Long time between posts

As I sit here watching Tommy rip off a sign taped to a tub of toys, I cannot believe 11 months (tomorrow) has gone by since this angel entered our lives.  I also know that it has been almost a year since I last posted.  Let's just say this year has been a busy one to say the least.  Here's a little info on what the boys have been up to over the past 11/12 months.

Jacob

• Adjusted well to a new school, new teacher, and new friends
• Worked very hard in school and made great gains
• Played football in the fall-not his favorite sport
• Participated in the MN Wild's Little Wild Learn to Play Hockey Program and loved it
• Played his first year as a Shakopee Mite 1 on the Predators and improved in his skating
• Participated in a week-long hockey camp with his neighbor Kaden and Kaden's cousin 
• Learned how to ride a bike without training wheels
• Spent a lot of time outside in the neighborhood with friends
• Just finishing his first year playing Mighty Mites baseball in Shakopee and had his dad as a coach
• Worked hard to be a great big brother to Thomas

Thomas

• Good sleeper and eater from the start
• Loves to smile
• Very curious
• Makes cute noises and faces
• Army crawled in his own unique way
• Fast crawler
• Walking along furniture
• Working on cutting his 5th tooth-not fun!
• Loves to feed himself
• Enjoys swimming and being in the water-except when it is too cold
• Sneaky...
• Tolerates his helmet that is helping to round out his head (on since mid-April)
• Loves his big brother
• Likes to see his cousin/twin, Parker, and always steals his nuk
• Can be both a Mommy's and Daddy's boy

We had to all say goodbye to Kirby at the beginning of the summer. He had a history of eating things he shouldn't and we knew there was a chance his stomach could flip and surgery would be the only way to fix it, and it could happen over again.  Joe and I were out of town when Kirby went into the vet and we had to make the decision to put him down.  It has been hard on all of us adjusting to a house without a dog.  Jake will have his moments of missing him. At different times I swear I have heard his collar, or toenails walking through the house.  I have caught myself thinking that I need to let him out before I go to bed.  We hope the get a new dog sometime in the near future.

I will post a few recent pictures of the boys from the past few months.

He is here!

We are all over the moon in love with the newest addition to our family.  Thomas Aaron arrived at 1:52 pm on Thursday, August 14th.  He was 7 pounds 10 ounces and 21 inches long.  We are all doing well and adjusting to being a family of 4.  I will post more about his arrival later.

Random Photo Drop

Here are some other photos from this summer!

Jamie, Maren, and Me at Jamie's shower.  We are all due the first half of August.

Tyler enjoying breakfast at the cabin

Jake, Jordan, and Paige playing in the bouncy house

The big boys

Jordan

Jake

Tyler and Jake on the slide

The girls having lunch

The Knutson Family

Jordan...and my belly

Hailey and her braces

Jake

                    Jake at golf

Jake and Kaden asleep after the movie in the park

Zoo visit with the Wilke Family.

Jake at soccer.

Fun at Canterbury!

Jake and I having a picnic and listening to music.  I will miss our little dates!

Jake at mini golf.

Final Months

I am officially 9 months today.  I am ready to be done being pregnant!  This time around was more challenging than with Jacob...from day 1.  I don't want to complain too much, since we wanted this so badly. But, as my brother-in-law said, I can still express my frustrations (he actually used a less friendly term, but trying to use appropriate language!)  Most recently, I have been battling an ear infection and cold that has caused me to be unable to hear.  I have a new appreciation for those that are losing, or have lost, their hearing.  It is so frustrating.  Jake was sick over the 4th, then I came down with what I thought was strep, and then Joe caught it from me, too.  I am hoping to get healthy soon!  The rest of my body is sore, too.  Ribs, back, hips, etc.  I can't believe I taught right up to delivering Jacob!  I can barely move now.  We have been lucky with fairly cool temperatures, but 90 degrees is in the forecast this weekend and next week. Should be interesting!  I have a feeling that this baby will be arriving sooner than later, but that is just an inkling I have been feeling.  We will have to wait and see!

My sister, Jamie, and I had some maternity photos taken at the beginning of June.  Jamie is due 10 days before me.  

My friend, Crystal,  from high school took these photos.  She has taken our family photos in the past.  Highly recommend her!  Photography Unscripted is the name of her company.

End of Kindergarten

It has been a while since I last posted.  We had a busy end to the school year with programs, field trips, new glasses, an ear infection, a new car purchase, the start of baseball, and a big graduation.

Jake finished out his kindergarten year at Richfield STEM School on a high note.  The last month of school was a lot of fun for him.  Unfortunately, he came down with an ear infection after Memorial Day weekend and had to miss a few days of school and the field trip to the MN Zoo :(  He was okay with that, since we had just been to the zoo and he had a week long camp later in June.  He also loved showing off his new glasses that he wears in the classroom.  He had a blast with his friends and his teacher. Joe and Grandma Knutson were able to see his kindergarten concert and Grandma Knutson and I were able to see him graduate.  He is changing schools, districts actually, next year, so the end of the year was somewhat hard on both of us (probably me more!). He realized that he wouldn't see all his friends again next year and that hit him.  He had to say goodbye to a lot of people at his school that he has known the past two years through Fun Club.  He knows that he will see some of those people at the pool this summer, which made it easier for him, too.  His kindergarten teacher is a good friend of mine and we know we will see her a lot.  She is having a baby, in November, which Jake was very excited to hear.  I had a hard time the last day dropping off and picking him up from school.  I have been driving him with me to work since he was 5 months old.  Joe reminded me that I get to do it again, which also hit me.  For so long, I never thought I would have a chance to have another child to take to daycare, school, etc.  Being pregnant and dealing with these milestones sent my emotions in a crazy roller coaster.
We are very proud of our kindergarten graduate!

Jake started baseball at the end of May. He is having a blast.  It is coach-pitch, and Joe is one of his coaches.  Our neighbor, Kaden is also on his team, and his Dad, Aaron is the other coach.  It is fun to see this group of boys and girls working together and having fun. Jake is also in soccer two days a week and golf on Fridays.  He seems to like all three sports and hasn't said which is his favorite.  I am liking watching the smile on his face while being active in all three.

We are a minivan driving family.  We sold my Jeep and purchased a Town and Country.  It has come in very handy already with multiple trips to the soccer and baseball fields with the neighbors and a trip up north over this last weekend.  I love the room it has inside, which will come in handy in a few short weeks!

Jacob and Mrs. Sellmeyer

Jacob and Grandma Knutson

Jacob and Mom

Our Kindergarten Graduate (sporting his glasses!)

We Are Having a...

Healthy, baby, BOY!

We have actually known for over a month, but yesterday we had our Level 2 Anatomy ultrasound.  We saw the proof that the blood test in February was accurate.  This time around, I was able to select a different option for my first trimester screening that allowed to test for gender.  The perks of being older :) We knew right away that we were going to find out the gender, and I was excited to find out over a month earlier than expected.  We told our family and a few close friends.  Jacob has known, so that means even more people know!  You cannot expected an over-excited 5 3/4 year old to keep that secret in.

Everything the tech and doctor were looking at yesterday looked good.  Baby was cooperating for the most part, but I did have to change positions towards the end, so they could see where the umbilical cord was entering and exiting.  He likes to keep his hands up by his face, just like his big brother.  Jake likes to look at the picture where it appears the baby has a thumb (or finger) in his mouth.  It reminded Jake of a few pictures of himself when he was a little baby and did suck his thumb.  He has since grown out of that, so it was a fun memory for him to think of.

This past weekend, both Jake and Joe were able to feel the baby kick.  I have been able to feel him for a little over a week.  Jake has been talking and reading to the baby a lot and wishes he would be born on March 29th, so they would share a birthday.  He is so excited to be a big brother.  It will be a long summer of waiting, but well worth it!

Our Story

I was testing out a program I will be using at school, called Animoto.  Here is my first creation.