FinnLand

Stitches

2012-01-29T11:14:00.000-06:00

Stitches seemed to be a theme in our house last week. I spent a few hours getting crafty with the sewing machine and Aidan ended up with his eyebrow stitched together. Thankfully the two had nothing to do with each other.

Aidan was invited to a Chronicles of Narnia themed birthday party. Boys were supposed to be kings and girls were supposed to be queens. We've got a lot of princess gear in this house, but are short on king attire. Thank you Joann Fabric for having a sale on felt last week. For a grand total of $6.99 I bought a yard of red felt and fuzzy trim. Then came the hard part. I had to break out the sewing machine manual to figure out how to thread the darn thing. Not that it was hard. It had just been a long time. In the end, the cape turned out nicely (although I doubt it will stand up to much rough housing).

The other stitches came on Tuesday. I walk in the door after work to hear, "Mommy, I got stitches!" Aidan sounded excited, so I guess cracking his head on a bookcase at the YMCA and spending a few hours in the ER wasn't traumatic. Taking a band-aid off, on the other hand, brings tears and screaming. You'd think that would be the least of his worries. The stitches come out tomorrow. I think we'll take the band-aid off before we get there to avoid all that commotion in the doctor's office.

King Aidan, stitched up from his most recent battle with the bookcase

I Work Out

2012-01-12T20:07:00.001-06:00

I'm not implying that my husband needs to work out, but this video is just too funny. I could see this really working for Kyle.

Sanitize

2012-01-01T21:10:00.000-06:00

It ain't the holidays unless someone gets sick, and since there were two holidays within the span of a week, we got double the sickness. Aubrey came down with an ear infection and pink eye on the way home from IL on Tuesday and Aidan got a double ear infection on New Year's Eve. Happy 2012, indeed. Aubrey feels fine now; Aidan is on the mend. I cannot fathom what people did before antibiotics. I've been washing and sanitizing my hands like I've got OCD in the hopes that I don't catch whatever is making the rounds in our house. *knock on wood*

Other than the sick bugs, the holidays were fantastic. We spent time with both of our families, the kids got lots of toys that they are having a blast playing with, and best of all, I actually found some time to relax!!!

Of course there are more pictures that I know what to do with, but here are a few of my favorites.

Say Cheese!

SO excited to get Tickle Me Elmo from Santa!

Reese would have rather worn a sweat suit on Christmas Day

Watch out, Hells Angels, Aidan and Aubrey are coming your way

Princess Aubrey is holding court

Trying to get a decent picture of the two of them

Love this picture of Aidan, Aubrey looks a little special

FINALLY!! We all smiled and looked at the camera at the same time!!!
Success.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-17T19:22:00.000-06:00

In lieu of a Christmas letter this year, Kyle put together a montage of 2011. (mostly because he didn't have a lot to say about being a stay-at-home dad) We hope you had a wonderful 2011 and we wish you a happy and healthy 2012.

Love,

Kyle, Courtney,
Aidan, and Aubrey

Santa Baby 2.0

2011-12-13T05:52:00.003-06:00

Grandpa Finn saves the day. (again) He was quick with his camera and snapped this picture before the screaming ensued. Just goes to show, kids will do almost anything for some candy.

Santa Baby

2011-12-11T14:01:00.000-06:00

Santa made an appearance after church this morning. Aidan was EXCITED, Aubrey wanted nothing.to.do.with.him. Period. So, we have a picture of Santa and Aidan, but Aubrey wouldn't even let me hold her near him. Merry Christmas.

Back At It

2011-12-02T20:48:00.000-06:00

It's taking me longer and longer to get blogs posted. You'd think we were busy or something. We enjoyed a bustling Thanksgiving split between our house and Mick's house. It was heaven to cook the food, but have the meal at someone else's house. Thanks for hosting, Mick!

After a few glasses of wine, my sister decided we should go Black Friday shopping at 10pm on Thanksgiving night. Since I'd also had a few glasses of wine, I was easily coerced into going along. Walmart and Target helped Santa's cause and I now only have a few presents left to purchase. I was so pumped on a shopping high that I couldn't go to sleep until after 2am. Thankfully, the Kyles got up with the kids and let Kali and I sleep in.

We capped off the Thanksgiving celebration with a trip to the Gophers vs. Illini football game on Saturday. Cold, but FUN! Kali and I had the most fun since we decided to leave at the beginning of the 3rd quarter and go sit in a warm bar. I wish Kyle M. hadn't been MIA when this picture was taken or it just might have made the Christmas card!

The family minus Kyle M.

City Christmas Tree Lighting on Thanksgiving Eve

Baking Christmas Cookies!

My Grandma

2011-11-19T14:38:00.000-06:00

From Baby Pictures

Grandma M. passed away last weekend, so the kids and I headed down to IL this week to say goodbye. I suppose some might think I'm crazy for being surprised by her death. She was 95, after all. But, I was surprised. I'm thankful that Aidan and Aubrey had the chance to meet her. I've got so many wonderful memories of her. Most of my favorites involve a summer setting...catching fireflies at dusk, playing in the wheat (bad idea, it makes you really itchy), eating her delicious beef and noodles or homemade cinnamon rolls, running errands in town and getting to pick out a special Barbie outfit from the general store, or her tucking me in after a long day playing on the farm "Good night, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite" followed by the sign of the cross on my forehead and a kiss goodnight. My grandma was a really fantastic lady and she is going to be dearly missed.

PROPHETSTOWN – Mary Elizabeth Mosher, 95, of Prophetstown, died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011.

She was born April 5, 1916, the daughter of Cyril and Leonie Verhulst in Ottumwa, Iowa. Her family moved to Prophetstown when she was a junior in high school. She married J. Raynor Mosher on Jan. 27, 1940, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Prophetstown. Her husband died Dec. 13, 2010.

Mary was the true heart of her home. Over the course of her life, Mary and Raynor farmed in the Prophetstown, Tampico, Lanark and Milledgeville areas. She was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Tampico. She was a member of the Carroll and Whiteside county home extension units, past president of the Ladies Society of St. Wendelin Catholic Church in Shannon and was an active member of the Altar and Rosary Society of St. Mary Catholic Church in Tampico. She also promoted the farming community with her membership with the Red Meat Connection in Whiteside County. She volunteered for many years at Good Samaritan nursing home in Prophetstown. Mary loved playing cards, taking bus trips and traveling across America. Her favorite pastime was crocheting and she made many afghans for her family during her life. Mary was greatly loved by her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include her children, Martha (Dennis) Sturtevant of Shannon, Rita (David)
Thorngren of Milledgeville, John (Peggy) Mosher of Prophetstown, Bill (Nora) Mosher of Prophetstown, Theresa (Keith) Albers of Pearl City and Gary (Denise) Mosher of Sterling; daughter-in-law, Diane Mosher of Lyndon; sister-in-law, Joey Verhulst of Prophetstown; brother-in-law, Joe Mosher of Geneseo; 22 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her parents; her husband; her son, Lyle; sister, Martha Cordrey; brothers, Ernest and Maurice Verhulst; and a brother and sister who died in infancy.

Appy Aween

2011-11-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

We all had a "appy aween" as Aubrey would say. I was a little worried during the day that we would have to bundle the kids up and cover their cute costumes, but it warmed up enough that multiple layers under the costumes worked just fine. We made it the farthest distance from home yet (8 housed down and 8 houses back). A big kudos to our neighbor for suggesting we take Aubrey in the wagon. Never crossed my mind, and the night would have been much shorter if she had walked.

Pretty Fairy Princess

Wild Fairy Princess and a Pirate

Now we start preparing for Thanksgiving. We are hosting both Kyle's and my side at our house this year. Granted, that's only 12 people, but we have a tiny little house. Thank goodness Kyle is home during the day to get the house spic and span. (hint, hint, honey) ; )

Photo Mash-Up

2011-10-29T19:19:00.000-05:00

I don't sing well, so I thought I would use our photos from October to tell the story

Aidan started floor hockey and only made one little boy cry.

The kids have found window wells to be very amusing

Kyle and I had a GREAT time in Vegas

Where we met an unexpected friend

Aidan got glasses and Aubrey pretends she can't see

We tailgated for the 1st time at the IA vs MN game with Kyle's frat bros.

Doctober

2011-10-17T20:04:00.000-05:00

Optometrist, dentist, pediatrician, ophthalmologist....I think that covers the array of doctors we've seen since October 1. Maybe you've heard, but in case you haven't, Aidan got glasses. Not just any glasses, THICK glasses. Turns out our little boy couldn't see much of anything. We're hoping this explains his never-ending movement. Not too much fun to sit around and look at something if you can't see it. We picked the glasses out last week with Aunt Kali's help, and they arrived this past Friday. Aidan looked in the mirror and said "I look COOL!" Yes, sir. He does indeed look cool. Think the little boy from Jerry Maguire. That's what Aidan looks like.

All the other doctors appointments were just routine stuff. Aubrey had her 18 month check-up and all is well. She's finally gaining some weight and has broken the 30th %-ile. WooHoo! Aidan and I have clean and healthy teeth, no cavities in this family.

Kyle and I are jetting out of town on Wednesday for a long weekend in Vegas. Nana and Poppa are going to keep Aidan and Aubrey entertained while I lay by the pool with a drink in my hand and Kyle plays some poker. I'll update with pictures of our trip and Aidan's new specs after we get back. Adios!

Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Repeat.

2011-10-01T14:31:00.000-05:00

Whew! I really wish someone had told me that being a full-time working mom was going to be hectic. One or two people may have mentioned it, but I thought, "How much different could a .8 job be from a 1.0. Holy Buckets! The title of my post really isn't too far off the mark. I see the kids from 4-7pm, during which time I go to the YMCA to work out, come home make dinner, sometimes give the kids a bath (baths every day are over-rated), and share bedtime duty with Kyle. Bye kids, see you tomorrow to do this routine all over again. It's a good thing that I enjoy my job, and I'm so busy there that I barely get time to eat a salad for lunch, so that's just a bonus in the weight-loss department. :) The only thing that has really suffered are my Facebook and Blog posts. Something had to go, and social connections were it. Can't wait for next weekend to see Kali and Reese, then Las Vegas at the end of Oct with our friends Krista and Eric!!!

FAIRly Entertaining

2011-09-18T14:30:00.003-05:00

We concluded our summer with the MN State Fair and the Burnsville Fire Muster. Aidan loved all the kiddie rides he could get on now that he is tall enough. He literally ran from one ride to the next, perhaps not fully enjoying the ride he was on, because he was thinking of what he was going to do next. Aubrey was not as amused since she was not big enough to get on any rides other than the merry-go-round. Apparently watching your big brother have fun while you sit in the stroller is not her idea of a good time.

Loving the firetrucks, even if their faces don't show it

Just one of many rides Aidan took on the kiddie roller-coasters

Getting ready for the community parade with our neighbor, Lucas

Making a break for it, trying to run away with the cheerleaders


Pretty proud of herself that she caught some candy. Daddy was happy, too, since he got to eat it

Tractors and Corn Dogs, can't ask for much more from the State Fair!

Wedding Bells

2011-09-05T14:17:00.000-05:00

My high school friends...some of them since preschool!!!

Kung-foo dance moves

Aubrey, aka Dancing Queen

Bustin' a move with Weston and Parker

Cheese

Dancing with the flower girl

So happy

The kids all thought it was cool to do "the worm"

Wedding season 2011 is complete. Kyle, Courtney, and Aubrey: 2 weddings. Aidan: 0 weddings. Thank you Grandpa Finn for watching Aidan while the rest of us celebrated with Mark and Alana in August, and Jason and Jessica this past weekend. Aidan is just a little too much work right now to sit quietly through a wedding, eat dinner, and then stay up past bedtime without major meltdowns. Aubrey handled the trip down to Cedar Falls, IA this past weekend like a champ and was asleep within 5 minutes on the ride home.

Aidan would have loved the dancing and running around at Jason and Jessica's wedding, but not as much as he enjoyed having his first sleepover at Grandpa's house. That's right, he's a big boy now and can sleep in Uncle BJ's old bunk bed. Grandpa said all went well and Aidan slept through the night.

What's that smell?

2011-08-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

After enjoying KidStuff at the YMCA last week and reading a story called "What's that smell?", Aidan showed me the picture of a pig that he colored/painted. He told me it was a "dirty pig". When I asked why it was dirty...(with a look on his face that said I might just be the stupidest person in the world) "Uh, because I painted all over it." Yep, that's my literal 3-year-old. Fifty or more times a day now he is asking me "what's that smell?" Thank you, YMCA, for tuning Aidan in to his sense of smell. Let's work on a new skill now.

Another funny example of his super-literal mind...
We visited the zoo this week with our friends Stephanie, Addie, and Kate. Aidan and Addie sat together to watch the bird show in the outdoor amphitheater. When the trainer told everyone to "be on their toes, and on the lookout for flying birds" Aidan stood up and SHOUTED (in the silent amphitheater) "Addie, STAND UP, he said we need to be on our toes!" He proceeded to stand on his tiptoes and look around for flying birds. Thankfully the people around us thought he was amusing; I was slightly embarrassed.

A Wee Bit 'O the Irish

2011-08-16T19:57:00.000-05:00

We headed out to Harriett Island (in the Mississippi River, by St Paul) on Sunday to the largest gathering of pasty white people that you're ever likely to see. Yep, the Irish Festival. We supported our Irish heritage by eating chocolate ice cream, drinking mango smoothies, and playing miniature golf. Very Irish of us. :)

1st time playing miniature golf

So excited!

Yep, she drank that whole mango smoothie all by herself

If it doesn't go in the first 7 times, just pick it up and drop it in

Camping Trip 2011

2011-08-12T13:41:00.000-05:00

Kyle took a deep breath, packed some bags (with my help, of course) and took the plunge. Aidan and Kyle went on their first annual camping trip last weekend, and it was so uneventful that Kyle has agreed to do it again. Whew! No one was eaten by a bear or fell in the campfire, and there were very few bug bites in need of After Bite.

If it's Noon on a Friday, and you drive a Dukes of Hazzard car, clearly the bar is the only place to be.


Ben, Wendy, and Aidan

Kyle using Aidan as a billboard to remind his friends that the Gophers beat the Hawkeyes last season

This is why Aidan doesn't have a squirt gun at our house

On the boat Saturday a.m. Disregard the feminine Dora the Explorer life vest. Beggars can't be choosers.

Aidan hangin' with the big boys

Thirty?

2011-08-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

Can it be true? Am I really 30? My birthday came and went and I don't feel any different than I have the past three years, so I guess being 30 isn't a big deal. I don't think being a certain age changes you, it's the other things going on in your life (namely, children) that make you act more mature and drive the decisions you make.
Besides, Aidan can't count to 30 yet, so technically it doesn't exist, right? (he can count to 29) Let's just say I'm 29 + 1.

Photo Recap

2011-07-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

Enjoying the nice (hot) weather

Wagon rides with Weston (1.5) and Eli (almost 4)

Driving the antique fire truck in Krape Park

Kid's Castle with Poppa

1st time on a merry-go-round

The fam

Reese is 1!

We spent last week/weekend in IL and Madison visiting Nana and Poppa and celebrating Reese's 1st birthday. With 160 pictures taken, finding just a few to share was a tough job! The kids enjoyed swimming, playing with Eli and Weston, riding the merry-go-round, and seeing Kali, Kyle, and Reese!

Next Step

2011-07-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

I took a giant leap of faith on Friday morning (as we were stuck inside AGAIN by the rain) and converted Aidan's crib into a toddler bed. After setting the rule, (don't get out unless mommy or daddy gets you out) Aidan took a test run during nap time and did great. So far, so good. Three days in and no problems. Aidan has stayed in bed, and he knows that if he wakes up before anyone else that he can read or play with toys in bed. I think Aidan's favorite part is that I can sit next to him and tell him stories before he goes to bed. He's even asked for breakfast and snacks in bed! I nixed those ideas. : )

Mini-Vacation

2011-07-12T13:35:00.001-05:00

We took a weekend trip Up North to Lac Courte Oreilles Lake (pronounced Lacooteray) over the 4th of July weekend, then Nana and Poppa came for a visit last week. A whole week with extra hands to help with the kids was the best part of my summer vacation so far! Quick recap of the past week and a half...Kyle and I celebrated our 6th anniversary, we boated/golfed/swam/had lots of fun at the lake, Aidan and I watched fireworks, Nana and Poppa completely re-landscaped half of our backyard, we took Nana to Rockin' Lunch Hour, we went to the zoo, and we watched a parade of vintage cars. Yes, we've been busy!

Tim and Aidan on the first of many rides in the golf cart

Braving the chilly water

Queen Bee

Another botched attempt at a cute brother-sister picture

Helping Aunt Marsha husk the corn

Driving the boat!

This little boy LOVES to go boating

Swimming in the lake with Grandpa and Uncle BJ

More toys to play with!

A very tired little girl by the end of the trip

The newly landscaped half of our backyard

Thanks Nana and Poppa!!!

Cooling off after a hard day's work.

I don't recommend trying this at your house.

Slip 'n Slide + 3 year old + almost 30 year old = bruised shins for everyone

Aubrey Update

2011-06-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

Aubrey and I visited the doctor this morning for her 15 month appointment. All continues to look good, minus her not being able to eat dairy. The doctor was very unconcerned about it, saying that lots of kids can't eat dairy right away, but that she might be able to eat cheese when she's two, then gradually be able to tolerate milk and other dairy products. Easy for him to say. He's not cleaning up nasty diapers multiple times a day because something Aubrey ate doesn't agree with her stomach. I still plan to take her to an allergist to make sure it's just dairy and not some other food allergy also. That appointment is on Tuesday morning. Aubrey handled her two shots (HiB and Hep A) like a champ. Minimal screaming and then she took a nap when we got home. Gotta love the return of a morning nap!

Stats:
Weight: 21 lbs (20th %-ile)
Height: 30.5 in (51st %-ile)

Happy 4th of July!

15 Months Old

2011-06-27T16:53:00.003-05:00

Up close and personal with Aubrey

Ohhhh! She can walk!

(usually with her mouth wide open, must help with balance)

And play in the grass...

And be a little wild!

Check out my curls!

We go to the doctor this Thursday for Aubrey's 15 month check-up, but I'm guessing she's catching up in the percentiles. Now that she's walking, and I've pretty much figured out what she can/cannot eat (basically anything without dairy), she is getting stronger, taller, and filling out. I'll update later in the week with height/weight.

The Best Dads Around

2011-06-19T15:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads/Poppas/Grandpas in our lives. We love you!

Pics from Madison Trip

2011-06-10T20:57:00.001-05:00

Sum, Sum, Summertime!!!

2011-06-10T13:17:00.002-05:00

School's Out For The Summer! Woot Woot! Summer has officially begun, and to kick it off, I'm doing....nothing. Kyle is going to the Twins game tonight with his dad while I stay at home with the kids. Not to be left home alone too much, I do get to go out with my girlfriends tomorrow night for some dinner and drinks. Always much needed by the time we can all coordinate schedules.

Plans for the summer? Oh yes. Kyle's aunt e-mailed us to check on free weekends, and I could give her two. The first and second weekend in July. Seriously??? Our summer is already that booked??? Looks like it. No major trips planned, just random things here and there that fill up the calendar. Kyle has two bachelor parties. Little Miss Reese (or Baby Reese as I like to call her) will be turning 1 at the end of July. Can't miss that little peanut's birthday party. Plus some time spent in IL lounging in Nana and Poppa's pool. Add the zoo, splash park, library, and preschool, and you've successfully created a busy summer! Bring on the FUN!

Movin' and Groovin'

2011-06-06T07:36:00.002-05:00

Finally!!! Aubrey is FINALLY walking! Yes, she is 14 months old and just taking her first steps. I would have been excited if she had done it two months ago, but now I am ecstatic. Well worth the wait to see her smiling face and hear her giggles as she toddles around.

Road Trip

2011-06-03T10:13:00.002-05:00

The kids and I are headed down to Madison this weekend to visit my sister and her family. Aidan has been talking about it for days, so I know he can't wait to get there. Bonus: My mom and dad are coming up Saturday late afternoon to join us for dinner and some quality time with the kids. It's going to be a short trip, but packed with fun!

Life in Finnland

2011-05-26T12:19:00.002-05:00

Living creatures far and wide have decided that Finnland is the place to be. Two ticks hitched a ride home on Aidan a week and a half ago (still dealing with that drama) and now some furry little mammals that squeak and chatter have set up residence. Yes, mammals, plural. I was greeted by a mouse in the laundry room on Tuesday evening and a chipmunk who appears to be living in our garage ceiling. What in the world could be so appealing about our house?!?! We have a dog for goodness sakes! Aren't predatory animals supposed to scare away unwanted riff-raff?

Other than extra inhabitants, the Finn household is operating as usual. Kyle is busy increasing our portfolio by trading options and watching the kids. I'm busy wrapping up the school year. (countdown: 9 school days left) As I finish school, Aidan will be starting a one-morning a week preschool program through our local school district. Open house is next Wednesday, so Kyle gets the honor of meeting Aidan's first teacher since I am still in school. He's really excited about that. (note sarcasm) Aubrey is Aubrey. Is she walking yet? No. Is she talking yet? Not really. She says "mama" and Kyle swears that she says "duck" all day long, but she has yet to say it around me. However, she can woof and whine like a dog, thanks to Roxie. I think she also tries to quack and moo, but I doubt any other person would know what she was doing.

So there you have it. Life in Finnland.

Sassy Pants

2011-05-14T16:17:00.002-05:00

Someone in the Finn household has decided she's the queen bee and wants to let everyone know it. Nope, it's not me, (I think we all know that I run the show) it's Aubrey. When I picked her up from the YMCA the other day, the staff described her as a "Sassafras". I took that to mean "bossy", and I was not offended in the slightest. The teacher had Aubrey pegged. She knows what she wants. In the case of the YMCA, Aubrey has decided that the play kitchen is her domain and no one else is allowed to come near it when she is in there. Apparently she was screeching and hollering every time another child so much as put a toe in the doorway. We're going to have to work on sharing.

In Aidan's world, he's into exaggerating his comments. Here are a few that made me smile this week:

"Thank you, Mama. Thank you VERY much."

"You are VERY welcome, Daddy."

"Auuuubbbbrrey, STOP WHINING. You are going to have to go to your crib if you don't stop." (perhaps he should take his own advice)

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Roxie" (this phrase is heard multiple times an hour, every day)

"I'm SO SAD, Mama." (me: Why are you sad?) "Because I didn't get to eat dessert"

Battle Royale

2011-05-07T14:07:00.002-05:00

As I type this, I am listening to Aidan whine and cry in his crib. Nothing makes me angrier than when he won't take a nap, he's loud, and he keeps Aubrey from sleeping. Grrr. Why do I engage in this battle? Because he's an absolute monster by 4:30pm if he doesn't take a nap. I realize we're probably winding down on naps, but we're not there yet. Any suggestions? Kyle uses incentives during the week, like watching Clifford or Super Readers. I try that on the weekends, to no avail. Last resort is spiking his milk with some Valium at lunch time. (kidding)

Blog Vacation

2011-04-26T07:34:00.003-05:00

I took an unintended blog vacation for the past 3 weeks. Our main computer has been acting up and it was taking upwards of 10 minutes for one page to load...SUPER frustrating. I felt like I was using dial-up internet! Anyway, Kyle cleaned up the hard drive and we're back in business for the moment.

April has flown by in a tornado of activity. Aidan and Aubrey had their 1 and 3 year doctor's appointments. Aidan checked out perfectly. He is growing taller, chattering constantly, learning his letters and numbers, and is an overall ball of energy. He weighs 29lbs and is 37 inches tall (I think...I'm typing at school)

Aubrey is also growing taller, however, she is not gaining weight. My gut says a food allergy, but the dairy and soy tests came back negative. The doctor also did a bunch of bacteria/parasite tests which also came back negative. Right now she's on an antibiotic because one of her injection sites got infected (2 weeks AFTER getting her shots...weird) so we'll see what her diapers are like once she's done with the medicine in a few days. Aubrey weighs 18 lbs 4 oz and is 29 3/4 inches tall...placing her in the 7th percentile for weight. *sigh* I love her petiteness, but not if she's not getting the nutrients she needs to be healthy. I've got her drinking coconut milk and she seems to love it. She chugged an entire 10oz at dinner last night and yelled at me when it was empty. :) I'm hoping the fat content in that will fill her out.

We celebrated Easter at our house by hunting eggs and candy and then getting dressed up and heading to Mass. We had a rabbits' nest in our front yard, so I told Aidan that's where the Easter Bunny lived. He went out to the hole (which was empty by then) and told the Easter Bunny that he wanted pajamas and 2 hockey sticks for Easter. The Easter Bunny ended up bringing pajamas, but no hockey sticks. Seriously, we already have 2 at our house. We don't need 2 more.

The Family That Blogs Together...

2011-04-03T13:55:00.003-05:00

The family that blogs together, stays together. Right? Kyle has started his own blog, detailing his quest to SuperNova Elite. (SNE) I won't even begin to try to explain it on here, but if you're interested in Kyle's professional poker playing career, check out his blog, "CAPture SNE" at http://capturesne.blogspot.com/. I've also got it linked on this blog over on the right hand side, under "favorite Blogs". A word of advice, start at the beginning (March 24) otherwise you won't have a clue what he is talking about.

Aidan and Aubrey had their last birthday bash on Saturday night when Grandpa and Aunt Marsha came over for dinner. Yes, that makes 4(!) times that Aidan got to celebrate his birthday, and 3 times for Aubrey. There's no question about it, they both know exactly how old they are and can show you on their fingers. Practice makes perfect.

Opening presents with Grandpa

Pinocchio that Grandpa got for Aidan in Italy

In the coveted new Thomas the Train shirt
Thank you, Aunt Marsha!

Dumpster Diving in her future?

Birthday Bashes

2011-03-27T10:28:00.003-05:00

Fantastic Fish Cupcakes made by Nana

Celebrating birthdays in the Dells

Aubrey and Aidan's birthday party

She's ONE!

Happy Birthday, Aidan and Aubrey!

With two small kids that have birthdays only 5 days apart, it's more like "birthday week". And since we were at the Dells last weekend with my family, the kids are getting multiple celebrations.
My mom made these awesome fish cupcakes to celebrate with the kids. Aidan and Aubrey opened their presents from Nana, Poppa, Kali, Kyle, and Reese last weekend at the Dells. Aubrey is now outfitted for the summer and Aidan has his new wheels to burn off excess energy.

This weekend was Aubrey's actual birthday (3/26). We combined her 1st birthday party with Aidan's 3rd birthday party. Since Aubrey doesn't really have any "friends" yet, she got to share Aidan's friends. :) In my infinite wisdom, I thought it would be easy and fun to have the kids play at the local YMCA's indoor kid's gym. Fun, definitely a yes. Easy, not really. However, the kids had a great time and that's all that matters. They ran around, played, figured out every way possible to go down a slide, painted some crafty caterpillars, and then ate some cake/cupcakes. My kiddos were worn out, and I'm assuming everyone else was too!

Aidan turns 3 on Thursday. (3/31) We'll keep it low key and just open a few presents from mom and dad. Then, on Saturday, Grandpa Finn and Great-Aunt Marsha are coming over for dinner. Mick has been enjoying Rome for the past week, so we can't wait to hear all about his adventures!

Spring Break!

2011-03-22T10:21:00.005-05:00

As always, I'm trying to pack as much action as possible into spring break. Yesterday I visited the eye doctor and tomorrow Aidan and I head to the dentist for Aidan's first dentist appointment. (he is very excited) The rain today is forcing my hand and we're staying inside for crafts and Sesame Street and other low-key activities. I'm wishing I had gotten groceries yesterday when it was decent outside.

Last weekend we met my parents and Kali's family for a few fun-filled days at the WI Dells. Holy buckets, that place is over-stimulating! The kids loved it, and I loved getting to spend time with my family.

Up next we've got Aubrey's birthday on the 26th and Aidan's birthday on the 31st. Can you believe they're going to be 1 and 3??? I cannot. I still need to figure out birthday presents and what kind of cake to make. I think that will be added to my list of things to do today.

Aidan's birthday present from Nana and Poppa...
a new set of wheels

The "open-mouthed" stare

This is how we were all feeling on Sunday
morning while trying to pack up

Checking out the "Ladies Man"

Having a blast at the indoor water park

"Easy"

2011-03-16T08:43:00.003-05:00

I think "easy" is a word that is thrown around lightly in the cooking world. Perhaps, each recipe should be tested with two little ones "helping" in the kitchen before it can earn the high honor of being "easy". Really, if it were that "easy" I would not have onions burning on the stove while my almost-three-year-old is touching raw bacon on the counter, and my almost-one-year-old is screaming on the floor because she wants in on the action. I've found that recipes are "easy" only when they involve minimal ingredients and cook in 15 minutes or less. Even better, I like when they come frozen and all I have to do is set the timer and cook them in the oven.

March

2011-03-06T09:24:00.002-06:00

Dear Winter,
Go away. In protest of your continued snowstorms, I have changed the background of this blog to a more festive St. Patrick's Day green. Please take the hint.

Sincerely,
The Finn Family

11 Months Old

2011-02-26T15:16:00.003-06:00

Aubrey's favorite aunt requested a blog dedicated to Aubrey. Apparently I don't talk about her enough. Blame it on second child syndrome.

At 11 months old Aubrey:
~weighs about 19 lbs
~can pull herself up on just about anything
~likes to open and close drawers...making me very nervous that she's going to chop a finger off
~dislikes Aidan or Roxie anywhere near her and she lets them know by screeching like a banshee
~still only has her two bottom teeth
~is a cuddlebug with both Kyle and I, and she's overcoming her fear of other people
~has curly hair when it's wet, and very wavy hair when it's dry. I love it.
~takes two naps a day and sleeps 12-13 hours at night
~eats like a horse and is still a tiny peanut. We're not sure where it goes, but I would like to share her metabolism

Snow Much Fun

2011-02-21T19:50:00.004-06:00

When life gives you this...
you've got to get creative. I pulled out every trick I could think of, and I still resorted to the iPad by Monday afternoon. Aidan played in the snow (technically I threw him in the snow and he thought that was fun), we made crafts, we trekked up to Grandpa's house twice, we got out the ball pit, and we read lots of books.

Ball Pit: Minute 1...Kind of fun

Ball Pit: Minute 2...Get me outta here!

Cardboard box fun

The "I haven't left the house in 48 hours" look

iPad, we love you

Inspiration

2011-02-19T13:24:00.003-06:00

I need some. Inspiration, that is. My brain is feeling sluggish due to multiple 12 hour work days this month, not to mention two rambunctious kids. I need some inspiration for blog posts and my thoughts are turning toward "birthday month". Also known as March. Aubrey will be turning 1 and Aidan will be turning 3 ....with a mere 5 days in between their birthdays. Do I want to have a party at our house? Do I want to have a party somewhere else? Do I want to have a party at all? For the next few years the kids will be sharing a party. It's not like they've got their own sets of friends yet, and really, all little kids want to do is run around and eat cake. Hmm, what to do? Please send any inspirational ideas my way.

BTW...my sister and Reese were up for a visit last weekend. Check out her blog for pics and a recap.

Family February

2011-02-10T14:36:00.003-06:00

Nana and Poppa were here the first weekend of February, Kali and Reese are coming up this weekend...it's Family Month!

Last weekend we braved the (not too) cold temps and headed downtown St Paul to visit the annual Winter Carnival. It was the 125th anniversary, but there were no grand spectacles or ice castles this year. Thank you poor economy. They did have some pretty awesome ice sculptures though, and we got to eat out for lunch. Always a bonus.

St Paul Winter Carnival

Ice Dog

How do you cart a baby around without a stroller? Just strap it to your back!

Ice Throne

Dam(n)

2011-02-01T19:40:00.003-06:00

Dam/Damn is the homophone of the week at the Finn household. Ginormous ice dams can be seen on our roof and the expletive, damn, can be heard flying out of Aidan's mouth at random times. What, you ask? How could that sweet boy have ever learned such a word? Hmm, maybe you should ask Kyle. Enough said. It's probably a good thing that Aidan spent most of the time indoors as Kyle was roof-raking and chipping away at the ice dam. I'm sure he would have come back inside with a much larger vocabulary than just "dam/damn".

A Touch of Crazy

2011-01-18T14:30:00.004-06:00

Aidan has a little bit of "wild man" in him. Some days it's more "wild man" than "quiet child". Who am I kidding? Most days it's "wild man". Evidence? The picture above and conversation with Kyle, below.

Kyle: You have to pick up your blocks.

Aidan: I don't want to.

Kyle: You have to pick them up before you get lunch.

Aidan: I'll get them at some point, Kyle. Okay?

You Know It's Winter When...

2011-01-08T15:21:00.003-06:00

everyone in your house has a face covered in snot and is coughing up a lung. Well, almost everyone. Somehow Kyle has managed to dodge this bullet, but Aidan, Aubrey and I have been feeling pretty awful this week. Aubrey was the first come down with this nasty cold, so I don't think it's something I picked up at school. Nobody's happy when Mommy's not happy...at least that's how it works in this household. The kids seem to be picking up on my short-tempered vibes and there has been a lot of screaming and yelling this week. (from me and the kids)

In happier times, aka: just last week, Kyle took Aidan to the outdoor ice rink for his very first skating lesson. It was late afternoon and I was shooting right into the sun, but you can hear Aidan's excitement. You'll just have to use your imagination to picture the pure joy on Aidan's face as he took to the ice for the first time.

Christmas 2010 Recap

2010-12-29T19:47:00.001-06:00

I'm not even sure where to begin! We packed as much excitement and people-visiting into the holiday weekend as was humanly possible. Each day brought a new set of family or friends to visit with. Friday was Christmas Eve service, Saturday was Christmas with my family, Sunday was Christmas with my mom's side of the Family, Monday was a playdate with my friend, Nikki, and her two sons, and Tuesday was the car trip back to MN. As I write this, both kids are passed out in their beds. I don't blame them.

Highlights from the weekend include:
Aidan and Aubrey got in some hardcore playtime (and lots of shoveling) with Nana, Poppa, Kali, Kyle, and Reese
Santa brought Aidan a hockey stick, skates, and a puck
Aubrey's 1st tooth FINALLY came in on Christmas Day (closely followed by tooth #2, which came in today)
Aubrey is starting to crawl on her knees instead of army crawling
Both kids opened a mountain of presents---lots of new toys to play with and clothes to wear
Everyone ate over a million calories of delicious, delicious food on a daily basis

Christmas 2010 at Nana and Poppa's house can be broken into a few categories...
Playing outside in the fresh snow
Aubrey and Reese getting to know one another (and Aubrey trying to rip Reese's face off),
Aidan finding the "game closet" and getting out a new game or toy out every 20 minutes,
eating (lots of it),
present opening (lots of it)
family time (thankfully, lots of it)
In an effort to conserve time and energy, I'm consolidating all Christmas photos in to this one slide show. I managed to pare down over 200 photos into the Top 62.

Happy Birthday and Christmas 2010

2010-12-20T14:53:00.003-06:00

First and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad. He's turning the very young age of 57. :)
Aidan will be gracing him with a rousing, out-of-tune rendition of "Happy Birthday" later today.

Our Finn Christmas was very enjoyable. Aubrey's first foray into present opening went well and she stayed up a good two hours past her bedtime without any melt-downs. The magic of new toys to play with. Aidan was so excited to play with his presents this morning that he didn't even eat breakfast. Seriously, you know when Aidan doesn't want to eat he is REALLY into whatever he is doing. I think playing with toys instead of eating breakfast may be unprecedented. Favorites are the wooden construction trucks from Uncle BJ, the toy electric guitar, and the remote control police car, both from Grandpa Finn.

Grandpa Finn made a wonderfully delicious meal; Rock Cornish game hen, wild rice, and sauteed vegetables. Very tasty. I tried so hard to get a good picture of Aidan and Aubrey together, but after 139 photos snapped, not one of them is "Christmas Card" worthy. They are like oil and water when taking pictures together. Maybe someday they will both smile and look at the camera at the same time.

All I Want For Christmas

2010-12-11T15:27:00.003-06:00

Dear Santa,
I would like money for Christmas. Daddy wants money, too. Aubrey wants toys. Mommy would like clothes.
Love, Aidan

That was Aidan's letter to Santa. Really? Money? What two-year-old says he wants money!?!? Clearly he is Kyle's child. When asked if he wanted anything besides money he replied, "I don't know." We visited Santa today (free at the YMCA) and he thankfully asked for a hockey stick, not money. I was going to be mortified if he asked for money. Aubrey responded like I expected; nervous and then upset that a stranger was holding her. After sitting on Santa's lap, the Y had two giant bounce houses for the kids to play in. Aidan enjoyed the slide that was attached to one of them.

Aidan at the top of the slide

Merry Christmas

Snapped within the first 2 seconds she was on his lap

Aidan and Santa. Buddies

Asking for a hockey stick

Snow Bunnies

2010-11-27T13:48:00.004-06:00

8 Months Old!!!

Aidan refuses to take a nice picture anymore.

Look at that sibling love.

The holiday season is here, which means we (I) have been busy decorating and filling the house with Christmas cheer. Aidan's enthusiasm is contagious. He turns on the Christmas music and lights at every opportunity. Energy conservation is not in Aidan's vocabulary.

Today we made our annual trek to the tree lot to buy a cut Christmas tree. One of these years we'll get back to cutting our own. If it had been warmer, I would have insisted on it this year. However, carrying an 8 month old around in freezing temps didn't seem like the best idea. Pre-cut won.

We spent Thanksgiving here in the Twin Cities. Aunt Marsha was kind enough to host again, and as always, her food was delicious. Aidan enjoyed playing a dice game with "the big boys" aka: the adult males. Aubrey ate, napped, and played on the floor. Her usual day, just at a different house. Uncle BJ is in town for the weekend, much to Aidan's delight. I'm sure Aidan will insist we head up to Grandpa's house as soon as he wakes up from his nap today so he can see BJ.

Ice Time

2010-11-21T09:21:00.002-06:00

Hockey is back in full-swing and I find myself short on patience lately. I thanked God every night this past week that I'm not a single mom, even though I felt like it during hockey try-outs. By Saturday morning I told Kyle that I needed two hours to myself and he was in charge. He graciously offered to take Aubrey to a JV hockey game with him, and Grandpa Finn took Aidan to run errands. Not two hours, but it was a nice, quiet 40 minutes. Hoping I can get out of the house today and buy some new work-out shoes. It's not looking good at the moment due to the freezing rain we got overnight. All the roads are covered in a sheet of ice. Maybe I'll just have to lock myself in the bathroom and turn my iPod up really loud. That counts as "me" time, right?

SNOW!

2010-11-14T14:32:00.003-06:00

The first sign of winter dropped almost a foot snow on the Twin Cities. No light dusting or gradual cooling for us. It was 68 degrees on Wednesday and we got a foot of snow on Saturday. Only in Minnesota. Aidan could not have been more excited. Ever since we bought his snow boots back in early October, he has been asking, "Winter here yet?" I could finally answer YES! It was snowing before I went to bed on Friday night, so I knew what I would be waking up to. As soon as I heard Aidan rustling around I went into his room and asked him if he was ready to be excited. He was a little confused until I opened his curtains. The look of amazement on his face was priceless. "Winter coming down, Mommy! Get to wear my boots!" (yes, he calls the snow "winter") We played outside, built a snowman, dusted off the sled, and even walked up to Grandpa's house for some hot chocolate. It was the perfect first snow of the season.

Smiley

2010-11-08T16:44:00.002-06:00

Aubrey has a lot of nicknames. I call her "Peanut", my dad is now calling her "Little Miss Puddle-Duck" (b/c of her Halloween costume) and Aidan and Kyle call her "Smiley".

Aidan is entering the phase where just about everything that comes out of his mouth is funny.
Case-in-point: Aidan wanted to watch Kyle's hockey video and he asked "Does Smiley want to watch hockey with me?"

Another funny question *because everything is a question with Aidan* "Where are Aubrey's teeth coming in? In the living room?" When I tried to explain that her teeth are coming in her mouth, he proceeded to ask if they were coming in her mouth while she was in the kitchen, in the living room, in the bathtub...he couldn't quite grasp the concept of teeth coming in. Even today in the car, randomly, "Is Aubrey getting new teeth today?" No. "Tomorrow?" Maybe. The questions never end. I think God made two-year-olds funny so you don't go crazy with all of their questions.

Picture Update

2010-10-31T15:06:00.002-05:00

Aubrey's Pumpkin (carved by me)

Aidan's Pumpkin (carved by Kyle)

Finn Family Pumpkins
Owl on a branch (Courtney), Happy Face (Aubrey)
Scary Face (Aidan) Vampire biting a woman's neck (Kyle)

Ducky

Sporting a fireman's hat and balloon after a visit to the local fire station

This and That

2010-10-29T11:15:00.003-05:00

"What that thing do, Mommy?" "What this thing?" "How was school today?" "You read books today?" "You have meeting today?" Over and over and over. Aidan has entered the questioning phase. Even when we answer his questions, he still continues to repeat them. I read somewhere that kids repeat questions, even though you answered them, because they have no frame of reference to attach your answer to. It's nice to know that he is a normal little kid, learning away...but, wow. Sometimes I just want to say "Shhhh, stop talking."

Aubrey slept the week away after catching some sort of virus. She had a fever Monday night, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Being sick knocked the wind right out of her. Kyle said that she wasn't awake for more than 45 minutes at a time. I think she's on the mend and will be ready to carve pumpkins, celebrate Grandpa Finn's birthday, and dress up for Halloween this weekend.

Last weekend we spent an enjoyable 4 days in IL with my family. Baby Reese was baptized on Sunday and I had the honor of being her godmother. She slept through the baptism, only waking up when the water was poured on her head. Aidan and Aubrey both got their "Reese Time" in and had fun holding her (Aidan) and chewing on her (Aubrey). I love watching them interact and can't wait until Christmas when we'll be together again!

J.O.B.

2010-10-17T13:31:00.002-05:00

I've got a new job and it starts Nov 1. I am SO looking forward to this new opportunity. My sanity has been hanging on by an ever-unraveling thread, and it's questionable if it would have lasted through the year at my present job. There is only so much kicking/hitting/spitting/etc that one person should have to take in a lifetime. I've reached my quota.

Back to the new job, I will be teaching middle school students with learning disabilities (math, reading, writing). Six of them will be public school students, and nine will be private school students that will see me for about an hour a day. Oh, and did I mention it's part-time? Technically a .8, but I still get to be home by 2:00pm. That means no daycare costs for Aidan and Aubrey during hockey season and I don't have to attend boring staff meetings in the afternoon! Can't wait to get started!

6 Months

2010-10-10T14:53:00.005-05:00

Not the best exposure, but here are Aidan and Aubrey
showing their love for the Twins

6 months old

Aubrey had her 6 month doctor's appointment this past Thursday, and she is not the gigantic baby we thought she was. Nope, Aubrey is just a normal sized little girl. We've decided that our perceptions have been forever skewed by Aidan's unnatural skinniness.

Stats:
Weight: 16lbs 1oz---44 %-ile
Height: 26 in---51 %-ile (the doctor thinks they measured her wrong, but I wasn't going to wait around for a nurse to come back, so Aubrey is probably longer than 26")
Head: 17 in---65 %-ile

As I write this, Aubrey is rolling all over the place, jabbering away in an attempt to gain my attention. She has become a little wiggle worm that is not content to just sit in my lap while I type. Besides rolling both ways, she can also sit by herself for increasingly longer periods of time. She started solid foods a few weeks ago. After phasing in rice cereal, we've moved on to green beans and sweet potatoes as mixers. She wasn't so sure of the sweet potatoes (maybe too thick?) but she inhaled the green beans. I'll probably make up some squash next weekend, and then start fruits in November. If she's anything like Aidan, she will love any and all fruits.

One area that she differs significantly from Aidan is her sleep schedule. He was a routine napper at this age. I knew that every morning he would take 2 short naps, with a longer one in the afternoon. I feel insanely lucky when Aubrey naps in the morning. What 6 month old only needs one nap a day?!? And why is it my child??? She's also waking up at night again. She needs to get this sleep thing figured out. However, since her sleep habits are my only complaint, I'll count myself lucky.

Apple Orchard

2010-10-03T14:55:00.002-05:00

The pictures say it all. The kids loved the apple orchard, but didn't want to look at the camera. Too much other stuff going on. Oh well, at least we had a nice day.

Quick Update

2010-10-01T11:51:00.002-05:00

Yes, I know the Finns have been MIA for most of September. I'm not sure I've had a moment to catch my breath, and here we are, it's October. Aubrey hit the six-month milestone last weekend. She has her appointment this coming Thursday, so I'll post more about her then. Aidan continues to be an active little boy. Never a dull moment when he's around. Kyle is mostly enjoying being at home with the kids, but would be happier if Aubrey was sleeping through the night. (she's been waking up at 2am for feedings) School is in full swing for me and I'm desperately trying to figure out how I can stay at home with the kids or find a different job that doesn't leave me wanting to scream or cry at the end of the day. And that folks, is my lunchtime update. Time to get back to work.

Here We Go

2010-09-19T17:42:00.004-05:00

"Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go". That is the chant I heard all week long. Poppa took Aidan to the fire truck parade last weekend, and one of the antique fire trucks had chanting firemen. The next day I took Aidan to the community parade and we caught a bag full 'o candy plus a shirt full of political candidate stickers. Fun times had by all.

This weekend Kyle and I had our first childless weekend since Aidan was born. We attended the wedding of a college friend in Minocqua, WI. Kyle asked if it was too late to return the kids. I said that we probably appreciated the weekend so much BECAUSE we have kids. Forty-eight hours to only be responsible for yourself is unheard when you're a parent. That made the weekend that much more relaxing. A mental health weekend. Nana and Poppa were up again to watch the kids, with Grandpa and Aunt Marsha taking over on Sunday morning when my parents had to leave. The saying "it takes a village to raise kids" certainly applied this weekend.

Loss

2010-09-12T11:17:00.004-05:00

Kyle's mom passed away on Labor Day, just six short weeks after finding out she had cancer. Five of those weeks were spent in the hospital and nursing home. We feel fortunate to have lived so close. We were able to see her several times each week and the kids also saw her when she was feeling up to it. I don't think words can express how much she will be missed.

Aubrey's baptism, Memorial Day weekend

Aidan and Grandma at the zoo, Sept 2008

The Great Minnesota Get Together

2010-09-05T13:49:00.007-05:00

Aidan and I trekked out to the State Fair on Friday for some tasty (read: unhealthy) food, great people watching, and unlimited time spent playing on anything with an engine. Krista and Jackson met us there and we had a fabulous time. I just wish I had known it was going to be so chilly! Per my usual "wait until the last minute to buy needed supplies", Aidan did not have any shoes that fit him. He had to wear his flip flops. By the time we had eaten the food and seen the exhibits we wanted to, his lips were purplish and his teeth were chattering. That didn't mean he was ready to get off the John Deere tractors though. Oh no, he wanted to stay and play even though he was freezing. I put a "one more tractor" limit on him and then it was time to go. Know what we did yesterday? Yep, bought him some shoes.

5 months

2010-08-28T09:14:00.007-05:00

Mommy's cozy arms have been replaced by

Tickle Me Elmo

Fast asleep after Elmo wore her out

Watching the sunlight bounce around on her blanket

Scrunchy faced smile

So Big!

Just for comparison, Aidan at 5 months

Aubrey hit the 5 month marker on Thursday and we celebrated by doing....nothing. We got groceries and that was the only time we made it out of the house that day. The weather has been gorgeous, but the mosquitoes. OYE! They are vicious little bloodsuckers. They have even invaded the house, sneaking in every time we (quickly) open and close the door to let Roxie in/out. Both Aidan and Aubrey have bug bites galore and we haven't even played outside. We met Aidan's friend, Adelyn, at a new park with a little splash pad area on Friday. Lest anyone get malaria or West Nile, I doused the kids in bug spray/sunscreen. (yes, I know we don't have malaria in MN) Thankfully the park must have sprayed because once we got to the playground we didn't see any more mosquitoes.

Besides that short outing, we spent most of our time indoors this week. I was trying to enjoy each day since it was my last week before works starts again on Monday. As each day passed I got a little more nauseous, to the point where I could hardly eat dinner on Thursday night. It's not that I mind leaving Aidan and Aubrey; I know they are in Kyle's capable hands. It's the thought of facing little hooligans that spit and bite and kick and don't listen for the majority of the day. To top it off, my school didn't make AYP (annual yearly progress in accordance with NCLB) for the third year in a row. What does that mean? It means lots more work and many more meetings in addition to already stressful days. I'm already taking deep breaths to relieve stress just thinking about it. I'm glad I can drink wine this year. The upside of going back to work? Clothes shopping.

2010-08-24T14:10:00.002-05:00

We're back from The Land of Lincoln (aka: IL, for those of you that don't know state nicknames) ;) The trip down and back were marginally better than the trip to Madison in July. Aubrey screamed a little less and slept a little more, which allowed me to keep my sanity. You get pretty good at tuning out the high-pitched, maximum-volume scream of a 5 month old. Aidan was, again, very well behaved. Sesame Street dvd's are the key to a happy 2 year old.

Our visit to Nana and Poppa's house was jam-packed with fun. We spent Friday in the pool, relaxing, and getting to know Baby Reese. She is a "fiery little redhead" as Poppa likes to say. I think Kali is going to have her hands full with that one. I can't wait to hear the stories when she's a teenager! Aubrey has also been nicknamed. She is now known as "Smiley". We were fortunate enough to see lots of friends and family on this trip, and every single person commented on what a happy baby Aubrey is. The word everyone used was "content". Aubrey is a content little baby (minus car rides) and I am thankful every day that she is not high-strung. I already have a whirlwind of a 2-year-old to deal with, I'm not sure my poor brain could take a baby that screamed and demanded attention 24/7.

Other highlights from the trip included the riding lawnmower, swimming, and Kali's baby shower. Aidan would have stayed on the riding lawnmower night and day if we had let him. We had to pry him off of it by saying it needed to take naps and go to sleep at night because it was so tired from all of the rides it had been giving him. He accepted that and let it take "naps", but when he thought it had "slept" enough, he wanted to get right back on it. My parents probably went through at least two tanks of gas giving Aidan rides around the yard and up and down the street. Poppa also bought Aidan a life jacket so he could show off his new swimming skills. Unfortunately, Aidan's attention span in the pool can be measured in nanoseconds. Aidan would swim for a little bit, then get out, and you guessed it, play on the lawnmower. Aubrey was a much better companion in the pool. She was happy to just sit in the little car and float around the pool. (and chew on its steering wheel)

Kali's baby shower was a success, which Aidan will attest to. He ate at least 10 brownies. I am not exaggerating. I gave him one, and he "snuck" the rest. I put that in quotations because my mom's friends were watching him do it and they thought it was hilarious. Thankfully he did not throw up or have a sore tummy. Kali and Reese got lots of great presents and now have a well-stocked library of fantastic books to read as Reese gets older.

We'll see Nana and Poppa again in a few weeks when they come up to stay with the kids while Kyle and I attend a wedding in northern Wisconsin. I have a busy week planned for us, as it's my last week of stay-at-home-mommyhood. Back to work on Monday. :( We got our new fridge today, I've got a massage and facial tomorrow, we have a play date on Thursday at the splash park, and I think we'll hit the zoo on Friday, not to mention the MN State Fair begins this week. When am I going to find time to gorge myself on all that delicious fair food? Maybe Saturday or Sunday?

Work

2010-08-17T13:50:00.002-05:00

I had my first job when I was 14. Fifteen years later, I'm still hard at work, just getting paid more. I started a slow re-introduction to work yesterday by teaching the first part of an eight hour training session in my district. I must say, it felt nice. I love teaching, but because of my clientele during the school year, (kids with emotional and behavioral disorders) I get precious little time to do the "traditional" teaching of academics. Most of the time I'm just trying to teach them how to behave so they can sit in a class for 15 minutes without disrupting everyone. Teaching 25 interested and motivated adults was invigorating. So many of them came up to me when the session was over to tell me how useful the information was, that it was exactly what they'd hoped it would be. I wish my kids at school would say that!

The second half of the training is on Thursday morning, then the kids and I are headed down to Nana and Poppa's house for the weekend. Kali and Reese's baby shower is on Saturday, and Aidan has been counting the weeks until we go. "See Baby Reese, twoooooo weeks!" "See Nana and Poppa, onnnnne week." "See Kali and Reese, threeeee days, Tuesday, Wednesday, THURSDAY!" In case you couldn't tell by how I was writing, he drags out the time to convey his excitement. I'm not sure if he's more excited by the fact that we're going to see everyone, or that he gets to watch movies on the way down. He's been talking about both equally. :) I've mentally prepared myself for six hours of a screaming infant. I was proactive by scheduling a massage for the Wednesday after we get back. Just because I know the screaming is going to happen, doesn't mean I'm going to like it. My back is going to be all knotted up with tension and I'm going to want to scream. I'll just tell myself "deep breaths, deep breaths" and hope we can get there without me losing my mind. I'll let you know how that works...

The Name Game

2010-08-12T13:38:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago at swimming lessons, the instructor was going over pool/water safety tips. One that I hadn't thought of was teaching your child mommy and daddy's first names, in case they get lost and need to tell the lifeguard. I thought to myself, "Aidan's 2, he won't understand that we have first names, we're just "Mommy and Daddy". Then I got to thinking, with his impulsivity and lightning speed, it's probably not a bad idea to teach him our names.

I told him that mommy's first name was Courtney and Daddy's first name was Kyle. He thought it was hilarious! All week long he has been saying "Mommy's name Courtney, Daddy's name Kyle" and giggling his head off.

After putting him in his car seat and starting the car on Monday, I hear "Turn on the fan, Courtney." That's Mommy to you little mister! He's also been heard saying things like "Need to clean up, Kyle". It makes me laugh every time he uses our first names, which he does at really random time. I think he gets a kick out of it, too.

Daddy's shoes, a dinosaur sticker for using the potty, and a purple broom.
That's quite the outfit!

4 Months Old

2010-08-04T16:56:00.004-05:00

4 month stats:
height: 25.8 inches...92nd %-ile
weight: 14 lbs 9 oz...66th %-ile
head: 16.5 inches...72nd %-ile

Aubrey's outfit comes to us courtesy of Grandma Michele, who has been saving it for decades. It was made by her grandma, which means Aubrey is wearing a dress made by her great-great-grandma. Pretty cool. Unfortunately I didn't have any sleeveless white shirts to put under it, so you'll see the pink top she was wearing popping through. I'm going to try to find a white top to put under it and take some more pictures.

We made our way back to the doctor's office this week for Aubrey's 4 month check-up. All is well with Aubrey, although she does not handle her shots as well as Aidan did. I don't remember Aidan ever having a reaction, and Aubrey has a red welt on each leg plus she had a low-grade fever the day after her shots. Nothing major, just enough to make her feel a little "off", which led to a screaming meltdown while Aidan and I were at swimming lessons. The instructor was nice enough to swim with Aidan while I went to the childcare area to calm Aubrey down. When I got back everyone commented on what a good job he had done while I was gone. Maybe the "no whining in the pool" talk before swim lessons had a positive effect.

Note to self: Remember to have the "no whining" talk again next week before swim lessons.

Splash Park Celebration

2010-07-30T09:05:00.005-05:00

We were joined at the splash park this week by my friends, Krista, Gayle, and Molly, and all of their respective children. Aidan had a great time playing with FIVE friends while listening to music and running around in the water. Key word in that sentence was "running". There is no more sitting and visiting with adult friends when the kids are around. It's constant vigilance, since the oldest (Charlotte) is only 3 1/2 and the youngest is Aubrey at 4 months. (for a little while, anyway. Krista is due with a baby boy in December)

We celebrated summer birthdays with a delicious ice cream cake, courtesy of Krista. YUM! Sunday will see me turning 29 years old. Honestly, it feels like 28...just with 30 looming on the horizon. I plan to spend the day by myself going to the farmer's market, doing a little shopping, and enjoying a cry-free environment for a few hours!

Aubrey, in her car seat, again
She has discovered her toes, and she loves them!

Aidan "sifting" the water

Grace, splashing like a wild woman

Jackson, practicing some dance moves

Charlotte (and her cousin, Sam, in the background)

Maggie, treading carefully

"The Gang"
L-R: Aidan, Grace, Jackson, Aubrey, Charlotte, Sam, Maggie

Mad Town

2010-07-19T14:56:00.003-05:00

Aidan and Eli tooling around in their "cars"

Enjoying the pool on a hot, hot, hot day

Being entertained by Kali, while I try to snap a picture

Aunt Kali and the kids

Strike a pose

The kids and I took a road trip down to Madison this past weekend to visit Kali and Kyle. I hoped and prayed that Aubrey would be a good little traveler like Aidan...unfortunately, that is not the case. She does NOT like riding in her car seat. Period. She cried the whole way down and the whole way back, interrupted by short bouts of fitful sleep. Needless to say, the car ride was stress-inducing. However, our time with Kali and Kyle (and Nana and Poppa on Sunday) was tons of fun.

Aidan absolutely adores his Uncle Kyle, probably because Uncle Kyle is always willing to play with him. This weekend the favorite game was basketball. Luckily, Kali and Kyle have a screened in walkway, so Aidan could play out there with all of their sports balls even after the adults were worn out and wanted to sit in the air conditioning. I swear, that kid never slows down. I have no idea where he gets all that energy from.

Kali and I took the kids to the Madison Farmer's Market on Saturday morning. Within minutes of arriving, both Kali and I were drenched in sweat. It was a hot, humid morning, but fun people watching. Aidan was happy because he got a cookie, Aubrey was happy because she got a bottle, and Kali was happy because she found some gorgeous flowers and tasty raspberries. A good time had by all. We cooled off that afternoon with a visit to the swimming pool where my friend Nikki and her two boys met us. Her son, Weston, is three months older than Aubrey, and he just couldn't get enough of her. He was laughing and waving his arms at her. I was holding him, and could barely hang on as he tried to lunge and grab Aubrey. I think we'll have to watch those two as they get a little older. Maybe a budding romance??? :)

On Sunday, Nana and Poppa came up to see us. The last time we were together was Memorial Day weekend, so Aubrey has grown quite a bit since then. Aidan was delighted to see them, and he was even more excited when we all went to the park together. We grilled out for lunch, then packed up the car with plants that Nana donated to my "ugly garden" cause. (they were planted this morning...let's see if I can keep them alive)

A short, busy, fun-filled trip. Poor Kali is going to need to go to bed early every night this week to regain some of her energy! She's due in two weeks, so the next time we see her I'll be an aunt and Aidan and Aubrey will have a cousin to play with. We can't wait to meet little Baby Montgomery!

Potty Time

2010-07-12T15:05:00.002-05:00

Potty training started this weekend and it's actually going pretty well. Almost every time Aidan has sat down on the potty he has managed to go, much to his delight! We started a "sticker page" and he gets a sticker if he goes pee in the potty. He L.O.V.E.S. stickers and tattoos, and so far they have been very rewarding for him. Meltdowns ensue if he doesn't go pee because then he doesn't get a sticker. I tried to explain that we don't always have to go potty, even when we try to go. He's not quite getting that part yet. There's also no way he's going poop in the potty (according to him). He very adamantly told me "no" over and over this morning when I asked him if he wanted to poop in the potty (as he was going in his diaper). That part may take a little longer.

Is it weird that I feel like an awesome mom when he goes pee in the potty? It's not like I'm doing anything. It's just so rewarding to have something go how it's supposed to, especially when I thought this whole potty training thing would be an awful experience.

*side note: I did wake up to Aidan, his pj's, and his bed covered in pee because he took off his diaper some time during the night. Point taken. Time to wear training pants day AND night*

Holy Hotness!

2010-07-06T14:34:00.005-05:00

Pre-fireworks funnel cake

Stars and Stripes torte that Aidan could not wait to dig into

Aubrey showing her patriotism
(Aidan called her hat a hockey helmet!)

Fun in the pool

A rare moment when Aidan was actually keeping the hose IN the pool

We did our best this weekend to not melt into a puddle of sweat. The weatherman says we have one more day of this oppressive humidity, then by Thursday it should cool down a little bit. The heat couldn't keep us from having fun, though. We played in Aidan's pool, went out to dinner for our anniversary, grilled out with Grandpa and Grandma Finn, and watched fireworks that Aidan is still talking about two days later. Yes, I ignored my brain and went with my gut. My brain told me that 10pm was too late to keep Aidan up, and that I was just asking for a whiny, cranky, perhaps scene-causing toddler at the fireworks. I followed my gut, which was saying that Aidan would really enjoy the fireworks and whining be damned. There was no whining, he DID enjoy the fireworks, and he had his first carousel ride. (which he is calling a pony ride) A fantastic holiday weekend!

Happy Anniversary

2010-07-01T16:49:00.005-05:00

Taken 5 years ago, on our honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Five years ago, Kyle and I were married on a gorgeous Saturday. Oh, how life has changed! A dog, two kids, different jobs, not to mention the changes in our social life. (what's a social life?) As I was thinking back over the past five years, I realized how fast life is passing by. Next year we will both be 30. Yikes! We discussed taking a trip to celebrate, but we're not sure when that will happen. Hopefully early next summer. We also had the big "we need to save money" talk. So depressing and adult-like to be discussing buying a new house, saving for retirement and college for the kids, and,*deep breath*, sticking to a budget. Not my forte. :) Yes, I realize I just said we wanted to take a trip, and in the next sentence I said we need to save money. Life doesn't need to completely be devoid of fun in order to save money. We'll just plan for it and search for a good deal.

To celebrate five years of marriage, Kyle and I are going out to dinner at Osteria I Nonni while Grandpa and Grandma Finn watch the kids. Delicious Italian food and the best calamari I have ever tasted. I'm looking forward to having a reason to get dressed up and real, adult conversation with my husband! Happy Anniversary, Kyle!

3 Months Old

2010-06-26T12:54:00.005-05:00

As promised, here are some new pictures of Aubrey. She loves to smile and jabber away at me, but I guess I'm a little scary with a big, black camera hiding my face. There wasn't a smile to be had while the camera was out.

At 3 months old Aubrey is sitting up well when propped by a pillow or in the Bumbo seat. She heartily dislikes laying down unless she is nursing or sleeping and lets us know it. She'll sit in the swing for short bits of time, but is much happier if she's sitting up on the couch.

I'm thinking she went through a growth spurt this week. Kyle came home one day to find Aubrey sprawled out on the couch with her blanket barely covering her. He made the comment that she looked like she had "that elephantism disease." HaHa! She did look rather large with her chubby legs hanging out of the blanket and her arms above her head. Another clue-in for the growth spurt was my lack of sleep this week. Aubrey was waking up every night at 2 am and again at 5 am for feedings, where as the last few weeks it was just one time around 5 am. Thankfully she slept for 7 1/2 hours last night, so I'm feeling a little more human today. (and have a lot more patience)

Summer Fun

2010-06-20T13:52:00.003-05:00

Summer finally arrived this week after taking a leave of absence the first part of June. We took full advantage and played outside. A lot. Like, every day. I took the kids up to the splash park on Thursday for our first Music in the Park of the summer. Aidan stood in the water and jumped around to the music while Aubrey took a nap in the stroller. I got some sun (a little too much on my shoulders) and enjoyed people watching.

Friday was spent at the zoo in the great company of Jackson and Krista. The zoo is always fun, and this trip was no exception. Aidan's new favorite activity is riding the tractor out to the farm. Aidan even branched out and fed the goats this time! After his traumatizing encounter last summer (the goat was just being friendly), he hasn't gone near the goats. Branching out didn't extend to getting wet though. Jackson was much more adventurous than Aidan and got soaking wet in the fountains. Aidan was more interested in eating ice cream.

Aubrey will be 3 months old this coming Saturday, so stay tuned for some new pics of her. She's plumping up nicely. : )

Jackson enjoying the fountains

I can't be cute all the time, Mom.

What Did You Say?

2010-06-10T13:36:00.003-05:00

Aidan has been talking up a storm for quite awhile now, and he repeats EVERYTHING we say. He can even read my facial expressions...when I get frustrated he looks at me and says "Mommy ongry" (angry). I say that I am, but have a hard time not smiling when he says things like that. A few of my other favorites right now:

eyebulb (eyeball)
Aidan Mexican (trying to say Aidan Michael Finn)
Cop car (taxi cab)

Aubrey is also cooing away. We sit and have conversations every night after Aidan goes to bed. They usually sound something like this..."Hi, Aubrey" "ahhhh" "What are you trying to tell me?" "ah". That's pretty much the extent of it, and it goes on until she gets hungry. She loves to blow spit bubbles and is already wearing a bib the majority of the time to keep her clothes dry. I don't even want to think about how much spit she's going to produce in a few months when she starts teething!

Baptism

2010-05-31T10:31:00.004-05:00

Aubrey was baptized on Saturday night after Mass. Both sides of our family were there, and Uncle BJ, Uncle Kyle, and Aunt Kali stood up as godparents for Aubrey. What a lucky little girl to have such a wonderful family!!! After the baptism we had everyone back to our house for a BBQ. It was a gorgeous evening so we all sat outside on the deck. A fantastic day!

Aidan got to help bless the water

Aunt Kali and Uncle Kyle

Uncle BJ, Aunt Kali, Uncle Kyle

Nana and Poppa

Grandpa and Grandma Finn

The Finn Family

(not sure when I'm going to stop looking so tired all the time...I need some heavy duty make-up and haircut!!!)

Two Months Old

2010-05-28T09:34:00.003-05:00

Whew! What a week! Two doctor's appointments, two days of teaching home-bound, lots of cleaning, and here we are, it's finally Friday. I had my postpartum check-up on Monday. All is well and I am healthy. Aubrey had her 8-week appointment on Wednesday and she's growing like a weed. She had two shots in her leg and an oral vaccine. By about 1pm Wednesday, her upper thigh was all red and swollen and she was screaming nonstop, with renewed anguish every time she moved her leg. It wasn't red, she wasn't having a hard time breathing, and she didn't feel hot, so I decided to try to solve the problem on my own. I gave her some Tylenol (generic, since brand name is still on recall) and put a mini-ice pack on the injection site. After about 30 minutes she finally fell asleep. She whimpered when I put her down, but by the time she woke up several hours later she was back to her happy self. Next time I'm going to give her the Tylenol before we get the shots.

2-months stats:
Weight: 11lbs 2oz....58th %-ile
Height: 24 1/2 in...98th %-ile
Head: 15 1/2 in...68th %-ile

Aubrey isn't as skinny as Aidan was, but she's just as long. I had to remind Kyle that Aidan started off really long and then slowed down considerably so that he's just average now. Poor Kyle probably isn't going to get any pro-athletes out of this family.

As if I'm not busy enough, one of the kids in my class at school got kicked out with 3 weeks to go. They asked me to teach him 5 hours a week because the school our district places EBD students at doesn't have any openings right now. I agreed because I really do like this kid. It actually stimulates my brain and I feel much more intelligent on the nights I get home from teaching vs. being home all day, sleep-deprived, with my patience worn thin.

Aubrey is being baptized this weekend, so my family will be coming into town this evening. We're having everyone back to our house Sat. night for a BBQ, so cleaning has been on the agenda every day this week. I've decided that besides a nanny to play with Aidan during the day, we also really need a cleaning lady. I like my mother-in-law's line of "We need another wife."

We're Back

2010-05-20T14:26:00.004-05:00

We took a mini-vacation to IL this past weekend for my cousin's wedding and a little quality time with Nana and Poppa. The 6 hour drive went exceptionally well on the way down and mostly okay on the way back...minus Aidan's whining and dropping his pacifier every ten minutes, on purpose, just so I would pick it up. We had a great time and have Aunt Kali to thank for the pictures. Once again, I forgot my camera.

The Albers Clan:
Aunt Cheryl, my dad, Uncle Gary, and Grandma Albers

Kali (28 weeks PG) and Kyle

Kali, Kyle, and Poppa

Nana and Aubrey

Aidan (in the green argyle sweater) getting his groove on

Nana and Great-Uncle Bill showing Aidan the horses and colt
(he was terrified of them up close, but liked looking out the window at them)

Great-Grandma Mosher meeting Aubrey for the first time

Aubrey is finally starting to smile!!!

Being a Mom

2010-05-09T08:23:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to our moms, Theresa and Michele, and to all the other moms and moms-to-be out there reading the blog. As I write this, Kyle and Aidan are out getting me a "surprise". Is it a pony? Is it a boat? It could be anything! That's what I love about surprises.

Things I love about being a mom:

the weight of a sleeping child in my arms
when Aidan says "Yay-yah, Ok-ay" like a rapper
the concern/attention Aidan shows Aubrey
waking up and realizing I've been asleep (the kids have been asleep) for multiple hours in a row
"me" time...it is precious and not to be squandered
watching Aidan run around in the backyard, laughing hysterically at Roxie
talking to Aubrey when she looks me right in the eye, like we might just be having a conversation
playing pretend and watching Aidan's imagination bloom (did you know shopping carts can be motorcycles that you ride to grandma's house?)
singing any song where Aidan joins in, off-key and totally not making sense, but full of enthusiasm
getting contraptions that will make my life easier...the new stroller is here...curse the rain that meant we couldn't go outside to use it right away!
watching Kyle play with Aidan or hold Aubrey

1 Month Old

2010-04-30T14:27:00.003-05:00

(Aidan wanted his picture taken too, of course)

Aubrey has been with us for 5 weeks now. Some days it feels like I had her yesterday. Other days it's like she's always been here. She is awake most of the morning now and is still sleeping/waking up to eat every 3-4 hours at night. Aidan enjoys her and has never been mean to her. Yesterday he kept calling her "pretty", which cracked me up. The minute she starts to fuss he'll either tell me that she is hungry, or will run to find her "nuke". (which also cracks me up because I think nuclear bomb every time he says that.) She's trying to smile when she looks at you...right now it's more of a half-smile though. She lifts one corner or her mouth and her eyes get a little twinkle in them. I know she can see farther too because she will track me when I'm moving around the room.

No doctor's appointment until 8 weeks, but she is definitely getting longer. Newborn size clothes are getting too snug in length, and of course she swims in the 0-3 month size. I think I've got another child who will need jeans with an adjustable waist band so I can shrink the waist while keeping the length.

What to do?

2010-04-22T14:04:00.005-05:00

I'm in a stroller dilemma. I'm pretty sure I need a double stroller, but I don't know what to get. Right now I'm leaning toward this one:

Joovy Caboose Ultralight
(in orange because it's cheaper than the other colors)

but am also considering this one:

Baby Trend Double Sit n Stand

The main differences are 1) weight (the Joovy only weights 21 lbs vs 32lbs for the Baby Trend) and 2) the Baby Trend obviously has 2 seats, one which can be removed to make it a "sit n stand". The prices are pretty comparable. I look every day on Craigslist for a used one, but no luck so far. Both accept infant car seats...the Joovy only in front, the Baby Trend in either the front or back seat.

Any suggestions from moms who currently have a double????

Tip Toe

2010-04-20T16:26:00.004-05:00

Aidan visited the specialist this morning to have his toe-walking checked out. After lots of developmental questions and some observation of Aidan walking, the doctor told us all is fine with Aidan. No neurological issues, no extra-tight muscles...he just likes walking on his toes. In fact, she told us that Aidan is MORE flexible than normal, much to Kyle's delight. The first thing he said after the doctor walked out was, "That's awesome that he's so flexible. He's going to be a great goalie!" Glad to know our trip to the doctor could brighten Kyle's day. :) The doctor recommended buying Aidan high-top shoes to see if that will help him walk flat-footed. Other than that, she said they wouldn't do anything unless he's still toe-walking at age 3 1/2.

A little recap from the past week:
Kali visited us Thurs-Sun and we had a blast. I got to shower daily, get my bangs trimmed, and run errands, Aidan had a full-time playmate, Aubrey got lots of cuddle time, and Kyle got to finish staining the deck without any interruptions. Here are just a few of the great pictures that were taken.

I like to call this one
"If you don't stop crying, I'll MAKE you stop crying."
I think it looks like Aidan is trying to put his arm across her throat. He was actually just trying to hold Aubrey's hand. :)

Hockey and Baseball...such a little boy

Kali and Aidan after his wagon ride

Aunt Kali, Aidan, and Aubrey

Swinging in the park

2010-04-12T14:50:00.003-05:00

Besides the fact that Aidan weighed a pound and half more at birth, these two look pretty similar.

Aubrey @ 5 days old

Aidan @ 2 days old

You Again?

2010-04-09T12:39:00.003-05:00

I'm guessing that's what the doctor thought when he saw us again this morning, for the third time in two weeks. Hey, it's not my fault that they make you come in weekly when you have a newborn, plus Aidan needed his 2 year check-up. Almost all is well. We'll do stats first, then move on to the "not typical for a 2 year old" news.

Aubrey
Weight: 7 lbs 7 oz (58th%-ile)...back up to her birth weight, so we don't need to see the doctor again until she is 2 months old.

Aidan
Height: 35 in...66th%-ile
Weight: 25 lbs 1 oz...15th%-ile
Head: 20in...93%-ile (yep, he still has a huge noggin)

No booster shots for Aidan this time around, but he did get the H1N1 vaccine and had his finger pricked for lead poison testing. He didn't even bat an eyelash when his finger was pricked, just sat there and watched the lady suck his blood up into what I told him was a straw. (since he loves straws) He did let out a big cry after the shot though. I told him the "owie" was all done and that seemed to make him feel better. Just a few more shuddering breaths .

For those of you that see Aidan in person, you know that he walks on his toes at times. It's not that he can't walk flat-footed, he can and he does, but he also is a toe-walker. I know that most two-year olds are walking normally by now, so I mentioned the toe-walking to the doctor. Of course, when the doctor asked to see Aidan walk, Aidan only walked on his toes for a second and then walked fine the rest of the time. Still, the doctor saw that I wasn't making it up. He recommended that we take him to see a specialist, who will probably refer us for some physical therapy.

While there are many things that cause toe-walking, (autism, cerebral palsy, nerve damage, etc) Aidan doesn't exhibit any other symptoms of these scary disorders. The doctor thought that with time, Aidan would probably move on to "regular" walking on his own. Just to be on the safe side, and to speed things along with some physical therapy, he referred us to a specialist. He repeated, over and over, that he didn't think Aidan's toe-walking was a big deal. (probably due to the shocked look on my face and tears in my eyes at the mention of cerebral palsy) So, on April 20th we will be seeing a pediatrician who specializes in physical and rehabilitative care. My gut tells me everything is okay, so I'm not too worried. The toe-walking certainly hasn't slowed Aidan down in the slightest, so maybe I should be more worried about keeping up with him when he does figure out how to walk "normally". ;)

Little Bo Peep

2010-04-07T17:20:00.003-05:00

Aubrey dressed up as Little Bo Peep for Easter, and Aidan went as her faithful guardian. Actually, Aubrey's dress is the one that I came home from the hospital in, when I was a newborn. You know how I'm a sucker for retro baby clothes! Don't mind her knobby knees and too big socks...I looked for tights, but couldn't find any in a newborn size so we had to make due. Good thing it was fairly warm outside.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Aidan!

2010-04-02T07:14:00.005-05:00

The Birthday Boy

Red Velvet cupcakes, courtesy of Nana, decorated by Mommy

Attempting to blow out the candle
(needed a little help from Mommy)
Scooping off all the frosting with his Elmo ring

Aubrey slept through the whole party

Aidan's 1st Twins hat

Little boys love their cars!

Checking out his new water toy

Aidan turned 2 on Wednesday and he had a fantastic day. How do I know? Because when the day was almost over, he kept saying, "More birthday, more birthday." It started with a cookie before breakfast(!), proceeded with birthday pancakes, a fun-filled day spent with Nana and Papa, then a birthday party at Grandpa and Grandma Finn's house. He loved it.

Aubrey's Story

2010-03-27T20:42:00.005-05:00

Aubrey_newborn

Aubrey has had paragraphs dedicated to her here and there for the past nine months, but now it's her turn for the spotlight!

Friday 3/26/10

I woke up around 6:30am having mild contractions. I went downstairs to lay on the couch and they went away after about an hour. No more for the rest of the morning. Around 1:30pm I laid down for a nap, only to be woken up at 2:30pm by a very strong contraction. But, no more after that until after 4pm. Finally, around 6pm they started to have a little bit of a pattern, but were still 10-20 minutes apart. Kyle took Aidan up to Grandpa and Grandma Finn's house, just in case this was "it". Of course, the contractions stopped and I was thinking that there would be no baby on Saturday.

I ate a light supper, watched some tv, and then the contractions started again around 8pm. This time they were only 6 minutes apart, but not terribly strong or very long. Kyle asked when he should call the hospital, and I was very nonchalant about the whole thing. Here I was, thinking I wouldn't have the baby before 8am on Saturday morning. How quickly things changed.

I called my mom and sister around 9pm to let them know I was is in labor. Contractions were still 6 minutes apart and only lasted 30 seconds. After making the calls I went back downstairs to lay on the couch, and BOOM, a strong contraction that lasted forever, my water broke, and I was having painful contractions every 2 minutes. How in the world did that happen so fast?!?!

I told Kyle I wanted to go to the hospital (only thinking...please, let it not be too late for an epidural!). He was two steps ahead of me. My bag was already downstairs and he had started to load the car.

We made it to the hospital in good time. They took me in through the ambulance bay and up to labor and delivery on a gurney. Yes, a little dramatic! Turns out I was only dilated to 6cm, so I still had time for an epidural. I think I requested it before I had even taken off my shoes. :)

Within an hour I had the epidural, and then realized we didn't bring the camera. Oh No! I sent Kyle home to get it, thinking it would still be awhile before things got going. WRONG. The nurse checked me right after he left and I was dilated to a 10 and the head was right there. The doctor wasn't even there yet! The nurse told me not to push, which was very hard because the epidural that I so desperately wanted did not fully work. Yes, it took the edge off, but nothing like it should have. I shouldn't have felt anything, instead I was still in a lot of pain and trying not to push.

Kyle made it back in record time, the doctor arrived, and away we went. Seven pushes later, Aubrey Mae Finn was born at 11:36 pm, about 2 hours after checking into the hospital. Whew, that was a fast one. Much easier than Aidan's birth. More updates to come on life at home with a newborn and a toddler...

Whoopin' It Up

2010-03-24T17:18:00.004-05:00

Aidan and I are taking full advantage of my time off before baby arrives. We spent two and a half hours at the zoo on Monday and two hours at the MN Children's Museum today. It was so gorgeous on Monday that we did the full zoo, not just the indoor exhibits like the last couple of times. The monkeys were, of course, the favorite attraction. Aidan now likes to run around instead of sitting in the stroller the whole time. He's a good workout for this pregnant lady.

Today we hit up the Children's Museum, which we've never been to before. Wow, talk about sensory overload. I was so exhausted and brain dead after two hours that I needed to leave, and even Aidan was saying "all done". He loved the area with all the water tables, and the bubbles were especially fun for him. He also enjoyed a conveyor belt that you have to crank with big foam blocks on it. There were a lot of elementary kids there on field trips. I was a little nervous that he was going to get run over, but he didn't seem to mind. They ignored him and he just stared at them. He didn't get knocked down once, so I'd say it was a success.

Climbing/Driving the truck

Blowing gigantic bubbles (with a little help from mommy)

Did You Hear That?

2010-03-19T20:23:00.003-05:00

Around 2:30pm today, did you perhaps hear the heavenly choir signing HALLELUJAH? I did. That was the time that I officially walked out of school, knowing that I was done until next school year. Man, what a great feeling!

The staff had a little breakfast for me this morning, the kids threw me a little party this afternoon...it was a great day. No news at the doctor's office. Still just dilated to 1cm, but I'm a-okay with that. I've got a hair appointment tomorrow and want to get a pedicure on Monday. I'm going to enjoy my time with Aidan and Kyle before massive sleep-deprivation sets in.

Compare and Contrast

2010-03-14T12:54:00.003-05:00

Now that my due date is only a week and a half away, I've been thinking about how this pregnancy has been different from Aidan's.

Similarities
For the majority of both pregnancies, I felt great
Both went by super-fast
My feet were swollen by the end

Differences
I was horrendously sick the first 14 weeks with this baby
I couldn't sleep through the night after January with Aidan, this time I don't wake up until around 4am
I have only gained 24 lbs (with Aidan I gained 35 lbs)
I'm still wearing my rings...with Aidan I couldn't after January
I couldn't wait to have Aidan, this time I praying I don't go before my due date
I have been having painful contractions that, according to the nurse on Friday, are doing nothing. (Boo to false labor!)

I have had 2 very easy pregnancies, in retrospect, and feel very blessed. (although I could have done without the morning sickness with this one) We still have not agreed on a name, although I have one that I like the best. This is my last week at school and I'm praying it goes smoothly. My sub is coming in on Wed, Thurs, and Fri to get to know the kids. They are VERY anxious (not in a good way) and I foresee some rude little kids toward the end of the week. If all goes according to my plan, I will have all of my paperwork finished this week, time for a pedicure and hair trim early next week, then a baby by the end of next week. Don't worry, I know I have no say in this whole thing. :)

Poop

2010-03-06T09:17:00.003-06:00

Why are kids so obsessed with poop? Half the words Aidan says I can't understand, or I can understand, but no one else can. Not the case with "poop". Ever since Aidan pooped in the bathtub he chants "No more poop" at some point during his bath. When I change his diaper he looks at me and asks "No more poop?" "All done poop." Seriously, we've been working on please and thank you for months now, which still just sound like "Peeeee" and thank you is only sounds in the rhythm of thank you. But, poop, well, no doubt about what he's saying with that word. I guess I should be thankful that he now realizes we don't poop in the bathtub, only in the potty or his diaper.

Baby #2 update:
I had my 37 week check-up on Friday and all looks fine. I'm about 1 cm dilated and they still think this baby will come around March 24. The nurse practitioner did a quick ultrasound to make sure the baby was head down. She is. This wasn't the exciting ultrasound where you get to see your baby and ooh and ahh. This was a little more of a freak show that may end up giving me nightmares about what my baby will look like. She's so squished in there, and the ultrasound was so low-tech, that all I could see were blackened eye sockets and her teeth. Yes, her teeth, in their gums. She looked like a skeleton that would pop out of a closet in a scary movie. Not really how you want to picture your unborn child.

Ready?

2010-02-27T17:11:00.003-06:00

As I write this, I am listening to high school hockey on Internet radio. Not something I would have predicted 10 years ago, but I've been sucked in. Aidan keeps pointing to his ear and saying "hockey". Yes, we're listening to hockey. Kyle's team is playing in the second round of Sections (they won 10-1 on Thurs) and are beating Bloomington Jefferson at the moment, 3-2. Not sure if my pregnant body can handle the excitement! The announcers are so animated any time the puck goes near the net that there is constant tension. Deep breath, I hope we win.

I am now 36 weeks pregnant and finally feeling some motivation to make sure everything is ready for the baby. Aidan and I hit up "baby store" (as he calls it, aka: Babies 'r Us) this morning. The baby's room is now ready to go minus a changing pad. I forgot that our changing table is two inches shorter than a normal one and I have to order the pad online. Not a big deal. I think the only thing we don't have for this baby is a name. That's right, not one single name that we agree on. We have 4 weeks, right? That's plenty of time. Feel free to add comments with some name suggestions...we are in need of some inspiration.

Elmo Hockey

2010-02-20T21:06:00.003-06:00

As we were driving home from the mall today Aidan kept shouting "Elmo" from the backseat. I asked him if he saw Elmo outside, to which he replied "Yah, Elmo outside". Elmo was not outside. I looked. Then Aidan said "Elmo, hockey". I know Elmo does a lot of things, but I've never seen him play hockey. Aidan is pretty convinced that Elmo likes the cold outdoors in MN and also plays hockey. Apparently he is gaining a very active imagination.

Speaking of hockey, Kyle's team beat their arch rivals in the final game of regular season, earning them 2nd seed in the conference. Sections start on Thursday, or as Kyle put it "Only 6 wins away from state champions." We wish them luck and I'm even okay if they make it to state because hockey will be over before the baby comes.

Stick A Fork In Me...I'm Done

2010-02-14T20:09:00.003-06:00

It's official. I have formally entered the "I'm done being pregnant" stage. It's not fun or cute anymore. I'm tired, my back hurts, and I can't sleep comfortably. The bright side is that I haven't had heartburn and I only have 5 1/2 weeks left. Deep breath, I will make it.

We've had an exciting Valentine's/Chinese New Year/President's Day weekend. (They sure packed a lot of holidays in a 2 day period this year.) Saturday brought an afternoon hockey game where Aidan was lucky enough to not only see Daddy coach, but Grandpa surprised us and was there too! The rest of the afternoon he could be heard saying, "Daddy at hockey, Boppa (grandpa) at hockey, Aidan at hockey, Mommy at hockey". At one point I asked him if Roxie was at hockey and he looked at me and said "Roxie home". Like, "Duh Mom, you were there, you know Roxie wasn't with us."

We have also been working hard on manners and saying "please" instead of whining. Today I asked him to throw something in the trash, handed it to him, and he looked at me and said "please". Yes, I meant "put this in the trash, please." It's funny to be corrected on your manners by your 22 month old. :)

The most exciting part of the weekend is yet to come. We picked up Aidan's new crib and dresser today, which we'll put together tomorrow. Monday night will be Aidan's first night in his "new room" aka: the current toy room. We dropped off another load of stuff at the Salvation Army today in an attempt to make more room in our ever-shrinking house. When is the Square Footage Fairy going to grace us with her presence and add more space to our house???

If there is any time left over between moving Aidan into his new room and my late afternoon doctor's appointment, I'm going to try to take Aidan to the zoo. Very ambitious of me, I know.

Party Animal

2010-02-06T20:04:00.003-06:00

Aidan has been a party animal the past few weeks. Last weekend we helped his friend, Adelyn, celebrate turning 2, today we celebrated Jackson's 1st birthday, and tomorrow we're going up to Grandpa and Grandma Finn's house for a little Super Bowl action. All this birthday-partying begs the question, "What am I going to do for Aidan's birthday?" Um, not sure. We'll definitely go out for dinner on his actual birthday barring I'm not in the hospital having a baby. An actual party though...still up in the air about that one. The weekend before his birthday is right after my due date and the weekend after his birthday is Easter. I'm thinking if we have a party, we'll push it into April and do it at some other venue that I do not have to pre-clean or post-clean.

Aidan has had several mini-breakthroughs this week that have delighted me.

1) He has started calling himself "Aidan" and refers to himself often. "Aidan's chair", "Aidan's spoon", "Aidan happy" all while point to his belly or chest.

2) He wants to sit on the potty like a big boy, then flush it. (no, he doesn't actual go potty yet) A training toilet is on the Target list for tomorrow.

3) He is talking about events that happened weeks ago. i.e.-He points to the empty chair at the dinner table and says "Kali's chair". Yep, that's where Aunt Kali sat when they visited for Christmas. When I picked him up from daycare on Friday he asked me "Mommy's doctor?" Nope, we weren't going to Mommy's doctor (I had already been there before I picked him up) but since we had done that the week before, he thought we might go again.

Minus the screaming tantrums when he doesn't get to eat applesauce or waffles, he's a fun little guy to be around right now!

Pregnancy Update

2010-01-29T13:05:00.002-06:00

I had my 32 week appointment on Tuesday and, for the most part, all continues look good. My belly was measuring about a week behind, which I am NOT going to complain about...maybe this baby will be smaller than Aidan's 8 lbs 13 oz. The nurse practitioner could not find the baby's head, so she wasn't sure if she's breech right now or not. Nothing to be concerned about until 36 weeks, but then the baby needs to be head down. I'm crossing my fingers that she's not breech because I've heard nothing but horror stories about how painful it is when they try to turn the baby.
In other pregnancy news, I've decided to switch back to the clinic where I went for Aidan's pregnancy. I initially thought they weren't technologically advanced enough (ie-no 3D ultrasound, didn't test my urine for protein, etc) but the clinic I switched to has made me wait up to an hour(!) each time I visit. Out of my 8 visits I have only seen a doctor twice because they always end up "behind schedule" or "unavailable" when I have an appointment scheduled. I got so frustrated after my hour and twenty minute visit on Tuesday (where they only measured my stomach and listened to the heartbeat) that I decided I was done. So, at this late stage in the game, I am switching clinics. At least I know all the doctors at the clinic I'm going back to, and maybe I'll even get the doctor who delivered Aidan. She was fantastic and stayed with me the entire two hours I spent pushing. I was so impressed that she didn't just pop in for the last five minutes of delivery, then disappear, never to be seen again. Any way it happens, I know I'm going to be more comfortable delivering with a doctor that I've had the chance to meet versus a strange person who couldn't find the time to see me while I was pregnant.

Bring on the Bottle

2010-01-24T09:35:00.003-06:00

I've got three bottles of wine staring at me from the wine rack and I've decided to name them. The first is going to be "I made it through labor" and the second two are going to be named after children from school who have been making work very difficult. I will enjoy every last drop of them as soon as this baby is born. (don't worry, I won't drink all three bottles at once)

I think I came home every night this week and told Kyle that I didn't know if I could make it another 8 weeks at my job, let alone an indefinite number of years. After restraining a 90 lb. child for 35 minutes (with the help of four other adults) I could barely walk on Friday night, couldn't pick Aidan up, and was having irregular contractions for over three hours. Is this really what I want to do with my life? (my answer right now is "definitely not") What shall I do in my next life? I love working in the schools, I love teaching, most days I like kids. I've tossed around the idea of being a paraprofessional while the kids are young. The hours are shorter, but the pay is also much less. What to do? I'm going to mull this question over in my head while Kyle tells me I make too much money and the benefits are too good to quit my teaching job.

Not much is new in Aidan's life. He's feeling much better and just has a drippy nose every once in a while. He pooped in the bathtub for the first time last night. That was enough to make me want to vomit. I whisked Aidan out of the tub and grabbed "the floater". I thought about giving him another bath since his had been infected by feces, but I was really tired and didn't want to be there for another half an hour. Instead I just dried him off and put on his pj's. It's not like he touched the poop with his hands, right? I think that was the most dramatic thing that happened in Aidan's life this week.

We're looking forward to watching the Vikings and the Saints play tonight. Crossing our fingers for a Vikings win so we have someone to root for in the Superbowl!

A Day Off

2010-01-18T15:29:00.002-06:00

Although I've only been back at work for 2 weeks, a day off was much needed. During those 2 weeks I worked four 12-hour days on top of coming home to deal with a sick child. It was exhausting. Aidan and I both took naps every day this weekend that were hours long. He slept for 4 hours on Sunday if that tells you anything about how he's feeling. After a low fever on Wednesday, it's just a runny nose, but it sure has knocked the wind (and happiness) right out of him.

In order to get ourselves out of the house we went to Target to do some grocery shopping and then hit up the MN Zoo on MLK Day. It was a zoo. Ha ha, get it? The place was packed with moms and strollers and oodles of kids. Aidan loved the people watching. He is still more fascinated with watching other kids run around than the actual animals. I haven't been to the zoo since November when Kali and Kyle were visiting. We spent this visit on the inside and did the Tropics Trail and Discovery Bay. I periodically let Aidan out of the stroller, but just about hyperventilated one time when he walked into a kid's play tunnel and then a million bigger kids ran in after him. I'm reading a book about a baby being kidnapped right now. All I could think about was that your child can be snatched in a second, and I couldn't see Aidan. After all the big kids came out he was standing there smiling. I smiled back and immediately put him back in the stroller until we could make it to a slightly less crowded area. As always, he loved watching the fish and monkeys. I'm looking forward to warmer weather when I can take Aidan and the new baby to the zoo.

Baby Bonanza

2010-01-16T12:06:00.004-06:00

Baby # 2 has an ETA of 9 1/2 weeks and all of the sudden I've shifted into baby gear mode...new crib, double stroller, any and everything related to babies that is monstrously expensive. Baby Jogger has a new stroller that just came out called the City Select. It can convert from a single stroller, to a single + car seat, to a double stroller. All in a single stroller size. I checked it out in the store today while crib shopping and was absolutely smitten. The price tag makes you gasp, but I'm thinking I can give up future presents in order to talk myself into getting it. Since it literally just started shipping out this week, I'm going to wait a while to read some reviews. If it's as cool as I think it is though, I may be the proud owner of a City Select in a few months. Kyle's first comment was "It looks like a witch's stroller". Maybe because this one is in all black? They also come in white and red. (why anyone would buy white is beyond me) Not sure if I would get red or black, but our Graco car seat is black and red, so it would work either way.

In crib shopping news, I picked out the Baby's Dream Infinity Drop-Gate crib. It will convert to toddler bed, then a full-size bed when Aidan is ready. Baby #2 will get Aidan's current crib set, which is also convertible for the future. The craziest thing about shopping for a new bedroom set is that dressers are more expensive than cribs. What is up with that??? I really like Aidan's current dresser, which is a changing table and then will flip over to a flat-top dresser when he is potty-trained. I may just order that one again in a lighter color to match his new crib.
Whew! So much to think about, and so much money to spend!
This picture doesn't show the drop-gate feature, but it is the same style and color.

3 Little Words

2010-01-10T14:59:00.002-06:00

Aidan is stringing together 3 word sentences, his first being "Nana, cheese, stuck" when he was telling me that Nana told him he had cheese stuck in his teeth. :) Since then we've heard Nana, Papa, Home?...meaning are Nana and Papa at home? and Daddy, brrr, hockey...meaning Daddy is at hockey and it's cold at the rink. These are all stated very clearly. There is still much coming out of Aidan's mouth that we have no clue what he is talking about. After two visits to the vet's office over Christmas break (one for a check-up, the other for grooming) Aidan now points out "Roxie's Doctor" every time we drive by the place, which is basically any time we go grocery shopping. Took me a few minutes to put that one together the first time he was saying it.

Here's a cute little naked picture that Aunt Kali took while they were visiting. Aidan loves his bubbles and playing on his tummy in the bathtub.

2010-01-03T13:53:00.002-06:00

It was back to school yesterday. *sad face* Not a quiet day either. There were behavior problems, I had to teach CPI after school, then we had a union mtg to discuss contract negotiations. Whew! Busy first day back! Even though I was constantly busy during "vacation" it was so much less stressful than working. If only money would magically appear in our bank account and health insurance was free... It does make me feel better that I only have approximately 50 days of school left before my maternity leave. That's something to look forward to. I took my first "belly shot" last week. I'm well aware that 28 weeks is extremely late to get the first belly shot, but like I said, I've been busy!

I had my 28 week appointment last week and took my glucose test for gestational diabetes. They didn't call the next day saying it was high, so I'm assuming I do not have diabetes. (thank goodness! I don't know what I'd do if I had to stop eating sweets!) I've only gained 11 pounds and the doctor told me that's lower than she'd like, so if I want to eat a bowl of ice cream every night after dinner, I should feel free to. Who doesn't like to hear that kind of news?!?! I will abstain though, because I remember how tough it was to lose those last 10 lbs from Aidan.

7 months pregnant with Baby #2

7 months pregnant with Aidan...not much difference

New Year, New Toys

2010-01-03T13:16:00.008-06:00

Out with the old and in with the new, right? Aidan had his second Christmas this past week with my side of the family. I had to go out and buy another container to store his old toys in to make room for the new ones! Thank goodness Nana and Papa are willing to store our stuff until the next baby needs it, otherwise I think we'd have to rent storage. Favorites from this round of present opening include a new John Deere "Buck" and a hammer and pegs. Let me tell you, Aidan is dangerous with that hammer. I think everyone got their fingers smashed at least once while trying to help him hit the pegs.

We had a great time while Nana, Papa, Kali and Kyle were here. We rung in the new year by going out to eat at a Japanese steakhouse. The guys all took Saki shots (plural) and everyone enjoyed the food. I did not stay awake until midnight, but did wake up at midnight to the sound of cheers in Times Square. That counts, right?