sweet baby and ?????

Remember in my last post...when I mentioned Keatin and I got Jack all to ourselves on Wednesday for 6 hours??? I tried to take lots of pictures to "document" our day...but let me tell you, it is hard to get pictures taken when you either have a baby in your arms or a toddler crawling all over you!!!! Jack was a very good baby while he was at our house, and even gave me 4 dirty diapers to change. :) Keatin enjoyed having him here (when she woke up from her nap, Jack's name was the 1st thing she said) and helped me "watch" him several times. I am more than happy to help anytime with Jack...and also gave me some insight into what my life will look like in a few months. 3 things I learned for sure:
1. Make room for Keatin on my lap, even when holding baby...or she might accidentally kick the baby on the head in her DETERMINED efforts to make room for herself. :)
2. Don't leave toddler alone in a room with a diaper bag that has powdered formula in it.
3. It is possible to use one hand to get out a vacuum and vacuum up a mess of powdered formula...all while feeding a baby with your other arm/chin!



Jack LOVED our bouncy seat and the way it lit up/played music. He was reaching for the little toys too - it was so cute!


You-know-who had to get involved as well. :)


Later...when Jack was "done"...

This is where Jack spent over 2 hours of his time with us. :) He liked Keatin's swing...

And as of 5 pm yesterday, Keatin has successfully gone pee-pee in the potty around 10 times! I have been meaning to buy a toilet insert for her to sit on (as she seems to prefer the big potty over her little potty)...so yesterday afternoon when we were at Wal-Mart, I let her pick one out. She went with Dora...carried it all around the store by herself...had to hold in the carseat on the whole ride home...and seriously, by the time I got all the grocery bags carried in, she had already gotten her shorts and diaper off and put Dora on the big potty! I got the plastic wrapping off, put her on the seat, and she instantly went potty! I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! We cheered and danced, and she earned 1 M&M...which turned into a tantrum when she didn't quite realize why she couldn't get ALL the M&M's. Anyways, we got that resolved...and later in the night, she went about 5 more times! Now...sometimes, she is literally squeezing out one itty-bitty drop...but it is still something! Josh and I are so proud of her, and this is certainly a step in the right direction. She even went for her babysitter this morning! I can already see why they invented pull-ups...for the number of times I have undone and redone a diaper in the last 24 hours. :) She is so happy and proud of herself...make me smile. :)

ultrasound :)

We had Baby Barber's ultrasound this morning... Aaahhh - it was SO fun! We have a very active baby who is looking and measuring perfect in every way. :) There was even one shot we got where we both thought the baby's nose looked like Keatin's. :) Made the fact there is a baby inside of me seem VERY real. I have found I don't spend as much time dwelling on the baby's movements and just pregnancy stuff in general as I did the 1st time around...maybe my mind is preoccupied with other things - ha ha! But, Josh and I left the appointment feeling SO good. I walked away thinking it is a boy...Josh said he felt like girl. Who knows! We are TRULY blessed no matter what!

Technology has changed since we had Keatin. :) Enjoy the pictures...and few short videos (which make it seem so, so real). :)












Also - Keatin and I have been watching baby Jack since about 11 am this morning. Becca had work to do at school...and I told her to just go! SO...I have been trying to take pictures as the day goes along...will post all our fun later!

sleeping

So...back to Dr. Ferber's book...

We have spent most of our summer tired. Although I have not written about it a lot, Keatin has NOT been sleeping well. She learned to climb out of her crib at the beginning of June and ever since, whether she was laying in a bed, on the floor, or in her crib, we have had to sit in her room until she falls asleep...at naps and bedtime. During the night, she would wake up multiple times, come into our room crying, and one of us would have to sit with her in her room AGAIN until she would fall back asleep. Josh was still functioning...some days, I barely was...and Keatin was just SO irritable...and I know it was from lack of sleep. We tried LOTS of different things...seriously, you name the idea - we tired it.

Anyways, over the weekend, I had had enough. Josh was going out of town for the night, Keatin and I stayed behind, and I was ready to tackle the problem. Got Dr. Ferber's book, got an extra-tall baby gate from a friend to put in Keatin's bedroom doorway (which we had tried our gates before and she either climbed over them or ran straight into them), and I was ready. In a nutshell, Ferber's whole theory is you progressively let your child "cry it out" and learn to fall asleep/stay asleep on their own. (Check all the reviews on amazon.com...they will explain it much better than me).

Saturday night - I did our usual bedtime routine with Keatin and told her she was going to go to bed like a big girl (she now sleeps in a double bed). Hugs, kisses, and left the room - closed the gate behind me. She WAILED and WAILED. After 3 minutes, I returned to the gate to reassure her...did not touch her, did not go in, just used a calming voice and lots of SSSHHHH. Stayed about 1 minute - left again. WAILING and WAILING. I was to now wait 5 minutes before returning. However, I hear a huge thud in my un-carpeted hallway...that stinker got herself over the gate...but obviously fell. (She had a bruise on her forehead and back the next day to prove it). So, obviously I scooped her up to make sure she wasn't hurt and comforted her...took her back in her room to comfort her...but left again after a minute. WAILS and WAILS. Was going to wait 5 minutes again. But never had to go back...she quieted down, and fell asleep. I was all prepped for the middle of the night when she would wake up...I was to do the exact same thing I did at bedtime...don't go to her for 3 minutes, etc.... I didn't hear her until 530 am...waited 1 minute...she was asleep again until 6:50.

I could give you the play by play for each day since then, but won't. :) She still cries EVERY time we leave the room, but quiets down in under a minute. She still wakes up some (although not very much), but gets herself back to sleep. She has not attempted to scale that gate again...I think it scared her, which I guess is good. We have been giving her ridiculous amounts of praise for what a big girl she is, how she sleeps in a big girl bed, etc... Honestly, she can recite our words to you. :) She falls asleep next to the gate some...not going to fight that battle. In all honesty, Ferber's book is not rocket science...it was just the push I needed. I think I felt like I had tried the gate...but he even suggests stacking gates...so I knew I needed to do more. (If you are looking to buy baby gates, just get the extra tall ones...just in case.) :)

OK - so I like the book. :) I would certainly recommend it to anyone having sleep issues with their baby/toddler. The crying is HARD to listen to...not going to lie (especially when your child can call your name)...but I am 100% sure it has not hurt her in any way. And I am going to go do some work in my basement...as Keatin is finally napping longer than 1 hour. :)

in love?

I MAY be in love with this book (and really not only me...Keatin as well)....more details to follow. :)

never gets old

Some toys never get old...

The noise-making barn on our fridge has been a hit ever since I can remember. This summer, we have "enjoyed" pushing the buttons over and over...and then dancing to the music.

I think she learned her "moves" from daddy. :)

keatin & jack

Last night, Lyle, Josh, and I had our final sand volleyball games of the summer...and Becca agreed to watch Keatin & Jack at our house while we were gone. Becca reported that it went well...but told me that I am going to need some help come December. :)

Anyways, Becca borrowed our camera to catch Keatin and Jack playing in the bean sensory tub. I like how relaxed Jack looks...I think he enjoyed it as much as Keatin does! :) And I am SURE Keatin LOVED sharing it with Jack... :)


This one is my favorite...I can just picture her talking Jack's head off and telling him all the about the beans...

babies & painting

Keatin has been VERY into her babies lately. We got a new "bed" for them over the weekend...and last night she was taking them on a "fwak" in the grocery cart...and then feeding them. :) (NOTE: For all who are concerned about the manner in which the babies are lined up, I was the one who put them that way.) :) :)

Today after nap, we busted out Keatin's paints. Hadn't used them awhile...and it is an activity she likes/sticks with for a long time. She made 5 different "pictures" and even got blue paint in her hair/ear. :) Ah - one of the MANY reasons we take a bath EVERY night at this house. :)



Keatin and I have "practiced" making circles with sidewalk chalk on the driveway many times. Today while she was painting, she started saying circles...and was actually doing a pretty good job of making them!

sensory tub

It was a dark & rainy Monday morning in Ames...what to do??? Well...when I was blog-hopping one day, I saw another mom who had created her own sensory tub. What better day to try it with Miss Keatin than today??? So, after a quick visit with daddy at work, we were off to the store to buy the supplies we needed: a big plastic tub and 2 huge bags of dried pinto beans. I put the tub on our screened-in porch, got out all the sand/water toys, and let Keatin explore! I would have to say the beans were a hit! We played together for about 30 minutes...before our tummies were hungry for lunch...but talked about how we will play with the beans again later when daddy gets home. :) And Keatin did a nice job of keeping the beans in the tub...we had a bit of a "discussion" about that before we started. :) I totally stole this idea from a more with-it mom...but Keatin loved it...and so did I. I plan on trying to change out the items in the tub every week or 2...things like dried corn kernels, rice, pasta noodles, etc... Should be a fun activity for Keatin and I to do together!



Scooping up the beans...

Filling a bucket with beans...


Using a sand shovel to add more beans to the bucket...


Getting in the tub to "hide" our feet in the beans...

mini-mommy?

Keatin wanted to play with her chalk yesterday afternoon...and this is what I found her doing with it.

Hmmm...looks like someone else in this house. :) :)

She could make her "tummy" go away...darn her. :)

1st haircut :)

This post is a bit delayed... And yes - I know my "baby" is almost 2 years old, but she just had her 1st haircut over the 4th of July in Storm Lake with Aunt Bri. :) OK - and "haircut" might be too generous of a term...it was REALLY more of a teeny-tiny trim of the longest/middle part of her "mullet." :) But, we saved the curls non-the-less...and into the baby book they go!

Minnesota - Here We Come!

I honestly can't believe how FAST the summer is slipping by...so good thing Josh and I got a trip in before it was over! With Keatin off to Storm Lake and her grandparents for 5 nights, Josh took the week off work and we headed to Ortonville, MN/Big Stone Lake. 6 hours later, we were at a wonderful home on the lake with our good friends Aaron and Trish...and Cedar (Carlson's dog) and Crimson. (Side note - when I told my mom we were going on vacation and we wanted them to watch Keatin, but we were taking Crimson...she about died laughing and said there should be a t-shirt for that...something to the effect of: MY PARENTS TOOK MY DOG ON VACATION BUT LEFT ME AT HOME.) :)

The trip started a bit rough... About 10 minutes before we were ready to leave for Fort Dodge last Saturday night to meet my parents/drop off Keatin, Josh was having one last play session with Keatin...swung her around the living room (which she typically loves)...but this time in ended in cries...and Keatin refusing to move her right arm. Long story short, her right elbow had come out of socket. SO - for all you people who have heard this can happen, but don't really believe it...it does happen. Don't swing your small children by their arms! We got Keatin to my parents in Fort Dodge, and they took her to the home of one of Paul's co-workers in Storm Lake (as Paul/Dee were out of town) and that doctor fixed her up in about 3 seconds. I am happy it was an easy fix...but it was so sad to see her lug that right arm around against her body. :(

Our time in Minnesota was WONDERFUL. We rented a lake house from this website: www.vrbo.com. Check it out if you haven't before - SO COOL! The weather was gorgeous both full days we had in Minnesota...one day we were out on a boat all day...the next, just playing in the lake/water all afternoon. All 4 of us come home with LOTS of sun...and a few sunburns. Cedar LOVED the water - he was quite the fish by the time we left (he didn't quite know how to swim when we first got there and Aaron even had to make a mid-lake rescue, with the help of a floating mat, when Cedar decided to jump off our moving boat). :) Crimson just laid in the shade. :) Speaking of fish - Josh and Aaron each caught 1 fish...2 itty-bitty fish in total. So sad. :) It was exactly what Josh and I had in mind...and so perfect...so relaxing. We missed Keatin dearly, but our time apart was just right. And we couldn't have asked for 2 better friends to spend 4 days with. :)

Enjoy the pics below. Of course there aren't very many of the girls...guess we are the ones "behind the cameras." :)

Sunday afternoon when we arrived...the boys checking out the water...and Cedar's 1st attempt at swimming.



Monday morning...the water was like glass, and Josh took the kayak out.

We spent all day Monday on the pontoon boat...with our trusty captain. :)


Monday night - roasting some smores. :)



Aaron's fish...he was so proud. :)

some random pics

Here are some random pictures that my dad has taken the last 2 weekends...


All the girls in Omaha at Gabrielle's (Joey's sister) wedding.

Snoozing with grandma...traveling wears Keatin out...could be the lack of sleep??!!

July 4th - Grandpa Petersen did the Ride & Run...here he is post-race with Keatin and the sign she made to cheer him on.

This is Keatin...and Joey...her most FAVORITE uncle/silly guy/playmate! Seriously - she loves this guy! Every morning we were in SL, the first thing out of her mouth when she woke up was - "cho-ey here?" or "where's cho-ey?" He is going to be an awesome dad some day. See?? A naked bottom doesn't even phase him!

Keatin with grandpa's bike helmet.

Getting ready to head back to Ames...but we had to try some yummy desserts first!

Lyle, Becca, and Jack came over tonight...and I got to cuddle Jack a lot. Made me excited to have another itty one to cuddle with. :)