This is the Life

we're baaack!!

2008-07-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

Ooof! Sorry 'bout that! I had a tad bit going on, plus no internet at home for over a week...

But I'm back in business, with high-speed internet to boot!

the stats:

2008-07-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Maren had her 15-month check up today. She is 33 inches tall (98%) and 27 pounds, 10 ounces (96%). She has grown 3 inches since her 1-year visit, which the doctor said was more than most kids do. She also had her MMR & chicken pox vaccines. I will be sooooo happy if she doesn't have to go thru having chicken pox!

Also~ we were notified that Maren will be moving up to the Tots classroom at daycare next week. They were trying to wait until she's 16 months old, but girlfriend is just too advanced for that infant B room. She's already hanging out with the tots & loves bigger kids, so we know she'll do just fine.

2008-07-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

I am boycotting blogger for a few days. I have tried 7 times to upload the pics for the 4th of July post and it will not work. After waiting like a half hour for them, the box tells me the page cannot be found. Soooo check back around the middle of the week and I should have a couple new posts. (fingers crossed)

so I'm keeping the Tucson...

2008-07-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know ~ I leased the Tucson for 3 years and the lease is up August 3rd. I have an appointment for it to be checked over for the lease return on July 28. I knew I was going to have to pay some because I have a couple of door dings and 1 window doesn't go up properly. So I was already dreading that. On the plus side, it has only 35,000 miles - yay for a 2005. But on my way into the parking lot in St. Paul on Tuesday I hit the freakin' barrier between the entrance & the exit. Yup, scraped her up real nice. Soooo... I decided it would be best to finance the remainder of the Tucson, which happily turns out to be less than I was expecting. It's kind of OK because I actually do like the car. I've seriously never had the same vehicle for 3 years, and was mainly looking for a different vehicle to get a lower monthly payment. But alas, 2008 was not meant for me.

mad skills

2008-07-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Maren & I went to Perkins with mom & Randy. After we ate, Randy took Maren out to the entryway & when I joined them, he asked if he could "borrow" 2 quarters to play the crane game with Maren. You know, that game that nobody ever wins at that's everywhere. So I put 2 quarters in and Maren played with the control and it actually picked up a stuffed cat! Then she looked at us, probably because we were in shock. Then she grabbed the control again & pushed the cat over the chute and Bingo! Winner!! It was so odd ~ Randy & I were in total shock cuz of course it was completely by luck. I never did get those 2 quarters back from Ran, but here's the cat:

cracka me up

2008-06-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take'>http://www.magatsu.net/maritaltest/">Take the test!

future Jammers

2008-06-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a Playdate with some Jammer kids!! Ellie Putnam invited us over for the very first Play Group and we also saw Megan Parker, Louisa Augustine & Jack Gleason. We played with toys, ate a snack, and walked around the block. I swear Jack was there, but once again, he escaped my pics. He may have been busy eating some yummy grapes and muffins!

ellie, maren & louisa:

side note: both louisa & maren fell backward off of this cutie picnic table, nothing serious

maren & louisa:

ellie & megan:

zoo

2008-06-24T19:09:00.003-07:00

Monday Maren's friend Adeline & her mommy, Jennea, invited us to the MN Zoo! It was a beautiful day with lots of people watching - which Maren loves. We visited the Farm Babies and the girls fed some sheep and goats. Maren was pretty hesitant at first, she climbed up me. But after trying to eat the grass pellets herself, she figured out it's for the animals, and then she really enjoyed herself. She fed quite a few sheep & goats, I was impressed!

Looks like Adeline is talkin' smack to the sheep!

Cousin Alex Giving Maren a Push

2008-06-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

Giggles

2008-06-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Today Maren & I visited my mom's & jeff, dawn & alex were there also!

Maren & Alex rode in a swing together (he's got his arm across her to help her not fall out). It was dang cute - Maren laughed her little tushie off when Alex pushed her & she even pushed him!

My mom made this dress for Maren! Isn't it sweet?!

bug hats & braunschweiger

2008-06-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Teddy Bear Band played at Maren's daycare today! Jamie said Maren loved it & shook her little tooshie to the music. They even posted 2 pics of her on the front door - fun!

After I picked her up, we played in the sandbox, it was a very nice afternoon. Aidan & Connor got Maren this cute bug hat. So far it's the only hat I've put on her that she didn't immediately yank off. She did take it off once, looked at it & tried to put it back on. thanks guys!

Tonite's snack was braunschweiger!!!! yep. Before you say I'm nasty, I didn't eat it, but Ron did. I eat Spam with Maren! It seemed like she enjoyed the first couple bites of braunschweiger, but then ate string cheese instead.

cabin visit

2008-06-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today we all went up to Ham Lake to surprise Dawn for her birthday. She & Joe have rented a cabin for a week. She just thought Maren & I were coming to visit to day, so it was fun when Jeff, Mom, Randy & Amanda also showed up! It's a cute place with parks, a lake, paddle boats and a petting zoo. Well I'll use the phrase petting zoo loosly since there are posted signs saying "we may bite and kick". And the ding-dang donkeys sure do! The one in the brown harness was the Big Kahoona. When we were feeding the goats corn thru the fence, the bugger actually picked a goat up (with his mouth) by his back and tossed him aside so he could have the food!! And if he even turned to the other animals, the scattered. Even the freaky-deaky goat with 4 wonky horns on his head!
Crazy. But we had a good day ~ I hope we surprise Dawn up there every year for her birthday! ;)
Maren was pretty tickled whe we approached the animals, she put her hands on her thighs and made her surprised face - too cute.

Look at that dude eye-ing up my girl!

zyrtec update

2008-06-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that I called Maren's allergist last week to let him know that we don't think the Zyrtec worked. He had said to put her on 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon once a day for 2 weeks and then call him. We did 1/2 teaspoon for 2 weeks and then 3/4 teaspoon for a week. Nada. So I called Dr. Helm, who said the next thing to try would be to get rid of or completely avoid the cats. To which I replied: I'm giving you a mental swift kick to the knee right now. Which generated a laugh, thank goodness. Ron & I have no plans to rid our lives of Pappy & Rena. Sorry Maren, the runny nose will have to stay, baby. At least it's not terrible and hey, she's probably used to it at this point, right?

random

2008-05-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

2008-05-25T20:36:00.001-07:00

Today started out nice enough, Ron, Maren & I walked to Caribou, it was a tad humid. Then after nap Maren & I went to visit my mom & played outside. It's finally spring!

And then:

Hail! Randy & I had literally just moved my car into their garage when the hail started. It varied in size from a pea to a golf ball. It was crazy - coming down fast & hard. Unfortunately there was some damage to their garage including a broken window. Thank goodness I wasn't driving in that!

sandbox

2008-05-25T08:42:00.001-07:00

We set up Maren's sandbox in the back yard yesterday. OK Ron set it up, I took pictures. Ron has cleaned up a lot back there, so aside from the lack of grass, it's almost OK to play out there.

Maren enjoys getting in & out of the sandbox as well as climbing into her chair. She can get into & out of the chair without help ~ amazed me!

Daycare tells me Maren will be moving up to Tots at 15 months (she is almost 14 months right now). I don't think she's the oldest in her class & she's not much older that the others, obviously they keep kids around the same age together. But she is the only one in her class who can climb the steps of the playground equipment (it's very low, 3 steps) and rides around on the cars & even pushes her friends on the cars. She also loves the balls & plays very well with the kids in the Tots class. The other day she tried to follow them back into the building after playing outside together instead of staying with her class. She is such a dolly.

Happy belated birthday Kelly H!!

innocent play

2008-05-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

this is just a typical kids' board puzzle, right?

or is it?

Look at what those 2 mice are up to. Typical mouse on mouse behavior, I know. But perhaps we can hold off on the birds & the bees (and the mice) a few more years? ;)

later the same day:

2008-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

I had to wake Maren after 3 hours of napping (must have played hard this am with Alex!!!) in order to head to Otsego to see Grandpa Randy for his birthday today.

Turns out Maren LOVES the sandbox! She was so content to just play by herself, or have her toes buried...

or dig a hole with Dawn...

we spent a good bunch of time outside, it was a beautiful day!

Of course, the batteries in my camera pooped out, so I didn't get a pic of Randy blowing out the candles with Alex...

2008-05-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Today Maren & I joined Dawn & Alex at their ECFE. We got to run around and play with lots of toys & other kids. We even played outside for a bit. Maren loves being outside. She played outside for 45 minutes yesterday at daycare & when they brought her in so we could pick her up, she had a little fit. She also got upset the other day when she saw her stroller in the garage and I didn't take her outside, it was raining!

The Zyrtec took a few days to do anything, but I think her ever-running nose may just be getting slightly better. She has been taking 1/2 teaspoon each morning since May 8. We are going to give it 2 weeks and then notify the doc. He said if it's not working well, the issue may not be allergies in that particular case.

i love this girl

2008-05-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

zyrtec. not for bedtime.

2008-05-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ooof... Maren had her allergist appointment today. Dr. Helm is not at all convinced that she has seasonal allergies and wants to wait on checking into other foods since it is so uncommon for someone to be allergic to more than 8 things. (hey Dad & Connor - I guess you're uncommon!)

So the plan for now is to give her Zyrtec once a day for 2 weeks and see if her drippy nose clears up. She had also had those red, rough cheeks and cough about 10-14 days ago, but they seem to be much better. Possibly a little cold? Dr. Helm did mention the cats possibly being the culprit with Maren's nose, but he's so great, he doesn't dare suggest we get rid of Pappy & Rena.

I rushed right out and bought the Zyrtec and since it's once a day, I thought it would be smart to give it to Maren after dinner so she'd have all that allergy-free comfort while she sleeps. It's a big amount of time and all... Well. I gave it to her ~7:15 and it hit her system like a Red Bull. She was laughing and delirious and walking all over and stumbling and playing and making Ron & I very nervous as to when she might come down. But Ron put her in bed at about 8:45 and she went to sleep well.

I suppose I'll not give her that tomorrow nite!

2008-05-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

just some more random Maren-isms...

She has been walking all over the place & jabbering up a storm!

Today she was playing with a pen & I saw her try to stick it between her toes several times. (Don't worry baby girl, soon you'll be able to grab things off the floor without even bending over.)

Today when I picked her up from daycare Miss Kenzie was waving goodbye thru a glass door & Maren lunged at it to kiss her thru the glass ~ so sweet.

Tomorrow we have another appointment with her allergist. I am not so sure we are avoiding everything she is allergic to. And since there are approximately 1 million things we did not test her for, I'm guessing I'll have another post with a list. (oh, I hope not!) Shelly at work informed me today that the price of rice is soon going to skyrocket. Are you friggin' kidding me? Rice bread, rice pasta, rice MILK! I guess I need to go shopping...

2008-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Great-Grandma!! OK, I'm great, I did not get a pic of Maren with great-grandma... But I got a pic of Maren riding a horse that's about the same age:
She really enjoyed "riding" that horse and playing outside with all the cousins and family. It was a beautiful day!!

como zoo

2008-04-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

It turned out to be a lovely day, and thank goodness because Maren & I went to Como Zoo with Dawn, Alex & some ladies Dawn knows. Maren pretty much strolled around while the boys all did boy things, but she seemed quite content.

Here she is looking like she could do way better than me:

And here she is taking Dawn for a walk:

Oh, I forgot to mention some of Maren's genious-ness in the previous post (thanks Mom).
She has been putting her Little People into their cars, etc., and she knows how to blow in the recorder to make "music". She also knows how to drive me batty by taking all of the tupperware out of the drawer & tossing it on the floor, but that's a gimme.

2008-04-29T18:25:00.001-07:00

bibs? check.
suction bowl? check.
plastic on the floor? check.
oatmeal? check.
spoons? check!
I gave Maren a crack at feeding herself with her spoons today. Well, she has tried in the past, but I actually planned to let her help this time. (I didn't plan extremely well as I had just gotten her out of the bath!) Generally I begin to feed her & she grabs the spoon from me, so I get another and she grabs that one. We go round & round with the 2 spoons then with me scooping up the food & her taking that spoon & eating off of it, then putting it down. It's as fun as it sounds! So this time I just gave her 2 spoons & mostly let her feed herself.
I also wanted to update what Maren's up to these days. She is walking a little on her own, very well while holding someone's fingers.
She loves to swing & look at books.
She says: mama, dada, uh-oh, hi, kitty (kee), and sometimes "hi kee"
She is getting too smart for me, it's beginning to worry me! We have locks on the cabinets, but if she sees that one is off, she goes for that door. She climbs the stairs. She puts Diego in the seat of her push-bus & remembers he's there later. She gets herself onto the rocking horse & off. She holds the phone to her ear & yesterday used my brush on her head. She's also held the clippers to her toes. She saw a picture of a tiger & said "kee", uh - yeah. I'm suddenly constantly surprised by her.

OMG!!

2008-04-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

These are Maren's first piggies! I can't take credit ~ Miss Jamie at daycare put them in this morning:

And this is just plain cute:

Alex is 3!!!

2008-04-19T18:37:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Alex's 3rd birthday! (can that be right?!)
Lucky boy got lots of Cars toys & a watch & we had yummy dogs & cake!
Maren makes a very fakey-silly smile these days:Maren with my grandma!I was also informed at daycare on Friday that Maren is quite the little monkey. She's trying to climb onto everything. Miss Jamie was working on walking with Maren, which she is still not too keen on. But a bit later Maren stood her little self on a chair with no hands (it's only about 5 inches off the floor). Looks like she's going to get herself moved up to the next class sooner than we thought!

future's so bright

2008-04-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

2008-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

I had today off work, so Maren & I are hanging out. I really thought she'd be a bit punky from her shot yesterday, but she is doing great. We went to the park to swing and she loved it. I tried to take her out of the swing a couple of times & she freaked. She was mad when I took her out to head home. She did nervously stand outside and touched what sad grass there is this time of year. I also sat her in the pebbles by the swings, but she didn't care for that, she reached out for me to get her off the ground right away. But YAY!! Spring is coming after all!! It felt soooo good to be outside.

1-year appointment

2008-04-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Maren had her 1-year check-up with the doctor today. She is 30 inches tall and weighs 25 pounds, 2 ounces. The doctor said something about the 75th% and the 95th%, but I don't know which was which. The doc also said Maren was a very happy 1-year-old for having to wait over 15 minutes for the appointment. (she reached out to the doc to be held) Maren is also getting a molar on the upper left side ~ it hasn't broken the skin yet, but we could see the bump. Ron is in Chicago until Thursday nite, so I had to stay in the room for the one vaccination & the finger poke. They did the finger poke first (smart) to check Maren's hemoglobin & lead level. It was interesting watching Maren when the nurse did that, she barely flinched & seemed very interested in watching the little tube fill with her blood. Ah-hah! Might we have a gorey science child like her mama?!?!

2-steppin'

2008-04-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Maren has taken those first steps! Ron picked her up at daycare Friday and she took 4 steps to him. The daycare ladies said throughout the day she had been taking 1 step and then sitting. I got to witness a couple (Frankenstein) steps today. ~So Cute!~ She's definitely getting more confident in her standing, but crawling is still a much quicker mode of travel. I don't have any pics or video of Maren walking yet, but here are some shots of her enjoying some of her birthday gifts:

It's like Sophie's Choice

2008-04-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

Maren's Very First Birthday Party

2008-04-05T13:18:00.001-07:00

Maren napped until ~10:15, perfect. So when she woke up, I dressed her & she had a snack in her fancy wings & her schmancy hair clip from Kenzie!Maren's friends Jack & Adeline were there to help her celebrate (oddly, I didn't get a pic of Maren & Adeline together)

The Birthday Girl & her cake:

Opening gifts ~ Thanks everybody!!!

We also went for a walk around the block after the party & Maren got some tips from Dick on aging gracefully:

Then she crashed ~ Big day, lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, grandpas & friends. Thanks everyone for celebrating with us!

bath bud

2008-04-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Maren had a buddy in the tub tonite - Cousin Alex!! I was filling the tub for her & he was pretty anxious to get in, so sure! I don't think he appreciated Maren's extreme splashing :)
Maren taking her Birthday nap with daddy:
Thanks Mom & Dawn for your help!!!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

2008-04-04T05:22:00.000-07:00

Maren~ I cannot believe that just a year ago I had no idea what wonderful surprises, experiences and memories I would now have to think back on. It has been amazing watching you learn to sit up, to crawl, to say "kitty" & "hi" and to snuggle into your mama & daddy - to watch you grow into the silly, smily little lady you've become. Some day you will be a big girl and your mama will not be the center of your world. So as long as I can, I will hug you and rock you. I will dance with you and splish-splash with you. I will chase you and feed you; protect you and love you. I am overflowing with love for you and I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us! All my love, Mama
*Happy First Birthday*

2008-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to express our sorrow over the tragedy experienced by Miss April over the weekend. Miss April is the Assistant Director at Maren's daycare, so we see a lot of her. Friday her family was involved in a car accident and her husband is currently in critical condition. Sadly, their 9-week old daughter, Lucie, did not survive the crash. Our thoughts are with Miss April at this difficult time.

catch-up

2008-04-01T18:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks Kelly for sending pics from Easter! Here is Dan shaking the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of Maren. Kidding, just a chance shot of him tossing her up. Here's Maren & Daddy after dinner too.

The downstairs bathroom is finished!! There wasn't a bathroom on our main level until now, so it will be so great!

And this crazy face just slays me:

by request:

2008-03-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

come on summer!!

2008-03-29T12:27:00.001-07:00

A co-worker & her daughter got Maren this great summer gear: bikini, capris, sandals & a sun hat along with a beach bag!

Girlfriend has the perfect figure for a bikini!

She wasn't so sure about standing in the shoes at first.

Thanks so much Melissa & Abirlan!!!

Wednesday's Child

2008-03-26T18:10:00.003-07:00

Is a true goof-ball.

sweet halo-hair:

eating a marshmallow bunny from Aunt Dawn:

dinner!! I fed her some squash baby food I still had & she insisted on "helping" me by holding a spoon.

Ron installed the floor in the downstairs bathroom this weekend & I painted it today:

bad mama

2008-03-26T07:14:00.001-07:00

Oh man, I did not take a single picture at Easter!! Not sure what I was thinking. I'll give you a run-down: Maren didn't wear a puffy pastel dress & patent shoes. She wore a light green shirt & grey pants with socks. Very comfy. We started out by going to Dawn's for yummy brunch with my dad, Amanda & the Knight gang. Then we stopped home for a bit before heading to Ron's parent's for dinner where we also saw Tim, Dan, Kelly, Aidan & Connor. Maren ate some ham, pears & brussels sprouts: mmmmm...

Well at least enjoy this blast from the past, Maren around the time of Easter last year.

2008-03-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Wild Rumpus with Dawn, Alex & Amanda! So cute, Dawn has told me about this place, but I had never been. They have cats & chickens & rats & birds & chichillas there. Maren listened to a story about the environment from Aunt Amanda. Then we all met Jeff for lunch - FUN! Uh, excuse me Pappy...
Is it wrong that, as Ron pointed out, The Farm Babies Exhibit at the MN Zoo is sponsored by Hormel???

something's missing from my bathroom:

2008-03-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

potty? check. sink? check. bathtub? check. Oooooh... dishes? In the kitchen!!
The dishwasher is in! I'm on about the 5th load of dishes - I'm putting thru every thing I possibly can to start out nice & clean. I must say though, it honestly does feel strange to open a drawer, grab a metal spoon, use it & put it in a dishwasher - it's been sooo long! I've moved all of Maren's food & bibs, etc. downstairs too. Now I'm trying to figure out the layout - where should I put everything in this wonderful space?!

Ron's in New York for a couple of nights (he better not come home -$4000!!), so here's a pic of your girl hon!

granitey goodness

2008-03-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

The granite was installed Thursday! Woo-Hoo! We are definitely on our way to having a fully functional kitchen. Ron installed the faucet last nite & will hopefully get that ding-dang dishwasher up & running - then I can get the dishes out of the bathroom! (that'll be weird for a while, it's been 5 months!)

And because everybody loves a nekked tushie:

Maren's new thing is sucking &/or blowing into the water in her bath, especially as it is draining out of the tub. She has also started getting down on her belly to inspect some things. It cracks me up, she'll flop down on her tummy, prop herself up on her elbows & cross her ankles. Love that girl!

congrats Rodney & Kenzie!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-12T04:57:00.000-07:00

http://engageology.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/i-said-yes/

day with mama

2008-03-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today was my day off, so Maren & I were all over the place. First we went to the Children's Museum. She mocho enjoyed watching the kids & story time. She may have been just a tad too young for the majority, better for a walker. (Soon!!) Then we hoofed it around Ikea, more for my benefit than hers. Then we headed home, changed a poopy diaper & went for a nice walk around the neighborhood. It was such a beautiful day with the sun :) Argh, back to the lab tomorow... But what a nice day off with my Girl! Is it freaking anyone else out that the "ticker" at the top keeps heading toward 1 Year???

Also, I don't know who you are, but whoever thought lovey things for Rena, Thank You. She is remarkably better without any more meds. Keeping an eye on her, but she's doing fantastic, even grooming Pappy!!

daddy's dream come true

2008-03-08T17:35:00.001-08:00

Can you guess from the pic where we had dinner?Famous Dave's!!! Ron has been dying to get Maren to Famous Dave's for some beef brisket since she had gills. It's a little difficult to feed a kid with this multitude of allergies, so I'm game for a restaurant that serves yummy, warm meat straight up with veggies. She had brisket, roasted chicken, beans & corn. Mmmmm... And she loved it all, particularly all the lights and decorations.

2008-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today we went to have Maren's 1-year pictures taken. My sister has used Candice Brumm Photography in the past with Alex & this year we went together. The beginning went great, got pics of Alex & Maren together & a femily shot. But Maren had not had a good nap before all this, so unfortunately, she started to lose it before I'd like to have been done. So we had to cut it shorter with no swimsuit pics, not many nekked-butt shots... What can ya do. I feel confident that we will have some nice photos to choose from. Maren did take a 1 hour nap on the way home (we drove around the lakes too) and she's asleep again right now! (On her changing pad on the floor in the living room - with Ron & Pappy asleep on the couch.) This is the life!

go ahead, pick my brain:

2008-03-06T05:51:00.001-08:00

This weekend is daylight savings ~ Spring Ahead 1 hour!
I am sooo ready for spring, I want to take Baby Girl for walks someplace other than inside Target ;)
I was in the post office the other day & overheard that postage is going up in May.
I'm home from work because I got the crud - either from Maren or from work ~ I don't know, but I feel like I was hit by a truck. I figure it's best to stay home rather than attempt to dictate surgical specimens with a mega-sore throat & cough. Sorry guys!
These Hostess "100 Calorie Packs" blueberry muffins are a joke, right?
I know you're not all into cat's, but I am & this is my blog.
Rena update: This breaks my heart clean in half - she's actually not better. Ron & I were only able to get half the meds in her (seriously: 4 in the am, 2 after work, 3 before bed...). She did perk up for a few days, but is now sliding back down & feels all hot & weak. I contacted Roxy (our vet/friend) who saw Rena a couple weeks ago & we are going to retry the antibiotics in pill form (hopefully will stay down instead of being drooled out). If that doesn't work, we are going to treat her like she has pancreatitis along with her IBD. Which probably means prednisone, ugh. I was all teary last night with her which got me to thinking - can I create a Caring Bridge site for my cat? I won't...but could I?
This is Pappy trying to "comfort" Rena at this very moment:

2008-03-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

Can you spot the differences in this pic compared to the last one? Nope, the granite has not arrived yet - another week. But the crown moulding is up, the handles are on, and the kick plates are in place! So other than requiring a few more shelves for the mega-pantry, the cabinets are a done deal. They are so perdy... Yup - she's asleep.
Maren had a cold for about a week (as in change the sheets every day to wash out the boogies), so she was feeling pretty crummy. Also, daycare gave her a cheese sandwich for lunch Friday (uh, dairy + wheat), so that was sort of rough on her... But I was home with her all day today & she is doing much better.

family time

2008-03-02T14:01:00.001-08:00

Today we decided to not do a thing with the house ~ after lunch we went to Como Park to see the flowers & the monkeys!! Maren had just woken from a nap, she was very quiet & seemed to enjoy the people-watching.

oof ~ I need to work on my posture!

Oh yeah- we stopped for a cone on the way home...

hey, that looks like a kitchen

2008-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

The cabinet guys worked their little tushies off today and have just about completed the kitchen!! It looks so great! They will be back on Monday to finish things like the crown moulding & installing the shelves & handles.

This is the island:

To the right (at the end of) this counter are the sliding glass doors to the backyard.

Obviously the countertops are not in yet. The template will be here Wed. & the granite should be installed one week later. After that, the sink & dishwasher will be functional & it will be "done"!
And the peice de resistance: The pantry wall. Mmmm.... I could sit here & daydream about what all I can fit in here. Even though I knew it would cover that entire wall, I was surprised at the size of it. Very cool.Amanda's 2-month journey to Italy is finished, Mom went out there the last week & they both got home Thursday. It sounds like they had a fab time & got some great pics. But I'm glad they're home!

28 feb 08

2008-02-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Apparently Maren has a little "boyfriend" at daycare. His name is Tommy & he has the biggest bald head I've ever seen, but he is very sweet. Jamie (their teacher) tells me that they jabber to eachother all the time & follow eachother around the room & play well. Awww...

just for funnies~
Maren's likes: baths, books, laughing, loud things (loves the vacuum - struggles to find it when she hears it!), Gigi-cat, poking me in the eyes while I rock her, food (spaghetti, carbs in general), being "chased", the phone (or camera), dancing & bouncing...
Maren's dislikes: wiping her nose, anyone peeking in her mouth, sometimes the car seat, mashed potatoes & cottage cheese

Welcome Baby Moe!!

2008-02-27T05:16:00.000-08:00

from an e-mail I got this am: (I added their link - no pics yet though, of course)

Welcome to the world baby BOY !

Baby Morelli was born this morning, February 27th at 1 :35am

7 lbs, 11oz 19 1/2 inches

(long eye lashes & lots of hair)

Baby has not been named yet.....I will let you all know when I find out!

Mom & Baby are doing GREAT! :)

brusha brusha?

2008-02-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been trying to brush Maren's teeth in the evenings. Now that she has 7 teeth, I need to be more diligent. I will admit that she struggles so much & gets so mad that I barely get a thing done in her mouth. Wish me luck!

then again...

2008-02-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

After discussing plum and buying blue - I went out and got a creamy yellow paint for the kitchen! We're not Packer Backers or anything, but the dining room & kitchen do look really good. After living a few days with just the primer on the kitchen wall, I couldn't picture going with a dark color in there. All the windows do keep it bright in there and this yellow gives it a warm feeling. (directly beneath those lights hanging from the ceiling will be the island)

And for kicks, here is a pic of Ron with all 3 cats. Gigi was sitting closer until I grabbed the camera. Rena is doing much better!! She's been downstairs a lot in the past few days, also eating well and grooming herself. What a relief! And for some reason the G has just become very affectionate in the past 3 days, maybe she knows her days are numbered with us - Amanda gets home from Italy Feb 28.

I'll pass

2008-02-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

Maren has always been an excellent eater. She'll put anything in her mouth, so any and all food (ie: cat food) goes right in. There are 2 foods, however, that never fail to make their way back out: mashed potatoes and cottage cheese.
PS~ we had been introducing whole milk into Maren's diet in place of the rice milk, but this morning she was coughing & boogery like before. So our revised plan is to keep her on rice milk (even though I'm concerned about the reduced amount of fat and her developing brain) and offer her dairy in her diet in other forms. Keep your fingers crossed!!

21 Feb 08

2008-02-21T18:24:00.001-08:00

I couldn't decide which bath pic to post, so here are all 3:

Yes, that is a healing bruise on her forehead, she tried to pull herself up on the back of a chair & it didn't work out for her. :(

Also, the appliances arrived today!! Don't get me started on the fact that Ron had the guys haul away our old (working) fridge instead of putting it in the garage, but here are the spankin' new oven & fridge! The dishwasher & microwave are still in their boxes until the cabinet guys get done. They were supposed to be here this week, but now say early next week...

Sorry if I sound like I'm getting bitter. I am.

BB9

2008-02-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

Hey Traci ~ why didn't you tell me Big Brother 9 started?! Kidding, Ron & I have caught the past 2 episodes. I love that trash...

doctor day

2008-02-19T18:09:00.006-08:00

Is it weird that I love my gynecologist? She is so awesome! Today we gabbed for so long I know I went over my time, but she is so much fun I'd consider getting knocked up just so I could see her more again. The best part was that she told me not to lose any more weight. See? She's awesome!Unfortunately, Rena had a doctor visit today also. She has not been doing well for almost a week now. Late last week I remarked to Ron that I hadn't seen her come out of his closet in like 2 days (there is a cat bed in there), he hadn't either. So when I picked her up, I was horrified. She had obviously lost a bunch of weight and her eyes looked a bit sunken and she hadn't groomed herself. Understand that in my book it goes: Maren, Rena, Ron, Pappy. (It's probably a Ron-Pappy tie) So we initially thought Rena was doing poorly due to Gigi being so crazy around here and Rena has gotten scratched. Also, Rena is a nervous cat & we've had a tad bit of construction & such going on here. But then it struck me that she had vomited some Ivy leaves mid-week last week. Those dang ivy plants had been up high, but are currently residing in the porch, in full reach of the kittys. I've begged Ron to throw them out for years, but they keep our air clean... So I did get the Rooster in to see Dr. Mahan (a friend - yay!) and she is on 2 kinds of oral antibiotics, eye drops, an appetite stimulant and we did blood work & stained her cornea to check for a scratch. She doesn't seem happy yet, but hopefully in a few days she'll perk up. Now the best part - Maren had her allergist appointment this afternoon!!!!
We had found out about her allergies Feb. 1, so it's been a long wait to find out The Plan. Dr. Helm looked at her blood tests & listened to our story & what we've done so far. The most notable thing we could say is that with the conscious absence of wheat, Maren's cough is gone. Since she has been getting dairy in her formula all along and she is doing so much better anyway - she gets to keep dairy in her diet! That was so great to hear, it will make for so many more food choices. We also had to do the scary Epi-pen demo & talk about allergic reactions & he said she will likely always be allergic to peanuts (dang!). The Plan is to keep away from soy, wheat, eggs & nuts and retest her in a year to see how she's coming along. I was so happy he didn't say a dang thing about the cats :) He explained that the # given to her positive allergens doesn't mean much, it's more how she tolerates things.

2008-02-17T20:08:00.001-08:00

oh my golly

2008-02-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Who is this baby boy?!

17 Feb 08

2008-02-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today Maren played at the Knight's while Ron & I put the second coat of paint on the dining room walls (no more red) & primed more of the kitchen. Thanks Dawn!Turns out "Carriage Door" is not brown, it's green! A surprise for us in the dining room, but we really do like the color, so no worries. You can kind of see the hall from the living room/porch on the left here, that's new. Also, the door in the hall with the baby gate is going to be a bathroom!

Maren is now getting her front right tooth to go along with the leftie that's been there a week & her "canines" which came in weeks ago. So cute. Today she actually fell asleep eating her before-bed snack in her high chair. Poor baby would not take an afternoon nap today, so I gave her dinner & a bath & we played a bit. Then I always feed her something before bed ~ today she was eating toast with jam & next thing I knew she had her eyes closed & was nodding off!! It was real easy to get her to bed tonite!

Daddy day

2008-02-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Today I had to work, so Ron skipped Jammers & stayed with Maren. Before I left for work, maybe 4:20a, I told Ron what to feed Maren today: waffle & mandarin oranges for breakfast and ham & carrots for lunch. Interestingly when I got home & asked what she ate today, for breakfast she had 3 hot dogs, carrots & a waffle. For lunch she had ham & oranges. Huh. OK. I was laughing so hard I peed a little. Did he really hear hot dogs for breakfast? Ah well, she's more than happy to eat anything at any time. Also, when I got home from work around 2, Maren was asleep in her crib & Ron was asleep on her floor ~ how sweet. They must have had a good day!

Note: the "hot dogs" are those little Gerber Graduates chicken hot dogs, she can't eat that much! ;)

This afternoon we went to Home Depot and purchased our appliances!! They will be here on Thursday. Still no exact date on the cabinets, but any day now...

rumor has it

2008-02-12T04:48:00.000-08:00

The floors are so pretty that I don't want anyone to walk on them, is that normal?

Ron told me last nite that the cabinets will be ready NEXT WEEK!!! No idea how long installation will take, but Oh man, I can hardly take it. Does that mean ~ Could that really mean that the kitchen is almost done??!! We still have to order appliances, but I have a good idea about what we're getting. :) Last nite we discussed the paint colors for the kitchen, hall & dining rooms. Hopefully we can get started on at least the kitchen Wednesday. Oh man, I'm tingling with excitement...

grocery shopping, ho hum

2008-02-12T04:40:00.000-08:00

I used to LOVE grocery shopping. I (thankfully) have a child who will eat anything you put in front of her. But since the discovery of her allergies, I have become a label-reader and let me just say, her options have been significantly decreased. Bread? hah! I've found some spelt or rice breads, but not one that she will eagerly eat as she did her whole wheat bread with butter or cheese. Which brings me to dairy - I actually broke into tears at Super Target yesterday looking for a form of butter she can have. Not sweet cream butter, not vegetable spread - that veggie is soy. Help! I neglected to look at Whole Foods yesterday, but they didn't have a cheese for her, they all contain dairy or soy as well. Poor baby girl. The only benefit I can see to finding out these allergies at this age is that she hasn't had many foods, so she won't really notice if they go away. We see the allergist on the 19th, but the pediatrician said the likely course will be to get all the allergens out of her system/diet until she's at least 2 (just over a year) and gradually reintroduce them to see how she reacts, if at all.

the floor!!

2008-02-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

The sheet rock is finished + 2 guys removed our old floor & installed the new one in a day & a half this weekend. It looks awesome - a darker, warmer color. It looks like it should have always been this color.

Note the location of the couch for the weekend:

I put this in to show the difference between the old & the new. These 3 steps will eventually be carpeted when the hall gets redone.

Yummy...

2008-02-09T07:29:00.001-08:00

say bey-bey

2008-02-07T19:20:00.003-08:00

Oh hey, Maren actually did wave bye-bye on Wednesday! SO cute.

The sheetrock men will be sanding tomorrow and the floor guys will be here this weekend. The flooring is here in the house & we are still pleased with the color we chose. Maren & I are spending the weekend with my mama so Ron is in charge of pics while all this is going on. I can't wait to see it myself! He tells me we can get the appliances any time after the floor is in. I still won't have a sink until the cabinet guy is done, but an oven and maybe even a dishwasher - I shudder to think...

and...

2008-02-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

Add almonds & sesame to the list! But hey - not dust, mold, rice, oat, barley or rye!
We have an appointment with an allergist Feb. 19, so we'll se how that goes.
She hasn't had wheat though in a few days & I must admit, her caugh is noticably decreased!

the cough explained

2008-02-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, Maren has had a juicy, ucky cough since about November. Yeah, seriously. I had taken her to the doctor (Park Nicollet, ehem) specifically for it at least twice, and I have mentioned it every other time I've been in there (at least 3 other times). She saw 3 different doctors there and 1 nurse practicioner, all of whom said it is "due to daycare" and the time of year, "give it time". I fell for that for a time, and she actually stopped coughing during the nite for a couple weeks in January. But it has recently gotten pretty bad again, so after asking around, I decided to go to Pediatric Services in St. Louis Park. Holy moly - X-ray, nebulizer, blood work... The radiograph showed a moderately congested chest, no pneumonia. The albuterol (?) made her a little jittery, but didn't help enough. So she had her blood drawn at Children's yesterday. Now I just happen to work there, so Carol brought me the results when they were done. Maren's blood profile looks normal, but indicates possible viral activity. But the allergy test on the other hand: dogs, cats, eggs, milk, soy, wheat, and the biggie - peanuts. Like majorly allergic to peanuts. I've never fed her eggs or peanuts, but she has had a slight visible reaction both times I gave her tofu (soy), and she gets a large quantity of wheat. I try to be the good, healthy mama and give her whole wheat crackers, bread, pasta... My baby loves her carbs. So she & I are going shopping at Trader Joe's tomorrow for some foods for her. The doctor recommends rice milk instead of any formula, eliminate as much of the other stuff as possible. Honestly, I can't even fully process the thought of getting rid of my cats, not an option. (well, I guess Bear should take G back when she gets home after all). So we will try some things and see if anything helps! The doctor is also ordering a few more tests to check on some more allergens and we will have to go see an allergist. Poor baby girl.

lucky? really?

2008-02-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

Ugh, I am soooo done with remodeling I could scream. I am this { } close to packing Maren up and going to a hotel for a week. The sheet rock dust alone is enough to make a person insaine. Who does this with an infant? Oh, my hubby. Love ya, babe. We've had this lovely plastic haning up all week to keep some of the dust out of our living space, but I am still not having Maren play downstairs, it's too dusty. How long can you really contain a crawling, curious infant?

Here is a shot of the kitchen, the fridge will be on the far left, the oven in that corner. The sink will be to the left, there will be granite countertops along the wall on the left. And the granite island will be kinda right in front of you.

This is if you turn around in the same spot, the sliding glass door is at the far end of the wall on the left (can't really see it at this angle). I'm most stoked about the pantry that will be taking up that whole wall on the right!! We ordered our hickory cabinets the other nite, if you want his name, let me know!This is what is currently at that landing on the stairway, going into the master bedroom.

I still can't get a great shot of the room...

The sheetrockers should be done next week and the floor guys will be here next weekend.

dish/potty/wash/bath room...

2008-02-01T17:46:00.001-08:00

So this is where I have been washing dishes for the past few months.

And this is where they sit to dry.

needless to say, I'm still drinking my wine from a plastic cup!

And this is what I see when I turn to my right. Grabby hands!

overnite

2008-01-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Tuesday nite Maren & I boogied up to my mama's to sleep over. Turns out putting up sheetrock is a mess! I had Wednesday off, so I didn't want to be home while boys were working & making messes & noise. (Turns out they didn't come today, go figure.)
Ron & I officially ordered the countertops & cabinets tonite. The hope is to have the sheetrock, floors & cabinets all done on about a month. I think. That's just the hope.

WARNING: not too cute

2008-01-26T18:04:00.000-08:00

OK, I know. This is certainly not an attractive pic of Maren, but look - you can see her top canine teeth coming in!! It was difficult to get a picture of them and they are so cute. Heck, those (almost) 4 teeth are surprisingly helpful. At home she eats things like grilled cheese, turkey, ham, chicken, sweet potato fries, ravioli, cheese, cooked veggies. Nothing outrageous, but let's be honest, I don't cook these days. At daycare however, girlfriend is eating meatloaf, sweet-n-sour chicken, chicken taco, soup, biscuits & jam... I know it's not the greatest (like school food) but she is getting a bigger variety & it's included in the tuition, so let's take advantage! After changing her diaper this morning I can tell you she had corn there at lunch yesterday...

Also, here is a pic of The G with her shaved belly.

our sweet suite

2008-01-26T17:46:00.001-08:00

I just realized that I've been talking a bit about the kitchen, but not the master bedroom (which is above the new garage). Perhaps that's because I currently have a place to sleep and so I don't think too much about it... Here are some pics of the bedroom. The "night vision" feature on my camera works surprisingly well, there are no lights in that room and I just took the pics at 7:45p. The forst pic is right when you walk in the door:

Then turn to your left a little & see some of the walk-in closet (on the far left):

Then a little more left to see the bathroom with the tub that Mr. Nice Guy had helped us move in:

I realize it's hard to picture, but you will see more of it as it comes along...

random

2008-01-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well she can get up the steps without help - I followed her closely on Tuesday & she made it from the living room up to the hall upstairs! Pretty dang cute, and spooky.

Last nite I fed her her dinner of ravioli & peas with some squash baby food at 5:45. Then at 7 she ate an entire Lunchable Jr. ham & cheese with crackers. Hey, at least she slept thru the nite!

Ron has been working his tushie off getting insulation up. We've spoken with 1 cabinet man who had some good ideas, but we haven't ordered any yet & we still have to decide on the appliances for sure.

And uh, what the ___, huh?! This is way off the subject, but Starbucks no longer has almond syrup. So if Ron goes there for our coffee - no almond latte for me. Strange.

Gigi is still a ding-ball. She is all over the place all the time. She is snuggly at nite (great) and Pappy is letting her play with him. (Not so much Rena, she's our queen and we respect that) But G is a nerd. She actually fell into the toilet the other nite. I went potty in the midle of the nite & Miss Curious jumped up before I flushed & she fell in.

what's that baby lookin' at?

2008-01-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Ooooohhh...
The plastic wall came down on Sunday! The addition is officially part of the house. Ron tells me the sheetrock guys will be here by the end of this month and the floor guys will be here in February. Plus we get a garage door Feb. 4!

On a side note, have I ever mentioned the most dangerous part of having 3 black cats? Trying to walk around in the dark! I often get up at 4 or 5 am and it is quite dark yet, I also leave as many lights off as possible for my hubby & baby. So I am forever tripping over or stubbing my feet on a furry black friend - who promptly scoots away & looks back at me all disgusted. Hey - I'm not the one who can see in the dark!

Sunday

2008-01-20T17:34:00.001-08:00

After a very good nap, Maren & I went to visit Baca Marquardt today! Maren played with lots of toys & grandpa played with Maren's pointy tongue...

back in business...

2008-01-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

The phone lines at our place were messed up for a few days (yup - good ole dial-up!!), so I was unable to do anything. But, to catch us all up: Gigi was spayed Friday at the KK (thanks Nanc ~ it was good to see you!). She was a little slow & quiet until Sunday morning, doing great today. Here they all are:We visited cousin Alex Saturday & rode a magic carpet: Then it was back home for a bath! Maren is such a goof. I get her undressed in her room, then start the tub running & she crawls into the bathroom & wants to get right in while it's filling up.

lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove

2008-01-14T18:25:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I think I am the luckiest mama in the world.

almost cozy

2008-01-13T18:58:00.001-08:00

The insulation has begun - today Jeff (my bro) & Dan (Ron's bro) helped Ron insulate the walls in the kitchen, garage & master bedroom. This is in the new kitchen:

in the snow

2008-01-13T18:32:00.000-08:00

Today Maren finally got out into the snow! I'm not a big fan of being cold, so I haven't had her outside this winter much beyond trips into Target from the car... I suppose I should start to get her used to it before Jammers!

I also neglected to bring her winter garb aside from the snowsuit from Dawn that I never removed from my car. So Maren had my mom's socks on her hands and feet & I snuggled her into a big blanket while my mom pulled us around her yard on a sled!

So Gigi's a hussy...

2008-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

The invitation:
The dance:

The letdown...

Fortunately for you I have no photos of the attempts at coitus.

Girlfriend is in Heat!! She's writhing around on the floor trying to solicit some lovin' from Pappy & he gave it the old Hobson try a few times, but I seriously doubt that what we witnessed satisfied the Geeg.

Rena is lingering around looking seriously pissed off! Just when things were getting cool between those 2. Ya just don't woo another cat's man when you live with her.
And yes, I really did stand around taking pictures of this. You're Welcome!

play date

2008-01-11T18:28:00.000-08:00

Maren had her buddy Jack Gleason over today:After her play date left, she needed a "nap":

So did Gigi! gotta love a cat who sleeps on her back!

aw man,

2008-01-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

now I have to pick all those up!

Willow? Gigi?

2008-01-05T17:57:00.001-08:00

Whatever you call her, she's here! Amanda (& my mama) brought her over tonite. Amanda leaves for Italy in an hour for 2 months and we get to keep the little lady! The cats have all been pleasant and the new kid is checking the place out. So far so good! After all, what's one more black cat?

Also, McKenzie loaned me a good book but it looks like I'm going to have to take turns with Maren!

4 Jan 2007

2008-01-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I find this mumu just darling!

Maren somehow dirtied her outfit at daycare as well as her back-up outfit, so she got to wear some of their (donated) clothes!

literally

2008-01-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Ron was home later from work today, so I let Maren enjoy some nude time. Not that Ron can't see her nekked - it just makes him nervous, what with the pee and all. She is such a goof ball! We bounced on the bed & sometimes I held her to bounce higher & she laughed her nekked tushie off and when I laid her on the bed & bounced, she still had fun but she crawled back up on me! Little lady is thinking about things! She also mastered the clucking of the tongue. She has always been very interested & smiles a lot when I do it, so I've been waiting for her to get it. Well she was doing it today!! What can I say - that girl is advanced! ;)

senseless

2008-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

I just want to take a moment for Heather & Jamis Marks. I've known Heather just a bit longer than I've known Ron - she laughs at me because I told her right away that I was going to marry him. Eventually she & Jamis attended our wedding & we attended theirs the following spring. Jamis was also our realtor when we sold the smaller house & bought this one. Jamis was a hard-working, sweet man who would do anything for Heather. There is no way to make sense of what happened to them. I cannot even imagine what she is going through, internally or externally. What can you say?...

no news

2008-01-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

We laid pretty low today - Maren was in a bit of a funny mood today, maybe because of her shot yesterday afternoon? She took a few good naps:

And ate well!

She's very much into feeding herself these days. (Still not keen on holding the bottle), so I have to put something on the tray for her to pop into her mouth. But she still eats her bowl of baby food too!

put on your fancy socks, it's the new year!

2007-12-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

Good Bye 2007, thank you for the fond memories... (in no order)

Amanda moved home.
I turned 30!
The house remodel began.

Brent & Amber got engaged.
A good friend found true love.
Mom's hair!

I started autopsy training. (!!)

Cousins were married.

Nephews grew by leaps & bounds.

And soooo much more!!

After baby classes & baby showers, we welcomed our baby girl with too many new experiences to list. (diaper change in the back seat, anyone?)

Maren enters 2008 at 29 3/4 inches (again, 97+%), 21 lb 13oz (93%). She still has just the 2 bottom teeth, but the Dr. said today that the upper 4 are well on their way - stay tuned!

Happy New Year!!

AWOL

2007-12-28T17:55:00.001-08:00

This week Maren moved "over the wall" at daycare. She has been deemed too mobile to be in the Infant A room. (which I can totaly understand given her experience at the previous daycare) The Infant B room is literally on the other side of a half wall, so Miss Tina can still see her. It's a good thing for Maren, she will be with kids up to 16 months old who she can observe. Plus, she'll be getting more & more finger foods and different stimulation. But man will she miss her Miss Tina. Maren gets a big goofy grin on her face when we drop her off with Miss Tina. Miss Jamie is nice & all, but she's a different person, so they'll need a moment to fall in love. So far this week Maren did well in that room- she had been in there off and on for over a week getting used to it. sigh... More proof that my baby girl is growing up.

OH!! She also started making a "mamama" sound yesterday! Ron was holding her, so naturally he was trying to get the "dada" back out of her. So cute.

a very Hobson Christmas

2007-12-25T17:35:00.000-08:00

We visited Forest Lake today for Christmas with the Hobson fam.

Kelly & Dan (Ron's bro) with Maren:

Aidan & Connor comforting a tired Maren, rubbing her belly and all...

Ready to open some gifts! Maren got a red rocker, jammies, books and a toy to scoot around on. Lucky girl.

Once again, it snowed on the drive home, but it was sort of Christmasy-pretty and we made it home safely.

couple more big steps

2007-12-25T17:24:00.001-08:00

Last weekend Maren mastered grandma Carron's couple of steps up from the living room into the kitchen.

The other nite we helped Maren stand & she held herself up on her crib without our help. She is sort of interested in trying to stand, but isn't quite pulling herself up yet, she lets us stand her up.Then this morning she took a bath without the duckie tub. She seemed to enjoy herself - more room to fling her legs about and splash! Even Rena came to check out the girl in the big tub.

A White Christmas for Maren!

2007-12-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

Today we braved the weather to celebrate Christmas in Elk River with the Carron fam. It ended up being a small group: grandma & grandpa, Amanda, Brent & Ryan and us. The Knight gang (Dawn, Joe & Alex) are toughing it out in Florida, Jeff decided not to drive the 35 miles in this weather (smart) and Amber was visiting her fam in Blue Earth. But we had a good time - nice presents & good food!

Ron and I actually left Maren at grandma's overnite for the first time without me... :( It will sure be strange not to have her here tonite, but hopefully I will get a few things done. I do have to work tomorrow, but Ron has the day off, so he'll be doing things around the house. Our siding is supposedly done, they just have to tweak a few things, so I'll post a pic in a couple days.

licorice is ok, right?

2007-12-18T16:39:00.005-08:00

OK OK, I'm a terrible mother!! Maren had a chunk of my Pull-N-Peel licorice & she sucked & gnawed on that sweet goodness like it was vital, life-sustaining strands of heaven. After videotaping her for a couple minutes, I threw away the slimy red stump & she wasn't very happy with me ~ she is so my kid.

Mr. Nice Guy

2007-12-17T18:23:00.001-08:00

Ron & Maren & I went to Home Depot Sunday to buy a bathtub for the master bathroom. The plan was for the 3 of us to drive there, buy the tub, rent their truck, drop the tub at home & go back to Home Depot to return the truck. I wasn't looking forward to it because 1) tubs are heavy & akward (bathroom's upstairs) and 2) Maren would have to be shuffeled around a lot. But while we were at HD, Ron had asked an employee how we go about it and a man overheard us, so when we were putting the tub on the cart, the man came over and asked "Are you going far?" Ron said, "No, just to the Service Desk." But the man meant do we live far away, he offered to bring the tub to our house saying it would be silly to rent a truck since he's going near our place anyway. So he & Ron put the tub in Mr. Nice Guy's SUV & they even brought it up to the bathroom!! Wow. Thank You Mr. Nice Guy!!

the holidays begin

2007-12-16T18:38:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had our Christmas with grandpa Bruce at Dawn & Joe's. Maren (and Ron & I) made out like bandits - thanks Dad!! She is crazy about her musical instruments and the farm toy.

Sunday was the big ole Lindenfelser gathering. As always, it was crowded & loud - and fun! Maren did better than I did, I felt a little frazzled...

I didn't manage to get many pics for either party, and none with Maren & Alex together. :(

believe it or not

2007-12-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

After Ron & I were given several (false) start dates and we made a few phone calls, our siding has finally started to go up! Yup ~ it's red! There were a few glitches to getting the Hardie siding here from Texas, but those 7 men have gotten this far in 2 1/2 days. The opposite (north) side of the garage is also about done. Whew! Tip: don't use Minnesota Exteriors. Not that I'm bitter...