High Five for Friday

A blog I follow, The Small Things Blog, has inspired me to start a tradition on my blog:  High Five for Friday!  The idea is to share the top five things from the week.  I think it's a great way to find the positives after a typically busy week.  So, here's my first attempt!

1. Luke has his first loose tooth!  He was so excited that he had to call me at work Monday morning to tell me:)  It was so sweet to hear his little voice on the phone telling me about a big boy moment.  *Sigh*...they grow up so fast...
2. Nora has been taking some much better naps this week.  We've had several two hour naps, which has been extending her time between feedings up to 4 hours at times.  (She was previously eating every 3 hours.)  Read:  Mommy is getting more done around here:)
3. I have been reminded yet again that I am married to an amazing man.  Monday, Brent stayed home for the morning so I could go to work.  Tuesday, we had a stressful day/evening with Nora and he was helpful as always.  Wednesday, he listened to me have a vent session about my stresses with life (read: breakdown after the rough day before).  Thursday, he hung with the kids so I could have an evening out.  Friday, he went to work after a very tiring week (sounds simple, but it's important).  He takes such great care of us and is an amazing father and husband.
4. I had a surprisingly good Weight Watchers weigh in after what I thought to be a not so good week.  Always a wonderful surprise!
5. We had our second MOPS meeting of the year this week and our Mentor Mom spoke about praying for our children.  It was especially meaningful because her adult daughters both came to share what it meant/means to them to have a mother who is dedicated to praying for them.  It was very touching and inspiring.  After our Mentor Mom shared, we had a very open, honest discussion at our table about the power of prayer, our apprehensions and questions about prayer, and how to cope through some very big struggles in life and how prayer fits into those times as well.  I am so grateful for the table of women I am blessed to spend the MOPS year with and that we are already comfortable to share the not so easy topics/conversations after only two meetings. 

Ten Weeks

At ten weeks, you are:

• Starting to make bubbles with your mouth.  Sounds strange, but it's kind of cute:)
• Startling easily, especially with Daddy's voice.  If he raises his voice to talk to one of us in another room, your lip goes out and you start crying. 
• Officially able to sleep through the night!  You've only done it once this week, but that means you can do it!  You went from a 10pm feeding to 6am.
• No longer home with mommy full-time.  I started back to work three mornings a week this week and you spent the mornings with Daddy.  I get to have this schedule for three weeks, then I'll be back to my half time schedule and you'll start spending those days with Papa Beckmann once he retires. 

Showing off her fall styles
and those beautiful baby blues:)

 

Our busy, happy girl:)

Gold Rush Finds Make Their Deput

August 2012 marked my second year of attending Gold Rush Days in Oronoco, MN.  Having lived in Rochester all of my life, I knew of Gold Rush but always assumed it was just a bunch of old junk that wouldn't appeal to me and the styles I prefer for our home.  I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong!  I checked it out last year with my parents, who have become very interested in antiques over the past ten years.  I was skeptical, but it was a beautiful day so I thought it would at least be nice to spend the morning outside:)  I was quickly surprised that several pieces of furniture caught my eye.  I did some browsing, but didn't make any purchases.

 

Fast forward one year to August 2012, when I spent TWO days browsing Gold Rush because I loved it so much!  Once again, the weather was perfect and several things caught my eye.  By day two, I was ready to commit to a few purchases.

 

The black side table, a birthday gift from my
parents from Gold Rush,
fits nicely with our gallery wall

Close up of the refinished piece

I was also motivated to update some
pictures on our gallery wall 

 

This my new favorite: Dancing pics from
Bridget & Ross' wedding last fall

I also got the large monogram "P" at Gold Rush

It is made of wood with a tin covering.
I loved the colors!

 I still have a set of three tin wall hangings that I plan to hang.  I'll try to remember to post pictures once I made the daunting decision of where to hang them:)

 

Mark your calendars for Gold Rush next summer.  I'll see ya there!

Two Months

The age of infants in months and weeks always trips me up.  It's complicated....8 weeks does not necessarily equal 2 months, etc.  Anyway, today, September 11, Nora is 2 months old and tomorrow she will be 9 weeks old.  We had her 8 week/2 month well baby doctor appointment and she's growing well (up 3 lbs, 5 oz from birth).

Catching Smiles

Weight

11 lbs 9 oz

79%

 

Length

22.4 inches

65%

 

Head Circumference

15.7 inches

84%

 

At two months, you are:

• Sleeping a 6-7 hour stretch each night and have been for three weeks now!  We're loving it and our doctor was impressed too:)
• Getting into a napping groove.  Daytime naps during in your crib are lasting 45 minutes to an hour.
• Becoming more interactive.  You're especially smiley after you eat and seem to be on the verge of making some sounds to interact with us. 
• Becoming more familiar to me.  What I mean by that is that I feel like I'm starting to really "get you" and know what to expect throughout the day (which also helps me know what might be abnormal). 
• Eating like a champ and seem to be spitting up less
• Enjoying the new gym toy we got you, especially looking at yourself in the little mirror:)
• Good at taking bottles.  You've had a few now and have taken them without a fuss.
• Still wearing size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes. 
• Still fighting for your thumb.  The other night you got it for a stretch, but any little movement and you lose it, then have a hard time getting it back.  You still take the pacifier some, but not for very long stretches.
• Exploring all your tongue can do.  It is sticking out of your mouth a lot now and  you've started making a sort of "clucking" sound with your tongue on the top of your mouth. 
• Still very busy.  It is hard to get a picture without an arm or leg looking blurry because you're always squirming.  You're also moving your head back and forth more and much more quickly (I see a bald spot on the back of your head in the future:))
• Following us with your eyes even further.  Yesterday you were watching me from our bed while I was at the sink in the bathroom.  You're very aware of where we are and listening to our voices. 
• Starting to look more like a baby than a newborn.  I'm sure we'll really feel this change when we meet your cousin Alaina who is expected to arrive today:) 

One of those squirmy legs snuck into this picture:)

Our Growing Girl
Two Weeks, One Month, Two Months

First Grade

Well folks, we have a first grader!

 

Luke started first grade at Gibbs Elementary today.  His teacher is Mrs. Parker, who he claimed he wanted for a teacher (I have a feeling that is because she was the only first grade teacher he knew;)).  He was excited to go and had no apprehensions, at least that he mentioned or that we could see.

Last year we were quite intimidated sending our shy little boy to kindergarten (probably more our anxieties than his), but he has certainly grown up physically and in maturity.  He loves to learn and has been stretched out of his shell a bit being in a classroom full of kiddos his age. 

 

The biggest milestones of first grade as far as I can see so far are going to school all day, having lunch at school (Luke was a little intimidated by this but says it went well today), and starting "special" classes like music, gym, and art.  Apparently Luke was not looking forward to music because he told us "It wasn't as bad as I thought":)  Not sure what he was expecting, but I'm glad it went well.  The biggest leap of heading to first grade in my mind is that he is starting his first of twelve years of all day school.  Crazy to think of all the road ahead will bring our way!

 

Our growing little man (a little hard to tell with the angles of these pictures)



First Day of First Grade

Daddy and Son

Mommy and Son

First year for a sibling picture on the first day:)  Love how Nora is gazing at Luke.

Heading into Gibbs and off to First Grade!

Who Knew

Amanda and I have been friends for years...so many years in fact that I don't even remember what age we were when we became friends.  I think it was sometime in high school???  We played soccer together, cruised Broadway together, ate many a slice of pie together, road tripped together, LOVED going dancing together, and were in each others' weddings.  But who knew that we'd become parents within weeks of each other???  Today we are both mommies to babies born the summer of 2012.

Jacob born June 4
Nora born July 11

It's been so fun to share our experiences of pregnancy and parenting together and I look forward to many years of shared experiences together:)

 

Pregnant Together

April 2012

Amanda's Shower



It's hard for pregnant ladies to hug:)



Awww:)



Visits with Kellers

August 2012

Mike holding Nora while Jacob swings

They probably didn't even know there was another baby in the room:)

Sleeping right through pics together

 

September 2012

Big boy Jacob and little peanut Nora

Mommies and Babies

 

Four Years Later

I was thinking this weekend that it has been four years since we made the leap to expand our family.  It was August/September 2008.  I was beginning my last year of classes at Winona State to finish my bachelors degree so we thought that even if we got pregnant right away that I wouldn't be due until around graduation time.  Luke was two and a half years old.  We liked the idea of having our kids a little over three years apart and Luke liked the idea of a sibling too. 

Fast forward four years. It's September 2012.  Luke is six and a half years old and Nora is seven weeks old.  Our best laid plans did not play out.  The last four years were filled with ups and downs, anticipation and loss, but we are beyond grateful for the two we call ours.

Nora Abigail

Luke Gabriel