And We'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun...

We had a great time over the weekend visiting friends in ND.  We've known these two couples since college, and this is the 5th year in a row that we've gotten together in the fall.  It's a great tradition, and we all look forward to it every year.  Three kids have joined the six adults, and two more are on the way!  Brooke and Melissa and I were in a little shop with the three kids, and a lady commented, "It feels like a daycare in here!"  Just wait til next year, lady!

The guys did little else besides shoot guns.  They shot over 1000 shotgun shells, plus bullets in their rifles.  That's a lot of shooting!  We women did little bit of shopping, a little swimming, a little cooking, and a lot of visiting.

Busy Fall!

Well, I guess it is obvious how much less time I have now that I am back to work.  It's been a really long time since I've sat down to blog!  Yikes.  And besides just work, this month has been crazy all around.  We've literally traveled east, west, north and south.  Oh, I said this month.  I guess it was last month now.  September is over already!

What a beautiful fall it has been so far.  The leaves are gorgeous, and the weather has been so nice.  I decided today that it was time to take the girls out and get some pictures in the leaves like I try to do at least once each fall.  What a fun time!

 

 

 

How blessed I am!

Our moms' Bible study has started back up, and it is so great to get together with all those lovely ladies twice a month.  I come away feeling so refreshed!

Kyla continues to amaze us with the things she comes up with.  This morning she informed me that she had one naughty hand and one nice hand.  I think I know exactly what she means.  Sometimes I feel the same way.  On one hand and in one minute, I can be sweet and kind.  Then on the other hand, in the very next minute, I say something harsh that I soon regret.

A week or so ago, we were coming home from a trip.  Kyla was being very fussy and whiny.  I told her she needed to stop crying, and she retorted, "Me no like you!"  Oh-ho!  Bryan asked, "Do you like me?"  "No!" came her pouty reply.  "Well," I asked, "who do you like?"  "Rowdy!"

"Okay," we told her, "if you like Rowdy better than Mommy and Daddy, you can go sleep in Rowdy's house (the barn) tonight."  She thought about it for a bit.  "Dirt in there," she says.  "You can sleep on some hay," we answered.  She thought again and then announced, "Brush teeth first!"

So we got home and got teeth brushed.  Then we told her it was time to take her blankie and go out to the barn to sleep with Rowdy.  She wanted Bryan to carry her, but he told her she had to go out by herself because he was going to sleep inside.  He let her out the door (and by this time, it was very dark outside).  She walked out and soon started wailing.  We thought the gig was up.  "What's wrong, Kyla?"  "Open door!" she wailed, pointing at the barn.  Oh how hard it was not to burst out laughing.  So Bryan took her all the way out to the barn and opened the big, heavy door for her.  She pointed at the hay where Rowdy sleeps and asked, "that hay?"  "Yes, that's where you have to sleep."  Boy, did she call our bluff.  Bryan had to grab her right before she laid down in Rowdy's icky pile of straw with her blankie.  Back into the house they came.  That'll teach us!

A first this year is that harvest is completely over before October 1st!  Guys say they have never seen a year like this before where harvest was finished or nearly finished this soon.  Normally, we are just getting started about this time.

One day I got the pleasure of taking food out to the field for the guys when Kathy was out of town.  It was a good chance for Kyla to see her daddy for a little bit, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

A few weeks ago, the girls and I got a chance to go up to Groton to visit my grandparents.  It was the first time they'd seen Kamryn, and we greatly enjoyed our visit.  Kyla had a blast looking through all the toys, many of which I remember playing with as a child!  I am so thankful I have the chance to share my children with my grandparents!

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes a 2-Year-Old Decide to ... Act Like a 2-Year-Old??

Yesterday was a chaotic day around our house.  I got a bushel of tomatoes from the colony that I was originally planning on putting off until next week.  After a very productive day on Tuesday, I decided I would just get them done before we left for vacation today.

I was planning on getting them done yesterday.  I thought I would only have one child.  I figured I would be home the whole day.

Figures and thoughts are sometimes wrong.

Daddy's Little Helper

Daddy has been busy building a picnic table for us!  And Kyla has been busy helping him in the evenings.

A Clean Routine

So I referenced it a week or so ago in a post.  Swish n Swipe.  Shine your sink.  These are lessons I learned from the Fly Lady's website.  (http://www.flylady.com)

It's a great place to go if you're interested in being more organized and blessing your family with a clean house.

We've Really Got to Stop Meeting Like This

It seems like the only time I blog anymore is after hours.  After the hours that I should be awake, that is. 

In other words, I should be sleeping right now.  I'd really like it if I were.

A couple of days ago, while I was getting dressed, Kyla pointed at my tummy and said, "Another Kamryn in there?"  I said, "Do you want another Kamryn?"  "Out later!" was her emphatic answer.  Good plan.  I think one is quite enough for the moment.

Tired...Too Tired to Come Up with a Title for This Post

At what point do your eyes just involuntarily shut and remain that way no matter what?  I think that time is approaching.

This has been one very long day...following one very short night.  Due to baby, pumping, pain, and anxiety, I slept approximately 2 1/2 hours last night total.  My alarm was set for 4:45 so that I could be up and out of the house by 6 to be at the hospital by 6:45.  I woke at 4:24 after a sweat-drenching dream and knew there was to be no more sleep for me.

From the Mouth of a Two-Year-Old

Sleep?  Who needs it?

I sure could use some, but my younger princess seems to think I would be better off hanging out with her for now.  So here we sit...just the two of us...and our running water.

I find it somewhat funny that everything I read about mastitis says to make sure to get plenty of rest.  Who gets mastitis?  Mothers with infants!!  Ironic, huh?

Cows and Horses and Elephants

So it was off to the rodeo last night!  Kyla was so excited!  We were talking about it in the afternoon, and I asked her what kind of animals she was going to see there.  "Cows!  Horses!  Elephants!"  Sorry, Honey...no elephants.

We met Bryan when he got off work and went to get ice cream.

Late-Night Ramblings

It's 11:16 p.m.  I'm tired.  I want to be in bed.  And dreaming.  Of ice cream.  Or just ice.  Or even cool water.  Anything besides these 103 degree days.

Speaking of cool water, I'm off to go get my jug.

Okay, I'm back.

Daily Adventures

Ahh, a moment of quiet around here!  Kyla's asleep; Kamryn's awake but not crying (which will probably change before I get this posted), and I'm finally sitting down to a nice lunch of BBQ pork, coleslaw, and baked beans.

We were on our way to church this morning when I happened to look in the visor mirror.  Ugh!  I forgot to put on makeup today!!  Haha.  Let's hope it really is true that when you've got a baby, everyone just looks at her and doesn't really notice you.  On the up side, we were on time and even early.  We were all dressed and had shoes on, although Kyla's were on the wrong feet.  I made waffles for breakfast, and Kamryn was also fed.  Our bed was made, and the table was cleared.  Ok, so not so bad, maybe.  Who needs makeup?

A Busy Weekend!

It's been a busy couple of weeks!  I can hardly believe Kamryn is already 3 weeks old!  Such a cliche, but where does time go?

I was spoiled for an entire week by my Mom who came to visit and help all last week.  What a HUGE help that was!!  Whether it was holding a fussy Kamryn while I took a nap or going swimming with Kyla in the kiddie pool or washing my dishes at 9:00 at night or running to the far side of Wal-Mart to pick out teal toenail polish for the wedding so that we can get to the doctor appointment on time, she was right there doing whatever needed done.  Thanks, Mom!!  Look at her...she doesn't look old enough to be a Grandma twice over, does she?

On Friday, we left early for Sioux Falls.  Our first stop was the hospital to meet baby Addisyn, born just 15 days after Kamryn!  Brad and Des were at our house for supper on the 4th when Des's water broke shortly before supper.  They even stayed for supper before heading for the hospital!

Then we went to "Great-Grandma's house" to introduce Kamryn to my grandma.  She was so happy to meet Kamryn and spend some time with her great-granddaughters!

Later that evening, Kamryn got to meet her Aunt Hannah, too!

The big day of Andrew and Skye's wedding was the next day.  We got to the church about 10:45, and Kyla got her hair done.  She sat so well for it without a bit of bribery!

What a beautiful little princess she was!  The next task was to occupy her until pictures, which didn't start until about 2:30.  Once again, it was Grandma to the rescue!

I was expecting it to happen at any time, and on Saturday it did.  Kyla took up nursing her baby doll!  What a little character!

Papa was also on hand to entertain.  He did a great job of keeping Kyla laughing.

Then it was time for the dress!  Oh, the dreaded dress!  Kyla was not so sure about it to begin with, but she warmed up to it and broke it in good by the end of the night.

 What a perfectly gorgeous little flower girl she was!!  I couldn't have been prouder!

Of course, not forgetting the youngest member of our family, Kamryn looked stunning in her tiny little dress and headband as well.  :)

She was so serious as she walked up the aisle.  She was supposed to walk to the front row then sit down.  However the other flower girl walked all the way to the top of the stage before going to sit, so that's what Kyla did, too.  As she began her walk up the three steps, she stepped onto the bottom of her dress with both feet.  Not wanting to put down her basket, she had one hand left to try to maneuver.  She could neither stand up nor move her feet up the next step.  Finally, she looked up at her daddy who was a groomsman and said, "Help!"  He rescued her and then sent her back to go sit down.  She had forgotten to drop her flower petals, so she chucked them all out in fistfuls when she joined her grandparents in the front row.

And...that was as long as she lasted.  Shortly into the wedding, Kyla had a huge meltdown.  I was videotaping, or I'd have grabbed her and taken her out of the church.  As it was, it was yet again Grandma to the rescue.  Mom took her out of the sanctuary into an adjoining room where Kyla fell asleep after a few requested "sings" from Grandma. 

By the time the reception was underway, Kyla had gotten her second wind.  She had a blast at the table with Aunt Hannah playing with the little slimy bouncy decoration balls in the rose bowl at the center of the table.

Her daddy took her dancing...or something.  Whatever, she loved it!

Oh, how tired a girl...and oh, how dirty her feet!

Adjusting to Two

Our precious little bundle (the newer one of the two, that is) is now 6 days old!  Today is my first day at home since she was born, and it really feels like I just had a baby.  It's nearly noon, and I haven't even showered yet.  The bed isn't made.  Last night's dishes aren't washed.  There's a pile of towels on the floor that need to be folded or hung.  And I'm not even stressed about it!  Bryan would tell me I'm making progress!
Kamryn apparently has a lot of tummy troubles at night and likes to be cuddled when she isn't feeling well...or something.  At any rate, she didn't allow me much sleep other than a short half-hour snooze before 3 am.  I had a headache that continued to build as the night wore on.  It's still in place this morning, but at least Kamryn is no longer getting mad every time I lay her down.

So, going back to the continuing saga of Kamryn Joy.  Here she was, all ready to leave the hospital!

We arrived home on Friday afternoon after picking up Kyla from my aunt's house.  I was talking to her on the way home and asked if she wanted a cookie when we got home.  She said, "No cookie!  Play with baby!"  She was ready to make friends with this new little person.  One problem:  she thought baby should play toys and walk as soon as we got home!

I'm afraid Kamryn wasn't as enthused about playing with "baby toys" as was her big sister. 

I had to wake Kamryn to eat during her first night at home.  What a good baby! 
I was doing great on Saturday.  Only 16 hours after arriving home from the hospital, Bryan and I packed up our girls and headed to Winner for the day.  After we were in the vehicle and headed south, Bryan said, "I'm proud of you."  I asked, "Why?"  "Because you left the house a mess!"  LOL.  I'm grateful to have a husband who looks at it that way!

Bryan's mom and grandma met us in Winner so that they could meet Kamryn.

We captured a 4-generation shot ...

... and our first family picture!

Then we went to a wedding reception at the park for a good friend from high school.  It was great to catch up with a lot of my high school friends.  I heard everything from "You're crazy!" to the more complimentary, "You're amazing!" in regard to my bringing a 3-day-old baby all that way.

We arrived home fairly exhausted but otherwise great.
Sunday morning, I dressed Kamryn in her pretty little dress for church.

Big Sister and Little Sister on Kamryn's first Sunday.

Yesterday, Bryan headed off to work; and I had my first day alone with the two girls.  Kamryn apparently didn't like what she'd had to eat the night before and had kept me up from 11-2 the night before.  So I started the day pretty tired.  She had her first doctor visit at 1:30.  Of course it would be right in the middle of Kyla's nap time!

We got to town about 15 minutes early, and I needed to return an item at Kmart.  I figured I had time to do that before going to the clinic.  Kyla had just fallen asleep, so I had to wake her up.  I finally got her out of the Tahoe, but she immediately decided she did not want to go in the store.  She climbed back inside and laid on the floor crying.  I begged and pleaded and bribed a treat before finally convincing her to get back out and go inside.  Once she was out, I got Kamryn out; and we headed inside.  We made it about half way to the door before Kyla decided she was not going any further without being carried.  Already carrying Kamryn in her car seat and my purse, there was no way I could also carry Kyla.  I'm not even supposed to lift her, let alone carry her.  At any rate, we stood there in the middle of the parking lot for several minutes, Kyla screaming and me resorting to every begging and pleading method I could think of.  Finally, I checked the time and realized I no longer had time to go into the store.  So I told her we could go back to the vehicle.  Then she changed her mind and screamed because she wasn't going to get a treat in the store.  Finally I had to leave her where she was and take Kamryn back to the vehicle.  I returned for Kyla and picked her up, kicking and screaming, and carried her to her car seat where I had to fight every ounce of her little body to get her buckled.

Frazzled, I drove to the clinic.  By then, Kyla had calmed down.  I went to get her out of the car seat and could not find her shoes.  That's when I remembered her kicking them off in the Kmart parking lot.  Too late to go back there now!  So, Kyla had to go into the clinic with no shoes.  At this point, I was very near tears myself.  When we got into the clinic, I had to fill out all the paperwork for Kamryn...paperwork that they gave me in the hospital and that I had already completed...and left at home.  Once in the examination room, I realized that the purse I'd left in the car to cut back on things to carry contained my camera...so no 1st-doctor-visit photos for Kamryn!  The doctor mentioned something about me bringing both girls out, and I noted that we were already down two shoes.  She laughed and said that I would soon discover that as long as I got all the bodies to the right place, I was doing good.  Next, Kamryn had to go to the hospital to get blood drawn, so off we went, my little shoeless toddler in tow.  Amazingly, when we went back to Kmart and inquired within, someone had turned in two little ladybug flip flops.
We hit ShopKo next with no real disasters.  Our last stop was Walgreen's.  They had cereal and milk on sale.  They don't have carts.  I carried Kamryn and my purse with one arm, which left one arm open for 3 boxes and 1 bag of cereal and a gallon of milk.  Not going to happen.  I asked Kyla if she could hold 2 boxes of cereal.  She willingly agreed, then left them lying in the middle of the floor and ran off.  Again, totally frazzled, I eventually got half of my items to the front counter, left them, and returned for the other half.  Meanwhile, Kyla is running the length of the store at will.  She even got yelled at by one fatherly figure who told her to "Stay with your mommy!!"  Ugh...can you tell I'm new at this?
When we got home, I counted bodies.  3.  All living and breathing.  We made it!

Kamryn's First Couple of Days

I am really so glad we chose to do the induction.  Everything went so well, and we had a great hospital stay!!

Dad made it early Thursday morning, and he brought Kyla with him.

Labor Day!

Wednesday, June 20

Here it is!  By the end of the day, I get to hold my little baby in my arms instead of in my tummy!!

Pre-Baby Thoughts

As I sit here on Day 269 of my pregnancy, I have many thoughts rolling around my head as I think about this baby who is rolling around (or trying, I think) inside my belly.

38 Weeks, 3 Days and Counting!

I had my 38-week checkup on Tuesday.  Two weeks prior, I was dilated to a 3 after being on bedrest.  Surely two weeks of activity had progressed me to at least a 5!  However, my body must have known better.  A couple nights before my appointment, I had a dream that my doctor checked me and reported that my cervix had closed back up entirely.  I told him about this dream, and he laughed and assured me that couldn't happen.  (He said he did tell that jokingly to one mom who promptly burst into tears.  Apparently he doesn't use that joke anymore.)  At any rate, when he checked me, I was still only a 3.  Bummer!  He asked if I was set on going naturally or if I wanted to be induced.  I told him I really wanted to go into labor naturally with this one.  (I was induced with Kyla.)  He said that was just fine, but he warned me that he will be out of town on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th.  (I'm due the 26th.)  Ugh.

LOVE weekends like this!

It's been a GREAT weekend.   I'm too tired to write many words; but if pictures are truly worth 1000 words, then I guess this will be a long post.  :)

Kyla and I went rummaging early Saturday morning.  I found A LOT of clothes, which was truly a blessing!  My best find was at the last stop.  They had a special going:  $3 for a grocery sack of items.  I stuffed everything you see in the above picture into one sack.  38 items!!  When I couldn't find anything more for Kyla, I picked up some baby boy clothes, just in case, since we obviously have lots of baby girl clothes.  Thank you, God, for rummage sale deals!

Saturday afternoon, Kyla and I went down to my good friend Desiree's house so that Kyla and Lexi could play in Lexi's new water toy.  The water was cold, but they had a BLAST!

Des and I sat close enough to put our feet in the water, which was enough for us!  The girls sure played hard and had so much fun together.

Kyla must have been worn out; she napped for nearly 4 hours this afternoon.  I finally woke her up at 5:00!  By then, she was ready to go back outside.  So Daddy built us a nice little bonfire, and Kyla enjoyed many a tasty roasted marshmallow!




It was such a beautiful evening and a great end to a wonderful weekend!  Thanks, Daddy, for building a bonfire for us!!

And now I wonder, by this time next week, will there be another little person in the house??