Our house

I have been waiting a few days before getting too excited about our house. You know, waiting for the rug to be pulled out, for some snafu to turn up, for the process to not go as smoothly as one hopes. However, I am really counting on this house to work out and so I'm allowing myself to become a bit more excited each day. I have only seen pictures, and video, but Eric assures me that I'll love it. --And no hurricane concerns!

Here are a couple of videos of our new place.

How can it be???

Has a month slipped by and I didn't notice? How can that be? Okay, the truth is I DID notice, I just wanted to pretend it wasn't happening. Yet it did. Today as I resigned contracts and billions of pages of paperwork and dated each one, 1-28-09, it was pretty hard to deny it, Kjetil is a month old. He celebrated by eating every 3 hrs and peeing through any diaper I put on him. His bassinet was soaked around 1:30AM, to the point of re-soaking him by 3am, so he slept with me, only to find he wet my bed as well! He also went through a number of outfits today due to leaking. I have lots of laundry to do tomorrow, crossing my fingers that maybe, just maybe, this won't be the case tonight and tomorrow.

Kjetil is very lucky to have such loving and devoted big sisters. CJ is becoming an expert diaper changer --with supervision, no matter what she tells you -- and Laurelei is always ready with a song for him.
CJ had her 4yr well baby check up today...she weighed in at 41 lbs (89%) and a tall 43 inches (97%). She did great at her eye exam as well. I laughed as I read in the 4yr old hand out that 4 yr olds are more interested in talking than eating --FOR SURE! Meal times have become a challenge in that way, at least now I know it's not just my little girl!

We have also began a new adventure, we are in the process of buying a house, that would be the pages and pages of paperwork that I was signing. We are hoping for a door to door move and currently have a close date of Feb. 23rd. Now we just need the weather to settle down a bit so Eric can get his flights done. By Friday we are optimistic to set some move dates...we'll see how tomorrow goes first.

Saturday Surprise

The girls were surprised...no had their socks knocked off (that is if we wore socks around here) by who they found standing at our door Saturday night.  Grandpa had to carry CJ into the house as she clung to him and Laurelei tried convincing Great Grandma Helen to get down on the floor to wrestle.  

 

 

Laurelei grabbed a book and had Grandpa Jim reading within minutes, before welcome hugs were had.

 

Great Grandma Helen Ludeking with a peacfully sleeping Kjetil

Grandma continued south on Sunday to see her friends she used to winter with.  We have been enjoying Grandpa Jim's extra set of hands and the girls are doing their best to wear him out.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Aunt JoJo!
 Today my little sister turns 30!

 

Since we aren't together, this year, pretend we are singing you Happy Birthday.  Can't wait till next year!  Have a great day Jorja!

 

Sad to see go....

Today we had another sad goodbye, this time to Grandma Linda.  We got to celebrate her birthday while she was here, and a trip to Olive Garden hit the spot for us all.  She was a tremendous help, taking CJ to school, the girls to the park, and even walking Panther.  Of course the weather here was significantly better than in Iowa so she didn't mind not bundling up and soaked in as much sun as she could.

Grandma's departure means we are settling into a new routine.  The past 4 weeks I haven't done the dishes, the floors, laundry, or walk the dog. I've only done a few bath times, meals and other normal activities, I hope I haven't forgotten how to do these things.

I really am feeling much better and I am forever grateful to my parents and Linda for giving me the opportunity to heal and helping us out.  Thank you!  This weekend Eric is going to Tucson, and hopefully he will return with our new address in hand.  We don't know when he'll be done with training, and we'll be sad to leave the friends we have made, but excited to be in one place for a few years.

 From us in the sun, we'd like to give a shout out to our cousins up north....come visit us soon!

Hannah

Cael

one, two, three

 

1.  Folding herself in half...I'm impressed each time I see her do this.

 

2. So much FUN!  She makes us laugh and is always singing a song

 

3.  Awwwwwww

2wk checkup

Yesterday we had Kjetil's 2wk checkup.  He is looking great and the jaundice is no longer a concern!  He was 21inches = 90% and 8lbs 10oz =52% and that also means he didn't gain his birth weight back.  He did loose a pound before we left the hospital and he is continuing to put on weight, so there is no major concern, but we do go back next week for a weight check and belly button check.  His cord hasn't fallen off yet, and that is not a concern, but it is close to falling off and underneath is still not completely healed so he got a sulfur treatment today and may need another one, and that is the reason for the belly button check up.  We got some cream for his blocked tear duct and we were on our way.

The many faces of 4

 

Rarely can I get just a nice picture of CJ...she is always posing, usually folding one leg up to her head.  Yesterday she turned 4, my little girl is not so little any more.  We had a great breakfast birthday party, complete with mickey mouse pancakes with Grandma and Papa Ludeking and Grandma Ryan.  Today we had her friend party with her rainbow cake that she wanted.  She helped decorate it and everyone had a good time.

 

Happy Birthday CJ!

Side by Side

Since his arrival, I have realized that his last ultrasound picture, looks JUST LIKE HIM!  Check it out!

Also, here are the new boy cousins side by side at their weigh in.

Kjetil is first, 8lbs 15 oz

 

Cael 7lbs 8oz
 

It has become apparent that Kjetil is not planning on keeping up with the girls, he plans on setting a new pace that the girls will need to keep up with!!!  Hours after he was born and the girls showed up to meet him, he was lifting his head and trying to look around.  Although he likes to cuddle when sleeping, he has too much moving to do while awake --so hold on tight!  It is exciting already!  He also has some very boy habits already, such as burping while nursing....no unlatching, just barely get a swallow, belch, swallow --he doesn't have time for manners.

I wish had digital pictures of CJ when she was little, and even Laurelei.  Being so tech sauvy I realized a couple of months after Laurelei was born that I had a digital camera --duh!  But I see a lot a similarties between the three already, as I look back at pictures.

busy week!

What a busy week we have had!  Grandma and Grandpa have taken the morning shift --THANK YOU!, naps have been taken, a trip to the aquarium with friends, barber shop played, games played --grandpa cheats! and a line has been drawn.  If you would like to see the baby, you must first go through his big sisters.
Also, Eric's sister and her husband welcomed their first little one on January 6th, an Epiphany baby!  We send out our congratulations and can't wait to meet Cael ourselves!

A week in pictures

Dec. 28th 2008, welcome to the world!

Big sisters checking out their new baby brother
CJ taking her turn holding Kjetil

First bath, he did not enjoy

Laurelei, oh so sweet when she holds him.

Helping Grandpa wash his truck

Daddy time

Our first family photo

Tummy time, he does enjoy

Grandpa and Kjetil

Watch out world, he is going to be, wait he already is, a mover and a shaker!