More spring cleaning...

Chris & Baby Henry Emmett

...more cleaning?! Chris completed the office organization this weekend. It looks SO nice! (Thanks Topher!). I started clearing out the storage room in the basement getting ready for a garage sale. It is amazing how much stuff we accumulate from year to year. We get rid of a lot of stuff every year, too. I would say we are the opposite of pack rats.

Chris' brother Brent and his wife Bridget had their first baby boy on Saturday, Henry. We went to visit baby Henry this morning after Mass. Alivia was not so sure about the whole situation. I got her to go by telling her it was her cousin Lucas' brother (but Lucas was not there). She is probably just hoping that she does not have to share anything with him, too!

This is the last week before I start copromoting another drug. I am getting sick of reading modules and taking tests. We have another drug coming out hopefully in the fall, so I guess I will have to get over that. And, I will have to rest up now because I do not see the late nights of studying ending anytime soon. Thank goodness I do not require much sleep. Anyway, we have a meeting in Denver in a couple weeks, so Chris will be HOME ALONE with the girls. I am sure he is looking forward to that bonding time.

Until next time...

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Go fly a kite

What a beautiful weekend! So, what did we do? We went out and flew a Dora kite, what else? Aunt Nikki came over and played with Alivia on Saturday while I started to clean our windows. That is always such a fun job. I did not get much done though since Addison did not nap very long.

Topher started another organization project, our office. He seems to think we have more stuff in our office than in our entire home. However, he has throw half of it away (THANK GOODNESS!).

So, today, while Addison napped and Topher organized, Alivia and I went shopping. We went to her favorite store, Von Maur. She likes the Thomas train set and the beads there to play with. When we got back, we went to the park for a while and flew the kite again. The weather was wonderful. Alivia peddled her little bike all the way to and back from the park (and it is a BIG hill up there). It was a fun weekend, but I am not sure Topher would think so.

Oh, Addison's 9 month pictures are available at http://www.capturetoday.photosite.com/Album118/. She was happy for just a moment.

Another busy week...so let's get to it!

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I am sleeping with Spidey?

 

Spiderman, oh I mean, Chris

Oh please, allow me to explain. Last night, I crawled into bed to cuddle up with Topher (hopefully this is not too much information), and he was hugging something. "What is that?" I asked him curiously. "Nothing," he replied. So, I asked again, "What is that" and this time he replied with a, "Nothing, it's mine!" "Okay, what is it?" and I get another, "It's mine!" Okay, he was beginning to sound like Alivia. I did not care that it was his, I just wanted to know what it was. So, I rolled over and turned on the light. So, what was it, SPIDEY! This was a special Spidey, too. It is red on one side and black on the other, like in the new movie coming out (scary that a Mommy of 2 girls knows this, isn't it?). So, just for a night, I slept with Spidey, so to speak. I am just hoping Spidey stays in his own bed from now on. :)

Thanks Topher for adding some humor to the end of our Saturday!

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Addison turns 9 months old!

 

That's right, our little baby girl turned 9 months old today! She had her Dr check-up and was 14 pounds, 13 oz  (<5), and 25 1/2 inches long (10%). She somehow shrunk a 1/2 inch (they clearly measured wrong last time). Her Dr was concerned that she was not drinking breast milk while in daycare, opting for more food, water, and juice. So, he wanted us to consider formula when I am away. I think I am going to have daycare only give her breast milk to drink and see what happens. She is pretty proportional, so the Dr was not that concerned. She looks far from malnourished.

Addison is somewhat advanced as far as her physical abilities for her age (she is so unlike her sister at this age). Addison crawls well, pulls to a stand, cruises and bumps into everything. She still has that calcification on her forehead that is just to go away with time. Addison rarely sits still, preferring to crawl and chase after Mommy, Daddy and/or Alivia. She says Mama, Dada, and Baba and babbles a few other things that I can not spell. :)

It has been an amazing 9 months Addison! We Love You!

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Negotiations over...

...Chris has made a decision. After nearly a week of negotiations and stress, Chris decided to stay at his current job at Northrup Grumman. Chris had an interview with Union Pacific Railroad doing similar computer work for them. He initially accepted the position because of the professional and financial growth. However, upon telling his current employer, they counter offered. Chris then decided to stay. UP is a great company to work for, but the Union dues, downtown parking fees, loss of vacation time, etc, made it a sacrifice. Chris is now happy with his decision.

Good luck Topher!

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The Art of Negotiating

Here I go again, talking about art when I am so far from being an artist. Chris and I have been doing our share of negotiating and I find it quite interesting and perhaps a bit annoying at times (and rewarding at other times). I got an estimate to carpet our home from the Mart. After I initially told the sales person the estimate was too high, he called with a quote that was $1000 less. Yes, you read that right, $1000. Seriously, why didn't he just give us that price the first time? It did not matter anyway because we did not get the carpet. I have also been calling around for estimates on fences for our backyard. They varied by nearly $500. Chris and I together were able to negotiate a price that we were happy with. But again, why didn't they just give us that price to begin with. Chris has been doing his own negotiations this week of a little more importance than a fence or carpet, but we will discuss that later. I guess I just do not understand why we have to negotiate. Is shopping for anything turning into an experience similar to buying a car?

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Addison's 1st Easter

We had to wake up Addison and Alivia this morning to get ready for 9 AM Easter Mass. Alivia told me she was still tired and did not seem to care to see a basket with candy. She was quite excited when she did see it though. She got a Barbie with some new clothes, Happy Feet, Bible ABC cards, a coloring book and of course, candy. Addison got a 3 books and a little lamb that baa'd. After Mass, we went and picked up Aunt Nikki and drove to my parents in Iowa for the day. After a fun filled weekend, we were exhausted (Yesterday we went to Great Grandma & Grandpa Austins in the morning and Nikki and I went to visit Grandpa George in the afternoon, Chris and I also have stayed up until midnight or later the last 3 nights watching movies on Thursday, talking with Dave on Friday night and again watching movies last night. Go and rent The Pursuit of Happyness...a good movie!).

Alivia really got into Easter this year, which was so touching for us. I asked her at dinner today what Easter meant. I thought she would say eggs and candy. But, she first said...going to church, and then I asked her about the cross and she responsed "Jesus!". I guess whatever we are saying is sinking in. Both Alivia and Addison had fun on their indoor Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Alivia ran excitedly picking up her eggs. It was so cute. Addison even picked up a couple of eggs, and she liked to hear the noise of the candy when she shook the egg.

Everyone slept on the way home, except Nikki and I. Tomorrow is back to reality. But, it was sure nice to spend extra family time together over the weekend.

Happy Easter! 

(Stay tuned...Chris may have a big announcement to make this week!)

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Happy Birthday to Topher!

Today Chris turned 35! We were both luckily able to take the day off work. We went bowling with Aunt KK in the morning. This was Alivia's first time bowling and she really liked it. Chris spent a lot of the day pondering an important decision (which I will later post if and when the decision is made). We also dyed a few eggs for Easter. Alivia had fun with that. We then had a few guests for dinner and cake (a non party party since I decided to no longer have a party :) ), including my cousin Dave from Chicago. We laughed so hard our faces hurt. I think Chris had a good birthday.

 

Happy 35th Birthday, Chris...and many more!

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Little bump

Addison's little bump on her head turned out to be nothing major, thank-goodness. She must have bumped her head and formed a small calcification (dried blood) under the surface. The Dr said it should go away with time.

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April Fools!

So did anyone get fooled?

I got Chris this year...good. I took a late night trip to the store last night and he was downstairs when I returned home. He had no idea what I purchased. So, this morning after church, I reminded him of my trip and told him that I picked "something" up and um, he was going to be a daddy again. Let's just say, I thought Topher was going to  BLANK his pants. Needless to say, I told him right away, "APRIL FOOLS."

Okay, that was funny. Now, I just hope God saw Chris' reaction since He is in charge of our family planning. :)

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The art of spring cleaning

Alivia at work.

I am the last person to talk about art, or cleaning for that matter. But, that summarized our weekend. After a very long and difficult week, I was just happy to get through it in a few pieces. So, I was content cleaning. We started our weekend by trying a new (but very old) pizza place in Millard...Bernie's Pizza. We would give it an 8 out of 10. The pizza was great, made by Bernie himself. It was a small Mom and Pop shop. We ate out, (which is quite rare for us) and the food was good. Afterwards, we went to a park nearby and Alivia had a blast.

As far as the weekend went, I cleaned and did laundry while Chris started the season of yard work. The yard is already looking green and our home is beginning to smell of cleaning solutions. I'm just getting started, though...I have a lot more to do.

Addison started saying "Mama" last week and continued talking throught the weekend. She is becoming more vocal and loud now! She is also our little George, Curious George that is. She crawls to whatever is dangerous to check it out. For example, I put her down in the basement to crawl surrounded by toys. She crawled right over the toys and went straight for the heater. This did not surprise me at all. She also is pulling to a stand quite well and then letting go of 1 hand but not both hands yet. She is getting really good at picking up her finger foods and loves crackers! Addison does have a little bump on her head that is not from a fall that seems to be getting bigger. I hope to take her to her Dr this week to check it out.

Alivia came down with a cold today and told us 100 times or more, "My nose is running." Now, we just need to teach her to go and get a tissue by herself. She used to do this by herself but now likes us to do this special treat for her. Last week was her first week of doing 50% of her gymnastics class alone! I watched from outside of the room. What a girl! She also went down the tunnel slide, "By myself" as she says. She is a big girl! Now, if we can just get her out of her pull-up at night...

I am going to Denver for a day this week, so I will check out the mountains for everyone - briefly - and then fly back. But, if all goes well, the trip will give me a raise. At least that is the goal. On Friday, Chris will turn 35! So, Happy b-day big cat daddy!

Here is to hoping for a MUCH better week this week!

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Happy Spring!

I love this time of year...perfect weather, birds chirping, green grass. What is there not to like? We spent the last week outside, weather permitting. Alivia could live outside if we would let her. She plays on her playset, bikes and spends hours at the neighborhood park when the weather is nice. Chris finally completed the garage organization. Looks wonderful! I need to take of picture of his masterpiece. It is SOOOO much better.

Spring also brings spring cleaning. I watched as our neighbor MAN of the house washed his windows and wondered if my Dad had ever done that job. I actually look forward to the day I have a few moments to get a few of our windows clean. Chris and I continue to do our financial cleaning, so to speak, too, & are excited by our progress! My new favorite magazine is MONEY. They have great advice in there for self professed penny pinchers like myself.

This coming week looks to be a busy one. My boss will be here for a couple days keeping me company. I hope to start our spring cleaning at night so we can start wearing weather appropriate clothes. Until next week...

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Quiet time?

My good friend, Heidi, sent me an email on Friday telling how important "quiet time" is and suggested I try it with Alivia who gave up her nap a few months ago. So, I tried it on Saturday and today. Worked like a charm! I told her she could read books or play with her babies as long as she was quiet in her room unless she had to go potty. Both days she ended up asleep. I got so much done during this time and felt energized for the rest of the afternoon into evening to play. However, she is having a more difficult time going to sleep now. It is 9PM now and she is still in her room talking. The same thing happened last night. I will probably continue with the quiet time next weekend and see how it goes.

The good news is that Alivia has been dry all night for 2 nights now! Knock on wood, though. I hope this is a continuing pattern because I am about to wear out our wash machine.

Chris spent the ENTIRE weekend in the garage! He put up the shelving system all the way around the garage - including above the garage door. Today he painted the walls white. He just has to place all the stuff on the shelves. I will post an after picture, but I wish I would have taken a before picture! I can hardly wait to park my car inside again. Chris wants to just sit a while and let the bruises on the backs of his legs heal (from leaning against the ladder as he installed the shelves!).

Have a good week!

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Easter Pics

 

 

Easter Pics

Well, after having Addison sick this week, we finally got into get the Easter pictures taken yesterday. To view, go to:

http://www.capturetoday.photosite.com/Album86/

Alivia and Addison both really liked the bunny. Chris and I learned why it is important to keep a male and female bunny apart. :) We did not know we were going to see THAT at the photographers!

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Addison turns 8 months

 

Addison 8 months old!

Addison is now 8 months old. We can hardly believe that much time has passed already (do I say that every month?). She was sick tonight - so I did not even get a picture! She gets her pictures taken tomorrow with Alivia for Easter if she feels better. I will post the proofs when they are ready.

Addison is crawling really well now. She is talking some, "Dada" mostly. Addison is now pulling to a stand while holding onto something and does cruise some along the sofa. I have tried having her stand alone in the middle of the room, but she just falls into me and then laughs and laughs. She thinks I am playing a game. She gave up the bottle pretty much on her own and has finally mastered the sippy cup (Although she will only drink water and juice in it). Addison's favorite game is peek-a-boo right now. You will never believe this...Addison's favorite toy...anything with a tag! She will crawl acrossed the room if she sees a tag hanging off of a blanket, stuffed toy, UNDER the couch! Anything that has washing instructions or something. So, how does she put herself to sleep at night or at naptime? She crawls to her bumper pad, finds the tag, and with her tag in one hand and her thumb in her mouth she falls fast asleep. Ahhh...  

Hopefully she is feeling better in the morning. Tonight she fell asleep on me right after I took her out of her highchair after dinner. This is highly unusual. She napped through the evening while I held her outside, too. Hopefully she is able to sleep all night.

Happy 8th month Addison!

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Zoo of a week...

Penquins!

The girls at the zoo

Great Grandma & Addison

What a crazy week and into the weekend. Alivia started her new gymnastics class last Monday. It is her first class without Mommy and Daddy. Uh, that did not go over well. She is very timid and does not like to go it alone quite yet.

On Friday, Chris went with his brother to see the movie 300 (I think that is what it was called) so I had a party of my own. Just kidding. My parents and my sister decided to drop by and bring pizza. That was a nice surprise. On Saturday, we woke to a beautiful day. So, we decided to go and see how the new zoo pass worked. Alivia loved the penquins and Addison liked the aquarium. A lot of the animals were still inside for the winter. We spent the rest of the afternon outside. Addison loves the swingset. I am telling you...that was a pretty good investment. I may not recommend the rainbow brand itself, but having a backyard playset is great.

After Mass on Sunday (which arrived much too early for us), the girls and I went to visit Great Grandma Marci. She was happy to see us. We spent the rest of the day playing outside while Topher cleaned and started to reorganize our garage. Seriously, if we ever move, that would be why. How many big wheels, trikes, cars, motorcylces, lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc, can fit into a 2 car garage. You just have to see ours. You would be amazed! We are parking in the driveway for the moment. But, when he is done, it will be so worth it. I look forward to getting into and out of my car without the risk of a rake or a hoe (or a bigwheel for that matter) falling on my head. 

Well, this week will be another crazy one...but we will have fun along the way.

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Getting old?

Mommy's birthday

My birthday usually comes and goes and I never feel older. Maybe it is because Chris is older than me that he makes me feel young by default. This year was and is different though. It was the first year people said I was getting old or "Wow, I did not realize you were THAT old." Now, what does that mean? It is all just a number and I really should not care. It makes me stop and think about all those grey hairs I am getting, though. Chris got me a cake, and he and Alivia tried to sing to me, which was sweet. I got my long awaited zoo pass so we can go any time for just a while or a long while. I can hardly wait to start going! Now I just hope "THAT old" body can walk through the zoo! :)

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Running in place

I have a close friend, who shall go nameless for this blog :), who is single without kids. She asked me tonight if I planned on running the 1/2 marathon this May in Lincoln. That was a goal for this year to do, you know. It is so funny that she brought that up considering I can not recall the last time I ran. Running used to be a hobby, a passion almost, of mine. But now, all I can do is run in place. Chris always wants to do stuff and go places on weekends. Today was exhausting for me just to go to 9am Mass and a baby shower. Especially knowing how much work I had to do at home. So, do I run? Not unless you count running in place. :)

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Addison speaks...

...and says, "Dada, dada, dada, dada." I am going to see if Chris can load the video.

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We are on my space!

http://www.myspace.com/ckaustin

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