I got this "Please don't give up on this blog" post idea from my friend and fellow blogger, Rachel. (Thanks, Rachel!) I believe she, like me, is being somewhat zapped of energy by the baby growing in her belly. Matt and I are trying (really, we are!) to get our pics somewhat organized from our fun summer, and we will do our best to update sooner than later. We promise! In the meantime, hang in there and check back again soon... :)
Friday, August 27, 2010
Please don't give up on this blog!
I got this "Please don't give up on this blog" post idea from my friend and fellow blogger, Rachel. (Thanks, Rachel!) I believe she, like me, is being somewhat zapped of energy by the baby growing in her belly. Matt and I are trying (really, we are!) to get our pics somewhat organized from our fun summer, and we will do our best to update sooner than later. We promise! In the meantime, hang in there and check back again soon... :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
"Happy Dada's Day!"
Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there! When Mckenna woke up this morning, Matt and I were getting her ready for church, and I asked her to repeat after me (which she is getting good at these days - repeating... we really have to watch what we say!) What she repeated to Matt was this: "Hap-pee... Dada's... Day!" :) She actually said it twice. I was so excited to hear her say that to Matt, so cute and sweet, that I found myself jumping up and down, clapping, and laughing... it was definitely a moment!
Here are some fun pictures from our day...
In the morning we went to church, then ran a few errands, and went home for naps - all three of us got some snooze time, nice! After naps, my parents, Kristi and I went out for dinner at Bonfire by our house. Here is Mckenna helping Grandpa open his card.
Mckenna loves to color, so she was wanting to color a bit on Daddy's card.
Mckenna gave Matt a Chicago Bears toothbrush - how thoughtful of her! :) The sour face is because she wanted to open the toothbrush and I told her no... sometimes it's a hard thing for her to hear.
But she got ice cream at the end of her meal, so that was a big hit!
She's been a pro now for some time at feeding herself with a spoon or fork - such a big girl!
After dinner, we went back to our house and played in the backyard on the playset for a little bit before bedtime. We bought a playset off Craigs List several weeks ago, and Mckenna LOVES it! We've been out there almost every day since when it hasn't been raining. She loves to swing, climb up the ladder and little climbing wall, and go down the "big" slide all by herself - fearless!
Happy, Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's and Grandpas that have so much love for your children - we love you back!
Here are some fun pictures from our day...
In the morning we went to church, then ran a few errands, and went home for naps - all three of us got some snooze time, nice! After naps, my parents, Kristi and I went out for dinner at Bonfire by our house. Here is Mckenna helping Grandpa open his card.
Mckenna loves to color, so she was wanting to color a bit on Daddy's card.
Mckenna gave Matt a Chicago Bears toothbrush - how thoughtful of her! :) The sour face is because she wanted to open the toothbrush and I told her no... sometimes it's a hard thing for her to hear.
But she got ice cream at the end of her meal, so that was a big hit!
She's been a pro now for some time at feeding herself with a spoon or fork - such a big girl!
After dinner, we went back to our house and played in the backyard on the playset for a little bit before bedtime. We bought a playset off Craigs List several weeks ago, and Mckenna LOVES it! We've been out there almost every day since when it hasn't been raining. She loves to swing, climb up the ladder and little climbing wall, and go down the "big" slide all by herself - fearless!
Happy, Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's and Grandpas that have so much love for your children - we love you back!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Easter Sunday 2010
We had a nice Easter Sunday together as a family, starting with Easter breakfast at church.
After breakfast, heading into the narthex with daddy...
Of course we had to make sure to get a picture of sweet Mckenna in her pink Easter dress with the pretty Easter flowers in the sanctuary. I think this is her "He is Risen!" pose. :)
A family of three... and a half! I was 12.5 weeks along at Easter, and we were going to tell my family that day at our family gathering that we are expecting, so I was really looking forward to sharing our exciting news.
There are several new babies at our church, and more being born in the next few months. Asher and Maisy on the right and in the middle are just a few hours apart in age, and Amira on the left was born a few weeks later. They will have fun growing up together as church buddies!
Mckenna with Grandma and Grandpa - cute!
And time with Aunt Kristi...
Best friends! :)
Mckenna sat through the whole church service with us and was such a good girl, coloring, reading books, and munching on snacks next to us in the pew. (Snacks are always a great way to keep Mckenna quiet and happy!) Later that afternoon, my whole family met up for an Easter meal at my parents house. Here is a picture of the Person cousins - Jacob, Thomas, Mckenna, Ayla, Sarah, and Joel. Cute!
And we got out the "Big Sister" shirt to help share our happy news with everyone - it was a hit! It was a relief to be able to share the news and now be able to talk openly with everyone about how excited we are.
After breakfast, heading into the narthex with daddy...
Of course we had to make sure to get a picture of sweet Mckenna in her pink Easter dress with the pretty Easter flowers in the sanctuary. I think this is her "He is Risen!" pose. :)
A family of three... and a half! I was 12.5 weeks along at Easter, and we were going to tell my family that day at our family gathering that we are expecting, so I was really looking forward to sharing our exciting news.
There are several new babies at our church, and more being born in the next few months. Asher and Maisy on the right and in the middle are just a few hours apart in age, and Amira on the left was born a few weeks later. They will have fun growing up together as church buddies!
Mckenna with Grandma and Grandpa - cute!
And time with Aunt Kristi...
Best friends! :)
Mckenna sat through the whole church service with us and was such a good girl, coloring, reading books, and munching on snacks next to us in the pew. (Snacks are always a great way to keep Mckenna quiet and happy!) Later that afternoon, my whole family met up for an Easter meal at my parents house. Here is a picture of the Person cousins - Jacob, Thomas, Mckenna, Ayla, Sarah, and Joel. Cute!
And we got out the "Big Sister" shirt to help share our happy news with everyone - it was a hit! It was a relief to be able to share the news and now be able to talk openly with everyone about how excited we are.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
San Diego!
At the end of March, I went to San Diego for a week for the NBEA annual conference - the National Business Education Association. Last year I went to the conference in Chicago and really enjoyed the sessions I attended and colleagues that I met, so I knew I wanted to go again this year. It's always refreshing to be with other teachers with the same passions as I have for the subject I teach, and I hope I can go to this many more times over the years. It was my first time to San Diego, so of course I was picture happy. It was so fun to be there - I had heard great things about the city, but now I got to experience it for myself!
Coming from cold Minnesota, I was excited to see sun and palm trees when I stepped out of the airport doors to catch a taxi to the hotel. I was looking forward to the conference ahead, and to the warm, beautiful change of scenery. No snow here!
Despite fighting a bad sinus infection while in San Diego and feeling sick from my early pregnancy, I was still able to enjoy my week. The view from my hotel room was awesome! Here is what I saw when I looked out the windows in my room - the pool was right below me, and I was looking out at the marina and to Coronado island. Isn't is nice?
Looking straight across the bay from my hotel room you can see some reddish-colored turrets dotting the horizon on the other side of the island. That is the famous and historical Hotel del Coronado. I was told by many that had been to San Diego that I had to go to this place and check it out. So on one of my breaks from the conference I headed over there on a short taxi ride, curious to see what all the hype was about.
The Hotel Del, as locals call it, was first built in 1888 and is a National Historic Landmark. According to the Hotel Del website, the resort has hosted eleven U.S. Presidents, Princes from overseas, American greats such as Thomas Edison, Charles Lindbergh, and Babe Ruth, and Hollywood celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Madonna, and Brad Pitt. There have also been many movies and tv shows filmed here over the years.
I looked around inside the hotel for a few minutes, but I wanted to get outside and experiences the famous beachfront. I would explore the inside more later before I left. I grabbed a sandwich to go at the outdoor cafe near the pool, ate on the outdoor deck overlooking the water and beach, and headed out onto the sand. I was in heaven! It is interesting to note that it was actually warmer in Minnesota during the week I was in San Diego. The sun is deceiving - it was actually breezy and cool by southern California standards. But that didn't stop visitors from being outside swimming, walking the beach, and enjoying the beautiful views. I talked to my friend Laura who lives in Los Angeles while sitting on the beach, and she said to me, "Isn't it cold sitting out there?" I was actually just fine - the beauty of the place was keeping me warm. :)
There were two men building these elaborate sand castles on the beach right outside of the resort. Very cool! When I was looking at this, a group of older couples were walking by and asked if I wanted them to take a picture for me so I could be in it. I must have looked like a tourist with the big cheesy grin on my face and camera in my hand - go figure. We got talking, and I learned that the man who took my picture grew up in the Twin Cities and moved to So Cal about 15 years earlier for his job. Very nice people to chat with... it's really a small world!
My best friend Laura was able to take a few days out of her busy work and doctorate program schedule to come down from Los Angeles for a few days and see me. She had plenty of work to do on her own, so I went to all of my conference sessions, she got some of her work done, and we were able to hang out a bit on my breaks from the conference. Laura grew up in St. Paul, and we went to middle and high school together and have a lot of fun memories. She is the kind of friend that I am only able to see about once a year or so, but we can just pick up like no time has passed. I love friends like that - she means so much to me. This isn't a great picture of us, but the only one I got. Like I said, it was windy and chilly!
Laura had been to San Diego before, which was nice because she was more familiar with the area. We visited the historic Gaslamp Quarters several times, called "The Historic Heart of San Diego." It was just a short few blocks walk outside of our hotel. There were some fun shops, cafes, and restaurants to explore.
We wanted to check out this cool looking "blue" building with the blue lights outside...
It was a beautiful, upscale hotel - fun to walk inside and see the lobby.
There was a nice walking park right outside of our hotel and on the marina. Laura and I walked here on our last day before we went home. You can see some Marine ships in the water off to the left. I didn't realize that San Diego is a Marine town and home to the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton - interesting to learn.
The hotel I stayed at and the site of the 2010 NBEA conference - the San Diego Marriott Marina. From the two NBEA annual conferences that I've been to so far, I really appreciate that they have interesting and educational sessions to attend everyday that I can take back and use in my teaching, yet they also always encourage all of the convention goers to enjoy the city, explore, and rejuvenate during the week. We work hard during the school year after all, we deserve it! :)
A beautiful sunset to end my nice week in San Diego. I hope I can go to many more NBEA conferences in the future, I do really enjoy the whole experience.
Coming from cold Minnesota, I was excited to see sun and palm trees when I stepped out of the airport doors to catch a taxi to the hotel. I was looking forward to the conference ahead, and to the warm, beautiful change of scenery. No snow here!
Despite fighting a bad sinus infection while in San Diego and feeling sick from my early pregnancy, I was still able to enjoy my week. The view from my hotel room was awesome! Here is what I saw when I looked out the windows in my room - the pool was right below me, and I was looking out at the marina and to Coronado island. Isn't is nice?
Looking straight across the bay from my hotel room you can see some reddish-colored turrets dotting the horizon on the other side of the island. That is the famous and historical Hotel del Coronado. I was told by many that had been to San Diego that I had to go to this place and check it out. So on one of my breaks from the conference I headed over there on a short taxi ride, curious to see what all the hype was about.
The Hotel Del, as locals call it, was first built in 1888 and is a National Historic Landmark. According to the Hotel Del website, the resort has hosted eleven U.S. Presidents, Princes from overseas, American greats such as Thomas Edison, Charles Lindbergh, and Babe Ruth, and Hollywood celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Madonna, and Brad Pitt. There have also been many movies and tv shows filmed here over the years.
I looked around inside the hotel for a few minutes, but I wanted to get outside and experiences the famous beachfront. I would explore the inside more later before I left. I grabbed a sandwich to go at the outdoor cafe near the pool, ate on the outdoor deck overlooking the water and beach, and headed out onto the sand. I was in heaven! It is interesting to note that it was actually warmer in Minnesota during the week I was in San Diego. The sun is deceiving - it was actually breezy and cool by southern California standards. But that didn't stop visitors from being outside swimming, walking the beach, and enjoying the beautiful views. I talked to my friend Laura who lives in Los Angeles while sitting on the beach, and she said to me, "Isn't it cold sitting out there?" I was actually just fine - the beauty of the place was keeping me warm. :)
There were two men building these elaborate sand castles on the beach right outside of the resort. Very cool! When I was looking at this, a group of older couples were walking by and asked if I wanted them to take a picture for me so I could be in it. I must have looked like a tourist with the big cheesy grin on my face and camera in my hand - go figure. We got talking, and I learned that the man who took my picture grew up in the Twin Cities and moved to So Cal about 15 years earlier for his job. Very nice people to chat with... it's really a small world!
My best friend Laura was able to take a few days out of her busy work and doctorate program schedule to come down from Los Angeles for a few days and see me. She had plenty of work to do on her own, so I went to all of my conference sessions, she got some of her work done, and we were able to hang out a bit on my breaks from the conference. Laura grew up in St. Paul, and we went to middle and high school together and have a lot of fun memories. She is the kind of friend that I am only able to see about once a year or so, but we can just pick up like no time has passed. I love friends like that - she means so much to me. This isn't a great picture of us, but the only one I got. Like I said, it was windy and chilly!
Laura had been to San Diego before, which was nice because she was more familiar with the area. We visited the historic Gaslamp Quarters several times, called "The Historic Heart of San Diego." It was just a short few blocks walk outside of our hotel. There were some fun shops, cafes, and restaurants to explore.
We wanted to check out this cool looking "blue" building with the blue lights outside...
It was a beautiful, upscale hotel - fun to walk inside and see the lobby.
There was a nice walking park right outside of our hotel and on the marina. Laura and I walked here on our last day before we went home. You can see some Marine ships in the water off to the left. I didn't realize that San Diego is a Marine town and home to the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton - interesting to learn.
The hotel I stayed at and the site of the 2010 NBEA conference - the San Diego Marriott Marina. From the two NBEA annual conferences that I've been to so far, I really appreciate that they have interesting and educational sessions to attend everyday that I can take back and use in my teaching, yet they also always encourage all of the convention goers to enjoy the city, explore, and rejuvenate during the week. We work hard during the school year after all, we deserve it! :)
A beautiful sunset to end my nice week in San Diego. I hope I can go to many more NBEA conferences in the future, I do really enjoy the whole experience.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Baby Girls - 19 weeks & 19 months!
That's right, the title of this post says GIRLS, plural! We're having another little girl! We were so excited to hear that fun news, and we really look forward to watching our two sweet girls grow up together, so close in age - almost two years exactly! We hope that they can be good friends and really enjoy each other. It's so fun to think about...
Here is a picture of me at 19 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl #2. I feel like my tummy is growing faster than when I was pregnant with Mckenna, but I've heard that typically women start to show a bit sooner after they've already been pregnant before, and I guess I am almost halfway through too. But ironically, as of an OB appointment a few days ago, the few pounds I've gained so far have been several less than what I remember gaining at this same time with Mckenna. Maybe because I was pretty sick during the first trimester with this baby, and I wasn't sick at all with Mckenna. Who knows!
We had a level 2 ultrasound at 18 weeks, less than one week ago, and it was so cool to see an actual baby moving around in there! She was kicking, wiggling around, waving her arms and hands, and opening and closing her little mouth. All is well with the baby, and the doctor said that she looks "perfect" - so reassuring to hear. Here are a few ultrasound pictures from our visit.
It's hard to see in this small picture, but you can see her eyes, nose, and mouth - very cute!
Hi, everybody! :)
Moving on from our 19-week sweetie to our 19-month sweetie! The following stats are from the end of April and are a few weeks old now, but here are the numbers from Mckenna's 18-month pediatrician wellness check-up. Weight: 24 lbs, 15 oz. (58th percentile), height: 33.8 inches (94%), head circumference: 19 inches (89%). It is interesting to note that Mckenna's weight didn't change at all from her last appointment in early February (76% in weight in Feb.), but her height did change by over 2 inches, so her weight percentile for 18-months went down to 58% because of her growing height. (Can you imagine if we all grew an inch taller every month - wow!) I asked the doctor about this, and he said that it was perfectly fine. He asked if she had been more active lately, which indeed she has. Just in the past few months as the weather has gotten warmer here, the daycare crew goes outside sometimes twice a day - before lunch, and after their afternoon naps. So she is burning off more calories running around outside! (And really, doesn't that happen to most Minnesotans when the cold winter turns into the nicer, warmer spring?) :) Here are some pictures taken at her 18-month appointment.
She doesn't sit still anymore like she used to in this scale... hmmm, I wonder why? :) It's more fun to wiggle around and push buttons anyway, right?
Check out that belly - LOVE it!
Mckenna got a few updated shots, and as always, she was a trooper. Whenever I get a shot, I always look away - I don't like to see the needle. But she was looking the whole time (even though you notice that I'm trying to turn her head away because needles somewhat freak me out, and that's my natural reaction) and she didn't even flinch - good girl!
This is what she did when I asked her where her bandaid was...
"Hey, look at this - I'm so cool!" :)
Here are a few cute pictures taken just today, 5/19/10, in our backyard. This week the weather has been awesome, and today was no exception. Mckenna was enjoying a dip in her little wading pool on this sunny 80 degree day! It was funny, the water was pretty cold just coming from the hose, and for what seemed like a few minutes she just stood and bent down like she was going to sit. But every time her legs and bottom touched the cold water, she would shiver and say, "Oh!" and look at us like, "now what do I do?" This happened several times over before we helped her to sit - we got a chuckle from her very real reactions. After she sat down, she got used to the cool water temp quickly in the warm weather. She seemed to really like playing and splashing around.
Love those cheeks and that big, toothy smile! :)
Pretty blue eyes - she gets those baby blues from her daddy.
More recent pictures to come over the next few weeks - stay tuned!
Here is a picture of me at 19 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl #2. I feel like my tummy is growing faster than when I was pregnant with Mckenna, but I've heard that typically women start to show a bit sooner after they've already been pregnant before, and I guess I am almost halfway through too. But ironically, as of an OB appointment a few days ago, the few pounds I've gained so far have been several less than what I remember gaining at this same time with Mckenna. Maybe because I was pretty sick during the first trimester with this baby, and I wasn't sick at all with Mckenna. Who knows!
We had a level 2 ultrasound at 18 weeks, less than one week ago, and it was so cool to see an actual baby moving around in there! She was kicking, wiggling around, waving her arms and hands, and opening and closing her little mouth. All is well with the baby, and the doctor said that she looks "perfect" - so reassuring to hear. Here are a few ultrasound pictures from our visit.
It's hard to see in this small picture, but you can see her eyes, nose, and mouth - very cute!
Hi, everybody! :)
Moving on from our 19-week sweetie to our 19-month sweetie! The following stats are from the end of April and are a few weeks old now, but here are the numbers from Mckenna's 18-month pediatrician wellness check-up. Weight: 24 lbs, 15 oz. (58th percentile), height: 33.8 inches (94%), head circumference: 19 inches (89%). It is interesting to note that Mckenna's weight didn't change at all from her last appointment in early February (76% in weight in Feb.), but her height did change by over 2 inches, so her weight percentile for 18-months went down to 58% because of her growing height. (Can you imagine if we all grew an inch taller every month - wow!) I asked the doctor about this, and he said that it was perfectly fine. He asked if she had been more active lately, which indeed she has. Just in the past few months as the weather has gotten warmer here, the daycare crew goes outside sometimes twice a day - before lunch, and after their afternoon naps. So she is burning off more calories running around outside! (And really, doesn't that happen to most Minnesotans when the cold winter turns into the nicer, warmer spring?) :) Here are some pictures taken at her 18-month appointment.
She doesn't sit still anymore like she used to in this scale... hmmm, I wonder why? :) It's more fun to wiggle around and push buttons anyway, right?
Check out that belly - LOVE it!
Mckenna got a few updated shots, and as always, she was a trooper. Whenever I get a shot, I always look away - I don't like to see the needle. But she was looking the whole time (even though you notice that I'm trying to turn her head away because needles somewhat freak me out, and that's my natural reaction) and she didn't even flinch - good girl!
This is what she did when I asked her where her bandaid was...
"Hey, look at this - I'm so cool!" :)
Here are a few cute pictures taken just today, 5/19/10, in our backyard. This week the weather has been awesome, and today was no exception. Mckenna was enjoying a dip in her little wading pool on this sunny 80 degree day! It was funny, the water was pretty cold just coming from the hose, and for what seemed like a few minutes she just stood and bent down like she was going to sit. But every time her legs and bottom touched the cold water, she would shiver and say, "Oh!" and look at us like, "now what do I do?" This happened several times over before we helped her to sit - we got a chuckle from her very real reactions. After she sat down, she got used to the cool water temp quickly in the warm weather. She seemed to really like playing and splashing around.
Love those cheeks and that big, toothy smile! :)
Pretty blue eyes - she gets those baby blues from her daddy.
More recent pictures to come over the next few weeks - stay tuned!
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