shelves

I have shelves!!! Last summer when we refinished the basement, we made a storage room...and I was promised shelves to put all our tubs/boxes/junk on. I told Josh I would give him one year...or I was going to buy shelves. It is almost a year later...but I now have shelves! When Keatin and I were in Omaha over the weekend, Josh produced shelves! I am SO excited...ok, maybe not excited enough to get all the stuff put back on them yet...but it will look glorious when they are all full and organized. I can't wait! :)







Also - random video of Keatin... We were having pizza for supper (her favorite) and she WAS dancing around singing about pizza...of course until I got the camera out...and then she did this. :)

leftover pics...and cleaning???

Here are a few "leftover" pics Grandpa Barber took over Father's Day weekend...

Also - it is a Monday morning...Keatin is over playing with her friends at Jessica's house...and I have decided to do a bit of cleaning before I head to aerobics. However, I have done a really poor job of keeping up with my cleaning...so the task is overwhelming!!! I hate it! How do other people stay on top of the cleaning at their house? Do you do one room/task a day...specific jobs for specific days of the week? Or do you just have a cleaning day??? I need help...give me your advice! :) :) AAHHH!!

we do things

I tell you what...some nights, by the time Keatin is in bed, it is all I can do to drag myself to the couch...or my bed. And sometimes it feels like - what have I done all day? Thank God for our camera...when I take pictures...and then I remember - oh yes, we HAVE been doing some fun things!

We go to Storm Lake to celebrate Father's Day... (I LOVE playing with my Grandpa Petersen's i-pad.)

Keatin, with all her "fathers"...

We help daddy pick cherries off our cherry tree...



I play in the sprinkler with daddy...

(Who likes the sprinkler more in this picture??)

My 2 "girls" watch Baby Einstein...with no pants!

We go to the Ames wading pool and play with some goggles a lady gave us...


Daddy buys me a slip and slide...

Daddy "plays" in the pool with me... (OK - I just die laughing at this picture...the man's version of playing in the pool.) :)

We walk around the house in funny slippers...

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Josh...




Since the first moment you held our daughter, fatherhood has truly fit you. I couldn't get my arms up to hold her in the delivery room...but I saw the undying love you wrapped her in.

Keatin loves you SO much. You bring joy, laughter, fun, and love to her life every day. God has certainly blessed me, Keatin, and whatever other children we have - you are an AWESOME dad. :)

in the last week

In the last week, here are a few of the things we have done...

Keatin and I went to a FANTASTIC birthday party last Saturday afternoon. It was for our babysitter's son, Xavier...he was turning 1. It was kid heaven there, and really what it reminded me of was kindergarten center time...only for toddlers. Jessica (our babysitter) had different stations set up around their backyard and I think Keatin would have played out there ALL DAY if I would have let her. Put this mommy to shame. :)


Logan and Keatin...they are day care buddies. I am told Logan has a crush on Keatin. :)



Keatin and the birthday boy (Xavier) at the sand table.


After Xavier's party, I had people over to our house for Josh's 30th birthday. Here I am cuddling with Jack...do I look ready to do this again???? :)


On Wednesday, I had a doctor's appointment for Baby Barber #2. Everything checked out good - heard the heartbeat right away (around 150) and I had lost 2 pounds (is it bad I was slightly happy about that)? :)

Yesterday, Josh and I took Keatin to the new Ames aquatic center. It is HUGE, but has a special area for smaller children like Keatin. Took her awhile to warm up, but then she loved it! We will be going back, I am sure. :)




Everyday battle at my house...Keatin wants to dress herself. This morning, she started putting her shorts on before I had even gotten her jammies off. Surprisingly, she has one leg in each leg hole (that doesn't usually happen). :)

Logan and Keatin at Xavier's party...

and then there were 4...

It has taken me a REALLY long time to get around to posting this...

But Josh and I wanted to let everyone know that Keatin is going to be a big sister. :)

I am over 13 weeks along, and actually have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. For now, the due date is December 18th...but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes slightly.

Again, for the 1st trimester, I was utterly EXHAUSTED. Am I the only pregnant woman this happens too??? I repeatedly thought to myself - is it humanly possible to be this tired???? Let me tell you...it is...for months on end to be exact. Seriously, if I could skip the 1st trimester of being pregnant, I might consider doing it more often. :)

That "feeling" is getting better...although I am still REALLY tired...but that is for reasons related to Miss Keatin. :)

Lots of people have asked and NO - we won't find out the sex again. Too much fun waiting. :) And YES - I will have another C-section...done deal.

(And Josh has not even mentioned taking belly pictures this time around - yipee for now, but I am sure he will get around to it sooner or later...) :)

~ Happy 30th Josh ~

Happy 30th Birthday Josh!

Thank you for choosing me for this journey called life...and keeping me afloat when I am too tired to hold my head up (which has happened a lot lately). :)

Thank you for...
cooking
changing poopy diapers when it is your turn
taking Keatin when you can tell I have had it up to you know where
telling me I look pretty, even when I don't
openly giving me and Keatin lots of hugs and kisses
loving your family
being so thoughtful of our finances
wearing a tutu on your head when Keatin wants to "dance"
grocery shopping with me (even without me sometimes)
making me smile and laugh every day :)

Keatin told Josh "hap be day" before he headed off to work. He has to work up at ISU orientation today...I am thinking Keatin and I should hop in the car and take some balloons to his station so all the incoming freshman can celebrate with him. :)

other things

We have indeed been doing other things besides wrestling Keatin into bed...although it doesn't feel that way sometimes.

On several occasions, Keatin and I have gone "swimming" in her pool. She loves doing this...and you know me, I love the sun. I am starting to work on a tan.

Small victories at bedtime last night... I bought those glow in the dark stars you stick on your ceiling and put those up before bedtime. In addition, I had bought some Elmo stickers. I talked to Keatin A LOT about being a big girl and staying in her Elmo bed...and if she went na-night without getting out of her bed, she would get a sticker. (You should have seen the acting job Josh and I were doing to build this up - the things parents do...) :) Anyways, we read a bunch of books and talked again about the sticker...turned off the lights and looked at the stars together...I sat at the foot of her bed (with the intention of moving slightly farther away each night)...and off to sleep she went! Didn't get out once, talked to herself for awhile, but was asleep within 20 minutes. And this morning...she remembered the sticker part! (Now, she woke up at midnight and 6 am...but Josh and I both decided that battle will still take time because of the no pacifier thing...so she still earned her sticker.) :)

Oh - and she did finally fall asleep yesterday at nap time...around 230...only slept for 1 hour. I think once she gets herself worked up, things go downhill fast from there. Got to stay calm...

nap

It is currently 2:05 pm. I have been trying to get Keatin to lay down for her nap since approximately 12:45 pm. I have taken her back to bed approximately 30 times. I will win this...

our nights

Sunday evening, we took the plunge. Keatin handed over her pacifiers to Baby Jack...and we have only wanted to turn back about 20 times. :) :)

Bedtime on Sunday...

Keatin asked for her "fires" as soon as we got out of the bathtub...reminded her we had given them to Jack...and lots of crying. We rocked as usual and read about 20 more books than usual...Daddy had to come in and read with us (which never happens)...we needed to kiss Crimson 5 times...and "on more kiss" from Daddy about 5 times. Eventually, I put in her in her crib crying...and Josh and I were going to give her 10-15 minutes. (By this point, it is probably close to 9...and she usually goes to bed at 8.) Roughly 3 minutes later...we hear the bedroom door open...she was mad enough and motivated enough...and she learned to crawl out of her crib. Josh was trying to stifle laughs, I was in shock, and Keatin just stood there in the hallway...I think surprised what she had just did. So, back into the bedroom we went...danced and rocked a bit...put her back in her crib crying...out she came a few minutes later again. I think Josh and I thought our lives as we knew them were over. :) Josh took her back in this time, laid her in her crib, and rubbed her back until she fell asleep...probably around 9:45 pm.

All night, I was restless...just waiting to hear her cry...but nothing until 5:30 am when Josh kicked me in the leg and said Keatin was out walking in the hallway. AAAHHHH! Found her in the kitchen and said it was still "na-night" time (although obviously the sun was coming up by this point). Put her in her crib and rubbed her back...she laid there, flopped around, and said Jack's name several times...but never fell back asleep.

Bedtime on Monday...

At school on Monday (my last day), I tell everyone about my evening...and Chris (my principal, who has been telling me for months we can have their toddler bed) says she will bring it over to Ames Monday night. I agree - knowing we obviously are going to need it sooner than later, given Keatin can now scale her crib. She comes with her 3 girls...we plop the toddler bed into the driveway...and Keatin is instantly in love. And get this - she has Elmo bedding on the bed...could it get any more perfect??? :) :) So - we take the rocking chair out of Keatin's room, and put the toddler bed in - 2 beds in one room. We take our bath - Keatin is cranky and tired from disturbed sleep. She again wants us both in the bedroom to read books and give hugs/kisses. She points to the Elmo/big girl bed...so we lay in there. I sit next to her and rub her back for 10 minutes or so. She is laying quietly, no tears...and maybe only asked for the pacifier one time...so this is an improvement over last night. However, I just don't really want to have to rub her back until she falls asleep every night. So - I give her kisses, tell her big girls stay in their bed, and leave. She doesn't cry...but I am sure you all know, a few minutes later she is in the hallway. I quietly grab her hand, and lead her back to bed...she dives right in and cuddles with her blanket. I am determined to lead her back to bed as many times as it takes...Josh thinks it begins to get a bit ridiculous (and maybe it was too many changes in 2 nights...but I am happy she likes the toddler bed). He takes her in, puts her in her crib (still no crying), and just sits next to it where she can see him...and falls asleep within 20 minutes. All is quiet until 4 am...when she obviously has gotten out of her crib again, and is standing in our doorway crying. I take her back in and she wants to Elmo bed - I lay next to her and rub her back...she falls back to sleep within 10-15 minutes...and sleeps in there until 6 am...when she is up for good.

Aaahhh... I don't feel like a complete failure. She has slept good stretches both nights...and I think I knew before we even took the pacifiers away, getting her to bed and keeping her in bed in the morning would be the hardest part. But, last night was WAY less crying and only asked for them one time. But, we are both kind of zombies this morning...and I have already had one dose of Tylenol for my headache. :) God bless having 2 parents at this house...I couldn't do this alone, and totally would have caved the first night. :)

Anyways, we have started the journey...and I secretly hope she doesn't loathe Jack forever. :) (Which I don't think she will...she can't get enough of him when we are around.)

cool school

Look at all this. I think I work for one cool school...one that is in a great community of people who love and care for each other. This is what school looked like when I walked up this morning...I am told people started putting stuff out on Friday night.

our thoughts of Cheryl continue...

Back at school today...and again, feels a bit empty.

Wanted to share Cheryl's obituary...

http://www.mitchellfh.com/ObituaryDetail.php?ID_Obituary=1180

Going to try to post some pictures later...so you can see the sight EVERYONE got to see today in front of our school...it made me smile for Cheryl and miss her even more at the same time.