Life has gotten crazy...

Things are crazy busy...but I did want to update people on Aspen she is 13 pounds now...she'll be 5 months this weekend and here are some of her 4 month photos by Zimmermann Photography! She is such a cutie...I love her so much!

I'm such a bad blogger...

Things have been so insanely busy the last two weeks so blogging has been a difficult task but here I am. I am blogging from my university library because I am inbetween classes right now which is part of the reason why I have gotten so crazy busy. I knew that going to school would be hard with Aspen but it is definitely not hard in the sense I thought it would be. The hardest part is when I have to leave her. I hate leaving her especially on Thursdays when I have to go almost 12 hours without seeing her. I really start to miss her smiles and her cuddles and I honestly at times want to try and go see her in between classes but she is literally all the way across town at my grandmother's house and the gas and the time it would take would only give me about 10 minutes or so with her before I would have to try and come back to the school and find parking again. SO Thursdays are the day of the week I hate the most because of my lack of Aspen time. Beyond school starting things are going ok, finances are still tight but we work through it and God has provided for us every step of the way. We have been trying to make it a point to get together with friends we haven't gotten to see much, we are hanging out with some this weekend which I am very excited for. One of the couples has a 8 month old so the adults are going to have dinner and watch a movie while the babies have a little play-date and hopefully fall asleep.
Beyond that everything is going pretty typical. Oh...my vent for today though...in the area of Omaha there are different counties which is typical of any area. But the prices to license your pet differ so much between the different counties and it is ridiculous. We have to pay 50 dollars for our boxer Goliath. But the previous owners in the next county over only had to pay 15! The price differences are so STUPID and I think very much uncalled for. Ok my vent for the day is over. Hope this finds everyone else doing well! Thank God it's almost the weekend again!

My Baby Favorites...

I have friends who are either pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or will be pregnant in the next 5 years. So I thought I would share what some of my favorite items I have that I use daily with Aspen.



The first item is Munchkin brand and can be found at Target. It is a great way to clean bottles in the dishwsher by making it easy to keep everything together, and even has space for straws or in my case the center air filters off of the Dr. Brown's bottle I use. I think it was only 6 dollars and well worth the money.

The second is a great car seat toy. It plays music, has a rattle and creates something fun to look at. Aspen is not normally a big fan of her car seat but you start the music on this and she quiets right down and stares at the flashing cheeks of the flower. This is also found at Target and cost 15 dollars.

The third one is a car seat cover. Especially if your baby is going to be little in winter. It has proven a great use to us with this bitter cold winter. It has a flap that is able to come up when you are inside and want to see baby, and it goes down when outside to protect babies face from the snow and cold temperatures.

This next one is a travel system. Ours us a little different. We have one made by Eddie Bauer. It makes a great when ou want to go on a walk or are going to the mall. The car seat fits right inside it. It has a place to store your diaper bag underneath. And it even has cup holders...I LOVE IT! You can get travel systems at numerous places and they all vary in price.

This on is what is called a temporal scanner. It can be found at Target for around 30 dollars. It is a thermometer that is very accurate. I got after numerous failed attempts at getting Aspen's temperature. I don't like the idea of sticking a thermometer in her butt, and she hated when I would put the thermometer under her arm. So her pediatrician recommended this one and said that it is a very accurate way to get her temperature without making her uncomfortable. So I picked one up and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Taking her temp has become so easy. It is so worth the money.

This is called the Soothe and Glow Seahorse. We got it at a baby shower but I have seen them available at Target as well. We never really thought to use it until she was almost a 2 months old and she was having a night where she was "inconsolable." I saw it sitting in her room and decided to give it a try. I pushed the belly and it started playing soft music while it's belly glowed. She was dead asleep in a matter of minutes. I was amazed. It still works wonders for us. When she is tired and cranky we lay her down with it or put it on the tray of the swing with her and turn it on and she goes out rather quickly. The music plays for about 4 or 5 minutes. A few times we have had to push the belly one ore time before she is out. But she loves it and even will grab grab onto it in a hugging manner sometimes when she is next to it. We named it "Sammy" for her. They also have the seahorse available in pink. We like that we got the blue one though because we will be able to use it for the next baby even if it's a boy without feeling the guilt of a little boy having a bunch of pink stuff!:)

This diaper bag is Carter's brand. It can be found at Babies R Us for 40 dollars and it is amazing. I originally had a different diaper bag that I thought would be great. But quickly learned it did not have enough room for all the stuff I needed and wanted to carry in it. A friend had this diaper bag and I adored how much room there was in it and it is very cute. So I went and picked it up and have discovered that it is well worth the money. It carries everything and I even have a little extra room sometimes.

Ok...so Aspen is not using her highchair yet. But this high chair was given to us by friends that decided they are done having kids. And we adore it. It fits in beautifully with out kitchen and isn't as gaudy as a lot of the high chairs out there. It's not very often that you can find decent wood high chairs. I have seen these high chairs on amazon.com but I am not sure what their price was and I am not sure what store they could be found in. I do know that Target doesn't carry this kind of highchair though.

Ah...and the infamous Dr. Brown's bottle. I will NEVER use anything else for any of our future kids. They have a few extra parts than other bottles but using the munchkin dishwasher bottle part holder that was number one on my list makes everything a cinch to wash. They reduce the amount of gas that Aspen gets and I have never had any issues with these bottles. Aspen prefers these over other bottles as well. We tried Playtex Ventaire bottles once and she didn't like those at all. Dr. Brown's bottle can be found at Target, Babies R Us, Bakers, Wal Mart, etc. Target sells them in 3 packs for 13 dollars...btu we have resorted to getting them from Baker's. At Baker's you can buy a three pack for 7 dollars.

Carter's Sleepers like the one above are must haves. They have them in heavy fleece for winter and in light cotton for warmer months and they are so cute. You can find them pretty cheap at Target and they are great for days that you don't feel like dressing the baby in a regular outfit or when you are hanging around the hosue. They also have snap buttons in th elegs which make the diaper changing very easy.

Last but not least it the Butt Paste. Which is my opinion and experience with Aspen is the best thing for her diaper rashes. It is a cream that is sensitive enough on baby skin that you can use some every day as a "preventative" measure against diaper rash. Since we started using it she has had no diaper rashes. You can find the size tube in this picture for about 4 dollars at Target and I am not sure what the price would be at Babies R Us.

Thanks for reading and I hope I gave you some good ideas to keep in mind for your baby.

It's official...

Me heart is definitely not whole. I have been realizing more and more over the last two weeks that my heart is in fact fragile and not whole. The snow and the possibility of Randy and Aspen getting hurt actually makes me that neurotic mom that most people hate. The day that I had given my life to Christ and stopped living for myself, my heart was full and whole. Then came the day when I met Randy and as we dated and started to get to know eachother I fell head over heals in love with him and the day we said "I do" a piece of my heart was given to him and will always be with him. Then the day that we found out I was pregnant I felt a piece of my heart coming off again. This time to be kept with Aspen as she grew inside me and now as she grows outside of me. I constantly worry about both Randy and Aspen when I am not with them hoping that they are safe and ok. I knew it was normal to worry a bit but I felt like my worry was more than just a bit. Then the day we got in the car accident. I cried more than I ever thought I could. I cried because in the car was Randy, Aspen, Me, and my sister Kassandra. The thoughts of what could have happened to us made me break down and I have never held on to Aspen so hard as I did that night after the accident. I thank God everyday that we were not hurt and the only thing that was hurt was my car, which is fixable. So every day there are three pieces of heart that are in this world. Rany carries one deep in him and always will, Aspen had a piece grow inside her as she grew in me. When we have more kids I know that they to will carry a piece of my heart as well. Having your heart in pieces can be one of the most amazing feelings there is but also one of the most frightening. I now understand my grandma and her neurotic feelings for everyone in the family. But I have realized they aren't so neurotic. Amazing that it took getting married and having a kid to finally get it. But hey at least I got it right? My heart will never be whole again but knowing the love that comes along with that makes it so worth it. So here is a glimpse of the other 2 pieces of my heart and when the three are put together!

The Journey into 2010 has begun...

So the year has definitely begun. Started off with a car accident that is a long story...but everyone is safe and no one was hurt. Well my car was hurt...but at least a car is fixable. We have an appoinment to go tomorrow and get the estimation on what it may take to fix it. And that is if the appointment still goes on...we once again have received more snow and they will call us in the morning to let us know whether we need to reschedule. Then insurance will give us a check for repairs and we are taking it Randy's uncle Craig who is going to fix it for us. And he will fix it for a lot cheaper than a regular auto shop.

Aspen is getting bigger! I can see it in her face and you can definitely tell when you try and lift her. She's been such a peanut for so long it's hard to believe she is actually getting bigger. Oh...and her newest feat-she rolls from her belly to her back! Not often yet, but she has done it 3 times. I don't think she quite relizes what she is doing because she gets a shocked look on her face and looks at me like "what was that?" It's quite humorous to watch. I also am starting to wonder how this going to classes this semester is going to go. I am already having a hard time with the thought of leaving her fot the classes, not to mention that my financial aid has changed so I may have to reduce the amount of classes I am taking anyway. So we will see! I have to be honest with the fact that I honestly don't care whether I return to school at this point or not. My plan has always been to be a stay at home mom until my kids are in school at least. And we are p;anning on having more kids. So even if I get my degree it will be at least 10years or so until I will be able to use it. And teaching degrees from what I understand do "expire!" Such a hard decision.

Anways, it is definitely time for me to get some sleep. Thanks for listening to my dronings.

The Year of 2009 in review...

January

Take a trip to Dan & Meg's before spring semester starts. Find out on January 28th that I am pregnant.

February

Still no pregnancy symptoms. First Mid-Wife appointment and we get to hear the heartbeat. Hockey game for Valentine's Day. Trying to figure out where to move since Grace Married Housing doesn't allow children.

March

Still no pregnancy symptoms. Another Mid-Wife appointment where we get to hear the heartbeat again. Baby bump very very small but starting to show a bit. Decide to rent the house the church has.

April

Still no pregnancy symptoms. Hear the heartbeat again at appointment and schedule our 20 week appointment and the BIG ultrasound to find out what we are having. Work on the house painting, new shower, etc so we can move in soon.

May

Randy's 30th birthday, my 21st birthday. Move into the new house. On Randy's birthday we had the BIG ultrasound and found out we are having a beautiful baby girl. Oh...and pregnancy symptoms are still a no show...so I stopped waiting for them to show up.

June

Went to Monroe to visit Dan & Meg's. had a great time with them and Tim and Trina. Being with Meghan made me even more excited to be a mom...their boys are so cute. (Still no symptoms) Belly getting bigger.

July
Paint the nursery, getting bigger. Definitely feeling a lot of kicks...especially in my ribs. Her space is slowly dissapearing.

August
New semester starts. I'm taking online classes. We get a new dog from Cori and Blake. A 3 year old Boxer named Goliath. He's such a lover and a cutie.

September
Feeling huge and ready for Aspen to make her presence. Measuring huge at 39 week appointment, talk of a growth ultrasound ensues and they think we are going to have a BIG baby. But Aspen has other plans and I go into labor on September 29 at 5:30pm. Aspen born September 30 at 5:28am. Weighs in at 7lbs 10oz.

October
Come home from hospital on the 2nd. Breastfeeding not working out. Nic & Liz's wedding. Discover that I have mastitis. Aspen isn't gaining weight. So we start formula, I stop breastfeeding...and felt soooo much better. Aspen turns 1 month old. Took Aspen to her first Hockey game the week before Halloween...and Had her newborn pictures taken by SaraBeth.

November

Spending time at home with Aspen. Enjoying being a stay at home mom. Aspen's first Thanksgiving...and Aspen turns 2 months old. At 2 month appointment she gets shots and weighs in at 9lbs 1oz.

December

At appointment she had only gained 1 oz in 2 weeks. Dsicovered thrush was causing her not to eat much. When thrush got better, she started eating more. At weight check she gained 11oz in 6 days. So she is now 9lbs 13oz. Also had Aspen's first Christmas where because of a huge blizzard we got snowed in at Randy's parents house.

Bing had no idea what he was singing about...

"Snow I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow! Snow, I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow!" -from "Snow" by Bing Crosby in White Christmas

So, I think Bing never actually lived in a state that got a lot of snow if he really felt that passionately about it. Don't get me wrong, snow can be beautiful and I love to watch it fall and to play in it with kids, and build snowmen. But I love the snow that gives you enough to have some fun and to make the world look beautiful but does not make things so difficult. We can't use our front door right now because it it completely covered halfway up the door and we just haven't had the time to shovel it out. Our driveway has proven to be a royal pain in the butt, and only part of it is done, enough to park the cars and open the doors and thats about it. Our sidewalks aren't done because who has the time for that with all the other snow removal to be done and a baby to take care of. I can officially the say the Christmas Blizzard of 2009 will not soon be forgotten but I will forever cringe whenever I hear the words "Christmas Blizzard of 2009!" See right there a huge cringe that startled Aspen even. Snow and I officially have a love hate relationship these days. Oh...and while trying to take the pictures I am posting of the snow...the hard iced top of part of our yeard broke through and cut my leg...and dang it it hurts. Another reason to hate snow.

The first picture is the back pathway cleared off and the snow next to it...the back got less snow then the front. The 2nd picture is our poor mailbox covered in snow and really hard to actually get to.

The first picture is our basement door that opens to the drivway...definitely won't be using that door anytime soon. And the 2nd picture is to show part of the driveway we didn't bother plowing because it is so much freakin snow...and yes the mounds are bigger than our dog Goliath.

And here is Goliath next to the front yard standing in out driveway...o so much snow.

So now that the vent of snow is out I will continue on about everything else. Aspen's first Christmas was a fun one. I really enjoyed the holiday, it's all so new again when you have a baby to share the experience with. We did my side of the family's Christmas on Christmas Eve. Snow had started and by time we left the roads were not favorable and we knew that we were going to have issues. We were supposed to go to Randy's parents on Christmas morning but we were worried we would get stuck, so we went home got some clothes and necessities, and our dog and off we went to his parents to spend the night just in case. We got stuck trying to get back out of the driveway but I got out and helped push the car and we were free. It's a good thing we went that night because when we woke up the next morning we were completely snowed into Randy's parents house. We enjoyed our snowed in Christmas at their place. Opened gifts, played games, had an awesome dinner and watched movies. We were at Randy's parents until Sunday because that is when a plow finally decided to go through the neghborhood. So we were there for three nights. It's a good thing we grabbed extra clothes and all.

All in all a great holiday...I definitely could have lived without the blizzard but it definitely makes her first christmas memorable.

Here are some pictures of Aspen enjoying her Holiday!