Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas! I have to admit I got very caught in the hectic, hustle and bustle of the holiday season and for that reason I am sad it is over because I wish I could have done more meaningful celebrating then we were able to. Better luck next year is what I keep telling myself because there isn't much I can do about it now. It is such a great time of year to reflect on the birth of Christ and to be uplifted by spiritual messages and music. I hope next year I can take advantage of that and not be bombarded with the busy holiday season.

Andrew eating his bananas while we opened presents. Much more interested in the food, understandably so!

Barney!

She loves her bike from Santa! We can't wait for the weather to warm up.

Andrew checking out his new toy

At "Magga" and "Packa" Bruschke's. All 10 of the grandkids

A New RItual

Andrew thinks Kinnie is the greatest thing in this whole world! It seems as if he is constantly watching her and observing her. He could sit and watch her play for hours, okay that is a stretch, in "baby time" like 5 minutes. The greatest thing about him absolutely adoring his big sister is that she is in love with him right back. They have already such a sweet and endearing bond and I will be honest, I am sometimes mesmerized by this incredible bond that is already so apparent. It will be interesting when Andrew starts to crawl, will he follow her around everywhere? I would think so.

This has been the ritual after bath time lately. Andrew used to get excited to get in the bath, and he still does, but now he gets excited for what happens after bath time. He loves loves loves Kinnie! He is a little bit distracted by me but usually he just cares about what Kinnie is doing and this usually goes on for about 5 minutes.

Musical Beds

Kinnie goes down for a nap at 1:30 pm on her bed. Andrew goes down for a nap at 1:40 pm on my bed. Andrew wakes up from his nap at 2:15 pm (his usual half hour nap)! Kinnie walks out of her room at 2:30 pm. She asks "Where daddy be?" I say "Daddy's at school, do you want to come lay on mommy's bed?" I put her on my bed and tell her to close her eyes. She falls back asleep on my bed, 2:35. I can tell Andrew is still tired. It is a miracle, he goes back to sleep. I put him in his crib and he sleeps for 5 min. He wakes up because his binky pops out or for some other reason. He falls back asleep, I decide what the heck, lets try Kinnie's bed. He sleeps for 5 more minutes.

I know it is stupid to be putting Andrew in all of these different places, totally inconsistent but trust me I have tried to be consistent and it doesn't work. I guess I have one of "those" babies that just doesn't sleep. He will be awake for 3 hours and take a half hour nap, I am learning to accept this as his schedule, it is hard, but I am trying. It is funny that I still have hope every time I put him down that he will sleep for at least an hour. And I think Kinnie is attempting to give up her naps, she has been taking one hour naps the past week when it used to be at least two.

I think I am going crazy! Hopefully Kinnie is not done with her naps and is just going through a weird phase. Maybe if we all took a nap together everyone would sleep a little bit longer, just don't know if I can give up that precious time when the kids are asleep to get things done...oh wait, I don't have that precious time anyways.

P.S. Any advice is welcome!

Just thinking...

Tonight as I was putting the kids to bed I started thinking about some things I am grateful for. I have noticed on some people's blogs and facebook updates that they are listing things that they are grateful for and maybe that is kind of what got me thinking. It was Andrew's slobber on my arm that was glistening in the night light that got me thinking about the things I love.

I love how Andrew tries to suck on anything and everything, hence the slobber. He is a little slobbery goober, chunky, happy and smiley baby. I love his hands and toes and cheeks and soft skin, and everything about him. I love how he watches his big sister and smiles at her.

I love how Kinnie says "Hi baby Andrew" in the mornings, so excited to see him and talks to him like he is already old. Saying "Watch baby Andrew" and "Go out(outside) baby Andrew? Coat on?" I love that she loves her little brother. I love all of the new things she is learning and saying and playing.

I love that Landon makes me laugh. I have had a "woe is me" attitude lately. It has definitely been harder having two kids and I feel like I am just barely getting used to it. It is harder to get out of the house and it has been a long four months of not doing a whole bunch. There have been days when we don't even go outside, yuck! But I am just so grateful that I have an amazing husband and these things that I love, so that when there are a million dishes to do, the house is a mess, Andrew has been through four shirts in two hours, I don't have dinner planned, or my clothes aren't fitting right, all I have to do is remember Andrew's slobber on my arm to help keep everything in perspective.

Our Halloween

Firefighter Kinnie.
She has loved watching Elmo Visits the Firehouse the past few months. For awhile Kinnie wanted to watch it a few times a day. When she would be playing she would go and get my belt and pretend it was a hose and spray the water around the room. I thought a firefighter would be an exciting thing for her to be.

Andrew was a spider. Do I regret even buying him a halloween costume? Yes. Do I think it was worth the money just to get this cute picture? Yes. It was a silly costume but I think he pulled it off, and he even managed to give us a smile while being tortured.

Kinnie and cousin Owen. They had a fun time trick-or-treating together.

They got these fun disguises trick-or-treating. We took the opportunity and got some pictures of the two, hanging out in their disguises. I am sure they thought we were crazy and wondering what was so funny.

I think these pictures will be around for awhile.

Time for an Update

Andrew loves bath time. When I lay him on his towel in the bathroom and the water is running he starts kicking his legs really fast and laughing. He gets so excited and loves it so much. He laughs and kicks his legs in the water too. It is great!

Andrew is about 7 lbs. less than Kinnie, can you tell? I can tell he loves his big sister. He loves to watch her play and smiles at her, it is pretty stinkin' cute!

Andrew has started playing with toys. I always get excited for his next big step, like rolling over and sitting up, and eating baby food. But I always forget how quickly those things will be here and then I will want him to be a little baby again. It really is amazing how fast things change. Having children is probably the quickest way to make time pass quickly. I can think back to when Landon and I were first married, both in school, managing apartments...it seems like forever ago! I think back to the day when Kinnie was born and it seems like she turned 2 overnight.

Kinnie is talking so much. It seems as if she has a new word or phrase everyday. One of her latest and greatest phrases are "Wanna go Magga's home." Meaning I want to go to Grandma's home. Then she continues on and says "Packa dare?" Is Grandpa there? "Ninny dare?" Is Lindie there?

Here is what she did with her baby dolls so they could watch her dancing.

Watching Barney. BJ was a superhero on this episode so she wanted a cape like him, well I guess the cape was my idea...

But the goggles were hers. BJ had goggles too. She cracks me up.

A cute little baby boy can be seen here...laurabruschke.blogspot.com. Check out Andrew's "sweet cheeks." I can't wait to see the rest! Laura, you are amazing, thank you!

1. Photo shoot

Check out my sister-in-laws photo blog for a sneak-peek of a cute little two year old...laurabruschke.blogspot.com. She is an amazing photographer! It is hard to get Kinnie's personality to come out sometimes but she had no problem capturing Kinnie's little personality. Kinnie was seriously laughing so hard at the funny things Laura was doing and even at the end when she was being uncooperative Laura still managed to capture some good shots.

2. Nose-bleed
We went to the preseason Jazz game last night with a few other dental school students and their families. It was not a good way to meat some of Landon's classmates and their families. I was able to meat one other wife because she was sitting next to us, but sitting at a Jazz game on the very last row of the top section with a 2 year old who wanted to go home two minutes after we sat down and an almost 3 month old does not make for good socializing. It was hard for me to even pay attention to the game and fun things going on down on the court when they are the size of ants, so I could understand why Kinnie wasn't too into it. Luckily they were free tickets so we didn't feel bad leaving early. I couldn't believe how steep the stairs and seats were in that top section. I thought I would maybe have to go down the stairs backwards, like a ladder, or slide down on my rear.

3. Tantrum911

Has anyone ever really used Tantrum911? I saw a commercial for this product the other day that is supposed to stop your child from having a tantrum. Supposedly your child smells this "stuff" and it stops their tantrum. I don't get it! What crazy stuff could just stop a tantrum just like that? I thought it was weird but maybe I don't know enough about it. I think it would be a weird concept to teach your child. Here, smell this "stuff" and it will make you feel better and make all of your anger go away, hmmm.


4. Some recent pictures

Andrew is doing great. He is a happy happy baby. He is so smiley. Even when it is the middle of the night and I am changing his diaper he is smiling up at me. He has started loving his baths and usually laughs and kicks his legs really fast. Lately Kinnie has been saying "oh coot (cute) baby." She loves to give him kisses and give him toys. She thinks it is pretty funny when he sucks on his hands or makes funny little noises.

I am loving his blue eyes!

Playing Grandma Bruschke's piano.

She thought it was pretty cool to be sitting in a big girl swing.

Kinnie Runs a Half Mile

We went to Landon's little sister's soccer game tonight (she did amazing and they won)! It was a fun game with a final score 5 to 4. Kinnie decided to run around the track, the whole track, two times. A whole half mile! Grandma carried her for maybe the last quarter of the way. It was cute to watch her little body all the way at the far end of the track bobbing up and down as she ran. She is a determined little girl when she has her mind set on something, and this is one thing she wanted to do. I love how determined she can be. If only I was half as determined as she is. I can be determined, it is just the getting going part that can sometimes be hard. It always feel great to get things done so why is it so hard to get going sometimes? We got out today on a long walk, something I have been thinking of doing and finally did and it was so nice. Sometimes I worry too much about doing the everyday things like laundry and dishes and cleaning that I forget to do the really fun, meaningful, or simple things.

Blessing and 2!!

We had a very eventful couple of days on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday Landon blessed Andrew. We joked that we couldn't wait another month because Andrew would be too heavy. Well that and I would have had to exchange his blessing outfit for a larger size. Landon did a great job, so did Andrew. We had a little get together afterwards at Landon's parent's house. All of our family was there to support us and we were so thankful that everyone could come.

The babe...2 months old now! He is such a happy baby and is always ready to smile. I can't imagine our family without him. We are in love with our baby boy!

On Monday Kinnie turned 2!!!!

It is hard to believe that she is 2 already. Where did that last year go? She brings so much joy and happiness into our home. It is so fun to watch her personality grow as she experiences new things. She has a great imagination and plays so well. She loves to pretend and take care of her baby dolls. She is a wonderful big sister and adores her little brother. She loves Elmo and Barney. She loves to help around the house and helps me with Andrew. I still can't get enough of her!

We started out the day by going to Grandpa and Grandma Bruschke's house to visit and open her gift from them. She was very excited to open her first gift.

Then we took her to The Living Planet Aquarium. She loved it, a little timid with the crowds, but she was pretty fascinated by it. She loved the "Nemo" fish and the really big fish. This is her "cheese" smile.

Looking at the tank of Sting Ray. Perhaps a nervous pick of the lip. She started the habit a few weeks ago...

Kinnie's birthday is special because she shares it with her Grandpa Bell. We went over to Grandpa and Grandma Bell's house for a BBQ to celebrate her birthday along with Grandpa, and Grandma whose birthday is the day after Kinnie's. Cutting the cake with her birthday buddy.

Opening presents, (we did a little last minute shopping at the aquarium).

2 YEARS OLD

One month old!!

1. One Month Old

It is crazy to think that one month has passed by since Andrew was born! It is so weird to think back to that day he was born, it seems like just the other day, and yet it feels like he has been in our family for a lot longer then just one month. He smiled at me for the first time a couple of days ago. I first thought he was reacting to me tickling his cheek but he has since smiled at me while talking to him. He has his sleepy days and his awake/fussy days where he just wants to be held, he is definitely a cuddler.

2. Kinnie is Growing Up

Kinnie has really grown up since she has become a big sister.

• She now falls asleep all by herself. It used to be that I would have to lay by her until she fell asleep. Now we read a couple of stories and sing a couple of songs and she goes to sleep all by herself.
• She has a lot of new words. She has gone from signing "more" to saying "I want more." She loves to say "Hi baby" and "Oh baby."
  
• She can wash her hands and brush her teeth at the sink now (thanks to a stool we are borrowing from Grandma and Grandpa Bell).
  
• We bought her some big girl underwear at the store and I think we will be venturing to the potty training world soon. I am not going to push it but I think she will be ready pretty soon.

She makes me smile all of the time and I love her soooo much!

3. When will I feel "normal" again?

After one month of getting used to having two kids I thought I would kind of have the hang of things. But I find myself thinking about when I will have time to "do this" or "do that" ever again. I am having a hard time keeping up with Andrew's baby book let alone Kinnie's scrapbooks. It takes such an effort now to just keep the house somewhat clean and put dinner on the table. Hopefully we can get into some sort of routine soon but for now each day I at least just try my hardest. And if that means sending Landon to the grocery store on his one morning off this week, so be it...thanks sweety!

I really can't believe Andrew is 3 weeks old today! I could believe it if he was 2 weeks, but not 3! Pretty soon he is not going to be considered a newborn anymore. We are all in love with our little guy and I personally just can't get enough of him. He is such a sweet baby boy and is becoming more and more alert. He is really starting to fill out and chunk up. He loves to cuddle and make little puppy dog noises when he sleeps. I am doing so much better and was surprised at how quick everything turned around for me. It felt like one day all of my discomforts and troubles were gone. Not that what I went through was horrible but it was worrisome and I know some prayers were answered. I am so amazed at how well Kinnie has adjusted to Andrew and I can already tell they are going to be best buds. She was very proud that I was letting her hold him all by herself in this picture!



We had a fun time in Bear Lake this past weekend at a family reunion on Landon's side. We had fun being with family and enjoying the lake. Kinnie loved the lake, the sand, the playground, her aunts and uncle, grandma and grandpa, cousin Owen, playing on the grass and running around. I was horrible at taking a lot of pictures, I didn't even get one of Andrew on his first vacation which makes me really sad and I really regret it. Hopefully I will get over it soon. Here are a few fun pictures from the weekend.

Some Thoughts

1. Why are you crying?

Everything is going great. It was a rough start at home. Andrew and I got home from the hospital Thursday morning...it was so great to get home, especially after Thursday morning at the hospital. I called the nurse for pain medication and after a half hour went by I called again for my pain medication. Another half hour went by and she finally walks in. She said they had an emergency across the hall (and I did hear some commotion so I believed her). So she looks at her computer screen and says she would need to call down to the pharmacy for some Prilosec. Okay, she obviously meant to say Percoset but since she had just had this emergency to deal with I thought I would let her off the hook. But no, she said it once more...so I said "You mean Percoset?" She looks at her screen and double checks and said they had me down for Prilosec. I told her I hadn't taken any Prilosec since my baby was born (hip hip hooray) and I really just wanted ibuprofen or percoset.

Later, my OB was in giving me the okay to go home. I was explaining to him that I was having extreme burning on one side while nursing. The dumb nurse happens to be in the room and asks if she may but in...are you kidding me? I am talking to my doctor! But go ahead and say what you have to say. She explains that when she had her children and her milk started coming in that she would have a pretty bad burning sensation when she nursed. I KNOW lady, this isn't my first baby and I know it hurts but my pain seemed different. I was so frustrated with her and became so flustered that I just looked back at my doctor and he just told me to use a hot wash cloth for the discomfort. I couldn't even talk to him about it. They left and I started crying, I knew the pediatrician would be in soon so I tried really hard to stop. Andrew's doctor walked in shortly after and started talking nonsense. Really, my head was not on right. She said something about Blue Ribbon levels and if I started talking I would just start crying so I just nodded my head and pretended I knew what she was talking about. I later realized she was talking about bilirubin levels!

I always thought it was protocol to be wheeled out of a hospital, but apparently it isn't. I was so confused when the above mentioned nurse told Landon to grab the car seat because I shouldn't be lifting it, I grabbed the diaper bag and Landon got my hospital bag and she stuck out her hand to have Kinnie hold it, I was surprised when Kinnie held it. She walked us down the hall to the elevator, down the hall and out of the hospital to our car. I really could not wait to get home!

Friday night I called the on-call doctor because the pain I was experiencing was not good. I explained to her some things and she prescribed me an antibiotic. She told me if the pain was not gone by tomorrow afternoon then I should go to the ER, if the pain was gone but I still had a lump then I could wait and see my OB in Monday. The pain did not go away and so I obeyed the on-call doctor and decided at 3:00 am Sunday morning while I was trying to nurse Andrew and things weren't getting any better that I would go to the ER. I told Landon to stay home with Kinnie and I would take Andrew. I filled out the basic information on the clip board, watched as a crazy guy came in bent over in pain, asking for water and saying he couldn't breath, sat across from a couple who were both coughing and started crying because I couldn't believe where I was and that I had my 5 day old baby with me! The ER doctor checked me, which was weird. What did I expect, some expert OB to walk in and heal me? He told me to just keep taking the anti-biotic and keep trying to nurse and pump. I lost it! I couldn't believe that was all he could tell me. I hate crying in front of people but I didn't even care, I just sat there bawling. The worst part, the doctor stood there and asked "Why are you crying?" I thought that was the dumbest question he could have asked. I didn't do too much explaining through my tears. I just wanted to get out of there! Luckily the anti-biotic must have started kicking in by Sunday night, but as for now I am pumping and giving Andrew bottles until I feel a little but more healed and ready to tackle nursing.


2. It is SO worth it

3. What are you smiling at?

Andrew smiles a ton in his sleep and he has even chuckled a few times. It makes me wonder what he is smiling at...how does he know how to smile and laugh. I ask him if Great Grandpa Bell and Great Grandpa Johnsen are making funny jokes.

4. Bed-Head

Kinnie is doing great! I am so proud of how well she is doing with the transition. She has quite a few late nights lately because it is sometimes just hard to get her to bed at a decent hour. This is her bed head in the morning.

5. Thank you for the help!

We have had lots of help. My mom has been here a couple of days to help out and keep Kinnie company while I get used to the new routine. My mom took her to the park and brought home some Wendy's. Landon's mom comes and gets her and takes her to her house to play with her aunties! Here is Kinnie waiting at the door, I think very excited to get out of our house for a break!

Meet Andrew Justin Bell

Andrew arrived at 7:15 pm on July 7, 2009. Weighing 8 lbs. 5 oz., 20 1/2 inches long.

Landon and I checked into the hospital at 7:40 am on Tuesday. We were excited and nervous for everything to begin! I was so nervous about being induced but felt really good about having my doctor there and going through with it. It was a really long day of waiting for him to get here but once he finally decided to come it wasn't long until we met him. After 9 hours of being in labor, I dilated from a 5 to a 10 in one hour, pushed 6 times and he was here! We were so thankful everything went well. It got a little scary when it started moving so fast because his heart rate went down and lots of nurses were coming in and out. My doctor was amazing and I was so happy he was there to deliver Andrew.

Kinnie loves her baby brother. She is a little emotional and sensitive with the transition but is doing so well and always wants to hold him and kiss him.

Andrew has found his thumb quite a few times. I wonder if he will keep it up...

Hanging out in the swing.
Andrew brought Kinnie a present when we came home from the hospital. Kinnie has her own baby doll now that she can take care of. She loves role playing with it and the fun thing about the baby is that it can get wet and Kinnie can take her in the bath, she hasn't had a doll like that yet. This is what Kinnie did when I said "say cheese."

Meeting Andrew for the first time. She was soooo cute when she met him.