'll let her go....is that wrong??) pinch and pull out his fur, pick at his toes, and just give him an overall good beating. He loves eating the dropped pancakes and puffs, licking up her spit up (again, I know it's gross), and greeting her first thing in the morning. It's fun to think back at how we wondered how Bumper would react to Avery, and now watch and know they are great together.
Avery also loves Diego! Diego is Dora's cousin, and in my opinion, has better adventures and songs. At first I felt really guilty plopping her in front of the TV, but let's just say I'm over it. It gives me 30 minutes to get ready for work in the morning, and it is super fun to watch her watch it. She loves the music and is learning how to rescue exotic animals!
Speaking of music....she really likes it. She loves to dance around the living room with me. Right now our house is filled with lots of Christmas music, especially her Aunt Alli. The hands really go crazy when we turn Alli music on.
Avery is babbling a lot more. She indiscriminately says dada and mama. I will be the first to admit that dada comes out a lot more than mama. She definitely doesn't know for sure what she is saying, but we try to help her understand that we have titles. It's pretty rewarding to say, "where's daddy", and have her look at Jonathan and smile. Fluke or not, it melts our heart.
Since she started making sounds she has always had this growl, or pirate-type voice that she pulls out every once in awhile. You can be guaranteed to hear it when you put on her stocking cap. I had to get one that velcros under her chin so she couldn't pull it off, and she has a real opinion about the matter.
We went to her 9 month appointment today. Thankfully she didn't have to get any shots. She weighed in at 19lbs 13oz, and 28inches long. She is in about the 75 percentile for both. She was such a happy girl. She charmed the receptionist, the waiting room patients, both nurses, and of course Doc. I think I heard at least 5x, "what a doll". Every time someone would coo over her, she would flash them her cheesy grin. One dear old man talked to her for about 5 minutes, and told me how he had 7 sons and 1 daughter. WOW! The whole time he talked to us, she hammed it up for him. I'm hoping she likes old folks like I do and won't get the stranger danger scream.

Avery you are so much fun. You make us laugh everyday. Thank you for that twinkly smile, and precious giggle. I hope you enjoy your first Christmas as much as we have enjoyed seeing it through your eyes.

Thank You

2009-12-10T11:09:00.003-06:00

Thank you to the complete stranger, who this morning saw my husband working hard to clear the snow pile at the end of our driveway, and instead of letting Jonathan work tirelessly with a shovel, used the blade on his truck to remove the barrier. Thank you so much for saving my husband's back, what you did in less than a minute would have taken Jonathan far longer. It is people like you Mr. Stranger, that make this world a better place. Merry Christmas:)

Snow day

2009-12-09T10:28:00.006-06:00

We have had a pretty fun snow day. It is pretty incredible that U.S. Cellular was closed today, but I must say I was pumped!! The drifts in our driveway and backyard are pretty incredible. The city snow plow made a pretty big hill at the end of our driveway as well. We paid a high school boy, Michael Beckman, to come help us out.....it was SOOO worth it!

Bumper usually hops through the snow, so I wanted to get him on video bounding across our yard. He didn't bound or jump, he just wanted to find a place to go to the bathroom and get back inside! The drift on our patio table is huge, so huge, you would never know our halloween pumpkin is still sitting on the table:)

I have been trying to capture Avery doing her "hand thing" and her "trick" of shaking her head "no". So below are a couple examples of what our little girl is like most of the time!

She's ready, I'm not

2009-12-06T16:38:00.002-06:00

Avery is getting harder and harder to sit through church with. She loves loves loves worship. She sings (yells) along, kicks her feet, and does her hand thing. I feel like worship is equivalent to giving her a can of Mt. Dew. Once it's over, she's rearing to go. She doesn't stop talking, and refuses to sit still. I know it's possible. When I took her to California, she sat through six plane rides, no problem. There is something about the worship music, or church, or maybe even that time of day....she's crazy!

I never thought I would be that parent. The one who needs to take their child out, but doesn't. I want to be with her, and listen to the service. My ideal situation would be if we had a cry room, so she could be as loud as she wanted and I could still watch/hear the service, but we don't. So, the next option is the nursery.

We have a fantastic children's ministry, she loves being around other kids, but I'm just not ready. Selfish I know. Part of it (okay most of it) is that I work every other Sunday, so I don't get to see her much on those days, if she is in the nursery during church, that's less time we spend together. The other part is, she really loves worship, and I love watching her love it. There is nothing like great worship, and seeing the spirit move Avery as well.

It's a great dilemma to have. Maybe we will try one more week:)

The Santa Debate

2009-12-02T09:03:00.003-06:00

Jonathan and I generally balance each other very well. He is the yin to my yang. We are very different, but that is what makes us....well us. For the most part, we believe and support the same things, but every once in awhile, (well, maybe more frequently) we disagree.

The Santa Debate has been around since last year. Jonathan wants to communicate from the start that Santa is pretend in hopes of shifting the focus off the commercial aspects of the season, and creating more emphasis on Jesus. He can't remember ever truly believing in Santa, so the "magical" side of my argument, doesn't hold a lot of weight with him.

I, however, believed until I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. After asking around, this was pretty old. I loved looking for the glow of Rudolph's nose on the way home from church. I would get SO excited when sights of Santa's sleigh were reported during the weather. The magic of thinking there was someone who flew around the world in one night, was super fun.

I would like Avery to experience the "magic", but how do I know what she wants. What if we let her believe Santa is real, and she hates us for it??? (Dramatic I know:) I can't get a good read on her, the picture above sends mixed signals. She was definitely intrigued, but convinced, I'm not so sure.

Now don't get me wrong...I want Avery to know (as much as any of us can) the magnitude of Jesus' love. I want her to know why we celebrate, and realize the gift of Christ we were all given. Is this possible when Santa is involved? I would like to think so, but how do you go about that?

How did your parents go about this? What do you and your families do? If you don't have kids yet, what do you plan to do? This parenting things ain't alwasy easy:)

The first mile

She does exist! Eisley 3,4, and 5 months:)

Where's my corona?

Jay Leno or snowgirl?

I don't even know what to title this....

That could have been bad...

The "C" word

Boycott

Worth it?

2 months and loving life!

Month 1....getting to know you......

The Lion King

My 2.5 year old

Eisley Kate

Two Great Guys

39 weeks

Dear Katie

Nesting?

Coming Home

Whew...it's been awhile:)

Let's Get This Party Started!!!!

An Exciting Surprise, with a Comical Ending

Mi Madre

Cloth Diapers

If I could keep it to 10, this would be in the top 10

Bedtime Prayers

Mark 10:13-20 (New International Version, ©2011)

The Little Children and Jesus

The sins I have committed against my second child.....

Avery's Second Year

The First Trimester

Big News!

Bobcat Pride

Is there anything more perfect??

A very good day indeed

The cutest picture to come out of this Christmas season.....

The Christmas Card that wasn't meant to be......

Avery Rogers

Irony

Shutterfly

Avery! Avery! Avery!

Some of my favorite things:)

No Diggity, I got to bag it up

update

Where are you?

5 Years/18 Months

Junk

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Moving??

Looking for a great house in CF, or maybe know someone who is??

If yes, then check out the site below!

https://sites.google.com/site/509divisionst/Thanks for passing the word on to friends and family who might be interested!

Just can't get enough

A new toy!

Why? Because I can:)

Where's the beef?

Just to name a few.......

Vacation?? YES PLEASE!!

The Great Debate

VaCaTiOn!!!!

Mommy:)

New Life and the Essence of my Heart

Confessions

New Camera!

A bonified walker!!

Mi Padre

What's Blog-worthy?

No Daddy!

The last few days

Avery's 1st Year

Bathtime Giggles

EASTER!

13 Months Old

Looks Can Be Deceiving

GO PANTHERS!!

OnE yEaR oLd!!!!

The first year

Confession

A Librarian's Dream

Polka Dot

https://sites.google.com/site/509divisio
nst/

Thanks for passing the word on to friends and family who might be interested!