It's our so called blog

Potty like a rock star

2012-02-19T16:59:00.001-06:00

Something clicked and Finn has decided he is ready to potty train! Yay! We've had the standing deal with him that if he uses his potty chair once for three consecutive days, we would take him to Chuck E Cheese's. Well, we made that deal with him about NINE months ago, with very little interest on his part. On Friday, Feb 5 and again on Saturday before bed, Finn went potty. Jim reminded him that if Finn went in his potty chair the next day, we could go to Chuck E Cheese's. Low and behold...Finn went potty first thing when he woke up and we went on Sunday!

On our way there, we stopped at Walmart so Finn could pick out some big boy underwear (he chose Lightening McQueen, of course!). Is there anything cuter than a little boy in undies (okay, that made me sound like a pedophile, but I think you know what I mean!). Becky, Austin, Stacey and Dillon met us there. Thank you for helping us celebrate this huge step in Finn's life. The boys all had a blast. Afterward, Finn kept asking if we could go back! Now the standing deal is we'll go back when he is dry and has no accidents for 24 hours. Otherwise, we'd go broke ;) Overall, he is doing great. We've had some accidents, but he does well, especially when reminded. Our not-so-little man is growing up!

The wait is over

2012-02-02T17:45:00.001-06:00

Finally, here are Korri's one year pictures!!

http://jessicahislopphotographydesign.zenfolio.com/p409438020

Jess had them ready last week, but with getting ready for Korri's party and waiting to post until she turned one, I waited longer than I planned. Sorry!

As you can see, she was a very serious girl that day, but Jess managed to get a few smirks and even one true smile!

What can Korri do?

2012-01-31T08:05:00.000-06:00

The developmental milestones listed below will give you a general idea of what you can expect from a "typical" 12 month old, but every baby’s development varies in different areas.

Social and Emotional

Shy or anxious with strangers Yes and no, really depends on the situation
Cries when mother or father leaves Mom, yes, but is getting better
Enjoys imitating people in her play ALL the time and thinks it is so funny when she does
Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys Yes, Finn and anything he is playing with
Tests parental responses to her actions during feedings Not really, she eats very well and if she does "test" us it is usually because she is full
Tests parental responses to her behavior Who, Korri? Yes, constantly
May be fearful in some situations It takes her a long time to warm up to new situations
Prefers mother and/or regular caregiver over all others Yup, again, getting better
Repeats sounds or gestures for attention Yes, she loves to make people laugh
Finger-feeds herself Yes
Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed Yes, but is usually too busy to actually help

Cognitive

Explores objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping) Yes, all of the above
Finds hidden objects easily I think so, haven't tested much
Looks at correct picture when the image is named Haven't tried
Imitates gestures Yes
Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver) Yes, drinks water from a sippy cup and tries to brush her own hair

Language

Pays increasing attention to speech Yes and is an amazingly good mimicker
Responds to simple verbal requests Yes
Responds to “no” Responds, yes, but not always as we'd like her to!
Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no” I haven't seen her shake her head, but waves and claps
Babbles with inflection (changes in tone) I think so, but haven't paid attention specifically to it
Says “dada” and “mama” Yes, in addition to "hi" "byebye" and "yay"
Uses exclamations, such as “Oh-oh!” She JUST started doing that and it's so cute
Tries to imitate words Constantly

Movement

Reaches sitting position without assistance Yes
Gets from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position Yes
Pulls self up to stand Yes
Walks holding on to furniture Yes
Stands momentarily without support She just started, but is VERY unstable
Walks with adult help Yes
"Dances" to music All the time!
May walk two or three steps without support No
Crawls well Yes
Climbs stairs with adult supervision YES, and sometimes without adult supervision because she is so quick!

Hand and Finger Skills

Uses pincer grasp Yes
Bangs two objects together Yes
Puts objects into container Yes
Takes objects out of container Yes
Lets objects go voluntarily Yes
Pokes with index finger I haven't noticed her doing this yet
Tries to imitate scribbling Haven't tried but I don't know if she could hold a writing utensil

Physical

Triples birth weight and is 29 to 32 inches long Not sure since we haven't had her well-child appt yet, but she should be close
May take one to two naps daily At least two short ones a day, sometimes an additional cat nap
Teething continues She has 7 teeth with two more coming in
She usually sleeps from 8pm to 8am but some times gets up between 10 and 11pm. Far better than it was!

One year ago

2012-01-30T10:56:00.002-06:00

One year ago today, our lives changed forever with the additional of our sweet, spunky, adorable new baby girl. This last year has had its challenges for sure, but the joys far out weight everything else. In the last couple of weeks, Korri has developed into a little "person" and has grown up so much. We no longer have an infant in our house (sad for mommy!), but rather a very opinionated little toddler...and we wouldn't change a thing. Korri, thank you for teaching me that there isn't such a thing as perfect parenting, but that I just need to try to be the best parent FOR YOU that I can be! I never knew that two children with the same parents, raised in the same house could be so different. There is never a dull moment around here and I love it!! Happy birthday, Pretty Grill. We love you so much!

Above is the beautiful sight that greeted me this morning...smile and a wave from the birthday girl. (sorry it is a little out of focus). And below is the moment she turned one at 10:39am. This was much easier than 5:24am for Finn...although remembering was the tricky part. Thank goodness for cell phone alarms!

Thankfully, I'm in far less pain than I was last year at this time...although, to be honest, the epidural was still working, so it wasn't that bad! More to come later of her party yesterday.

Finn is done

2012-01-25T16:53:00.000-06:00

For all the waiting masses (?!?!), Finn's 3 year pictures are finished and ready for you to view! Just click on the link below:

Finn's 3 year pics
password: govikings (if you need it)

Jess did a great job, yet again. I LOVE the one with Finn wearing Korri's hat. It literally makes me laugh out loud. Hope you like them, too!

20 Questions by Finnegan

2012-01-23T08:16:00.000-06:00

Starting at age 3, I will be asking Finn and Korri these 20 questions every year around their birthday. I am hoping to assemble a small album for each of them with their yearly answers. It should be fun to see how their answers change. I chose NOT to direct or influence Finn's answers in anyway.

20 questions : answered by Finnegan

1. What is your favorite color? Yellow
2. What is your favorite toy? Thomas
3. What is your favorite fruit? Orange
4. What is your favorite tv show? Meet the Letters
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Cottage Cheese
6. What is your favorite outfit? Jammies
7. What is your favorite game? Marbulous
8. What is your favorite snack? Cheese Its (NeNe’s)
9. What is your favorite animal? Tigger and Goldy
10. What is your favorite song? ABC’s
11. What is your favorite book? Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
12. Who is your best friend? NeNe
13. What is your favorite cereal? Daddy’s blue cereal (Boo Berry)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? First Nothing; Second: Shovel
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Fruit
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Goldy pillow
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Fruit
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Cottage Cheese
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Kangaroo and a boat

I have to say, I was surprised that he understood and answered them appropriately (although toward the end, he needed some prodding to finish!). Some of his answers were exactly what I thought he was going to say and some surprised me.

Daddy Day/Mommy Getaway

2012-01-22T11:08:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, the kids got to have a "Daddy Day" while I got to have lunch with friends from high school. Jim took the kids to the Mall of America and Underwater World (or whatever it is called now)!

I think he thought it would be a good way to spend the time, but I thought it sounded like a lot of work. I guess all went well, other than that mall being a complete zoo.

I met Holly and Heidi in St. Cloud at Olive Garden. It was so nice to catch up...not so nice to realize how old we've somehow become. Hmmm... It is amazing that it's been...ummm...TWELVE years since high school, yet the minute we got together, it was like old time. Love that. We got there at 1 and I didn't leave until almost 5:30! What could we possibly have talked about for that long? Who knows but trust me, there was never a lull in conversation. We're hoping to get together twice a year but bring all the kiddos in the summer for a play date. Can't wait!

Then last night was Grace's birthday party, which Jim brought the kids to and I was able to meet them there later. It worked out great and the kids had a blast. We didn't get home until TEN (yikes!), but the kids really did well and bedtime was a snap. I think they were both sleeping within two minutes of being put in bed. No, we are not moving regular bedtime to 10, regardless of how easy it was!!

This morning, I gave Finn my old point-and-shoot camera and let him loose to take pictures. Here are a few!

He actually took a few good ones and LOTS of his fingers, the floor and the couch. This last one is very "Blair Witch."

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2012-01-18T20:56:00.000-06:00

We've had a few changes here over the last couple weeks. Korri started pulling up to things...well, everything, she started crawling up and down the stairs, she is quickly outgrowing size 9 month clothes and her ability to express herself is maturing like crazy.

Finn turned 3 (duh!) and had a blast at his party. On his birthday, we decided it was time to turn his car seat around.

Part of me wishes we could have waited until his adjusted third birthday, but I also think it is good we were able to wait as long as we did. He loves being able to see more and now he never stops talking or asking questions while in the car! He has a strange obsession with wanting to know what road we are driving on all the time.

After consulting with a friend of a friend who happens to be a car seat expert, I decided on Finn's next stage car seat, found a great price online and ordered it!

We decided on a Graco Nautilus. Can't wait for it to arrive. Finn could stay in his current seat for a long time, but Korri will be transitioning from the infant seat soon and we want her to be in the Britax because it has the highest safety ratings (not that we aren't concerned about Finn's, but he is bigger and stronger than she is!).

Tonight, we finally put away Finn's crib and set up his toddler bed! He was giddy when Jim was taking apart the crib and kept jumping around.

When Finn saw the bed in his room, he said, "Can I go to sleep now?" Ha! When it was really bedtime, he didn't want to go to sleep, but lately, that has been a common occurrence anyway.

As you can see, we put the head of the bed against the wall. Well, in his crib, he always slept with his head near the door (why? I have no idea but Korri does the same thing!) and he promptly laid with his head at the foot. So, Jim went in and switched the bed, so at least, the rails might keep him from falling out. So far, so good!

Now looking at the pictures, I'm thinking we need to change the decor in his room to reflect his new "big boy" status. That makes me sad because I LOVE his Noah's Ark themed room. I think we will redecorate for his next birthday. He can deal until then! I need to get the curtains up in Korri's room first...it has only been almost a year! Sheesh.

And tonight, Jess posted a preview of Korri's one year pictures on Facebook.

I don't know how Jess did it, but she managed to capture a smile. Can't wait to see the rest!

Sneak peek

2012-01-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

Pictures went really well on Saturday. Finn was his normal, happy-go-lucky selfish and would have kept "performing" all day, I think! Here is a sneak peek...(amazing!)

Korri was another story. She honestly smiles and laughs so easily at home and she would NOT crack a smile almost all day. Jess said she got a couple smiles toward the end. Sheesh...Korri was making me work for my money! Sneak peek to come. (Courtesy of Jessica Hislop Photography)

Since Korri is almost one and will most likely be starting milk soon, I started offering her a sippy cup with water. For a while, she really didn't get it, but this last week, she definitely is getting a significant amount from cups.

The thing is...usually she finds Finn's water cups and drink those! Oh, and she usually drinks it upside down (like in this picture). Hmmm...

NeNe so graciously watched the kids last night (Jim was traveling) so I could take a sewing class. I got an amazing sewing machine from Jim's mom for Christmas and while I kind of know how to sew, I wanted a refresher course. It was VERY basic, but I learned a few things about fabric and patterns. Now I can't wait to make something! My goal is to eventually make a cute sundress for Korri!

Movin and shakin

2012-01-14T07:31:00.000-06:00

Remember how I said that Korri has mastered pulling up to stand? Well, the other night, she pulled up to standing against the refrigerator!

What's the big deal you ask? There's nothing to hold onto to leverage herself up! I remember when Finn was in PT and him pulling up to a wall was such a big deal. In Korri's case, she just wanted to reach Finn's magnet letters on the frig!

AND as of yesterday, she has started cruising! It is all about appropriate motivation for her. If she pulls up to the couch and I'm just a little further than she would like, she's started stepping sideways to get to me. She can probably only do one or two steps at this point, but it is a precursor to walking...God help us all!!

It just kills me when she does all these "normal" things at a "normal" time with no effort on my part (or PT) to help her. Every single little baby step was so hard and took so long for Finn to accomplish and with Korri, if I weren't paying attention, I feel like she would be driving a car or something! Hopefully it will be MANY more years before that ;)

I'm excited for Finn's 3 year and Korri's ONE YEAR pictures today with Jess. Kristine and Zander will be there, too, for Zand-man's 6 month pictures. Should be a fun time. Hope the kiddos cooperate (especially Korri's hair!) and take a few good ones!

Birthday shenanigans

2012-01-13T22:20:00.002-06:00

Finn's big day was wonderful. In the morning, we met some of his ECFE friends at Choo Choo Bob's in St. Paul for some fun train-time. Thank you everybody who came, it meant a lot. I honestly think he could have stayed all day. I don't know if he realized his friends were there for his birthday, but it didn't matter.

After playing, several of us went to lunch at Trotters Cafe around the corner. There were three adults and SIX kids, and while we took over a whole corner of the restaurant, it went well and the kids got to share each other's lunch, which they loved.

In the evening, the four of us met DeAnn, Ann, Grandma (Kathy) and Austin at El Loro for dinner. Finn LOVED it and kept dipping his quesadilla in his spanish rice! Austin couldn't decide if he wanted to sit by Korri or Finn. Grandma and Austin had a sleepover at our house that night, so going to bed was a little difficult (because the boys just wanted to play together!).

Saturday was a crazy day! My cake decorating was interrupted by a bang, crying and my mom saying, "That is really bad!" Finn had hit his head on the corner of the wall and it swelled up immediately...it was disgusting. We put ice on it right away and Austin got Jim up. Jim called the nurse's line and they said we had to bring him in. So mom said with Korri and Austin while Jim and I took Finn to Children's ER. Two hours later, the party was still on! He was fine, but we just had to watch him during the day and through the night. Sheesh!

Finn's 3rd birthday party was wonderful. He had a blast and everybody was so loving and generous to him. Even with two hours ripped away from my decorating time, the caked turned out okay.

We even did the pinata outside...in January! I'm sure that will never happen again, but the kids loved it. And even blindedfolded, after one swing and a miss, she whacked the heck out of it and the candy and toys went flying. Finn still talks about hitting the pinata. I/we could not have pulled it off without my mom's help. Thank you doesn't even come to the gratitude we feel, but nevertheless, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

I also had a wonderful birthday on Monday. Jim stayed with the kids while I went to Juut Spa and Salon for a 75 minute Replenishing Facial, which includes a neck and shoulder massage! I was in heaven and didn't want to leave. After that, Jim surprised me with a cake (from Target!) and a night out!

Stacey so kindly came over to watch the kids while Jim and I went to dinner (I picked Red Lobster). After dinner, we were supposed to go to a movie, but there wasn't anything out that we really wanted to see. SO...we went shopping instead! That might not sound great to some of you but it was to me for two reasons: 1. no kids to haul in and out of the car. 2. Jim and I used to run errands all the time before kids and we really enjoyed it. It felt good to pretend like it was just us for a while!

Now we are 3 and 33! My how the time flies. Auntie Kristine's birthday was on Tuesday and Grace's birthday is tomorrow. After that: Korri's birthday! Sheesh! Saying this is a busy time of year for us is a major under statement :)

Pull ups

2012-01-05T10:15:00.000-06:00

Korri has mastered pulling up to standing! For a while, she could only do it if the object she was pulling up to was close to the ground. But now, she pulls up to the couch...or whatever she wants to get to...all the time. It is so cute to see her little head pop up when you're sitting on the couch (there is also a row of piping on the couch that she loves to chew on...great!). She is still getting into everything, including the Christmas stuff that we NEED to put away!

So, when I'm at my wits end, I put this chair up to at least block her from the tree area. I have to be careful because she figured out how to crawl through it when the legs aren't behind the couch! Sheesh. On the bright side, after some initial frustration, Finn has figured out how to climb OVER the chair (since I don't have to worry about him taking ornaments off the tree, bows off the left-over presents or falling when trying to climb up the stairs!)! It was a big deal to me, since he rarely is able to do climbing things like that.

I need to start getting ready for the big day tomorrow!

Welcome 2012

2012-01-02T16:10:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful trip, although, we will NOT be traveling with Ms. Korri until she is older and can sleep better at night. She either kept us up really late or was back in our bed very early every single night. And she didn't nap well there either, so I think she was sleep deprived (as were we!). She is sleeping much better since we got home (Thank you God!!). All things considered, the kids did great on the airplane rides, which we are/were very thankful for. Traveling direct would have been much nicer than stopping, but you do what you can afford!

This Christmas was very special for us. Finn "got" Christmas and all the things that went with it and he enjoyed showing and explaining things to Korri. I've said it before, but Christmas when you have children is so much better! The kids, of course, got way too much stuff as they have very generous people in their lives. I took probably too many pictures, but when you have a new (good!) camera, who can blame me?!?! Sasha kept up with me shot for shot since she got a new camera for Christmas, too! This pic is Christmas Eve morning after Santa came. They are reading the letter Santa and Rudolph left for them. Finn thought that was pretty cool.

Oh and I went to my very first yoga class while we were in Washington. Jim's aunt Debbie goes and on Tuesday night, she asked if anybody wanted to go with her. SO...I said I would go if Sasha went! It turned out to be Power Yoga (of course!) and was a little too much for me since I haven't done yoga in...well, since before Finn was born. It felt so good to do yoga, though, and now I want to take it up again and maybe find a DVD to do with Finn since yoga strengthens your core muscles and that is what he needs help with.

I uploaded all pictures up until 12/31 on our picture website (link to the right), so have at it. There are a LOT, so be warned.

Now, we need to put Christmas away and get ready for Finn's THIRD birthday! Not sure how three years have passed, but I hear they just keep going faster and faster the older your kids get. Yikes! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, a safe New Year's and that 2012 treats you well.

Ready, Setty, Go!

2011-12-23T08:48:00.000-06:00

I love when kids mispronounce things or hear them incorrectly and say them wrong. Is that bad? Anyway, Finn's latest: "Ready, Setty, Go!" It is so cute. He also has taken to answering "not quite yet" when we ask him if he wants to do something! I mean, where do they come up with these things? There are a ton more, but if I don't write them down when I hear them, I forget. I just love hearing them and know that a day in the not-to-distant future, it will disappear. Boo!

We are FINALLY starting to feel better at our house. Korri is 95% better. I still have sinus pressure, but it seems to be going away. Jim has been traveling, but I think he just has a cough left. And Finn seems a lot better, but those darn hives keep coming back, although much lighter. I noticed several on his head yesterday. Argh!! On the bright side, we finished his antibiotic last night. That means, no more fighting him to take it AND no more yucky poopy diapers!!!

Little Ms. Attitude? As I'm writing this, Korri is laying on the floor, looking at me and screeching at me! This is new. I'm trying to explain that isn't an indoor voice, but she either doesn't understand or chooses to ignore me.

Santa is coming to our house tonight! We leave early Christmas morning for the airport (going to Washington state to see Jim's family) so we won't have time then. The kiddos won't know the difference. Can't wait. I need to make some cookies for Santa! Oops! I don't know if I'll have time to write over the next couple of days, so we would like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas! Be safe if you are traveling, enjoy those you are with and remember those you aren't.

Hives, hives, go away

2011-12-19T22:20:00.001-06:00

We now have our doubts that it was the medicine that Finn was allergic to. He STILL has hives (not as severe, though) after being off the med and taking a new "class" of drug for five days. My nephew Austin had a rash/hives last week (no, we weren't exposed to him, though) and since he wasn't on any meds, his doctor said it was probably a side effect from a virus. And since Finn had/has a pretty bad cold, we are wondering if that is the culprit rather than the meds he was on. We'll be sure not to give him that medication in the meantime, but plan on discussing with his regular ped at his next well-child appt.

We had a really big and busy weekend. Saturday, we went out to Benson for Christmas with my dad's family. We all had a blast and my genius aunt Lisa brought out their matchbox cars for Finn, who then proceeded to play with them until we opened presents HOURS later! It was so good to see everybody and it is fun that the grand kids are having kids, so there are lots of little ones around, which always makes Christmas more special (wow, major run-on sentence there...sorry!). It gets less and less frequent that we get to see my extended family and when we do see them, it makes me sad that we don't see them more often. What makes me even sadder is that we didn't see my mom's family for Thanksgiving AND we will be on an airplane when they are celebrating Christmas. Boo :( We'll have to make the next Smith Easter a priority for sure!

Then on Sunday late afternoon/early evening, we went over to NeNe and Uncle Les' for a little mini Christmas, since we won't see them over Christmas this year :( The kids again had a blast, even though Korri was a little crabby...probably due to the late night car ride the night before and her screaming from Grove City to Delano (which for those of you not familiar with that drive...is an HOUR)! Have any of you read the book "Go the F**k to Sleep?" Let's just say, we completely understand the feelings behind the people who wrote it! ANYWAY, the food was wonderful, as always, and we all got wonderful things.

The best part of the evening for me?!?! Jim and the kids gave me an early Christmas present...a brand new Canon Rebel digital camera! You have to understand...I have been wanting, researching, whining, complaining, begging, hinting, and earning for one for years. However, sadly, two years ago, I came to terms with the fact that it wasn't meant to be and I bought a point-and-shoot camera, albeit a nice one, instead. While this other camera has treated me well for the last two years, it has been dropped, drooled on and banged up a couple times too many. I have a LOT to learn about my new camera, but luckily, Jim's cousin, Jean, was there and since she has a similar one, she gave me a quick tutorial. I could just sit and take pictures all day...oh, I kind of did today! Oops.

The kids and I surprised my friend, Susan, tonight after work (for her). I haven't seen her since my wedding FOUR years ago and miss her terribly. Then several of us went to Biff's, a local bar/restaurant, to catch up. It was wonderful and Finn kept everybody laughing (except for the two fits of tears, but he is still under the weather and a little fragile!). I hope it isn't another four years before we see her again.

That didn't work!

2011-12-14T17:30:00.002-06:00

Well, the omnicef didn't work either! Finn woke up this morning covered in hives. I'd never really seen hives before so I called the nurse and she said he had to be seen. We went in this afternoon and sure enough, he is allergic to omnicef. SO, now we are trying augmentin. The poor boy is miserable. I just gave him Benadryl and he conked right out. Hopefully it helps with his skin, too. He is coughing nonstop and his nose is like a snot-fall (like a water fall but with snot!). While we were there, I had him look in Korri's ears and they were clear. So far, so good. Now both Jim and I are coming down with the virus they both had, so should be fun over the next few days.

Oh yeah, and the doctor said that anybody who gets hives is likely to be "an allergic" person! NOOOOOO! I was so hoping that our kids would not get Jim's allergies, but it looks like that isn't the case, at least with poor Finnegan. And an indicator to future allergies is eczema, so Korri probably won't be lucky in that area either. Anybody know the number to a good allergist?!?! LOL...kind of...

Here we are snuggling on the couch this morning before the doctor appointment. Clue #1 that Finn isn't feeling well...he wants to snuggle. I hate that he is sick, but if I'm making lemonade out of lemons...I love that I get to snuggle with him :)

Nope, it didn't work

2011-12-12T17:11:00.000-06:00

I'm so frustrated and time after time, I say that I should trust my instincts...then I don't and regret it! Argh. Anyway, like I mentioned yesterday, Finn wasn't feeling well this weekend, was running a fever and developed a pretty "good" cold. When he woke up this morning, he was crying like he was in pain, his nose was completely crusted over (gross, I know!), he said his ear and throat hurt and his temp was still elevated (100.7). So I called and they got us in to the doctor this afternoon.

Low and behold the stupid medicine they prescribed two weeks ago for his ear infection (the same stuff that I SAID wouldn't work and they told me it would), didn't clear up the infection and now it is even worse than it was! This is why I need to trust myself more...but when the nurse says to you, "no, he's never had amoxicillin, so you can't know it doesn't work" you tend to listen to them. Even when you find out later (today!) that he HAS had amoxicillin and it didn't work. Argh!!! Well, now I know. Lesson learned, I guess (yet again!). A huge thank you to NeNe for meeting us there and helping with the kiddos!

We have a climber

2011-12-11T20:22:00.001-06:00

I often leave Korri downstairs when I run upstairs for something or to get Finn up from a nap or something. She usually keeps playing or waits for me at the bottom of the stairs...never thought any more of it. Well, last week, I went to get Finn and he wasn't ready to get up, so it took a little longer than usual. I walk over to the stairs and low and behold, Korri has crawled up TWO stairs and is looking at me like, "what?" My heart was in my throat and I didn't want to freak out because I was afraid she would fall. I ran down and grabbed her. No harm, no foul, but she has done it once since then, too, and even climbed on the dish washer door while I was putting dishes away:

She is a quick little bugger to say the least!

For those of you not on Facebook, on Monday I had to take Jim to the ER. After frantically called a few people, my aunt Angie was thankfully able to watch the kids (and she lives pretty close to the hospital, too). After a nasty bout with the flu, Jim had been puking up what he thought could be blood. The doctor ran some tests and think he tore his esophagus. He is supposed to take it easy for 30 days and try really hard not to throw up! The kids loved spending the evening at Angie's. Again, I am so thankful we could just drop them off at a moments notice. Anyway, Jim is feeling fine now, so hopefully that is all behind us.

Friday, Stacey and her friend Dave came over for game night. It was a blast, but alas, I drank too much and the evening didn't end so well (meaning there was a need to clean the carpet in our bedroom...yuck!). Thanks to my wonderful husband who took care of me. It was a really close game of Trivial Pursuit...boys 5, girls ZERO! Sheesh!

Then yesterday, NeNe and uncle Les watched the kids over night so Jim and I could go to our annual cookie exchange with Ryan, Leah and Doug. We had a great evening out without the kids and were able to sleep in late for once! However, Finn ended up getting sick and running a high fever and Korri had a cold and was coughing. Seriously?!?! Why can't that happen at our house and not when somebody else is watching them. I felt bad, but if anybody can handle it, I knew NeNe could. Thanks to Les for making an Advil run at 3am! We really appreciated the time away from the kids and hope it wasn't too tough on you, NeNe!

Ten already?

2011-11-30T20:57:00.001-06:00

Korri is 10 months old today. It hit me how close she is to one year old already. It is so true that it goes way faster with the second one than it did with the first. Korri seems to be right on track and developing "normally." I looked online and at 10 months, most babies should be:
-waves goodbye (she does this but not every time)
-picks things up with pincer grasp (she does this very well, but uses more of her finger than just the tip...I'm sure that will continue to improve)
-crawls well with belly off the ground (she has mastered this and now tries to crawl on her hands and feet only!)

About half of babies should:
-say "mama" or "dadda" to the correct parent (she definitely does it correctly to me and to Jim when she is in the mood!)
-indicates wants with gestures (she just started doing this with a few signs, vocally and trying to get out of my arms when she wants something)

Advanced skills for this age:
-Stands alone for a couple of seconds (she would LIKE to be able to do this, but is too unsteady)
-Puts objects in a container (I didn't know she could do this until one of the teachers was "playing" with her at ECFE...she rocked at it!)

She has four teeth and is working on the fifth. She is sleeping through the night most nights. She pulls herself up to the couch, but isn't able to "cruise" side to side yet. She laughs and "talks" when she plays or tries to get Finn's attention. She responds to her name (or many of her nicknames!). Finn is her favorite thing in the world...besides momma! She is going through a little bit of separation anxiety from me right now (I remember Finn going through the same thing about this time). I'm hoping it passes quickly ;) She naps two times a day and sometimes takes another short cat nap right before bed. She played under the tree and pulled ornaments off the day we put it up...and hasn't touched it since! She is in 9 month clothes, but will be moving into 12 month soon (if anybody has any 12 month hand-me-downs, we'd love to take them off your hands!). She still bathes in the infant tub, but without the sling, and she thinks she should be able to crawl out...so she might be moving into the big tub WAY before Finn did! She takes about 3 bottles a day (sometimes a 4th if she is inconsolable during the night) and eats two to three "meals" that consist of pureed veggies, yogurt and/or cottage cheese usually. She LOVES goldfish crackers, teething biscuits and animal crackers...I think she is going to be a carb-freak just like her big brother ;)

NeNe and Wiggle Ann (Jim's cousin) came over tonight and NeNe brought Panera! Yumm-O! My fav. It was super good and of course, Finn ate the baguette and chips! What am I going to do with that boy?!?! Thank you so much for dinner, NeNe. Korri was a little fussy, but after some mac and cheese and a bottle, she warmed up.

Love our ped

2011-11-29T15:16:00.001-06:00

Today is yet another reason why I am sad that we feel we need to switch pediatricians. The reason started yesterday. We met some of our friends at Choo Choo Bob's yesterday morning in St. Paul. This was a first for Finn and he LOVED it. I honestly think he would have stayed there all day playing with trains. However, when lunch time came around, we were able to drag him away and we went to a local cafe (Trotters...super good, FYI). When we walked in, Dr. Mackey was sitting there and waved us over. We said "hi" and then went to order our lunch. She came over when she was leaving and I mentioned that we were going in today for Korri's follow up flu booster and asked if we would be able to have Finn's ears looked at, since they have been bothering him for several days. She said the nurses couldn't do it, but to just ask for her and she would pop in.

We got to the clinic this morning and got right in (Finn hates that because he likes to play for a while!). We literally could have walked out two minutes later if we had just needed Korri's shot. We had to wait a bit for Dr. Mackey since she was squeezing us in between her appts. When she came in the room, she didn't make me feel like she was rushed or anything and asked Finn several "small talk" questions. She looked in Finn's right ear and all was well. However, it was a different story when she looked in his left ear, which is the one he had been grabbing. She said it was "nasty", red and swollen. No wonder he hasn't felt well! I'm SO glad she was willing to look at him. We then had to check him in as a patient and then she called in an antibiotic for him. Slick.

Korri was a rock star with her flu shot...she whimpered for a second and then forgot all about it! She hasn't been sleeping well today, so I did give her some Tylenol, thinking it might be bothering her now a little bit. As far as teeth go, Korri's #4 came in a week ago or so. She has one more coming in, but seems to have a little relief. As far as sleeping goes, she is doing so much better than she was a month go. For the most part, she is sleeping from 8pm to 8am! She occasionally wakes up around midnight or 5am, but I can handle that.

All's well that ends well

2011-11-16T12:39:00.001-06:00

We had Korri's renal ultrasound and UTI follow up appt yesterday at Children's. Jim stayed home with Finn since it was during Finn's nap time. Korri didn't move a muscle for the ultrasound, which I was very thankful for. I had visions of her screaming and moving nonstop and making for a tough time. After the ultrasound we went over to the clinic for the follow up for her UTI. I was told to keep giving her the antibiotic until it was gone (we'd just passed the 10 days that was prescribed, but had some extra). Dr. Mackey explained what things could be wrong and the different courses of action we would take, based on the results of the ultrasound (it hadn't been read yet when we were there). She called later in the evening with the results and...Korri's anatomy looks fine! Yay...no reflux that they could see. So now the course of action is to be very watchful any time Korri runs a fever over 100.0 degrees for longer than 24 hours and then take her in for a UA if that happens. Hopefully it was a one-time fluke and she doesn't get any more!

I also pointed out that it looked like she had a hernia on/in/near her belly button. After a quick check, I was told that she does have a small hernia. As long as it goes back in when pushed, there is no concern and she will most likely out grown it. If it doesn't go back in, then we need to take her to the ER immediately. Hopefully it goes away without incident!

Dr. Mackey just laughed and said that Korri continues on the path of causing "problems" and getting attention. I wonder if she is trying to get as much attention as Finn did when he was born...good luck with that, Korri! Now if her teeth would just pop through (you can SEE them just under the surface), I think life would be happier for a while!

Bounce Depot

2011-11-13T14:04:00.001-06:00

Korri seems to be feeling better. We have a follow up appointment and a renal ultrasound at Children's Mpls hospital on Tuesday. Hopefully we will know more after that.

We had a busy yet fun day yesterday. Since Jim was at the Gopher football game all day, the kiddos and I got up early and met Holly, Odin and Breck in St. Cloud at the Bounce Depot.

Finn was completely overwhelmed and didn't really want to go in any of the bouncy houses (in fact, Korri went in one before Finn did...with Holly's help, of course). Open bounce was from 10-11am. Eventually Finn did go in two of them, but still preferred to rock on a rocking toy instead. Oh, well. Odin is one month younger than Finn and has no fear and wanted to go on all of the bouncy houses, even if they were a little too advanced for him! He reminded me SO much of Austin. I just couldn't get enough of him. And you can't really see in this picture, but Breck is so cute with his little glasses. He just turned one and was running around the place like a little mini grownup man!

After bouncing, we went to Applebees for lunch. I think the hostess thought I was a little crazy when I said, "Two adults, two highchairs and two booster seats!" Surprisingly, lunch went very well and I don't think we disturbed any of the other patrons. After lunch, we braved a trip to Kohls, which was a zoo! I had Finn, Breck and Korri while Holly was taking Odin to the bathroom and I heard one lady say, "Oh, my!" when she walked by...obviously thinking they were all mine! The visit was over far too quickly, but when you have four kids' schedules to consider, you must answer the call when it is nap time!

Once we got home, Katie dropped Quinn and Vince off for the evening and Jim was still at the game! While I'm certainly not used to caring for four kids under 4, it went really well and I even managed to sit them all down for dinner at the same time.

Jim got home just after dinner and was a big help with bed time. Quinn and Vince were SO good and easy. I hope my kids are like that for others!

Finn and I got up and went to church this morning (sadly, it has been a while since we've gone!). And he was amazingly good! He pretty much snacked on some treats I'd brought along and played with his Lightning McQueen car the whole time. His behavior definitely impressed me.

Eating leaves

2011-11-06T10:52:00.003-06:00

Korri's 9 months pictures are ready for viewing. It was an interesting shoot to say the least. Korri wouldn't stay in one spot and if she did, she was constantly trying to eat the leaves and Finn wanted to be in every shot! However, as usual, Jess was able to find the perfect moments even with the adverse conditions. And we couldn't have picked a more beautiful fall day for the shoot!

www.jessicahislop.com/clients/Korri
password: 9months

Come in already!

2011-11-05T09:30:00.003-05:00

When we were at Urgent Care Thursday night, the Dr. said Korri has THREE teeth coming in right now! Sheesh. It was very evident last night. She wouldn't drink much from a bottle (wondering if the nipple bothered her gums?) and she wouldn't stay asleep once she went to bed. She was up screaming from 10:30 until at least 12:30 when I went to bed (Jim stayed up, so I'm not sure what happened after that). This morning she seemed in a good mood, but would only eat 2 ounces from her bottle before going back to bed. At least she doesn't have a fever! I just wish they'd come in already! I hate teething!

Improvement

2011-11-04T12:08:00.000-05:00

Korri seems to be doing better this morning. Without any meds, her temperature was 101.5 degrees when she got up. Hey, that is a HUGE improvement from last night. After over an hour wait, I was able to get her oral antibiotic this morning, so we are hopefully all set.

I am thankful for three things. #1. That Korri is feeling better (obviously!). #2. That they were able to find something that can easily be fixed when we went in last night. There is nothing worse than having a sick kid and the dr just saying, "it is a virus!" or something like that. #3. That it wasn't an ear infection! This is the time that Finn started getting all of his ear infections that eventually led to tubes. So far, so good with K!

Korri lost a 1/2 pound in one week! I forgot to mention that last night when I posted. I think her appetite is back today. She has already had two bottles this morning and she has been averaging only three per day over the last week.

Glad we went in

2011-11-03T22:10:00.001-05:00

We noticed last Thursday night that Korri had a fever. It seemed to go away with medicine, so we didn't think much of it because not only did she get the flu vaccine earlier that day, but she is also teething (both of which can cause a low grade fever). Well, it continued to come and go over the weekend, getting as high as 103.8. Finally, today after a week of this on-again off-again fever, I called the nurse's line and made an appointment for tomorrow. On top of the fever, Korri wasn't eating well and was sleeping ALL the time. When Jim got home, he called our insurance nurse's line and they recommended taking her to Urgent Care and not waiting until tomorrow. I'm so glad we did!

After an almost two and a half hour visit, we discovered that Korri has a Urinary Tract Infection that spread to her blood! She was given an antibiotic shot tonight and will be on a strong oral antibiotic for the next 10 days. Upon the doctor's recommendation, I kept our appt for tomorrow and will wait to see how she is in the morning.

Short and chubby

2011-10-28T08:32:00.003-05:00

I don't want to jinx anything, but Korri slept from 7:30 last night until 6:30 this morning! I'll get to why in a second...

Korri had her 9 month well-child appointment yesterday. Seriously?!?! NINE months already (well, not quite yet!)? It just seems so unreal, but when I look at pics and video from months ago, it feels like ages ago. She is 26.4" long, which is the 22 percentile and weighs a whopping 19 lbs 1 oz, which is the SIXTY-THIRD percentile! I guess we don't need to worry about her gaining weight any more! Ha! She is just like Finn was...short and chubby! She also has a big noggin, somewhere in the 60's percentile. She did NOT like Dr. Mackey for this visit. She pretty much screamed the whole time she was in the room...however, when the nurse took her measurements, she didn't make a peep. Hmmm...drama queen much?

We talked about Korri's skin...again! It just isn't getting better. First, I know I need to be better about putting stuff on it every day! I'm trying! Now I'm supposed to mix the cortizone in with the lotion when I put it on her back. Hopefully that helps...poor thing. I'm also supposed to go back to putting oil on her head. The cortizone doesn't really work any more because it just gets stuck in her hair and I can't really get it on her scalp. She doesn't "complain" per se, but I know her skin is itchy and bothers her. She has a bald spot on the back of her head and she doesn't sleep on her back, so it isn't from rubbing again anything...it is from her scratching all the time. Sad :(

Dr. Mackey said that at this age, Korri should NOT be getting up twice a night...if at all! She should be able to go all night without eating, especially since we aren't concerned about her weight, which was reassuring to hear. She strongly recommended turning off the monitor. We did this last night and if Korri woke up, she didn't wake me up until 6:30, like I said! I know it is only one night, but here's hoping! I think I woke up every hour last night, though...probably subconsciously afraid I wouldn't hear her.

Also, Korri should be eating solids for three meals a day! Oops...we are lucky to do one a day right now. Which also makes sense that she is a little chubby because formula has much more calories than solid foods (in general). It is just so much easier to just give her a bottle! I guess it is time to bring the high chair back up into the kitchen!

Overall, Dr. Mackey said that Korri is doing amazingly well. She is right on track developmentally. She said that the behavior things (not "listening" and being strong willed!) are probably more normal than what we experienced with Finn (who listened if we told him something once!). But there is also a big difference between an 8 month old crawling and listening compared to a 16 month old (that is when Finn started crawling, I think). Both kiddos got their flu vaccine. Finn was able to get the mist for the first time and was a total big boy. We had him lay down since I wasn't sure if he could sniff in like they wanted him to. He didn't make a peep (it probably helped that Dr. Mackey had given him a Lightening McQueen car to take home and he was able to hold that!). Korri had to get the shot, but it was the only shot for this appointment. She cried, but it didn't last long. She was pretty tired by this point and was sleeping before we left the parking garage!

I probably should have mentioned yesterday that Jim's car is a 2008 Cadillac CTS (oops!). He loves it so much that he made me help him clean out the garage last night so he could park the cars in it!

Tight fit (he said I may have to back out in order to get Finn in!), but they are in! It would sure be nice to not have to brush snow off this winter...since I still don't have a remote start ;)

New addition

2011-10-27T10:10:00.000-05:00

We have a new addition to our family (and no, I'm NOT pregnant!).

Jim FINALLY got rid of the Jag and got a new (to him) car! It is really nice and is even big enough for the family, if needed. I'm actually jealous and wish for the first time I drove a car again. Unfortunately, we need the packing space provided by a bigger vehicle. Here's hoping that for once, Jim has a good car that doesn't break down constantly and treats us well for a long time!

For those of you not on Facebook, this is how I found little Ms. Naughty yesterday when I went in to get her up:

Needless to say, we moved her mattress to the lowest position last night (which was quite the chore in and of itself!). I am much more comfortable with her lower. Now if she does this, her little head barely comes to the top of the railing.

I've been feeling under the weather for a week and a half! I think I am on the mend now, but I even went to Urgent Care (something I NEVER do) but after a UA and blood draw, they said it was a virus. Um, yeah, thanks for nothing! It's been tough on all of us, but thankfully, I hardly ever get sick, so we should have reprieve for a while!

Standing!?!?

2011-10-24T07:48:00.000-05:00

While I was out yesterday, Jim text me to say that Korri did this all by herself:

She pulled herself up on Finn's stool to standing from the ground! I'm surprised she could figure it out. Don't get me wrong, she isn't even close to standing or walking, but it makes me realize that I'm SO not ready for her to be walking! Crawling is enough work for me right now.

Pics galore!

2011-10-23T08:02:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have (not so) subtly mentioned that I've fallen behind in the uploading of pictures...I've uploaded pictures through yesterday! Now to be fair, I haven't had time to put dates or descriptions, but the pics are there! Click on the "Our pictures" link to the right!

Leaps and bounds

2011-10-22T12:54:00.001-05:00

Man, where do I start? This is the problem with being lazy and not updating it for so long! Korri is growing and developing by leaps and bounds. She has mastered sitting, crawling, and getting up and down from sitting. She started crawling Sunday, 10/9. It was the first day that she coordinated her hands and knees in a crawling gesture, but she wasn't confident yet and continued to rock back and forth and then lurch herself forward most of the time. Then, that Friday, we got to Ortonville, I set her down and off she went...and she hasn't stopped since! So this is what it's like to have a normal, get-into-everything, "I don't have to listen" baby!

She LOVES her big brother and watches him constantly. She always wants to "play" with him, but she just seems to get in his way. Although, lately, I feel like he is more interested in her and is starting to interact with her more. She also LOVES cords and paper and putting everything in her mouth. These are all things we did not have to worry about with Finn, so it is like being first time parents. It truly is amazing how different two kids can be when they have the same parents and the same environment.

Finn is growing like crazy...I think! I won't know for sure until his 3 year well child appt in January, but he has stayed within plus or minus a pound of 30 pounds for almost a year, I think, and has grown around FIVE inches! No more chubby little boy :( In fact, his 24 month pants are now too big for him in the waist because he has lost most of his buddha belly, but the 18 months are (thankfully!!) too short.

I'm sure there is a ton more that I'm forgetting right now, but at least I did a post!

Four crazy years

2011-10-06T09:45:00.003-05:00

Today, Jim and I celebrate our fourth anniversary. Wow, thinking back to our wedding day seems like a million years ago.

But, I guess we've crammed a lot into those four years! Bought a house, lost a job, had two kids, had major job insecurity (ie money problems!), among all the other normal, every day life stressors. Sheesh. But at the end of the day, there is nobody else on earth that I'd want to go through this crazy thing called life with. I love you a lot (as Finn would say!), Jim!! Here's to many MANY more happy (but maybe a little less crazy?!?!) years!

Eight today

2011-09-30T23:53:00.000-05:00

Korri is eight months old today! Man, time sure does fly by. While I'm sure she is developing at a normal rate and doing things that a "normal" eight month old does, I am amazed every day at the physical things she learns to do all by herself. She can sit by herself and only falls over occasionally (usually when she "forgets" that she is sitting up!).

She gets up on her knees when she is on her stomach and rocks back and forth like she is going to take off crawling at any second (but usually only manages to go backward or inch forward). She could win World Champion at pivoting in circles while on her stomach...well, until she gets stuck by getting backed into a corner. Have I mentioned that she is really strong, too?

She can even stand! Well, okay, not really, but when we prop her next to the couch, she can stand by herself for a little bit. She isn't too stable, but impresses us regardless. Our little baby is growing up.

She is now fully weaned (since just before vacation). While I'm sad to be done nursing, it sure is more convenient to bottle feed...minus bottle washing, of course. She is a happy girl most of the time (except when her teeth are bothering her) and laughs fairly easily. She LOVES her big brother and watches him non stop and tries to "play" with him to which he always says, "No, baby Korri, no!" She can say, "Mama" regularly and if she's in the right mood, she'll say, "Dada."

Oh, and NeNe discovered that Korri can wave byebye...for real!!! I couldn't believe it, but sure enough. Although, I'm fairly certain that most of her response is simply mimicking, I think it shows how aware she is of her surroundings.

Oh, and she has two teeth...the two front bottom ones! She got her second one while we were on vacation. It seems like she is still getting more, but it would be nice to have a little break. I still hold that teething is the hardest part of parenting.

My perspective

2011-09-21T21:39:00.001-05:00

I like to call this "Stacy's Perspective":

So beautiful. We had a pretty low key day today. Let's just say we MAY have gotten a little too much sun yesterday. Jim went to bed at 8pm last night and we both slept in until after 9am today (and we avoided the sun as much as possible)! Oh, and I took a two hour nap this afternoon...I think my "sleep barometer" is just refilling from all my sleepless nights!

Went to Senior Frog's tonight per Jim's request. As I like to say...when in Rome, do as the Romans do!

I can safely say that I've never experienced anything like it before and can see why there are so many stories about people getting totally wasted and tops coming off! We, alas, did not partake in any of that!

Cancan, baby!

2011-09-20T15:31:00.001-05:00

We LOVE our resort (Westin Laguna Mar) in Cancun. We got in Sunday afternoon and have been loving it so far with absolutely beautiful weather (around 80's). It is definitely different than in Aruba where everybody speaks English and they use US dollars. Here are a few pictures from the last few days:

Us in the fountain at resort (we think it was ok to go in!)

View from our room...to die for!

The beach...need I say more?!?!

We don't have cell service here, so we aren't able to call and check on the kids :( If anybody hears how they are doing (my mom doesn't have internet at her house) please let us know! We have internet access, obviously. It is amazing how the Spanish is coming back for me...and how nice the staff is when I keep asking how you say things! "Como se dice..." is getting a lot of use. Buenos tardes!

Where have they gone?

2011-09-17T21:33:00.003-05:00

Jim and I are kid-less for TEN DAYS!!! They left yesterday (thanks Kels and NeNe for driving them!) for Oville for the weekend and then staying at my mom's for the week...while Jim and I are in CANCUN! We are really looking forward to some time away with just the two of us. Although, we have to say, it was really weird being home last night and today without kids. It is hard to explain, but made us think about what we did before kids...kind of seems insignificant. I guess kids just enrich our lives! We ran into Mike and Katie at the Gopher football game today and we were totally missing the kids and kind of attacked Quinn and Vince! I don't think they minded the extra attention too much. I really hope the kids are good for their care givers while we are gone (i.e. I hope Korri sleeps well at night!!). Thank you everybody for helping with them while we are away. It means a lot to know they are well taken care of and loved! Well, we are leaving at 4:30am tomorrow so should probably finish packing and hit the hay. Hasta luego! (I wish I'd brushed up on my Spanish before leaving ;) I know cerveza and bano, hopefully that will get us by for the most part!

Great MN Get Together

2011-09-07T07:48:00.003-05:00

On Monday, the four of us headed out to the Great Minnesota Get Together, aka the MN State Fair. Korri's first trip, Finn's second (he wasn't allowed to go in 2009 due to his prematurity). The weather was absolutely perfect. If you'll remember last year, it was unseasonably cold and people made comments about how Finn wasn't dressed appropriately. SO, just to be safe, I dressed them in layers and brought a blanket! Hey, last year made me feel like crap and I didn't want to have a repeat...plus I wasn't sure what Jim would do this year if somebody said something! LOVED our double stroller.

We had lots of good food, as always. I tried to do the "one bite" method of not over eating, but that never works as you plan! I did ok until I smelled the mini donuts. By far, my weakness at the fair. Below is Finn eating a cheese curd (he loved the lemonade, cheese curds, and mini donuts but wouldn't even try the pork chop on a stick!).

Korri couldn't partake in any fair food this year, so she got her bottle. Look, mom...no hands!

I think the fair tuckered her out!

We did several things this year that Jim and I hadn't before. 1. We went in ALL of the animal barns. Finn LOVED the animals. He kept asking for bunnies, but unfortunately, we couldn't find any in the barns. 2. We went in the Miracle of Birth barn, which was nuts. Finn finally got to see a couple bunnies in there, but he was not satisfied with that. 3. We went to tractor hill (as seen below) since Finn is obsessed with tractors right now. He LOVED it!

We lasted about two hours and then we were all ready to go home. Both kids did really well.

Mohawk biscuits

2011-09-06T10:47:00.000-05:00

Auntie NaeNae gave Finn a new hair do last week:

A mohawk! We love it. Thank you, Ernie. I bought some "glue" that should spike it up, but I haven't tried that yet. Finn hadn't taken a good nap that afternoon, so he was the worst he's ever been for a hair cut. That being said, Renae still said he was better than most kids on a good day! I think it helps that he knows her and she is really good about showing him the things she is using and distracting him.

While we were at auntie's house, Korri had her first teething biscuit:

I was trying to eat dinner and she was being super fussy. I found one of Finn's (still sealed!) biscuits in the diaper bag and decided to try it. As you can tell from the picture, she LOVED it! I practically had to give her a sponge bath when she was done. I'm headed to Target today to get more!

Chomper

2011-09-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Jim discovered Korri's first tooth this afternoon!

It is on the lower left side when you are looking at her. Kind of hard to see, but it is definitely through! I feel like once babies have a tooth/teeth, they are no longer little tiny babies any more! She will be one before we know it ;)

Sorry about the lack of posts, I just haven't been making the computer a big priority lately. I will try to do a little better job, though.

Are you ready for some football?

2011-08-28T09:42:00.000-05:00

I had my fantasy football draft on Friday night. It was so much fun. This was the second year that we did a live draft instead of an automatic one. Man, is that stressful...in a really great way. Overall, I'm happy with my team, but it is really hard to know until the season has started. Just hoping for minimal injuries, as that killed me last year.

Last night, Jim and I went to the Vikings game with NeNe and Les! It had been YEARS since I went to a Vikings game and we had a total blast! Thank you so much for inviting us, NeNe! And thank you, Stacey and Dillon, for watching the kids. I know they were in expert hands and had a great time. The new roof on the dome looked really nice, but it was a lot brighter than I remember it. And the acoustics were ridiculous...I had to plug my ears at some points. Does that mean I'm getting old?!?! And I don't know if I missed the memo that hair scrunchies are back in style or if Vikings fans are just that far behind the times, but holy scrunchies, batman!

Korri was ALMOST sleeping through the night and now she is back to waking up every 3 hours! It is really frustrating. We are thinking/hoping that she is going through a growth spurt and it will be short lived. Thankfully, Jim is great about doing one of the night feedings, so I'm still getting decent sleep (but who couldn't use more?!?!). She also has been taking to cat naps, which makes for a long day for me (with little breaks!). She could also be teething (well, she IS teething) and that could be causing her some discomfort.

Today, the four of us are off to the Twins game! It is for the March of Dimes, so we get to walk on the field before the game again this year. So much fun. I think Finn will enjoy it a lot more this year than last. Hopefully the weather (and Korri for that matter!) is agreeable!

They're ready

2011-08-25T21:57:00.001-05:00

To be fair, they were ready several days ago, but I haven't had time to share. As always, Jess did an amazing job. You know the drill, click on the link to view Korri's 6 month pictures!

Pretty "grill"

2011-08-18T18:51:00.000-05:00

We call Korri, "Baby Grill" because that is how Finn says it. Anyway, here are a couple previews from Korri's amazing 6 month photo shoot and I think you'll agree that she is a "pretty grill":

Happy Due Date!

2011-08-18T08:48:00.001-05:00

A very big happy due date to little Mr. Zander! It is so hard to think that he wasn't supposed to be born until today. So glad he is part of our lives.

Breastfeeding update: Korri is only nursing about twice a day now. I'm thinking she will be done within a week or so, but at least we got to do it this long. I'm sad only because there is nothing like the bond and feeling you have when you are breastfeeding your child.

Oh and Korri had her first real baby food last night! I gave her some cereal, but she still seemed hungry when it was gone, so I gave her some sweet potatoes and corn...which she LOVED and ate almost an entire container of Gerber Seconds! Thanks, Katie, for the baby food. Korri's ped said she can pretty much eat what we eat as long as it is pureed, so I guess this is the start (although to be clear, we do NOT eat baby food!).

Rolling, sitting, posing...oh my!

2011-08-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

We had Korri's 6 month photo shoot today. I know it is a little delayed, but we had to reschedule it three times due to circumstances beyond our control. I'm just glad Jess was so flexible. I can't wait to see them. For the most part, Korri was super happy and cooperative. Well, until we were getting ready to leave...but who cares if she is crabby then?!?! I think she fell asleep before we left the parking lot.

Two firsts:
On Sunday afternoon, Korri rolled from her back to her tummy unassisted for the first time! We were at NeNe's house and she did it once, but I helped and then she did it again without anybody touching her! I've said before, she is rolling from tummy to back several times every day, but hadn't quite mastered going from back to tummy...although she does with backwards "C" arch with her back and gets 5/6 of the way over before correcting and going back onto her back!

And today, Korri sat by herself without support for at least 15 seconds...probably more. I guess I thought her max was about 2 seconds, but she even wobbled over a little bit and corrected herself. I think we have a sitter! While I am super excited about this, it also makes me a little sad. Once a baby can sit, they don't seem like a baby any longer. She'll be crawling and sitting in grocery carts and chasing after Finn before we know it!

Oh, speaking of Finn...he is in Oville this week with Memere and Grandpa (and uncle John!). We are going there this weekend for Corn fest, so we thought he would have a blast spending the week there. We had to really twist Ron and Lynn's arms to let him come again...NOT! I hope he is being a good boy! It is so weird only having one child. We had dinner over at Born's last night (which was long over due and super yummy...thank you!) and it was such a change to just have a child who is stationary to look after. Vince is 99% walking. It is so much fun to see what he is doing, knowing that Korri will be there in four months or so!

Picture perfect

2011-08-13T17:34:00.001-05:00

Becky's wedding pictures are ready and man, are they good! The photographers was...unique, so I'm glad he did such a great job. What I liked best was the nice variety of both journalistic and traditional pictures. Here are two that I thought you might like (since I didn't get very many with my camera):

She looks like such an angel!

Same Cloud

2011-08-12T23:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the kids and I went to St. Cloud to see auntie Becca's new place. Finn asked where Austin was, so I told him, "in St. Cloud." So on our way there, Finn asked where we were going and I said, "where Austin is." To which he replied, "Oh, in same cloud?" I guess "St. Cloud" sounds like "same cloud" when you are two!

We had a BLAST and I totally love their place (just wish it/they were closer!). It sucked that I had a migraine, but it was nice to have help with the kids since Jim was out of town. I think Finn would have moved in, if I/they had let him. He had so much fun. Finn had tacos for dinner and was so dirty, that after dinner we had to put his clothes in a plastic bag to come home! We threw the kids in the bath and then Becky found some clothes of Austin's that were a little small.

Finn of course, loved these clothes and had to wear them all day today, too! Hey, whatever works.

6 month check

2011-08-11T11:02:00.004-05:00

Korri had her 6 month well child appt on Tuesday (thanks, Erica, for watching Finn!) and the appointment went well! Yay. She weighs 14 lbs, 10 oz (which is the SIXTEENTH percentile!) and is 25 1/3" long (which is the TWENTY-THIRD percentile!). She is doing great. I am most amazed at her length. She has grown three inches in two months! At her four month check, her weight was 7th percentile and her height was 1st percentile, so I'll take these great improvements. She got four vaccines, one oral and three shots, and she was a trooper. She cried at the second shot and calmed down once mommy could pick her up. However, she was a BEAR the rest of the night, so I'm sure her legs were hurting her (there was a hard knot in her left thigh yesterday...boo). Here you can see some of her little band-aids (and she is of course, blowing bubbles, something she does ALL the time now and I think is the cutest thing ever):

The doctor was a little concerned about her skin. She just has such darn sensitive skin! The dr said to use hydro cortizone ointment instead of cream, so I picked some up. Also, I'm supposed to put it on up to three times per day on the really bad spots. I'm not good at remembering that often, but I've been doing twice a day! The doctor was very impressed with Korri's fine motor skills (she kept commenting on it) and said that she is pretty much right on track for her sitting (she can sit for about 2 seconds before falling over). Unless we have concerns before then, we don't have to go back in until her regularly scheduled 9 month well child appt! Yay.

Not related to her appt, I think Korri is saying, "mama!" It sounds like, "A-ma!" but she's done it several times this past week and yesterday when auntie Kristine was over, Kristine would pick her up and she would look at me and say it! Might be wishful thinking, but it sure seemed to have purpose behind it. She is rolling from tummy to back pretty much every time she takes a nap or sleeps, which is a little annoying because she still hasn't rolled from back to tummy and she can't sleep on her back!

As I mentioned, Kristine and Zander came over yesterday. He is getting so big...but in reality, he is still so small! Finn/Korri have the same carseat as Zander. The top one is Zander in his carseat and the middle one is Finn in his carseat the day he came home from the hospital and the bottom one is Korri the day she came home.

I just thought it would be fun to compare (you can tell Zander was born in the summer and my kids were in the winter!). Zander is a little bigger in this picture than Finn was, but not by much and even though it is hard to compare because of the blanket, Korri is clearly bigger than both! I should get a picture from Kristine of Zander in the car seat when he came home from the hospital. Oh and the outfit Zander had on was one of Finn's...seems like just yesterday! I'm so glad I get to see his outfits used again. They bring back such good memories (before Finn could say "no" and throw fits...haha!).

Hi Auntie

2011-08-08T13:35:00.002-05:00

I just received this "way too cute" email with the subject, "Hi Auntie."

Little Mr. Zander. Awake and everything. What a doll!

And this one came later:

As you can see, he is getting too big for Preemie clothes. What a big boy!!

Rhyme time

2011-08-08T09:57:00.000-05:00

I introduced Korri to Kiki last week in her crib...and she LOVES it! I was thinking it would just be ignored for a while, but she grabs it and shakes it and hugs it. I'm so glad she likes it.

We went to my cousin Joe's wedding on Saturday. It was outside in an apple orchard and was really pretty. The temperature was a little too hot for the kids (I was concerned about Korri, especially), but we just decided to leave a little earlier than we would have normally. Finn had a BLAST! There were tons of older boys to chase after and play with. Four of five weddings done. One more to go (in October!).

Finn can rhyme! Last night we were all playing outside and Finn wanted Jim to tell him stories. Jim's stories always rhyme, so eventually, Jim asked Finn to rhyme...and he did! It wasn't just luck because he did it more than once with different sounds. Again, I think I have to give credit for this to the show Super Why. One of the characters rhymes, and I'm sure that is where Finn picked it up from.

Just like Pinocchio

2011-08-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

Finn loves the show Super Why and it is available on instant watch through Netflix, so he watches those episodes over and over. I figure that if he is going to watch TV, I'm glad it is a show like this. They focus on letter recognition and solving problems (that episode's moral lesson). I completely credit this show for Finn's amazing ability to recognize letters, but I thought the rest of the show was a little over his head.

However, this morning, I asked him if he had pooped in his diaper (because he was stinky) and he told me, "yes." So we got a diaper and wipes to change him, but when I checked, he had just tooted. I said, "Finn, you told mommy a lie. You did not poop. You need to tell the truth." To which he answered, "Just like Pinocchio." One of the Super Why episodes is Pinocchio and they obviously talk about lying. I was shocked that he had understood the message and had the ability to apply it to real life. Now I feel even better when he watches that show! He continues to amaze me with his memory and comprehension. What a smart little man :)

Oville, here we come

2011-08-04T23:01:00.000-05:00

Well, actually, Oville, here we are! Jim had to do some work at the Ortonville hospital, so we decided to come with him on Wednesday and spend a few days at his parent's. Finn just LOVES it here. We've been out in the boat fishing twice, Finn's been on two walks and we got to visit Granny, the kids' great great grandma, this afternoon (which she just loved, by the way!). We have a wedding to get back to the Cities for on Saturday, so we'll head back either tomorrow night or Saturday AM.

Jim and I both agree that we can officially say that Korri's colic is GONE!!! She is still extremely fussy when it is time to sleep (either for a nap or bedtime), but that has nothing to do with colic. Unfortunately, I think it is just her! However, even that seems to be getting somewhat better. It used to take over an hour to get her to go to sleep at night and it rarely takes that long any more. In general, she just doesn't seem to need as much sleep as Finn did at this age (or probably still does!), so it is hard for me to figure out how much she needs and when. The really fun part is she loves to play on the floor and in her jumperoo! Her legs are too short for it, so we put a baking pan under her so she can reach and jump. She loves it, which I'm very thankful for (Finn never really took to it like this...but then again, he had muscle tone/strength issues, so maybe that makes sense!).

We also switched her formula from Alimentum to the Similac Sensitive. After we got her colic under control, we started to think it was just her getting more volume and not necessarily the expensive/fancy formula. So, we had a can of the Sensitive at home and tried it. It has been a few days and doesn't seem to be a problem! Yay...it is WAY cheaper than the Alimentum. Maybe eventually we will switch to regular formula, but we'll save that for another day. As of now, she breast feeds every other feedings, on average, and that seems to be working for both of us. Not sure how much longer I'll breast feed, but I'm glad we still are able (although, she started biting this week, so I might need to be a little firmer in my reaction to it...ouch!).

Fishing with daddy

2011-07-31T09:19:00.001-05:00

Friday night, the four of us went to a work party for Jim's work at his coworker's house. She happens to live on a lake, so Finn and Jim got to go fishing from the end of her dock. Their bate? Marshmallows of course!

(for the record, no fish did in fact, bite!)

Korri is SIX MONTHS old (as of yesterday!). My, how time flies. I'm hoping that the next 6 months are a little easier, but just as rewarding. She has officially found her toes! She loves them and plays with them all the time. She is rolling over from tummy to back fairly often, but has yet to go from back to tummy. Part of this is probably due to the fact that she doesn't lay on her back too often. She gets about 5/6th's of the way over and then rolls back over to her back! She will get it soon, I have no doubt. She also has interest in sitting and can do it with assistance, but is by no means sitting as of yet. I don't think it will be too long until that happens, either. She is growing up so quickly! She loves her brother the most in the whole world and thinks he is the funniest, most entertaining person to ever live. She is definitely teething, which makes for some tough times, but the colic seems to be much better. Now if only she wouldn't fight going to bed EVERY time she has to go to sleep. Argh. It is really tough, but I'm really hoping she out grows this phase...and soon!

Last night, aunt Kelsie came over to watch the kids so Jim and I could go OUT! Yes, out, as in out to dinner on a date! We met Ryan and Leah at Tommy Chicago's for Ryan's birthday. Their pizza was really good (not Giordano's, but not bad for MN), but I think I'm still full. Yikes! Thanks, Kels, for watching the kids. It was really nice to get out sans kids.

Smith Lake Girls' Weekend

2011-07-28T07:50:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Korri and I got away for the second annual Smith Lake girls' weekend. We picked Stacey up on Friday around 3pm and headed up to the Osakis/Alexandria area (Stacey's mom, Connie was already there). Korri did okay on the ride there, except for the last twenty minutes or so. Connie and Stacey graciously gave us the bedroom, which worked out well. Here was Korri's bed for the weekend.

A little tight, but it worked out great. She even managed to roll over! Connie's coworker joined us on Saturday and we went into Alexandria to check out all the local haunts, including Big Ole. We had a shopping spree at Maurice's and I got my first pair of Silvers jeans. So excited to have a reason to wear jeans now :)

Sunday, Korri went on her first boat ride!

She fell asleep sitting up once we got going. I guess you can tell why sitting up wasn't a problem since the life jacket kept her pretty stiff. After the boat ride, Korri and I headed home. It was a wonderful weekend and very relaxing. Now I'll have to decide if Korri gets to come along next year or not. Hmmm...we'll have to see if she is sleeping better by then or not!

Belly laughing

2011-07-27T20:55:00.000-05:00

I don't even know where to start since it has been so long since I've blogged. Oops. I just don't get as much time on the computer as I used to...can't imagine why!

Here is a video of Korri laughing. She started belly laughing a while ago, but I wasn't able to get it on video because she would stop every time I brought out the camera! I could listen to her laughing all day long (much better than her screaming!!).

Alexander the Great

2011-07-18T19:14:00.000-05:00

We (minus Korri) got to meet Baby Boy Gredzens yesterday afternoon! Finn wasn't allowed in the NICU, but could look at him through the window. Side note: the Maple Grove hospital is ridiculously fabulous!

Baby is so stinkin' sweet and made the cutest faces. He seems to be pretty easy to calm down, which is a huge blessing and hopefully continues. He is a really big eater, too, which is really great. And they picked a name! I wasn't allowed to post until Kristine posted it on Facebook, which she just did. Alexander Janis Gredzens but he will be called Zander.

I just love it. It is amazing how quickly and easily it is to fall in love with somebody. I have a feeling Zander will want for nothing! This morning, Finn asked where Baby Zander was, "at auntie Kristine's house?" Nope, not yet buddy, but it sounds like Kristine is being discharged today and Zander could come home as soon as tomorrow! He is one amazing miracle.

I got the privilege of driving the newlyweds to the airport this morning at 5:15am. It was hard to leave them there because if Becky had packed less, I might have tried to fit in her suitcase. I'm so freakin' happy for them. Becky had on a super cute tank top that said, "Just married!" I love it. They don't come back until Tuesday, so I really hope they are able to relax and enjoy themselves after all the stress of planning such a big event.

Man, after all this excitement, what are we going to do with ourselves?!?! Stay inside and try to stay cool, I guess. The highest heat index I saw here in Mpls today was 109 degrees with the humidity levels in the upper 70's. Crazy.

Mrs. Ross and Mr. Gredzens

2011-07-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was wonderfully perfect. Becky (and Pete!) did such a great job planning and organizing that everything went very smoothly. I can't believe my little sister is married and her name is now Rebecca Ross!! I really like the sound of that. Now there is just one Walsh girl left...hmmm...

Becky was by far, one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. I was very happy that both Finn and Korri made it down the isle without crying, even if Finn threw the ring bearer pillow at the alter once he got to the front! I'm so happy to have Pete part of the family. Now they get to enjoy a week in Maui...totally jealous. Jim said we should go crash their honeymoon. Hmm...don't think that would be appreciated ;)

Kristine and baby are doing well. Here is a pic from yesterday:

This was Kristine's facebook post from this morning (for those of you who don't have FB): "He is in the NICU and doing great. His breathing and eating are strong. He has an IV and warmer because his blood sugar and temp are occasionally a little low, but nothing serious. I didn't get to see him until Sat morning, and then saw that he was perfect. I've been totally exhausted so kept visitors away so far, but looking forward to a big day today. No name yet, but we're hoping to decide today."

We have yet to see Kristine and meet little Mr. Gredzens, but will be leaving shortly to go up to the hospital to do just that. Can't wait! Jim said he looks like Alex...I think I agree. I'll have to see for myself, though. So excited :)

What a crazy few days for our family. Talk about some major life changing events all at once. Kristine was definitely missed yesterday, but was there in spirit for sure. I took as much video as I remembered to, so hopefully she will get a sense of being there when she watches it.

He's here!

2011-07-16T07:52:00.002-05:00

Nothing like doing it all in two days! Kristine went into labor yesterday morning and after laboring pretty much all day, gave birth at 6:30pm via c-section to a...boy! I have a new nephew (totally thought she was having a girl!). I'm so excited for Kristine and Alex and can't wait to meet him (although that will have to wait until Sunday...boo!). He doesn't have a name yet, but I'm thinking that will be announced some time today. He was 5 lbs 10 oz, 17.5 in., which is pretty good sized, considering he was 5 weeks early. As of last night, both mom and baby are doing well.

And today is the BIG wedding day! Becky and Pete are getting married today! I am so excited for them, too. Too much excitement to handle (I hope both Becky and Kristine were able to sleep last night!). I'll be leaving shortly to meet the girls to get our hair done, which will be a lot of fun. Lynn is coming over to help Jim with the kids and they will meet us at the church later. It will be a long, busy day...but should be TONS of fun, too. I just hope Finn decides to be agreeable, because he was NOT for rehearsal last night. Maybe once he gets his tuxedo on, he will transform into a super good boy who listens ;) Better start getting ready!!

T minus one day!

2011-07-15T08:08:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is the BIG day! I can't believe my little sister will have a new last name tomorrow. I could not be happier for her and am so looking forward to all the festivities.

Last night, we all went over to aunt Kelsie's for dinner and to watch the Maple Grove parade. We all has such a great time. Austin came along and was so funny. He kept waving at the different royalty and saying, "Hi pretty girls," "Hi Princess!" and then started blowing kisses at them! I seriously love that kid. The parade was pretty long, so we didn't head home until after 9pm, but all three kids were on their best behavior. I just love festivals like that. Makes me feel "small" town in the big city. Thanks for a great time, Kels. Korri was over tired and screamed the entire way home, even though we were shouting out songs the whole way. Jim gave her an ounce of formula and she was OUT.

Mommy time

2011-07-14T06:32:00.001-05:00

Or maybe I should say, "Stacy time!" With Lynn being here this week, I've been able to get out and have a little freedom. Monday, I was able to go to Costco sans kids, which was great (considering Korri takes up the whole basket part of the cart and doesn't leave room for the things I'm buying!). However, their stupid coupons weren't valid until today (which I didn't realize until I was done shopping!), so I will be heading back there to get the rest of the stuff. Monday night, Becky and I went to a jewelry party at Leah's house. It was so much fun to get out and have a girls' night and a couple glasses of wine. I'm not a jewelry person, but the stuff was beautiful. Maybe some day I'll get more adventurous, but I'm the kind of person who wears the same things every day. Oh, well. Thanks for coming along, Becky!

Yesterday, Kelsie treated me to a pedicure! It was FABULOUS! It had been a really long time since I got one and now my feet will be cute for the wedding this weekend. It was very relaxing and much needed since I've been struggling with a migraine since Tuesday. Thanks, Kelsie!!

Then last night we grilled at our house with Kelsie, Lynn, Pete, Becky and Austin! I love having people over and just hanging out. Now we are gearing up for the wedding this weekend. I can't wait. It will be so much fun.

Back on track

2011-07-12T17:41:00.003-05:00

Jim, Korri and I went to Korri's doctor appointment this afternoon while Memere stayed home with Finn (thank you very much!!). K gained almost one pound in less than two weeks! She now weighs 13 lbs 5 oz and is back on her growth curve (which is still really small, but I'll take it)! I guess supplementing with formula is agreeing with her. Basically, we are to keep doing what we're doing and we don't need to go back in until her 6 month well-child appt in Aug. Such great news! Finally, good news at the doctor's office.

I also talked to her about Finn's height (we weren't able to talk about it at his appt two weeks ago) and she said that we will start looking at his thyroid and hormone levels at his 3 year well-child appt, but we don't need to do anything in the meantime. So, that is good news, too. Hey, maybe he'll catch up between now and then and we won't have to do anything at all!

Finn and Korri are having the time of their life this week since Memere is here visiting. It is always nice to have help around the house and with the kids. I've been feeling a lot better lately. I'm sure it is a combination of a lot of things, but like I told the pediatrician today, at least now I want to keep Korri! I still have bad moments and get overwhelmed, but they seem to be less often. Hopefully things stay on this trajectory and continue to improve.

Let go and let God

2011-07-06T08:08:00.001-05:00

When I was younger, I went to a christian retreat and the "theme" was "Let go and let God." With that in the front of my mind, I've decided that I'm okay if Korri stops nursing. I clearly don't have enough for her (or at least enough fat) to gain weight and she has really taken to the special formula, Alimentum, so going forward, if she nurses, she nurses and if she doesn't, she doesn't. I'm sad that she will be finished breast feeding shortly, but also thankful I was able to for as long as we did. The upside for bottles is the freedom it gives me.

We heard back from Korri's ped about her test results. The brain ultrasound showed everything was normal, which is so good. The milk scan showed that Korri does have acid reflux, but nothing that was severe. So, we will stay on the prevacid and special formula at least until our appt next week. Both Jim and I think Korri has gained weight and seems to be filling out a bit. Maybe Finn is giving her his belly drum!

Steals the show

2011-07-05T22:07:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we went to the beach with Becky, Pete and Austin. It was wonderful summer weather, but with a baby, it got a little got. We stayed for about an hour and then headed home to cool off and for naps. Finn LOVED swimming in the lake and kept splashing whoever was swimming with him. Becky dipped Korri's feet into the water and she LOVED it. The sad thing, this was the first time we'd been swimming all summer. Hopefully the weather allows for more of it.

Afterward, we all went back to our house to hang out, grill, swim, nap (F and K) and play bags. It was a perfect day and evening, especially when auntie NaeNae joined us. We didn't get to go see any fire works, but Pete had a few fun ones for the kiddos...although I don't think Finn really liked them. Maybe next year. Austin got to have a sleep over at our house and surprise Finn when he woke up, which was pretty funny.

This afternoon Finn, Korri, Austin, Becky and I picked auntie Kristine up (yes, we all fit in the Pacifica...barely!) and went to Janice's for our final dress fittings. Kristine and mine looked great...but Korri will for sure steal the show! I hope Becky is okay with that. She looks so freaking cute in her dress! What a great job, Janice :)

Korri is full on doing belly laughs now! Both Jim and I noticed it today. Maybe she just does it now because she seems to be happier, I don't know. It probably helped that she slept for over EIGHT hours straight last night! (we woke up before she did to see if she was okay!) Hopefully I can get it on video soon. Nothing cuter than a baby laughing!

Queen's feast

2011-07-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday, America! Take a moment today to appreciate this wonderful country we live in. We truly are blessed. And thank you to all the men and women who gave us and continue to give us our freedom.

Yesterday, the four of us braved a trip to Costco when the world ended at our house because we ran out of...paper towels! And you know what? It wasn't even crazy busy. We were shocked. In and out, no problem. Then we headed over to auntie Kristine's for a family dinner since Grandpa Egg was in town for his pre-wedding hair cut. Alex smoked/grilled ribs and chicken, which were amazing. Both kids were exhausted by the time we left. Finn and I do this thing when we turn the corner by our house, I say, "We're..." And Finn responds, "Home!" So I did it last night, fully expecting him to be sleeping and he answered me! It was actually a little creepy, but Jim and I busted out laughing.

Korri had her first taste of baby rice cereal yesterday! I'd bought some a week ago or so, but we hadn't sat down to try it.

She did really well and ate all that we made...well, minus the two tastes that Finn wanted and all that ended up on her and the bib! I have video, but can't get the program to work to edit it right now :(

As you can see, she does really well in her Bumbo chair, too. We need to be better about having her sit up right a little bit every day. I think she likes the vantage point!

Belly drum

2011-07-03T10:19:00.002-05:00

I know it has only been three days, but I do think that Korri seems to feel better and therefore is in a better mood. She doesn't mind sitting in her bouncy seat for a bit at a time, which is a great relief. Jim has been "super dad" the last few days and that takes a lot of pressure and responsibility off me. I'm just trying to take it hour by hour so I don't get overwhelmed, but I have noticed I've felt better, too. So, things seem to be looking up (finally!). Now, if she could just figure out how to self-sooth a little bit...

Friday, Stacey and Dillon came over to swim and for dinner. It was a really nice evening, even though we almost got caught in the storm! It went from calm and cloudy to stormy and terrible within one minute! We grabbed what we could and ran inside. It was so windy, Finn honestly couldn't walk into the wind. I had to grab his hand to keep him going forward! For all it's fury, it blew through pretty quickly with nothing major at our house. I think Dillon was a little disappointed because he really wanted to see a tornado!

Saturday, we had a relaxing day at home and spent a ton of time outside in the B-E-A-U-tiful weather! Then Sam came over and brought steaks. Yum! After the kids went to bed, we even had our first bonfire of the season. Man, the weather was perfect for a fire. It was a really great evening.

I think Finn is "losing" his belly drum! I don't know if that means he is getting taller or if he is burning more calories (or a combination of both, probably!), but it makes me kind of sad. He has had his belly since he was born. It comes back when he eats a lot, so I guess I'll just have to keep him well fed! Ha, ha.

Baby Einstein saves the day

2011-07-01T15:51:00.002-05:00

I will attempt to sum up the doctor appts from Wed afternoon. First, the good news...Finn is doing great! His weight (29.1 lbs) was just under the 50th percentile for his ACTUAL age! That made me so happy. They didn't measure his height until the very end of the appt and didn't tell me what it was or the percentile (we did it ourselves, and think he is right around 33"). I will ask the dr when we go back in. And, he can now switch to skim milk! Yay...it wasn't a big deal, but buying two kinds of milk was a little bit of a drag, so now he can drink ours.

Why are we going back in you ask? Well, Korri is not gaining enough weight (12 lbs. 2 oz) and the Dr. wants to start ruling things out as to why she is still so fussy. She has fallen below her already shallow growth curve, so Dr. wants to keep an eye on it and try a few things. First, we are supplementing with a specialized formula that already has the protein processed (to hopefully help her tummy feel better) and man, does it stink! She has taken to it over the last couple days and seems to not have a problem switching back and forth between the breast and bottle (fingers crossed). We also decided to just pay for the prevacid out of pocket and if it works, then we'll "fight" with the insurance to get them to pay for it. She just started it yesterday, so hard to say it's effect yet. Another change is that Jim will now be giving her a bottle for one of her night time feedings in order for me to get a longer stretch of sleep at one time (apparently I'm sleep deprived!). I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton, but I was SO thankful that NeNe was able to leave work early to join us there (since Jim was traveling). I can't even begin to express how great it was to have her there (and it helps that she is a nurse!).

The dr was very concerned about me and even called both Jim and me later in the evening to make sure things were good and that I was getting enough help. Fortunately, aunt Kelsie was already going to come over Thurs AM, so she agreed to come Wed evening and stay over night to do one of K's night time feedings. I didn't wake up Wed night until 5:30am, when my boobs told me it was time for K to eat! Upon K's dr's strong recommendation, I started Zoloft yesterday. I know it takes a bit to take effect, but I'm very hopeful. I also went to a counselor yesterday AM (thanks, Kels for watching the kids!), so hopefully I/we are doing enough things to make some changes for the better in our lives. And K "turned" five months old yesterday! Hard to believe.

I don't know if it's just wishful thinking, but I think K has been less fussy yesterday and so far today (other than the fact that she wouldn't go to bed last night...aunt Kelsie saved the day yet again in addition to all the help she gave yesterday!). In order to start ruling out some bigger issues, aunt Kristine met K and I at Children's hospital this morning for a brain ultrasound (for Korri, not Kristine!) and a milk scan. Yes, Kristine is still on bed rest, but what better place to be if you aren't at home?!?! (side note: hooray for 33 weeks today!) The ultrasound will help us know if she has some neurological problems. The milk scan will tell us if she has acid reflux and how her stomach processes milk. K's dr should receive the results by mid week next week and we go back in for a visit in a week and a half. Thank you to auntie Kristine for meeting us there and the support.

It was nice to have somebody to chat with during the procedure...for which K did amazing. She had to drink special formula (we couldn't get more than an ounce in her!) and then lay strapped down to the table for an HOUR...and she only cried for the last five minutes. The tech put on a Baby Einstein dvd, which she LOVED! Who knew?!?! Maybe I'll have to pick one up.

NeNe times two

2011-06-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

It was great having Erica here over night. Hopefully we can do it several times this summer. On Monday morning, we didn't have any plans, so we went over to auntie Kristine's to keep her company for a while. I know how boring bed rest is, but at least she is able to work from home some of the time, which has to help a lot. Hopefully the kids gave her a little distraction for a while. Finn keeps asking about her, so I think we'll be planning another trip over there soon!

Jim left yesterday for another work trip. Argh, these are getting old. NeNe came over after work and was a life saver. Apparently we have a few "Korri whisperers" in our family, and I'm very thankful for that. I also think she played baseball with Finn for what seemed like an hour. She has more energy than I do, that's for sure! Finn loved it, of course...until his ball got stuck under the couch and it was bed time.

Today we went to the monthly meeting of our Mom's Club. I like going to them because there is a big play area for the kids and I feel like such an adult (there is an agenda and everything). Pam and Lilly were there, so Finn got to play with Lilly (and all the other kids) and Pam held Korri. Perfect! We are going to the doctor this afternoon for weight checks for both kids. I'm SO thankful they were able to get them in for appointments back to back so we only have to make one trip. Since Jim is out of town, NeNe is so generously leaving work early to go with me. In my "fragile" mental state, the last thing I could deal with or process right now is information/news from the doctor, especially if it isn't good! Should be, though. I think both kids are doing well in the growing area. Maybe she'll come up with a magic solution for Korri's colic...one can only hope :)

Korri whisperer

2011-06-27T08:02:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, we got home from Murdock around 2:30, which was nice, although our time at my mom's was pretty short. Jim and I FINALLY put up the fence for the backyard. What...I know June is almost over!

I'm excited to have the backyard fenced in. Now Finn can play outside without an adult constantly with him. He is a rule follower and I don't think he would have ran into the street anyway, but now there is a layer of protection between him and the street (even if it isn't much). Now he just has to get used to the idea of being outside by himself. I don't think it will take long.

Erica came over in the afternoon to spend some time with us until this afternoon. Yay. She ended up totally being the "Korri whisperer" as Korri loved sitting on her lap and playing with her phone. Maybe we should just have Korri text people all the time?!?!

Oville and Murdock

2011-06-26T22:02:00.003-05:00

Friday, we decided to head out for Oville early and Jim took his conference calls on the road (I drove, obviously). We were going for auntie Becca's wedding shower hosted by Pete's hometown church, which was a really good event. Our travel plan worked out well and we got to Murdock JUST in time for one of Jim's really important calls. I knew he was going to be on the phone for at least an hour and a half (ended up being on for 2 hours!), so I fed Korri and then the kids and I headed over to Grandpa Egg's (my dad), hoping he would be home. And he was! Finn even got to stand on his backhoe (Finn's favorite piece of construction equipment) and see grandpa's dump truck. Maybe Finn will even get a ride next time.

When Jim was done, we finished the drive to Oville. Uncle John had a baseball game, so we ate a quick dinner and went up to the game. They lost (boo!), but Finn had a BLAST. He and daddy got three foul balls and Finn made a new friend with the daughters of one of John's team mates.

Finn is sitting in the chair Memere got him...he LOVED it. His Northstar sweatshirt from aunt Kelsie was a little bit, but SUPER cute. It "matched" his Vikings pants and Twins hat! Memere and NeNe took care of Korri, so I got a much needed break. In the above picture, she FINALLY gave in and fell asleep for a little bit. Oh, and John broke his hand at the game! Crazy. It was the first time I'd seen a cast being administered, since I have yet to break a bone (knock on wood). He wasn't convinced to go in until Saturday and then Jim and I went with him tot he ER. I think he is really bummed that it was actually broken, but it was a small break and should heal quickly if he is a good patient! We're trying to convince him to come visit us this weekend since he can't play baseball for one weekend this summer!

Saturday, we went back to Murdock to spend some time with Grandma. We got a later start than I'd hoped for, but Korri was taking a monster nap and I wasn't excited to wake her up. This morning the kids and I got up and went to church with mom. I just love going to church in Murdock where I grew up. Feels like home. And Finn got an A+ for behavior...I think Jim even would have been proud.

Struggling

2011-06-22T15:41:00.001-05:00

It is really hard for me to admit it, but I've been struggling lately. By the end of each day, I just don't have anything left to give to anybody, least of all Korri, who needs the most attention in the evenings. I thought I was handling it okay until Finn's EI teacher, Deb, came over on Tuesday and I just lost it. I couldn't stop crying and I finally admitted to her some thoughts I've been feeling that are anything but "good mommy" thoughts. She was terrific and asked me to call my OB about being seen for postpartum depression. I called right when she left and was able to get in that afternoon. Again, thank you to Becky for immediately agreeing to watch the kids for me (she always seems to save the day for me!).

The appointment went well. We discussed what I've been feeling and the issues surrounding taking care of Korri. She said what I'm experiencing is called "situational depression" and because it is within 12 months since I've had a baby, it is also labeled at postpartum depression. I love Korri so much, but she is a very high maintenance baby. And what makes it even harder, is when we are out, people comment on how good she is, which makes me feel like even more of a failure (or a liar!). So, the dr set four courses of action out for me.

1. Start taking Zolft, the most researched anti-depression medication for postpartum mothers. She gave me the prescription for it, but I haven't filled it. I think I need to find out more about it before I take that leap. If I start, I would have to stay on it for 6 to 12 months, which I don't know if I'm comfortable with.

2. Go see a counselor who specializes in postpartum depression. I got the numbers of two my OB clinic recommends this morning and called the one that is closest to my house. I am waiting to hear back.

3. She gave me a brochure for a postpartum depression support group. I don't know if I will go, but it is an option.

4. She gave me the number of the lactation consultants at Abbott. So much of my frustration and happiness surrounds Korri's feedings. When we have a bad feeding, my whole world falls apart and I immediately think she will never nurse again. My dr thought it might be nice to go in and either have them tell me everything is prefect or if it isn't, give me some suggestions to make it go better.

I feel like there are things I can do to make this situation better. I just feel so much pressure because Jim and Korri haven't really been able to bond, so I feel like I'm the only thing/person Korri has in the world and if I fall apart, she has nothing...which makes me feel even worse. The hard thing about how I feel, is that for most of the day, I feel fine, but when one thing goes wrong (or Korri is extra fussy), I just can't handle it. I feel like a terrible mom for admitting that and making the call to my OB was probably the hardest I've made. But at least I'm doing something for the better and not just wallowing in the bad. One day/evening at a time!

Mom's Club

2011-06-22T09:21:00.000-05:00

I think I mentioned that we joined a Mom's group last December (for mom's who live in NE Mpls or St. Anthony), but with how hectic my winter/spring ended up being, we didn't participate other than the all-member meetings once a month. Our friends, Pam and Lilly from ECFE just joined, so I'm glad to know somebody to do activities with now. And I'm happy to report that on Monday, we went to our first play date! One of the members had people over for a craft play date...but of course, Finn wanted nothing to do with the craft part of it. He played with their tractors and trains the entire time. At one point all the kids (yes, every single one of them) except Finn went outside to play. I was feeding Korri in the living room where Finn was playing and after maybe 15 minutes, he looked up and asked, "where'd the kids go?" Ha! I guess he had fun regardless if it was the "planned" fun he was supposed to have!

Korri is "talking" up a storm lately. I love that she can be put down occasionally and she will just coo and play (when she is in the right mood, of course). She is still in size 3 months clothes, which frustrates me a little as feeding continues to be a little bit of an on-and-off challenge. But I optimistically think I could maybe switch her to 3-6 month any day! I am struggling with the decision of whether or not to switch to formula. I just don't know what would be best for her. We'll discuss with her pediatrician next week, I guess.

Finn has been his normal, happy self. He has figured out door knobs...but is thankfully too short to actually open the doors yet. Did I actually just say I was thankful he is short? Hmmm...never thought I'd say that! He can also open our screen door now, so I have to be really careful on the days I leave the front door open for ventilation, although he is such a rule follower, I don't think he would want to go outside without me!

We are off this morning for our second story time at the library. It is such a great thing to do on a rainy week day morning. Our friends, Pam and Lilly are going to meet us there, so Finn will have a friend to play with (although last time he got pretty sucked into the books and doesn't come up for air!).

Girls' weekend

2011-06-21T07:51:00.003-05:00

Jim decided that he wanted to take the kids to Oville for the weekend since I was going to be gone for Saturday and Sunday. We all got up early (7:30-ish in case you're wondering) and got ready. NeNe came over and picked Korri up, so Jim would just have Finn and hopefully not have to stop so he could get to Oville in time for a golf tournament he was playing in with John. Jim dropped me off in Annandale at the cabin where all the festivities were to take place. I was very apprehensive about leaving Korri for the weekend. I knew she had taken a bottle in the past, but never as her sole source of nourishment. And I was not looking forward to pumping (let's be honest, nobody LIKES pumping). But I borrowed a pump from my friend, Becky, and it worked great.

I think everybody involved would say the weekend was a ton of fun. By Saturday afternoon, I kept catching myself listening for Korri...but she wasn't there to cry anyway! I didn't realize how much I needed to get away. And Korri did great with the bottle (they switched back and forth between formula and breast milk), so maybe now I'll feel better about getting away once in a while for more than an hour at a time.

Kristine was a good bed rest patient and stayed in her lounger chair for most of the time (and even shared the Cheetos with us!).

Becky dropped me off at my house (thank you so much!) before Jim got back with the kids, so I had a little down time, which was really nice. We had a quiet Father's Day, but I think Jim had a nice, relaxing time. The entire house took a nap in the afternoon...we must have all been tuckered out :)

Batting 1,000

2011-06-20T17:48:00.001-05:00

Thursday, we had our weekly ECFE park play date at North Mississippi Regional park. Finn gets a little frustrated because he wants to play with the big kids and can't really maneuver that equipment yet. After the park, we went over to visit Stacey and Dillon. Finn had a blast. I love that he plays so well independently.

Thurs we found out that Kristine was/is having a little difficulty with her pregnancy (I hope you don't mind me sharing, Kristine!). After a precautionary doctor visit before leaving town for the weekend, they found out she was dilated to a 1, having occasional contractions and was put on modified bed rest. Yuck! Bed rest is pretty bad. So, she was able to move Becky's bachelorette party weekend closer to home so she could still go. My whole heart just hurts for her. I SO wanted her pregnancy to be different than both of mine were. She is 31 weeks and after a check today, hadn't progressed any, which is good news. She will stay on modified bed rest at least for 2 to 3 more weeks. Here's hoping for 34 weeks (and well beyond, if possible). So much for a history of pre-term labor NOT being hereditary. We are now 4 for 4 in our family (good for a sports record, bad for having early babies!). Boo!

Friday morning, Finn was thrilled when Austin got him up in the morning! Becky had an appt to practice for her wedding hair do, so we got to have Austin while she did that. And they were dressed like twins:

The boys ended up playing outside with the water hose...who knew something so simple could be so much fun. In the evening, we got all dressed up and went to the wedding reception of Jim's cousin, CJ.

Of course, there isn't a picture of me (I'm used to it by now). It was very near our house, but an area that we hadn't been in before. Very cute. Finn even got to "shake his booty" with NeNe before we left.

There is so much more to catch you up on about the rest of the weekend, but I'll blog about it tomorrow. Too much for one post!

Story time

2011-06-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

Finn and Korri experienced a first today: a library! I feel a little bad that this was Finn's first time inside one, but hey, life is busy. I honestly have been wanting to go to story time since forever, but just never made it a point to find out when and where and then go. So, friends from ECFE told me about one that is kind of close to our house and geared specifically toward 2-3 year olds. We met Maia, Lily and Juliette (and their mom Becky, of course!) at the library on Lowry this morning. Finn was completely overwhelmed when we walked in and I had to drag him inside. But once we got to the children's area, he was like a kid in a candy shop. He wanted to read all the books. Finn did well during story time and paid attention. It was a good experience for him and something nice to do on a rainy Wednesday morning.

Happily playing

2011-06-13T21:47:00.004-05:00

We had a good day today. Finn had fun rediscovering his toys. Funny how a week away makes your toys new again! This is what I saw coming into the kitchen:

And the below picture was later in the evening. He worked so hard to get daddy's sandals on and was proud of himself once he did. Took him a while to walk around in them since he kept taking little baby steps.

Aunt Kelsie came over after work for a visit today. It's always nice to have company! I made a loaf of carrot, pecan, chocolate chip bread before she came over. It sounds a little crazy, but it was really good. And the nice thing is that she can take it with her (no temptations here!).

Korri seems to be "talking" a lot more lately. She loves blowing bubbles but now when she tries to vocalize, something usually comes out. And she is rolling from tummy to back more consistently. Today, she was crying in her room and it took me a while to get up to her. When I went in her room, she was laying on her back happily playing with her crib toy! I wish I'd been able to take a video. She also seems to be eating a little better. Last week she decided she only wanted to nurse for 3 to 4 minutes at a time, which was beyond frustrating for me. Now she is eating better again and she also seems to be gaining a little weight (could be wishful thinking, but I'll keep wishing!) but I don't know for sure since I was forbidden by her pediatrician to weigh her any more. I might need to think about switching out her 3 months clothes pretty soon.

He's baaaack!

2011-06-12T20:53:00.003-05:00

From all the accounts I've been told, Finn had the time of his life last week. And was a super good boy. I don't think he had any home sickness other than asking where we were a lot...which he does every day when Jim is at work anyway. I did okay with him being gone until about Thursday. I really missed him Thursday afternoon and couldn't wait to give him a hug and kiss.

Korri and I had a good first half of the week and a terrible second half. She was happy and took good naps Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday, she just screamed all the time. It is so frustrating and tiring for me. We left before Noon on Friday for Oville, so at least I had help with Korri for part of Friday and over the weekend. That's what grandmas are for, right? Console screaming children when mom can't do it any more?!?!

We got to Oville just in time for patio time...or a little late, but still manage to relax a little. Lynn didn't tell Finn we were coming, so when he saw our car, he started freaking out and jumping around. He was so excited to see us, but had to show us everything and tell us who Nana and Papa were...like they are his people! So cute. Then on Saturday, Jim, John and Papa played golf while the kids, Lynn and I visited Granny. Oh, and our new double stroller arrived during the week, so we were finally able to use it for the first time on the way up to Granny's. LOVE it! Then we decided to go to uncle John's baseball game, even though it wasn't in Oville.

And upon Finn's incessant chanting...they won! It was a lot of fun for all of us. We were planning on leaving after the game, but both Jim and I were so tired, we decided to stay and leave this morning instead.

It was great to see Nana and Papa, even though it felt like we just got to see them for a minute. They got to meet Korri, which was great. Lynn obviously took about a million pictures, but I forgot my portable hard drive, so we'll have to wait until she comes here to get them. Darn!

Bye, bye, Finn

2011-06-06T15:06:00.001-05:00

Mom and Jeff stayed at our house Saturday night (we came home to a picked-up house!) and mom went with the kids and me to church Sunday morning. Lynn was supposed to come here to pick Finn up for a week of frolicking in Oville on Monday, but my mom suggested taking Finn with her to Murdock on Sunday, then Lynn would only have to drive that far to get him today. SO, in less than 30 minutes, Jim talked to his parents to see if that would be okay, I packed everything I could think of for Finn, Jim got all the equipment packed in their car and we sent Finn on his way for his first "Big Boy Away From Home" trip. I was definitely a little sad to see him go. He asked Grandma where mommy was going to sit in their car! He didn't quite get it. He is in for the time of his life this week. And there are two things I already noticed today: 1. I can get a crap ton more stuff done with just having one child! 2. I have been able to "connect" with Korri in a way I haven't been able to do yet, and that is very special to me. I just have more time and patience with her because she is my only concern. She likes the attention, too!

Last night, the three of us went over to auntie Becca's for an early birthday dinner celebration. The point of celebrating on Sunday was so that Finn could come along, but I guess I ruined that plan. Sorry, auntie! I hope Korri was enough to keep you busy ;) I ended up getting a really bad migraine that lasted all night, so we didn't stay too late. I hate getting migraines when I'm pregnant or nursing because I can't take my normal medication and sometimes, a cocktail of caffeine, Tylenol and Advil just doesn't cut it! Maybe it is a blessing that Finn is gone today and I "only" have one child to take care of!

Go, go, go, go

2011-06-06T08:04:00.001-05:00

My Saturday went from 7:30am to 12:15 am...that is a long day for me! And we never stopped once. We got up and went to the Children's Baby Steps 3K Walk and NICU Reunion. The walk was around the MN State Fairgrounds and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

Considerably better weather than the March of Dimes walk earlier this spring! The Reunion was immediately after the walk. We ran into one of Finn's roommates from the ICC that we'd lost contact with, which I am really excited about. I'd love to have a play date with all four boys! See how far they've come. When we do things like this, it really makes me stop and need to give Finn a kiss. I've said it a hundred times and I'll probably say it another hundred times, but we were so freakin' lucky with Finn. Thank you, God, for our beautiful, healthy boy!

We had to leave the reunion early to get back home and get ready for Jess's wedding in the afternoon...in the Brainerd area! We got ready and headed out around 1pm for the 2.5 hour drive. We got there just early enough for me to feed Korri and get to the wedding. Everything about the wedding was perfect and beautiful. You seriously can't order more perfect weather for a wedding. We were so honored to be included in the special day. For Jim's birthday, I got Jim and Finn matching ties:

I think they look freakin' adorable! And Finn looks so grown up (and cute!) with a tie on! Finn left it on and didn't mess with it, which surprised me. Other than Korri being her normal, crying self, dinner was fabulous. We didn't leave until just before 9pm, which was a lot later than I thought we would (a testament to how much fun we were having!). But that means we didn't get home until after 11pm and then there was stuff to do before bed. Sheesh. What a day :)

New family member

2011-06-05T13:28:00.000-05:00

We had Finn last ECFE class of the spring session on Thursday. This was a really good group of kids and moms, so it is hard to be finished. The nice thing is that we are still planning on getting together for a park play date during the summer each week when our class was scheduled. So, Finn will still get some interaction with his friends (and I will too!). I'm really bummed that we didn't take a group picture since I think all the kids were there.

Korri had another chiropractor appointment. She had one of her crying/screaming fits while we were there, so he had a better idea of what I'm talking about now. He adjusted her and we are going back next week. I'd like to say she is better, but it is hard to tell (Jim would say she is NOT better!).

On Friday, we finally decided it was time to buy a double stroller. We had a benefit walk scheduled for Saturday, so I think Jim was hoping to have it for that walk. Jim went to BRU to look at the stroller I LOVE which is the Baby Jogger City Mini which is a side-by-side stroller. While there, he also found the double stroller that fits our infant car seat. It is a Chicco double, but a tandem set up. He really liked that one and it was cheaper. SO, we decided that the kids and I would meet him there after work to test them both out with the kids IN the strollers. We did and it was quite clear that while the infant compatibility was a nice feature of the Chicco, the City Mini was easier to maneuver, more functional for our family and clearly the better stroller (despite both kids crying while in it!). So, here is the new addition to our family:

I was able to find a brand new last year's model online for far cheaper than in the store. We ordered it Friday, it says it shipped yesterday and now we just have to wait for it to arrive!

Mother's helper

2011-06-02T07:48:00.002-05:00

I forgot to mention that poor baby girl got her 4 month vaccinations yesterday. She got one orally and two shots. She was a trooper. She cried so hard she stopped breathing right away, but as soon as daddy gave her the Soothie and mommy picked her up, she stopped crying. But then kept catching her breath for a while afterwards. I feel so bad when she gets them because she doesn't know what's coming until it hurts! Also, a HUGE thank you to Sasha and aunt Kelsie for watching Finn while we went to Korri's appt. He gets so darn bored, so it was nice knowing he was having a blast with you two instead!

Sasha left yesterday. We are all so sad. It was so great and effortless to have her here. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure I need a Mother's Helper! It was awesome to have another adult around to help with the child I wasn't attending to (okay, that mainly means, somebody to hold Korri!). Sasha was great with her, but I'd bet her left arm is going to be sore for a few days! Korri might not weigh a lot, but 12 lbs feels heavy when you're holding it for hours on end and aren't used to doing it every day! I know Finn will miss all the extra special attention, too. Thanks for the wonderful visit, Sasha. We all love you so much :)

Little peanut

2011-06-01T15:47:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Austin came over so he could play with Sasha...and Finn, too! I think he had fun; I know Finn did. All three of them ended up in the hot tub (cooled down, of course) and drinking fruit smoothies. Sounds like the perfect summer day to me!

Well, today we had Korri's 4 month well child appointment. It didn't go how I thought it would. First off, if she were gaining an ounce a day, she would be over 14 pounds. She weighs ELEVEN POUNDS TWELVE OUNCES (7th percentile)! I was surprised because I've been weighing her at home and knew she wasn't gaining as fast as she should be, but was hoping for at least 13 lbs today. We discussed it at length with her doctor and she is not overly concerned. If you look at Korri's height to weight ratio, she actually is a little over weight! Yikes. Which means, yes, Jim and I must produce short, chubby children! Korri was 22 1/3" long, which is the 1 percentile! The doctor really believes Korri is taking in enough calories/nutrients, but is just burning them all off with her incessant crying. So, we are going to keep doing what we've been doing with the exception of starting to give her a bottle as needed. This is for two reason; a. so she can get a few more calories every day and b. so I can get a break and be away from her for more than 2 hours at a time. The doctor suggested starting cereal to add some extra calories as well, but Korri shows NO interest in it yet, so she said to wait until she does.

Which brings me to our next point, her "crabbiness." The doctor really doesn't think there is an overlying problem that is causing Korri to be so fussy all the time. She just thinks she is a crabby baby with colic and unfortunately for us, it hasn't gone away yet even though Korri is older than 4 months. We are going to make a couple changes here, too, to hopefully improve all of our quality of lives! 1. I'm not to wake her up to eat when I go to bed.The thought behind the action is that if she gets longer bouts of sleep, maybe she'll feel better during the day. 2. start giving her prevacid. Now, we all know from her last appointment that our insurance doesn't cover it, so we are going to make our own medicine...she needs half a dose of regular OTC prevacid. Hey, I'll try it if it might work!

We also discussed Korri's dry, rashy skin and she said to do more of what we've already been doing. I just need to be better about putting it on her every day. So, overall not a terrible appointment. The doctor kept telling me that she does NOT have concerns about my supply, even though I mentioned it several times. She also said that because Korri is gaining and not losing weight, she isn't concerned right now, but does want to see her in a month for a weight check. Oh, and she also told me to stop weighing her at home! Ha. Oops...she said it just causes me more stress and doesn't really help anything.

I thought her little summer outfit today was cute:

When the a/c is actually off, I don't mind dressing her in summer outfits. Otherwise, she is in sleepers because they cover her whole body. It gets cold in our house (not according to Jim, though!).

Hot (cool) tub

2011-05-31T07:27:00.008-05:00

We hope all of you had a wonderful Memorial Day and remembered those that serve(d) our country so that we may be free! Thank you!! We had a quiet Sunday and Monday. Sunday, the four of us went to the Mall of America to walk around and use a couple gift certificates we had. It was Korri's first trip to the MOA and other than getting hungry, she was a really good girl. Finn LOVED people watching. It was fun watching him watch the people. On Monday, we stayed close to home. I love that it finally felt like summer.

Finn had a "tank tops" and shorts on for the first time. Jim cooled down the hot tub so Finn could go in it...which he did several times (Austin did, too)! Auntie Becca and Austin came over for dinner. It is so much fun to have Austin here...Finn walks around like his shadow, which I think Austin kind of likes. And it is so nice having auntie Becca here because she takes the time to hold Korri and take care of her...which is a HUGE relief for me.

About two weeks ago, Korri started taking her day time naps in her bed! Up to that point, she had been sleeping on the couch, which was fine, but probably not the safest. I was just selfish and it was easier for me to take care of her if she were right there. One day, Jim just suggested putting her in her bed, and she has been sleeping there ever since. Now, if she would just figure out how to fall asleep without crying/screaming forever, that would be fabulous.

Finn is apparently going up the stairs on his feet! I just about fell down the stairs when I saw him do this Sunday night and when I told Jim, he said that Finn has been doing it for a couple of weeks! Finn still has to hold on to the spindles, but I am very impressed. This was something they are/were working on for PT...I don't think I should tell them he can do it yet ;)

Four months old!

2011-05-30T07:26:00.025-05:00

Korri is four months old today. Times really does fly by. We meet this milestone with a bit of hesitation because we were told colic would be done by now, and that isn't the case with baby girl. We have her 4 month well-child appt on Wednesday, so hopefully her doctor has some suggestions.

From Gerber.com:
The continuing development of language basics is an important milestone this month. You’ll see that your baby can begin to understand and try to communicate with you. She'll try all sorts of repetitive, high-pitched giggles, shrieks, and noises as she shapes her mouth to change the sounds. [she changes her mouth shapes and tries SO hard to get noise to come out. It is cute to watch.] You'll start to hear her repeat sounds, such as “ba-ba-ba," over and over as she practices.

Early associations
Any day now your baby will realize that people and things have a name, such as "Mama"—a critical part of language development. If you call her by name, she may respond as she begins to associate herself with it. [she isn't doing this yet, but to her credit, we rarely call her by her name!]

Your baby’s growth
At 4 months babies usually range from 23 inches long and 11 pounds) (10th percentile ) to 25.5 inches long and 15.75 pounds (90th percentile). [we'll know exactly what she weighs after her appt, but our scale says she is right around 12.5 lbs, not sure how long.]

This month your baby may also:

squeal and laugh with delight [she just starts laughing, which is so fun]
make "raspberry" sounds with her lips [I think she does this by accident since she drools a ton]
experiment by making new sounds [she is trying!]
make sounds in response to you [for sure, we play "repeat" all the time]
track moving objects as her head and neck development work together [she has been doing this for a while]
roll over—usually from front to back—as muscles continue to develop [occasionally, but not consistently]
raise herself up on straightened arms while lying on her tummy, looking all around as neck muscles strengthen [not unassisted]
grasp a rattle with stronger hand muscles [she can, if we put it in her hand]
bear weight on both legs [yes]
start to sleep through the night [hmmm, she probably could/would, but I wake her up once for a feeding. I guess it depends how you definte "sleeps through the night."]
begin to show interest in solid foods by reaching for mom and dad's food at the table or other food in her line of sight [no interest as of yet]

What you can do

Spend time each day repeating words to her. Repetition is a great way for babies to learn new words. [she LOVES this]
Place a clean blanket on the floor and watch her inch along. She may also raise her head and shoulders to look around. To help prepare her for sitting alone, practice pulling her to a sitting position from the floor.
Give her toys she can grasp that also stimulate her senses such as crib gyms, brightly colored squeak toys, and soft, bumpy textured items with knobs, handles, and loops. [we need to be better about doing this]
Expose her to contrasting natural colors, which are good choices now as her vision continues to improve.
Introduce her to plastic pliable baby books she can grab and hold.

Big boy and girl

2011-05-29T15:22:00.000-05:00

Finn peed again in his potty chair! We've been asking him a couple times a day, but not pushing it and he hasn't shown much interest. He told Jim he had to go Friday night and he sat on the toilet several times with each of us for a while (fan on and with books to read!). We kept his diaper off the rest of the night and kept asking him every 10 minutes or so. I was putting Korri to bed and Jim had just put Finn to bed and Jim came running upstairs to Finn's room. Jim said, "Finn, you went potty in your toilet!" Finn had gone one of the times when he was sitting in there by himself and never told us! So we got him up and celebrated and gave him a cookie (his promised reward for when he goes in his toilet). He kept saying, "excited!" and pumping his fists! So cute. We wanted him to know that it was a big deal and kept calling him a big boy. So, we'll see...

Korri rolled over again, too! What a big girl. I went to get her from her nap this afternoon and she was laying (not happily!) on her back. Now she needs to figure out how to roll back so she doesn't get so mad :) This is probably the fourth time she has rolled from tummy to back. Maybe we can say we have a "roller" soon!

Auntie Becca surprised us by offering to watch the kids for us last night! It was the best gift ever. Jim and I went to the movie Hangover 2 and it was just as good as the first one. I have to admit, throughout the movie, I kept thinking of Korri and thinking one of two things: 1. I really hope that she is behaving and not causing auntie too much trouble and 2. I love sitting here and not hearing her cry! Thank you so much Becky, Pete and Austin. I'm glad neither of them caused any major problems :)

Soul mates

2011-05-28T07:13:00.002-05:00

I wanted to send a belated Happy EIGHTIETH Birthday to Papa! We hope you had a really fun party yesterday. Wish we could have helped you celebrate. And also a huge congratulations to Dave on his graduation from medical school. We are so proud of you, Dr. Brown, MD! Wish we could have helped you drink...er...I mean...celebrate today!

The rest of our week: Wednesday, the three of us went to our monthly MOMS Club meeting. Our friends Pam and Lilly met us there and joined! I'm so happy because now I have somebody I know to go to some of the events with. With ECFE ending for the summer, I have a feeling we will need some fun things to do. Then we went to pick Dave and Sasha up at the airport. They were flying in from different places and didn't coordinate their flights yet their flights got in FOUR minutes apart! Too funny. They were at different terminals, but it is super easy to get between the terminals. Dave left right away for his 5 hours drive to ND (boo!) and we hung out with Sasha. Aunt Kelsie came over after work and we all watched the season finale of American Idol. (Yeah, Scotty!!! Since Casey and James couldn't win, I'm glad Scotty did.)

Thursday, Sasha slept in (after a long day of traveling, who could blame her?) and the kids and I headed to class. Finn LOVES the train tracks there and always ends up spending all his time playing with them. One of the moms told me that you can get a decent sized train track set at Ikea for $10. SO, we might be making a trip to Ikea in the near future. Four of the families that were there on Thursday live in North Mpls, so we heard all of their scary stories about living through the tornado. Many tears were shed. Again, I just don't know how there wasn't more fatalities. In the afternoon, Sasha stayed home with Finn so that Korri and I could go to her second chiropractor appt. It was a LOT easier to get there for this appt than it was on Monday! Again, haven't seen any major changes in her behavior, but I'm still hopeful. Our next appt is next Thursday. Daddy had some problems with his flight to Boston from Chicago so he surprised us by coming home a day early! Yay! Sasha and Jim were able to reconnect and be their normal crazy selves. I seriously think they are soul mates...too bad they live so far apart from each other.

Smiley baby girl:

Oh my!

2011-05-27T15:29:00.000-05:00

Let's see...what's been going on since Sunday? A ton...which is why I haven't had time to blog. Shame on me. Jim left early Monday morning for his business trip and we had our last Preemie class of the spring. It is so hard that classes aren't offered during the summer. After Preemie class, NeNe came over to watch Finn and I took Korri to her chiropractor appointment. Let's just say heading THROUGH North Mpls the day after a massive tornado went through was NOT a smart or safe idea! I should have rescheduled and was so thankful Finn was not in the car with us. Overall, the appointment went well. He adjusted her in two spots and we had a follow up appointment on Thursday. I don't know if it is helping, but I'm willing to try. He said after 4 sessions or so, if she isn't better, he can't really help her. So at least I know we won't be going forever and not seeing results anyway (which is one of Jim's many complains about chiropractors). I'm of the mind set...we'll see! No major changes yet. Monday night, the kids and I went over to aunt Becca's for dinner. Finn, of course, was super excited to spend some time with them and I really appreciated the help with Korri, especially since I've been battling a headache for several days.

Tuesday, the kids and I went to North Mpls Regional Park. Okay, heading in that direction for the second day in a row was probably not smart, but I honestly thought they would have things cleared up a little more than they apparently had. Oops. All the exits off 94 were stilled closed, so I had to go THROUGH the destruction again (although far less destruction in this area than on Monday) to get to the park! And then it was a little too cold to stay and play very long, but Finn had a lot of fun. It was so good to see him actually playing on the equipment. Last fall he wasn't really able to get around or play on the stuff. His favorite parts of the park: the bicycle racks and the paint on the trail! After the park, Stacey came over for a much needed visit. It was so good to catch up. Unfortunately, Korri slept the entire time she was here! Oops...hopefully next time she will at least be able to see her. In the evening, auntie Kristine came over to baby sit us, which was a nice break. Korri likes sleeping on Kristine's belly shelf ;)

Armageddon

2011-05-22T22:11:00.002-05:00

Jim woke up to Finn running into our room saying, "Happy birthday, daddy!" I'd say that is a pretty nice way to wake up. Jim ran a few errands this morning while I baked his birthday cake and cleaned the kitchen and house. Then we grilled some hamburgers and brats and a few people came over to help celebrate Jim's birthday. Thanks to everybody who made it over. I think overall, Jim had a really nice day. Happy birthday to the best father, husband and friend. We love you so much.

We survived the great storms earlier today. Lynn called and asked if the tornadoes were here yet. I turned the TV on and a few seconds later the sirens went off. Then I heard there was a tornado touch down at Hwy 100 and 394, which is very close to our house. We grabbed the kids from their beds and headed downstairs. There was massive damage around our neighborhood, but we were fine. Kristine was on her way over here, so I told her not to come for a while. Finn ended up having fun because all his fun toys are downstairs and he played with the flashlight (nothing like playing with shadows!). We didn't know how bad it really was until the news came on tonight. They said it was the worst storm Minneapolis has ever seen. Yikes. There is a huge part of Minneapolis right across the river that has a curfew in place tonight to prevent looting (if you can't guess, the area is in North Mpls). Thanks for all the concerns for us. We hope that all of our family and friends fared as well as we did. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the people of Missouri. I guess things can always be worse.

Give them bread

2011-05-21T22:31:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention that I made homemade bread from scratch on Wednesday. Jim doesn't really like homemade bread, but he does like cinnamon, so I thought I'd combine the two to see if he liked that. AND my recipe makes two loafs and I wanted to bring one to ECFE on Thursday since it was our turn to bring snacks.

Even though it wasn't on my diet, I have to say, it was super good (Jim didn't say whether he liked it or not, so I'm guessing not)! And really, it isn't THAT hard to make it. It just takes a lot of time waiting for it to rise, then rise again and then finally rise again before baking. The recipe is on the recipe page. I highly recommend the cinnamon version! Oh, and Kelsie said she has a bread machine that she doesn't know how to use, so I said to bring it over so I can figure it out. How much fun would that be?!?!

Finn showed interest in going on his potty chair again today...but he didn't make it. He went in there to sit on it, but went poopoo before we got the diaper off. But he is clearly getting the concept. So, we'll see.

This afternoon, I got to get out of the house sans kids to go to my friend Jess' bridal shower. It was fun to hang out with other adults and have a little champagne. Of course, I had to head back home fairly early to feed baby, but that is okay. Jim said she was screaming for two hours (pretty much the entire time I was gone). That makes being gone not feel as rewarding (however, to Jim's credit, he didn't let me know that while I was gone). Oh, I really can't wait for the day when Korri and Jim bond and don't annoy each other!

First poopy!

2011-05-20T21:34:00.003-05:00

Finn, Korri and I met a few friends at the Midtown Global Market for Wee Wednesdays on...wait for it...Wednesday! This week they had a jazz dance teacher showing the kids different dance moves. Finn didn't overly participate, but he did try several of the moves. It was really cute. After that, we headed over to the Quinn household to meet new baby Andrew (they happen to live two blocks from the Global Market, so it worked out well). Andrew is so precious and, as always, it was wonderful to catch up with Lisa. Seems like things are going well.

Yesterday, aunt Kelsie came over for her weekly American Idol viewing party. She was able to come a little earlier than normal, so Finn was super excited to get to play with her. Korri put on an extra special screaming fest later on in the evening. As a side note: I'm so happy Haley is finally gone! Now, Scotty better win it all (since my two favs are already gone...Casey and James!).

Two things of note today: 1. Finn actually used the potty chair today and 2. I made a chiro appt for Korri for Monday!

1. Finn pooped and peed in his potty chair today for the first time ever...and I missed it! I'm glad Jim was able to be there for a first as big as this, though. And they called me when it happened. Finn was SO proud of himself. Jim said that out of the blue, Finn said, "Poopy, daddy." So they went into the bathroom and about 20 minutes later (you know how "men" are in the bathroom!), Finn said, "I poopied, daddy" and Jim was like, "yeah, right." But he did! I still can't believe it. We tried a few more times today, to no avail. But I don't want to push him too hard, since he is still relatively young to be potty trained.

2. I've been going back and forth and back again on whether to take Korri to a chiropractor for her colic and general fussiness. Finn's friend from ECFE, Claire's dad is a chiropractor, so I finally called today and got an appointment for Korri for Monday afternoon. They are very gentle with babies and I really think the worse case scenario is that it does nothing. The best case scenario...she stops screaming so much and is able to relax her body once in a while. I hate that she seems in pain so often. Her feet actually curve in a little bit because she tenses them so much and so often. Poor baby. Fingers (and anything that can be) are crossed!

Not again!

2011-05-17T14:09:00.001-05:00

In the last few days, four people have commented on Finn's neck position without me even mentioning it. So, his EI PT, Jane, stopped by Preemie Class yesterday and worked with Finn a little bit. She wasn't scheduled to come for a visit until next week, but stopped by today because she wanted to work with him again and give me some tricks to try. Seriously?!?! I'm SO done with this. I really thought that Finn would have out grown it by now. I was pretty down in the dumps, but on the bright side, because Finn is getting older, some of the exercises are more for him to do than us doing them to him. Like looking in a mirror and doing "Tick tock" with your head...a song that he loves anyway. Argh. I guess I'd better call Gillette about starting PT again (they were supposed to call me in April, but I haven't been too vigilant about going back!).

And what Jane thinks is the reason for this major reemergence of Finn's torticollis...he is definitely going through a major growth spurt. He has been sleeping like crazy over the last couple of weeks and when I put his PJ pants on two nights ago, they were too short (something that has NEVER been a problem for Finn before!). Then yesterday, I put his jeans on him and we had the same problem! Yay...my little shorty is getting taller! But the reason this could be causing his torticollis to act up is with all the changes in his muscles, his neck muscles might not be keeping up and able to stretch out the way the rest of his body is. So, more stretches and exercises in the mean time.

Also, baby girl is starting to "play" with her surroundings and toys! We set up the gym play mat for her this weekend and she loves it. This morning, she accidentally hit one of the toys with her hand and then start purposefully playing with it! It was so much fun to see her thought process and her figuring out an elementary version of cause and effect. I took a video, but haven't had time to upload it yet. My baby girl is getting so big! Oh, and the gym mat might end up being my savior...she played with it on and off for a couple HOURS yesterday without crying! I couldn't believe it. Thank you Stacey and Connie for getting it for her! I may need to take you out for drinks as a thank you ;)

Baptized In His Name

2011-05-15T15:29:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful day! Baby girl is baptized, even though she almost wasn't! Deacon John was supposed to do the baptism, but he never showed up. SO...the priest who was going to do the mass that followed baptism did it, even though he was trying to get ready for First Communion. Crazy. By the time they figured it out, I just said, "I don't care WHO does it, but Korri IS getting baptized today!" Why do these things always happen to me? I even talked to the church secretary on Wednesday to finalize all the details. Sheesh. Regardless, Korri is now baptized and a member of God's family!

This is baby girl being baptized. She was great. She was awake through the entire mass and baptism...and she didn't make a peep the whole time. I think God's grace had something to do with it!

This is newly baptized baby girl! Halfway through baptism, father leaned over to us and asked, "Is this a girl?" Ha! He had been referring to her as a boy for the first half of the baptism. It made us chuckle. What a wonderful day. Thank you to everybody who came. It really meant a lot to us to share this blessed event with all of you.

Of course I made Korri's baptism cake. It didn't end up the way I envisioned when I started, but I think it turned out okay.

I baked the cake(s) on Friday and I planned to make the roses on Friday as well. However, my daughter decided she didn't want me to make flowers, but rather hold her all night! So I made the majority of roses Saturday AM, hoping they would have time to dry out and harden before I had to put them on the cake. I then made the filling (I tried to reduce a glaze for the filling...it didn't really work that well) which took longer than I planned. Then because of the kind of cake I made (apple spice cake) it wouldn't cut well when I tried to level it. And then when I iced it, because it is so tall, it was super hard to get smooth. Anyway, I do love decorating cakes, even though these little things always seem to come up. Oh, and the roses hadn't hardened enough, so it was tricky getting them on the cake! Everybody said it tasted and looked good, so I guess I'll accept it :)

Happy Baptism, Korrigan! May the Lord bless you and keep you in the palm of his hand. Now, I'm ready for a nap ;)

Getting ready for the big day

2011-05-14T16:17:00.000-05:00

Yesterday involved a lot of cleaning and putting things away. Fun day off for Jim, I'm sure. I always wonder how the house is going to be ready when we have an event, but it always is. It helped that Becky came over to clean...thank you! She brought Austin, so Finn and Austin had a blast. I tried to get the roses done for Korri's baptism cake, but Korri had other ideas. Decorating cakes is a lot harder when you have a high maintenance baby.

Jim and Finn went to Finn's ENT follow up appointment yesterday afternoon. All is well with Finn's ears! Thankfully. The one tube is still in and the doctor cleaned out his ears and took the other one out (it was stuck in the wax!). The dr didn't see the need to redo a hearing test, so we are set for 6 months! I hope ear infections are a thing of the past...since we've been infection free since November! (knock on wood)

Memere and Grandpa came over today to help get ready for baptism. Okay, let's be honest...to play with the kids...which is a huge help. After many unforeseen set backs, the cake is stacked, the filling thickened (finally!), the cake is iced and the roses are drying. I still need to do the finishing touches, which always take longer than you plan for, and I'm not sure I have enough icing to finish. Hmmm....maybe I'll "tweak" the design a bit! Can't wait for tomorrow. There is nothing more refreshing or renewing than a baptism. And after a little snafu, aunt Kelsie is bringing Korri's baptism gown back from Oville (THANK YOU!) otherwise, Korri would have been baptized in a bonnet, tights and shoes ;)

Having babies (and not!)!

2011-05-12T14:17:00.000-05:00

Interesting fact: yesterday in Kristine's pregnancy was the day that I had Finn. When you put that in perspective and it happening to somebody else...that is CRAZY! I can not imagine Kristine having a baby at this point. If possible, it makes me even more thankful for our healthy boy. And so far, Kristine is doing well and I hope she goes until exactly 40 weeks (or at least 37 so she can make Beck's wedding)! I just love looking (okay, and touching...but I'm her sister!) at her cute belly.

Speaking of having babies, a HUGE congratulations to Lisa and Collin on the birth of their second son, Andrew! After several weeks (maybe TEN?!?!) on complete bed rest, Andrew was born yesterday via planned c-section four weeks early. A huge difference from Samuel, their first son who was born at 23 weeks. I am so happy and excited for them and can't wait to meet Andrew. I also don't envy her the next severals weeks of adjusting to being a mother of two! Although it is wonderful and I wouldn't trade it for anything :)

Drool Beard Thomas

2011-05-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

Drool Beard Thomas strikes again; the most feared pirate of the seas:

Okay, she's not really a pirate, but can be feared at times! She often has bubbles on her chin and we call it her "drool beard." I think it sounds like a pirates name! Maybe I've just lost my mind ;)

Korri is only getting up once a night to eat! I actually have been getting her up when I wake up halfway through the night. I don't think it is good for my milk supply to go more than 8 hours right now (I'm probably over thinking, but I don't want to have happen now what happened with Finn!). So she usually eats around 2 or 3 and than again around 6am! I'll take it. Once she goes to sleep, she is a good sleeper. But man, does she fight going to sleep! Can't remember if I mentioned that she sucks her index finger:

But for the most part, she doesn't use the pacifier at night and I think she only uses it during the day to go to sleep. And that is because it makes life easier on me. I'm glad we have it for a tool, but I'm also glad she isn't 100% glued to it either. Now, if I could just find a way for it to stay in while in the car, we'd all be happier!

She smiles a LOT, especially in the mornings and during her diaper/clothes changes. She often looks like she is going to laugh, but has a hard time getting sound out. She coos, but we never know if it will turn into crying. I just love seeing her grow and develop. She has amazing head and neck control and can even sit upright on your lap for a few moments unassisted (don't worry, she is far from actually sitting!). I think she would be rolling over from back to tummy if she was on her back more often. She has only rolled from tummy to back three or four times, but CAN do it when she gets her arms in the right position.

Open wide

2011-05-10T14:34:00.000-05:00

Finn had his first dentist appointment today...and was a super big boy.

The dentist was impressed with Finn's ability to follow instructions and not "freak" out. Overall, Finn's teeth look good and he doesn't have any cavities. Yay. The facial asymmetry, at least from a dentistry perspective, isn't severe and the asymmetry in his jaw/teeth can most likely be corrected with braces down the road and in a worse case scenario, surgery. The dentist could tell that Finn is a thumb sucker based on how his teeth are growing, but they don't do anything to correct that until he has his permanent teeth. The dentist said it was a case of the chicken and the egg: are Finn's teeth deformed because he sucks his thumb, or does he put his thumb in that spot because it is deformed? He recommended seeing the craniofacial team at Children's (Finn's pediatrician had the same recommendation), but since the dentist thinks things are good for now, I think we might put that off until Finn is older. The dentist wants to see him in 6 months because Finn has deep grooves in his back teeth (just like his momma!) and he wants to make sure cavities don't start developing.

Now that we've gone to the dentist, we should probably start making a bigger effort to brush Finn's teeth every day. Oh, just another thing to add to the schedule! The good thing is that Finn will do it himself and does an okay job, but HATES when mommy or daddy check to make sure. And the hygienist said to start flossing the teeth that are touching each other...yeah right. Does anybody have a straight jacket?!?!

Little tikes

2011-05-08T08:35:00.003-05:00

Our fun new purchase:

I've been looking on Craigslist for awhile for a slide that Finn can use by himself (they are ridiculously expensive when they are new). We have a bigger gym/slide from my aunt Karen, but it is too big for Finn right now. I just happened to look yesterday morning and this one had just been entered at a very reasonable price (others were listed for twice as much!). I called her immediately and Jim left five minutes later to pick it up. It was outside in the yard when Finn got up from his nap and he LOVED it. Can't wait for a summer of fun!

I added a new recipe to the recipe page. It is for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I've made these several times and everybody always says how good they are. Plus, I can never find the recipe when I need it, so now I know where it is. I like to make these cookies for new moms who plan to breast feed, as several of the ingredients are known to boost lactation. But don't worry, if you aren't lactating, it won't cause you to! Finn and Jim eat them all the time :)

A very Happy Mother's Day wish to my mom! Even though I don't get to see you in person today, please know that I love you and appreciate all you've done for me as my mom. Also, Happy Mother's Day to all the ladies in my life who happen to be moms. Thank you for all the wonderful examples I have to follow (and lean on)!

Duh, swimming!

2011-05-07T14:47:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful, albeit tiring, day in St. Cloud with auntie NaeNae yesterday. I found a dress for me to wear at baptism. It is a little dressier than I was thinking, but I guess you'd rather go on the dressy side than casual side...and I got a great deal on it (gotta love JCPenny's Mother's Day sale!). Now I hope I can find my silver shoes and sweater to wear with it. Finn had a blast on the mechanical cars at the mall...there was a play area right next to them and he didn't even look in that direction.

I don't think he knew that the cars could move, so we didn't even put money in them. Oh, the simple things in life.

After shopping, we had lunch. I planned on us having Subway (healthy!), but there was a Sbarro next door to Subway and I knew that if auntie was getting pizza, Finn would NOT eat a sandwich. So he ate almost as much pizza as she did! Seriously, this kid can eat. Then we went back to auntie's "partmet" as Finn said. Finn napped shortly, but had a hard time falling asleep. Renae colored my hair, cut Finn's and then we FINALLY got to go swimming.

Finn had a ball! I think he would have stayed at the pool until midnight, if I'd let him. Thank you, auntie for going in with him! This post-preggo body was NOT getting into a swimming suit ;) Finn even got to swim with Nick for a bit before we had to leave.

We had such a great time and got a lot done. Still no baptism bib for Korri, but I'm hoping to have time to run out this week and try to find one. Thanks for having us, Ernie! Hope you got to rest and do nothing the rest of the evening. I was exhausted when we got home! And when we did get home, Finn got a super surprise: auntie Becca, uncle Pete and AUSTIN were at our house! How much more can a boy handle in one day?!?! Needless to say, Finn slept really well last night and didn't get up until after 10 this morning!

EIGHT hours!

2011-05-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

Special alert: Korri went from 10pm until 6 am last night! And then she only woke up at 6am because I was in pain and NEEDED her to wake up and eat. I know it was only one night, but I'll take it. Now, if she would just figure out a way to scream less in the evenings on a regular basis, we'd be all set and have nothing to write about ;) A nice problem to have.

Korri, Finn and I are headed to St. Cloud today to see Auntie NaeNae! I'm really looking forward to the trip, but we have lots planned and I hope we get to it all. I need my hair colored and Finn needs a cut. Korri is practically bald now, so we won't have to worry about her hair cut for a long time! I would like to find a dress for baptism...it's next weekend, what's the big rush? I have a specific style/image in my mind, so I know it is going to be tough to find it. I need to find a baptism bib for Korri (the Christian store I ordered her bible at didn't carry them any more). AND Finn would revolt if we didn't squeeze in some time for swimming. All in one day? We might have to stay all week!

Sister bragging area: Renae is in school for architecture and her plans/design for next year's spec house were picked among all the other students in the school! This is huge for her, as when she graduates, she'll already have "built" a house and have something for her portfolio. AND it is a "special needs" house so it shows she knows all the rules, regulations and laws around that. I'm so proud of her. I guess when "somebody" suggested you become an architect...they knew what they were talking about!!! Hee, hee. Congrats, baby sis.

Close to the tree

2011-05-05T13:47:00.001-05:00

Jim got home really late last night. Finn was super excited to see him this morning until Jim grabbed him and tackled him on our bed. I think Finn is afraid he will have to go back to sleep or something!

A very big huge thank you to my cousin, Dan. He, who happens to be an electrician, came over Tuesday to fix our wonky electrical issues in the upstairs. And now, Korri can have a functioning space heater in her room without shorting out the entire floor! I'm so happy. She was probably fine, but as Becky can attest to, Korri's room can get pretty chilly (it was Becky's room for a while). Now I don't need to obsessively put fleece on her every night (or freeze when I feed her).

As a parent, there are plenty of moments when you want to pull your hair out, lock your kid(s) in a closet or just leave and never come back (or at least for a long time!). No? Maybe it's just me ;) Anyway, today Finn's actions just made me stop, appreciate him and smile. He was watching Super Why (possibly his favorite cartoon) and he told me that his hair was getting long. I'm guessing he heard it from somewhere else?!?! Anyway, I told him that Auntie NaeNae was going to cut it tomorrow and maybe even go swimming with him (she has a pool at her apartment). He reacted exactly how I would have, if I had received really exciting information (FYI: He LOVES swimming). He started over exaggerating his words and was REALLY into Super Why and kept kind of bouncing up and down. I asked him if he was excited and he said, "yeah." I tend to have strong reactions about certain things as well. It was just a moment that I'll cherish. Not that I want him to be exactly like me, but it just proves the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

This is a picture of me and my babes that my mom took and I wanted to share:

Cute, cute, cute!

2011-05-04T08:01:00.001-05:00

They are ready! For your viewing pleasure, Korri's 3 month pictures:

www.jessicahislop.com/clients/Korri
password: 3months

I know it gets repetitive, but, as always, Jessica Hislop is/was amazing. Korri is such a serious baby a lot of the time, that I was concerned we wouldn't get many goods pictures. However, I needn't have worried. Jess did a great job of getting a lot of variety of Korri's expressions. I just love them. Jess, thank you so much. You deserve some type of award :) And I'm pretty sure Korri deserves an award for holding up her head the longest...seriously, she was a rock star!

What's that?

2011-05-03T21:31:00.001-05:00

Finn's somewhat new thing is to ask "what's that?" It is really cute and not nearly as annoying as "why?" but I know that phase is coming, too! We were on a walk today and he kept asking what things were. I just love being able to communicate so well with him. His other common question is, "What are you doing?" This one isn't as cute as "What's that?" but it just shows me how aware he is of his surroundings.

Finn is now allowed to go up and down the stairs by himself (meaning no parent standing behind him). I prefer when he does it on the basement stairs because there is carpet at the bottom of them, but he does a great job (and I don't have a heart attack if I don't watch him). He always asks first whether he can go up or down. I like that so I know to listen for him (not that I wouldn't hear him fall!).

I think I dare say that Korri is only getting up two or three times a night now! I am so grateful. She is still very fussy in the evenings and likes to be held pretty much all day, but I feel like her colic is slowly getting better. She also occasionally lets me put her in the swing or bouncy seat for a few minutes at a time, which NEVER happened before. This is the best because it gives me a few minutes to do things like go to the bathroom and use both of my hands at one time!

Daddy had to go on a last minute work trip tonight and man, did I notice how much I rely on him in the evenings! It isn't that I can't do it by myself, but with Korri crying and only one parent, it makes dinner and bed times kind of tough. Eventually, she just has to cry it out because poor Finn does need my attention (and both hands!) some times! Jim should be back tomorrow, hopefully. Yay!