Reflecting on 2013

Wow, what a year it has been! I can't believe 2013 is almost over, and we are about ready to welcome in 2014. Time really does fly as you get older.

This last year has been pretty amazing. I have loved watching Emma grow up this last  year. She learned to pull herself up, stand on her own, and walk. Her vocabulary has also increased exponentially throughout the year. It has been a wonderful thing to watch her become smarter and develop a personality.

We haven't had a lot of crazy life events this past year. John started a new job with 9 Clouds back in January, so that was a little bit of a transition for everyone.

We also went on our first vacation without Emma this past summer. It was the first time John and I had both spent a night away from Emma. It was tough at first, but we had a great time in the Duluth and it was great for us to have some time to ourselves.

We also celebrated Emma's first birthday along with some other milestone birthdays over the summer. It's always great to spend some time with family, and celebrating Emma's first birthday was a blast.

It was actually a pretty quiet year for us. The last couple years have involved buying a house, having a baby, and adjusting to parenthood, and now we are happily settling into our wonderful life and enjoying the small things.

Now, I'm not a huge one for resolutions. I mean I always feel like a new year is sort of a fresh start, but I think if you really want to change your habits or make a big change in your life, then the date on the calendar shouldn't really matter. It's a lifestyle change. I would like to be healthier in 2014, which is sort of cliche,but it's true. If I could just eat a few more fruits and veggies, and exercise consistently, that would make a huge difference.

I also need to learn to not get so wrapped up in the "things" I need to do, and spend more time just hanging out with my husband and Emma. I mean, if I spend an entire Saturday in my PJs playing with Emma-that's great!!! The house cleaning can wait :)

So, in conclusion, 2013 was a great year, but cheers to 2014 and all the things to come!!

Happy New Year!!!

A Minnesota Christmas

I was super excited to be able to spend Christmas Day in Minnesota. It had been a few years since I was in Minnesota for the actual Holiday. There are just too many nurses in our family, it makes it tough to get together on the actual day, but this year worked out wonderfully.

It was sort of weird having Christmas on a Wednesday though. On Monday, December 23rd, we packed up our house (at least it felt that way) and we made the journey to Minnesota. Emma handled the trip well, and the weather was fantastic!

We stopped at my mom's work in Redwood Falls on the way home and Emma delivered some flowers since it was my mom's birthday. When we finally made it to my parent's house, we settled in and then helped get things in order for Christmas. It was a battle trying to keep Emma out of the presents!!

John and I helped my Dad put together the Christmas bags for all the kids in the Christmas Program, and then we relaxed at my parents' house for a while.

I called some friends/family while I was in town, and we decided to meet up at the Frontier to have a few drinks and catch up. There were lots of drinks, laughs, and memories shared. It was great to catch up with some old friends!

On Tuesday, Christmas Eve, we spent the morning making food, playing with Emma, and visiting and enjoying the holiday season. At around 1pm, my dad's side of the family started showing up for our annual get-together. We had appetizers, wine, and beer to keep us full and happy for the most of the day. There were also presents exchanged between the young cousins and Emma, so there were new toys to keep all the kids happy.

We headed into Fairfax at around 6pm for the Children's Christmas Program that Kyle and Jenna were in (Trevor was sick for Christmas). After that, we all headed back out to my parent's farm to continue the festivities. I'm pretty sure I was buzzing from some wine by the end of the night.

 Emma crashed pretty hard. She was overwhelmed by all the new toys, people, and all the activity. She did really well, and was happy and adorable all day, but by 8 pm she was more than ready for bed.

Christmas Day started off with us all going to church. Emma did not behave well in church at all. She was just tired and crabby, plain and simple. I ended up leaving church early with her and putting her to bed.

We had spaghetti for dinner and after Emma napped we opened gifts. Emma had a blast opening basically everybody's presents and playing with all her new toys. She got spoiled, again.

After the presents were all opened, and approved by Emma, we started the process of packing up the car and heading back to South Dakota. John and I both had to work the next day, so unfortunately Christmas was over.

We had such a good 3 days in Minnesota. Emma was well-behaved and really really fun this Christmas. I got to spend time with some extended family members I don't get to see very often and of course we got to spend a lot of time with immediate family.

I love the Holiday Season, and I am bummed to see it leave so quickly. I actually just finished taking down all my Christmas decorations, it's always kind of depressing to put everything back to normal.

But, Christmas will come again, and in the meantime, Happy New Year :)

Christmas with the Nelsons

Whew, what a week! Between cleaning the house, wrapping presents, and preparing for hosting Christmas, and then packing up the house and driving to Minnesota for Christmas, it was crazy! I really don't know where this last week has gone, it just literally flew by.

This last Saturday, we hosted Christmas for John's side of the family. I worked a call shift the night before, so I had basically Saturday morning to get the house in order, so it was sorta a rushed deal. We made Taco Soup and Chili, and then had some snacks and desserts, it was amazing :)

Everyone arrived at around 1:00 pm, we ate, and then of course we opened presents. We set the mood in the basement with the fireplace crackling and Christmas music playing, have I mentioned I love Christmas time?

Emma got spoiled. She was so funny opening presents, she would yell and get all excited while she was opening, and then she would yell with excitement once she saw the present, whether she knew what it was or not. It was adorable.

Emma's gifts- she got a tickle-me-elmo (which she calls "melmo"), a play toaster with toast, a milk truck, an SDSU hoodie, a stuffed puppy with a kennel set, a tent to play in, and a magnetic board for her room. She also got some other odds and ends in her stocking.

John and I got her a play set of tables and chairs, bubbles, an apron set to help mommy bake, a play broom set to help mommy clean, and a hello kitty flashlight for her tent.

She made a good haul.

The rest of us exchanged gifts as well, and were well pleased. We spent the rest of the day just hanging out and visiting and watching Emma play with her new toys.

After supper, everyone went home and we enjoyed a little quiet, before continuing on with our holiday celebrations. I had to work all day on Sunday, and then we packed up and headed to Minnesota on Monday to celebrate Christmas with the Kieckers...more on that in a future post. Right now, I have to get going to work, back to reality.

Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and was able to spend some time with friends and family!!

Emma's 18-month check-up

Emma had her 18 month check up on Tuesday, and everything went really well. She weighs 25 pounds and is in the 67th percentile for weight and is 30 inches tall, which is the 21st percentile. So, basically we have a short and stout little girl. Guess she is taking after the Kiecker side of the family so far.

The doctor said Emma is looking good developmentally as well. Basically everything is looking good with Emma. Plus, it's been 6 months since Emma has had an ear infection (or any illness really, knock on wood), so Yay!!

We did give Emma one shot on Tuesday, she got her first Hepatitis A vaccine, and she took it like a champ. She cried a little when they first stuck her, but after that she was totally over it. We spent the rest of the day with a Mommy and Emma day, and had a great day.

We did some shopping at Target, ate some lunch, and then headed home for some R & R. The day went great, until I accidentally poisoned my child. Okay, that sounds really bad, but thats kinda what happened.

I made goulash last week, and we still had leftovers in the fridge. They were about a week old, which to me isn't THAT old. So, I fed Emma the goulash for supper, while John and I had a frozen pizza. Well, Emma was fine and dandy until about 9:30pm when she puked up everything that was in her stomach.  And I mean everything. She handled it pretty well. She freaked out while she was puking, since it was the first time she had ever puked, but once she was done, we got her and her crib all cleaned up, and she was laughing and giggling.

I felt like absolute crap for making her sick, but I learned my lesson. We are now on the three-day rule for leftovers, especially for Emma.

So anyway, it was a good day with Emma, except for the ending of the day. But she was her normal, happy self the next morning. So, at least she's not scarred from the food poisoning incident.

We have a busy weekend coming up, I am working call today, tomorrow, and Sunday, and on Saturday we are celebrating Christmas with John's family. Then, on Monday we are heading to Minnesota for Christmas with  my family.

Whew. This next week is going to be over in a blink of an eye. I love the Holidays, but they are sorta hectic and busy sometimes!!!

And I better finish up my Christmas shopping pretty soon!!! T-6 days until Christmas!!! Holy Smokes!

 

18 Months Old

Yep, my little baby is a year and a half already. Pretty soon she'll be closer to 2 than she is to 1. What is happening? As much as it worries me to think about how fast she is growing up, I love to watch her grow and learn. I feel like she is at such a fun age right now :)

We measured her yesterday, and she is almost 30 inches tall and she weighs right around 24 pounds. Pretty sure she is a little small for her age, but she is growing like crazy.

She has gotten really good at walking/running and climbing on things. It's kinda scary how good. She also can stack blocks, scribble with a pen/marker, and try to put on her own socks and shoes. Her fine and gross motor skills seem to be really well advanced, which is a great thing to see.

She also keeps adding words to her vocabulary. Right now she can say "mom-mom", "da-da", "ball", "elmo" (she says it melmo), "uh-oh", "oh-no", "down", "bubbles", "hi". That's all I can think of right now, there might be a few more. She waves "bye-bye" and she understand more than she can say. If you ask her to bring you something, she will walk over to the item, and bring it right over to you. I love watching her learn, and hearing her new words. It's amazing how quickly those toddlers can pick things up.

She's also very good at pointing at things, and whining until she gets it. I can sense the terrible twos around the corner. She does like to test us a little and throw fits until she gets what she wants. John and I are trying to be good about not giving in and letting her win, even though sometimes it's the only way to get the screaming or whining to stop.

Emma is a very good sleeper though, which is awesome. She usually is in bed by 8:00 or so and then sleep until 6:30-7. Most of the time, she sleeps all night with no fuss. I will take that :)

Emma's likes
-Books (I would say half of her toys are books, and she loves looking at them, turning the pages, "reading" to herself. She does not have the patience to have us read to her, but she loves her books)
-Pacifier (This is reserved for bedtime only. I also bring it to church just as a backup incase she's really crabby, otherwise it does not leave the crib. I may try to ween this in the next couple months)
-Blocks (She loves stacking blocks, or knocking over the blocks when we stack them)
-Christmas lights/trees (Every time she sees Christmas lights or a christmas tree, she points and says "oooh". It's pretty cute)
-Feeding herself (She's reached the age where mom and dad can't help feed her anymore, she wants to do it herself. And when she's hungry, she wants food NOW, not 3 minutes from now...)
-Rough housing (Emma loves being chased, tickled, rolled around, thrown in the air, or anything that involves picking on her a little, her giggles are amazing)
-Sleep (When she's ready for bed, she's ready for bed. Usually we can just give her a pacifier, lay her down, and walk out of the room, and she will pass out on her own)
-Daycare (She is usually excited to go to daycare, and she just waves "bye-bye" to John and me and then she is over it and ready to play with her friends)
-Outside (Even now in the freezing cold, Emma likes to be outside. She's my little summer baby, and being cooped up inside is never her favorite thing)
-Shoes (If we leave our shoes in the entry way, she has to carry them over to us, and acts like we are supposed to put them on)
-Music (Anytime music comes on, Emma has to dance to it. And then we are supposed to dance to it)
-New faces (She gets really excited whenever people come to visit, like Grandparents or Aunts or Uncles. She lover her mom and dad, but she really enjoys when people come visit)
-Bath time (This one is still a winner, now she's back to throwing a fit when we take her out of the bath tub)
-IPADs (Emma loves playing on our Ipads, I mean she loves it. If she sees an Ipad, and we don't let her play with it, she freaks out)


Emma's Dislikes
-Holding still (whether it is for a diaper change or clothing change, Emma does not appreciate sitting still at all. She usually does ok, but she needs something in her hands to keep her distracted from what is going on)
-Being quiet (Church is getting more and more difficult with her. She just wants to run free, but we have to contain her to the pew, and that causes problems, and then she starts getting mad...)
-Her winter coat (In her defense I don't really like her winter coat either. I bought it online from Old Navy, and it's one where the lining zips out, but the sleeves always get bunched up and it's not the easiest thing to get on. Also, Emma can't move around in it very well when it's on because it's so poofy. When we get her coat out, she usually complains a little. Gotta love winter.
-Her boring old toys (I am so ready for Christmas and some new toys for Emma. She has played the ones she has to death, and needs some more variety, which I am sure will not be a problem in a few days here)
-Being told "no" ( This usually instantly gets some sort of crying/screaming reaction. Emma does not like to not get her way)

All in all, Emma is a pretty happy, cooperative toddler. Most days are wonderful being spent with Emma, but she does have her moments that can frustrate the hell out of us. I don't like the whining, and that seems to be her new way to get attention and trying to get what she wants. I don't like that. And she is starting to test us, which is a battle. And it's only just beginning. But, I love our little peanut so much, and I love all the fun and joy she brings to us.

Happy Half-Birthday Emma, mommy and daddy love you so much!!!!

Winter Fun

Another crazy, busy week has flown by. We have been so busy at work lately, the days are just flying. It's crazy!! This week was especially busy because we had things going on quite a few evenings of the week.

Thursday evening was John's work Christmas Party. It was pretty fun. There was good food, good drinks, and good company. We also did a white elephant gift exchange and I ended up with a $15 Caribou Coffee gift card and John got a coffee cup, so we were happy with our gifts.

Friday evening we headed to Brookings for Jeff's Nursing Pinning Ceremony. It was a nice ceremony, but it made me feel old to think that mine was 4 years ago already. Holy Smokes! Emma was very well behaved throughout the ceremony, so that was nice. Congrats Jeff!! We didn't get home until after 9 and Emma was still awake, so it was a late night for her.

Saturday ended up being a pretty busy day. Our garage had gotten a little out of control, so we decided to clean it up a little and bring out all the extra stuff to Jim and Barb's garbage pit to get rid of it. So we cleaned up our rotting pumpkins, our million boxes from all the Christmas presents we ordered on Amazon, and a few other odds and ends and headed out to John's parents' house.

They made us some soup for lunch, and then we just visited and hung out a little while after we unloaded out vehicle. Jim and Barb let Emma open up a Christmas Present, and it was a sled! We decided we needed to test it out, so we bundled Emma up and gave her a little ride around the farm.
She loved it!!

We also put together some of the other Christmas presents that arrived this last week. First of all, we bought Emma a table and chairs just for her. She's a little small for them now, but she will grow into them and spend a lot of time coloring and drawing on it (I hope).

I guess I didn't take any pictures of the finished product, but I think you get the idea. Emma will climb up on the chairs all by herself, sit at the table for a few minutes, and then she's off and running again. Cutest thing ever!

My parents bought us some end tables for our living room when they were in town. John and I picked them out, and then they paid for them. It was a good deal for everyone. We picked them up and put them together on Wednesday evening. I really like the way they turned out :)

Emma also approves of them.

It was a busy week to say the least, but I love this time of year. We finished up our Saturday by eating out at Chevy's with Jenny, Katie, Jim, and Barb for Katie's birthday, and then we did some shopping at Sam's Club, yes we are kinda crazy.

It was after 9 when we got home again, so another late night for Emma. It's been a tough weekend on our little peanut. Today, we went to church, and now we are planning on just staying home. I am excited to just stay in my nice, warm, cozy home. Emma is napping, John is cleaning the garage a little more, and I am working on some much needed laundry and house maintenance.  So, we will just call today a catch-up day before all the craziness starts all over again tomorrow morning.

Just in case you didn't realize, 10 days until Christmas!!!! Happy Holidays :)

Tis the season

Tis the season to do some holiday shopping. My parents came to town this weekend, and we shopped our bums off. And it was busy, and crazy, and exhausting, but it was nice to get some shopping done once.

Saturday, we started off the day by Mom and me taking Emma to Breakfast with Santa. It was pretty fun. We decorated a cookie, did some crafts, had storytime, and visited Santa. Emma was a little young for the outing, but she seemed to have a good time.

The Santa thing didn't go so well again, but what can you do. 

After visiting Santa, we met the boys at the mall and did some shopping. After wandering the crazy mall, we went to Target which was absolutely nuts. Luckily, Emma slept in the cart during this trip. 

Mom and Dad bought Emma part of her Christmas present which was a Little People's House. It's pretty cute to watch her play with that. 

Mom and Emma had some good bonding time at home, while the rest of us continued to shop. We went to Home Furniture and Mom and Dad bought us some end tables for our living room for Christmas. We also hit up some other stores to finish up some gifts and errands. 

Finally, we made it back home and ate some pizza and relaxed a little. Then John and I took advantage of having some babysitters, and we went to a SkyForce game. I had never been to one before, so it was pretty fun. They are the minor-league basketball team for the Miami Heat. 

We didn't make it home until after 10 because the game went into overtime. It was a fun game though, but we were tired. What a busy day of running around. 

Today, we went to church and then just hung out at home until Mom and Dad left just a little bit ago. I got our Christmas cards done, so watch for those in your mailbox!!

Emma had a great afternoon nap and then was starving when she woke up. 

Now, we finally have a quiet house, but not for long. My sister is in town and coming to visit shortly, and then we are going out to eat with John's family. 

What a busy weekend filled with a lot of family time. But I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Happy Holidays :)

Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving was a crazy busy week, but it was fun! We spent Thanksgiving Day in Brookings at Dennis and Jenny's house with John's side of the family. Emma was really well behaved all day, and she was good entertainment for everyone. She would even sit on just about everyone's lap and socialized well with everyone. It was a good day, with way too much food, and lots of family time.

I had to work Friday, and then we headed out to Minnesota after work. Emma did great on the 3 hour drive, and really she did great all weekend.

On Saturday we celebrated Thanksgiving at Ryan's house with Dad's side of the family. It was a really fun day. We ate a ton of food (again), played some sheephead, and had a good time just visiting with everyone. The house sure got loud throughout the day, but it so nice to see everyone and hang out together. Emma loved all the attention and all the "new" toys to play with.

We were all pretty shot after such a busy day (and a lot of wine) that it didn't take long for us all to go home and be in bed around 9pm.

Sunday, we went to church with my parents, and helped decorate the church for Christmas-which took much longer than it should have, but it was nice to hang out with everyone there a little bit and say hi.

After lunch, we headed back to Sioux Falls. The ride home always seems so much longer than the ride out to Minnesota. Emma was exhausted after the long, busy weekend that she slept 2 of the 3 hours on the way home, which was nice for everyone.

Once we got home, it was back to reality-laundry and tiding up the house. What a fun holiday weekend though. I love the holidays, especially spending them with family :)

Now, it's Christmas time!!! Christmas is in 22 days, and I have not decorated a thing or bought a single Christmas present. What is wrong with me? I better get my butt in gear.  However, I am making good use out of all my Christmas CDs and loving every single minute of it!!!

Happy Holidays!!!