The small things & the LOUD things...

4 months old
How fast she is growing. It is like one day Kendra woke up and decided, I am going to move more than I have ever before. She is doing 180s in her crib. The new wedge is helping her out a little, but she was more of a still baby. I always thought how nice it was that I could lay her on her mat, get a glass of water, come back and she'd be in the same place. Not anymore. She shakes and moves all over. I can't believe the little 8 pound baby that was in my tummy 4 months ago is getting so big and changing so fast! We are enjoying every moment of her life and can't wait to watch her get bigger!

Kendra has found her voice! It is so amazing how much more she likes to let everyone know she is here! She loves to lay on her changing table and sing! Daddy and I think she has an amazing voice and will be on American Idol when she is old enough! She does not like to be left alone, even for one minute. The second we are out of her sight, she sings, loudly! It is wonderful that she loves to makes noises and hear herself! I am sure she is going to be like her mommy and talk a lot, especially since it has already started to out talk her daddy!

5 Things

Kristie tagged me, so since I was going through my blog I thought I would do this!!!
1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
Wow, 10 years ago I was in high school. Probably sleeping in on a Saturday morning after a football game or basketball game. I was looking into colleges for the next year. My life 10 years ago was a lot less busy and not so many responsibilities! Wow how things have changed.

2. What five things are on your to-do list today?
1. Go to a MOMS sale in Chaska with my mom
2. Put Winnie the Pooh picture up in Kendra's room
3. Play with Kendra
4. Make pumpkin bars
5. Spend some much needed time with Tom

3. Snacks you enjoy
Well, I love trail mix, but it has to be made with real M&Ms otherwise they don't taste right! Granola bars and fruit cups would be a couple more!

4. Places you have lived
Marengo, Prior Lake, Jordan, Mankato, Eau Claire, Marengo, Jordan

5. What are five things you would do if you were a billionaire
1. Become a stay at home mom - the best job in the whole world!
2. Buy an RV so that Tom and I could travel and not have to ride in an airplane - he hates them.
3. Go to Hawaii
4. Have child number two!
5. Buy myself a great new wardrobe not feeling the least bit guilty about deserving it.

Way too long....

So, I started this blog because I was pregnant and wanted to keep everyone up to date on how things were going, but I wasn't that great at keeping up on the posts! I should just have Kristie do my blog posts! So, as everyone knows, Kendra was born and is doing amazing. She is almost 4 months old:) She is a super happy baby and makes me smile everytime I see her, even at 3 am. Tom is very proud of his daughter as well. He doesn't see her much during the week, but when he does his eyes are filled up with joy!

There is so much that has happened in her 4 months of life and I am sure I will share some of those things throughout her life, so I will not make this a long post, but just know we are very happy with our lives with our little girl! I will try to update this more often to keep everyone informed of her growth and our lives!

Another catch up post!

So, last Friday Tom and I went to Breastfeeding 101 class. We did learn somethings, but 3 hours was too long for me on a Friday night after work. Tom enjoyed the class to some extent. He learned how to burp a baby correctly:) At the place where we took the class, I wouldn't recommend it. The information that we needed we could have learned in 30 minutes, but oh well, I know how to breastfeed!

So, last weekend Brent & Kristie moved all of their belongings out of our spare rooms downstairs. It was amazing how much stuff fit in 2 little rooms! Tom shampooed the rooms Saturday night so that we could get the bedroom furniture in there so that we would have room for everyone to stay when they came down for the baby shower this weekend. I realized why we didn't mind having there stuff stored in that room, we don't have much to go in them!

Instead of spending time getting the downstairs organized on Sunday, we planted flowers. We have had peonies and hastas since my parents lived there, but I haven't planted anything since because I hate bees. Then dad called on Sunday and asked if we would like some mulch for our house and I of course said "Sure" not knowing that it would take an entire day to plant flowers and put mulch down. It took a while, but it was well worth it because everything looks so nice now. Let's just hope I can keep them alive.

Kendra is doing well and her heartbeat is strong. She is causing me pain in my sternum, but at least she is still letting me sleep through the night. She doesn't move around a ton except after I eat something cold, then she is all over. I think she is getting ready to join us outside of the womb! She moves around when her daddy talks to her! We are very excited for the second part of our journey with Kendra. Only 6 weeks to go!

Better Late then Never!!!

Well, it seems I haven't blogged in a while...so I had some time today to catch all of you up on my exciting life! I had to go out of town to Breezy Point for 4 days for work in the middle of May and stay at a very nice hotel and eat lots of food. It was great, except that I still had to work and longer hours than normal. I am on a committee for the Clerical Conference of MN and it was lots of fun, but that is when I lost my ankles. After being on my feet from 7 am until 8 pm I no longer could see my ankles. It was a sad day:( Hopefully after the baby is born I will have ankles again.

While I was up there I started having "menstrual cramps" which the doctor told me when I got back were brackston hicks contractions. They are fine, but still not enjoyable. So, I was told to rest and keep my feet up. So, that is what I did all of Memorial weekend! It was great. I haven't had 3 days straight to spend with my husband and relax in a very long time. He was bored sitting in the house relaxing, so he mowed lawn, which was fine by me, then I could watch GSN without someone complaining about the old shows. Kendra enjoyed having relaxation time as well. She started moving around much more. Tom finally was able to see her moving around. It was crazy. It feels so wonderful and weird at the same time.

Baby Classes

Tom and I were not going to take birthing classes because we figured we would figure it out when it happened, but last weekend we signed up to go Friday and Saturday. They would give us good information and we would get a tour of the birthing facility, so we thought it would be nice. It was a long 2 days, but worth it. There was SO much information that Tom nor I are going to remember, but the breathing techniques will hopefully help.

First, I think I should have seen the birthing video before we decided to get pregnant. I don't really know how in the world I am going to do that part. I think I was in denial hoping that it would be quick, easy and painless, but after watching the video, I don't think that is reality. I know, everyone tells you that it could be really long or short or somewhere in between. I was just thinking that I would be quick, wishful thinking. As I watched the woman in the video walk around, cringing in pain, and then having to push the child out, looks like a lot of work, but well worth it.

Second, I don't know what I am going to do about the epidural. I know it would make it easier, but after hearing about some of the issues, I am not sure how I feel about getting one. I am a wuss, so I will probably get it, but I am actually going to try without one. Wish me luck on that one!!!

Finally, I love the hospital we are going to deliver at. We get our own, big rooms with a chair that folds out very nicely for Tom to sleep in. The nurses seem very nice and the place is very clean and big. It should be a wonderful experience. Too bad they won't let us bring dogs there so that Summer could share in the experience with us. Good thing she can stay at Grandma & Grandpa's.

Slumber Party!

On Thursday night my mom and I went to stay at my sister-in-laws house the night before the City Wide Woodbury Garage Sales and have a slumber party with my niece Mallory. I was very excited to spend some time with the 2 of them. Mallory was very excited to get to have us spend the night and have popcorn with us. She was a bit more excited to have grandma over for the night than me, but it was still a good time. We had popcorn and got our list ready for where we were going to go the next morning.

Kristie, my mom and I went to garage sales from 8-12. We told Mallory we were going to run boring errands so that she wouldn't want to go with. It is harder to bring children along when you are going to garage sales. I got quite a few things for Kendra and some free maternity clothes for myself. It is so busy when you go there on Friday morning. All of the people looking for the same great deals as us. Everyone bought a few things so that was nice!

We then went back to Kristie's to eat lunch and spend some time with Mallory. She was more excited to spend time with me that afternoon. We played in her play room as she told me a wonderful story about going to Hawaii. Out of the blue, as she was putting on one of her many necklaces she said "This necklace is from Hawaii".
Quite surprised I asked "Have you ever been to Hawaii?".
Mallory replied "Yes, my daddy took me there a long time ago".
I asked "Really? Didn't your mommy go?"
Her answer "No, she went to a boring place where other mommies go".
She is just so funny and her imagination is so great. I love to hear her stories, but now I start to wonder when is she telling me the truth!

It was a great day and we had a lot of fun.