The Welch Family

DIY: Crib Rail Teething Guard

2011-09-26T09:56:00.002-05:00

Sweet baby Jack has six teeth and ever since the top two popped through the gums he has taken out his discomfort on his crib rail.

He's like a little woodchuck!

Gnawing on the rail has left wood chips on his wet little cheeks and is clearly damaging the crib. So I did what any mother would do. I googled it. I'd heard of crib rail guards before, but had never given them much thought because the girls both used a metal crib and we didn't have this issue.

After seeing several solutions I decided to put his crib bumper to good use since it has been rolled up on the top shelf of his closet for almost 11 months now. It was a hand-me-down bedding set from when Mckenzie was a baby. All literature, doctors, nurses, hospitals and web sites warn today's parents about the hazards of crib bumpers and the horrible accidents that have happened when used for their intended purpose. So I decided to cut it up and put it to good use!

Before

I am by no means a seamstress. But that lovely sewing machine in the background was passed down to me from my mother's mother's mother also known as my great-grandmother, Granny.

Granny (99 yrs) holding Mckenzie (6 mos), July 2006

I think she would be so proud to know that her sewing machine is being put to good use for her great-great grandson.

I measured how much of the bumper I would need to cover the front rail of the crib and just started cutting. It was a little scary at first!

I wasn't exactly sure how to go about sewing up the edge, so I just went for it. This is the final result.

And if you notice the strings, I cut one off the top edge and sewed it on the bottom edge. When it is completed the bumper will just wrap around the rail and I'll use the strings to tie it closed. It only had strings in three places, so I added snaps as well. I debated sewing on ribbon to make more tie closures. I also considered self-adhesive velcro. But I figured that might come apart if he pulled on it. I was also worried it might not stick well and then he'd be ingesting those in the middle of the night.

After painstakingly hand sewing the first half of the first snap on backwards, I figured out an easier method. And thank goodness! There are four snaps, which makes for eight pieces to hand sew. I don't know if this is the proper way to attach a snap, but it works for me and feels very secure!

You can't tell, but it's a huge snap!

The final product turned out pretty well I would say. I had not yet moved one of the center strings to the bottom of the bumper in the picture below. Final cost: $1.77 for the snaps. Much cheaper than all the results from my Google search!

He just woke from his morning nap and no more marks on the crib and no woodchips on his cheeks! And it seems to be staying in place. And I know this because I peeked in on him and watched him play around with it after he woke up. Success I would say!

And just one more of my handsome boy!

Happy, safe boy = one happy mommy!

Next DIY? Using the leftover from the crib bumper to make a window valance. Check back to see how it turns out!

Mischievous morning

2011-09-22T09:36:00.000-05:00

As I was getting supper in the crock pot this morning the house seemed a bit too quiet. I had been listening to the background noise of the babies playing under the kitchen table, under my feet and in the living room. I'm not sure exactly when the commotion stopped and the silence began. I was enjoying getting things done without tripping over them!

I found them in the bathroom... bathtub to be exact. (Jack can now hike his leg up and plop into the tub. Especially with Lauren's assistance.) Upon first glance it was an adorable site. Lauren was feeding Jack from a spoon she got out of Mckenzie's Cinderella tea pot set. However, it was mushy DOG FOOD. I knew immediately because the entire dog dish was empty on the floor of the bathroom. I asked her how it got wet and she said, "Water! Bate!" (Bate means "mix" in Spanish, which she learned from watching Dora.)

I thought Lauren had mostly outgrown playing in the dog food, apparently not. And Jack is just getting started. As I got her out of the tub and was wiping down their face and hands I asked her where she got the water. She proudly lifted the lid of the toilet to show me the soaking dog food. She had been grabbing the mush with her hands and putting it the cup I use in the tub to rinse their hair. And then spoon feeding it to Jack. And he was loving it.

I am not sure whether to be proud of Lauren's recent accomplishments or be at my wit's end. For example: her ability to open doors, feed Jack, go in the bathroom to 1.) hide the situation or 2.) keep the mess contained, not sure which. She even had a bib on him!

Internal struggles

2011-08-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

I quit blogging for a long time. It started to creep me out when acquaintances knew every little detail of our lives. Which I realize is my own doing by making this a public blog AND linked to my Facebook.

It made me sad when close family and friends stopped calling to see how we were doing because they already knew our recent happenings by reading this blog.

I had less to share with my husband when he got home from work because he'd already read about it and seen pictures from this blog.

If you are not a blogger, it might be hard to understand, but it can be very isolating. You have no idea how many people are reading because they don't always comment. And sometimes they have less motivation to contact you because they already know how you're doing. What else is there to talk about?

But to be honest, I've missed it. Although a much sloppier writer than in my college days, I still enjoy doing it. It's hard to carve out time, but once I have I feel like it was worth it.

So I'm tentatively back. We'll see how it goes.

Jack's 1st tooth!

2011-04-14T07:26:00.000-05:00

Jack's first tooth is through the gums! It is in the middle on the lower right. I had no idea he was teething. He hasn't been fussy when awake, but has had many, many, many rough nights lately. I attributed that to the fact that he is rolling all over the place and he rolls into the bars and gets fussy about it. He can roll back to tummy and tummy to back, but only in one direction. So once he hits a road block, he's stuck. But now I'm thinking it might be the tooth... or teeth? If he's like Lauren, the others are not far behind.

Lauren imitating Mommy as she eats her chicken nuggets.

(Her steri strips are gone and her head is healing nicely. This pic is a few weeks old)

Huggle

2011-03-29T11:10:00.001-05:00

I just read about Oxford adding LOL and OMG to the dictionary. I think they should consider 'huggle' also. Lauren coined this term and I love it! It is a cross between hug and snuggle. She frequently asks me for huggles. This morning she yelled 'huggle' as she dive-bombed Jack on our bed and smothered him with lovins.

Disclaimer:

2011-03-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This entry will talk about vomit. So if that offends you or grosses you out, stop reading and check back for the next post.

The last few nights Lauren has woken SEVERAL times a night. I might blame it on the forehead injury, but it's not out of the ordinary for her. Last night John had just fallen back into bed after soothing her for at least the second time when she started to cry again. If you've ever dealt with children that are up several times a night you probably understand the irrational frustration that comes with sleep deprivation. And although the deal is that he gets Lauren and I get Jack in the middle of the night, sometimes we just have to switch so we don't take the frustration out with the babies.

So I go in there without my glasses (I'm blind without them!) and see dark spots on her light green pj's. Her legs are through the bars of her crib and she's laying on her back. I was just sure that she had hit her forehead against the bars and that was blood I was seeing. But NO! As I get closer I can smell it before I see that it is actually vomit. I immediately start gagging. And this is no baby vomit, this is like an adult man blew chunks all over her and her crib! It is probably for the best that I did not have my glasses on. Between John and I we get the room and her cleaned up. He goes back to bed and I sit in the dark and rock her for a few minutes when she starts puking again. In. My. Face. And on my chest.

John comes rushing back in and we start the process all over again. I got myself into the bathroom (Without dripping I think, but how can I be sure since I didn't have my glasses on?) and I strip down. Then I take my clothes to the kitchen sink so I can wash the nastiness into the garbage disposal. Because yes, it is THAT chunky! This should also be the point where I share that we've had a house guest for the last week. (Yes, he was totally here when Lauren split her head open.) In hindsight, it would have been much smarter to put some clean clothes on before tackling the dirty ones. But I was in panic mode and obviously not thinking clearly. It would make for an awesome story if I said that our guest caught me half naked washing puke out of my clothes at the kitchen sink. But thankfully that did NOT happen. I got everything cleaned up and re-dressed without incident. Whew!

This morning Lauren is acting perfectly normal. However, she was not interested in eating breakfast and was ready for a nap a little earlier than usual. We had tater tot casserole for dinner last night so I'm hoping that it just didn't sit well and that she's not actually sick. That is the last thing we need around here!

Thumb sucker?

2011-03-16T20:49:00.000-05:00

My friend Lindsay snapped this photo today. I thought the pacifier was a wonderful baby accessory. But now I just find it annoying. I am constantly losing it, cleaning it off and pulling it out of Lauren's mouth. (I swear she only takes it to antagonize him. Can she know that trick at such a young age already?) So just maybe, hopefully he will be a thumb sucker after all?

Lauren found her thumb about two months earlier than Jack has. This was taken January 2010.

She never let go after this!

And for the record: Mckenzie did not suck any thumb, fingers or pacifiers.

Our first ER visit

2011-03-15T09:01:00.001-05:00

Yep, we made a trip to the ER last night. You can probably guess who it was for... nope, not Jack. He's on steroids now and doing better, by the way.

It was Lauren.

And if you know her personality this probably isn't surprising. She's been a go-getter since the moment she could move. She got a nasty gash in her forehead. It wasn't from falling off the 12' playset like you might think. Or head first into the driveway because she was trying Mckenzie's skates. Or off the countertop because any chance she gets she pushes a chair over and tries to walk the skinny edge of the sink.

She hit the corner of the wall where the hallway meets the dining room. That innocent little corner that she walks by 1,000 times a day. She and Mckenzie were playing. I don't know exactly what happened even though I was sitting right there. Last I saw they each had their blankies on their heads and were tickling each other. Next thing I know we heard the awful sound of her head cracking against the corner.

Mckenzie feels absolutely awful about it. We said a little prayer for Lauren and the doctor fixing her up before bedtime and that just put Kenzie into hysterical tears. She says it's all her fault and feels just awful. I tried to tell her it is NOT her fault and that accidents happen. But she feels terrible nonetheless.

I got to be the one who stayed home this time. Which is really for the better. John is excellent at handling situations like this. Excellent. In fact, when Mckenzie gets hurts she always asks for her Daddy and not Mommy. I'm sure this trend will continue with Lauren as well. However, he did send me a picture message from the ER

That's her "cheese" face

Update

2011-03-12T11:24:00.000-06:00

Jack is doing okay. He honestly is about the same as he's been. He still has rapid, ragged breaths and sounds wheezy. We are doing breathing treatments here at home for that. He is no longer vomiting though. The suction machine works wonders! He still has a deep cough, but it isn't causing him to throw up (fingers crossed). His appetite isn't quite back to normal, but we'll get there. He sleeps pretty much all day only staying awake long enough to eat and have a little social time before he gets cranky for his bed. He goes back to the doctor on Monday morning.

Lauren, John and Mckenzie played outside this morning. John and Mckenzie then left to run errands and Lauren threw a temper tantrum because she wanted to go also. However, I knew she was too tired and cranky. Plus she is still contagious with her cough. Mid-tantrum all went silent...

It's good to know this child can sleep anywhere. I'm sure that will come in handy someday.

Home!

2011-03-11T12:21:00.002-06:00

Jack in the crib cage

John was able to come visit. I felt like being there witnessing my son in the hospital was awful. But I can't imagine being at home and feeling helpless. Not that I was really much help, but at least I could hold him and comfort him a little. John did great being Mr. Mom though.

And finally we are home! Jack is about the same as he was in the hospital. They weren't doing anything there that we couldn't do here since they couldn't get the IV in. Well, they could have if it was a life or death situation, but they didn't want to put him out to do it or just keep poking him and hoping. He was on constant monitoring for his oxygen levels, but they were satisfactory so now I just time his breaths per minute if I think they are coming too fast. If he has over 60 per minute or a temp over 100.4 then we probably have to go back. I also rented a suction machine that helps get the mucus out of his nose. It does a MUCH better job than the little bulb aspirator! I can even use it on Lauren. She hates it with a passion.

Jack has slept pretty much all day. He woke earlier for a bath and to eat. He threw up some foamy mucus, but not his whole meal so that is a plus! Last week I weighed him at 19.8 on our home digital scale and yesterday he was 18lb 10oz. I'm hoping that our scales are just that much different and not that he lost weight.

Lauren is also doing well. Honestly, I would have never known she had anything more than a runny nose because she is her adorable little self and constantly into things around here. Although she was a bit fussy this morning, but it turns out she was just tired.

Second time falling asleep in the high chair. It might seem cruel to deprive this girl of her morning naps, but it really IS helping her sleep longer. She is regularly sleeping from 7:30 pm to 6 am. Although it still seems early, it is better than it was before!

Thankfully, Mckenzie is still perfectly healthy! She's been helping me clean the house all morning. So far we've wiped down all the toys, mopped the kitchen and done laundry.

Thank you for everyone's support, calls, texts, emails and prayers!!! It is so uplifting to know how much we are loved and supported.

Crib cage

2011-03-09T16:53:00.001-06:00

We upgraded to a bigger bed, the nursery bassinet just didn't cut it for my little chubs. When the side is up it really looks like a cage!

No go on the bottle of pedialite. Not sure if it was the taste or the bottle but either way, he hated it. We'll other methods when the nurse comes back around.

I forgot to mention he also has a double ear infection and Lauren likely has the same illness Jack does, just tolerating it better because she's older and her airways are bigger. She has an infection in her left ear also.

RSV

2011-03-09T15:46:00.001-06:00

Poor baby Jack tested positive for RSV. His pediatrician had him admitted to the hospital. They could not place an iv due to dehydration and his chubbiness made it hard to find a vein.

He has not kept a feeding down since Monday. But they used an automatic mucus sucker that really cleared him out and he nursed a little then fell asleep. He was worn out from all the crying during the iv mess. They tried for an hour and I cried almost as much as he did. If he won't take pedialite from a bottle or syringe they will try again later.

They are letting him rest as I write this to digest the milk a little before we attempt a bottle with pedialite.

I am attempting to blog from my phone. Will post an update when we know more. Keep Jack in your thoughts and prayers.

Babies

2011-03-07T12:44:00.000-06:00

Same picture, just rotated

I need to get one with Mckenzie included!

Play time!

2011-03-07T12:39:00.000-06:00

On Thursday afternoon Mckenzie, Jack and I played outside while Lauren napped. It was a beautiful afternoon and Jack got to sit in the swing for the first time. He was indifferent about the experience.

Later Mckenzie and Cooper might have been having a contest to see who could dig the fastest in the sandbox. All I saw was sand flying furiously and both their behinds in the air.

Sleepy

2011-03-07T12:31:00.001-06:00

My perfect little sleeper has slipped over to the dark side. For about 10 days (or more!) he has needed his pacifier replaced SEVERAL times a night. And by 2-4ish am he is fully awake and hungry. What happened to my 10-12 hour a night sleeper??? I knew it was too good to be true. And it has made this momma a wee bit cranky! (Just ask John if you don't believe me.)

Saturday I was running on empty and was home alone. I had Jack on my lap facing me and was talking to him as I patted his back for a burp. I bet you can guess where this is going. He projectile vomitted in my face. Yes, IN MY FACE! Luckily I got my eyes shut in time. Then he threw up again, this time into my chest. It literally pooled in my lap and there was no one around to bring me a towel or anything. I get us to the bathroom while trying not to drip it and get the bath water going. As soon as he is undressed he started pooping everywhere! Meanwhile Lauren is ramming her baby stroller in the backs of my legs while I'm kneeling by the tub. It was hectic to say the least.

By the time I finished with Jack (drying, lotion, dressing, etc.) I realized that Lauren had gotten awfully quiet and was not trying to scale the changing table to "help" me as usual. This typically means trouble. Trouble like eating the dog food or experimenting with my makeup or unrolling the toilet paper.

I quickly did a sweep of the house. Panic started to raise in my throat and my eyes started to burn with tears when I discovered this:

As John's cousin Regina so eloquently put it, "She's going to get her morning nap one way or another."

New Post

2011-02-28T18:36:00.000-06:00

Creative title to this post, eh? I was trying to think of what I should write about and realized I haven't had any pictures in a while.

I am trying to eliminate Lauren's morning nap. She's not giving it up easily. In this photo I knew she was exhausted, but wanted to feed her a little something before I put her down. It is about 11 am and she just couldn't make it until after lunch.

Comparing my babies. There's only about 5 lbs difference between their weights. Jack is about 18/19 lbs in this picture and Lauren is 23/24lbs.

Still enjoys climbing anything she can. Jack is napping in the background.

Enjoying the playset on her own. A bit of static electricity in the tunnel.

Mckenzie showing how old she is before we went to meet Willy Wonka. The play was a few weeks ago and she is still talking about Charlie burping to get down from the ceiling and the kids that were oompaloompas.

John and Lauren testing out Mckenzie's new BB gun. She had quite a natural grip on it.

Jack sleeping through an afternoon outside.

3 years

2011-02-18T11:49:00.000-06:00

As you might have noticed, I was on a blogging hiatus for awhile. January 26th came and went without me recognizing that John and I have lived in Hutchinson for THREE years! That's longer than we lived in Wichita as a couple.

At that time in our lives I had just quit working full time in the marketing department of INTRUST Bank to stay at home with Mckenzie full time. She had just turned two. I knew absolutely no one in town and John was working 50 hours a week. The only thing that hasn't really changed is the amount of time John works. Although we didn't move very far away from all our friends and my family, I still thought of Hutch as an adventure. As lonely as it was in the beginning, it was a fun challenge to meet new people and find things to do that kept us busy. I will admit that we went to Wichita and/or my parents house just about every weekend. Now we have so much going on that it's hard to find a weekend to go down and spend the night!

Here we are three years later and I could be on the go all week long if I wanted to. Some weeks I'm into that and other weeks I like to veg out at home and go out as little as possible. I love having the option for either. As I become friends with people in person, that often leads to a Facebook friendship. As I add more people I always put them under a "label" so I don't forget where we first met. I am proud to say that my "Hutch" list of friends now has 20 people.

Answer

2011-02-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

Wednesday's Riddle was the kids' birthdays!!!

Mckenzie: 01/02 (2006)
Lauren: 10/20 (2009)
Jack: 11/02 (2010)

Did I stump you?

Riddle

2011-02-16T12:11:00.000-06:00

Can you figure out what this is?

010210201102

Busy!

2011-02-16T12:10:00.000-06:00

My friend Amy pointed out yesterday how busy I am. Most weeks aren't like this, but here is a rundown of what has kept us moving...

Sunday: Church and Sunday school
Monday: Morning playdate at the Leiker's
Tuesday: Babysit Jack and Becks, Mckenzie gymnastics, evening volleyball for Myca
Wednesday: Parents As Teacher's morning playgroup, Mckenzie afternoon playdate with Alissa
Thursday: Playgroup at our house (I'm making breakfast casserole!), afternoon playdate at the park
Friday: MOPS in the morning and Mckenzie might be going to see the play Willy Wonka with my mom in the evening
Saturday: no structured plans!!!

Somewhere in all this I squeeze in laundry and dishes and clutter clean ups. Ok, let me be real: the toys mostly get moved from one side of the room to the other.

I am looking forward to going out with the girls on Monday sans children (well maybe Jack). Lindsay, have you decided where we are going?!

Big milestone!

2011-02-15T07:06:00.000-06:00

Jack rolled over yesterday!!! He is 3 1/2 months. Surprisingly I have no idea if this is on par for milestones, early or late. I try not to pay attention to that stuff anymore. Milestones still fascinate me but I try not to be quite as hung up on when things "should" be happening. I just remind myself that they will eventually happen and my gut instinct will tell me if something isn't quite as it should be. For instance, Lauren's legs are bowed. That is normal for young kids and I'm not super worried, but I feel like she's been walking long enough now that they should be straightening out. We'll ask about it (again) at the doctor next month and until then I'm not going to stress about it.

I had laid Jack on his tummy and when I came back into the room a few minutes later he was on his back. I think he's also close to rolling from back to tummy. Yesterday we went to my friend Andrea's house to hang out while Mckenzie was at school. Her son Brody is 7 weeks older than Jack. Brody was laying on the floor out of Jack's eyesight but Jack could hear him. Jack kept arching his back and looking toward Brody and he almost twisted himself onto his belly so I think it is only a matter of time. Lauren likes to assist when she thinks Jack wants rolled over. She loves him so much that she just wants him to be able to move already! She also tries to put her sippy cups and graham crackers in his mouth. We have to keep a very close eye on her when Jack is within her reach!

Sidenote: Lauren went #2 on the toilet for the third time this morning. I was making coffee in the kitchen and she squatted down and told me diaper so I rushed her to the bathroom and voila! Success! It's such a proud moment every time. Now if only I could keep her from trying to stick her head in the bowl and smelling it... Crazy kid!!!

Made up holidays

2011-02-15T06:54:00.000-06:00

I saw several status updates on Facebook yesterday about Valentine's Day being made up for companies to make money off love. Yaddy yaddy yada blah blah blah. That is probably true. But I like it. Yes, you should show those you love how much you care every day. But let's be honest. Most go through their days taking things for granted. People have a lot going on. So in my opinion, taking one day a year to remind people to celebrate the love they have for friends and family is a good idea. I enjoy celebrating the love for my husband and children in an extra special way.

This doesn't mean I don't say I love you every day - or in my case, several times a day. It's just fun to make a big deal out of it in an extra special way. John got me several kinds of chocolate and Mckenzie her gift that I wrote about yesterday. Our craft yesterday involved us all (myself included!) making Valentine cards out of construction paper.When Mckenzie got home from school we went to the store and got stuff for dinner. I know I wrote yesterday that I never cook. And it's true for the most part. That's why I thought it would be special for me to make John dinner. My menu was steak with mushroom gravy, Chinese green beans and mashed potatoes. I had all the beans snapped and was peeling potatoes when John got home. But I'll be honest. He cooked the steaks and did the beans. I finished the potatoes. But after the kids went to bed we cleaned the kitchen together!

Little Mama

2011-02-14T15:21:00.000-06:00

I just tried putting Lauren down for a nap and she wasn't quite ready. Since I am trying to allow less sleep during the day, I don't force the naps like I used to. I knew she wasn't going to go to sleep but I let her fuss for awhile as I cleaned up a mess from our craft activity. Next thing I knew Lauren toddled into the kitchen. At first I panicked thinking she has finally learned how to crawl out of the crib - something I'm DREADING! And for the record she could totally do it if she thought about it. This girl can scale walls like Spiderman.

Thankfully that wasn't the case. Mckenzie got her out. Yep, she just wraps her arms around Lauren's torso and drags her over the edge. Yes, it's a little dangerous. But the worst that has happened is they topple over backwards. Sometimes with a little fuss, but usually with giggles. It has came in quite handy on more than one occasion. I hope you don't think less of my parenting skills for allowing this. It's working for us quite nicely.

I love to eat

2011-02-14T12:48:00.000-06:00

Goodness knows I love to eat. Who doesn't? John is the main chef around this house. He spends 10 hours a day at the office and comes home every night to make me and the girls dinner. Every. Single. Night.

As a stay-at-home mommy, you may think that is my responsibility. I wouldn't disagree. And so I try to have things thawed by the time he gets home. On rare occasions I will do the cooking. But he is so good at it and so much more creative. I follow a recipe down to the last 1/2 teaspoon in fear of screwing it up and it tasting awful. John is much more confident and doesn't hesitate to make things up as he goes. When things don't work out, they're always edible at least.

For the last several weeks we have committed to eating healthier around this house. Less carbs, more protien. Lots and lots of vegetables. It's more difficult to follow those guidelines during the day. I find myself eating a handful of Goldfish crackers and macaroni and cheese with the girls quite a bit. But I'm slowly trying to change my ways. I need to speed it up though. I have such an easy opportunity for weight loss while I'm exclusively nursing Jack and I don't want to waste it. Our pediatrician told me I burn about 800 extra calories per day by nursing. So if I eat right and still consume 1500 calories a day I could really be dropping the pounds. I will say that I'm 13 pounds lighter than when I got pregnant with him. But I've been at that number for the last 6 weeks.

John got me chocolates for Valentine's day. It has taken all my willpower not to eat every last one of them before he gets home. I still have half the day to go but they're just so yummy!!! He knows what I like - dark chocolate with almonds!

What's up?

2011-02-14T12:26:00.001-06:00

I love hearing that people miss hearing from me on the blog. I really only hear it from two people. And one isn't a family member so that inspires me even more to pop in and do a post ... or several.

The recent happenings of the Welch household:

Mckenzie is boy crazy. We've known this for quite awhile. She has two boys at school that she really likes. She told me she broke up with one the other day so that the other could be her boyfriend again. I'm not sure where she learns this stuff. It's adorable and scary at the same time. This week's boyfriend got extra hearts on his Valentine card. Mckenzie chose Disney Princess cards with Scooby Doo pop rocks to attach. I made her write her name on each one. She wanted to quit after the third one, but she powered through and did all twenty. I was really proud of her and I think she was proud of herself when she finished.

Lauren is still working on potty training. She goes in the toilet once or twice a day and some days not at all. She has gone #2 on the toilet twice. Depending on what is going on with Jack, it is difficult to get her to the bathroom when she says "diaper" but we are adjusting. At first she would say "pee pee" but now "diaper" is the keyword. Jack has been laid down in random places all over this house so I can rush her to the bathroom. He is such a laid back baby that he doesn't mind at all. And Mckenzie is great at keeping him company when she is home. It would not be uncommon to see the baby laying in the middle of hallway patiently waiting for me to come back for him.

Jack is 3 1/2 months and 18 pounds. He is wearing 6-9 month clothes and I need to go shopping!!! He is a happy baby and full of smiles for everyone. He still prefers me over anyone else, but I think that's normal for infants. He has recently gotten stronger neck muscles and can sit in the Bumbo chair for about five minutes at a time. Lauren was sitting in the Bumbo by six weeks old so it has been quite a different experience with Jack. He was pretty much a little bean bag of babiness up until a few weeks ago. But now that he has the muscles he loves to exercise them by arching his back when you hold him and throwing his head back. He is also a very vocal baby. He loves to coo and laugh. He can hold a 'conversation' quite well.

I am almost done with my volleyball league. We play on Tuesday nights and I love it. I forgot how much I enjoy volleyball. I've never been great, but my skills have diminished since my college years of Summer Smash at the Sig Ep house. (Oh the good memories!!!) I am still a strong server and I have a blast with my teammates, so that's all that matters to me. It's nice to get out of the house without children too. Mckenzie comes to my games if they're early enough. She is old enough to sit by herself and watch. She is really sad when she doesn't get to come.

John and I have started going to a new church. We recently switched from the one we'd been going to for the last year. We've even started Sunday School. We are still very new but I think this will be the perfect fit for our family. I'm sure I'll have more to write about as we get more involved and Mckenzie starts doing more activities.

My Valentine

2011-02-14T11:57:00.000-06:00

My Valentine surprised me this morning with three different kinds of chocolates and a sweet card that made me cry. He also surprised me by having a gift for Mckenzie as well. It is a tin locker with keys that was full of Mckenzie's favorite chocolate, Snickers. It also had Reese's. She loved using the key to open it. She also got a singing card. Lauren and Jack are a little too young to appreciate Valentine gifts this year. Although Lauren did enjoy sharing my chocolate.

John really is the best husband and father.

Potty Training

2011-01-30T15:44:00.001-06:00

This is a topic worth dusting off the laptop and blogging about! Lauren just turned 15 months old and I think we've started potty training. I say that like I'm not quite sure because I certainly didn't plan or intend on doing it this early. We have had the potty chair in the bathroom since Mckenzie was learning because it also doubles as a stool so she can reach the sink and wash her hands by herself.

Early last week Mckenzie told me that Lauren wanted to try the potty. Yeah, okay sure. She had just gotten up from a nap so I figured why not? Sure enough she went. Then a few days went by and I thought about trying again. And she went. And then again the next day. We tried a couple more times in the days following and nothing happened.

Fast forward to yesterday. She went twice! My sister, Jess, was here to watch the kids while John and I went out. The first time was after a nap. The second success (well, kind of success) Lauren came up to me and said "pee pee" while grabbing her diaper. I was doing something for Jack so I asked Jess to take her to the bathroom. (We also have a child toilet seat that is part of the regular seat. It fits into the lid magnetically when the regular seat is down. Or you pull it down for the child so they can do their business on the regular toilet and there's no mess to clean up! It's pretty amazing.) Lauren was on the big toilet and kept leaning forward so my sister let her get down.

Now Lauren is diaperless, Jess is washing her hands and I'm trying to get Jack's medicine when we hear banging. What is that? I find Lauren wandering out of my bedroom. I go into the master bathroom and find poop on the floor. She had been banging the toilet seat up and down. The carpet is also wet from where she peed on the floor! We think when Lauren was leaning forward on the toilet with my sister she was really just trying to get leverage. Then when she got off and we weren't paying attention she went straight to the master bath and tried to get on the toilet in there - hence the banging of the toilet lid. At the time this situation is so humorous that Jess almost wet her own pants laughing at what had happened. Thankfully the poo was on the bathroom floor where it was an easy clean up. We weren't so fortunate with the urine on the carpet.

Jess learned two lessons yesterday. Never let the baby go without putting a diaper back on AND you need to leave the child on the seat for several minutes until you are POSITIVE there is nothing going to happen. However, it was an easy mistake to make because the diaper she had taken off was a little damp. She thought maybe she said "pee pee" because she'd already gone.

And today Lauren has gone on the potty twice. She has not told me again, I just put her on there after naps. I really thought this all was a fluke at first, but we are doing great so far. I don't plan to push her but I do plan to continue with asking her and putting her on the toilet after naps and before bath times. Maybe she will also keep telling me when she has to go? It would be really awesome to only have one child in diapers. Money saved and less work for me!

Lauren's first success on the potty!!! Right before a bath last week.

Resolutions

2011-01-06T09:39:00.001-06:00

I made a few New Year's Resolutions this year. I'm going to write about them so maybe that will help hold me more accountable.

Do a better job of keeping in touch with friends.

Six days into the year and I think I've done pretty well. I had lunch with several girlfriends from high school. I hadn't seen them in person in YEARS. Facebook just doesn't cut it. It was so much fun and I hope to do it again in a few months.
Monthly dessert night with my Hutch girlfriends. We've actually been doing this for two years now. However, we finally made it a specific day each month so we can plan our calendars around it.
Went to the annual NYE party with my college friends. We did this last year also, but I almost backed out this year when I realized I'd have to take Jack. But we are so old now, taking kids is no big deal. He wasn't even the only baby there.
Made strides to have a play date with a woman I don't know that well so Lauren can start having her own friends the way Mckenzie does. We haven't been able to work it out yet, but we will!

Be more organized!

I think everyone has this goal. But it's a good one so I don't care that it isn't very original. So far John has organized the garage VERY well. We have what you would call an 'oversized' garage and it has tons of room for tools and the kids' outdoor toys (plus the van and truck). We also have a 30'x60' shop that is already organized for the most part.
We also organized the mechanical room downstairs and put in 3 huge shelves to keep Christmas decorations and other miscellaneous stuff organized.
I also organized two drawers in the built-in China hutch. The funny thing about having a large house with a ton of storage is that nothing is organized! This problem is probably only unique to me. But I have found that we have so many cabinets that when we moved in I just started putting stuff out of sight instead of taking the time to really find good places for things to go. Clearly it's a good problem to have. I am so blessed to be in a house with so much storage. Still need to tackle several junk drawers, cabinet in the hall bath, basement kitchen cabinets, unfinished bedroom and drawers in the master bath. I'm sure there's more. It's a good thing I've got all year!

Lose weight.

Talk about unoriginal. But it is a goal nonetheless. At my six week postpardum visit with my doctor I was down 13 pounds from the weight I was when I got pregnant with Jack. However, that was two weeks before Christmas and I'm pretty sure I gained a few pounds. But here's hoping that I can get motivated to keep losing and use my YMCA membership. Going to the Y is difficult because they don't have drop-in daycare all day long. The hours are funky and they don't fit into my schedule. But I need to make them fit. Why pay for a membership we don't use?!

Couponing.

I am not sure if that is even a word. But it is definitely something I need to do. Right now I do most of my shopping at Walmart grocery. But there's a way to be saving TONS more money. There are plenty of couponing blogs out there to help get me started. Now I just need to re-subscribe to the Hutch News. Two for one advantage: current events AND coupons.

Jack is crying so I will finish this post another time. Usually I would hit "save" and never get back to it. (I have about 7 unpublished posts that need finished!) Instead I will click "publish" and hope for the best.

Two Months!!!

2011-01-05T12:13:00.000-06:00

Jack was 2 months old on Sunday! He is such a sweet little thing. One of the most wonderful things about having more than one child is to watch them grow into their own personality that is so different from what you know. You can't help but remember how their siblings were and it is simply delightful to think about how different or similar they are. So far Jack is very different from Lauren. He is calmer, smiles more at this age (although she is FULL of smiles and giggles now at 14 months) sleeps better and doesn't fuss nearly as much. The similarities and differences of the three kids is a post all of its own!

Yes, I am basically saying he is an easier baby. If Jack were as high maintenance as Lauren was at his age, I might be in the nuthouse. It is true. But she is her own unique individual and I love her budding personality more than words can express.

Back to Jack. He had his 2 month check up today. He weighs 16 pounds and is off the charts for his age. He is 24 1/4" long and is in the 88th percentile. He smiled and cooed at the doctor and she was impressed with his social and vocal skills. He got three shots and an oral medicine. He took them all like a champ, only cried for a minute or so. Overall he had an excellent check up.

Now to the fun part. Comparing the kids' stats at two months...

Mckenzie: 11lbs 1oz and 22 1/4"
Lauren: 14lbs 9oz and 24 1/4"
Jack: 16lbs 0oz and 24 1/4"

Lauren comforting Jack as we wait for the nurse to bring in the shots.

Birthday!

2011-01-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

Mckenzie was FIVE years old yesterday!!! She got home around 5:30pm and had not forgotten that we told her we would take her out to dinner. She chose the "big red pepper" aka Chili's. I was hoping they would sing and make a big deal out of it... but no such luck. She did get a free dessert though!

Jack was two months old yesterday. He is starting to hold his head up with more control and is consistently sleeping through the night. I hope I am not jinxing it by telling everyone, but I'm just so proud of him!!! Lauren still struggles with sleep (due to teething, we hope!) and Mckenzie is an awesome sleeper, as always.

We also decided to go ahead and host a birthday party for her next Saturday. As I was researching ideas, several sites suggested you invite the number of guests based on the child's age plus one. So we will have six additional 4 and 5 year olds running around our house next Saturday. I can't wait!!!

Birthday Party?

2010-12-21T10:50:00.000-06:00

We have been debating whether to have a birthday party with friends for Mckenzie this year. She will be five on January 2nd. Two weeks ago I would have told you she isn't having one. However, as the day gets nearer, I realize we need to make a decision and start planning. I am unsure of what activities to do, who to invite, where to have it etc. I think five is a memorable age and I'm starting to warm up to the idea. I'm off to start brainstorming...

It's Monday

2010-12-13T14:41:00.000-06:00

We made it to the Christmas party. It was nice to get out of the house without children. All three did great with the babysitter. Lauren was asleep within an hour of her arrival. Mckenzie stayed up until 9 watching a movie and having ice cream and Jack took the bottle just fine. We got home around 11:30. I fed him and he slept for six hours straight. It was a nice stretch of time for me to get some rest.We would definitely use her again!

Most of our Christmas shopping is done. What does Santa bring an almost two month old? I would say nothing, but Mckenzie would notice if Jack didn't get anything. Last year Lauren got a bouncy activity center, so Jack is all set in that department. Let me know if you have any ideas we can pass along to Santa.

Jack

2010-12-10T14:25:00.001-06:00

Jack was five weeks old on Tuesday. He is more alert these days, staying up for about an hour at a time a few times a day. The rest of the time he eats and goes right back to sleep. He has been sleeping in his crib in his bedroom for a few weeks and seems to prefer it to the bassinet in the living room. I am thankful for this. Today I moved the baby monitor into his room. It was in with Lauren because she was conditioned to fall asleep with the music it played. But she is so good at telling us when she is tired and going to sleep on her own that I decided it was time to train Jack to the music as well. Most of the time he is already asleep when I put him in his bed and I'd like to get him to the point where he goes down drowsy and the music lulls him to sleep.

He is the first of our children to like a pacifier. It is so convenient! I have never known the wonders of a pacifier. In fact, when it is missing we have to turn the house upside down looking for it! It doesn't help that we have a little lady around here who loves to swipe it and then drop it in random places around the house. She also enjoys pulling it out of his mouth when he is content. But on the flip side, if he is crying she takes it to him and tries to shove it in his mouth in any direction that is convenient to her. Or she just throws it over the side of the bassinet. Due to this, we now have three of the MAM 2+ months pacifiers. We would have four, but one is MIA.

On Wednesday I went out for dessert with a couple of friends. We try to do this once a month and this time I decided to leave Jack at home with a bottle of pumped milk. It did not go as smoothly as we had hoped. We are having a babysitter tomorrow evening so we can go to the Collin's Christmas Party, but if he won't take a bottle we will have to cancel. Tonight will be the deciding factor.

Oh and I forgot to mention, at Jack's one month appointment on December 1st, he weighed in at 11 pounds, 13 ounces. (He was 8lbs7oz at birth) So that is a gain of over three pounds in a month!!! He was as big as many three month old babies. I need to get out Lauren and Mckenzie's baby books to compare their growth curves. It would be fascinating.

Last night he slept from 11:15pm to 5:45am, so six and a half hours! The night before he had a five hour stretch and another six hour stretch of sleep. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we are starting a trend!

Stay away!

2010-12-09T09:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we canceled a trip to Wichita because Lauren had some tummy issues. The same issues I'd had the day before. Then John started vomiting around one o'clock this morning and then again at three. By four o'clock Mckenzie was throwing up. This is day three of Lauren eating like a bird... which is NOT like her at all. And Jack slept a five hour stretch before I had to wake him to feed him. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to nurse him. He promptly fell asleep for a six hour stretch. He didn't waste any time going right back to sleep again this morning. He doesn't have a fever and he continues to have wet diapers, but I do think he might be sick. He isn't eating as heartily as usual. Or maybe he's just tired or going through a growth spurt?

I feel awful that all my babies are sick but thank goodness I'm still healthy. *fingers crossed*

Okay

2010-12-08T16:11:00.000-06:00

Okay okay okay. I know I have not been on much lately. I blame my internet phone. It would be impossible to do an entire blog post with my thumbs. But having the web at my fingertips leaves the laptop covered with a layer of dust around here.

Jack was five weeks old yesterday. FIVE WEEKS!!! Can you believe it? I certainly can't. It has been an amazing, exhausting, exciting five weeks. I am not nearly as overwhelmed with Jack as I was with Lauren. Yeah, it doesn't make sense since we've added to the responsibilities around here, but it's true. When he cries it doesn't stress me out. We can go across town without having to pull over for a feeding. He gets plenty of love and attention from me... and every one else in this house. But if he has to wait a minute while I'm doing something else, I don't feel overwhelming guilt like I did last year.

Maybe it is because he is my second newborn in a year's span or maybe I'm just more mellow this go around? Either way, it makes life MUCH easier when I am more calm about things. Don't get me wrong, I'm still tired most of the time and cranky with John for no reason sometimes. But overall I feel like I am better at it this time. Nursing is definitely easier and Jack is already a better sleeper than Lauren was. He is overall a very good baby. He doesn't cry unless he really needs something or has a burp that needs out. Thank goodness he doesn't have colic or any other crying issues.

We are going to try giving him a bottle tonight. He needs to be able to take one without too much fuss. We are going to the Collin's Christmas Party on Saturday and we have a sitter coming over. Which is also a milestone for us... we have never had a non-family member babysitter before. Well, I have some very good friends in town that have watched the kids for us and had Mckenzie over for play dates. But for the most part we always rely on family for our babysitting needs. I am not worried though. This sitter comes highly recommended from a friend AND she was the para in Mckenzie's classroom last year. So at least I know she's been through a USD #308 background check. Haha! But really, I know she'll do a great job and Mckenzie already loves her. Which means Lauren will too.

Here are a few pics just because I've been so neglectful!

Jack William

2010-11-03T23:18:00.000-05:00

I started this post at 6 am and am finishing it at 11 pm. I think that's just the way things are going to be around here for awhile. :)

****************

Jack William Welch

November 2, 2010

11:33 AM

8lb 7oz

20"

Me, Jack and Dr. Cullan

The delivery didn't go quite as smoothly as we would have hoped. Jack's heart rate decelerated and wasn't recovering once I started to push. It was a very similar situation as Lauren's labor, but his cord wasn't pinched. They are not sure why he didn't tolerate the birth canal well. They said some babies just don't. It ended up being a vacuum-assisted labor. The whole process was pretty intense to say the least, but I have an amazing doctor who got Jack here safely and without needing a c-section.

First family photo minus Lauren

Lauren has had a runny nose and congestion for over a week, but recently started running a fever. We didn't want to risk her getting Jack sick. After taking her to the doctor, it turns out she has a sinus infection. She got on antibiotics and will have been on them almost 24 hours by the time we get home tomorrow.

I look forward to my entire family being in the same place at the same time. And I miss my baby girl. I haven't seen her since Monday evening!

Trick-or-Treat!

2010-11-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

Halloween fell on our weekend to have Mckenzie this year and we got to take her trick-or-treating for the first time! It was so fun to see her collect candy and encourage Lauren to do the same. Lauren could only have once piece in her bucket at a time because she tried to eat everything, including the wrappers! But Mckenzie didn't mind "holding" Lauren's for her in her own bucket.

We went to a friend's house for chili and cinnamon rolls before we went out. Then we went up and down their street with them. That was pretty much all we needed and Lauren wasn't really that interested in going door-to-door.

Lauren would not look at the camera. She was too interested in everyone's costumes!

At the Leiker house after Come & Go Chili dinner

On the way home we decided to stop by one more house. The president of John's company lives in a ritzy neighborhood just South of us so we decided to stop and do his cul-de-sac before giving up for the evening.

All I can say is Oh. My. Goodness. I have never seen such generous Halloween treats. Several houses were giving out cans of pop, full candy bars and toys. Lauren's new favorite toy came from that neighborhood. It rolls across the tile in our kitchen and makes noises.

This might be our Halloween destination every year and it really is pretty close to us. Trick-or-Treating in our immediate neighborhood isn't very practical, lot sizes are all 2.5+ acres and it just doesn't work well for little legs to go from door to door. Not to mention there are no kids in our neighborhood so it is very likely that people aren't prepared!

A very successful Trick or Treating for Lauren and Mckenzie

Halloween!!!

2010-11-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween, a day late! Hope everyone had a great holiday.

On Saturday John and I went to a Halloween party at our neighbor's house. We would have loved to go to the annual Halloween party with our Wichita friends, but we felt like being over an hour away from Hutchinson was a little too risky. I knew if we didn't go that I wouldn't go into labor. Sure enough, I didn't!

But we had a great time and met many new people. And since we didn't really think we'd be going to any Halloween parties we had to throw together our costumes on Saturday afternoon. What do you think?

It's not the best quality because it was taken with my cell phone. But just so you know, YES, that's my real belly. I had tons of people asking if it was real and lots of unsolicited touching. Luckily I'm one of those people that doesn't mind when strangers touch my belly. Bare belly, at that. Needless to say, we were a hit!

Halloween party!

2010-10-29T13:06:00.001-05:00

Lauren and I went to Mckenzie's class parade and party this morning. It was overwhelming to say the least. It didn't help that it was nap time for Lauren, HOT in the school and super crowded with children and parents.

In any other condition maybe I wouldn't have been so uncomfortable. But after following the parade around the school while lugging Lauren who just wanted down to explore and watching Kenz dig into her Halloween treats, we left early. I am so thankful that Mckenzie is an understanding, mature (for her age) 4-year old. She had been looking forward to riding home with us but when I explained that Lauren was cranky she completely understood.

Unfortunately you can't see her antennae. We had just arrived and are waiting in the hall, but she is already unhappy.

Pocahontas! She's been planning this for months. The dress is borrowed from her friend Alissa. The boots, necklace and headband are all courtesy of Grandma Roxana.

Renegade! I spent a few minutes letting her run around the empty gym. I thought that would help, but it really didn't. So we made an appearance at the party and left early.

Do you think they have enough sugar?! This was right before Lauren helped herself to the cupcake with icing. And I must have been having a hot flash or something, that place was HOT! But really, that makes sense. There are 20 students, 3 teachers and almost every student had a parent or grandparent there. So a lot of people were crammed into the classroom. I'm so glad we were able to go see her and be supportive though.

Four days overdue

2010-10-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

Yep, still pregnant. I went into labor on the fifth day overdue with Lauren but didn't have her until the 6th day over. If that happens again, his birthday will be Halloween!

Update on Due Date

2010-10-25T14:37:00.000-05:00

Just got home from the doctor... and no induction this week. My choice. He told me I could pick any day this week. I've been wanting an induction for at least two weeks but I changed my mindset and am ready to just relax and enjoy my last few days (or hours!) as a family of four. There is no medical need at this time to induce, so we'll just let things happen on their own.

UNLESS he doesn't come by next Monday. I have an appointment on Monday, November 1st and if necessary I'll go in at 4 PM that day for Cervadil... medicine that readies the cervix. I am currently at 1.5 cm. If I am at 2.5/3+ cm next week, I will go to the hospital very early on Tuesday, November 2nd to start Pitocin... a drug that starts labor. So at least we have a date, people!

Until then, I'm still hoping things happen naturally. My guess is still October 30th. The good news? My doctor is on-call all weekend.

Due Date!

2010-10-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

It is Monday, October 25th and I am 40 weeks pregnant today!!! However, I do not think this baby is coming today... or tomorrow. My guess is Saturday unless I need an induction. I go to the doctor today to discuss the options. The last two weeks I was ready to be induced. Now I'm ready to wait it out. I'm not quite as miserable... except for the horrible cold/cough/runny nose that I have. Honestly, I'd like to get over that before he arrives so I don't pass it on to him. Lauren has the same symptoms (poor baby!) but luckily John and Kenzie are both healthy as can be!

1st Birthday Party!

2010-10-25T11:27:00.000-05:00

We had Lauren's first birthday party on the 16th. It will probably be her first and last (for awhile) that she has all to herself!

Kansas State Fair 2010

2010-10-25T11:10:00.000-05:00

Now that I can upload pictures again, I am doing a little catching up. This was Lauren's first year for the Kansas State Fair that is in Hutchinson every year. She went THREE times! She was such a trooper.

She rode the big yellow slide with John and Kenz!

She also rode the ferris wheel after spending hours watching Kenz ride the rides. On this night we had been there five hours and left at 10:30! (Don't worry, Kenz didn't have school the next day!)

12 Month Picture

2010-10-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

We took Lauren to get 12 month pictures on Saturday. We arrived in this outfit and had another to change into that she got for her birthday. Sadly to say, she was not interested in a photo session. Out of a zillion pictures, this was the absolute best. I wish she was smiling, but I still think she looks cute! She's just so interested in what goes on around her that she wanted to walk away or touch the camera the whole time.

Please email me or comment and let me know what size you would like to have - this includes family. I'll get them organized before baby brother arrives!

I also wanted to add that she is also saying "baby." And over the weekend we did a lot of sitting on the floor playing with her baby doll and touching it gently. She tends to smack things!

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2010-10-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

Lauren is one year old today! Where has the time gone? She is 22lbs 8 oz and 30 1/4" long. She has gained 14oz since her 9 month appointment and grown 2 inches in length. She has been walking for almost two months and talks CONSTANTLY! At her screening the speech pathologist was very impressed with her "vocabulary." She does say several words, but even her babbling is extensive. She can say Mama, Dada, Daddy, No, Me, Hi, Bye, Up, Stop, Doggie, Puppy, Sinzy (Kenzie or maybe sissy?) and Uh-Oh. I hope I haven't forgotten anything!

She loves books, babies and climbing. I can't even describe her love of climbing stairs, ladders, furniture, etc. You name it, she tries to climb it!

I can't believe it's already been a year! It seems like yesterday that I was was anxiously awaiting her arrival. I will add pictures as soon as I can!

Pictures

2010-10-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

Ugh!!!!

Have you noticed there haven't been any pictures lately? I've tried and tried to load them into my posts but it won't work. I got a message today that image uploads are getting maintenance until 7 pm tonight.

I have a lot I'd like to share: my baby shower, Lauren's birthday, Kenzie at the pumpkin patch and maybe others.

Hopefully it starts working because we've had so much going on around here. But still no baby!

12 mo screening

2010-10-14T16:53:00.001-05:00

Lauren had her 12 month screening at the Early Education Center today. I love this place. This is where Mckenzie went to preschool the last two years. They offer early intervention services (as needed) and free screenings to make sure your child is on track. I totally take advantage of the screenings.

They check hearing, vision, motor skills, speech & language, cognitive, social and self-help skills. She got top marks of "adequate" in all these areas. When you schedule the appointment they ask if there are any concerns and I did not have any but I still wanted to hear what the "experts" had to say. Although I feel like a professional mom, I realize that I am not educated or trained professionally in any of these areas. Someday she might fall behind or have a delay and I want to be doing everything I can to identify that and get her the help she might need as early as possible. As long as they are being offered, we will be taking the kids in for these free screenings!

She has her 12 month check-up and shots with her pediatrician next week. I look forward to sharing those results also!

October 14, 2009...

2010-10-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

One year ago today was Lauren's due date. I remember being anxious and excited and impatient. Funnily, I feel the EXACT same way on this day this year. I was adamantly against being induced with Lauren. I wanted the full experience of going into labor at home, timing the contractions and then going to the hospital. I did NOT want to be turned away from Labor and Delivery because it wasn't the real thing.

This year I'm contemplating an induction. Mainly because I'm more uncomfortable than I ever was with Lauren. It feels like I have contractions several times a day, but they aren't doing anything! I have not made any progress in the last month - I'm still at 1 cm. My belly is much bigger this time around and lower. The muscle cramps in my legs are worse. The heartburn is much worse. The fatigue is comparable. Some days I can't wait until he is here and other days I feel like it is flying by too fast because I need more time with my baby.

Although scheduling an induction would be convenient for me, John, my mom and others that have offered to help us out when the baby arrives, I am fighting the urge. He will come when he is ready. I am taking it one day at a time.

Take a guess!

2010-10-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

Take a guess on our baby's statistics! Click on the box below to enter your guesses.

If clicking on the box above doesn't work, visit: http://expectnet.com/game.php and the name of our game is: WelchBaby3

Baby update

2010-10-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

On Monday I will be 38 weeks... which means 2 more weeks until my due date of October 25th. I have been dilated to 1 cm for the last 3 weeks and my doctor doesn't think I'll be going early. However, I reminded him that the day I went into labor with Lauren I had zero dilation and effacement at 3:30 that afternoon and about two hours later I had to have John come home from work because the contractions had gotten so intense. So really, things could happen at any time!

I have several Braxton-Hicks contractions throughout the day - I never had ANY with Lauren. They are basically false contractions that are sporadic and aren't very painful. Every time I have one I think it might be the start of something real... no luck so far.

How do I feel? I get that question at least once a day. I feel huge. I feel like my belly can't get any bigger, but the stretchmarks are proving otherwise. His feet are constantly in my ribs making me catch my breath and try to sit a little straighter. The heartburn is constant, the leg cramps during the night are painful and we probably ought to buy stock in toilet paper because I go about 30 times a day. I'm not kidding. Can you tell I'm ready for him to arrive?!

But at the same time I'm not ready at all. His room still says "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" on the wall and he has a pink polka dot curtain and no crib mattress. I'm not ready to rock Lauren's world. She is a total mommy's girl and as rough as this adjustment might be on me doesn't even compare to what Lauren is going to go through. I am enjoying every last minute with her as my youngest. She doesn't notice, but I do and I want to treasure these moments.

However, in the end... meaning several years down the road... when they are fighting one minute and sticking up for each other the next, I will know it is worth it. They will be best friends some day and love that they are only 12 months apart. I hope.

So much family

2010-10-07T10:30:00.001-05:00

The girls have gotten to meet and re-meet a lot of family in the last week. Last Thursday we celebrated the life of my Great Aunt Bev. She was my grandpa's sister-in-law. We saw her at least once a year, she was from Kansas City. She was an outgoing woman with a sense of humor and a huge love of dogs, specifically golden retrievers. In addition to several other family members, Mckenzie and Lauren got to meet Aunt Bev's grandchildren that were here from Utah. John is 9 and Kate is 6. Kenz LOVED playing with them and showing them around the farm. She has asked me a few times if Kate can come over to play. It's so hard to explain to her how far away Utah is from Kansas.

Papa Woody also took several of us on a hay ride around the farm. It was the hit of the day. The kids LOVED it and Mckenzie is still talking about it. I didn't take pictures, but I think my cousin Rob took several. The ride was bumpy, but not bumpy enough to get baby brother out unfortunately.

We got home from Mom and Dad's around midnight on Thursday and turned right around and left early on Friday morning for Kirksville, Missouri. John's cousin got married on Saturday. The drive took us 7 1/2 hours and it was pretty rough on Lauren. Even though we got into town by early evening she woke up at least four times that night.

However she perked up on Saturday and had a great day. We spent it with John's grandma Julia. We also met the wedding party on campus where they took outdoor pictures. Kenz immediately took to her cousin Alyssa.

Thankfully Lauren slept through the wedding ceremony and woke up at the end to help throw birdseed. The reception was a blast and Kenzie and John stayed until 10:30. I don't think Kenz even wanted to leave then. Lauren and I had gone back to the hotel by 8:30, we were both exhausted from the day's events.

On Sunday the family all met at John's cousin's house and had lunch. Kenz played with Alyssa all afternoon. They were best of friends by the end of the weekend. We also got to see the bride and groom and visit in a more relaxed environment. Mckenzie took her first combine ride... she loved it, of course. We ended up leaving quite a bit later than we had planned, but it was worth it!

Good student

2010-09-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Mckenzie loves school. She loved it last year in Miss Shanna's class and she is loving it this year in Miss Kristen's class. She loves riding the bus so much that she hugs the bus driver and all the other riders (there's only 3 or 4 others) when she gets off each day. Then she skips down the driveway and usually stops to pick me a flower as Lauren and I wait on the porch. Sounds picturesque, right? Well, it totally is.

The last few days she's told us about earning stars for being good. What we didn't know is that if you get 10 gold stars you get to choose a toy from the treasure chest. Yesterday she came home with a little paddle with a hole in it and you try to get the ball on a string through the hole. She was the first student to get 10 stars and choose a toy... I think. I asked her if anyone else had gotten a toy and she said no just her because she had a row of stars. And I asked if anyone got to pick a toy after her and she said no one else had enough stars. She is pretty reliable when retelling a story, but you can still never be 100% sure at this point.

Either way, I'm super proud of her. A letter came home in her back pack explaining the star chart and that it recognizes children for making good choices. And if they make a poor choice, stars can be taken away. It sounds like a great system and it has definitely motivated Mckenzie to be as good as possible. But of course, we like to think she is a good student and friend all the time. And I think for the most part, she is. :)

Sharing a room

2010-09-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to get this post written since Monday! I just couldn't find the time to finish it.

We moved Lauren's crib into Mckenzie's bedroom Sunday night. It fits perfectly under the bunk bed. Around 8:00 PM Lauren was showing her usual signs of sleepiness - fussy, rubbing her eyes, laying her head down. So we put her in the crib and shut the door as we always do and she did great! Not a peep.

About 20 minutes later Kenzie went to bed.We usually read her a story in her room but that has to change now if Lauren is already asleep. So we did it in the living room and explained that she had to go straight to bed and not talk to Lauren if she woke up.

Ha! So much for that. Of course Lauren woke up and Kenz started talking to her which caused her to cry and overall chaos at bedtime. So Kenz stayed in bed and I got Lauren out. She stayed up til Kenz fell asleep and we were able to put Lauren back down without waking Mckenzie.

Another hiccup is that Lauren isn't used to a night light of any sort. Her room has always been completely dark. But Kenz has to have one to get down the ladder and to the bathroom if necessary. So Lauren woke around 2:30 am for an hour just chatting to herself. I think she stayed awake so long because she could see around the room. And of course I laid awake listening since I am such a light sleeper. We don't even have a monitor in there. Then she fussed for 30 more minutes and Kenz still didn't wake. She was back asleep by 4. I finally fell back asleep around 4:30 and Lauren was up for good at 6 am.

Up for good means she is standing, talking, giggling, yelling until someone gets her out. Not fussy, just letting it be known she is awake. Usually I let her do this for awhile I didn't want this to wake Mckenzie so I got her out and did our usual routine. This involves her having a bottle, playing and going back down after an hour or so.

So she fell asleep at 7:15 and I laid down to get a nap until I had to wake Kenz at 8. But of course Kenz wakes up around 7:30 and is PANICKED that Lauren is not in the crib. She thought she was missing, but really I put her down for the nap in her old room in the Pack N Play.

The other issue is that during Lauren's naps, Kenzie wants to play in her room. We may be moving ALL the toys to the basement playroom and just make bedrooms for sleeping only. Not quite how we'll handle that yet.

If you've read this far, sorry if I'm boring you. It turned out to be quite lengthy. Monday and Tuesday worked out great. Lauren slept through the night and I just get her out around 6:00 AM and let her nap in the Pack N Play. Now what to do when there's another baby in that room? Hopefully she is sleeping til 8:00 AM by that point, but if she's not, we can put it downstairs or in the master bedroom.

Delta Delta Delta

2010-09-01T15:27:00.000-05:00

We were in Wichita on Sunday because I went to the annual Sips N Salads alumna meeting for Tri Delta. I used to be more involved as an alumna member, but living in Hutch makes it very difficult to volunteer with the collegiate members and attend functions. It had been way too long since I'd been to a meeting and I didn't want to miss this one. It worked out nicely because John and the girls were able to visit with my parents and Grandma Grape while I was at the meeting.

The collegiates are gearing up for Fall Recruitment and I can't wait to hear about their new pledge class. I don't feel old until I look at all the changes around the sorority house and look at the composite photos and don't recognize any of the names or faces! I'm so old I might not even be in the composites in the basement... if they're even still there. I didn't get a chance to go down and look.

I have so many fond memories of Tri Delta. It enhanced my experience at Wichita State on so many levels. I was involved in several student organziations that had nothing to with the sorority but being Greek was an excellent foundation for networking and learning what else was out there. I also really miss intramural sports. I was never a great athlete, but it was fun to pair up with a fraternity and be competitive. It honestly feels like yesterday that I was nervous about going through Rush (old terminology!)... and when I do the math it was NINE years ago! I now have two little legacies running around the house. I wonder if they will be interested in Greek life someday?

Gymnastics!

2010-09-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

Mckenzie has chosen to do gymnastics this year instead of dance lessons. I let her choose and I think she made the right decision. She is CONSTANTLY tumbling around the house and working on her splits. She never did this with dance. Not to say she won't change her mind next summer when it is time to enroll, but for now gymnastics is more interesting to her.

She was struggling with a cartwheel. She didn't quite understand the sideways movement the last few weeks but when she got home from class yesterday she was doing it!!! Well, she still needs a little improvement, but she is doing so well at going sideways instead of turning it into a somersault in the middle.

I didn't get to see her learn this because this was the first week of our new carpool. Another friend of hers is in the class and she has a little brother that just turned one. It is difficult to keep the little ones entertained and watch the girls practice, so I watched the babies and the other mom took Kenzie to and from class. It worked wonderfully! The babies were not awake at the same time unfortunately. But maybe next week they'll have a chance to play together. Now that Kenzie is in school all week, I can start scheduling play dates around Lauren and children her age.

Tomorrow I am taking Lauren to her first gymnastics experience while Mckenzie is at school. It is a Parents As Teachers event they hold once a month. She loves to crawl around on the mats and it will be fun to see her climb to her heart's content. We can't keep her off things around here, she is constantly trying to climb the kitchen chairs, hearth or couches. Even the step stool in the kitchen isn't safe. She has figured out how to get on our low counter top!

The situation

2010-08-31T17:32:00.000-05:00

As many of you may know, John's tonsils started to bleed Sunday evening. We were in Wichita and went to the closest ER. At first we both thought the bleeding would taper off and we'd head home. In fact, we sent the girls to my grandparents with my sister because we really didn't think it would take that long.

Once in the ER the bleeding continued to get worse and the ER doctor couldn't get it to stop. He had John transferred to the hospital where an ENT performed surgery sometime after 11pm. They think this happened for a few reasons:

1. It was the 7th day after surgery, which is when the scabs start to slough off and bleeding is likely.
2. He had been eating foods that were too rough. However, his first ENT had told us he could "eat as tolerated" and throughout the meal John was doing fine. The bleeding didn't even start until after he was finished.
3. John has pre-hypertension and had forgotten his blood pressure medication.

So a combination of these factors caused the bleeding. It was scary for all of us, especially Mckenzie. She did NOT want to leave the ER with Aunt Jess. But she did and eventually Jess took the girls home to Hutchinson and took very good care of them. She got Kenz on the bus in the morning and kept Lauren happy as well.

John is now taking another week off work and will go back on Tuesday after the three-day weekend. If anyone has any recipe ideas for soft foods, please share! Pudding, jello, yogurt, soup, mac & cheese are getting old. :)

Good friends

2010-08-26T21:35:00.000-05:00

I took the girls to the park for the first time in a LONG time today! We met three other moms there and between us we have 10 kids with two more on the way! As they all get older it is harder and harder to get us all together in the same place at the same time, so today was a pretty big deal. All 10 kids plus four moms is a little hectic, but totally worth the effort.

At the end of our playdate, Miss Shanna stopped by. I had something of hers so she stopped in to say hi to Kenzie. It was the sweetest sight. Kenzie jumped into her arms and gave her the biggest hug. She was so excited to see her. She asked if we could go to the park again tomorrow and see Miss Shanna. She also refers to her as the "real Miss Shanna" because we have a neighbor named Shannon but Kenz calls her the "other Miss Shanna."

After everyone had left Mckenzie was in tears because she had gotten trapped in the outdoor bathroom. The door was too heavy for her to open. Another mom I didn't know heard her crying and let her out. Turns out we ended up chatting for another 30 minutes and might even get together next week. The entrapment was quite traumatic for Kenz, but a good ice breaker for the adults!

We dried up Kenzie's tears by extra trips down the slide with Lauren. She loved it! I wish I could have gotten a picture but I was too busy catching them at the bottom of the slide. She had the biggest grin on her face and she would giggle every time. I'll have to put her on our slide here at home tomorrow. I've never thought to before because I didn't think she was old enough. The sides are high enough I think she could possibly do it by herself. We'll have to try it out tomorrow!

Tender hearted

2010-08-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

I have always been a sensitive person. Even when I'm not pregnant, I feel like I could cry at the drop of a hat over some of the silliest things, like an ancient episode of the Drew Carey show or the movie Return to Me. I think my sisters know what I'm referring to here. I don't know if this trait is genetic, environmental or just my personality. It's not always a good trait to have. Especially in a professional setting or when you're trying to be strong with a sales person or something. And then when I cry for a really good reason, it's moot because if I can cry over a Folger's commercial who's going to take my serious tears seriously?

Unfortunately, Mckenzie might be like this too. We just finished our bedtime routine and she took a picture off her dresser of our dog Gizmo. He passed away when she was two and she doesn't really remember him. Just pictures of her with him. She started to cry and told me she was sad that he died. Real tears were streaming down her face. Then she told me Gizmo died like baby Jesus. I told her Jesus didn't die when he was a baby, but that just made her cry even harder. What do you do in this situation? I just hugged her and told her they are both in Heaven now. That seemed to help.

Update!

2010-08-26T20:12:00.000-05:00

So this was the third day of school for Mckenzie. She is still loving it! It's hard for me to not see the teacher every day though. I liked being able to chat with Miss Shanna and ask if Kenzie had a good or bad day. She still loves riding the bus also. I have realized that we only need 30 minutes or less to get ready since she doesn't eat breakfast at home. Right now she is waking up at least an hour before the bus comes and she doesn't understand that she has to wait to go to school. I hope she keeps this enthusiasm for the next 13 years!

This was the fourth day since John's surgeries. His throat is getting progressively worse with the pain. But they warned us that day 7 would be the peak pain day. I think he is getting bored around the house. He is thinking about going to work tomorrow. He says it is going to hurt whether he is at home or at work, so he might give it a try.

First day continued

2010-08-24T13:28:00.000-05:00

Kenz had a great first day. The bus was about 20 min late again, but I spent that time at the end of the driveway chatting with our neighbor. Mckenzie is the last one off but might soon be the first one off. In the years I rode the bus I would have LOVED to be the last picked up and the first dropped off.

She said she loved breakfast (french toast, cereal, fruit and milk) and they played alot. She also drew pictures and got to use markers. In the eyes of a 4 year old, that must be an awesome first day. She also made a friend, Dakota. She gave Mckenzie her nametag. Apparently this was a very special gift because she put it under her pillow for safekeeping as soon as she got home.

John is also doing well. His belly doesn't hurt too bad but his throat is very uncomfortable. The swelling is still pretty bad which makes swallowing pills and sleeping difficult. He's been a great patient though. In fact, he won't let me do much for him! I keep trying. So if you read this, just let me do it for you. You can pay me back in two months.

Gotta sign off to get Kenz ready for gymnastics, wake the baby and run to the doctor to get some steroids for my poison ivy. It is getting out of control. I would hate for either of the girls to get it. John is immune and we think Kenzie is also. I really hope Lauren is too. So far she doesn't have it yet. I've been doing my best not to scratch!

First day of Pre K!

2010-08-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

Mckenzie woke herself up at 7:15 this morning she was so excited for the first day of school! I had planned to give her until 7:30. She immediately started watching for the bus. When the bus driver called to let us know her estimated pick up time was 8:37 am I figured getting Kenz up at 7:30 was plenty early! Plus she doesn't need to eat breakfast before she goes because they do that at school instead of a snack time. Afternoon students have lunch at school.

It was raining this morning so we decided to wait in the car at the end of the driveway, get her on the bus and then follow her to school. 8:37 turned into more like 9:00 and boy was it a long wait! But as soon as the bus came around the corner she started squealing with delight!

Her driver seemed super nice and even greeted her by name when the doors opened. She helped Mckenzie buckle in and told her that within a few days she would be doing it on her own. She settled in quickly beside another girl and as we followed I wondered if she was talking up a storm or being shy. John thinks she probably chatted the whole way.

Once we got to the school, I wasn't really sure if we should get out or what. Since Lauren was sleeping in her car seat, we just took a few pics from the car. Kenzie hopped off the steps of the bus and got in line like a pro. Her teacher was there to meet them and I think they're all going to have a wonderful first day.

We had a bit of photo shoot in front of the fireplace this morning and Lauren didn't want to be left out!

John's surgery

2010-08-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

John had his tonsils and adenoids removed this morning. Along with that they shortened his uvula and trimmed his soft palate. He also had an umbilical hernia repaired. He did not need mesh, turns out the hole was about the size of a dime. He was done in about 1 1/2 hours and spent an hour in recovery.

They say Day 1 is the easiest and so far he is doing great. Getting around easily. His belly is a little sore getting in and out of our tall bed but I think his throat is the worst at this point. It will continue to be for the next couple of weeks. His uvula is so swollen it is the shape of a ping pong paddle! It's hardly recognizable.

Aunt Jess took the day off to stay with the girls and when we got home she took Mckenzie school shopping. They came home with three new shirts, pair of pants, a skirt and new shoes. Kenzie REALLY wants to wear the black pants tomorrow. I've tried to tell her it's going to be hot, but there's no changing her mind at this point. At least she'll look adorable! Look for a post and picture tomorrow...

Vacation Bible School

2010-08-19T16:04:00.000-05:00

During the first week of August Mckenzie attended Vacation Bible School. We've been visiting a church for several weeks and when I saw the announcement about VBS I knew it would be something Kenz would love. Oh was I right!!! She looked forward to it every evening and wanted to go back first thing every morning. The last night they had a program showing off the songs they learned and she knew all the words and all the actions. In fact, she is still singing them to this day. John and I find ourselves humming along quite frequently.

Lauren enjoying some puffs during the prodcution!

Family Blessings

2010-08-19T15:55:00.000-05:00

I recently was put on bed rest for having high blood pressure. John was off on Monday, my grandma Maryann came up to spend time with the girls on Tuesday which allowed me to go to the doctor and get iv fluids for dehydration. My mom came up on Wednesday and also made us dinner before leaving! My sister was also ready and willing to take time off work to come spend a day with us. In fact, she is coming Saturday morning to stay through Monday when John has his tonsils removed and umblilical heria repaired. Not to mention my friends in Hutchinson were quick to offer any help they could.

It all happened so fast and we had so much support that it literally overwhelmed me to the point of tears. I just don't know what we would do without you all. I really appreciate everything so I wanted to publicly announce it on my blog to let everyone know how blessed we are! This little baby is so lucky to be joining such a loving and supportive family!

Dentist

2010-08-19T15:43:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Kenzie had her teeth cleaned this morning. She got a good report and had no cavities!

I asked the dentist about the gap between Lauren's front teeth. He explained that everyone has a muscle there called the frenum and Lauren's is just a little bigger which caused the gap. If it doesn't close on her own we can opt to have a frenectomy (clipping the tissue) when she's 6 or 7 years old. That will allow the teeth to squeeze together as her adult canines erupt.

I'm not too worried. I was just curious. I think it's adorable!

Back to school!

2010-08-19T15:36:00.000-05:00

Mckenzie goes back to school on Tuesday. It's such a bittersweet milestone. She isn't the least bit nervous. She says she's going to make new friends. In fact, we saw some kids the other day and she asked me if they were going to be her new friends at school. I said maybe. Haha.

She will go five days a week in the mornings. She'll ride the bus to and from school. This is such a blessing because Lauren's morning naps are still sporadic and I never know what time she'll go down. And with a new baby on the way I won't have to get out of the house at a specific time. Or ever. So this maybe a downfall also! Don't let me become a hermit, people! Her bus driver is supposed to call us on Monday to discuss pick up and drop off times. I think we'll follow the bus on her first day to make sure she gets there and take pictures.

Her teacher also came by for a visit yesterday. She has big shoes to fill after three semesters with Miss Shanna. I'm not sure anyone will ever be able to live up to her, but we'll keep an open mind. I mean really, who's preschool teacher mails them a note to encourage them at their new school... including pictures of the two of them?! The pictures are now on Kenzie's bulletin board in her room and she tells Miss Shanna good bye when she leaves her room. It's so cute! If your child ever has the opportunity to go to the Early Education Center in Hutchinson, you should totally request Miss Shanna!

Things we still need to do: buy school supplies and school clothes. But we did get her teeth cleaned this morning. No cavities, yay!

Mckenzie

2010-07-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

Kenz and I have been working on writing her name. I would like her to be able to do it before she starts pre-kindergarten in the fall. The letter she struggles with the most is K. In the picture below she wrote her name all by herself, but I did give her the examples of K and Z at the top. I can not even tell you how proud she was of herself!

For only being 4 1/2 years old I think she has excellent handwriting!

Nine months!

2010-07-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

Lauren was nine months old yesterday! She is a busy, happy little girl. She is never fussy unless she is hungry or tired. She has been crawling for about two months and can stand when she pulls up on the furniture. She can also stand on her own without any support. She immediately falls back down, but she is getting there. She has six teeth, four on top and two on bottom. I don't see any others coming through.

Yesterday at the doctor she weighed 21 pounds, 10 oz and was 28 1/2 inches long. She is bigger than most babies her age but has actually dropped in the percentiles. For weight she is in the 86th percentile and 74th for height.

About four weeks ago she also started sleeping through the night. She consistently does stretches of eight to ten hours. I am enjoying it while I can!

Tonsils

2010-06-22T14:37:00.001-05:00

Last Monday, June 14, Kenzie had her tonsils and adenoids removed. We had to be at the surgery center at 6 am. After checking in (which took five minutes) we had to wait about 55 min before we saw anyone. In a small room with NOTHING in it. Only two chairs for four people, in fact.

After playing endless games of Eye Spy the anesthesiologist came in and asked a bunch of questions. Then Kenz walked out with the nurse - completely ready to get the "thing" on her face and to breathe when they told her to. She was not hesitant at all. And she looked so tiny in that little hospital gown. I almost cried as I watched her walk away holding the nurse's hand.

After 30 min they announced she was done. When we went to the back she was crying and a new nurse was holding her. My heart broke instantly. I couldn't bare to see her in pain. But after a few minutes of cuddling she had stopped crying and was just lethargic. They told us she would probably fall asleep, but she never did.

In fact, she didn't go to sleep until 8 o'clock that evening. She felt GREAT that first day. We gave her Lortab in liquid form every 4 hours and before I knew it she was begging to go on bike rides and eat red foods.

They told us to avoid anything red, brown or orange in case she started bleeding. We would need to know the difference between blood and food. This eliminated almost EVERYTHING yummy. No chocolate pudding or ice cream, no red popsicles (her favorite), no tomato soup (also her favorite) no ravioli, the list just goes on and on and on. That was the most miserable part. I wanted to give her anything that would make her feel better!

She has done exceptionally well with her recovery. Last night she did not get her pain medicine before bed -- I thought she didn't need it anymore. But she woke up at 2 am with a sore throat and asking if we could go back to the zoo. Not sure which issue woke her in the first place, but after a dose of her medicine and Daddy laying with her for awhile she fell asleep pretty quickly.

This is day 9 and I think we are out of the woods. In fact, she's eating tortilla chips and salsa as I type this.

Parents As Teachers

2010-06-22T08:40:00.001-05:00

I have talked about this program before. Kenzie was enrolled until she turned three and Lauren is in it now. It is how I met my first friends in Hutchinson. During the summer they host events around the community instead of their facility. Last week we went to the Fire Station. This is our third year in a row to visit this fire house. I can't believe how small Kenzie was her first time, I blogged about it here.This year she knew so much that she told me not to touch the brass fire pole before the firefighters reminded her.

Here are a few pics of Mckenzie enjoying the Fire Station. The reason there are no pictures of Lauren is because I was wearing her in a carrier. She also loved the fire station...well, at least she never protested. Next year might be different when she it toddling around and not so sure of those big guys in uniforms.

Kenzie in the truck. In the past she hasn't wanted to get in.

Alissa and Kenzie

Kenzie got to touch the firefighter in his gear. This year she wasn't afraid whatsoever.

Last night we went to Hedrick's Exotic Animal Farm for the second year in a row. We also went last year and I blogged about it here. We got a great tour guide this year and had a small group. Kenzie and Lauren both enjoyed the animals.

Benjamin the Giraffe giving kisses!

Lauren petting a baby camel. He followed us all around the barn to nibble her and we didn't even have food!

She's not too sure about this zebra. And she's HOT, it was a scorcher.

Lauren is more interested in playing in the dirt than posing for pictures.

She enjoyed touching his shell.

Lauren's keeping an eye out for the camel trying to eat Daddy's head.

It's a BOY!

2010-06-17T08:45:00.001-05:00

We found out on Tuesday that it will be a BABY BOY for us in October! He is healthy and growing right on schedule.

There are a few things that made me think it might be a boy, but overall I was shocked. I really expected to see a little girl on the sonogram. Coming from a family of three girls and having two already, I just figured that was in the cards for us.

However, I had more morning sickness this time around, I feel like I'm carrying lower, my face has broken out like I'm 15 again, I'm STARVING all the time (no comments here, John), and his heart rate is always upper 160s. Which according to the 'old wives' a higher heart rate means little girl. But Lauren's was always in the 120s and 130s so I figured the opposite end of the spectrum meant opposite gender for my babies.

Here are our son's first pictures:

His profile

This one is self explanatory

His little foot

WW: Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-26T07:08:00.001-05:00

Kenzie, 6 months

Lauren, 6 months

Trading off

2010-05-26T06:56:00.000-05:00

As I was explaining elsewhere, Lauren and Mckenzie 'trade-off' when decisions get made. Every night we read Kenzie a story before bedtime. Now that Lauren is in the picture AND staying up as late as Mckenzie, she somtimes gets to pick the story. I didn't even think of this, but Mckenzie mentioned it one day. I asked her what story she wanted and she said Lauren could pick. This basically means I set Lauren in front of the book shelf and she just grabs at something.

In the morning Lauren also usually chooses Kenzie's outfit for the day. I ask Kenzie what she wants to wear and she says Lauren can pick. So I hold her up to the closet and she just starts grabbing at shirts. So I choose the one most appropriate. Or I hold her closer to the one I want her to grab. Ha ha ha.

This really works in my favor when I need Kenzie to get ready for something. Like the other day I said she needed to get her shoes on. She grumbled a little bit, but I told her that Lauren was ready to go to the store. It seemed to work wonders. And technically, Lauren was ready. She was changed, fed, awake and in a good enough mood that I was willing to attempt Wal-Mart.

Yesterday Lauren crawled over to the "suitcase" which is the black DVD binder with all our movies in it. She was flipping the pages and Mckenzie said, "Lauren just told me she wants to watch a movie." So Lauren chose Snow White. Unfortunately none of our DVD players will read the disc anymore, so we settled on Cinderella instead. So if you hear about Snow White coming out of the Disney vault anytime soon, let me know!

Sometimes Lauren also tells Kenzie that she wants to go to McDonald's for lunch. Or that she wants to go outside to swing or to the park. They must have that special sister communication going on.

Hiatus

2010-05-25T11:48:00.000-05:00

I took an unintentional hiatus there for awhile. Ever since we got phones that have internet access, I do not log onto the laptop very often. And writing an entry from my phone would take forever!

Summer has officially started. Mckenzie's last day of school was Friday. She will start pre-kindergarten in August. She is very excited to be going to 'real' school and can't wait to meet her new friends. She already knows there will be many names to remember. She also asked me if her teacher will still have a big belly when school starts. Miss Kristin was very pregnant in April at the time we met her, so I'm pretty sure her baby will be here by the time school starts. Kenzie is so observant to remember something like that.

But I'm sure it helps that big bellies and babies are at the top of her mind. She asks about her new baby brother or sister several times a day. I am currently 18 weeks pregnant, so almost half way! We have the option to find out whether it will be a brother or sister on June 21st. I am thinking about leaving it as a surprise, but we'll see if that happens or not.

Mckenzie, Lauren and I have started taking bike rides in the evenings around our neighborhood. Last night we logged 2.5 miles!!! And that was way too far for Kenzie's little legs (and mine!). By the end we had to take a shortcut home and came back through our backyard. We overestimated our abilities a little bit. Lauren was pretty much finished by this time also. I think by the end of summer we will be free of training wheels. Kenzie is a little hesitant about the idea, but I think she's ready to try.

Lauren is 7 months old and is getting into everything! She is crawling around the house all the time and can get into a sitting position on her own now. Everything goes into her mouth but she isn't very interested in solid foods. She is doing MUCH better sleeping through the night these days. She will wake up once, but we no longer offer a bottle at that time. I just soothe her and lay her back down. Some nights she doesn't wake at all! She can also pull herself onto her knees, but can't quite stand up. Which is just fine with me. I don't want her walking anytime soon! But it is probably time we lowered the crib mattress.

John is doing great. He is still smoke-free and I am very proud of him! He doesn't have any home improvement projects going on and we don't have plans for any over the summer. He keeps himself busy mowing our 2 1/2 acres.

I'll try to do better with posting more often!

Been awhile

2010-04-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've written anything. Not a whole lot new going on here. We play on the playset just about every day. Lauren LOVES the baby swing. Mckenzie has learned to swing all by herself. She can even get going all on her own.

John is still smoke-free. Whoo hoo!!!

I am doing great. I'm 14 weeks and into the second trimester already. We find out baby's gender on June 21st! I will be 22 weeks exactly on that day.

John and Mckenzie both have to have their tonsils and adenoids removed. Kenzie will bounce back quickly according to the nurse and John will not recover quite as easily. Plus he has to have his uvula shortened, which is extra recovery time. He was told to expect to take a week off work. Just how he wanted to spend his vacation... just kidding. Kenzie's surgery is June 14 and John's has not been scheduled yet. He has to check on his work load.

Lauren is doing great. She was 18lbs 10oz at her 6 month check up. That is the 92nd percentile. And 26 1/2 inches long. 72nd percentile if I remember correctly. She now has enough hair for a tiny pony tail in front and last night she got up on all fours like she was ready to crawl. I think crawling is still a few weeks away, but we were proud of her for getting so close!

Cooper is doing well also. He is getting an invisible dog fence in the coming weeks. So a lot of training is in store for him. I can't wait!

How am I so blessed?

2010-04-07T16:43:00.000-05:00

One of the nice things about being the author of my own family blog is that I can brag about my family in writing and not feel as bad about it when I'm actually talking to someone. People only want to hear so much about what is going on with us. But if you're reading this, I assume you're interested enough to know what's so great about the Welch family. I hope, anyway.

I'll start with John. Today is day one of non-smoking. I am so proud of him for getting to this point. My closest addiction I can even try to compare to smoking is food. Junk food and general overeating. Two things I've tried to overcome for years and I haven't been successful. It's hard quitting a habit that makes you feel so good. So John, good for you. I am soooooo proud of you. Good luck.

And Kenzie. Oh, I could go on and on and on. But I'll share two stories today.

The first is that she is in a competitive phase. Everything is a race. And I mean everything! Just putting on our shoes turns into a 'team' which is what she says when she means race or competition. "Mom, let's make it a team!" Do you know how many times a day I hear that? Whether it's getting the mail, walking down the hallway or getting in the car. And as you might assume, she's a bit of a sore loser. She 'races' Lauren into the car every time we step into the garage. And if the carrier clicks into place before she is in her seat she gets quite grumpy. So I've been getting on to her and telling her that not everything is a race, blah blah blah.

As swe were getting into the car for school today (we were running late) Kenzie was just standing on her side of the car doing nothing. (I forgot to mention she can open the door herself these days) I told her to hurry up or we would be late and she said, "Mom, I'm letting Lauren win." Oh, it just melted my heart.

The other story is that we went to Preschool Roundup on Monday night. We set up a screening for this afternoon to make sure Kenzie qualifies for the program. As I understand it, you have to meet income requirements OR score under a certain point on the entry exam. The teacher was quick to assure every parent that they never have a child that doesn't qualify. Today was Kenzie's exam and I had to sit in the hallway. I heard the teacher ask Kenzie her name. Which she replied and the teacher asked what her full name was. She got that correct as well. Not a big surprise. Then she asked her address. Before I had a moment to worry about the fact we haven't worked on this in weeks, Kenzie rattled it off loud and proud as if we practice it every day. I was so impressed! And the teacher even told her that most of her current students don't even know their address yet. They did several other fundamentals and it was over within 10 minutes. When the teacher walked her out into the hallway she said Kenzie scored exceptionally high - almost too high to be in the program. And that her score was one of the best she's seen in her three years. Geez lady, what a way to make an emotional woman more weepy than necessary!

And for Lauren. My sweet baby. She is doing well also. She is 5 1/2 months and is sleeping through the night a few times a week. She doesn't need rocked to sleep. We can lay her down in the crib wide awake and she can put herself to sleep within minutes without crying. This may not sound like much, but to an experienced parent, you know this is a big deal! She is starting to sit for longer periods of time before tumbling over and is on the verge of scooting around. Her Parent Educator thinks she'll be crawling by her next visit which is May 12. Lauren weighs 18 pounds and at her last doctor appointment was ear infection-free - no tubes for now!

So if you've made it this far, thank you for reading about my little family. I'm so proud of them all.

Seriously, it's just ONE

2010-04-05T14:37:00.000-05:00

I'm amazed at how many people I fooled on April Fool's Day!!! I've never been good at that sort of thing, but this year... well I'm STILL having people tell me that they almost had a heart attack for me.

I'm sorry if you were one of the ones who were fooled. Many people already knew our news and I just thought it would be a fun and exciting way to break the "official" news to all my readers.

So in conclusion, I am pregnant. Again. With just ONE baby. And I'm due in October. Again. Lauren and Kenzie will BOTH be big sisters.

We will be finding out sometime in June if it is going to be a little brother or sister. If you've talked to Kenz, she's undoubtedly already told you it is a brother. Guess we'll see if she's two for two. She seemed to know Lauren was going to be a sister long before we did.

It is TWINS for us!

2010-04-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yep, you read that right. I went to the doctor yesterday and he confirmed that the Welch family will have twins in October 2010!!!! We are excited, ecstatic, surprised, happy, scared, nervous and everything in between! Oh the things we have to do to prepare, getting a new vehicle is the first that comes to mind. I just couldn't believe it when I heard the news. Can you believe it???

Well, you shouldn't ... HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!!!

Got you, didn't I?!?! Hahaha. But really, we are expecting in October which will make us the proud parents of Irish twins - siblings born within 12 months of each other. And I really did go to the doctor yesterday and got to see the baby - as in single, uno, just one - for the second time. It was bouncing around and waving in there. My doctor said he or she looked active and healthy. I have lost two pounds since the beginning and I was already down 12 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight with Lauren. Yay! But the two pounds shocked me because I feel like all I ever do is eat. And junk food at that! It's all that ever sounds good to me! I've had more nausea this time around. Actually, that might not be true. I just know what it feels like now and I am recognizing the symptoms alot easier. So I'm not really sure if it's any different than it was with Lauren. And yes, we really will be looking for a larger vehicle within the next several months. My Corolla just can't handle three carseats!

One Year Ago!

2010-03-26T16:11:00.000-05:00

One year ago today John and I became home owners! It was a Thursday evening and after the closing we scrambled around to get as much loaded onto a borrowed trailer as we possibly could because it was supposed to snow the next day. Little did we know it was going to be the mother of all snowstorms for 2009!!! Who would have thought it could snow 18" at the end of March in Hutchinson, Kansas???

This was the view from our front window. Try to look past the wind chime the previous owners graciously left behind.

John clearing a path on the back deck for Kenzie to play in the snow.

Although the snow was a huge pain, it turned out to be a great distraction for a certain little one as we unpacked box after box after box. A blessing in disguise I guess you could say.

Just breathe

2010-03-25T16:33:00.002-05:00

I just had to look in the archives and see if I have mentioned this already. I haven't so I'll share it now because I think it shows what a nurturing girl Mckenzie is turning out to be.

The afternoon I went into labor with Lauren I started having serious contractions around 4:30pm. This was only an hour after my last prenatal appointment. Because my doctor had told me only an hour before that I had no labor progress I didn't totally believe these were 'real' contractions. I thought they might be the Braxton Hicks fake kind. But nonetheless they were bad enough to call John home from work because I was seeing stars and couldn't even focus on what Mckenzie was up to.

As the evening and contractions progressed I stayed in our master bedroom with John and he helped me through them by having me do the breathing exercises we learned at our baby class. He would also put pressure on my lower back. This was all before Mckenzie's bedtime so she was right there with us telling me to breathe and holding my hand. As you might imagine she was scared at first that something was wrong with me. We assured her that I was okay and that my tummy hurt becasue the baby was coming. And that breathing with me would help the hurt go away. John started her nightly routine at the same time we always do and she was asleep in her own bed by 8:30.

As the night wore on the contractions got worse (duh!) and we eventually called my mom to tell her we thought this was the real thing. She got to our house right before midnight and we rushed straight to the hospital. Even though I couldn't even see straight because the pain was so bad, I remember worrying that Labor & Delivery was going to send me home because I hadn't progressed far enough.

I didn't need to worry. My nurse said she could tell this was the real thing as soon as John and I walked through the doors. And yes, I had to WALK all the way through the L&D floor because the wheel-chair pusher left me at the elevator and took the chair with her! I had told her in the elevator I had to get out of the chair and lean against the wall to endure the next contraction and she took this as a sign she could just jet away as soon as the elevator doors flew open. If John hadn't had his hands tied up by putting the pressure on my back, I'm sure he would not have let her leave so quickly. I think the elevator doors even closed on us as we powered through that contraction.

As it turned out I was indeed in labor. I was at 5cm when we arrived and at 7cm by the time I got the epidural.

So after all that rambling, the point of my story is that Kenzie STILL remembers the breathing techniques for contractions. Today I slammed my finger in the car door and actually cried from the pain. I started breathing slow and steady to keep myself from using a swearword she didn't need to hear. She immediately started rubbing my back and telling me to breathe with her. "It's okay Mom, they're just trackshuns. You'll be okay. Just breathe with me." She is such a smart, sweet girl.

Second tooth!

2010-03-24T15:36:00.001-05:00

Lauren's second tooth is officially through the gums. She was five months old on Saturday, 3/20/10.

Ok, this isn't the best picture of her, but you get the idea. She was a little shocked by the flash.

Catching up

2010-03-23T08:38:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we had a visit from John's Aunt Kaye. She lives in Overland Park, KS and came to hang out with us for a few days. Kenzie enjoyed having a guest and loved getting to sleep in the basement and share the king-size bed with Aunt Kaye. It was so nice to have her around and I was able to sneak in several naps while she kept the girls occupied.

We also had a visit from my cousin Julie and Grandma Ron. Julie is a freshman in college at Crowley's Ridge in Arkansas and was visiting our grandparents on Spring Break. And since I explained it to Kaye, I probably ought to explain it to my readers as well. Grandma's name is actually Maryann. But we have been calling her Grandma Ron since we were little. It's probably because Kacie couldn't pronounce Maryann and it was just easier to call them both Grandpa and Grandma Ron. Well, it stuck and now its been shortened to GGRon in writing. It makes perfect sense to me.

On St. Patrick's Day Lauren slept through the night for the very first time! It was a huge milestone for us. She now sleeps through the night every couple of days. We are doing better at keeping her awake until 7 pm and sometimes even 8. You should see her, it is so cute. She is so exhausted she can't even keep her eyes open but I try my best to keep her occupied. When she does wake up, she drinks 6-8 oz and we put her right back to bed. Most of the time she is wide awake but we no longer do playtime on the floor in the middle of the night. I just put her back in the crib, wind the mobile and the music lulls her to sleep by the time it unwinds - about two minutes.

And if you're wondering how I know how much she is drinking... well she is on formula now. About 3 weeks ago we were having a horrible week. She was cranky and not nursing well. She was sleeping terribly and I was stressed because I didn't know what was going on. As it turns out she cut her first tooth and my milk supply diminished in the same week! The first day we started formula she ate like she was a starving child! I also pumped at her feeding times and that confirmed that my supply was practically gone. I used to be able to pump 5-8oz per side and was only getting 1-3oz. I continued to pump for about a week with minimal results and she is now completely weaned and consuming formula like a champion.

Before & After: Tile Project

2010-03-22T13:13:00.001-05:00

This post is LONG overdue. Several weeks ago John started a tile project in our kitchen, laundry and dining room. A total of 400 square feet! Quite an undertaking for someone who has never laid tile. But I think he did an excellent job!

Lovely 1981 kitchen linoleum.

Demo...

Lauren supervising the work

Kitchen

Utility room

Dining room

New phone numbers

2010-03-14T21:29:00.003-05:00

John and I got new phone numbers. Please send me an email if you would like to have it. myca.welch@gmail.com

Got it!

2010-03-11T08:55:00.002-06:00

Here is a pic of her first tooth!!! We had to take about 30 to get this one, sorry it's not any better quality.

First Tooth!!!

2010-03-10T17:05:00.003-06:00

At 4 1/2 months old, Lauren's first tooth is peeking through the gums! It is her lower left incisor aka the one on the lower left in the middle! I suspected a tooth over the weekend and kept feeling around for it. John felt several times but thought it might just be a rough spot. This afternoon I was finally able to hold her down long enough to get a good look at it and I can't believe how much is showing through the gums! Needless to say a picture is impossible at this point.

This new development just throws another variable into the mix of possibilities of why she hasn't been sleeping well. Maybe we will see some progress in that department now that it is through the gums. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

ETA: Mckenzie's first teeth showed up on the same day, 9/24/06. Lower left and right. She was almost 10 months old at that point! My first tooth was the lower right on 3/26/83 so I was almost 6 months. My lower left showed up on 3/30/83 and I was exactly 6 months. If she's anything like me and Kenz, maybe we'll see Lauren's second tooth in a few days?

Mckenzie's memory

2010-03-10T09:41:00.001-06:00

Mckenzie has an excellent memory. I think most kids do, especially regarding the things you'd rather they forget. Like the sticky valentine's candy or the fact that I said we'd go to the park 'when it warmed up.' But most recently John and I have noticed her uncanny ability to mimic tv and radio commercials. She has an excellent singing voice and can always remember the tune. She also loves to mimic the dance moves to any dance she sees on tv. Especially the Kids Bop cd commercials and the American Idol group dances.

Yesterday I was using a Clorox wipe on the countertops and she asked to help. So she was scrubbing away on the front of the oven (yeah, real dirty spot) and under her breath kept saying, "Gets the tough stains out." Or I'll catch her playing independently in her room humming the KFDI jingle or "Spangles, it just tastes better." She also likes me to come running when she sees commercials for products she thinks I need, like Kaboom bathroom cleaner and that hands-free toothpaste dispenser that attaches to the wall.

Maybe what I'm trying to say is that we watch too much tv at our house? I'd like to think she just has an excellent memory.

Another milestone

2010-03-09T17:01:00.000-06:00

After waiting for what felt like forever, Lauren laughed out loud today! It is the most precious sound. Kenzie and I have spent the entire day off and on trying to get her to laugh. It is too cute to see the crazy things we come up with. I think Cooper has had the most success and he doesn't even try!

We spent a few hours outside today and Lauren sat in her stroller like a big girl!

And then she promptly fell asleep!

Other milestones we've hit lately are solid foods. A few weeks ago we started giving her rice cereal and Sunday she had sweet peas. Kenzie loves helping feed her but doesn't understand why the food comes right back out.

Lauren has also started getting formula as well as breast milk. I'm not producing as much as I used to and it took us awhile to figure out why she was so fussy and not sleeping well. She was hungry! She had 8 oz in one sitting at lunch plus half a jar of peas.

Her sleep issues could also be a result of her recurring ear infections. We go to the ENT doctor on Thursday to discuss the possibility of tubes. As much as I hate the idea of surgery, I would do anything at this point to alleviate her pain and get her to sleep for longer periods of time.

Goodness

2010-02-24T14:12:00.001-06:00

We just can't catch a break around here! Kenz has strep throat! She woke up during the night complaining of a sore throat. And woke up crying this morning because her throat hurt. So I kept her home from school (AGAIN) and called her doctor first thing this morning. We got in (after waiting an hour!) and it didn't take long for her to suggest strep. The swab proved it but I don't think Kenz will want to go near a q-tip anytime soon! We've got antibiotics on the way and she won't be contagious after 24-hours.

Lauren is doing better. Her nose isn't as runny and her fever has stayed low. But she still has a nasty cough. The doctor said she probably won't get strep but it may become laryngitis for her. Which means a fussier baby than she already is this week. Thankfully she is already on antibiotics for her ear infections.

Needless to say this has been an exhausting week for me. And it's only Wednesday!

Still sick

2010-02-21T13:20:00.001-06:00

Lauren is still sick but seems to be doing a little better. I, however, am exhausted. She went to bed at 5pm last night and slept for 4 hours. I only slept for 2 of those. After she got up at 9 she was up every 1.5-2 hours. It is now 1:15 pm and she is still on that cycle. Her temp has stayed low (99.0-100.0) and thankfully her runny nose is drying up. She's given us several smiles today and doesn't seem as lethargic as she had been.

She fell asleep on her play mat so I'm going to lay down while I have the chance. Thank you to everyone for your emails, messages, calls and prayers. You all do such a great job of making us feel loved and supported.

Lauren is sick

2010-02-19T18:54:00.001-06:00

Lauren has had a cold since Tuesday evening. I started to get worried on Wednesday afternoon and over the phone her pediatrician's office said to watch for wet diapers and to give her Tylenol for the fever. She didn't get better, but didn't get much worse.

Today she had her 4-month check up and we found out she has RSV and a double ear infection. She weighs 16.0 lbs and is 25 3/4" long. She is taking steroids for the inflammation in her lungs, antibiotics for her ear infection, breathing treatments for her wheezing, alternating Tylenol and Motrin for her fever and we go back tomorrow to have her oxygen levels checked and so they can time her respirations. Today she was having 60 per minute which is the max she should be having.

She may have to be admitted to the hospital for her dehydration also. She hasn't had a wet diaper since 8 o'clock this morning. I've been trying to nurse her, but she isn't interested much in eating. And when she does get a full feeding, she throw up less than 10 minutes later. In fact, she vomited all over her new breathing machine and into the place where the medicine goes. Luckily John had just gotten home to help and the machine comes apart and we were able to clean it well. I also am trying to get her to take Pedialyte through a dropper because is resisting the bottle. Go figure. Perfect timing for that. =/

Basically it has been a very miserable few days. She also threw up in the waiting room while we were waiting for her chest x-ray. Thankfully we were in an understanding environment. The only good thing to come out of this situation is that she is sleeping around the clock. I hope that is helping her little body fight the virus and infections.

One Year Ago

2010-02-02T15:48:00.007-06:00

One year ago today we found out Lauren was going to be joining the family! To simply say we were excited is an understatement. We had been trying to have a baby for a year and it was the beginning of a very exciting experience.

She went from this:

to this:

to this:

And one more because you know you love looking at us. Me and our brown-eyed girl!

Breaking ties

2010-01-29T14:22:00.004-06:00

Kenzie and I went to a new dentist yesterday. And he was actually IN Hutch! I've been going back to Wichita for the past two years because I HATE going to the dentist and I really loved Dr. Miles at Dental Associates. If you're looking for a new dentist in West Wichita, I highly recommend him! Let him know I sent you over. :)

Collins didn't give us much choice on finding a new dentist, as there is only ONE 'in-network' provider in Hutch. Funny how there were 20+ in Wichita but not the city that the company is actually in? But me complaining about Collins benefits package is a whole other post. However, we went to Dr. Gertkin and we really liked him. And Kenzie did an amazing job getting her teeth cleaned. This was her third time and she even sat still for x-rays this time. Lauren wasn't as cooperative, but Dr. Jim's staff jumped at the chance to hold her and pass her around while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I'm just sorry she never settled down for them.

I am also scheduled with a new optometrist next week. I've heard good things about him, so I expect it to go smoothly. It's much easier to like your eye doctor than your teeth doctor.

The one elusive service I can't seem to be satisfied with in Hutchinson is a hair stylist. I have unique hair. It's extremely thick. It's corse. It's wavy in the back and straight in the front. And I'm picky! I've tried three and gone back to Kelli H. at Shine Salon in Wichita every time to recover from the experiences I've had in Hutch. None of which are horror stories, but Kelli is a tough act to follow. Unfortunately, it just isn't practical to travel now that we have two little ones. Sorry Kelli - I really do miss chatting celebrity gossip with you - among other topics of course! I'm due for a hair appointment, so if you are reading this and have any suggestions in Hutch, send them my way!

Wordless Wednesday: Same age!

2010-01-27T10:43:00.004-06:00

Wordless Wednesday: Sleepy girl

2010-01-27T10:28:00.003-06:00

Hutch Anniversary!

2010-01-26T08:41:00.004-06:00

Two years ago today was a Saturday and we moved into our duplex on Tumbleweed here in Hutchinson with the help of my family, Josh McBride and Jessica and Dusten Michel. Thanks everyone, we couldn't have done it without you all that day!

John had been commuting to and from Collins for five months and Kenzie had just turned two years old and started sleeping in a real bed for the first time. At the time of the move was also when we decided we were ready to have a baby.

And here we are today with a beautiful home of our own, an energetic four-year old and a happy, healthy 3-month old baby girl. We have many good friends in Hutchinson now and John is still at Collins designing buses. We are blessed.

Video

2010-01-25T15:38:00.005-06:00

Here is a video of Lauren rolling over! She is now doing it every time I lay her on her back. But when she gets to her tummy she hangs out for a minute or two then gets mad and starts screeching!

Hopefully she will be tall enough for the Little Einstein bouncy thing she got from Santa. Or maybe I should put something under her feet so her toes touch so I can use it now? The directions say they can't be flat footed or have their feet dangling...

Milestone: Rolled over!

2010-01-25T09:41:00.000-06:00

Lauren rolled over for the first time on Saturday! She went from her back to her tummy. She's been trying for a few weeks but her arm kept getting in the way. John and I were both in the living room to witness her do it! The look on her face was priceless afterwards. She seemed so surprised!

Here is a pic of her about halfway over. She arches her back into a 'C' and leans her head back as far as it will go. She does really well getting onto her side and then screeches awhile til she can get over her arm. The screeching is also a new skill. She does it all the time, sometimes when she's unhappy and sometimes I think just to hear her own voice. It was cute at first. Not anymore. :)

Three months!!!

2010-01-21T08:38:00.000-06:00

Lauren was officially three months old yesterday, January 20th! Or 13 weeks as of the 19th. She is so precious I can't imagine our lives without her!

On Tuesday I found out I am anemic - which means that I'm more tired than I should be. That explains SO MUCH! As my dear friend Taylor put it, "No wonder you can go to bed at 5:30!" And it is so true! I was feeling so exhausted and I wasn't sure if that was how all new moms of three month old babies feel or if there really was something wrong with me. I took my first iron supplement yesterday morning and I was feeling the difference by that afternoon. For example, I didn't feel like I had to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks. I've already taken my pill today and I'm hoping it continues to help. Especially since Lauren blessed me with her smiles and spit up three times last night!