Woo Pig Sooie

Oh my! These have to be some of my favorite pictures of N that I've ever taken. Of course the Razorback onesie helps me love them, but he was just too cute with the football. If the camera battery hadn't died on me, I would have taken 100 more. (Plus the grass was kinda wet.) When N and I got home from lunch with B, the package with the Razorback gear had arrived. I quickly fed N and then changed him so that we could start our photo session. I wonder whether he'll wear Husker or Razorback clothes for the games Saturday? HMMM, considering I dress him, I don't think it'll be a hard decision. (And with a high of only 68, he'll have to wear the Razorback shirt since it's long sleeved.) Be sure to also check our yahoo pictures site. I added quite a few pictures from the past couple of weeks.

Are we there yet?

I don't really have anthing important to say tonight. I'm just bored. I suppose I'll just start rambling in hopes of rambling long enough to get me closer to bedtime. I would love to go to bed now since N hasn't slept through the night for 2 nights now, but 9:15 seems a bit early for bedtime. I must be old and boring if I'm just waiting around for bedtime. Ever since Big Brother All-Stars ended at 8, I've been wandering around not quite sure what to do with myself. I was disappointed that Chill Town has yet again manipulated everyone to be blind to them. I'm going to be sick if they breeze their way all the way to the final 2 by getting others to do their dirty work. Bad Dr. Will and Mike Boogie. ( www.cbs.com/primetime/bigbrother7/ ) Trip's family got a fence put in today. Now all we need is our neighbor behind us to put one up and we're pretty much set. N and I went to N City today with a friend from church. She wanted company on her ride down and asked if we wanted to go. It got us out of the house so I was more than happy to go along. N City is the oh so happening place that's claim to fame is being the "home of the international holiday Arbor Day". ( www.nebraskacity.com ) It did look like it might be fun to walk around the Arbor Farm and see all of the attractions there. Maybe that'll be a day trip some Friday this fall. We might try to go to the zoo this Friday. ( www.omahazoo.com) Since school just started it's too early for field trips and shouldn't be to busy. Brad is more than anxiously awaiting Saturday. We will be going to the opening Husker game that afternoon. Hopefully we will make it home in time to see Arkansas suprise USC. (we'll see) Nate should be getting his first offical Razorback gear in the mail tomorrow. I'll definitely take a picture and post it. The clock on the computer says it's now 9:30. Maybe if I get ready for bed really slowly, it'll be close to 10. (really, really slowly) I've wasted enough of all of our time - good night.

Touchdown Rockets! (yeah right)

I had a flashback to my high school days on Friday, and then realized how old I am getting. A and D asked if we would like to go see a couple of the good high school teams football game on Friday. It reminded me of the good old times going to War Memorial to "watch" the Catholic High Rockets (who at the time were horrible!) get beat by yet another team. It was a good time, but I left feeling old. It's hard to believe next year will be my 10 year reunion!

We also had B's fam over for dinner on Saturday night. D and K hadn't seen N in several weeks and were anxious to. N put on quite a show of rolling, happily screaming, and laughing.

Today N headed to his babysitter's at 8 am so that B and I could participate in "Step Out and Serve O" once church was over. We spent our afternoon priming and painting what will one day be a missionary school. Thank goodness it's cooler today since there's no AC.

Help! I need somebody, Help! Not just anybody, Help! You know I need someone, Help!

I am having a decorating block and would love some help with it. On either side of the kitchen window there are 3 shelves that I can't figure out what to do with. The are fairly narrow and as deep as a kitchen cabinet. I don't want them to sit empty, but I also don't want them to end up cluttered with trinkets. I would appreciate any ideas you might have concerning them. Thanks!

A Mover and A Shaker

Since N is now a roller, we decided it was time for an exersaucer. The doctor had recommended it, but it wasn't in the budget. He has a roof over his head and food in his belly; what more could the kid want? As soon as he began to roll around, we soon decided it was worth it whether the budget said so or not. He LOVES it! He spins around in the circle and plays with each of the different toys. He'll laugh and talk as he plays. I'll get some better pictures as time goes by.

Susie Homemaker

When I went to get my N driver's liscense, I had to fill out paperwork that asked what my occupation is. It was odd to not put teacher but homemaker instead. Since then I have been hard at work filling my new roll as homemaker/housewife/stay-at-home-mom. I thought, what better way to jump into my new role with both feet than pull out the old sewing machine and whip out some curtains for N's room. That's exactly what Susie Homemaker would do, right? It wasn't much, but it did take several hours (Susie is experienced and would have had them done in 30 minutes) and multiple calls home to Mom. (Thanks again Mom!) In the end I felt pretty good about the results. They were an inch or two shorter than I would have liked, but I learned a lot. If I've master window treatments, what's next in the homemaker's list of accomplishments? I guess that as I contemplate my next move, I will just keep cleaning the house and cooking dinner.

Attempt #1: F-A-I-L-U-R-E

We all have good intentions when we set goals, right? We think, "I'm going to start ___________ because it'll be good for me." Way back in May, I had one of those moments. I had to doc's okay for physical activity, and I was ready to get rid of the baby weight. I was going on a walk a day and feeling good about it as I knew I'd be running soon once again. Then came June and the excuses set in. We spent the beginning of June traveling here, there, and everywhere; which of course meant there was no time to go on walks. Then the big move came, and we had too much to do around the house to be wasting time on walks. The major heat (I swear the heat index had to be in the 140s) set in. (The heat is a great excuse - right?) I then had a real excuse when I broke my toe and had to wear a goofy shoe for 4 weeks. Unfortunately I seem to be running out of excuses, and that baby weight isn't going anywhere on it own. Late last week, I decided to give myself another go at this goal thing. Here it is, let's make it official: "I'm going to start walking (later running) because it'll be good for me." Wish me better luck than last time!

Working Hard

Meet Trip. No, we didn't get another dog; not yet anyways. (When we do it'll be a Brittney.) Trip is my "job". Since he's still just a puppy, I let him out of his crate once a day for about a hour to potty, feed, and play. Maggie is loving this job and has a great time wearing Trip out before I put him back in his house. The only tricky part is dragging him back to his house while carrying Nate when playtime is over. Other than that it's a fun job so far.

Since I had to camera out, I decided that it was time for a few new pictures of N. I'll work on getting them all up on our yahoo picture site, but here are a few of my favorites. I can't help but think that he is absolutely adorable! (Even if he did spit up all over himself and me as I was writing this, and both of us had to change clothes.)

Thanks Tork! Leave it to Tori to surprise you with a thumbs-up self portrait on your camera. :)

85-90-30

In the world of parenthood, those numbers have a lot of meaning. B and I both took N to the doctor this morning for his 4 month check-up. He was 16 lbs 15 oz which is the 85th percentile, his height is 26.25 inches and the 90th percentile, and his head circumference was 41.5 centimeters which is the 30th percentile. The little guy may have some adorable chubby cheeks, but his head is not quite as big as you'd think. The doctor said he looks great and is perfectly healthy. We got the okay to start him on eating solids. We are doing rice cereal for the next 3 to 4 weeks, and adding the good stuff (veggies, meats, and fruits) after that. N wasn't quite as excited about the cereal as I was. Most of what I attempted to put in his mouth was pushed right back out by his tongue. I went according to his cues and stopped the cereal after he would start to cry. I think he still prefers the simplicity and familiarity of feeding out of a bottle. He also did really well with shot #1, shot #2, and shot #3; if only there hadn't been a shot #4. Wow! That little guy can scream! (Can you tell from the picture that he's had a bit of tylenol today?)

Maggie also went for her check up today and passed with flying colors. The vet had nothing but good things to say about her. He could tell that she was in great shape. The vet also told B about some places where he could take her to swim. Of course they had to go out to the lake and check it out tonight.

B and I were just thrilled to find doctors for both our children (human and canine) that we felt good with. Both doctors got our stamp of approval.

The Rock

N and I have safely arrived in Little Rock! B is still stuck in N - boo. It's great to be here and see the fam, but wish it didn't mean leaving my much loved husband. I can't say that I mind all of the extra hands that are so eager to help with N. B tells me it's boring when I just write what we did, so I'll just leave it at this. More later - hopefully I'll have some pictures.

N's 2 cents worth

N has ben quite active in the past few days. He is constantly on the move. Lucky for me, this seems to be wearing him out more than normal, and I have more time to get things done while he sleeps. I'm posting several pictures which have been taken over the past week to show what N's been up to. I'll let him explain each picture.













Mom didn't start me out half-way off my blanket, but I quickly pivoted around to where I wanted to be. She's going to have to put something along this bannister soon! By the way, any suggestions for what to do with the rest of my fingers when I am sucking my thumb? They keep blocking my view!













I didn't like where Mom laid me on my blanket. She had me lying so that my head was where my left foot now is. By the time I got all the way around to where I wanted to be, I was exhausted! Naptime!













In this picture I am showing off by rolling from my tummy to my back. This was the second or third time in a row I had done this. I don't know why Mom didn't have the camera ready the first time.













I'm getting pretty good at this tummy time. I don't get as mad about it, and I can raise my head fairly high. All the books and magazines Mom reads says I should be pushing up with my arms soon, but I'll keep her waiting for now.













Mom and Dad both thought it would be nice if I could join them for mealtime. They set up my highchair yesterday, and I loved getting to play while they ate lunch. You can see a lot more of what's going on from up here. I'm loving it!!!













Mom wanted to put this picture up because it reminds her of herself when she was little. She used to suck her thumb while holding the satin edge of a blanket - just like I'm doing here.

That's all I know for now everybody. It's time for me to let Mom and Dad know I'm ready to eat again. Then I'd better think about trying to get in one more quick nap before bedtime. Don't forget NFL preseason starts tonight - I'm so excited for Dad to teach me all about football! Bye everyone!

Feathers and Squirts

I should be heading back to the bedrooms to get started cleaning, but there are way more entertaining things to be doing - like blogging. So, as I sit here blogging, I have a good old rerun of Trading Spaces on. It just so happens to be the one where Hilde decides it would be beautiful to cover bedroom walls with feathers. Seriously, what design school did she attend; I'm guessing she was kicked out. I've been on a Trading Space kick for the past couple of days after not having watched in several months. Maybe it'll help with ideas for around our house, although feathers will not find their way out of a pillow or down comforter around here.

N's name for the day is "Squirt". He is usually really good when I change his diaper and has shot at me less than one hand worth of times. For some reason he decided to make up for lost time today. He shot at me this morning when I was changing him and getting him dressed for the day; that onesie didn't last long. He then decided it was so much fun to watch me jump and the shocked look on my face, he tried it again. He got the same shocked look and all from this morning just like he wanted. He loved it so much that he began to laugh at me when I jumped back. I'm not as brave as the nurse at the pediatrician's office who just covers it with her hand until he's done. Looking forward to having a little boy still Matt and Lindsay? I think I'll put B on diaper duty for the night! :)

Don't say that word

Our busy week continued on with fun nights both Thursday and Friday.

Thursday is our regular "date night" where N gets babysat by a wonderful lady from church. We started by going out to eat at the Scarlet and Cream Letter Club (yes, it's a Husker place). Good food, but I don't think I'd go for the french dip every time. We then walked around the outdoor mall that is right there. I'm very excited that J.Crew has decided to move to O now that I have. It should be open in the next few weeks. We also have an AT Loft which is another great place. Does LR have either yet? The store we're still missing is Janie and Jack. Although considering what the price tags look like and how fast N grows, it might just be a good thing! (check it out: www.janieandjack.com ) Anyways, we went back to the house and decided to top off our date night with a romantic mowing of the lawn. We decided it'd be smart to get it done while we were kidless. I mowed, B edged, and we were done in 20 minutes. (For working in the dark, we did a pretty good job!)

Last night we headed over to A and D's (B's sis and bro-in-law) for some food and games. We had quite a few laughs playing Taboo and A and I beat D and B 35ish to 13ish before they finally decided catching up was impossible. I couldn't get A to guess "thong", and D had quite a time trying to get around to "wonder bra" with B. I can remember playing Taboo regularly with Jeff, Shana, and Jason. Jeff and Jason had some strange connection where they could guess everything with just one word for a clue. Shana and I became great at losing! Oh well, it's a fun memory!

If I could only figure out a way to make this happen on command, I could have very productive days! :)

There's still some holes to fill and things have to grow some, but here is the start to our front garden. (I promise it really does look better in person.)

Busy Days, Busy Nights

It's been a busy couple of days for the Ks as you probably assumed since I hadn't posted in a few days. We've had and still do have something going on nearly every night this week. I've been keeping my days busy by trying to keep up around the house. It seems that no matter how hard I try, things never seem to be fully done. It'd be nice to wake up one morning and think, "I don't have to pick up around the house today."

Last night was a late night for all of us. We had a youth function going on which was quite a ways from our house even though it was still in O. It was an enjoyable evening, but it was also 11:30 before we got home last night. Luckily B didn't head into work quite as early as usual this morning.

N is currently sleeping which means I should be getting other things done. (Like picking up around the house, argh.) I also have to take my car in because my AC doesn't seem to be working that well again - yuck!

gardens, garages, and grrrrrs

Today was a complete work day for B and I. We started our day out planting a few flowers and shrubs in the front garden. We were suppose to go buy a few more plants, but we kept to busy all day. (Maybe tomorrow.) Once we have some more plants in, I will post a picture.

We then moved into the garage and began to attack the beast of a mess that our garage had become. We put up shelves, organized things, and hung some stuff up high and out of the way. It looks so good now. If we didn't have an entire corner (I'm talking 25+ boxes) worth of teaching stuff that has no classroom, we would have the best looking garage around.

Maggie hasn't been getting her fair share of blog updates thanks to N, but today is her day. She is really enjoying herself in the new house. One of her favorite places is the sub-basement where there is bare concrete. She has also made friends with the 2 boxer dogs next door. She goes over to play in Willis and Tripper's yard a few time a week. (They have a fence.) She would love to play with the german shorthair pointer puppy on the other side, but they think Maggie is too big to play with him. Just wait! She also has been enjoying lots of early morning runs with B before he heads off to work. She is looking forward to cooler weather so that B and I will start going out to play fetch with her more often.

Enough for now. We've worked hard today, and I'm tired. Have a good one!

Drool Monster

N's official new title is going to be "Drool Monster." He is soaking everything in sight. I've checked his gums for any sign of teeth wanting to appear, but there's nothing there. I can't seem to keep anything dry. He was good to B and I this morning because he slept from 9:30 last night until 7:30 this morning without waking up once. It was a much need change from what was becoming the norm.

B and I both had seperate lunch arrangements for today. I had lunch with one of the other pastor's wife. B, even though it's his day off, had 2 meeting he had to go in for. He's on his way home now and we are going to take advantage of the much cooler weather (only 79 right now). I've been anxiously awaiting help from B to get the rest of the landscaping done in the front yard. I knew today was going to be nice and the perfect day for yard work. So, I starting buying flowers earlier this week so that we woud HAVE TO get it done this weekend! :) I'll put pictures up when we get done. I'd better go get changed into some yard work clothes.

Have a great Friday!!!!

Solid zzzzz's

I'm taking bids for who would like to spend some quality time with N. No reasonable offer will be refused!!!! Okay, seriously, N has had 2 nights in a row of bad sleep. I don't know what is causing him to wake up so much at night. He had been sleeping through the night for a month or so now. Two nights ago we had to give him a bottle to settle him down. Then last night I had to hold him until he was sound asleep again. That lasted a little while and then he woke up again. The only way we could calm him was to let him be in bed with us. I'm afraid to see what tonight is going to hold. I am exhausted beyond belief due to the lack of a solid night of sleep, and I know Brad isn't enjoying the latest develoments yet.

Progress: furniture, sod, a tree

After several attempts and B patiently "loving" them all, I finally am happy with the way the furniture is situated in the living room. N even has his own furniture in the room. He got a swing the other day, and he seems to love it. He loves anything with a toy dangling above his head, so this was a sure fire winner. (And it's a baby toy that plugs in rather than requires batteries! Hard to find!)

B came in the bedroom after his run this morning (I was still sleeping) and asked me what kind of tree I wanted. The tree planters came today and planted our front yard tree. It's a maple just like I love. Unfortunately we have to buy and plant the rest of the trees - trees aren't cheap! Notice the lovely green grass that surrounds the tree. :)
Here's a question for you to answer: What temp do you keep your air conditioning at? B and I are at odds over what the "normal" temp is for a house. Ours is currently set at 75. I'd love to bump it up a couple degrees, but B would love to set it lower so he won't sweat all the time. I'm just curious what other people consider "the perfect temp".

It's been a normal Monday. I did some cleaning, made and few phone calls, and still need to wash dishes and iron. I'm trying to keep my distance from N since I think I am coming down with a cold of some sort. He's not quite understanding my reasoning on this, but mother knows best, right? I'm trying to get a couple of the other rooms in the house picture worthy. Once they're there, I'll post what the rest of our house looks like.