Betz Family :D

wow this went by fast!

2010-06-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

Sooooo.... it's been a while. I am now down to the last few weeks! just about 7 weeks to go before meeting baby Ethan! :) so excited, and a little nervous too. It will be a little different with 3 youngsters in the apt. I'm still hoping and praying for a full time job somewhere. but for the summer Sylvan is giving me 30 hours a week which is definitely needed!

Ethan is very active and i just can't wait to hold him and watch his personality develop and grow. it is so fun and exhausting having a newborn, but it will all be worth it. :)

not much else to say today, just amazed at how fast this time went by. seemed to take forever to find out the gender of the baby, then just like that i'm down to the less than 2 months away! ahhhh!

;)

26 weeks!

2010-05-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Some baby developments:

This week, some of his most notable developments are cosmetic: His eyebrows and eyelashes are thick and lush now, and the hair on his head has grown longer and denser. By this time, all the parts of your baby's eyes are in place, and he's getting ready to open them in just a couple of weeks! Your baby's lungs continue to grow stronger, readying him for life outside the womb -- although it's about 10 more weeks until they'll be fully mature. To support his growing body, your baby's spine is becoming stronger and more flexible. It's about the same length as the palm of your hand, but it contains a whopping 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.

I love re-learning about how my baby Ethan is growing inside me! It is so cool to learn about how God creates the perfect little being over the course of 9 months!

I am feeling more and more pregnant now. Getting antsy to get a new dresser for the boys and get things more organized for the baby.

New Baby Betz and other news

2010-04-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

So i'm going to try to keep this updated again. we'll see if it lasts and for how long. lol.
the latest news if you have not yet heard is that we are expecting our third baby boy. !
i know three boys! what was i thinking. lol.
it should be quite an adventure and i am looking forward to when they are all school aged and i can teach them all the nerdy science stuff. lol.

still hoping that Ryan gets moved to days SOON! because i really dont see how this will work out with a new baby in the house if he is working nights still.

also thinking about looking for another job. i like sylvan but they are not giving me the hours i need to pay bills and save for the new little one. student loans will need to be paid back soon and i need more than 10-14 hours a week of work!

so pray for that situation. i'm not really sure what to do. maybe i'll just try to sub more. i haven't subbed since the long term job ended. kinda miss it.

well guess thats all for now. Oh! baby name, Ethan James. so with that our family is complete. Hunter pronounces Ethan as "Ef-bin" it is so cute!

in case anyone still checks my blog...

2010-02-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

in a nutshell,
finished student teaching, now i am just waiting on getting my first aid class done and i can have a teaching certificate. yay me.
been real busy. just started a long term sub job at marshall and also was hired at Sylvan Learning center.
i'm enjoying being in the classroom again, but wishing that i had more time in a day. or more help around the house. anyone interested in a nanny job, or a house cleaning job? lol. (if only we could afford to hire a housekeeper!)
other than that, no real news yet.
just tired all the time, kids wear me out. and i am counting down the days until Ryan will be on first shift all week because right now I HATE weekends. they are not relaxing at all for me, and Ryan is constantly tired from having no sleep schedule.

pray that he gets put on days soon. and that i can find some extra energy or time to get things done that I need to. right now i'm just tired and stressed form having too much to do and no time. :/

p.s.

2009-07-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

our computer will not load the "cutestblog on the block" background i had, so i have no idea what our blog looks like. sorry if it is hard to read or all the colors clash or something. one of these days i'll change it, but not tonight. bed early for me tonight! lol.

life lately

2009-07-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to go all of June with no posts. Blogger I have forgotten about you. sorry. I will try to keep this updated better.

This last week i have been consumed with preparing for SAU's science camp they hold each year. I am in charge of the 3-5th graders. (yikes!) In five short days (really short, we only had four hours a day to prep) I, with the help of one 5-6th grade teacher, have planned and practiced 8 demos, and 24 activities to do with the 30 kids. wow.

But it has been a blast so far and tomorrow I get to see all my hard work pay off!
In the next week we will be learning about how submarines change their depth in the water, density, humidity, clouds, looking at pond water under a microscope, learning about light, playing with glow sticks, playing with slime, Solar bags and UV light beads, melting pennies, zinc plating pennies, turning them brass, playing with dry ice, baking soda and vinegar reactions, mentos in pop, and did I mention yet walking on water. phew!

some of the demos the camp director has planned are really really cool, Rubens Tube demo (Rubens tube involves propane and "dancing" flames to music-so cool) ( i think you can youtube it) and making dippin' dots with liquid nitrogen are just a couple of them.

oh we are also testing foods for starch/sugar content with iodine and cabbage juice pH tests! and separating the colors out of markers using chalk and water. I am such a nerd, I get so excited about some of this science stuff. hehe. I just love watching kids get excited about the world they live in and exploring it in a whole new way than usual.

hopefully i'll remember to post some updates on how its going!

Graduation!

2009-05-17T06:31:00.001-07:00

I am graduated! well, almost. lol. I was able to walk with my class yesterday and obtain a nice little folder thing that will eventually house a special piece of paper signifying my certification to teach.
but for now, I have two summer classes and a semester of student teaching to finish first. oh and two certification tests to take this July. But i can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is growing brighter with each passing day! lol.

It was great to be able to walk with all of my friends and to enjoy all of the festivities surrounding graduation. I graduated with honors (Cum Laude) and i'm so glad to be almost done! i have enjoyed college life, but i am so ready to enter the working world and start paying off this school debt!

my family all came down to the honors ceremony friday evening and again saturday morning to watch me walk, then the in laws came saturday afternoon to celebrate with me after the grad ceremony. :)

here are some pictures from the weekend :)

pictures!

2009-04-30T17:44:00.001-07:00

okay, I have uploaded links to my last five face book photo albums, so check em out!
here are a few to get you started ;)

Oh Blogger, you must feel so neglected!

2009-04-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

life has been busy. and I was really really sick yesterday. :( but i am feeling much better today, not 100% yet but getting there.
I am super excited to be graduating, well pseudo graduating, in just over two weeks! (eek!) still so much to do before then! lol.

The boys are both getting over a bit of a cold as well, Hunter had it for about a week before passing it on to Keegan. Just a cough and runny nose. poor little guys.

Ryan has been busy with class and work, and soon will start his clinicals which will make life really crazy! (good thing i wont have class!) but we will have to miss a friends wedding because he has to do clinicals that weekend :( Sorry Chrissy, wish we could come! :(

I have uploaded more photo albums on facebook, and will eventually post links here with all the others. lol.

time for lunch, lets hope i can keep it down today...

a few more pictures...

2009-04-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

our potty chair!!

Hunter's throne, lol ;) complete with magazine rack and paper holder.

my messy boy after the first time i let him eat spaghetti with his hands instead of me feeding it to him. he had lots of fun. :)

got another thumb sucker!

haha. Hunter was rubbing his face/nose and i snapped this pict. it cracks me up every time i see it!

Hugs for daddy

some photos

2009-04-01T18:56:00.001-07:00

lol. Hunter is always putting on my shoes! :D

When I ask him where his cheeks are, he pinches them :)

Hunter kept trying to put the toy into Keegan's hand, but Keegan would not hold onto it.

he decided he would take off his diaper. thank goodness he didn't poop in bed...this time

I love Keegan's smile!

This is Hunter when he wakes up. lol. I can just picture him with this same exact face at 16 not wanting to get up and go to school. hehe.

Pictures!

2009-03-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

I added four more links to my facebook photo albums under the "photos" section to your right.
maybe next week when my online classes are done I will find time to get some pictures uploaded and do a real post. lol.

I know, I know...

2009-03-20T18:11:00.001-07:00

I am lousy at this blog thing. hehe.
I keep saying that i will post pictures for you guys, but I havent done it yet, and probably will not get to it until Sunday.

Hunter was being so cute today I just had to update. I have always given him Eskimo kisses before bedtime, and the last week he has been giving Ryan and me Eskimo kisses all the time! it is so cute! He scrunches up his nose and shakes his head, I am always afraid that he will lean forward and bonk me right in the nose with his whole head! (because he has done that before and it hurts!)

We have moved him back to his toddler bed! (Remember when we tried it like two months ago and he just wasnt having it?) Well, the first nap time, he didn't really like it, but finally fell asleep (it only took about a half hour) but every time after that he has done great! Now he loves his big boy bed! (It has only been 3-5 days. I loose track of the days so quickly! I can't remember when I set it up... it seems like a long time ago, but it couldn't have been more than 5 days ago. )

I taught Hunter where is cheecks are, and when ever i ask him, he pinches his cheeks! really cute! soemtimes he pinches closer to his chin or his eyes though. hehe. after he pinches his, he usually come over to me and pinches my chubby cheecks! he pinches pretty hard!

**viewer (okay reader) discretion is advised**
the following has graphic description of babys dirty diaper

As many of you know, Keegan is a VERY gasy baby. He is always farting and pooping. (more than Hunter ever did, a lot more!) well today was the mother of all farts. and the mother of all poops to go with it. sorry if this grosses you out, but it just amazed me, so I thought I would share. He pooped clear out of his diaper all the way up his back! it was only about two inches below his shoulders! I couldnt believe it! By the time I got his onsie off, it was up to his shoulders! (ewww) I had to just put him on his stomach so that I could wipe off all the poop. gross gross gross. I am still trying to soak his onsie to get it clean. He was sitting in his bouncer at the time, so it soaked through his shirt onto the bouncer and I need to find a way to get that clean as well. :( It is beyond me how someone so little could poop so much all at once!!

enough of that! Keegan is growing too fast! he is already into 3-6 month clothes. I guess he is almost three months old, but Hunter was little for so long, he was always a month behind in clothes for his age. hehe. Keegan is going to be a big boy I think!
He is also cooing and smiling more and more all the time! I LOVE it!

Hunter is learning to say more words, I taught him how to say "train" "done" "again" and "bear" he only really says mostly the last half of the words, but it is really cute ;)

My spring break is almost over and I am having mixed feelings abuot going back to class. I will miss what down time I have during breaks, but I will be glad to have a little bit of (adult) human intereaction during the day!

Tomorrow the in-laws are coming for a cook out. Hopefully the weather warms up a bit! it will be good to see them again, it has been almost three months. I know they all want to see how big Keegan is getting.

well, time to get back to some homework for my online classes. :(
(one more week, one more week, ... hehe)

I'm Still Alive...

2009-03-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well I managed to get one post in during February, hopefully I can get a few more in during the month of March! hehe, we'll see. But for those of you wondering, yes, I'm still alive, I havent fallen off the face of the earth or anything.

School is busier than I had imagined it would be! But today starts my spring break! and I am really excited although I still have to do my two online classes (they don't take a break). As busy as I am, Ryan is even busier with his work schedule and his class schedule! I cannot imagine getting up at 7:00am going to class for 7 hours then going straight to work for 8 hours. to get home at 11:30pm. And he does this twice a week!

Hunter is still growing and getting cuter everyday along with Keegan! I cannot believe how fast Keegan has grown, it definitely goes faster with the second one! Before I know it I will have two little boys running around chasing each other around the house! lol. (I laugh now, but when it is really happening I'm not so sure I will react the same way...)

This whole spring forward time change ahs really thrown off my schedule. I am tired all the time! the kids have done really well with it though (surprisingly-Thankfully!).

I dont really have much to say, I will get back on tonight and post some pictures but for now i need to go start some Hawaiian Sweet Bread to have with the spinach dip I made.
I love being a housewife!
If I get really ambitious tonight, I am making chocolate chip cookies too, I have had a craving for them for a while now, lol!

Busy Busy!

2009-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

Classes have started, hence no updates yet this month. lol. Everything is going well though.

Shelby, i have been meaning to write you a thank you card for the adorable outfit you got for Keegan, and i just keep forgetting because of everything else going on, sorry! and thank you!!!!
:)

Hunter is starting to talk more and more. i love it! yesterday i asked him if he could say dog and he said, "woof woof" hehe!
hopefully i can get the video posted later today...

I have updated the links of photo albums, three new ones! so check em out :)

gotta go, more later!

This ones for you Amy :)

2009-01-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

As requested here are some photos:
:D

he is like a little tree frog :D

Checkin' out his little brother

does Hunter look huge, or does Keegan look small?

I love his smile :)

for more, check out my facebook album :)

Life as I know it

2009-01-29T19:52:00.000-08:00

It seems like forever since I have updated, although it has been only a week and a half since my last post. Hunter is growing more and more each day, I love watching his little personality come out. He is so full of energy and such a little goof! I have been trying to get him to widen his vocabulary a little bit and encourage talking more. he will make the "ph" sound (as in fish) when he wants goldfish crackers while signing for more. so cute. :) and last night we had tacos, so I asked him if he could say "taco." after only a little more prodding, he says "gaco." lol. I love it!

Keegan is already a month old!! how did that happen? and growing so fast. at our appointment last week he measured up at 7lb 14oz and 21.5 inches. he is more alert and is sleeping a little bit better through the night, also better muscle control than that first week!
the best part: he grinned at me the other day! So precious!

Ryan is busy with work and his EMT class, and classes begin for me on monday :(
The good news is that in 8 weeks i am done with my two online classes!

i will have to cut this a little short, baby keegan is crying... dinner time!

Regressing...just a little

2009-01-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

We have decided that Hunter is not quite ready for a toddler bed yet. He was doing okay with taking his morning naps and eventually would go to sleep at night, but he was not sleeping at all during his afternoon nap. Plus it is just too hard for me right now to try to make sure he stays in bed when most of the time I would put him down for a nap then have to feed the baby. So after a weekend of trying to get him used to a new bed, we decided it was best to wait a bit longer.
:)

Love Love xoxo

2009-01-17T13:47:00.001-08:00

Hunter loves to give Keegan hugs and kisses :)
all these pictures are in my facebook photo albums, but here are a few of the best ones...

His New Bed

2009-01-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hunter has gotten much better at going to sleep in his bed, it only took a half hour today for him to go down for his nap! :) and not nearly as much crying this time! mostly just him doing his usual babbling himself to sleep mixed with trying to sneak out of his room. hehe.

Here is a picture of him sleeping in his new bed during his first time taking a nap in it.

My Big Boy

2009-01-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hunter has officially been moved into his new toddler bed! :)
After an hour and a half (of talking, and getting out of bed and banging on the wall), he fell asleep in his new bed for his morning nap, and after an hour and 15 min of talking to himself I let him get up from his afternoon nap. and tonight after a mere 15 minutes of fighting sleep, he is peacefully sleeping in his new bed! :) yeay!
My little man is growing up!
And it is oh so cute!
That is all.

Incisors & Molars

2009-01-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

When Hunter finally got his first tooth it was the two bottom middle ones (central incisors). In the months to follow he has gotten 6 more teeth, all on the top gum. Both central and lateral incisors, and just last week his first molars on both the left and right side (his teeth always seem to come through in pairs).
Well today I noticed two more teeth coming through, ON THE BOTTOM this time!! Yay!
Hunter is finally cutting his bottom two lateral incisors.
So total tooth count for Hunter is 10! Wow.
Now we wait for some bottom molars and few cuspids ;)
hehe.

Pictures!

2009-01-09T08:49:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to take a few pictures of Keegan everyday since they change so much the first month, here are a few of them and links to the facebook albums so you can check 'em all out (if you so desire ;) ).

Keegan:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2021032&l=96668&id=178200794

some of Hunter:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023185&l=c9942&id=178200794

I have also Added the links to the list in the right hand column -------->

WHAT!?!?!?

2009-01-02T20:19:00.001-08:00

60 minutes tonight was about motherhood. they talked about surrogates, and birthing options, nursing -the usual things associated with having a baby.
But then, there was a story about Reborns. Baby dolls that are made to look like real babies. People pay anywhere from $500 to $2,000 for these dolls!
Here comes the crazy part: some people who buy these dress them up and take them to the park and on walks in strollers and act as though they are real babies!
Weird.
What made me really sad about it though was the interview with one of these women who pretend like they are real babies. This lady said they were so great because you had all of the good things about babies with none of the bad. no changing diapers, no crying, and they stay babies forever.
I just thought to myself, is she crazy? The best part of having babies is being able to comfort them when they cry, seeing them smile and laugh and watching them grow. Sure changing diapers isnt all that great, but everything else makes up for that. Babies are so wonderful in all that they do how could anyone think that a life like doll could be better than the real thing?
Sad. Really.

One last thing, they had a story about nursing which i'm all for, but please people, do not nurse your children until they are 8 or 9 years old! Don't you think that is a little too old?

okay, enough rambling for tonight....

Another Mini Ryan?

2009-01-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

I have been looking back at baby pictures of Hunter to see how much Hunter and Keegan look alike. Ryan has said from the first day that Keegan looks more like me. I thought so at first too, but looking back at Hunter's baby pictures i'm not so sure. So you decide, does Ryan have another mini me, or does Keegan look a little bit more like his mommy?

Hunter and Keegan the first day in the hospital

Hunter at about 2 months

What do you think?

The Past Few Days

2008-12-31T08:03:00.001-08:00

Okay, I am finally updating! I know you have all been waiting to see pictures of little Keegan :)
The C-section went really well. All of the doctors and nurses and the anesthesiologists did a great job! I had been really nervous about having to have surgery, but after talking to a few people, by Christmas I wasn't nervous at all anymore. I was still kinda hoping the baby would turn so that I wouldn't need surgery, but when I woke up the morning of the 26th I could feel his head right under my chest. He hadn't moved.
You aren't allowed to eat anything before surgery, so by the time we got to the hospital at 2:00 I was starving from not being able to eat or drink anything since midnight. The nurse checked us in and started my prep for surgery. when she checked to see if the baby had turned at all, he was still breech.
So at about 5:00 I have my own little parade down the hall with Ryan, two nurses, a doctor, and the anesthesiologist to the OR. I was given a spinal (which is basically the same as an epidural) and within a minute my stomach and legs are numb and they begin the C-section!
I couldn't feel a thing, they pulled the baby out, then they take out the entire uterus to get the placenta out and everything. Weird. Glad I couldn't see it!
The baby was placed next to me on its own little table thing where they cleaned him up and made sure he was breathing alright and everything. As the doctor checked him out I hear him say, "Ten fingers, ten toes, a twig and two berries."
Lol. That made me smile even more. (Ryan wonders what he would have said if it had been a little girl)
It was so amazing to see my little boy finally! Anyone who has experienced birth knows what I mean!
Keegan definitely looks a little bit more like me then Hunter did. :) He doesn't have quite as much hair, but it is jet black like Hunter's was.

Here is the best (worst) part of the story. Afterward the doctor told us that when they made the incision, they saw a little baby head. What!?!?!?!?
Yes, Keegan had turned himself around at some point in time within an hour of the surgery. That little stinker! I hope this isn't a preview of what is to come... ;)

But either way, I am doing well, Keegan is healthy, Ryan likes having a little one again, Hunter, well he is a bit jealous, but I think he likes Keegan too. :)

Stats: 6lbs. 4 oz.
19 1/4 inches long
official time of birth: 5:35pm
ten fingers, ten toes, a twig and two berries! ;)
So with out further delay, here is what you have all been waiting for:
PICTURES!!!

This is the first scrapbook page I have made for little Keegan. foot prints from the hospital :)

We had a good stay in the hospital, my grandmother watched Hunter for us while we were gone, so Saturday Ryan drove back home to pick them up so they could come visit for a little while. It was good to see Hunter, I missed him so much!
Friday night my father and his girlfriend, and my sister came to visit. And he brought flowers for me :)
back to saturday, after Ryan left to take my grandma and Hunter back home, my sister Lisa came with her family to visit us. It was really good to see them, they live about an hour and a half away so we dont see them often enough! after dinner time (which at the hospital is like 4:30, lol) my mom came to see us. She also brought me flowers :) white roses and blue baby's breath, really pretty.
Everyone was so excited to see the new little baby, and couldn't believe how tiny he is!

Sunday we had a full house! Ryan's whole family (almost) came down to visit. It was good to see everyone. Keegan's cousins, like most little kids, were a little jealous that mom and dad were holding a new baby. it was cute. :)
That night my mom came back to visit us again, and this time she had brought a new roll of film. she was really excited to get pictures back of Keegan, so she took all 25 that night and went to a 1 hour photo to get them developed. hehe. My mom is so funny with her ancient camera. ;)

We were able to go home sunday night, and just like we did with Hunter, we broke two rules of having a baby that first night home.
I fell asleep with him holding him on my chest for most the night. and for an hour or two, I slept with him next to me in bed. lol.
That first night, just like with Hunter, he wouldn't sleep unless I was holding him. But Monday night, he did really well and slept in his bassinet like he is supposed to :)
so I promise no more sleeping in bed with mom and dad. hehe.

HOME!!

2008-12-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

We are home from the hospital, everyone is healthy and doing well. Pictures of the little one and all that will come tomorrow. right now it is time to sleep! hehe.
Thanks for all your prayers, the surgery went very well.

Change in Plans

2008-12-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

The C-section has been moved to Friday at 5:00pm.
:/ I'm not sure if this is better or not.
It gives me one less day to worry about it I guess...
and one less day to prepare...
Either way, please keep us in your prayers that day that everything would go smoothly, and that I will have a quick and good recovery from it.
I am beginning to be okay with the fact that I will have a c-section, but I am so worn out from not sleeping well and the stress from anticipation of the surgery that I am over emotional about everything. so please also pray that I can stay calm for Ryan's sake and not cry at the drop of a hat. lol.
Thank you all so much!

12:00 Dec. 27th, 2008

2008-12-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

This is when baby Keegan will enter the world.

How do I know this? No, I'm not psychic, we have scheduled a C-section.
The baby has still not turned with his head down, instead he has decided that he is quite comfortable sitting sideways instead. :/

So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers this next week as I prepare myself for my first surgery ever. (I am a little-okay, a lot- nervous about it since I have never had any kind of major or minor surgery before-in fact the only time I have even been in the hospital is for Hunter's delivery.)
I'm still holding out hope that he will turn head down by the 27th so that things can proceed naturally! (please God, I could use a Christmas miracle!)

Thank you for your prayers! We will keep you updated.

Merry Christmas everyone :D

"He Likes to Move It Move It!"

2008-12-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Move It!

I had my weekly prenatal doctors appointment today. Last week the baby's head was down, where it should be, and this week he has moved so that his head is in my side rather than facing down. so instead of lying vertical I guess he is a little more horizontal. (if that helps you picture it better)
Next weeks appointment they will check the position again and see if he moved back to where he should be, if not they are going to try to move him (eek!?) and if that doesn't work, I will need a c-section :(
So pray that he moves back !!!! lol. I don't want a C-section!

I am 90 % sure he will move back again, Hunter had done the same thing, just not quite so late in the game. I still cannot believe there is only 11 days to go!!
I'm starting to get anxious about it, in a good way though, not worried anxious, just really can't wait for him to get here! :)

P.S.

2008-12-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

I am due to have little baby Keegan in 12 days!!!!! I can hardly believe it!
the last 9 months have gone by sooooo quickly! I hope I'm ready for less sleep at night and taking care of two! Double the diapers but twice the hugs and kisses :)
next semester sure will be interesting ;)

Welcome Home Ron! :)

2008-12-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

Ryan's brother, Ron [and his family: Christina and their two children Gavin(4) and Abby (2)] are finally back in the states after his third tour in Iraq.
He got back the 10th with his family, so Ryan and I headed home Wednesday night at 11:30pm to go see the family for weekend. We arrived at my MIL at 2:00am and when I tried to put Hunter in his pack n' play to go back to sleep, he wasn't having it! he just cried and cried. Normally I would have let him cry for a few minutes and go to sleep but since Gavin and Abby were asleep I didn't want him to wake them up. I ended up holding him most the night. Ryan stayed up with me because he couldn't sleep either. Hunter finally fell asleep on the floor at about 5:00am so I laid him in his pack 'n play so I could go to sleep. Three hours later he was awake and ready for breakfast.

Despite little sleep for all of us, Thursday we spent relaxing and having a good time catching up with the family. Friday Ron and Christina went to visit other family in the area, so Ryan and I had a nice relaxing day watching t.v and playing with Hunter.
Every night was spent playing games like Euchre and Apples to Apples,
Ryan and I won two out of three hands of Euchre :) I'm getting better! lol.

Saturday my MIL threw a party for Ron and the fam. just a time for extended family and friends to come and spend some time with Ron and Christina and the kids. there was a ton of food. she made a turkey, a ham, a goose, and potatoes, yams, corn, rolls to go with it. but the best part was the cheese ball appetizers. One of the three they made was a chocolate chip flavor mix that you make with cream cheese. It had mini chocolate chips in it and they bought graham cracker sticks to eat it with. It was like a cheesecake, which is my favorite dessert ever! :-P

Sunday Ryan and I headed for home. Thankfully the roads were clear (unlike the last time we came back to the arbor after a weekend home). It was really nice to be able to go "home" and see the family, but it is always nice to be come back to our home. Especially since my MIL keeps her house at 80 degrees!

The other best part of the weekend is that school is officially done for the semester so I didn't have to try to do homework while spending time with the family. :D I got to just RELAX for once!!!!

that is all for now, more to come... ...

Thanksgiving...plus a little updating

2008-12-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

I know that this is a little late, but hey, we all get busy!
Ryan worked on thanksgiving day so I went with my Mom and Grandma to my Aunt and Uncle's house for dinner. Food was good and it was good to see family, but the best part was watching Hunter play with Kaelee, (my aunt and uncles daughter) and their dog, Frankie.
Frankie is a husky with one brown eye and one blue eye, the most beautiful dog in the world!
Hunter LOVES animals and even tried to give Frankie a kiss, (I wish I had that on camera, a priceless moment!) mostly Frankie was the one giving out kisses :)

Black Friday we headed up to Ryan's parent's houses. It was nice to get away for the weekend and spend time with them. We had a great weekend and are both looking forward to going back in a few weeks to see his brother (Ron) (and his brother's family) who is back from Iraq! You can imagine how excited Ryan is, he has seen his brother two or three times the last three years for a day or two at a time. This is going to sound really really cliche, but I think Ron coming home in time for Christmas is the best thing anyone in his family could get this year.

I have all of four more days of classes for the semester! (with the exception of my online class which ends the 21st) I am so excited to be done with school! The best part is that I only have one real final to take. :D (Yay!) I am really looking forward to relaxing over January and just spending time with the kids.

I guess that is all for now. I hope all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving!

First Haircut! :D

2008-11-30T18:14:00.000-08:00

Hunter got his first haircut this weekend. He was pretty tired when we got to the Barber's but I'm sure he would have reacted the same no matter what. He was okay just sitting in the chair and once Paul the Barber put the cape on him he got a little antsy not being able to move his arms around. Once the hair clippers were turned on and coming toward his head he freaked out and just cried the entire time!
poor little guy. I think the noise scared him, plus he did not like us holding him down. But we had to so that he wouldn't jerk his head and get cut from the scissors.

The Barber saved a lock of his baby hair and gave us certificate for his first haircut. We also got a tee shirt for him the says "I got my first haircut from Paul the Barber."
He went from starting to look kinda girly to a handsome little man! :D I love the way it turned out!

enjoy the pictures. I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend :)

First Steps!

2008-11-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

Hunter has FINALLY started to walk! yeah! He took his first steps last week (i think it was the 14th?) It was so cute! When he walks his arms are bent with his hands by his chest to help steady himself. as soon as i can find the USB cord to connect our camcorder to the computer there will be some video. :)
p.s. it took us forever to get video of him walking because he would do it so sporadically, lol. he walks a little bit more every day (with lots of encouragement) but he knows that he can get farther faster by crawling.
video to come soon!

More Hats...!?!?

2008-11-13T17:18:00.000-08:00

Something I never thought possible, I have found even more Hats for Hunter. I got in his closet last week to start getting out more winter clothes and see what we would need for him this winter and I found three more hats! Which he LOVES of course! So here is an update to last months "Hats" post. :D

I know these are all the same hat, the second one is the same type of hat, just all blue. and the third one is completely different. I haven't gotten a picture of him in it yet, so soon this post will be updated, I just didn't want to wait. lol.

Independence!

2008-11-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

Hunter has become quite the little independent man. (no this post is not about the elections...that will come later...)
today he put his coat on all by himself. for no apparent reason other than he found it on the floor and so he put it on. :) so cute!
the best part is that although he was able to get it on all by himself, he was not successful at getting it on right side up! Yes, he put his coat on upside down so that the hood was hanging by his butt. lol. (this also caused the coat to be folded over at the top, his jacket is lined in red and the outside is plaid)

number 9

2008-10-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

so i just noticed that the last two months i have posted exactly 9 posts. and since i'm only one away... I know i'm pathetic, but i like it when things are the same. lol.
We are watching the movie Cars tonight for the first time, and it's really cute :) (Thanks for letting us borrow it Mary and Britain) :D

Trunk or Treat :D

2008-10-31T18:28:00.001-07:00

Halloween night. A night to dress up and get lots of candy :)
Ryan and I did Trunk or Treat down a t the church for the fourth year in row. Our trunk turned out really well with webbing everywhere and a giant spider that literally spanned the entire length of our trunk! unfortunately, I forgot my camera. :( so there are no pictures of our trunk, but i will take a picture of the spider and post it ;)
Hunter went as a little fireman, SO CUTE! he had a good time. I decided not to take him around to get candy since he is still so little, but next year I will. We did "tour" the lot and look at all the other trunks.
A ton of people showed up for the event, it was fun to see all the costumes and spend the evening with Ryan.
more later, but here are a few pictures:

Ramblings

2008-10-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful Wednesday evening, the baby is sleeping (well sort-of), Ryan is at work, and I have much homework to do! (which is why you find me posting on my blog instead of hard at work) ;)

This morning I had another doctors appointment (they are every two weeks now :( which equals a lot of driving!) everything still looks good. The baby's heartbeat is strong and he was kicking almost the whole time I was at the appointment! Two weeks ago they did the glucose test and everything came back normal with that. No surprises there.

Afterward Ryan and I went to the mall for a little bit just to walk around and relax. I was super excited I got Panera for lunch! (that is the one thing I have been craving ALL the time with this pregnancy!) :) yum yum yum. Hunter has been coming down with a bit of a cold, poor little guy. his nose is real stuffy and just drains down his throat which makes him cough a lot. and in turn he doesn't want to sleep. :( He has been really clinging latey too, probably because he doesn't feel well :( Other than his cold, he has been doing great.

I'm really excited for this Friday, Ryan took the day off so that we could do Trunk or Treat again this year. Hunter is dressing up as a fireman (of course!) and if I can find a big orange tee shirt, i'm going as a pumpkin. hehe. I wont spoil how we are planning on decorating our trunk, there will be pictures up soon enough ;) I am just excited to be able to spend the day with Ryan. I think we are going to carve a pumpkin or two in the morning and then just relax all day before heading over to the church for Trunk or Treat. It will be nice to have a long weekend with him!

well, I suppose I ought to get working on my homework for the night. ...

Hats and More Hats

2008-10-23T13:46:00.001-07:00

Hunter LOVES to wear hats! he has found a few of Ryan's ball caps and he has a few that were his when he was little (but would never keep on his head) and now when ever he sees them on the floor, he puts them on and smiles :)

This morning he kept trying to put on Ryan's hat and it wouldn't stay on his head so he started whining and held the hat up to me with a look of desperation on his face. I put the hat on his head and he just smiled and crawled away to play with a toy. lol.

He has one hat in particular that likes, but it is supposed to be for like a three month old, so it doesn't really fit him. I think it looks like a Yamaka on his head! hehe.

He has also discovered a knitted hat that my Aunt made for me two Christmas's ago. since it is knitted when you pull it over your face, you can still kinda see through it, so he has a TON of fun with that! I laughed when I saw him put it on all the way over his face then crawl across the living room to get a toy. Too cute!

Well, you know me, pictures are much better then words, so here are a few pictures of him in various hats that he has:

Target

2008-10-17T12:47:00.001-07:00

We went to Target today with the neighbors just to hang out for a bit. I was waiting with Hunter while Ryan got a pop and an older couple (probably in their 60's) started asking about Hunter, how old he was, telling me how cute he was. and asked when I was due for the next one. Nice couple.
When ended up near the front of the store again a little later and the gentleman happened to walk by and told me "You're such a cute pregnant lady."
Yeah, I definitely blushed. It is kinda awkward being complimented by a man in his 60's about how "cute" you are. lol. But it made me smile.
Old people are funny. When they were talking with me the first time they asked if we had a name picked out for the new baby yet, and so I told them, and he joked that we should name him Ron because that was his name. hehe.

We had a good time at the mall, I let Ryan go to best buy with the neighbor so he could have some "guy time" and I could go and shop at Fashion Bug with out feeling rushed. (Ryan doesn't like it when I drag him to "girly -stores" so when ever I do get him to come with me, I always try to hurry) I found some really cute fall shirts and they were buy one get one for 99 cents. :) Plus I still had money left on a gift card my amazing mother-in-law got for me. I love shopping and buying things and not spending any money! (especially since we dont have a lot to spend on "extras"! )

this is one of the new shirts I got today. super comfortable, I will definitely be wearing it until it falls apart! lol.

here is another preggo pict since I havent been keeping those updated very well...

I'm still not very big, but the same thing happened with Hunter. Over the next two months I will probably gain another 10lbs and grow quite a few more inches around my belly :)

Always Growing & Learning

2008-10-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hunter has become fascinated with light switches. :D he knows how to turn them on and off and smiles every time he does it! So now when I am holding him and walking through the house, he reaches for every light switch that we pass wanting to touch it and play with it. lol. So cute.
He makes me smile :)

I LOVE Saving Money!

2008-10-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

So, we decided to look around for new car insurance and I'm SO glad we did! we were at State Farm, and I thought they were pretty good. But they kept raising our monthly payment not by much, but it was consistently going up so we started looking around. We just switched to AAA and it is saving us about $100 a month! We have all the same coverage and are still saving that much money!!! I'm super excited, maybe Ryan will let me start buying shoes again with all this money we're saving ;-) LOl. (j/k)

So I just wanted to let everyone know, it never hurts to look around, even if you think you are getting a good deal. It is definitely worth the time to make sure you are getting the best deal out there.

That is all for today. :)

I :( Shots

2008-10-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

So I had to drive all the way to Lansing today for my Rhogam Shot. :(
(three cheers for having type A Neg. blood!) I hate getting shots, and this one was no exception. I was waiting for 20 minutes in the waiting room just so that they could finally call me back and spend a total of 90 seconds with me giving me a shot. They injected it into my butt and so while the shot didn't hurt as bad that way, having to sit on my butt in a wooden chair for two hours straight in class today did not feel very good. :(
Over all though today went well. It was just frustrating having to drive an hour for a 2 minute appointment that I had to wait 20 minutes for and then drive another hour home.
My EDU class presentation went very well and hopefully tomorrows mini lesson will go just as well! then I just have a test to make it through on Thursday and I can relax a little bit!
(I cannot wait for the holidays- give me some time to breath from class!)

I am excited that Ryan and I are going to look at a new car tomorrow :) (It is time to trade in the Monte for a four door since we have another baby on the way!)

Hmmm....Other news from today, some friends of ours have a cat so I went to visit them today and Hunter had a TON of fun chasing it around the living room and petting it :) he was so cute! at one point when we first got there, the cat came up to Hunter to sniff him and check him out and Hunter leaned down to get a closer look at the cat so they were nose to nose and it looked like they were giving each other eskimo kisses. So cute!!!
Hunter has always loved animals so I like when he has the opportunity to play with them, you can just see the excitment and joy in his eyes as he touches the fur or chases them around :)

[next time I'll remember to take my camera and there will be pictures ;) ]

My Placenta Moved!

2008-10-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

At the 20 week ultra sound we were told that the placenta was down near the cervix which isn't a good thing because if it stayed near the opening I would have to have a c-section instead of natural birth. (To eliminate risk of the placenta being "born" before the baby)

So at today's appointment I had another ultrasound to see if it had moved, and IT DID!! So no surgery for me! I'm such a wuss, I've never been to the hospital before (other than to give birth). I've never needed surgery for anything, and I didn't want to start now!
Although they had told us before that it is fairly common for the placenta to be down near the cervix and move later, it was still really good to hear that it had moved!
It was so cool getting to see little Keegan again! Ultra sounds are my second favorite part of pregnancy. :)

The first two ultrasound pictures are from two months ago, at 20 weeks preggo.

Top: side view of the baby's head, belly and a leg (no, he is not that blessed in boy parts) ;)
Bottom: side view of head with his hand up near his mouth

Top Left: This one is a 3D of his face with is hand up against his head. I guess he was trying to hide from us today.

Bottom Left: baby Keegan looking at us

Top Right: his little hand, waving "hello" !

Bottom Right: His little feet (that have been kicking my bladder a lot lately!)

Oh I cant believe how fast the time has gone! In my third trimester already! Soon I will be able to hold little Keegan in my arms! What a blessing that will be :) God is so good to us, sometimes I can't believe Ryan & I have been entrusted with such a wonderful and precious gift!

Baby in My Belly :-P

2008-09-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

I love feeling this new little baby boy, Keegan, moving around inside my belly :)
He is getting big enough that I can both feel and SEE my belly move when he rolls over or kicks or whatever. :) It just makes me smile.
That is all.

:D

Happy Birthday to Me ;-)

2008-09-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! And I'm all grown up, the big 2-1. The one where most people go out and enjoy there first real drink, but alas, here I find myself pregnant and unable to partake in such activities. (I mean, not that I would anyway because I attend a christian university where that is highly frowned upon...) ;-)
But I am seriously looking forward to next Saturday when Ryan can take me out for my first Strawberry Daiquiri, (virgin of course, I have to look out for little Keegan!).

This last weekend we went to Lansing to my family get together. There was a pretty good turn out at the park and it was really nice to see everyone.
Hunter had fun at his first playground experience! I am really looking forward to taking him again soon! He LOVED the slide and the swing set! :D I wish that he was walking around so that I could have let him play more on his own, but that will come soon enough.

After the park we visited my dad. It has been about a month or so since i've seen him last so that was really nice to see him too. I will admit, one of the best parts was getting my birthday present, $100 to cover the cost of my license and plate renewal! It came at a great time because we just had to buy Hunter's new carseat, and we all know that isn't cheap! So not having to worry about the extra cost of my plate renewal was definitely a blessing! (Thanks dad!)

A ton has happened the last 21 years. I am very thankful for all of the great things God has blessed me with over the years, most recently a wonderful and caring husband and a beautiful little boy who always makes me smile :D I am also very thankful for all of the wonderful people who have crossed my path and who have become great friends (you know who you are ;) )
I promise I wont get too sentimental here, I wanted to take a minute to express my gratitude to all my friends and family who have always been there for me with support and love. Thanks guys!

Now here is what you have all really been waiting for... Pictures of Hunter enjoying his time at the park :D and like always, check out the link for more photo fun!

Cute father son picture :)

Hunter enjoyed bouncing on the bridge

and he absolutely loved the slide!

aww, my growing belly!

Having SOOO much fun swinging!

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2020839&l=2cb83&id=178200794
for more photos!

Presidential Debate

2008-09-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

FRUSTRATING! This is the only word that can describe this debate. The key issue in tonight's debate is the financial crisis. We are in the worse economic situation since the great depression in 1929. Obama made a reference, which has almost become a catch phrase for him, "from wall street to main street." By this he means that he is going to help the working man in middle class USA, and that he is going to stop putting the stock market above common citizens. What is ironic about this though, is that when asked about the financial crisis, NEITHER candidate stated how it will affect their presidency. All these two can focus on is how the other [candidate] is against key issues that they feel the American people care most about. I wish that politicians would forget about defaming each other and focus on the public. Here are a couple of key points about the financial situation and why this "bail-out" plan is infuriating and about politicians. We the people are paying a lot of money to "bail out" lenders and banks because they had irresponsible lending practices. So, you and I are bailing out these companies so the financial market can stay afloat and our country's financial infrastructure doesn't collapse. Okay I can see that. But when I overdrew my bank account by just a few dollars, I was charged $36 per item that cleared while my account was in the negative, whether it was my fault or not. My bank wouldn't bail me out when I was in a financial crisis? Why should I bail them out? I love having decisions made for me by people who don't struggle financially. I don't struggle any more, but I did at one point. My next point about politicians. I LOVE how they defame each other. If I said some of those negative, untruthful things about the person next to me, I would have a civil suit against me for defamation of character, but out presidential nominees can do it? Both candidates are doing fairly well, but the best person in this debate is the moderator, Jim Leher from PBS. He is a hard hitter and not afraid to read into what the candidates are really saying. I just wanted to vent for a minute and use my freedom of speech. :o) I hope you all have a good night. This is Ryan, by the way. Good night!

Thoughts for the Day

2008-09-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

So I don't really have a plan for this post, just some thoughts as this day comes to an end.
It has been a long day with Ryan having to work a double last night then doing his usual shift today. I have started to feel the effects of being 6 months pregnant, I was tired two hours after I woke up today! I kept telling myself that if Ryan can work 16 hours, get 4 hours of sleep and work another 8 hours, I could handle not having a nap today :)

Hunter is getting SO big! He weighs 20 lbs now which is super exciting because we can finally have him facing forward in his car seat! We just went a few days ago and got him a new car seat that will also turn into a booster seat when he is ready for that. Now all we need is a double stroller and we'll be ready for this new little one! And that can wait a while because now that I have a Peapod Baby sling (Thanks Kasey and Kaelyn!) I will be using that for a month or two when we all go out.

School is starting to get busy (which is why i'm online procrastinating ;-) ) but I really enjoy my classes this term. I'm counting down the days until i'm finished with school though. It will be so nice to be able to go to work everyday and know that I am making money for my hard work instead of getting further in debt with student loans!! (Ryan is really excited too, he wants a new GPS unit and a Samsung surround sound. hehe)

This weekend we're taking a trip up to Lansing to spend the day with my family. It's my birthday on Monday and there are a few other fall birthdays in the family, so it's an excuse to get the family together for lunch :) It will be good to see my Aunt and Uncle, they live pretty close to us, but we get so busy that we haven't seen them in a long time. I'm not sure about seeing my sister and her boyfriend after the drama two weeks ago. (some of you know what i'm talking about). But I guess we'll see on Sunday.

Ryan teases me about finally turning 21 and still having to order a virgin drink. :(
oh well. I will enjoy that virgin drink ;)

Back to this new baby coming, I get heartburn ALL the time! (i'm actually getting it again right now) Hunter came out with a ton of hair and I just know Keegan will have even more, if that's even possible!

Well, I guess that is about it for tonight. More will come on Monday (or Tuesday depending on when I have time) about how the weekend went. Hopefully things go well Sunday.

Goodnight everyone!

p.s. I hope you are enjoying the new background :D

Hairspray... or something like that

2008-09-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hunter has been eating everything we eat, but tonight while I was starting to prepare dinner I could tell that he was just getting really hungry. So, instead of making him wait I just made him a PBJ to go with his peas. I like to let him eat with is hands as much as possible now because he has fun with it, and I can eat while he does (or in this case, make my dinner while he eats).
He thoroughly enjoys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and was eating the sandwich bites nearly as fast as I could get them on his plate.
So after he finishes eating, I'm still in the process of getting dinner in the oven so he decided to keep himself occupied by running his fingers through his hair, (which are VERY sticky with peanut butter and jelly) and rubbing his head. This created quite the hair-do for my little man!

The Jelly had dried in his hair at this point.

Mom. should I try combing it?

A good attempt, but hasn't quite mastered how to use the comb ;)

Maybe if I just use my hands...

I think this one was after washing his hair with some wipes...

This one was definitely after washing out all the jelly :D
But he still needed his hair combed!

I absolutely LOVE it when he does stuff like this, it is so cute!

Peek-A-Boo!

2008-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

I'm in the bathroom one day just brushing my teeth, doing my hair, you know the usual. Well Hunter decided that he wanted to play in the bathroom while I got ready. After many times telling him not to pull on the toilet paper and to stay out of the trash (he was after an empty roll of toilet paper) he busied himself with the shower curtain. Before I knew it he was laughing and jabbering at the tub, hiding behind the curtain! It was too cute! I just had to grab the camera. I tried to get video because he was laughing so much, but by the time I grabbed the camcorder he was more interested in what I was doing. hehe.

(you can kinda see hunter behind the curtain in this one)

Hawley Wedding :D

2008-09-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy going to weddings, especially knowing that the couple is going to live "happily ever after."
This last weekend a long time friend of Ryan's (they have been friends for about 10 years) was married to a wonderful young lady. (Congrats Dustin and Sarah!)

The wedding was beautiful, the bride was beautiful, the pastor had a great sense of humor and the two little flower girls were absolutely two of the cutest girls I have ever seen! :D

Plus I was able to "sneak" some pictures of my handsome husband in a dashing tux. ;) It was a busy weekend from the start. Ryan got out of work at 3:45 and we left the house at 4:30 to make the 2 1/2 hour trip "up north" to Ryan's home town. He was able to get his hair cut before the wedding rehearsal that started at 7:30. We stayed at the Rehearsal dinner until about 10:00, spent some time
with is dad, and finally made it back his mothers house at 11:00 or so. after getting the baby to bed we stayed up talking to his mom for an hour or so. late night! The next morning we slept in a little bit (8:30am) and Ryan left to go golfing with the guys at 9:00. I was able to enjoy a nice relaxing morning with my mother in law and sister in law. (both of whom I get along with well).
Then it got busy again (for a little while). We had to be at the church for pictures before the wedding at 2:30, and the guys didn't get back from golfing (all 18 holes) until 2:15. I was very impressed that Ryan was able to eat lunch, shower, get dressed and get to the church all in about 35 minutes! (We ended up being the first ones there, as far as the other groomsmen who were out golfing with him).
The rest of the evening was wonderful and relaxing! I was able to sit back and enjoy the wedding while grandma (Ryan's mom) watched Hunter. that was really nice! It has been a while since Ryan and I have been able to have more than an hour together without the baby.
There was a live band at the reception, and the food was amazing! They did a great job all around with the wedding and reception. It was great to have one last weekend away before I had to start classes on Monday. (If you want to see more pictures I'll have a link posted with the photo albums of Hunter. )

Oh baby...

2008-09-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, this is Ryan updating. Well Melissa and I have come to an agreement about a name for the new baby. Come the end of December, (hopefully December for tax purposes. hehe) we will be introducing Keegan Michael Betz. I am very excited and cannot wait to meet the new little guy, and with as small as Hunter was when he was born, I'm sure Keegan will be just as small.
Hunter is doing very well, he is eating real food now and we have stopped using formula completely and only feed him baby food if we are traveling or haven't made anything for him. He eats the same food that we do with the exception of fruits that have a high sugar content and fruits that are very acidic. He sure is getting big though; which is a very good thing. :)
Work is also going very well. I have been training on first shift (8am-4pm) and I start on second shift tomorrow. (3pm-11pm) I am feeling very good about the decision to take this job and believe that I am a very good fit at the clinic. My team at the clinic is very knowledgeable and I can learn a lot from them.
Melissa has started classes and she is going to enjoy them very much. (So she says right now) Being that they are classes that pertain to her major and she has no labs, I'm sure that this semester will be a whole lot easier than last. It's hard to believe that we have a year and a half in the Arbor before Melissa graduates and joins the real world. :) I'm very proud of her and she has worked very hard to get where she is today. Thanks for reading and enjoy the final days of warm weather! :o)

Family

2008-09-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

First off, I love my family very much despite us not always agreeing on things. I mostly just needed to post something to try to get some of my feelings out so that I can focus on the rest of the day.

I am not going to go into detail, but please just keep my sister and her boyfriend in your prayers. That they would not make any hasty decisions, that God's will and plan for their lives will be foremost. Please pray that they will seek him in all things, and not rush into something if they really are not ready for it, and consider all people involved in their decisions.
Thanks everyone, this means a lot to me.

Fish Lips

2008-08-28T14:42:00.001-07:00

Hunter has learned how to do "Fish Lips."
It is adorable! Here is a picture, and you can check out more picts of Hunter playing with Mega Bloks and a cardboard box by going to the link I just added to "pictures of Hunter" on the right side of the page. ;-)

Baby Sign Language

2008-08-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

We have been working on teaching Hunter some sign language these last couple of weeks. he knows two or three, but only does one very often, "more."

Here is some video of him eating green beans, practicing his sign language, and just being silly :)

New Job, New Teeth, New Semester

2008-08-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened the last few weeks, so here's a quick update on the family:

The latest news on Ryan:
Just a few short weeks after Ryan's promotion to day shift, he has been promoted again!! He will be working in the clinic starting in about two weeks. I am super excited because not only does this mean a little more $$, but he gets weekends off!!!! He couldn't be more excited, the clinic is a great opportunity for him to get back to his first love, EMS work. (he is a Medical First Responder).

Another great thing about this promotion is (from what I understand) they plan on paying for him to get his EMT license and paying for all the testing associated with getting the license! God has been doing some great things the last few months with providing opportunities for Ryan in his work, I can hardly wait for him to start this new position and see how God works through him to reach out to the students there.

The latest news on Hunter:
He of course had his Birthday last Thursday (21st) and yesterday I discovered Two little teeth popping through his gum! Both are top front teeth (one center, one right next to it to the left). Plus I can tell that his other top front center tooth will be coming through real soon! the gum is bumped up and just looks like any day that one will appear too!

He is crawling on his hands and knees now instead of his army (belly) crawl that he loves so much! and he is still my little monkey standing up on everything and climbing on whatever he can get his hands on! I love it! I wish that school didn't start so soon for me so that I could continue playing with him all day!

and he needs a hair cut! check out some pictures from his birthday and you'll see what I mean. It is just getting so long that it hangs over his ears. hehe.

One thing I could do with out is Hunter's clingy-ness. Not just to me, but to people in general. When ever I leave the room to get something from the kitchen or whatever Hunter just starts to cry, and then follow me whenever I go. He does the same to Ryan when he's home. If Ryan is playing with him then gets up (and i'm not in the room) he starts to cry. I guess he just hates being alone, even for a couple of seconds. Hopefully this doesn't last too long, it gets old quick hearing him cry when all you do is run to the kitchen for a second to get him some Cheerios or to get a glass of water.

Latest news on me:
I can feel the baby moving quite a bit now! I love it! I am carrying this one lower than I did Hunter, I swear he pushes on my bladder more than Hunter ever did, and instead of heartburn just at night like it was with Hunter, I get it ALL day now. lol. thankfully it is nothing a few Tums wont help! (It is probably good for me to get some extra calcium anyway!)
I get tired a lot easier now that I'm 22 weeks along, but I'm loving every minute of it!

School starts on the 4th (ugh) but this is my last year before student teaching, so I'm almost done(!) I have some good classes this term and I have a great schedule (no more 7:50am classes! and Fridays off!)

I have really enjoyed watching the Olympics these last two weeks, (especially beach volleyball and swimming) and was super excited to watch both the USA men, and woman beach volleyball teams win the gold against Brazil and China respectively.
We have so many talented athletes representing our country in so many different events.
I think what I have enjoyed most about the Olympics though is staying up late with Ryan and having friends over to watch them. What better reason to hang out and eat food than watching your country win a few more gold medals? hehe.

I guess that's all the news for now. Time to go play with Hunter some more and enjoy these last fleeting moments of summer! :D

The Zoo and Hunter's Birthday

2008-08-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

For Hunter's birthday we went to Binder Park zoo in Battle Creek. It was nice to get out and spend some time together. With Ryan working so much we don't get a lot of time together like that. We saw lots of Giraffes and Zebras and monkeys, my favorite was watching other little kids feed the giraffes. They would squeal and laugh as the giraffe took a cracker from their hand and almost always you would hear, "Oh! It's slimy!" (or something similar). If you have never been to Binder Park Zoo, it is set up with trails everywhere and is really nice because it is almost completely in the shade.

This is one of the Giraffes that is definitely NOT underfeed, judging by how many treats I saw it eat in the 5 minutes we watched them, lol.

I think that we had more fun at the zoo than Hunter did, he is still kinda little to appreciate all the animals.

Hunter on a big bronze turtle we found in the zoo. :D He is just so cute!

We went to the zoo about a week before his birthday, and that following weekend we had a big party for him. It turned out really nice and we had a ton of people show up, it was great seeing friends and family. Hunter got a ton of presents, and he loves playing with all of them! When we gave him his cupcake, he didn't pick it up and try to bite it, he just stuck his fingers in the frosting and licked 'em off. I finally broke the cupcake in half so that he could eat it better. After that he still just took his three fingers and picked up little bits to eat. He is the cleanest eater I've seen. He eventually got it all over himself, but it took a while.

Cupcakes!

My messy birthday boy!

Links to the full photo albums of our trip to the zoo and Hunter's birthday are to your right, thanks to everyone who was able to come, and thanks to everyone for the wonderful presents, Hunter LOVES them!

It's Back!!!! :D

2008-08-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well after just a few short days, our computer is back, and although we lost lots of files (most of them unneeded school papers) and sadly some pictures, it is nice to have it back!

so soon i will get those ultrasound picts up and some video of Hunter FINALLY starting to crawl on his hands and knees instead of his belly!!

Harddrive Crashed :-(

2008-08-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to post is. Our Harddrive crashed so I have to walk to the library if I want to get on the internet. It will be a few weeks until our computer will be fixed and I can get ultrasound picts up and the news on Hunter's B-day Party.

We're having a BOY!

2008-08-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

We had our first ultrasound done today, I love being able to see our little baby moving around inside, so precious! :D It will probably come out looking like a carbon copy of Hunter! we'll see. Now the hard part, a name. If you have any suggestions feel free to post them!

(I will eventually get around to scanning the ultrasound pictures onto the computer and adding them to this post)

New Pictures of Hunter

2008-08-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Links are up for all 15 photo albums of Hunter
(yeah, maybe I am a little picture crazy).
Here is a preview of the latest photo album:

He has been climbing on top of EVERYTHING!!!

He wanted to see the camera ;-)

Bath Time! (I've been bathing him in the
sink because it is getting hard to reach into
the tub with my growing baby belly :)

Welcome!

2008-08-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

okay, so here goes my first post on our new blog!
We are currently getting ready to celebrate Hunter's first Birthday, and in two more days we find out if our next baby is a boy or girl! We have been busy as always but loving every minute of it.

For those of you that have not yet heard, Ryan got promoted to Residential Life Coordinator and is now working days (yeah!). 10 hour shifts, but that means he has three days off, so it's nice. I am enjoying having the days to spend with Hunter before I start classes again in September.

I will be working on getting lots of pictures posted, or at the very least, links to all my Facebook photo albums for you ;-)