It's been awhile...

It sure has been a long time since I have been back to blog. Mostly because I find other things to do with my time, I'm too tired to blog or it could account for the fact that I couldn't remember my log in information. It has almost been a full year since my last post.

We have had a great year indeed! Most all of our weekends are spent at our beautiful cabin. I feel so lucky to have a husband with talent and imagination, making a fantastic place for us to get away to on the weekends. Both of the kids love going there too and we all look forward to our time in Wisconsin.

Back in Minnesota, I am still working at the group home as the Program Director for Enrich. Things are going well and I am planning my trip to Disney World with them in January. This will be my third year going and it is a magical time! I just wish Mike and the kids could be there to join me. Stella would get a kick out of seeing the princesses.

As for the kids, Estella is still a little peanut. She is intelligent and ahead on so many levels. She loves playing games, drawing, painting and most of all dancing. We didn't put her in dance this summer as we did last year, but she has been begging to go to dance class. She loves to get dressed up in a "pretty dress" and dance to music. I have some classical Cd's and she dances as though she is the princess from Swan Lake. I told her that when she turns four, we will put her in ballet. I think she will retain more from it at that time and they will do more techniques rather than running around, as her last dance class did. So I swear she is on countdown mode as to when she turns four and then can take ballet. She has been in daycare part time since last September and has made many friends. It is a nice way for her to socialize and gives me a little more flexibility with my work.


Weston on the other hand stays home with me and he is the most active child of all. He is into EVERYTHING! Just after his first birthday, he started to walk. Ever since then, he doesn't just walk, but runs, climbs and about gives me a heart attack going from one thing to the next. He is still a happy kid and thinks he is the funniest. Mike and I might have to agree. He already has a comedic flair and purposefully tries to do things to make us laugh. Sometimes I will just burst out laughing and then he starts laughing louder, just to make me laugh harder. We call him a Goon! He is sweet and loves giving kisses and hugs and adores Stella. His first big word was "STELLA" and we would hear it ALL the time. Now his favorite thing to do is to say hi to anyone and everyone and watch them turn and say "Oh HI!" He is such a little attention seeker. But then again, so is Stella. We got a couple of hams on our hands.

I am so thankful that the kids get along and play quite well together. They have their occasional fights here and there over things but they are pretty good overall. Stella really tries hard to be a good big sister. The biggest challenge on sharing is who gets to sit with Mommy or have Mommy hold them or Daddy etc. Weston is a Mommy's boy and gets jealous if I am snuggling with Stella. I try to be good about holding both of them but Weston likes to push Stella out of my arms. lol They both are so sweet and loving that I find plenty of time to snuggle with both my children.

This weekend we celebrated Thanksgiving and Peter's 18th Birthday. YIKES! I am feeling old. We went to Grandpa Reuben's and then to my sister Heather's. Mike got his buck on the opener of deer hunting season but didn't fill his doe tag. Partly because he didn't get as many days out as he would have liked. But he had fun all the same. I was excited to see my friend Jess and go out with her for an evening of fun. She and Ian were back up from South Carolina for the holiday so I was glad to take up some of her time while they were here. We would like to take a trip to visit them sometime this spring. I also got to do a little after Thanksgiving shopping with Heather and Hannah and picked up some Christmas gifts for the family. Other than that, we spent most of our time at the cabin relaxing and it was WONDERFUL! I love being there and already am looking forward to next weekend.

Deb

Estella

My sweet little girl,

You are beautiful inside and out. I love the way you play hide and seek but are not very good at hiding because you give yourself away when you laugh and giggle. You give ear kisses and bunny kisses. You love to read and to be read to. I think you could be an actress because you remember the stories and recite them out loud. Even though you don't have much for hair, you enjoy when I put barrettes or a headband in it. You love to dress up and have me paint your nails. You tell me I look pretty when I am doing my makeup or hair and tell me I smell good when I spray on my perfume. Then I spray a little on you so you can smell good too. You are so helpful to me. You try so hard to help care for your baby brother and run to get diapers or a pacifier if it is needed. You love him so much and it shows through his smiles when he sees you.
I think it is so cute when you say "I tooted" even though it isn't very polite for a little girl to do. When you wake up, you sneak into my bed and snuggle under the covers. My favorite thing about you is your kindness. Even when you are naughty, you look at me with your teary eyes and say "I'm sorry Mommy" and make my heart melt. I could never be mad at you for very long because I love you so much. I love the way that you remember songs and sing them over and over and over and over...and your dancing makes me grin.
When you were just over a year we took you to Disney World. There was a whole audience watching a band playing music. Before long, the audience wasn't watching the band anymore. Instead, they were watching this tiny baby girl dancing down the middle of the street. You didn't even look back to see if I was there. You just knew I was and you were so bold. You walked all the way up in front of the stage and kept dancing. It was so cute.
Another time, when you were a few months old, a woman came up to me in Wal-Mart. She told me "Your baby is special. She just glows. She will do something wonderful." I believe so too. I think that God has a huge plan for you and I am amazed at how my small, little girl could have such a big spirit inside of her. I pray for you everyday. I pray that you stand up for your beliefs and for your Faith. I pray that you continue to grow to love the Lord. Be bold, be outspoken, be loving and kind. I pray that you know right from wrong and make good choices. I pray that you have a love for people and give yourself to help others. You are my baby and I am so proud of you already. You are a blessing to me.

Love,

Mom

Weston

My baby boy,

You are my little bundle of joy. I have only known you for just a few months but you could have been a part of this family from the start. I couldn't imagine what life was like without you in it! Just now, you are showing your little character and it is a character indeed. You seem to know just what makes me laugh and smile and when I need both. You are so happy. You squeal and laugh, giggle and give me the "hey mom, it's gonna be OK" type grin. I told your Dad that his expectations of a quiet giant of a kid wouldn't quite work in this family, especially with Stella as your sister and me and your dad for your parents. So it is understandable that you are already babbling away and doing so with so much presence.
You snuggle next to me and want to be held close. I really love that about you. As you grow, you show more personality. At the moment you are just rolling over, beginning to sit by yourself, eat baby food, sleep through the night and grasp things or reach for things you want. You have this tendency to grasp my hair whenever you can and MAN you have a grip! I think I may have developed a bald spot. You do this, especially when nursing. I think it is a way of comfort because as long as you have it or my finger, you are calm.
I will be praying for you to grow into a man of integrity and a man of faith. I want so many things for you, but most of all for you to know the Lord and to live your life through his word. I love you my son. Each day with you is a blessing.

Love,

Mom

A new year

As we get near to the end of 2009, I must say that it has been a pretty good year.

I am thankful for my family. Mike and I have had our ups and downs and it has been a year of learning in our marriage. I am praying that 2010 brings over these learning experiences and unifies us as a couple. I think that life brings trials so that we experience areas of growth. If we never have hardships, do we really learn anything otherwise? I am learning everyday how to be a better wife and a better mother. Estella is two and I find myself wondering how I get by day to day without feeling completely exhausted. She is a tornado of energy and it is hard to keep up with her, but I manage to do so. She brings much happiness and joy and I am thankful for this bubbly child that God has blessed me with. My other blessing is Weston. What an amazing baby! God must have known that in order for me to keep up with Stella, I needed a baby that would be laid back and happy in demeanor. He seems to know that just a little raise of an eyebrow and open mouth smile melts my heart, because he does it regularly and at the most needed times.

I am thankful for still having a great job where I feel I make a difference in the daily lives of the people I serve. It is very rewarding, even on the most stressful days. I sometimes think that I need more free time or more opportunities to get out with friends, which I probably do, but I am at a place in life where being a homebody is ok with me. This job has made me grow into an adult and has shown me responsibilities over the lives of others, which prepared me for parenting more than I could have guessed. On the plus side, it has allowed for us to purchase our cabin, travel to new places, meet some amazing people and spend more time together as a family. I have the wonderful opportunity to stay home with my children as I work from home and Mike can choose his hours working on side jobs and at the cabin.

Finally, thanks be to God! How the Lord has shown himself through this year. Maybe it is a sign that I am growing in my faith. What once seemed so important has faded into the black and now in place is a light and warmth of God's love. Please Lord, give me the strength to live my life through you and let your love touch the heart's of those around me, so that they can come to know you too.

Things that I pray for 2010:
1. Closeness in my family. This being between my husband, my in-laws and my children.
2. One really good Christian friend who will be bold in their faith.
3. A church home base for fellowship.
4. Good health for family and friends. My grandma to recover from cancer.
5. Less stress in my job.
6. Self appreciation and self worth
7. For the lives of my family~keep my brother Shawn safe over in Afghanistan. My sister's marriage to be blessed. For my brothers' to find the love of the Lord. To renew the relationship with my sister.
8. To have financial freedom. Money is a heavy burden to everyone and I pray for ways to lessen this hardship.
9. Teaching my children to be obedient, loving and God serving people.

In these things, I give to you.

Love,

Deb

August pictures

I know that things are way behind on pictures and what not. I will just have to post things when I can. Here are a couple of miscellaneous pictures from this last August. Most were from when my Mom was up from Arizona. Weston is about 3 weeks in most of the pictures.


Weston Sleeping...zzz

My Little Estella Jean

These last 2 are from early on, about a week after he was born.

Computer Failure

I am posting a quick blog to let everyone know that we haven't fallen off the face of the Earth or anything but that we have just had some major technical difficulties with our computer. I have tried at least 3 times to post some pictures but it is so slow that the page defaults and then loses my pictures. Very sad. Luckily we are getting a new used computer today so I am hoping to transfer some pictures to show you Weston. Keep tuned in for more updates.

Deb

Top 10 List

As the date gets nearer for little Weston to make his big debut, I have started to get the labor jitters. It's not that I didn't have a great labor and delivery with Stella, because it did go great. I think it is because of all the horror stories I hear from everyone else and how "they" say no two labors will never be the same.

Here is my top 10 list of concerns that have been floating around in my head:

1. Healthy Baby- my biggest prayer is for a healthy baby boy. That's it. As long as he is healthy and makes it into this world safely, Mike and I can take care of the rest.

2. Healthy Mommy- I know that the risk is low, but a part of me gets so scared that something will happen to me during the pregnancy and I won't be there to see my children grow up. Again, prayers are the best remedy for this fear because I know that God will take care of me and my baby.

3. C-Section- This wouldn't be so bad because I know plenty of people who have had one. I am just a little nervous about the procedure and being put under since I have never had any major surgeries before.

4. Complications with the placenta- When Stella was born, I had trouble delivering the placenta and the cord snapped. I am praying that everything will go smoothly in this department. Again I do not want to have any surgeries.

5. Tearing! With Stella, I had a tear but not the common perineal tear but a labial tear, which was a painful recovery. I am freaking out about being ripped from one end to the other and it is not a pleasent thought at all!

6. Poop- yes I am literally afraid of shitting myself during labor! I know it is practically normal but what do I do if I make a mess all over the baby. Ahhh!

7. Breastfeeding- Again, this department was pretty good for me except for the fact that I got mastitis and suffered some serious swollen boobs. Along came the fever, the chills and the large lumps in my breasts that took a lot of massaging and anitbiotics to get rid of. I am not looking forward to the chapped or blistered nipples either. Hopefully I won't have either.

8. Pads and mesh undies- You know when you have a heavy period and you think "I might just have to wear a liner today with my tampon, just for the extra protection." Yeah, no tampons allowed after having a baby. Just super huge pads. These are the kind of pads that your Grandma would wear for her incontinence. And not only are they the super huge grandma pads where you think they will last a little while, no, they have to be changed almost hourly. And to make the deal even sweeter, they give you these lovely little mesh undies which don't hide your huge grandma pads at all or your new recently aquired huge ass.

9. Pee Bottle- This would be the little bottle that they give you to squirt yourself with while going pee. Thank God for this bottle because it would hurt like hell otherwise, but just the thought of having to use this bottle again makes me shiver.

10. No Sex! Self Explanatory Except who is really thinking about having sex after just having a baby except for a horny husband. :)