Stewart Sweethearts

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

2011-10-28T20:01:00.005-04:00

Janie's favorite game right now is "find da punkins!" We will be driving down the road and out of nowhere, I'll here exclaimed in a squeaky, little voice "PUNKIN, PUNKIN!!" It's no wonder since our last few weeks have been taken over by pumpkins and the patches they grow in.

At the first farm we visited, we enjoyed a corn maze, hay ride and some time feeding the animals. It was windy but fun. The girls also really enjoyed the hay slide, towers and piles of hay to play in. We ended the day with dinner at a restaurant with a play land. The girls were in heaven.
Later in the week, we painted some little pumpkins. Janie has asked to repeat the activity almost every day since. Lucky for her, I forgot to spray the pumpkins before putting them out on the front porch and the rain returned them to their original orange color so I foresee more pumpkin painting in the near future!

Last weekend, we headed out to another local pumpkin patch to finally pick our carving pumpkins. The girls loved the wagon ride out and back, pulled by daddy. Janie thought he was having so much fun, that she needed to join him on the way back. We were all thrilled to end our pumpkin hunting trip with another hayride. The girls loved it and I just love our girls!

Apple Picking

2011-10-24T21:06:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite family Fall activities is to go apple picking. I love looking back at photos from over the years and seeing how much my girls have grown. This is not a promise to blog regularly again, but at least a hope that I'll share their growth from time to time. Here are a few of my favorite pics from our trip this year.

We rounded out our trip to the orchard with pony rides, fresh apple cider and apple doughnuts. It was a sweet trip all around! As much as the girls loved picking the apples, the true delight seems to be the gallons of applesauce we made over the next few weeks. Have I mentioned how much I love fall? We are looking forward to enjoying the fruits of our labors well into the winter and beyond.

Thanksgiving Vacation

2009-11-30T20:54:00.006-05:00

Kurt was generously given all 4 days around Thanksgiving off this year. Other than rounding in the morning a couple times, he was all ours!! It was heavenly and I can't believe how much we were able to get done! Our mini-vacation included:

Raking leaves and re-raking leaves!

Where's Kiersten?

Happy girls who have missed their hard working daddy terribly

an EARLY morning breakfast with giggly sisters
A 22lb turkey for our little family of 4 (we love a full freezer!)
A pumpkin pie that no one ate but HAD to be baked according to one sweet 3-year-old
Black Friday shopping
Date night, which included more Black Friday shopping
Our first 5K as a family
We met up with a few friends before the race started.
Kurt and I were excited to get out together as a family (thanks Leisy for being a part of the fam!)
The older girls were excited by pink glow sticks and warm blankets. They sweetly sang "Jingle Bells" to Kurt over and over again as we ran. My stroller-mate, on the other hand, cried most of the time. Jane made the mistake of waking up moments before the race started and decided to offer her own form of motivation!
Kurt and I were grateful we finished the race in just under 38 minutes and ran (okay, slowly jogged) the whole time. Not bad for our first attempt - we were merely aiming to beat the parade!

Watching the Christmas Lights Parade

Dancing with the band

Putting up Christmas lights and decorating the house for the holidays

Checking out our handy-work in our PJ's

Spending a peaceful Sunday together

I loved every minute and was even smiling when Kiersten assumed Kurt was home again today - that means he's been around a bit. Needless to say, we're counting down the days until Kurt's next vacation!!

Baby Girl x 3

2009-11-21T20:31:00.003-05:00

Kiersten Diane 2 months
Audrey Elizabeth 2 1/2 months

Jane Evelyn 2 months
At two months old Janie:

is still a dream baby
sleeps for 6-8 hour stretches at night
naps almost all day
nurses quickly and peacefully
loves to snuggle
enjoys being rocked
tolerates her sisters
loves to talk to people
lights up when she sees her daddy and sisters
has been poked, prodded, kissed, snuggled, rocked, shushed and startled yet still lights up when she sees her sisters
loves her baths
weighs 11lbs 14oz (75% - my smallest 2 month old - Kiersten 12lbs 1oz, Audrey 13lbs)
is 23 inches long (75% - same length as Kiersten, Audrey 22")
loves being "worn" in the wrap
has some red in her new hair
sucks her thumb, when she can find it.
makes it hard to remember life before three!

What we're doing

2009-10-11T22:10:00.003-04:00

In my newborn haze, I somehow misspelled my sister-in-law's name when originally posting about her visit - sorry Kristin!

In other news, we've been doing a lot of this lately...
Audrey jumps into the chair as soon as she sees Janie is awake and asks to hold her. For a few days, she would then quickly request the camera for a photo-op. She is in love with her new sister and hates to leave her (and my) side. Hopefully she'll be back to her happy, independent self soon.

Kiersten is loving school and even seems more well-behaved on school days. She is happy to reunite with her sisters and tell us all about her day (all two hours of it). It's been fun to see how quickly her skills, like writing her letters, have improved since school started.

Jane is still a very mellow baby. I am shocked at what good girl she is. When she has a rough day or night I am quickly reminded what life could be like and grateful when she returns to her happy, sleeping self the next day. She is becoming more alert every day and I'm pretty sure we saw the begins of a smile today. She's a doll who, at one month old, loves to be swaddled, nurses like a champ, sleeps well day and night, gets the hiccups before falling asleep- every time, and loves her mom and daddy. She is very tolerant of the girls and really only cries when she's hungry. We'll keep her.

Apple Picking

2009-09-26T21:30:00.005-04:00

We were lucky enough to have Kurt's sister, Kristin, in town for our annual apple picking trip. The weather was perfect and we had the orchard almost totally to ourselves. Kiersten is an apple picking pro but it didn't take Audrey long to catch on to what we were doing. Janie was an angel, sleeping the entire time. What a wonderful way to welcome fall!

Apple Sauce, Apple Butter, Apple Pie.........here we come!

First Day of School

2009-09-21T19:37:00.002-04:00

The week before Janie was born, Kiersten started preschool! Myself, along with several other moms are taking turns in a co-op preschool. Since I knew I'd be having the baby shortly, I volunteered to teach the first week and it was great! The kids were adorable and so excited to be "going to school." Kiersten loved every minute of it and asks almost every night if she has school the next day.

Since the first week was at our house, I didn't take "first day of school" pictures until the second week. Audrey was a bit sad to see her playmate go but quickly warmed up to errands with mom when she realized it involved extra attention and a few treats here and there. It is amazing how much can be accomplished with only one little person in tow. Thankfully, we'll still get a bit done because Janie won't really slow us down for a while still!
Kiersten loved packing her backpack and going to "Mrs. Cyndi's". I still can't believe my little girl is old enough for preschool. I am looking forward to this year and all she will learn, it amazes me how much she craves new information, I'm just glad I won't have to be the only one to provide it!

Of course Audrey was excited at the end of the 2 hours to pick Kiersten up. It's adorable how excited she is for her big sister, she even carries her own backpack. I think the greatest part of my day was watching these two girls reunite, the love they share melts my heart. I feel so blessed to have three little girls who are and will continue to grow up as great friends - what a gift!

More Janie

2009-09-20T20:04:00.004-04:00

Happy Daddy!

Janie's been home for just over a week and is as delightful as ever. She really may be the perfect baby for our family. The transition from two to three has been almost seamless - we'll see if I'm singing the same tune when Kurt goes back to work tomorrow, but for right now things couldn't be better! Jane weighed in at 7lbs 13oz on Friday and we're pretty sure she'll plump up quickly, just like her sisters did!

All packed up and ready to head home from the hospital.

Now that she is here I am not nearly as tired so hopefully I'll have the energy to catch up the blog on all of our fun summer activities, but first we're getting ready for a visit from Kurt's sister, Kristin, what a fun week we'll have!

First Bath at home!

Expert baby bather

Jane Evelyn Stewart

2009-09-10T19:06:00.003-04:00

Jane came to us at 5:14 pm 9/9/09 on a beautiful sunny day. She is 7 lbs 11 oz, 21 inches long, and looks very much like one of our daughters. Labor went very well. Both she and Beth are doing quite well, and they will come home tomorrow. Hope you like the pictures, there will be plenty more where these came from.

Our little daredevil

2009-07-07T22:01:00.007-04:00

At 18 months, Audrey has no fear. Unlike Kiersten, Audrey is willing to climb anything and try everything. She has fallen in love with slides - the taller the better. These photos were taken one afternoon when she figured out she could go down the slide all by herself. She ran the loop around to the stairs countless times, and proudly exclaimed "did it!" each time she successfully landed at the bottom of the slide. I sure love her but she certainly requires a watchful eye! (Coming soon - the really tall slide Kiersten was afraid of until Audrey showed her how fun it can be!)

Eight Years Later

2009-07-07T21:52:00.002-04:00

On May 11th, Kurt and I celebrated our 8th anniversary. Every year we trade off planning Valentine's Day and our anniversary. This year Kurt was in charge of the anniversary festivities. We had a fun night which included dinner out and a visit to the local theater. We enjoyed the sounds of local musicians at a concert entitled Red,White and Rhapsody in Blue. What anniversary celebration would be complete without a patriotic sing-along?? I believe we were the only people in the entire theater who weren't members of the AARP, but we still had a blast. During intermission, many of the sweet old ladies in the lobby were overly excited about the baby-belly. Never have I had so many strangers ask me questions about my growing physique. Overall it was a really fun night, but then again any date night is a blast!

Spring Sprang

2009-07-07T21:43:00.003-04:00

and we never blogged about it...

At the beginning of May we went to a local place called the 577 foundation for a fun playgroup. The girls loved picking dandelions and playing in the bee room. Kiersten couldn't get enough of the live beehive and Audrey was content pretending to be a busy little bee in the over-sized honeycomb. We were all thrilled to enjoy the first warm days of Spring!

Counting Down

2009-05-13T22:07:00.001-04:00

We can hardly wait for Grandma and Grandpa to arrive!

Baby Love

2009-05-13T22:01:00.003-04:00

These pictures make me want to scoop her up and snuggle her right this second! Agree?

Sisterly Love

2009-05-07T16:11:00.004-04:00

How could we not be excited about another little girl?

Singing - their favorite pastime

Waiting at the door for Kiersten to get out of the bath

Audrey and Kiersten love to copy each other - Audrey just had to wear a headband because Kiersten had one on too!

I love how adoringly Audrey is looking at Kiersten - such love!

What Else?

2009-05-06T08:09:00.003-04:00

What else would happen when mom leaves the room to workout and shower...

At least they love to help clean up!

Easter

2009-05-03T19:50:00.005-04:00

The Easter Bunny came!

The girls were on cloud nine when the Easter bunny came to visit. That naughty bunny pulled all sorts of tricks around our house. He walked on our table, making a mess with the flour, but he left us breakfast! He swiped the Easter baskets earlier in the week but brought them back full of treats! Best of all, he took our pretty colored eggs and hid them all around the house - along with LOTS of candy filled eggs. We enjoyed a lovely time having fun with the Easter bunny. We also spent a good deal of time talking and celebrating our Savior. It was a beautiful opportunity to remember the sacrifices of our Heavenly Father and of His Son. Is there anything better than celebrating the holidays through the eyes of your children?

Chocolate Bunny! Candy Eggs!
Audrey exploring her Easter spoils .
Coloring Easter morning.
Paints from the bunny.
Chocolate!

Boy, Oh Boy

2009-04-28T11:16:00.002-04:00

It's a GIRL!

Kurt, Kiersten, Audrey and I are thrilled to be expecting a new, healthy baby girl in September! If she's anything like her sisters, Kurt and I consider ourselves incredibly fortunate. Kiersten and Audrey are already the best of friends and I know they will gladly welcome their new baby sister into the fold. At the last minute, Kurt and I changed our minds and took the girls to the ultrasound. They LOVED seeing their new sister and hearing her little heart beating. Kurt and I are just over the moon that she is happy and healthy- we are so blessed!

More Easter Fun!

2009-04-21T19:03:00.003-04:00

It's Cold!

On Friday, the girls and I met up with some friends to watch the animals at the zoo "hunt" for eggs. Well, let's just say, the hype did not deliver. After waiting a while to see the chimps, we were a bit disappointed when they didn't even venture towards their baskets. Oh well, we scrapped the rest of the scheduled animal egg hunts (the zoo was crazy busy!) and instead went in the opposite direction, enjoyed relatively quiet exhibits. It was COLD but the kids had a blast, as always. I don't know if my girls, or myself for that matter, will ever tire of visiting the zoo! The highlight of our trip was seeing the giraffes - both Kiersten and Audrey thought it was well worth the wait!

The Giraffes!

Kurt was lucky enough to have the weekend off. So, on Saturday we took the girls to an Easter Egg hunt where they dropped 20,000 eggs from a helicopter. It was a madhouse but so fun to see. Our girls were lucky enough to get a few eggs (Kiersten-8, Audrey-1). Sadly, even with 20,000 eggs, so kids weren't so fortunate. Kiersten kindly offered to share and both kiddos had more fun watching the helicopter than running onto the field packed with parents. It was definitely an experience!

Waiting for the fun to begin.

Egg Drop!

Happy Hunters

Egg Dying

2009-04-15T19:12:00.000-04:00

The first pink egg - I love the surprise and delight in her eyes!

After a fun filled day which included story time, a trip to the park and an early FAMILY dinner we finished up the night by decorating Easter eggs. Last week Kurt arranged his schedule to make sure he would be home for dinner and time with the girls on Thursday. Dying eggs with Kiersten was the perfect end to a beautiful, sunny day!

Last year was fun but this year was terrific. She loved seeing what colors the eggs would come out to be! The surprise and excitement on her little face was priceless. Unintentionally, this has turned into a daddy-daughter activity. After dinner I mix the dye, set up the table and stepped back to watch these two have fun (which is the best part in my opinion)!

Kurt had to step out of the room as Kiersten was finishing up putting stickers on her eggs. She turned to me while I was in the kitchen and said "I just love a quiet evening, decorating eggs!" and boy was she right. It was a beautiful day and she and I were both thoroughly content to enjoy the sounds of the birds singing outside while we went about our separate activities. I love spring and am totally in love with my three-year-old!

Egg magic!

We apologize for the crying Audrey in the background, she was exhausted and it was past her bedtime so it took a few minutes for her to wind down once she was put to bed...that or she knew she was missing out on all the fun.

Easter Playgroup

2009-04-14T19:20:00.004-04:00

Lunch Time!

My big girl sporting her new cheesy grin for the camera!

Last week the girls and I enjoyed a potluck lunch and Easter egg hunt with our friends at playgroup. It was a great way to kick off our Easter celebrations! I can't believe how grown up Audrey is becoming. She sat nicely at the kids table through her (and my!) entire lunch. She only joined me at the very end while we were waiting for the egg hunt to start.

Waiting for the hunt to begin!

Most of the kiddos

Found one!

The girls had fun searching for eggs, it only took Audrey a moment to catch on to what we were doing. The kids were each told to find 10 eggs and while I was busy helping Audrey, Kiersten managed to fill her basket full! She quickly recounted and turned over her extras to several smaller kids still searching.

Enjoying the fruits of their labor
Egg-tastic!

It was such a fun time and the best treat of the day were the little toy balls found in a few of the eggs. The girls spent the rest of the time throwing them up and down the hall with one another! I'm so grateful we have such fun friends to spend time with each week!

Ready for the Sun to Shine

2009-03-26T16:00:00.003-04:00

We are ready for the sun to shine! Bring on the warmth!

Messy

2009-03-19T09:44:00.002-04:00

I've been a bit of a mess the last few months. My precious girls have been so sweet and as understanding as you can be at 3 and 1. We've spent a good amount of time in our jammies just hanging around the house. Kurt's been a doll, helping when he's home, running out to buy the only thing that sounds good enough to eat for dinner and tolerating my emotional outbursts. I'm just so grateful for my terrific little family and glad that we're leaving winter and the last 12 weeks behind us!

Thankfully, I am finally starting to feel more like myself! I'm back to being able to sit behind the computer thus back to blogging. I apologize to the grandmas for the lack of posts. The great news is, Spring is here so we'll have even more to share as we get out of the house and enjoy the newness of this beautiful season. I feel a bit like the trees starting to bud leaves - it's been a long, hard winter but we are all ready to bask in the sun again!

Darling Kiersten has been such a BIG helper. She plays so nicely with her little sis and knows that sometimes mommy needs a minute before fulfilling her endless requests =) She is excited for the new baby who she is convinced is a girl and has been a great snuggler during Audrey's morning nap when all I've wanted to do is sleep! She now loves to find rhymes and tell knock-knock jokes that only she laughs at. She loses herself deep in her imagination each day. Kiersten still loves music and asks to listen to the Tarzan soundtrack over, and over, and over again! She's growing up too quickly!

Poor Audrey hasn't understood where her (3rd) favorite playmate has gone. My once independent little girl has been a bit more clingy and shy. This is probably also due to several new molars poking up their ugly heads and a few nasty brushes with illness. She has become really good at bringing me books because she knows I'll always read to her! Now that she is healthy and pain free, she's eating both Kiersten and I under the table. Her 15 month check-up today revealed a tall, skinny girl with a big head. She's now 21 lbs 3 oz (25%) and 32 inches long (90%). She took her shots like a champ, only yelling for a second with no tears spilled. She LOVES following Kiersten around and is my girly-girl, always looking for necklaces, babies and shoes. What a doll!

Fairy Princesses

2009-03-14T10:29:00.004-04:00

January 31, 2009

A typical afternoon...

Isn't it great when these two play together?

They Keep Us Laughing

2009-03-12T22:12:00.010-04:00

January 10, 2009

We recently received the Cooties game. The first time we played as a family, Kurt made his "coogie" (as Kiersten calls them) blow a raspberry. I must have made some comment that neither Kurt nor I dwelt on but Kiersten picked up with amazing precision. Later, we caught her at the table playing with the finished "coogies" and reenacting our previous exchange. Gotta love the 3-year-old mirror!

January 26, 2009

Audrey has discovered The Backyardigans. When either Kurt or I are flying solo at bedtime, we allow Kiersten to watch a show while we put Audrey down. Well, Audrey now insists on dancing along with the opening credits before heading to her room for stories. She's too stinkin' cute for us!

Happy 3-0 Kurt!

2009-03-12T21:58:00.002-04:00

January 9, 2009

Kurt turned the big 3-0 this year. We celebrated by opening presents, singing and blowing out candles on the (cheese)cake as a family. Before the cake was even cut, we put the girls to bed, hired a babysitter and went to dinner, just the two of us, to The Real Seafood Co. The food was great, the company was even better. It was a low-key celebration at the end of a busy work week. Two days before, I surprised Kurt with an early birthday gift of sorts - baby # 3. I tried waiting until his birthday to share the news - something cute like "3 kids at 30" or whatever but well, we just don't keep secrets (and I was already feeling pretty crumby) and I've been told that I am "not allowed" to withhold such information - ever. Either way it was a memorable way to say goodbye to his twenties. Happy birthday, you only get finer with age cute boy!

Presents and birthday hugs

Helping Daddy

Singing to Daddy

As has become tradition, Kurt requested a cheesecake for his birthday. I think it's because he knows it's the one time of year he's guaranteed I'll make it. Only three candles, no sense in getting all out of breath.

Wii Fit

2009-03-12T21:50:00.004-04:00

January 8, 2009

Santa's helper woke up at 3am the day after Thanksgiving to hit up some awesome sales. The best surprise - a Wii Fit waiting for me when we got home from Idaho! Kurt and I have really enjoyed playing and up until a few nights before these pictures were taken, the girls didn't even know it existed. One night Kiersten got out of bed and found us setting it up in the living room. Needless to say, she asked every day if she could play "Mommy's game" until we finally found an evening where we could set it up for her. She did really well! We also learned that her BMI is awesome for her age and that she has some rhythm. Audrey didn't want to miss out on the action so we pulled out the box and she used it as her own board. Too cute!

Splish Splash

2009-03-12T21:18:00.004-04:00

January 7, 2009

As soon as dinner is over Audrey starts patting her tummy (splashing) and asking for a bath. She and Kiersten always have so much fun playing together and bath time is no exception. Audrey has also turned into quite the teaser and keeps me laughing with the games she plays. I love her infectious little giggle - she usually has Kiersten and me in stitches!

Budding MusiciansTaking my picture with the soap
Beauties

Splashy Smiles

There are few things I love more than a fresh from the bath, sweet smelling, snuggly baby.

Because I Love My Cooking Group Gals

2009-02-12T21:54:00.004-05:00

The blog that I used for tonight's recipe is The Sisters' Cafe. My darling friend, Sarah, posted about the website here. I too have tried the Fresh Alpine Potato Soup and many other recipes from the sisters' cute little blog. (The Cranberry Salsa is delicious!) I love it and regularly visit for inspiration! Here is the recipe from tonight if you don't want to follow the link. The only differences are: I used walnuts. I also used 8oz of Heath bar bits instead of Skor and didn't reserve any for the top. Happy cooking!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
Submitted by Mindy
2 1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts - I used pecans, but walnuts or macadamias would be great, too.
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
10 oz. Skor toffee bits
Stir together flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg and mix well. Stir in 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips and all of nuts. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of this mixture and press remaining into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Pour milk over hot crust and top with 1 1/2 cups toffee bits. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over top plus remaining chips. Bake 25-30 more minutes. Top with remaining toffee bits.

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

2009-01-02T15:45:00.004-05:00

Well, the suitcases are unpacked and tucked up on the top shelf. The laundry is washed, folded and put away. The Christmas decorations are tucked in their respective boxes and placed in the closets where they will live for the next 11 months. The thank-you notes are stamped and in the mail. The new presents and toys have found homes. Kurt has used up all but 25 cents on his Itunes gift card, and my elliptical has been dusted off after a 10 day break. The holidays are officially over in our house and only one task lingers...updating our family journal aka the blog. Over the past month we have celebrated 2 birthdays, traveled to Detroit, Utah, and Idaho, opened too many presents, eaten too many sweets, and missed too many hours of sleep. I plan on spending the next little while posting about all of our not so exciting adventures, but for record keeping sake, will probably post them according to their respective dates. So, for those NOT using google reader or something similar, you may want to scroll down for the next little while when checking for updates. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

Christmas In Idaho

2008-12-28T19:11:00.008-05:00

We were so LUCKY to get to go to Idaho for Christmas. Both Kiersten and Audrey were in little-girl heaven. Growing up so far from cousins turns any visit into one big party! We flew into SLC late in the evening and even though our luggage wasn't there, we thankfully had carseats. We were also fortunate because the rental company had a 4-wheel-drive vehicle available right when we were picking up our car! So, even though Idaho Falls was in the midst of a snow storm, we plowed ahead and were blessed with clear roads and snowless skies almost the entire drive. The girls slept peacefully almost the entire way (they NEVER sleep in the car) and we arrived only a few hours behind schedule. Kurt's brother and sister-in-law so so amazingly hospitable. We enjoyed lots of time together as family, plenty of cousin play time, snuggles with grandma and grandpa,Christmas carolling, a double date for the mom's and dad's (thanks again for babysitting Kris and Grandma and Grandpa), church and even a short visit with family in Utah. It was an AMAZING week that we won't soon forget. The only downside was the cousin-withdrawal when we got home.

Game Time with Uncle Kurt
Dress-up Dance Party

Story Time with Cousins

Snow!

It was so deep she couldn't walk

Cookies for Santa
Grandpa's a pro decorator

Christmas Morning

Santa delivered! The pink camera she "always wanted"

Santa guessed right for lil sis too

Stockings with Grandma

Lots of cute clothes!

Audrey loved Daddy's dart board too!

Kiersten was so excited to give the gifts she picked out. A Magnadoodle for Audrey (no more sharing!)

A tutu for cousin Brynlee - Kiersten LOVED going to the fabric store and once she learned Brynlee like Pink, Purple and Blue we HAD to use all three colors. She told everyone she could that she was going to make a tutu for Bryn just like hers.

Idaho Falls Temple Visitors Center

Kurt's grandpa was able to come up for a few days to visit too!

The end - All Tuckered Out!

She's faking

I'll say it again, it was a wonderful trip. It was the first time most of the family met Audrey and the first time Kiersten can remember her cousins. We made so many memories, didn't take near enough pictures (none of cute Josh sharing his toys with Auds), and were so sad to say goodbye. It was the best Christmas gift and we can't thank Kurt's parents and family enough for making it all happen!

Christmas Angels

2008-12-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

I can't resist the matching Christmas dresses.

Our girls had a chance to meet Santa at the church Christmas party. Kiersten was so excited to meet Santa and sweetly asked for a "real pink camera." As our girls get older, the holidays become more fun each year. It was wonderful to see a glimpse of the magic through 3-year-old eyes.

The party had a pajamas theme - hence the odd outfits. I loved the girls Christmas jammies though - they looked like little elves with their little striped legs!

I looke like I was the only one happy to see Santa. It was way past the girls' bedtimes and they were both a bit glazed over. It was a fun night though!

Kiersten's Birthday

2008-12-17T22:24:00.000-05:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Kiersten

2008-12-17T21:32:00.004-05:00

Kiersten's birthday was a busy one but that's what happens when you're born the week before Christmas! Thankfully, she knew what our priority should be and woke up requesting different birthday songs. We started out the morning with a special family breakfast. Then, while Kurt was at work, the girls and I went to a Christmas party for playgroup. Kiersten enjoyed playing with her friends, eating lunch and decorating cupcakes. She was so excited when her friends sang "Happy Birthday" to her.

That evening, when Kurt got home from work, Kiersten opened her presents. All week, she knew they were tucked behind the couch and never went near them once. She was so excited when she knew it was time to open her gifts. I was so grateful for her patience since I know it won't be like that every year!

Next, Kiersten and Dad went and picked up her requested dinner - pizza! After dinner we all hopped in the car to deliver Christmas goodies to a few friends. Kiersten loved getting to listen to her new MP3 player while we looked at Christmas lights.

When we got home it was time for chocolate cake and then off to bed. She had requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate/pink sprinkles - do you know how hard it is to find pink sprinkles in December? Thankfully she was happy with some (eww) solid sugar pink hearts - I love my easy to please 3 year old! The next morning, while I was starting some laundry, Kiersten rediscovered her gifts - this is what greeted me when when I came back down the hall. Silly girl!

Happy Birthday Kiersten - you are a wonderful big sister, a delightful helper and the greatest (early) Chirstmas gift ever. You've grown so much over the past year and we love everyday with you!!

Cake Kisses

2008-12-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

Happy 1st Birthday Audrey!

2008-12-06T20:13:00.013-05:00

We spent a quiet evening together as a family to celebrate Audrey's 1st birthday. Kurt was able to come home from work early enough so we were able to enjoy presents, dinner and cake on Aud's special day. It was so fun to watch Kiersten's excitement for her sister. She couldn't wait to give her the present she picked out and loved that Audrey was willing to share her new toys. Thankfully, Audrey was also very gracious and "gave" the new car seat to Kiersten, choosing to take over Kiersten's.

We love our beautiful one-year-old. She is a constant source of love and affection and the perfect addition to our family.

Happy Birthday Girl

If You're Happy and You Know It

Climbing Kiddo

2008-12-02T18:08:00.000-05:00

My mom said I haven't been posting many pictures of Audrey and I guess it's true. She is always on the move and hard to capture in one spot! So, here's a bit more about her.

Audrey has many similarities to what Kiersten was like at this same age. She loves to babble and sing, she enjoys reading books, she lights up when Kurt comes into the room, she even looks the similar. There are a few things that definitely tell Kurt and me that she is her own person:

She loves to try and climb into/onto things.
She is such an easy laugher - Kiersten made us really work for a giggle.
She has almost no stranger anxiety.
She pays really close attention to our actions. She has been known to mimic writing, typing, lotion applying, and has even started helping to wash Kiersten's hair in the bath - complete with soap pump, hand rub and head scrubbing.

At least she always finds a way out!

Zoo Lights

2008-12-01T20:08:00.000-05:00

All bundled up for Zoo Lights

In case you can't tell - it's COLD!

One of our favorite holiday traditions is to go to the zoo and see the zoo lights. This year we went as part of an evening put on for the residents at UTMC. It was really cold but not too snowy. We enjoyed a catered dinner and a quick trip through the zoo to see the lights. We ended our evening by riding the train through the African Savannah. Kiersten had never ridden the train before and since we were the only family riding, we had our choice of seats and personal touring by the conductor. All four of us wedged into one row so picture taking was a little tight. We came home and warmed up with some hot cocoa before bed. This is also where I'll admit that I photoshopped our Christmas card. I loved our zoo pics so I just moved Kurt and I around so all four of us were together in one shot - hope you couldn't tell!

Daddy and Audrey ready to ride

Kiersten and Mom ready to hear the train say "Choo Choo"

Crazy Kids

2008-12-01T19:10:00.000-05:00

Kiersten has had an imaginary friend for several months now. For awhile Kyleen was a constant companion. She's been pretty busy over the holidays so we haven't had her over to play quite as often but she still seems to follow us where ever we go and will pop up at the strangest times. Kiersten just had to have her photo taken with her new friend Kyleen. I guess she's a bit taller and thinner than Kiersten, based on arm placement.

Some things you may or may not (want to) know about Kyleen:
She also has a baby Audrey

She likes to play "tatend" (pretend)
Her mom also drives a gold van
She is learning to be a good listener
She follows Kiersten's example and is reverent at church
Sometimes she teases Kiersten
She runs away in public places, causing Kiersten to try and run after her
She's been known to set a "bad example" (according to Kiersten)

Audrey on the other hand has found a new hobby of her own. She lives to get undressed and try to redress herself. She can wiggle out of her pants in no time at all and giggles when you chase her down. She has also started to "tease." She loves to ask get out of the bath with arms outstretched but when you reach for her she pulls back and laughs like it is the greatest game in the world. I love watching her sweet personality emerge. She and Kiersten keep each other laughing all day long!

Black Friday

2008-11-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

This year we finally came full-circle. I introduced Kurt to shopping the day after Thanksgiving a few years ago. After his first adventure with the early morning crowds, he was hooked. We both enjoy looking over the ads each year and planning our shopping routes. This year, there was only one item I was interested in heading out for and it was for Kiersten. Kurt, on the other hand, saw a few deals he wasn't willing to pass up. So, while I stayed tucked into my bed, Kurt braved the cold and crowds at 4am shopping happily and picking up the gift for Kiersten. It was terrific!

The best part of tree decorating - the broken candy cane

While Kurt napped, the girls and I started pulling out the Christmas decorations. Audrey loved the window stickers and Kiersten enjoyed reading all the Christmas books. Later that afternoon, Kiersten and Kurt decorated the tree (who doesn't decorate in PJs and a tutu?) and then enjoyed a Father-Daughter movie night. Kiersten was so excited to see Wall-E and even ended up calling Kurt Wall-E (she was Eve) for the next few weeks. (I was "little cricket" and refused to tell her that it was actually a cockroach in the movie!) It was a wonderful family day!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T16:00:00.003-05:00

Kiersten spent Thanksgiving morning helping me in the kitchen. She loves backing and especially enjoys any activity that involves the cookie cutters and rolling pin. She did a wonderful job making her own shapes to place on top of the pumpkin pie but decided it was okay to use the boring stars I helped her cut out. I love my little chef!

We had a wonderful day spent together as family and enjoyed a peaceful dinner with one other family. Thankfully, this time Kurt wasn't injured at the touch-football game so he was able to spend a good portion of the day playing with his girls. We felt so grateful to celebrate this season of thanks knowing that Kurt has a good job, we have a roof over our heads, food on our table and two beautiful little girls who enrich and bless our lives - what more could we ask for?

Fun with Chairs

2008-11-20T20:25:00.001-05:00

Love the creativity!

Fashion Show

2008-11-17T19:16:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how quickly little girls grow. It feels like just when I've pulled out the next size of clothing for Audrey, already pants seem a little short and shirts seem too snug. A great perk to having our girls almost exactly two years apart is that Audrey already has a rockin' wardrobe waiting and when we have to get Kiersten new clothes, it makes us feel better knowing we are really buying for two girls - now and later! Even better than buying new clothes ourselves for Kiersten (and eventually Audrey) is when grandma comes to town and buys new clothes for them!!!

The girls and I had a fun trip to the mall with Diane. Kiersten had exactly two pairs of long pants for the winter so, it was time to stock up before the snow arrived. Well, while we were shopping, Diane generously bought Kiersten a bunch of great stuff! Kiersten had a blast trying on dresses with grandma in the dressing room and looking at herself in the funny fun house mirror. Audrey seemed to really enjoy pulling a pile of neatly folded leggings down and waving her scandalously bare feet at every passerby. It was such a lovely time and Kiersten looks adorable in her new outfits. Thanks again Diane!!!

Sunday Sweets

2008-11-16T22:03:00.004-05:00

No pictures today, just a few fun thoughts from the week!

I LOVE having my husband home from work after a long week. This year, he rarely has to take call on Sunday but those solo times at church certainly remind me how much I love and appreciate being together as a family!
I don't know what I would do without great friends, both new and old! With the girls and I sick at the beginning of the week, I had a lot of catch up to get done before hosting a baby shower on Saturday. Thankfully, darling friends stepped in and made some of the yummy food and even watched Kiersten when I had to make an unplanned trip to the pediatrician. I don't know how to say thank you.
The baby shower was a blast. I only hope the mommy-to-be had as much fun. One of the reasons I am so happy to be back in Toledo is because there are so many wonderful women to befriend. Plus, I'm always up for a good party! Thanks ladies, for a smashing good time. (Emilee, can I please post the video of the sling demo? I'd be happy to email it to you first. You are amazingly talented and hilarious!)
I just learned that Kurt will have Christmas off this year! Wahoo! Now, what will we do to celebrate that week?
It snowed! Even though I'm not a huge fan of the fluffy stuff on my sidewalks, I loved watching Kiersten's face when she saw her first snow of the year. A two-year-old's delight is hard to match. Her excitement is intoxicating.
The girls are on the mend, we will leave the house again!

Stories With Grandma

2008-11-15T21:55:00.004-05:00

The girls with Grandma

We had a wonderful visit with Diane. The girls couldn't get enough time with Grandma! On Saturday, we went to our favorite local orchard for apple cider and fritters. Kiersten loved watching how they made the cider and really enjoyed having a sample.

Getting ready for stories

Earlier in the morning, Kurt had stupidly (I don't use that word lightly) injured himself playing flag football. What kind of dumb injury, you ask? A bruised sternum...that's right... he somehow took a shoulder to the chest and has been in pain for over two weeks now. This greatly impaired his sociability, also; he came down with some yucky bug and retired to his jammies, sore and feverish.

What do you mean "Grandma has to leave"?

With Kurt incapacitated, it was great to have Diane's help with the girls. I was busy with baby shower invites and the primary program so I really appreciated the extra hands!! On Sunday, Diane and I took the girls to church where she so graciously wrestled Audrey for two hours while I practiced songs with the primary children.

Little girl bliss

That night Kiersten asked if Grandma could read her bedtime stories. She is usually aloud to pick two books. As they sat down to read, we broke the news that Grandma would be leaving the next day. Well, her two stories gradually became six once she realized that Grandma would be gone before she woke up.

Cheese!

Kurt and I loved seeing Kiersten and Diane snuggled up reading. It was a lovely end to a great visit. We can't wait until next time!

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-13T23:47:00.003-05:00

Trick-or-Treat!

Kurt's mom, Diane, came for a visit and happened to be here over Halloween. It was wonderful to get to spend a few days with her and even better to take Kiersten trick-or-treating together. We went over and met up with our friends, The Jeppesens, for the big night. Kiersten loved running after her friend, Andy, and was happily surprised that people were giving her candy!

The highlights of the night for our little fairy-princess were the giant leaf pile that we stopped to play in (where she proceeded to make leaf angels) and the piece of licorice and apple cider she enjoyed on the way home. Overall she hasn't requested much out of her candy bucket and seems to have enjoyed the night for the activity not the treats. This was the first year we took her trick-or-treating and it was so fun - I love this age!

More about our visit with Grandma Stewart tomorrow!

Summertime Flashback

2008-11-12T22:32:00.002-05:00

So, I realized I never posted this pic and since it's late, we'll go with something quick and easy.

This summer I took the girls to the zoo quite a bit. Our zoo is close enough that going for the morning is a great activity. (Followed by lunch in the stroller and naps at home.) One day, Clifford The Big Red Dog made an appearance and was welcoming kids to come shake his paw and take a photo with him. Kiersten and I spotted him while crossing the bridge to the other side, so at the end of our trip, we made a special detour to go meet Clifford.

I wasn't sure what she would think since she has:

A) never really watched/read Clifford before and

B) has never been approached by an adult in a giant costume

...but I figured what the heck. We waited in line patiently and she told me she was going to give him "high 5" and take a picture. Well, when her turn came she chickened out and begged to get back into the stroller. She still wanted me to take her picture so here is her "special shot" with Clifford, The Big Red Dog. Notice the look of disgust and disappointment.

Now, every time we cross the bridge at the zoo, she points to the spot where Clifford was and says "I saw a doggie!" Too bad she put her tail between her legs and ran away. Running away from giant cartoon character - another childhood milestone crossed off the list. Bring on the delightful horrors of Disneyland!

Goodbye Mr. Sun

2008-11-11T17:46:00.004-05:00

This whole having sick kids/being sick thing sure isn't helping my post-a-day resolution. So, here are a few shots of the girls playing at the park from earlier this fall. They discovered a mutual love for swinging together. Kiersten loves to make Audrey laugh and the two of them would giggle together forever while playing on the swings.

As freezing temperatures creep in and our time outside comes to a close, I am sad to think how I will never get this summer back. As Kiersten gets older I realize how quickly my girls change. Next Spring, when we venture out to the park again, I will have two little girls running around. Kiersten will be a better climber and not need my help as much and Audrey will discover the joys of the slide, sandbox, stairs and bridges. So, it's with mixed feelings that I say goodbye to the sunshine. I love all the memories we made this past summer but am so looking forward to what 2009 holds!

Found IT!

2008-11-10T09:08:00.003-05:00

It's no secret among friends that I am a bit of a neat-nick. This may be why I had girls first - to ease me into the whole "getting dirty" thing! But, being a cleaner and an organizer isn't all bad. I don't really lose things - I can tell you the number of hair clips (2) and bows (1) I've lost in public and not successfully found since I became a mom (a tad neurotic, I know, but it's not like it interferes with my life!) Other than that, we've hardly lost a thing we weren't able to find.I do, however, have no problem with my kids making messes. I just believe in cleaning up at the end of the day! I've tried to teach Kiersten that through putting away her toys, she is taking care of the things she loves. Thankfully, she's a lot like me and actually enjoys clean-up time. She also seems happy when she knows exactly where to look for a particular toy the next day. I am delighted that when she sees me going to make my bed in the morning and heads to her own room (completely unprompted) to "get her bed ready for sleep."

This morning I am so glad for cleaning routines and habits! As I was going room to room to straighten up and begin our day, what should I step on but my necklace! When I came home yesterday, I quickly changed clothes and went to the rocking chair in Audrey's room to give her a little TLC. It must have fallen off while I was straightening her bed after her nap, because as I fixed her quilt this morning, what did my foot find? My necklace! It was in the one room I couldn't check last night because she was already asleep when I noticed my loss. Who says making the bed is pointless!! =)

Feeling Crummy

2008-11-09T19:48:00.005-05:00

Whenever Kiersten gets a cold we spend a good amount of time doing this...

Our poor little girl doesn't handle "the snickles" (aka: sniffles) so well and usually make herself sick with coughing fits. I am so grateful that Audrey doesn't have the same issues - all she needs when she's not feeling well is a few extra snuggles. Today instead of going to church our lil' sickies stayed home for a nap and movie time with Dad. I, on the other hand, helped with the kids (ages 3-12) musical program and am so happy it is over until next year! The children sang wonderfully and my only sadness is in losing my diamond necklace somewhere in the building. I'm still hopefully it may turn up. So, my Toledo friends, I'd greatly appreciate if you'd keep an eye out. =)

The Sign of Sisterhood

2008-11-08T21:19:00.004-05:00

Kiersten must really love her little sister - who else would she so willingly share her hard earned lollipop with? I just love the way these two sillies play together!

That looks good...

First taste
More please!

Taking turns

(Oh, and pardon Kiersten's hair, we had just returned home from having it cut and the lady at the salon added product and "styled" it for her. nice...)

Halloween

2008-11-07T15:30:00.005-05:00

Little Boo at the Zoo

Our Fairy Princess

Spinning

Getting Ready for our church Halloween Party and Trunk-or-Treat

Me and my girls - I had so much fun making their tutus!

Can't you feel the excitement?

Our Pretty Princesses

Chili Cookoff

Proud Papa

Can we go trunk-or-treating yet?

Trunk or Treat

It's time!

Too cold for cameras and costumes!

There has been some serious blog neglect ever since Audrey started to move quickly! I'm going to try to break my bad habit. Remember it takes 21 days to break, so look for more unexciting posts over the next three weeks - we'll try to post every day and catch up on our family journal at the same time .

Families Who Play Together...

2008-10-01T15:19:00.008-04:00

This past weekend we took the girls to the local orchard to pick apples. The weather was beautiful and the girls had a wonderful time. This will definitely become a family tradition! We have already used our apples for Apple Crisp with the missionaries and Kiersten and I tried our hands at Apple Dumplings as our family home evening treat this week. I love spending time in the kitchen with her as we find different ways to use our yummy apples! I think the majority of our bag will be used for Applesauce - anyone have any tips or tricks?

Audrey was just thrilled to be out and about in the front of the stroller.

Kiersten's favorite part was the pony ride - she loved her some Muffin. She could not stop smiling the entire time!

She Stands!

2008-09-26T11:41:00.002-04:00

Audrey has been slightly slower than Kiersten when it comes to movement milestones. Our baby girl seems to take her time before she feels like trying something new. She is always watching and mimicking Kiersten's movements and sounds and you can almost see her little brain at work when she is studying a new motion. Once she decides to test an action out, there is no stopping her though. As soon as she started to crawl she was immediately everywhere. Now that she has started to use her hands to wave, clap toys together, etc., she is picking up new motions constantly. I love that she is already starting to try the sign for "more"!
She has refused to pull her self up to a stand for the last two months. Totally content to pull up to one knee and one foot, we have been waiting patiently for those two chubby feet to be planted firmly on the ground. After her nap this morning I set her in the living room to play, she crawled over to the couch and pulled right up like it was no big deal. She stood for a while and then proceeded to do it over and over again. Kiersten is amazed at all of her sister's new tricks and loves to announce her latest moves - "Look, she's standing!" I love watching the daily discoveries the girls make together and am only a little worried that once Audrey decides to try walking, she will take off running after her big sister in no time!

We Love Our Zoo!

2008-09-24T09:43:00.005-04:00

No big deal Mom, it's just a bear

My favorite place to take the girls when we have some free time is our local zoo. Kurt and I have been members since we first moved to Toledo and enjoy spending a few hours with our favorite four-legged friends whenever we get the chance. I think Fall is the best time to visit - the animals seem more active as the temperatures start to drop and the zoo is so empty, as if it was opened just for us!

Playing Peek-a-boo

He's swimming!

Kiersten spent a long time watching the polar bears play, she enjoyed front row viewing as one splashed in and out of the water with his ball. She was also super excited because on this visit we FINALLY saw penguins swimming, something she has waited all summer for! Needless to say, we are up for a trip to the zoo almost any day of the week, so Toledoens, if your looking for a few Zoo buddies, look no further, we love our zoo and are always willing to take a walk on the wild side!

Eating a lazy lunch with the Sloth Bear

Going Ape for the Gorillas

The Student Becomes The Teacher

2008-09-17T08:05:00.004-04:00

Kiersten taught Family Home Evening yesterday. It was her first attempt and she did a great job. She taught Kurt and I all about Noah's Ark; a lesson including pictures and hand motions. She loved planning the lesson and couldn't wait for Daddy to get home so she could be the teacher. Over and over again we heard, "I'm the teacher!" After her great lesson and a closing song (which she insisted we sing standing up), we ended our evening with an interesting attempt at an edible ark. To cap off what we learned, we're planning a trip to the local zoo today to see the animals. The evening was lots of fun and we can't wait to see what lessons she comes up with in the future.

Slumber Party!

2008-09-13T08:36:00.004-04:00

There is nothing like a little slumber party to get over the Daddy's-on-call blues. Kiersten was happy to have a "girl party" after Audrey went to bed. It is so fun to get to do a few special activities with my big girl. She asked me to take pictures "to put on the 'puter so Grandmas can see" so, here's how our night played out! I let Kiersten call the shots.

Menu: Grilled Chicken Quesadillas w/ Sour Cream and a side of Strawberry Milk

(She would eat sour cream by the pint if we let her)

Movie: Monsters Inc.

Sweet Treat: Sticky Popcorn

Bedtime: 1 new pair of Princess jammies, 1 body pillow, 4 bunnies, 1 kissy bear, 1 chick, 1 Ted, 1 quilt-blankey, 1 water-sippy, 1 night light, 1 fan, 1 beanbag step and 1 Kiersten all in Daddy's spot

She fixed up the bed and invited all of her friends to the party while I was putting Audrey to sleep. She never sleeps in our bed - this was the highlight of the night!

Overall, it went really well. She went right to sleep after the movie, but this was how I was greeted when I came to bed a few hours later. She woke up when I turned her and spent a little while giggling and chatting but overall I think we were able to get a couple hours of sleep. The delight in her eyes this morning will definitely help push the sleepiness from mine!

9 Months

2008-09-08T16:33:00.004-04:00

At 9 months Audrey:

loves to crawl EVERYWHERE
whistles whenever she purses her lips
sleeps through the night

enjoys feeding herself by the fistful
has six sharp little teeth
is working on cutting two more sharp little teeth
understands the word "No" (but doesn't always obey)

begs to go to bed by 6pm
is endlessly patient
tolerates her sister stealing toys and "loving" on her all day long
pulls up to her knees and then one foot/one knee
laughs harder with her big sister than anyone else
babbles constantly- says "Mamama" but still won't try "Dadada"

loves splashing in the pool and tub
has the same crazy, straight hair her sister had
still takes two naps
is growing up too quickly!

Little Mamas

2008-09-02T15:15:00.003-04:00

Kiersten loves to teach Audrey new things. It is so fun to see her praise Audrey when she does something new - she is the greatest cheerleader a little sister could have. Last week, Audrey started to really crawl. Of course, her first real destination was to Kiersten; she can't seem to get enough of her big sister. I'm loving my little mamas!

Vacation

2008-08-28T15:35:00.005-04:00

After using all of Kurt's vacation days last year for interviews and moving, we were thrilled to spend the last week with Kurt home. We kicked around all sorts of ideas for places we could go or things we could do and decided that what our family needed most was time home together. We loved doing nothing, here is what it looks like in photo-form!

Okay, so the pool shots are from a different day at the pool but we most definitely spent some time swimming and the girls are too cute in their suits to pass up posting the photos.

Rockin' out with Daddy
Our favorite "Tuitar" hero - we love the words she still mispronounces
Discovering the joys of a cardboard box
Learning About Faces
Daddy jungle-gym

Watching penguin feeding at the zoo

Riding the zoo carousel

We also watch A LOT of Olympics, took the girls to Soak City (I never took a single picture, we were having too much fun!), napped and just spent time together. It was terrific! I can't wait for his next vacation week - is it wrong to already count down the days until February?

Today I Delight in My Daughters

2008-07-30T21:32:00.001-04:00

Today has been one of those days. I felt like all I heard was whining and disagreement, I felt like every seemingly small request I made was met with contention. I lost count after changing my 8th poopy diaper (after doing great, Kiersten has regressed a bit). I felt like I lost my patience as a mom and I can't stand myself when I'm grumpy with my kids.

Most days I am overwhelmed with the love I feel for my daughters. Thankfully, on days like today I can look back at things I have previously written and remember just how much I delight in my role as a mom. Lucky for me, just two days ago I started the following post which I am glad to sit down and finish tonight. I love my girls and love being a stay at home mom, but at times I am grateful for the little reminders as to why it is all so worth it!

Audrey loves to roll under the bed when I am reading Kiersten stories at nap and bedtime. What silly girl!

Written 7/28:

I am overwhelmed with the love I feel for my daughters today. I am delighted to see how well they interact with one another and the love they already exude for each other. Also, I continue to be amazed at the process of growing up - I am so thankful to be blessed with the opportunity to observe these little souls as they learn and develop each day. What an amazing experience it is to be a mom.

If you look closely, you can see her little white chomper

Today Audrey officially has teeth. Last Monday the bottom right broke through and this morning the bottom left made its appearance. Audrey has really struggled with teething and has been so uncomfortable the past few weeks. I am glad that she is starting to feel a little better or at least is getting used to the discomfort. She has needed some extra TLC but I have been trying to enjoy the time we've spent together in the glider. Watching Kiersten grow has made me realize that the baby moments pass by all too quickly and before I'll even realize it, Audrey won't want to rock the time away with me. (Since I wrote this Audrey's top right tooth also broke through and the other three top teeth look ready to join the party any day)

This morning I put the babe in her swing while I went to hop into the shower. Whilst I was sudsing up, I could hear both my girls pealing with laughter. They were giggling and laughing in such a wonderful way, it made my heart swell just listening to them. Kiersten came running in to tell me that they were playing "Gotchya" and was so excited to have the moment captured on film she could hardly wait for me to get dressed. We grabbed the camera and even though the biggest laughs couldn't be captured once Audrey viewed the lens, it was still wonderful to record the way they play together. (Unfortunately my video won't upload)

Kiersten couldn't help but join in the underbed adventure!

The last few nights I've joined Kiersten for bedtime stories read by Kurt. How could I say no to a little voice sweetly inquiring "Mom, are you going to come look at the pictures, can you?" After story time, Kurt and I have joined together in singing Kiersten a few lullabies. The first night Kurt and I gave her a kiss at the same time which tickled her pink and caused a good amount of giggling. Now, the highlight of her bedtime routine is goodnight kisses and songs from Daddy and Mommy together. She just can't get enough and Kurt and I are really enjoying a few precious moments with our big girl. She is a wonder to be around and sweetens the experience by sprinkling us with plenty of snuggles, lots of your the best ever's and a healthy dose of "I love you".

Now that my girls are in bed and I have had a few minutes to sit and reflect, I am grateful for the days like today because they make the majority of my time as a stay-at-home mom even sweeter and make me thankful for all the terrific moments we have together!

Water Conservation

2008-07-24T16:52:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed a few days of rainy Midwest weather which led Kiersten to enjoy some of her favorite indoor activities. Recently she decided that she needed to give her baby a bath. Considering dolly hadn't been bathed since being boxed up in Pennsylvania, I heartily agreed and filled the sink with bubbles and water before going on my merry way, happy that my toddler was occupied. A little while later I returned to find my darling daughter sopping wet. Not sure whether she was attempting to enter a wet T-shirt contest, conserve water by avoiding a bath or try a new hairstyle, I inquired as to what her intentions were.

She proudly stated that she was washing her hair and went back to work cleaning her luscious locks. I sure love that crazy girl! I do feel badly for dolly who now holds the world record for baby doll breath-holding considering the amount of time she spent with her head submerged.

Quick Comparison

2008-07-23T15:25:00.003-04:00

7/22/06 - Kiersten - 7 months 5 days

7/17/08 - Audrey - 7 months 11 days

The Long and Short of It

2008-07-23T14:00:00.003-04:00

Gotta love the diaper boxes! Thanks to our little miracles, this time our truck looked quite a bit different than it did when we moved from BYU five years ago.

I'm not sure where to begin to sum up the last month or so for our family...

Kurt finished work on June 17th. On the 18th we loaded up our U-haul and as the last items were being placed on the truck and the last pieces of pizza were being consumed by our handy helpers we learned that we would not be purchasing the home we had so laboriously hunted for. The next day we cleaned and prepared for our drive to Toledo, our final destination unknown.

First pigtails for Audrey - love those spikes!

We drove out on the 20th and stayed with our darling friends, who put up with our little family for what turned into several weeks as we struggled to secure a safe and comfortable apartment. During our period of homelessness, Audrey perfected her ability to sit alone, Kiersten was in 2-year-old toy heaven, Kurt began work at his new job and I received an invitation to lead the children's music at church - all without an address!

Sisterly love - Kiersten was so excited and kept saying "Sissy has hair just like me!"

We finally moved into our apartment on July 2nd and quickly went to work unpacking and settling in. Kiersten moved into a big-girl bed and Audrey (at last!) took rightful ownership of the crib and changing table. Aside from a few final touches, we are starting to feel "at home." We know we will be in Toledo for at least the next six years, so we will probably begin looking for a house again in '09 sometime. For now, we are grateful to say goodbye to the craziness that was the past 12 months! Between moving to PA, Kurt's surgery intern year, Audrey's birth, job interviews, house hunting and moving back to Toledo - we are ready to move onto the next chapter of our lives.

Beautiful babes

We've decided to celebrate by enjoying the relaxed schedule that is a research year. Kurt's hours so far are great and the girls and I are so happy to be back "home". I am thrilled to take my little ladies to the zoo, the libraries, and even the grocery stores for goodness sakes! We met some wonderful people in Danville but I never realized how much I loved about Toledo until we were gone. I am relishing in the fact that I can peruse the library catalog and request books from the comfort of my own desktop. Kiersten is giddy with excitement over all of the parks and friends she has visited. We are all so glad to back in a place that we know so well. Oh the peace that is, home, sweet home.

6 Months

2008-06-06T20:00:00.000-04:00

At six months Audrey:

loves to grab at everything in sight
laughs infectiously
offers smiles and babbles to anyone who looks her way
rolls all over the place
loves her bear friend "Sam" (a brother to Kiersten's bear, "Ted")
is beginning to enjoy rice cereal and green beans but gags at applesauce
still loves to be swaddled
sits well propped up but is still working on sitting alone
L O V E S her big sister
enjoys pulling hair
is still a motion junkie - loves to be rocked
received her first haircut this week (just the small bit that never fell out and was way longer than the rest - no more comb over!)
brings laughter and smiles to her family every day

I can't believe my little baby is already six months old! She goes for her next check-up on Friday the 13th and then we will see how much she has grown.

Mission: (Almost) Impossible

2008-06-02T20:33:00.004-04:00

Welcome home!

After 2400 miles, 41 hours in the car, 24 house viewed, 17 days away from home, 4 offers written, 3 separate trips to T-town, we finally (hopefully) have a house.

I have been a bit nervous to post about our accepted offer because I am still a little scared something will come up to delay, negate or frighten away our impending purchase! Currently we are waiting for a few things to be negotiated from the inspection but then hopefully we will be able to roll forward and close when we get to town. Kurt has yet to see the house (I had to make two of the trips sans husband) but he is just excited that the hunt is over and can't wait to see where I spent his money.

Could I ask for a better playroom? The window at the kitchen sink looks right out onto this adorable sunroom!

So, for those who would like to know, here are some of the details:

4 bedrooms

Kiersten has already claimed the purple room for herself which is the smallest of the three (3!) kids rooms but a perfect princess palace

1.5 bathrooms

1776 square feet

large fenced yard for the lil misses

All that lawn for the munchkins - Kurt's first job is taking down the little privacy screen around the patio so I can watch the girls play!

less than 10 minutes from the hospital

less than 2 blocks from the neighborhood park

Am I a red kitchen type of gal? I guess I am for now!

The house is perfect for our little family with the hope that we will continue to grow over the next six years. Having spent most of our married life there, we are so excited to be returning back to what we have come to consider in many ways our hometown! Only two weeks until Kurt's last day of work and then we are packing the Uhaul and getting the heck out of Dodge.

Hopefully this explains our lack of blogging - and please excuse our continued absence. Kurt is on call every other night until we move so the bulk of the packing is on my shoulders but we can't wait to post more once we are settled (hopefully in our new home!).

Celebrating Seven

2008-05-13T16:49:00.004-04:00

May 11, 2001

Seven years together...

and what great years they've been!

Rollin Along

2008-05-02T09:18:00.006-04:00

At 4 months Audrey weighed 15lbs 9.8 oz and is 25.2 inches long. She is a little longer and a little leaner than her older sister was at the same age. Audrey wins for having a bigger head though!

While we were in Toledo (4/20/08) she finally decided it was time to start rolling over and has enjoyed performing her new trick multiple times every day since. She is still working on flipping back over onto her back and generally pleas for help when she realizes she is stranded on her tummy. She loves her big sister and can't get enough of Kiersten's singing and dancing.

She is a delightful baby who rarely ever cries. She loves to squeeze her little face against mine and wraps her arms around my neck like she doesn't ever want to let go. She has developed a quirky habit of pinching my neck - one habit I would like her to break quickly! She loves to grab her Daddy's face and lights up when he hold her.

She isn't yet a fan of rice cereal but I feel no need to rush - I am enjoying my sweet little girl and LOVE this age of baby. She is so happy and always willing to greet anyone with a smile!!

Turnpike Picnic

2008-04-28T16:18:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we drove to Toledo to start the joyous task of house hunting. It was beautiful on Friday, so instead of stopping for dinner somewhere we packed a picnic and played in the sunshine for a few minutes during the long drive. Kiersten L O V E D the chance to sit outside and took extreme delight in being chased around the grass. Audrey still isn't such a fan of the bright sunshine but was content to enjoy her dinner in the cool A/C of the van.

Aunt Kristin

2008-04-28T16:13:00.002-04:00

Aunt Kris was willing to do this the entire time she was here. (I've got the best sister-in-law - go ahead, be jealous) Kristin - we love you and are so happy you survived your first week in a new home and a new job! WAY TO GO! Come back and play anytime!

Chocolate World

2008-04-16T08:15:00.004-04:00

We had a terrific visit with Kurt's little sister, Kristin, last week. We had fun hanging out, playing at the park and going to Hershey's Chocolate World! Kiersten loved every minute she had with Aunt Kristin and is still talking about it. Thanks Kris for making the long trek out to PA just to visit us!

Kiersten loved the singing cows - she asks almost every morning if we are going back to see the cows again
Kurt and Audrey taking in the aroma of chocolate
Me and my big girl - she was still a little weary of the ride at this point!
The fam at the end of our fun afternoonAunt Kris and Kiersten

Quick Comparison

2008-04-10T13:39:00.004-04:00

4 months old

Kiersten Diane 4/8/06

Audrey Elizabeth 4/10/08

4 Months

2008-04-07T19:40:00.006-04:00

Watching conference

At four months Audrey:

Loves to grab her feet
Delights in the singing of her big sister
Has sweet, milky breath (about the best smell in the world according to her mom)
Loves to babble
Rolls side to side but not over yet
Naps at least 4 times a day
Enjoys grabbing at anything within arms reach
Goes to bed at 8:00, waking up to eat twice
Lights up when she sees her daddy
Loves to be rocked
Hates to be cradled
Loves her dolly and her bunny blanket
Hardly cries

Just like a baby Beth

Looks like her mom as a baby
Brings joy to her family every day!

She has the hand-eye coordination and upper body strength...
but her feet still can't reach the floor.

We sure love our baby girl!

Preperations and Play Dough

2008-04-05T21:44:00.004-04:00

I could kiss those cheeks all day!

Between a few new activities (everyone has such great ideas - thanks!) and a visit from Aunt Kristin this next week, I think we will survive until our next trip to Toledo. We are excited to be looking for a new home and since it has been asked - no we don't regret selling our little house now that we know we are moving back. It was the perfect place for us during medical school but we are excited about moving on to bigger and better things. The trick is figuring out if we will be able to make it all happen before our move. But, after the insanity that is our townhouse rental, we are just thrilled to be moving anywhere!

So, since it was requested - here is my favorite play dough recipe. I love it because it is pretty moist and easily pliable but doesn't dry out very quickly. Also, it is all basic ingredients so we can make it without having to worry about having special supplies on hand. I store it in zip-lock bags but it keeps even better in an airtight container - no fridge needed! Hope you enjoy!

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

1 and 1/2 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup water

liquid food coloring

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil and vanilla in a medium sauce pan. Slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper. Knead the dough until smooth and pliable. Add a few drops of food coloring, kneading dough until color is evenly dispersed.

Depending on your humidity the recipe may need to be tweaked. If it seems too crumbly, add a few more drops of oil. I can usually get four good size dough balls from one recipe so I divide it before I add the dye and make several colors. You can play with it immediately - Kiersten thinks it is even more fun while it is still warm from the stove!

Trying to Be a (Better) Mom

2008-04-01T16:05:00.005-04:00

My little chef, complete with Zuka juice apron

When Audrey was first born and Kurt was crazy busy with interviews and work, I went into survival mode. After the holidays were over and the grandmas were gone, I turned to our good old friend the TV to help keep my toddler entertained. Kiersten is now well versed in Spanish and has rescued about every animal imaginable and I can't tell you how many nights I would be awake nursing Audrey with a Backyardigans song running through my head. Well, now that Audrey is almost four months old and life has calmed down considerably I am trying to return to being a fully present mom as well as trying to unplug my princess. So, here are a few of the things we have turned to until the weather cooperates and we are able to return to the great outdoors. I'm always open to new ideas if you have any you'd be willing to share!

Making rice krispie treats - what a fun sculpting medium!

Sampling is a must!

Funnels, Bubbles and Water

Kiersten spends at least an hour each day playing with the water and bubbles and bathing her baby doll over, and over and over again.

Watching Audrey find her feet - serious business

Multiple attempts to get a good picture of the girls together

Playing with play dough

I love our recipe for this because it doesn't dry out nearly as quickly as the store bought stuff and you can make all your favorite colors!

Making strings - the garlic press provided 30 minutes of entertainment alone!

We've also spent quite a bit of time coloring, cooking, reading, cleaning, baking and building with blocks but honestly I can't wait for the afternoon when we can head out to the park! Until then, any other ideas we can borrow?

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T20:17:00.006-04:00

The Easter Bunny visited our house yesterday. Kiersten was convinced that not only was the Easter bunny going to hide her eggs but he was also going to help her find them, go to church with her the next day and tickle her. Luckily, the basket she received was distraction enough and she forgot about most of her expectations. Most days, I am amazed at the things she imagines and comes up with!
We had fun celebrating the bunny, eggs and candy part of Easter yesterday so today was a very peaceful opportunity to remember our Savior. I faced my fears and took the girls to church by myself for the first time (Kurt was on call). They were great and overall it was a terrific day!

Dying eggs with Daddy
The concentration!
A basket!
Lovin Ducky
We have had several grass fights - I didn't realize what a hit it would be but she loves it and I don't even mind cleaning it up! The best part is, all of this was occurring with Kurt asleep (post-call) on the couch - at one point she had covered him in fake grass, but I didn't get a picture. You will also notice that she had to wear all six hairbows from the Easter Bunny.
Sisterly Love - Audrey adores her big sis
Duckies and hairbows for everyone

Isn't she cute?

Yummy - chocolate!

Ready for church

Happy Easter!

One Step Enough

2008-03-20T21:47:00.006-04:00

We knew it was okay when Kurt didn't match anywhere on Monday, we felt strongly that our family needed to immediately drive the 400 miles back to Toledo, we were comforted the 45 minutes he spent scrambling for a preliminary contract, we were shocked when he was offered a spot that didn't exist, we are grateful to know that he has a place for not only next year but the next six.

So, after a crazy 48 hours, 14 of which were spent in the car, Kurt will be completing his general surgery training at The University of Toledo. It is too much to try to explain in writing how it all happened, ask us later if you want to know the whole story. All we can say is that our family has been blessed over the past few days and we are so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers. We are relieved, thrilled, elated, excited, tired - but more than anything we are grateful.

Seven Days

2008-03-13T16:10:00.000-04:00

I like structure. I can't rest until my life is somewhat organized. I delight in finding ways to improve efficiency. Some (my husband) would say that I have a strong desire to be in control of my life. And, when I feel things are outside my grasp, I have a tendency to try to regain my sense of security. Unfortunately for my girls, the best way I've found to tighten the reins is to clean and organize my house. Poor Kiersten follows me around like a little duckling as I decide that the entire house needed to be cleaned, again. (Luckily, she also profited a little because while reorganizing my living room I decided to move her bookcase up to her bedroom and made her a little reading corner.)

Today, I finally gave Audrey the boot. I have moved her bassinet farther and farther away from our bed but today I once again rearranged my bedroom and decided that the little miss needed to move into a room of her own. I would have kicked her out a while ago but Kurt's sister is coming to visit in a few weeks which means Audrey will be bunking with us during Kristin's stay and I thought I could wait until after her trip. I couldn't. I felt compelled to reorganize something and since redoing my medicine cabinet during nap time didn't satiate me, our room benefited.

Why all the stress you ask? Why do I feel slightly like I am spinning out of control? Well, it has to do with Match Day, March 20th. Our experience last year taught me that anything could happen and I deeply dislike the unknown. I know we will go where our family supposed to be, I just would like to know where exactly that is so I can start planning! Thankfully the madness will end soon. In one week we will find out where we will be living next year. Any guesses? How do you deal with stress? I'm getting tired and my cleaning supplies are running dangerously low....

Husband Tag

2008-03-06T12:32:00.003-05:00

I was tagged awhile ago by this gal and am finally catching up!

Aren't those cheeks squishable (now you know where our girls get them)

What is his name? Kurtis Alan Stewart

How long have you been together? We'll have been married for 7 years come May

How long did you date? We met in August, went on our first date in November, became engaged in January and married in May. So, from first date to wedding alter was 6 months (CRAZY)

How old is he? He's only 10 months from the big 3-0

Who eats more? Well, since I'm still eating for two.....

Who said I love you first? He did, next to the falls in I.F. - it was freezing outside!

Who's Taller? He is!

Who can sing better? He can - I wouldn't even sing solo in front of him our first 4 years married (having kids sure changes things!)

Graduation June 07

Who is smarter? We both have our strengths but he does have fancier letters after his name and he did score one point higher than I did on the ACT.

Who does the laundry? ME though he helps switch it over when I ask

Who pays the bills? ME - I love numbers and seeing a perfectly balanced check register but we make all of the big financial decisions together

Who sleeps on the right side? Some days I wake up on the wrong side.... so him?

The Valentines '07 snow storm

Who mows the lawn? ME - he claims to be "highly allergic" and uses phrases like "anaphylaxis" when asked to do yard work. But he does promise to one day in the distant future pay some poor kid to do it for us instead!

Who cooks dinner? We both do, I do most of it but he can whip up a mean pot of pasta and loves to grill when it is above freezing outside.

Who drives? When we're together he does while I tame the girls and navigate.

Hanging light - I can't believe he didn't kill himself

Who is more stubborn? We both are. (I am too stubborn to admit that I might be the more stubborn of the two of us.) Kurt's pretty easy going but when he sets his mind to something there is little that can be done to sway him - can we say snow boots?

Who kissed who first? Who really wants to know?

Who asked who out first? He asked me out - such the ladies man

Who proposed? He did, on his birthday, again in the freezing cold, are you seeing a pattern in our courtship? It was super sweet and I hope he still considers me an okay birthday present.

Kurt with Kiersten 4/1/06

Who has more friends? We prefer to share friends
Who is more sensitive? I am in a crying, sobbing, overreacting kind of way but he has a pretty soft heart, especially when it comes to his girls and kids in general.
Who has more siblings? What a complicated question - it depends on how you do the math. He has 3, I have a brother and a sister I grew up with and 4 more siblings that I haven't seen in over 10 years. (Sad but true)

Who wears the pants? Well, I've spent the last 7 years following him around the US, what do you think?

And I now tag...anyone who hasn't done this yet!

Baby Girls

2008-03-05T12:35:00.000-05:00

Kiersten 2 monthsAudrey 2 1/2 months

It's amazing how alike and how different two little people are. I love those cheeks!

Event Horizon

2008-02-28T22:40:00.003-05:00

An event horizon is the distance from a black hole where nothing, not even light can escape the gravitational pull of the black hole. Once crossed, you cannot return. That is the state of affairs now in the residency match process, part II. As many of you know, I am applying to General surgery residency for the second consecutive year and will be repeating my intern year. Well as of 9:00 pm EST, the rank lists were submitted with no chance of alteration. The results of the match are legally binding for a minimum of 1 year. On March 20, the results will be made known. I don't know why it takes 4 weeks to run the computer match program, but apparently it does. Since nothing can be done to change the results at this point (the event horizon has been crossed), why not post my rank list on the internet? Here it is:

1. University of Toledo-Toledo OH
2. West Virginia University-Morgantown WV
3. Summa Health System-Akron OH
4. Geisinger Health System-Danville PA
5. Akron General-Akron OH
6. Conemaugh Valley-Johnstown PA
7. University of Albany-Albany NY
8. Pinnacle Health Hospitals-Harrisburgh PA
9. Waterbury Hospital-Waterbury CT
10. Mercy Catholic Medical Center-Darby PA
11. Mass General/Harvard University-Cambridge MA (really didn't impress me, but they are a good safety net, you know, just in case) :)

Tune in March 20, or so, for the results. Feel free to make your predictions. Although no prizes will be awarded, a feeling of accomplishment will accompany a correct prediction. Thanks to all those who have helped advise, give suggestions, or listen to my or Beth's ramblings about the process. Let's hope I match this year!

Handsy

2008-02-28T12:36:00.003-05:00

The other day I decided I was tired of snow and ready for Spring so we broke out the Easter decorations. As I placed a few things in the living room Kiersten asked "What's that Mommy?" so I told her that I was decorating because Easter was coming. She immediately got a worried look on her face and proceeded to tell me that "Easter is coming and she take my Ted away." She then ran to find her precious bear for a protective squeeze.
Poor girl, she knows that when friends come over she has to choose to share Ted or put him in her bed for the duration of the play date. Needless to say, she is unwilling to let anyone get too chummy with her bear pal! Once I suppressed my giggles I explained what Easter was and she loosened her grip on her sweet bear. She is such a loyal friend and I love her for being so protective or those she loves (she is also very concerned when anyone else holds Audrey -too cute!).
This past week, Audrey has discovered her left hand. She concentrates so hard to reach her little toys and seems content to bat at her rattle over and over again. I love the little content sounds of a baby playing. Every time I hear the rattle I can't help but smile. She is growing so quickly! Lookout right hand, Audrey will find you soon I'm sure!

Audrey finds her ladybug (no need for sound unless you want to hear Sesame Street)

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-02-26T15:08:00.007-05:00

Today is my wonderful mother-in-law's birthday. For the few people that haven't heard, I have the best in-laws in the world. I feel so blessed to have married into such a wonderful family.

Diane, we hope you have a special day celebrating - we certainly are thinking of you! You are an amazing mom, mother-in-law, grandma! We love you and can't wait to see you again.

Thinking of Grandma makes us smile!

One of my favorite outfits from Kiersten! I love dressing Audrey in Kiersten's baby clothes!

What's goin' on?

2008-02-21T10:27:00.002-05:00

Kiersten loved making a cake for Daddy

**(I'm having problems getting photos to upload, more pics of the little ladies to come soon!)

The last few weeks have been big for our little munchkins. Pardon me while I recap.

Well, first of all we finally started to sleep-train Audrey. She is now taking both her morning and afternoon naps in her own bed and falls asleep with little or no fussing once she is put down. I received this book from my brother-in-law for Christmas and it gave me the courage to sleep-train Audrey earlier than I did with Kiersten. Needless to say, she is happier, Kiersten is happier and I am happier! She now goes to bed around 7:00pm and sleeps pretty well at night. We still have a little farther to go since she won't take her third nap anywhere other than on me but all that matters is that she is continuing to make wonderful progress! Yeah for more sleep!

Kiersten had her first visit to the dentist. We read The Berenstain Bears Go to the Dentist over and over again to prepare and she did great! They were able to remove the silver from her bottom two teeth (never let your little girl play with anything metal painted while teething!) and she even allowed a fluoride treatment. She loved it, but she also loves to brush her teeth. We were sad to learn that she has some developmental flaws in her enamel but for now all that they will do is watch to see if they get worse.

Anyway, on Valentine's Day I took Audrey to the pediatrician for her 2 month check up. She is weighing in at a solid 13 lbs and is measuring 22" long. She is a bit fatter and a bit shorter than Kiersten was at her age. (Kiersten had her two year check-up last month and is now 28lbs and 33") Overall, she looks great. Her vaccinations had her pretty miserable but I was thrilled when my happy baby reappeared only a few days later.

Finally, after trying several nights in a row, Kurt was able to get Kiersten to use the potty. She was so excited to tell me that she went peeps in the potty and to get her piece of chocolate. Well, thankfully that was Friday night, so when Kiersten got up on Saturday morning Kurt was here to help while we let her spend the whole day in her princess panties. She has been doing great! We have only had an accident or two and she loves being a big girl. She skipped the potty chair (probably because of the trauma of this incident) and still has a little more practicing to do but we are so proud of our big girl! I give Kurt all the credit!!!

I Don't Like a Pelican

2008-02-18T22:03:00.004-05:00

Kiss the pelican

Kiersten constantly keeps Kurt and I laughing. For her birthday we gave her some new bath toys including a set of five different animal water squirters. Well, for some unknown reason she decided that she was scared of the pelican. Not just a little scared, but crying and begging to get out of the bathtub scared. Once we figured out what she was afraid of and realized it wasn't a passing fear we removed the offending bird from her toy bag. She has continued to remind us that she is not a fan of that particular toy, telling us whenever we put her in the bath "I don't like a pelican" even though he has been out of sight for months. Not only has she informed us of her fear but she says it in the most worried voice which led us to regularly quote her to one another.

I love a pelican!

When I took the pelican out of the bathtub, I thought it would be funny to put it next to Kurt's stuff in the medicine cabinet - this quickly turned into a game between the two of us where we would hide the pelican somewhere the other would find it (he went in Kurt's luggage on a road trip, I found him in the hamper, etc.) So last week Kiersten found the pelican before Kurt and instead of running in terror, I told her it was a nice birdie and she decided he was her new best friend. Now she takes the pelican all around the house and tells me "I love a pelican, he's a nice birdie." What a crazy girl!

Some of our other favorite Kierstenisms

"I wanna cleanitbutter sandwich"

"I wanna hold you" (When asking to be picked up)

"Let's go amigos!" (Thank you Dora and Diego)

"Where's my happy voice?"

"I want a faffel." (asking for a waffle)

"Daddy cookie" (a granola bar)

"menimess" (medicine)

"Fits it" (Fix it)

Audrey Finds Her Voice

2008-02-13T10:04:00.004-05:00

Audrey has started to really speak up - she and I have regular chat sessions in the morning and after I put Kiersten down for a nap. She also enjoys talking with Kurt after Kiersten is in bed for the night - she appears to prefer the one-on-one attention she receives when the noisy two-year-old is gone and who can blame her!

A Day With Daddy

2008-02-10T10:35:00.001-05:00

When Kurt is home, Kiersten is his little shadow. She follows him up and down the stairs and does whatever he is doing. She was so happy when Daddy came home from the "hoppital" yesterday!

Reading with Daddy while lunch cooks

All bundled up and ready to play - I love the shoe covers!

Kurt was finally able to take Kiersten out to play in the snow for the first time. The snow has been sparse so far this winter and when it has fallen something else was always going on that kept them from enjoying the outdoors. Needless to say, they had so much fun playing together. I am so glad that Kiersten has a Daddy who loves to play as much as she does.

Once there was a snowman...

Playing in the snow
I love when she puts snow on her own head - my batteries died when Kurt was putting snow on her head and she kept asking him to do it again, again, again.

Warming up with hot cocoa

Together

2008-01-30T08:31:00.000-05:00

Kurt and I don't know where we will be next year but we are so grateful to know that we will all be together! People keep asking where we think we will be and all we know for sure is that where ever we go, we go as a family. For now, we are content to wait until March to learn our fate and are enjoying the fact that Kurt is finished with interviews and around a little more.

In other news, we have been slowing moving Audrey's bedtime up and she is now going down around 8pm. So, while it's no six o'clock (like Kiersten some nights), we'll take a few children-free hours together each night! She is sleeping really well at night but still won't let me put her down for more than a few minutes during the day. Our next goal, establish regular naps! Exciting, huh?

And just for the grandmas - here is Kiersten singing to her sis

Same Shirt, Seperate Smiles

2008-01-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

Kiersten loves dressing like her little sister. But it seems that Audrey, on the other hand, would prefer to be treated as an individual.
Audrey has started to smile more and more - I will try to catch her goofy faces on film soon.

Thank you, thank you!

2008-01-24T09:43:00.000-05:00

Our sick baby - thankfully she is all better now!

I again have to say THANK YOU to Kurt's parents for the wonderful swing they bought Audrey for Christmas - it was just what the doctor ordered when she was sick and it is now where she take her nap every morning. During the day when she is tired and wants to be rocked to sleep, into the swing she goes. It is a hit with all three girls in this house. Audrey loves it because it's keeps her movin', I love it because it means I can grab a shower before noon, and Kiersten is thrilled to have some one-on-one play time each day with her mom thanks to this great gift.

Ted, Ted, everywhere

2008-01-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

Because Kurt has been away from home with work and interviews the past few weeks, I haven't had much time to take pictures or update the blog. But, I am happy to announce that we survived. With ten interviews completed and a heavy call schedule in between, it is yet to be determined if Kurt has made it through unscathed but at least he is alive! The girls and I haven't been doing much, here is the latest:

Sharing Ted - Kiersten's most prized possession

There are few things that Kiersten loves more than her Ted. He is her best friend and confidant, so we knew she was warming up to Audrey when she started to share him with her baby sister. What a pair the girls are going to make!

Feeding Ted

In a plea for attention, Kiersten has started to steal the nursing pillow when she sees that I am going to feed Audrey. She claims that she needs to "feed ted." While it was cute at first, it can drive me slightly batty at times. Thankfully, she gives up pretty quickly when Audrey starts to wail!

Hopefully we will have something more newsworthy to report soon....

Hometown Tornado??

2008-01-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

So, my mom called this morning...she wanted me to know she was okay in case I saw news coverage on a tornado that touched down in my hometown last night. For more info go here.

Photo from Assoc. Press

I am glad she decided to call since after we hung up I read about the storm and could tell by the description and some pictures that it occurred right next to her house! She said that it went down the side of her home and knocked a tree into a house across the street. Never in my life do I even remember a tornado warning back west. Tornadoes don't happen where I am from, at least not in my lifetime! So, I am glad everyone is okay and that there was no real damage for my family. I still can't wrap my mind around a funnel cloud in Vancouver... what a strange thing!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-01-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

Kiersten was a little more camera shy today but she is so excited to watch "Seasocks" with Daddy when he gets home on Saturday! Happy Birthday from all 3 of your girls!

** The flashlight is her microphone, thank you toy commercials **

Happy 29th Birthday Kurt!

2008-01-09T15:50:00.001-05:00

Not only does Kurt do the grocery shopping, but he brings me home roses too!

Kiersten came up to me the other day and told me "Daddy is a hunk" and while I wasn't the one to teach her that term, I have to agree he is a pretty wonderful guy! Today is Kurt's 29th birthday and since he will be spending it within the walls of the hospital, we just wanted him to know how much we love him and look forward to celebrating when he comes home. We hope these videos brighten his evening on call!

Yesterday, Kurt was home in the afternoon and Kiersten was so excited to be with Daddy! Needless to say, she had some extra energy which she tried to burn off singing and running laps around the laundry basket. Lucky for her, after shooting her first music video, Daddy decided to take her to the park since it was sunny outside!

Happy Family Part 2

2008-01-09T15:40:00.000-05:00

More of our little performer in action!

Guess who likes her bath

2008-01-05T09:34:00.000-05:00

After a traumatic first experience, Audrey has quickly become a lover of her bath. Thankfully, due to the soothing effects the water had on Kiersten when she was only a few weeks old, we quickly switched to a nightly dip for our younger princess. This has helped her settle down for bed and allows me a sweet smelling baby each night. An added bonus is that Kurt happily fills the roll of baby-sudser. He enjoys a few daddy-daughter minutes with his girls and I enjoy a few child-free moments alone!

Audrey is a great baby. She quickly started to sleep well at night and only wakes up to eat around 2:30 and then again around 6. She has already started to smile and she is very patient with Kiersten's affections. She definitely cries louder than Kiersten did but she is quickly soothed. I love getting to know this new little person!It finally hit me last night that we have two children now - Audrey is here to stay! I know that sounds weird but with the holidays and visits from both grandmas, I hadn't really processed what my life would be like now. I loved having both my mom and Kurt's mom here to visit but I am now looking forward to getting into daily life with my girls. Thanks again moms for all of your help the last month, it has been WONDERFUL!

Christmas Time

2007-12-31T11:47:00.001-05:00

The tree after Santa's visit It was so fun to hang 4 stockings this year!

A present from Santa
Helping Mommy
Daddy's excited too!
Modeling the snowsuit

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Attempted Blessing

2007-12-21T19:14:00.000-05:00

Kiersten warms up for the camera
Kiersten and Audrey, Kiersten is trying to see the weather channel around the camera

On Sunday we were all dressed and ready for church when we received a phone call letting us know it was cancelled. Since Audrey was going to be blessed, she was already in her pretty white gown so we decided to snap some pictures of her and the girls together. Kiersten is still working on how to hold the baby but she seems to enjoy her sister when Audrey isn't crying. So, here are our sweet girls whom we are sure will grow into great friends!

Sweet Kisses

Our angel Audrey

Nose Beep!

Our time in front of the camera also gave us a chance to snap some pictures for our Christmas cards and for Audrey's birth announcement. So, while they may not arrive until after the 25th, know that we tried our hardest to get our season's greetings in the mail before old Saint Nick arrives. (And I am pretty sure that I sent a couple families Audrey's picture instead of the family pic by mistake, but hey, perfection is overrated) As for the birth announcements, they won't be looked at until after the holidays!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kiersten!

2007-12-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

Sampling her hard work

Since church was cancelled yesterday, we decided to spend the day celebrating Kiersten's birthday one day early. In the morning she helped me bake her cake and after her nap we spent some time frosting and decorating her "white cake with pink frosting" as requested. She seemed to really love making the cake together and I had a blast so hopefully we will find time to do it together again next year!

Kiersten was much happier with her placement of the number two. Apparently, I placed it too high up on the cake! =)
The happy bakers - I love that frosting face!

Once she was cleaned up from "helping" we spent the rest of the afternoon opening presents. She had fun stopping to play with all of her gifts and even made sure to try on her pretty dress and tights from Grandpa Hann. We finished the evening with Grandma Stewart's lasagna and of course the much anticipated cake. It was the perfect two-year-old celebration! We loved having Kurt's mom here to celebrate with us!

Presents! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Stewart for the Aquadoodle!

A time-out to line up her new ABC's

Thanks Aunt Kristin for the super-cute outfit!

Sampling her fake food from Aunt Kristin

Wearing her new dress from Grandpa Hann - adorable!

Opening her new dolly bed, stroller, swing and playgym

Daddy was thrilled with the number of pieces that needed to be assembled!

Changing baby's diaper on the new bassinet changing table

Doodling!

Blowing out the candle

Yummy, birthday cake!

What a wonderful two years it has been. Kurt and I are so grateful for two beautiful little girls and have enjoyed the last two years more than we can say!