Christmas Tornado

A friend referred to the tornado that struck their house this Christmas, and I chuckled. Having Peter's birthday so close to Christmas, however, adds another dimension to our chaos: we have not only Christmas gifts, but birthday gifts everywhere, as well. I spent most of the day yesterday just trying to find my living room. Finally after removing several bags of wrapping paper, empty boxes and ribbons, taking down the "deca" and lights from the "Mikas" (short "i" sound) tree and hauling it outside, vacuuming the needle and dog hair laden carpet, I think I found it. Tornado, indeed!

It has been a few months since I've blogged last, and I'm sure no one will be remotely interested in reading this posting, but since I'm really not writing it JUST for you, whoever you are, but am writing primarily for my children, I'll get over it. :)

This fall has seen a few changes for our family. I started teaching a Speech class at a wonderful homeschooling co-op in Buffalo called FEET. It meets twice a month on Monday mornings. I am blessed to be able to bring the boys along. They go to the nursery while I teach. Peter has fallen in love with his "teacher" - Kim A. He will periodically look up at me and ask, "Kim?" I am so, so glad he enjoys going. That said, he does cry as soon as we pull into the parking lot, though. He cries as I unbuckle he and David and cries as we walk into the church and he cries as we walk up the stairs and runs, crying, of course, past the nursery to the outside door on the opposite end of the hallway. Kim assures me that he stops crying as soon as I leave and I believe her. When I come to pick them up, he hardly gives me a second thought!

I have also started back in BSF this fall. Yay!!! For three years right after college, I was in a wonderful BSF Bible Study group in Edina. When I moved to Rochester, I was unable to go as they did not offer an evening class I could attend. So, now that I'm a stay at home mom (and LOVING IT, by the way!), and now that BSF has started an infants and toddlers program, I decided to try it again. David was able to get into the nursery right away, but it took a couple months for an opening to come available for Peter. He does, of course, do the whole crying thing there, too, but I think he likes Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Ronning as much as he likes Kim. He periodically asks about his "teachers".

What a blessing it has been to be back in BSF again! We are attending the ladies' class in Coon Rapids and I am studying the book of Isaiah this year. Wow! That's just one of the several Old Testament books that I've read parts of (especially chapter 53) several times, but have never read nor attempted to comprehend the whole book. Did I say wow?

And the last change for our family started this summer when my handsome and wonderful husband decided to become a realtor. He took the classes (I was a single mom for a couple months), passed the tests and now is working for the Edina Realty office in Monticello in addition to still working at Green Valley Greenhouse. He LOVES it! I never realized until I was a married woman how important it is for a man to love what he does.

And now for my children:

Peter

• Turned 2 on December 15th. Yikes!
• Still loves just about any and all fruit. 
• Still dislikes just about any and all vegetables. Will eat green beans and corn.
• Is leery about new or different looking foods.
• Was a ring bearer in Ben and Brittany's wedding on September 3rd!
• Talks up a storm! He is still mostly saying one word sentences, but is starting to combine two words together more and more...
• Will repeat himself over and over again until someone acknowledges him and repeats back to him, correctly, what he said.
• Is very healthily between the 50-75th percentiles for height, weight and head circumference.
• Still is "Momom"'s boy.
• Just started referring to me as "Mommy" this past weekend. I sort-of liked "Momom". :)
• Loves all planes, trains and automobiles!
• Received Mr. Potato Head for his birthday and was instantly in love.
• Also received a wooden train set from Grandpa and Grandma Willing for Christmas. Also instant love.
• Finally figured out how to climb onto the couch. He must have just grown that last needed inch or two to be able to do it!
• Loves to help me unload the dishwasher.
• Loves to make his brother laugh.
• Loves "Little Critter" books and just about any other book he can find.
• Loves to read the Bible and thinks any adultish looking book is the Bible. Even the phone book!
• Loves to listen to "The BIBLE", "Holy, holy, holy", "Trust and Obey", and "Jingle Bell Rock". That last one really fits in well with the first three, doesn't it?
• Had his first bout of the throwing up stomach flu early in December. It lasted almost a whole week. I was glad when it was gone!
• Still loves Lucy and going to the lake!

David

• Was 6 months old on Christmas Day.
• First tooth was through on November 28th and his second tooth came through almost a month later on December 23rd.
• Loves his big brother and dad!
• Smiles almost non-stop.
• After wailing every time he was put down or strapped into his carseat (makes for miserable car rides!) for the first 3 months of his life, he has finally realized how fun it can be to not wail. Fwew.
• Has WAY more hair than Peter had at 6 months old! 
• Has fewer pounds than Peter had at 6 months old. We're working on that...
• Rolls from front to back and vice-versa. Constantly.
• Loves to stand. We're pretty sure he might actually walk before his first birthday!
• Sucks his thumb - just like mommy (used to)! All efforts to encourage a pacifier failed. :)
• Also LOVES Lucy.
• Still likes to wake mommy up multiple times each night. Guess he just can't get enough of me!
• Is starting to crawl. Yikes!
• Puts everything into his mouth.

Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year!

Love,

Luke, Michelle, Peter, David & Lucy

**Pictures to come...

Summertime Fun with Friends

This summer we joined a playgroup hosted by my friend Stephanie. Until we can get more recruits, it normally consists of: Stephanie and her boys, her sisters and their boys and me with my boys. :) It's so fun to have all these little boys the same age running around every week! We have gone to Ellison Park in Monticello, Otsego Park, and "The Fountains" in Elk River so far. Next week we plan to go to an Apple Orchard! What fun!! Here are some pictures of our adventures:

Peter at the playground

Sleeping David

David and friend Jude who was born at 25 weeks! He has come such a long way...yay!

Peter and Samuel playing with bubbles.

Elizabeth helping Peter with bubbles

Fountains!

Peter, Levi, Micah, Samuel

(note the love of the cone...)

And more love...

The best we could them to all look! :)

All the babies at Otsego Park: 

??? (Help! I can't remember her name!), Elizabeth & Jude, Me & David

Sweet babies

4th of July Weekend

Over the Fourth of July, we went to my parents' cabin. David was 9 days old! :) Think I must have been crazy...but really...it was either sit around at the cabin with family who can help entertain a toddler, or sit around at home, alone.

We had a lot of fun, and many visitors all weekend. My personal favorites for the weekend were the St. Joseph parade on the 4th (we STILL have candy from it!) and the fireworks.

David and neighbor Nick

Peter and Uncle Rick

Cousins Carter and Morgan with David

On a boat ride!

Boatride!

Auntie Keri and cousin Morgan on the boatride

At the parade!

Our second family picture...awww...

Dad and Peter

David sleeping his way through the parade...in his 4th duds!

Super cool Coborn's cart float

"Riding" the 4-wheeler that the parade official deserted right in front of us. (Sorry for cutting off your head, Luke)

Oops! He's back!

David and Uncle Ben napping

Lunch at the cabin

Say Cheese!

And We're HOME!

First time in the car seat - he was so tiny that we couldn't tighten the straps enough!

First visit from "Uncle" Jamisen and "Auntie" Jenny

My two boys. Love them!

First time holding the new baby...

Enough now, Mom!

Getting a little sun for that jaundice.

Cousin Heidi over for a visit.

My sons have the best daddy in the world! Love you!!

David Louis Willing

Wow! I can't believe (well, okay, I actually can) it has been almost three months since I have posted anything! Guess my life did get a bit busy when David was born! So, in case you haven't heard the news:

David Louis Willing

born on June 25, 2010 at 12:50pm

7 lbs. 13 ozs. 21" long

Five days early!! Yahoo!!!!!

Okay.

Labor and delivery are sort of funny experiences. Well, just in one sense: they're different. The first time around, you have no idea what to expect. At all. No videos, classes, books or friends can really equip you for what will happen, or might happen. Then the second time around, you think you know how it will go. But each and every baby is different. 

David came like this:

During the night my contractions started. I was sleeping poorly, but didn't know why until around 4:20am when I realized I was having contractions. Duh! So, I started timing them. 15 minutes apart. Not too strong. 

At 5:00 when Luke's alarm went off, I told him. He said, great! Just give me a call at work and let me know when you think you might need to go in. (Both of us were thinking at this time that it'd be an all day ordeal.)

At 6:30 when he should have left for work, we decided things were progressing faster than we originally thought (contractions about 7 minutes apart!), so he stayed home and we called my mom. Mom had to change her plans to drive out to PA for my uncle's funeral (Uncle Dave passed away very unexpectedly from a heart attack - our David carries his name). We felt badly, but what can a girl do? When a baby decides to come, it's time!

Around 7:00 we called the hospital to see when we should go in. Contractions 4-5 minutes apart, 1 minute long or longer, for at least an hour.

By 9:00 that was the case. We packed up, Mom took Peter to St. Cloud, and we headed to Mercy around 9:30.

On the way, we decided that if they sent us home, we'd go garage saleing. No sense in going all the way back home!

Once we got checked in a little after 10:00, they wanted to see how far progressed I was. I was fairly certain they'd send me home. No one thought I was too uncomfortable to be very far. Wrong! I was already dilated to 8/9cm!!! They told me not to move from the bed; ran to get a room ready for me and wheeled me down the hall. Luke and I were almost laughing! This was so easy so far!

The doctor broke my water around 10:30. By 11:00 or so I was definitely in more pain (understatement), so I asked for a little something to take off the edge...after two doses of that (don't think the second one did a blessed thing...), it was time to push!

Pushing...that's another story. I yelled. Just a little. But, a mere thirteen minutes after I started pushing, David was born! Yay!!!

Huh. That wasn't so bad!

One proud momma!

                                                      

One mad little baby!

7lbs 13ozs

One proud daddy!

"Auntie" Sara was the first visitor!

Precious little baby...welcome!

Our first family shot...not too great of one!

Grandma and Grandpa Prigge. :)

Wow. Look at all those cars! Peter loved looking out the window while munching on his apple.

Uncle Pat and Cousins Josh, Elle and Sophia

Cousins Elle and Sophia with Auntie Chrissy

Grandpa and Grandma Willing

Auntie Kerri

Life Before Baby #2

We are quickly approaching the due date of baby #2! Where did the past 9 months go? My little baby will soon be a baby no longer. Oh, my.

This past month has been a busy one. We celebrated Memorial Day with my family at the cabin, I turned 32 (!!), Luke and I went to our first Twins' game at the new stadium (we got the folding chairs row, which was nice, but when we got there, Luke's chair was missing!), Luke and I went on our first overnight getaway without Peter and this week I've been working at VBS as a craft teacher for 1st graders. Hopefully this weekend I can get some strawberries picked and jam made....guess we're trying to cram in as much as we can before our family grows!

Peter used to not put up a fight at bedtime, ever, unless something was wrong. But ever since Memorial weekend....I guess, as my aunt Chrissy said, we've entered another stage of parenting! He continues to be both a charmer and a determined little guy. He is what we prayed for. And we couldn't love him more!

Wearing (soon-to-be-Auntie) Brittany's sunglasses

Getting his first haircut with a clippers - much easier than with a scissors!

Memorial weekend - the kids found a turtle...sadly, it turned out to be a snapper!

With his beloved Grandma Prigge

Wearing daddy's boots! (he loves trying on our shoes)

And he loves vacuuming, still!

Hamming it up for the camera. (I think he was proud that he fit into this box!)

Wearing daddy's boots again!

One day he brought this grossly stained gray sweatshirt to me to put on him. And then awhile later he was dragging the blue one around trying to put it on, as well. Funny boy.

OUR GETAWAY WEEKEND!

At Fisher's Club in Avon for dinner. Yummy!

The beautiful gardens at the B&B we stayed at - The Pillar Inn in Cold Spring.

There's the B&B in the background. Nice smile, honey. :)

More gardens.

The beautiful wrap-around porch.

The sign with a very pregnant me!

Above and below: The Pillar Inn. Such a beautiful place!

Above and below: our super luxurious bathroom. Really, I loved it! I haven't taken a bath in years!!

One shot of our room. It was called the Casablanca Suite. Decorated from the era of the movie of the same name! (We were packing up to leave when I took this pic.)

Luke in front of the historic log cabin in Cold Spring.

View of our room from the bathroom.

Historic granite chapel in Cold Spring.

Flowers (columbine, I think?) at the chapel.

VBS 2010

Craft, day #1 (creation)

Craft, day #2 (Moses and the burning bush)

The kids' mobiles from Monday

The 13 squirrelly 1st graders working on craft #3 - button frames. They did not tie into the story at all. :)

The beautiful sheets that were on our bed at the B&B. I thought they were so pretty I took pictures so that someday maybe I can find some like them for our bed, too!