Freezing!!!!

It is freezing out. Yesterday during the day we had a high of 2 when Joey left at 8:30 to get the newspaper and some ingredients I forgot to get to make Lasagna soup. At least Friday it was warm enough to melt most of the snow and ice off the roads and driveway.

Friday Hayden and I met my cousin Nathan in Czech village at Little Bohemian for lunch. Never been there before and it was yummy. You can get authentic Czech food and lots of sandwiches. We had a great time. It was good to see him and chat. He is in his last year of law school at Iowa and in working for an attorney in Cedar Rapids doing union law.

Then Hayden and I ran some errands. You know you are a mother when you are standing in Target reading Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton and getting all teary eyed. Speaking of Sandra Boynton Kohls has 3 books and cd sets by her for $5. Each book has 14 plus stories all also sung on the cd. We love Sandra Boynton. Thanks to my stepsister Julie M. She got us hooked with her recommendation of Barnyard Dance.

Friday night we hung out at home. We went to the library Thursday night and I got a lot of books on parenting and baby play. So I have been reading every chance I get. It is funny how every book is sooooo different. I am much less overwhelmed now that Hayden is here reading these books because now I have a grasp on his personality and can pick and choose what things work for us. Before he came I had to stop reading the books because I got so confused.
Hayden rolled over from his back to his belly Friday. He was laying on the floor playing with daddy and this time it was to chase a toy.

Saturday Joey's dad and brother came down to visit. They went to check out a couple tackle shops and then came back to pick up Hayden and me for lunch. We tried 2 restaurants before we landed at Ryan's. It was crazy out!

They left after lunch and we hung out at home. Joey did homework and Hayden and I played. Then we watched Nacho Libre. Funny movie.

Hayden and I started baby yoga. It is fun! More for the fact of the interaction and bonding time we get. It is easier than I thought it would be. Hayden ate a full jar of carrots last night. We took a break from baby food for a week because he just wasn't digging it. So we tried again last night. He likes to explore the high chair and is more interested in that than eating but he is a lot better at it now then he was a week ago.

Yesterday we stayed in because it was toooooo cold to go out. I made Lasagna soup for a late lunch and that helped warm us up! Joey spent most of the day doing homework. I got a chance to get on the computer and find our old pictures on out backup disks. Mainly from 2002 when we first moved do Colorado. I will be putting them in albums like the ones I am sharing now. (There is a link on the right). I will let you know when I update it.

Staying inside

Monday Joey stayed home from work so he could take a full day of medication and rest his back. The medicine he is taking makes him very very sleepy!
Bev came down Monday to see Hayden. It was great for me. I went to the grocery store. I planed 6 or so meals and bought all of the ingredients. Then I can make less runs to the grocery store, and we have meals planned. The goal is to eat out less and have easy meals ready to make. Grocery shopping is not as easy now that Hayden is here. I went last week - had no room in the cart-lost the pack of diapers off the back of the cart- when I stopped to get the diapers all of the other groceries flew off the front of the cart in the mud. So I got home with a pack of muddy diapers and muddy groceries. A lot easier to do it by myself if I am getting a lot of groceries.

So I was glad Bev came down so I could get some grocery shopping done quickly. Then I went to Fareway to use up some of the gift card Bev and Joe gave us for Christmas to stock up on some meat.

When I got back home I put the groceries away, picked up, and started some laundry. It was great. Joey rested on the couch.

We got a package from Ingrid. It is always an exciting time to open a package from her. You never know what to expect. Hayden got some cute slippers for Valentine's day and Joey and I got some beer glasses and some steins. We also got a TON of chocolate from Amsterdam and Germany. Joey's favorite. He barely shared the last batch with me. Yummy!

Joey went to work on Tuesday and is feeling much better! Hayden and I hung out inside and played. He rolled over again. Yippee. Not just a one time thing. David, Matt and Stacy Bellows nephew, stopped by last night to drop off a Christmas gift that Stacy got for Hayden. He got some onesies and a cool wooden snake. Joey and I played with it last night more than Hayden. I am sure we will share eventually. We watched American Idol and the State of the Union Address. Hayden went to bed at 8. Joey and I planed on going to bed early. He read some of his homework and I read a magazine. How come I am tired in the morning and most of the day but when it comes time for bed I am wide awake? Drives me nuts.

Luckily Hayden slept today until 8:30 so I got plenty of rest. Today I am cleaning out the desk and finishing up some laundry. Joey has a lot of homework to catch up on tonight.

We Officially Have A Rollover

Ok after months of practice we officially have a rollover. Hayden rolled from his belly to his back. Not to reach a toy or because we were encouraging him to. Simply because he wanted to. Joey was laying on the floor by him and I was standing up so we both were there to witness the roll. There was lots of clapping and cheering. Not sure if he knew we were clapping and cheering because he rolled over but he loves when we clap and cheer for him so he remained on his back and basked in the cheers and smiled and smiled and smiled!

I have been organizing our pictures and putting them in albums on the computer. I put a link on the right side of my blog to some albums I have put online to share. I still have to go through old backup cd's to find more. Figured I would put some put there for people to see. We aren't always good at sharing pictures (even though I am better now since I started the blog). From the albums you can copy the pictures to your computer or order them to be printed. Pretty slick. Enjoy. More to come.

We had a good relaxing weekend. Friday Johnny Lomen came to town at about 7. We loaded up in the car and went to eat at Las Glorious. Our friend TeresaAnn met us there also. We had a great time. Lots and lots of laughs. Lots and lots of singing. Hayden did great. He sat with TeresaAnn most of the evening. When we were done eating we went to Hy-Vee to pick up a couple of things I forgot to get for supper on Saturday and then to Mr. Movies to get a few movies. One thing we can always count on is watching movies when Johnny comes to town. Joey and I rarely watch them so Johnny always comes with a few in his bag and a few to recommend. We watched Talladega nights (good movie), and sat around and talked.

Saturday we got up and made coffee and hung out. We were supposed to go to a membership class at our church but Joey hurt his back on Thursday night. Friday he could barely walk upright so he figured there was no way he could sit in a class all morning so we had to cancel. Johnny made us omelets for breakfast. He always likes to make us omelets at least once while he is here. And we are always happy to let him. Ham, Cheese, onions, mushrooms, yummy!!!! Then we all got showered and Joey and Lomen ran to the library and Hayden and I hung out at home. When the guys got back they went outside to get the remaining ice off the driveway and sidewalk before the new round of snow came.

Then we ate supper. Pork loin, wild rice, garlic green beans, romaine and broccoli salad. Yummy! It has been a long time since I cooked a meal with more than one side. It was also my first time cooking a pork loin and it was yummy! After we ate Joey started in on his homework and Lomen and I watched Little Miss Sunshine (great movie!!!) Hayden fell asleep rocking in the chair with Johnny so after the movie we put him to bed and Joey took a break from homework and we watched Lucky Number Sleven (excellent movie). Then it was on to another ritual we have. Late night bible study/ponder life's deep questions. This used to be done after midnight and I didn't know if we would still carry on this tradition since we now have a little bundle of joy that goes to sleep at 8 and gets up to eat at 6:30 and then sleeps to 8-9. Usually Joey is the first to nod off, then me. That stayed true this time. We stayed up until 2am discussing judging vs. holding others accountable for their actions, being envious of others, and life's purpose. It is always fun to talk about these issues with Joey and Johnny because everyone has such different life experiences and points of view but yet we all have the same basic principals and beliefs.

For those of those who know Johnny he just got back from visiting his whole family in Australia. He said that he came back with great peace knowing that America is where he should live so he has started applying for residency in America. A different choice than I think a lot of us would make. Imagine living in a different country with no blood relatives. Only good friends you have made along the way. I think most of us were sure Johnny would of moved back to Australia a few years back when he experienced a huge change in his personal life. He just said that he is so accustomed to life in American and all the benefits and privileges that he couldn't live anywhere else. He did say that once you leave and come back you realize how truly lucky we are to live here and how much we take for granted.

Sunday we woke up to 5 inches of snow. Joey went to the urgent care because his back still hurt a lot. The Dr. said that he strained his muscles and prescribed him some pills. I attempted to shovel. Did the back steps, front steps and walk, and about the first 9 feet of our driveway and then gave up and came back in. That was some heavy snow. Lomen left at 11 when the road conditions improved and Hayden, Joey, and I took a nap. Then we watched the Bears/Saints game and Joey finished up his homework.

It was a great weekend and can't believe it is over already. Talked to my Mom and the mountains In Arizona have snow and some places by them have frozen pipes! Strange that it is even frozen in the desert.

Not much planed for this week but something fun always pops up to keep me entertained and busy. Have a great week.

Long Day in Iowa City

Well we had a long day in Iowa City 9:45-4:00. Hayden's kidneys are doing well. No big change-better or worse. His Rt kidney still is enlarged and slow to drain. The good thing is that it is draining and the tissue is healthy. We go back in 6 months for the same tests. The specialist said that he will continue to monitor his kidney until it gets better or it gets worse. So we will do the tests every 6 months until Hayden is 2 and then maybe once a year after that. Less frequently as he gets older and can communicate i.e tell us if something hurts. If it gets worse then they will do some type of surgery to fix whatever is blocking the right kidney. Not a huge risky procedure but it is surgery nonetheless.

So looks like he will have to endure more tests. Poor guy. Luckily the center in Iowa City makes it as comfortable as they can for him. The ultrasound is quick and painless. He gets a little ticklish when they start rooting around on his lower back and gets pretty squirmy. Which makes it a challenge to ensure that he doesn't fall off of the small and narrow ultrasound table.

We came back to the office after the ultrasound and they scoped out Hayden's veins for the IV and then put a numbing cream on them. He had the cream on his hands and his feet. They had to wrap his hands in purple tape (boxing gloves) because he was sucking the plastic that they used to cover the cream. He sucked most of the cream out of the bandage anyway. His mouth had to of been numb the rest of the day. Then we had an hour to spare so we went to the cafeteria and had lunch and then wondered around. We found a library (imagine that) and a museum that displayed the history of the U of I Hospital. Pretty neat.

Then it was back to the office to get the IV. I was nervous but it went well. The numbing cream worked and they dipped his pacifier in sugar water to help. He didn't even flinch. Whew!!!!

We then went to the radiology department for the Renal Scan. They inject low grade nuclear radiation in him and then follow the track through the kidneys to monitor how it goes in and out. It is amazing to see it on the screen. They take pictures every 15 seconds. Then they give him a medicine half way through to make him urinate a lot! The tough part is he is velcroed onto this board for 45 minutes and we have to restrain him or keep his movements to a minimum. He did good until about 5 minutes left and then he just got tired of laying there and screamed for 1 minute. Then slept for one minute and then looked around for the remaining 3. After the test is over Joey and I had a back ache from bending over and all 3 of us were sweaty. The radiologists said that they wish all of their patients were as good as Hayden because sometimes they have to break out the earplugs to muffle the screaming. We will see how he does at one year. What child would like to be restrained for 45 minutes? Then they let him loose and we have to change his diaper and put it in a special container. Because it is radioactive they have to let it sit there for 4 days. Strange. Then is is back under the machine for 2 minutes for more measurements. They ensure us that the radioactivity is minimal. Joey tries to explain it to me but I get lost. So if you have questions about nuclear radiation feel free to contact Joey.

Then back to meet with Dr. Austin and get the IV removed ( he had enough by then and screamed at the nurse). He was asleep before we even got out of the office.

Today we met my friends TeresaAnn and Shawna at Mr. Beans for lunch and then ran to get groceries. Our friend Johnny is coming to hang out for the weekend. Looking forward to seeing him because he just got back from visiting his family in Australia. He was gone for 2 months so we have a lot to catch up on.

BRRRRRR

It is cold and snowy. I love it. Snowing pretty heavy now. They are predicting 5 inches tonight and maybe another inch tomorrow. It was slick this morning going to church. Hayden received a medal commemorating his baptism last year. It is engraved with his name and his baptism date. It came with a little stand so we can display it in his room.

We came home and ate a quick lunch. Our neighbor Nancy stopped over with some warm apple crisp. After lunch Joey went to work and Hayden and I played. While Joey was at work yesterday I put together Hayden's Jumperoo. He loves the lights but isn't quite sure what else to do with it. I have been helping him jump which he enjoys but hasn't taken it upon himself to do it on his own. It is a new toy so I shouldn't expect him to be jumping like crazy in it. I should have put it together sooner because we already have to put him on level 2 for the height.

The weekend flew by. Didn't really seem like the weekend because Joey was at work. Looking forward to snuggling in tomorrow with Hayden while it snows. Wednesday we are off to Iowa City to do another ultrasound and renal scan on Hayden's kidneys. Anxious to see how his kidneys are doing. It has been 3 months since the last scan. We chose to go to Iowa City to get the tests done because they are more kid friendly and we have to meet with Dr. Ausin anyway so we figured it would be good to get everything done in one day. In Iowa City they put numbing cream before they give him the IV and don't give him a catheter. At least they make every effort to make it more comfortable for Hayden. But he still has to lay there for 45 minutes and not move. We will see how that goes. He actually did that at the last test but he was 2 months old and slept through the whole test.

Sick

This week seemed to fly by. Joey started his new class and has been extremely busy. The professor told him to expect at least 20 hours of homework a week. Yuck. But I guess that is what we should expect from now on until he graduates because he is taking all of his core classes now. His general ed's are all out of the way except 1 I think.

Hayden has been sick all week. He has a cold and has been quite fussy. But fussy for him is really not that bad at all. I just feel so bad for him. I hate it that he doesn't feel good and wish there was something I could do for him. Well I thought there was. I decided to go to Walgreens Thursday after talking to a friend and get him something to help dry him up. I got him Tylenol Cold for infants and gave him a dose in the parking lot. We ran a couple errands and when I got home and checked my email I saw the news story on Yahoo saying Cold Medicine Kills Babies!!!!!! Great. Needless to say I got no sleep that night listening to the baby monitor making sure he was still breathing! Sure I make one decision on my own and listen to friends and look where it gets me.:) Was trying to give Dr. Nau a break and actually make a decision on my own about my child and I must admit it felt very good. Well I am sure when Dr. Nau gets wind of this (most of my Bunko group goes to him) he will promptly tell me that he needs to call child protective services. He thinks he is funny!

Hayden just has congestion in his throat. Nothing that can be sucked out of his nose but sounds soooo terrible. It is really bad when he eats. So we have been doing a lot of snuggling and rocking to sleep this week. I started to blame the rocking to sleep thing on little Olivia Knutson because it started once we got home from their house. Thought she told Hayden what he was missing out on in some sort of baby speak when we were all out of the room.:) I must admit I do like snuggling with him.

I spent all week organizing and getting ready for Bunko. We had it here on Thursday. It was a true challenge getting everything done I wanted to because Hayden did not want to be left alone much this week, and Joey worked late and had to focus on school when he got home but I managed to get everything done. Everything went well and we all had a great time. Everyone enjoyed holding Hayden. We snacked and chatted and then played. Once we started playing Joey and Hayden hung out in the bedroom so Joey could do his homework. We made it through one game when Hayden really started to fuss so I had to rock him to sleep which literally took 5 seconds. The gals cleaned up for me and we sat around a talked for a bit before everyone left. We usually play 2 games but the first took so long and they wanted to leave so Hayden could sleep in peace. We tend to get very loud!

We bought another space heater last night. Once the temperature started dropping we were reminded how our home is sooooo not airtight and energy efficient.

Hayden ate sweet potatoes for supper last night. He seemed to like the first few bites but soon became disinterested and got upset. Can't tell if he likes it and is crying because he wants more or crying because he doesn't like it. Sometimes he seems more interested in the bright colored bibs from Aunt Ingrid. We tried to feed him cereal before bed but he gaged and choked on it so we gave up on that. Suppose I just need to give him time and ease into it.

Joey is at work today. He is going to work all day today and tomorrow. He has to get a project out. It is really cold out and snowing now. Glad to see some signs of winter. We are only supposed to get 3 or so inches now through Sunday. High of 24 degrees today. Big change but I am excited. Tired of the warm winter. We are having Taco Soup tonight. Something to warm us up. Cold weather means warm comfort foods. YUMMY!

Fun Weekend

Joey enjoying his espresso drink
and Delaney in her Tu-Tu



Hayden and the girls


Hayden's first time in a highchair


NO MORE SMOOCHES!!!!!!


Sara and Hayden

We had a great weekend with the Knutson Family! Friday we arrived around 7:30 and we sat around and talked. Joey went to bed, then Jeremie, and Sara and I lost track of time and were up way too late. Needless to say the kids of course were up way tooooo early! We were dragging Saturday morning. We got up and ate breakfast and drank some yummy mocha chocha latte drink Jeremie made and the guys were off to fish and we were off to the mall so Sara could return stuff at the Gap. Then we went to Burger King to eat and watch Delaney play. We stopped to pick up Papa Murphy’s for supper and headed home. Then we all took a much needed nap. When the guys got home we ate and hung out and then it was earlier to bed for all of us. Hayden got tons of hugs and smooches from Delaney and Olivia. He also loved to watch the girls play. He definitely enjoyed the attention! We left Sunday morning.
Once we got home Hayden and I took a long nap and Joey messed with some electrical work. We had a great weekend! It was great to just hang out and catch up. Can't wait to do it again once the ice is good enough for the guys to go ice fishing! Joey started his class last night so back to the grind for him. I am having Bunko here Thursday night so I will be planning for that.

On The Road Again

Just can't wait to get on the road again! Ha Ha my dad used to always sing that when we were headed out on a trip.
Well we are packing up again and heading out tonight when Joey gets home from work. We are going to Nevada to spend the weekend with our friends Sara, Jeremie, Delaney, and Livy Knutson. Sara and I have been friends since 6th grade! Joey and Jeremie are headed out early tomorrow morning to go fishing and the girls and Hayden are going to hang out. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend with old friends!!
Yesterday I finally got the Christmas stuff organized and put away and got the house put back in pre Christmas order. What I could remember of it anyway. How can I forget in a month where things go that I stare at for 11 months??!!! I caught up on laundry and started cleaning out Haydens closet and putting things away that are getting to small. Hayden can now finally enjoy his exersaucer. His feet both touch the bottom so it is more comfortable for him. When I put him in it he smiles and laughs and thinks he is the biggest boy! We also watched some of a DVD and listened to some music that Aunt Jen and family gave Hayden for Christmas. He LOVES music.
Speaking of music I have been downloading music and podcasts for my new ipod. Joey and Hayden got it for me for Christmas. I am obsessed. Music is one thing, but the podcast thing is great. You can download Bible in a year, home improvement, news shows. I didn't quite get all of the ipod hype but once Joey got his and I listened to it I was hooked.
Unfortunately my family lost an old friend last week. Bill Heller passed away at home after a battle with cancer. Joey, Hayden and I went to the funeral home on Wednesday night to visit Donna. Hayden was full of smiles and laughs which brought a lot of smiles and laughs to the room. I am so thankful that Hayden and I were able to see Bill and Donna a few weeks ago. Death always makes me ponder life. Time on earth can be short or long. Makes me evaluate the quality of life I live. How much time do I spend being grumpy, taking for granted friends and family, being preoccupied with things that don't really matter in the long run?
Sounds like some great ideas for my New Years resolutions. Spend more time with those that matter to us, focus more on the positive than the negative, mend strained relationships, and enjoy life!!!!!
Oh and get the house organized!!!!!! Hmmmm wonder if that will ever happen!

Munich

Munich. I never got around to posting the rest of the pics from our trip to Europe. Munich was one of our favorite cities in Germany. We toured Dachau concentration camp outside of Munich. That was indescribable. It is unthinkable that humans can treat other humans in that fashion. It was truly eye opening to see the barracks, cremation chambers, and "work" that they had the prisoners perform. I still get sick chills thinking about it. It is an experience that has forever changed me.


From there we checked into our hotel, and got ready to explore. I must mention that Hayden still was not feeling well, and went through a lot of diapers, but was a trooper and loved sitting in the stroller taking in the sights.
After we get freshened up, Ingrid and Andrew went to the Olympic grounds, and we took the subway downtown to do some exploring. Joey is a huge fan of public transportation and took every chance we got in Europe to travel that way. Luckily there were a lot of options for him.
We wondered around, drank coffee at an outside cafe, and met up with Ingrid and Andrew to have dinner at the place that I most wanted to experience. The Hofbrahaus. It was so busy, and tons of fun. There was live music. Hayden slept in his stroller for the first half despite the packed quarters, loud music, and even louder singing. We shared a booth with some people from Italy. The booth next to us was packed with older Bavarian men that meet there the first Saturday of every year. They were having a great time and were quite taken with Hayden once he woke up. One of the gentlemen came up to me and said' "Bavarian boy or English boy"? I said "American", and he said' "No, no, no, he is Bavarian boy." I am guessing that was a compliment. After dancing to the live music, eating a pretzel 1/2 the size of Hayden, talking to our new Italian and Bavarian friends, and drinking the biggest mug of beer I have ever had, it was time to go back to the hotel.
It was truly one of the highlights of our trip. Talk about a melting pot. Europe is amazing with all of the cultures, and people from different cultures. Fun, fun, fun. I could of stayed for a week talking to different people. Maybe except the man from Texas who told me Joey had to be crazy to think he was the father of Hayden, because he looked nothing like Joey. :)

The next morning we headed out early, grabbed a coffee at a McCafe (a Starbucks meets McDonalds kind of thing, which we are actually getting here now), we walked back to the subway station to head to the Dutches museum downtown. It is one of the largest Science and Industry museums in the world with over 100,000 exhibits. It took us a whole day to wonder through ( we still prefer the Smithsonian).

Look at That Form

10 and 2 Grandpa Raleigh would be proud!

Hayden Helped Drive

We stopped in Dubuque on the way back and Hayden sat up
front with Daddy to stretch his legs. Daddy took tons of pics
while I was in the gas station. Hayden now follows the camera
and hams it up when he sees it! How funny!

Getting Settled back In

We arrived back at home Monday at 4. We unpacked and then crashed.
Yesterday I caught up on some sleep and Joey made a run to the dump and then got groceries. I started to do laundry and get some of the Christmas thing put away. Talked to my Mom. they are getting all settled in and are enjoying the warmer weather. My sister is starting to apply for Jobs in Germany.
Today is Joey's first day back to work. Nice to go back to a short week. Hayden and I hung out today and got some more laundry rounded up and more Christmas things put away. I hope to finish when Joey gets home. Hayden has a Dr. appointment today because his foreskin keeps adhering. So he has to get it pulled back. OUCH. I decided to let Joey take him because I hate to hear that scream of pain! Hopefully this will be the last time!!!!!!! Poor guy!
For those of you that are interested I talked my sister into starting a blog. I have included the link to her blog on the side of mine under Hayden's picture. Enjoy