A Funky Story

Soap Pony

2011-04-28T10:51:00.007-05:00

Isabel has had a vocabulary explosion lately. She is at the point where she is putting together multiple words and coming up with her own phrases. One of them being Soap Pony. What is Soap Pony you ask? My Little Pony Toothpaste...of course. Apparently it looks like soap and of course...the pony. It's so funny. We use Soap Pony with our Hello Kitty toothbrush. We are on a mission to motivate Isabel to allow us to brush her teeth. So far Soap Pony and Hello Kitty worked really well for a couple days, but the magic is wearing off. Let's hope I can find some other varieties of Soap Pony at the grocery store.

Here is a video during our Soap Pony craze...right before bath time. Ignore Ben as he talks on the phone while filming...

Here we go again!

2011-04-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

Almost exactly two years ago we were planning the first addition to our family...and here we are with baby #2 in the works. We found out we were blessed with baby #2 just before Christmas...so Isabel and I made stockings to share the good news. Ben was shocked and excited. Both sets of our parents also had fun reactions to our "method" of sharing the news. We caught them all on tape. The funniest reaction we caught on tape was Ben telling Isabel she was going to be a big sister...and then she proceeded to hit herself on the head! I'll have to see if I can get Ben to shorten that video clip to share...too funny.

We had an ultrasound last week...I was officially 18 weeks and 6 days. The doctor burned all of our baby photos to a cd and tada...funky monkey #2:

The baby's face...you can see the skull and eye sockets really clearly...kind of alien-ish though! The cute little baby's profile.The baby stretching out "its" legs. No...we didn't find out the gender! It's a surprise!Trying to get its thumb into its mouth. The spine, butt and knees. Full body shot from the back.

Chop Chop

2011-04-01T21:24:00.014-05:00

As you can see, Isabel was finally ready for her first haircut. Her hair was CRAZY...always in her face...party in front and party in back. So we attempted the first haircut with the girl that also cuts my hair. Lucky thing that she was so patient with me and Isabel...

Clearly the cape idea is not going over well!" Ewww, it tickles."

"You are going to pay for this...just wait."

"You are lucky you brought me a milk shake. I'm still not happy."

"What the heck did you do to me? "Oh...it's not that bad...I kind of like it. Now give me my shake back!"Complete day at the salon for the girls...Isabel even left with a ring pop...such fun! My grown up baby girl..."Oh wow, I can see the tv so clearly...my hair isn't in the way anymore!"

Go Birds

2011-02-06T21:04:00.007-06:00

A couple weeks ago (yes, you read that correctly, we are definitely catching up) we went to an ISU basketball game with Grandma and Grandpa! Isabel had a great time and she was an awesome baby throughout the whole game! She took turns sitting on Grandma and Grandpa's lap and hearing all about the game. It was a little close to her bed time, so she was definitely tired, which probably worked to our advantage! Unfortunately Isabel wasn't the good luck charm that the Redbirds needed to win a conference game.

Go Redbirds

Grandpa is explaining the rules of the game...or kindly trying to explain what an idiot the ref is! What do you think?

Isabel and Grandma hoping for a W!

Loads of Celebrations

2011-02-05T12:07:00.002-06:00

We had a full couple of weeks of celebrating Christmas. Luckily all of our travels were nearby and overall Isabel was a pleasant little peach!

Visiting Santa Claus at the Castillo's house. Yep, still not a fan.

"Who are you lady? You can bribe me with food, but I'm still not so sure!"

Our little reindeer.
Getting creative with "toys" at Oma's house.

"Giddy up Lady Bug"

Grandma, Isabel and Great Grandpa

Helping Meema put my ornament on her pretty tree.

The Funk Family 2010

Keeping Busy

2011-02-04T11:45:00.007-06:00

Winter with a 15 month old is tricky. I'd love to take her out in the snow, but she just isn't quite ready for it so far. All of these pictures are from December, so this was only a start to how to keep busy inside the house.

We read books/pull them off the shelf one-by-one.

Say cheese!

We tried eating Oreos...and then styling her hair with Oreo crumbs.

We pretend it's warm!

We empty out cabinets and climb in them.

We find all sorts of uses for boxes! She has chairs for her table, but why would you use those when you have this cool box? Isabel loves her Little People house...ironically her favorite noise is the toilet flush. Who thinks of these toys?!

Sticky Fun

2011-02-03T15:05:00.007-06:00

Remember the days when you used to get a sucker when going through the drive-thru at the bank? I remember the kids I babysat long ago being excited if they were going to the bank during errands that day! Don't know what I'm talking about? Well...let me tell you a little secret, the bank has a stash of suckers (and sometimes dog treats) for their drive-thru customers. So lately I pick one up for Isabel and stash it away for some kind of bribery. One sucker can usually get me at least half-way through grocery shopping! Just remember to be prepared with baby wipes.

Sucker experience #1

"Wait, what does the stick taste like?"

"Oh yes, this side definitely tastes better."

"And you call these things suckers huh? I'm going to remember this!"

Priceless

2011-01-31T20:00:00.001-06:00

At the last minute I decided to go ahead and do the St. Nick pictures again...and I'm so glad that I did. This 10 minute photo session was priceless.

"Ohh, look at this glitter ornament"

"Hey, who are you?"

And this is what I call "Priceless"

November in Review

2011-01-30T20:00:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to share some pictures (from November) that make me smile...

Playing shy after I put a cute little hair bow in her hair.

Note to self...14 months old is not enough to feed yourself.

Oblivious to the fact that her pants come up to her chest...sorry bug-a-boo, it was too cute. I know you'll hate me when you are 16, but that will happen regardless of these type of pictures.

Still oblivious, but on an important conference call!

My abominable snowman!

They make the cutest hats for kids!

Learning to eat olives off of her fingers. Ben and I both think olives are gross, so I'm not sure how she developed a taste for these.

My little turkey on Thanksgiving.

Road Trip with a 14 Month Old

2011-01-25T17:32:00.001-06:00

In catchup mode still... We decided to get brave in November and took a little road trip with Isabel out to Lincoln, Nebraska. Why? To visit Isabel's Auntie Amanda and Uncle Yacob (also known as Jacob). We left on a Friday night after work and Isabel just fell asleep in the back seat while we drove to Des Moines, Iowa. She was a dream baby.

We stayed in a hotel in Des Moines and the setup was decent giving us a "suite" type room so there was a slight wall between our bedroom and Isabel's pack and play. Considering the fact that we woke her up at 12:30 am to move her to our room, she did well. Only a couple long agonizing minutes of crying and waking the entire floor...and she was back asleep.

The next day we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and let Isabel do some running...and unbelievably she fell asleep for the remainder of our trip to Omaha. In Omaha, we met up with Jacob and Amanda, as well as Ben's Aunt Laura and cousin Jadon and Hallie. Downtown Omaha was pretty cool...filled with lots of neat little antique shops and boutiques. We spent the rest of the day hanging out with the family and enjoying Omaha.

Dinner was interesting... Ben is slightly obsessed with Warren Buffet. So we went to Warren's FAVORITE restaurant for dinner. We knew absolutely nothing about this place and just planned to show up...casually dressed with our 14 month old child and a large group. I thought we were crazy on our drive over...thinking this man is a billionaire, what kind of restaurant would be his "favorite"? Well, let me just tell you that we couldn't have picked a better restaurant for our situation. It was a low key family, Italian restaurant. Isabel totally destroyed everything within her 5 ft radius...but luckily they looked prepared for such messes and we left happy campers and headed for Lincoln, which is about an hour further.

Our hotel accommodations in Lincoln were nice, but nothing remotely close to a good idea with a 14 month old child. Luckily, we adjusted as best we could and had a decent nights sleep.

The next morning I showered quick at the hotel and Ben kept Isabel busy with A LOT of grapes. Important for later. Then we headed over to see Aunt Amanda and Uncle Jacob's apartment. Isabel quickly showed them how to childproof their entire apartment. Ben and I were horrified at the matter of seconds it took her to find some of the most dangerous "toys" she could find. Luckily we caught the heavy stone coasters before they flew through the glass window. Phew.

We then ate an incredible breakfast at what might be one of my all time favorite restaurants and proceeded to tour Lincoln. Sadly, the zoo was closed, but we found what we thought were the "sunken" gardens and enjoyed the beautiful weather. After driving away, we realized we just found some park and missed the true sunken garden across the street. Oh well...next time, right!

We then went back to Jacob & Amanda's and put Isabel to sleep in their bedroom while we enjoyed adult company (and their XBOX) and adult beverages. Everything was going great, until we decided to wake up Isabel and make the transfer to our hotel. Well, remember those yummy grapes that Ben had fed Isabel to keep her calm... To spare you some of the details, let me just advise you to LIMIT the quantity of grapes you ever feed ANYONE. We had a mess on our hands, the pack'n'play, the car seat, clothing...pretty much everywhere. It was gross...and the poor little bean felt it. Needless to say I think we scared Jacob out of having children for a long long time...

The hotel situation was a disaster as well...Isabel was super sick and knew we were all in the same room. Once again she woke the entire Marriott hotel...oops. It was a rough night.

We coped and only a mere 3 months later and I'd probably do it all over again, except I'm not packing grapes this time.

The car ride home was a little rough considering Isabel's tummy, but luckily we made it home safe and sound. We had a great time visiting everyone in the Land of Nebraska. Thanks again!

Miss Isabel caught in the action of emptying out the cabinets. Isn't this picture cool...it was taken with an old Minolta camera...with FILM. Can you believe it?! Some day I'll say to my kids...we used to walk up hill both ways to school and use film cameras. HA!

Posing in the "sunken" garden. She just sat right down in the middle of a flower bed...not quite sure where she got that idea, but she was such a cutie pie.

Auntie Amanda and Uncle Yacob...before they were scarred for life.

Stinky pants on the car ride home! Sick and still smiling. Love her!

To Blog or Not to Blog

2011-01-23T20:53:00.013-06:00

I've been going back and forth on whether I should continue blogging. I've clearly been slacking off the past couple months and I struggle to find the time to post. One of my friends challenged me to one post a month...so I may give that a try. Just don't be offended if you see our family updates just a little past due!

Speaking of past due here are some pictures of our little pumpkin!

The Great Pumpkin Search

Found it...the perfect pumpkin! Ugh, so heavy!

My little bug-a-boo

It's official...30 inches tall.

Family Fun

Testing out one of our Halloween outfits...the bug hat for the lady bug!

Our sick little Minnie Mouse on Halloween. She looked adorable, but was too sick to go out and trick-or-treat. Instead she just examined the basket of candy we handed out!

Balloon Fun

2010-11-22T22:01:00.012-06:00

Fun with the birthday balloons!

The outtakes...

Looking for trouble!

Pretty

My Little Bug-A-Boo

2010-11-22T20:00:00.000-06:00

I love this picture. I could stare at it for hours. I love every little detail of her little face...aww, the eyelashes, the nose, the cheeks, the lips! How is my bug-a-boo growing up so fast?!

Book for Grandpa

2010-11-22T10:44:00.002-06:00

I just made this awesome book on Shutterfly for my Dad's birthday! Check it out!

Click here to view this photo book larger

The Zoo

2010-11-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

While we were in St. Louis, we ventured out to the St. Louis Zoo. I'm not sure who was more excited...Ben or Isabel! This zoo was totally awesome. The weather was kind of odd...it stormed all morning, but we decided to brave it and head toward the zoo. By the time we got there, the rain clouds disappeared and we had almost the whole zoo to ourselves. It was pretty sweet.

Isabel was confused by the penguins. They had an indoor penguin exhibit too which was so neat, the penguins were so close to us that you could reach out and touch them (if you wanted to get in trouble by the zoo security).

Another confused moment...not sure what to think of the carousel.

Ahh, finally, something Isabel understands...kitties! She loved the cat house. We saw a couple cats walking around their cages, but this sign was the hit of the day. She gave it multiple kisses!

Checking out the camels with Daddy.

Zonked...

STL

2010-11-21T21:02:00.001-06:00

We took Isabel down to St. Louis for her first baseball game in September. It was a nice weekend away for all of us. PLUS, my good friend Angela lives in St. Louis so we headed to the game with her family.

Isabel was so well behaved and she did great being in a different environment...however we were completely stupid to think we could enjoy 9 innings of a baseball game with friends. We spent about 5 minutes in our seats and the rest of the game was spent wandering around the ballpark. Next time, Ben will go to the game and I'll go hang out somewhere sanitary with Isabel and watch the game on TV!

We checked into our hotel and promptly started playing in the pillows with Daddy.

We had great weather for the game, but Isabel could have cared less about the game. For all she cared, we could have been on the other side of this gate (for free) and she still would have been thrilled.

Isabel and Amelia were instant friends. Amelia gave Isabel lots of hugs!

Isn't this picture just adorable? Isabel totally looked up to Amelia.

Chatting the game away...no where near our seats...

The Pozzo Family

A family portrait.

Pushing Around Elliott

2010-11-21T20:07:00.005-06:00

One of Isabel's favorite playmates is baby Elliott! We have had lots of get togethers, but I'm terrible with managing photos during play dates. However, I did capture a couple that I just had to share because they are so cute.

Here is Mr. Elliott just chilling out, so laid back. That is his motto...laid back.

Miss Isabel showing Elliott the ropes in the walker.

What did I say, laid back!

A Year in Review

2010-11-20T20:00:00.000-06:00

I'm speachless about how fast my baby is growing up. I've been working hard on her baby book lately and I can't believe how fast the first year went by. Here is a year in review to see the amazing works of the Lord.

A Mousekabration

2010-11-19T09:31:00.010-06:00

What else do you call a Mickey Mouse celebration??!

Isabel's first cartoon was Mickey Mouse. She would be absolutely mesmerized by the TV when she heard Mickey talking. So it was easy to pick a theme for her birthday. I started looking for ideas online ages ago...and found a million ideas. If I had more time, I could have gone crazy! Anyways, here are some pictures of how things turned out.

Here are the adorable (if I do say so myself) invites that I made. FYI...I later realized that not everyone knows...but "Meeska, Mooska" are the magic Mickey Mouse words you say to get into the Clubhouse. Seriously...you will start speaking (& dancing) Mickey Mouse after only a couple episodes...trust me.

I am by no means a graphic designer, but I found a "Disney" font online...which I think turned out so cute in the invites. I'm sure no one that we invited noticed the Disney font, so I have to point it out!
The Mousekalicous 7 layer dip that Meema made for the party!
Dessert, my favorite part!

I found a picture of this banner on etsy (best website ever) and I thought, I can make that. So after a couple skewed attempts, this is how it turned out. Sooo fun! Oh, and the Mickey balloon was a hit too...once Isabel was comfortable with the balloons, she gave Mickey lots of kisses!

Now, what should I do for her second birthday party???

Little People

2010-11-05T08:54:00.003-05:00

I know I have been blog negligent lately. I read somewhere in the blogging etiquette that a blog which doesn't have a post more than once a week is shameful...and out of date. Ha...shameful...that person clearly doesn't have little people in their household! Sooner or later I will catch up as I do love sharing pictures of Isabel for those that volunteer their time to read. Plus, I just made a book out of blog posts over the first year to keep as a journal of sorts...I'm so excited to see how that turns out!

Anyways, I was going through some pictures today and stumbled upon these. This is Mr Finn Pants and Miss Isabel hanging out at her birthday bash. Finn is one of the most entertaining (and tiring) little people I have ever met. Here are Finn and Isabel playing nice.

And here are Finn and Isabel...Finn is playing, Isabel...not so much. This video was taken about six months ago...but Ben's hard drive crashed and I thought we lost this one. So glad I found it!!!

The Aftermath

2010-10-27T21:30:00.015-05:00

As I finish up the thank you notes from Isabel's birthday, I am absolutely floored by the thoughtfulness and generosity. She was generously blessed by so many people with happy wishes in texts, emails, phone calls, cards, prayers and gifts. Ben and I really tried not to go crazy. I bought her a slide (used from a garage sale), a book on prayers, a big girl spoon and sfork and a baby guitar. I would love to buy her the world, but really...what good is it going to do for her? Not to mention, I have enough clutter in my house. So instead, we put some money in her college fund. Hopefully she'll thank me for it someday. Btw, did I ever thank you Mom and Dad?! If not, thanks SO SO much!

This was our cue that it was time to start opening presents...

Isabel loved these animal crackers so much that it was difficult to get her to open the rest of the presents.

Yes folks, that is a VINTAGE, 1980 stove top. It's identical to the one I had a child. My mom thought it was important to hunt down the exact same model on ebay!

Meema bought Isabel her very first Bitty Baby for her birthday. Here she is skeptic about this pint size, life like thing in the box...check out the furrowed brow.

Still concerned

Kissable and lovable

Best friends forever

Grandma got Isabel this adorable chair which she and "Dolllllly" thoroughly enjoy.

As does Daddy

The aftermath...and a view of the disaster in my living room

Where Has Summer Gone?

2010-10-07T21:10:00.011-05:00

I can't believe summer is over. I like the four seasons that we have in Illinois, but honestly winter is only pleasant for maybe...a month...NOT six. We had such a fun summer this past summer, I'm in denial that it's over. Towards the end of the summer Isabel and I found all the splash parks in Bloomington/Normal. We can thoroughly evaluate each of the parks...but by next summer, I'm afraid our opinions will change based on Miss Isabel's mobility.

Once we found the best one, we took Daddy to the splash park one weekend. He had no clue how much fun we had been having...and I was thrilled to be able to take my camera without fear of it getting "splashed"!

Isabel's preferred mode of transportation (before she started walking)...such a girly girl.

Look at that figure...so stinking cute.

"...giddy up...do it again Daddy!"

My little monkey

And this is why we call her a monkey

Smash

2010-09-22T21:48:00.011-05:00

Isabel's birthday party was a smashing success. She absolutely loved the company, the cake and the presents... Here are a couple pictures from the incredible Ms. Katie Zeller that she captured while I was busy fending icing from my attire for the day. Once I have a chance to catch my breath from the festivities (probably won't be until she is 20)...I'll download the pictures from my camera and give you more details :)

Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday DEAR Isabel, Happy Birthday to YOU.

My dainty one year old, checking out her birthday cake!

A quick pose before....

...the madness begins!

"Seriously, this stuff is good!"

Just can't get enough!

My little mouseketeer!

We had an outfit change and then playtime with Mr. Finn Pants!

Eleven

2010-09-05T14:45:00.015-05:00

Isabel is going to be 1 this week...OH MY! So much to say about that...but I going to attempt to get caught up with the eleventh month first!

Eleven months was fun, busy and a month of some big changes. Isabel started standing up on her own. Typically it was out of distraction... For example...she would see the remote control on the ottoman, grab it and then let go of the ottoman to inspect the remote with both hands. Or...while holding onto her horsey, she would see the cat saunter past and let go to reach out for her. It was pretty exciting.

This month was also big in that Isabel started going to an in-home day care! Since my sister-in-law, Amanda, recently got married and moved away...and my other sister-in-law, Jenny, was only home for a brief time...our "nanny" days expired. We were so so blessed to keep Isabel at home until she was eleven months...and even better that she was with family!

Overall, the timing was right. Isabel really gets excited when she sees other children, so I could tell she was ready for some more entertainment. Plus, August marked the start of my busy season with work...so it was nice to have peace and quiet for me to focus on my intense workload. It was so hard to take her the first couple of weeks, but we both slowly made the transition. I'm still struggling with the fact that Isabel spends more awake time with someone other than myself, but I know she is in good hands and enjoying herself.

Here is the link to all of the pictures from Isabel's 11th month!

This might be one of my all-time favorites...

My little mover...jabbering into her brush...pushing the car. Ahh, the demands of an 11 month old.

Check out my sweet hat.

Giddy up...

My happy girl...someone must have spiked her bottle.

Isabel's newest trend is salivating at whatever it is that we are eating. On this occasion, she devoured a corn on the cob.

Course #2: watermelon...yum yum. The funny thing is that she already ate her own dinner prior to this, but clearly wanted dessert.

And if you don't feed her, she will just find her own food...and make a mess. On this particular occasion, she bit a hole in the zip lock bag and then dumped the cheerios out. Smart cookie...

Just call me Aladdin...on my magic carpet at Meema's house.

One of the month-end out takes...at what age exactly to children start looking at the camera and smiling?!

Miss Investigator

2010-09-01T20:00:00.001-05:00

Isabel is such a little investigator these days. She picks up everything, looks at it, turns it over, turns it again and investigates everything. This next series of pictures will probably get me in trouble when she becomes a teenager, but I can't resist sharing.

Here she is investigating everything on the bathroom sink before bath time. What I wouldn't give to have a cute little butt like that again :)

Laine from Champaign

2010-08-31T20:08:00.010-05:00

In college I met one of my good friends...Laine. She was from Champaign...and it was always so funny when she would say "I'm Laine from Champaign!" Yeah, typing that out now...I'm guessing that we were probably drinking at the time...

Anyways, my good friend Laine was home from Houston, Texas a couple weeks ago. So we headed to Champaign to visit with her family. The girls started off shy...but by the end of the day they were buds. It was an especially exciting visit since Laine blurted out that Baby Cipolla #2 is on the way...due the beginning of March! We can't wait to meet the newest Cipolla addition. Congrats Chris & Laine!

Attempting to get a picture where they look at the camera...so close...

This picture cracks me up...I almost deleted it and then I realized, Chloe is picking at Isabel's toe nails! Clearly bff's as I don't even pick at Isabel's toe nails ;)

Now we are excited! Isabel could hardly contain the excitement of a wagon ride. Clearly we need to get the wagon out more frequently at our house.

Chloe...giving instructions on how to ride in the wagon.

Such good little wagon riders. Isabel didn't let go one time. I think fear might have had something to do with it...

The girls...almost all posing for the camera!

This little girl was spent after her afternoon of fun with Chloe!

Vaca

2010-08-24T20:55:00.020-05:00

We had one incredible vacation in July! My parents "rented" (read: took over) a distant cousin's home in Kimberling City, Missouri, which is on Tablerock Lake. We went a couple years ago with all of my cousins and had an incredible vacation floating and drinking. This trip was just slightly different... We simply slept, ate, slept, drank, ate, floated, drank, drank, slept, ate, drank, drank and then slept some more. I think everyone adopted to Isabel's two nap a day schedule quite well!

The housing arrangements were perfect for our family dynamic. Me, Ben and Isabel had a separate guest house, which was perfect for naps and the peanut's early bedtime. My parents stayed next door with my cousin Steve, in the home he recently built. My parents friend's, the Semelka's and Kellenberger's, stayed in one of the condos down the street. It was a fun little compound!

The weather was beautiful, the house was incredible and the company couldn't be better. It was next to perfect...I'm crossing my fingers that my Dad will someday consider a vacation home like this.

I was really nervous for our first day out on the boat. Isabel never really got to the point where the life jacket was completely zipped, fastened and ready to go...so I was apprehensive about the first ride. Needless to say, she did pretty well (the first day). She was definitely uncomfortable, but she survived.

Frozen in my arms...confused about the "straight jacket".

"Too winny"

"ohhh", Isabel's face of excitement

All the excitement tired out the baby...she was asleep by the time we got to the first cove for swimming.

On the way home we had to stop for gas...which was pushing Isabel's limits with the life jacket. So what else do you do to appease a child in this type of situation....BRIBE them. The orange push-up that Grandpa bought for her worked wonders!

Home again and ready for another nap.

Day 2...Isabel is slowly figuring things out.

"Who is the idiot that tied this thing in knots? Seriously...how are we going to use this for the anchor?"

and the picture quota has been reached...

Our non-sunshine time...doing some work

"This boat driving business is tricky..."

Floating with Grandma and checking out rocks in the lake. At this point we were at the "island" so it was really shallow water...which was a little safer with da baby!

Checkout my diaper butt...wet diapers must weigh 10 lbs...

Family photo op

Grandpa and Cousin Steve with Miss Isabel. Isabel loved on Mr. Moose so much during the week, that Steve sent the moose home with her.

Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa AND Cousin Steve!!! Can't wait for next year!!

I'm Cool...and I Know It!

2010-08-17T21:13:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to blog about our relaxing vacation to Tablerock...but haven't found the time yet (and I'm tired). So, here is my little joe coolette!

Ten

2010-08-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

Can I still call her a baby at ten months? I can't believe how fast time has flown by. At ten months, I would say she is really developing a personality and toughening up. She seems to get more and more active by the day. She definitely isn't as afraid of getting hurt these days. She is also so loving. She has mastered kisses...almost too well. She will cuddle up with you and she absolutely loves her "lovey" (i.e. blanket). I had to buy a couple more for the day care and just in case of emergency.

Here is a link for our monthly pictures on Kodak.

Riding the horsey! Giddy up!

"Yumm, pudding is delicious."

I can already hear it now..."we don't have anything to eat"

Coming through

"Do you have to get married and leave me Aunt Amanda?"

Isabel's lovey...this thing works wonders (Thanks Angela)!

Miss Tough Girl

"Leave me alone mom, I'm texting my friends."

Sunny day with the Kormans

2010-08-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

The Korman's came to town a couple weeks ago and we had play date out at the Spencer Pool. It was the perfect day for the pool...HOT. We had a nice time hanging out with the kids...I just wish we lived closer!

Addie and Isabel are only nine months apart...clearly ready to be BFF's

Obviously we underestimated how sunny it was outside!

Take 2...much better. Adelaide, Isabel and Ella

Fireworks

2010-08-03T21:38:00.010-05:00

We started off our July with a lot of fireworks. First, Ben's sister got married! The wedding was so incredibly beautiful and personal to Amanda & Jacob...we say Yacob :) The festivities were held out at Ben's parents house and the weather was absolutely perfect. Later in the evening, there was a firework show to celebrate. We also "sent off" Chinese wish lanterns. I'm sure these things are illegal in the US as they SCREAM fire hazard...but it was beautiful to light the lanterns and watch them lift off...kind of like mini hot air balloons, minus the passengers.

I was a little busy during the wedding, so I only had a couple pictures on my camera...you would think I would have gotten a picture of the bride and groom. Thank goodness someone else was taking pictures as well. Here is Miss Iz with Grandma and Grandpa.

We also celebrate the 4th of July at the annual Crestwicke parade! It was great, Isabel loved all the decorations, fire trucks, horses, golf carts, bikes along with friends and family!

"Yay...bring on the parade!"

While we waited for the parade to start, Michaela, Maria and Macy decorated Isabel's stroller. Can you believe that I used to babysit Michaela and Maria? Now, they are Isabel's babysitters!

Isabel and Great-Grandpa

"The 4th of July rocks"

"Come on Grandpa...help me pick up the candy!"

"Check out my first car"

"Alright, I'm tired of driving...who wants to take over?"

Flush

2010-08-01T10:41:00.007-05:00

Isabel has found the bathroom! Doesn't matter where we are at in our house...she will make a bee line for the closest bathroom. Depending on which one she is in, she will either go straight for the toilet paper, open the cabinets and pull everything out, or open all the drawers and investigate THOROUGHLY. It was cute the first and maybe second time, but since then I'm tired of hanging out in the bathroom. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she starts flushing something I value down the toilet.

"Privacy Please"

"oh, look at all this tp"

"hmm, what's this?"

"bye bye toilet paper" (note the empty roll)

Daddy's Day

2010-07-31T21:02:00.000-05:00

These pictures and stories are a little dated, but I had to share them. Back in June we spent a long weekend up in Michigan with the Korman's, O'Neil's and Wiegman's...total 8 adults and 5 girls (all under age 4). We rented a big six bedroom house that was just a short drive to Lake Michigan. In theory, it was the perfect plan, but things slowly unraveled. First, Ben couldn't get the day off...so Isabel and I headed off a night early and Ben drove separately the next night. Kind of a bummer...but what could we do.

We started off the first night with a success...all the girls went to bed at a normal hour and we enjoyed cocktails out on the patio!

Beer and baby monitors...life after babies!

The next day we had a great day at the beach and then we checked out the pool. My pictures are limited as I was having difficulties keeping up with my mobile daughter, all of our stuff, the other kiddos and then all the typical hazards that you find at the beach or the pool. I think Isabel only ate two or three good handfuls of sand!

Mya, Ella, Isabel and Addie enjoying the sunshine (and a snack) at the beach.

Isabel loved the sand!

Then, we got a storm. No ordinary storm...it was a straight-line winds of 80 mph storm. Needless to stay, we lost power and the chaos began. Ben was in transit on his way to Michigan and had no clue the war zone he was driving into. We sent some of the guys out for flash lights...but they couldn't go far because there were trees down everywhere, including in the pool. Life with babies and no power is a challenge. So we cut the weekend short and went home the next day.

Trees down across the street...between the neighbors cars...another was on their house. A huge mess.

The rest of the girls...Kylie, Mya, Ella and Addie. Isabel was off taking her morning nap.

Even though our planned Michigan fun didn't work out, we were blessed to have a plan B. Ben's parents were having a get together to "break-in" their new patio! So we headed out to the farm with along with my parents and celebrated Fathers Day with all the fathers. It was the perfect end to our weekend.

This picture is kind of a mistake, but it turned out so neat, that I had to share. It was nice and cool inside in the a/c, but I walked outside and my camera instantly steamed up. Here is Miss Iz showing off her blanky!

Staying Cool

2010-07-30T20:00:00.001-05:00

One of Isabel’s favorite ways to keep cool in the summer sun! What a fun summer we are having...does it get any better than this?? More blogs to come on all our summer adventures :)

Isabel's Digs

2010-07-29T21:43:00.002-05:00

When I told people I was pregnant there were a couple standard questions I would expect to hear from friends and family…

1. When are you due?
2. Are you going to find out if it’s a boy or girl?
3. How are you going to decorate the nursery?

Well, one and two are long since answered questions, but her nursery was sort of a work in process. We painted the walls green and hung a decal tree on the wall…very unisex. The crib and dresser were in the room when we brought Isabel home, but she hardly used her room the first couple months. Since then, I added a couple of fun feminine touches to make it girly for our baby girl. It also took FOREVER for the chair and ottoman to come in (note: don’t buy from Nursery Nook in Bloomington) and I finished hand painting (and hanging) the letters on the wall! So now, it’s officially Isabel’s room or at least until any other Funks come along! Take a look…while its clean!

Nine

2010-07-05T20:35:00.013-05:00

Sorry, I've been slacking on my blogging. We have been having so much fun this summer...so it's hard to find time to blog! Here is a quick recap of Isabel's ninth month...hopefully I can keep all the facts straight since she is now almost 10 months.

I think the motto for this month is "mischievous". With Isabel's new found mobility she can find all sorts of trouble! We could probably prevent some of the trouble if we chose to baby proof the house more...but I really don't want to turn my house upside down. Ben asked me today, "So when does the NO means YES stage end?" HA...

Here is the link for her nine month pictures to see all of our fun.

Modeling her new hat from Meema

"Taa daa" - Isabel's new pose

One of the greatest inventions since I was a child...a water table!

Taking a bath with Miss Mya after an afternoon swim at the Jannusch farm!

Playing on the couch with Daddy.

"No mom, I'm not playing with the cable box."

Pulling up on EVERYTHING.

Climbing on/over EVERYTHING.

One of her favorite things to do is dive/somersault off of the couch... One of these days she will learn not to do this.

Thanks to the Babysitters!

2010-05-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

We are super spoiled that both of our parents live about 15 minutes away from us. If you ever have the option to live close to your parents when having children...I would highly recommend it. I'm not sure how I would manage without Grandparents (and I'm not sure how they would manage without Grandbabies)!

Within the past month Isabel has had a slumber party at both sets of Grandparents! First she spent the weekend with Meema and Papa while Ben and I went to Chicago for the night. I packed a ton of toys to keep Isabel occupied...and she had taken over a room or two by the time we got back. She also had the chance to go to church with Meema and Papa...apparently she loved checking out all the other babies!

Here are some cute videos of my noise maker that I took with my cell phone when we were picking Isabel up. Who knew I could leave all the toys at home and let her simply play with a cup?!

This past weekend Isabel had another slumber party with Grandma and Grandpa while Ben and I went to a wedding. The wedding was in town, but it was incredible to sleep in for a change...not to mention sleep THROUGH the night. Too bad I was up and cleaning the house by 9 am. I just kept thinking...oh it would be so easy to clean this without Isabel...oh and I should clean this too...oh and just one more thing. We were so excited to go pick her up. I know it was only a day, but the little girl seriously grew while we were gone. She was standing up playing with her push toy when we picked her up. G & G spoiled her with attention while we were gone.

I didn't have the chance to take any videos at G & G's this time...but I do have this a recent video of Grandpa taking Miss Isabel for a ride on the golf cart.

A HUGE thank you to both Grandparents for giving us a little break! We greatly appreciate you taking care of our little munchkin.

Eight

2010-05-30T21:29:00.010-05:00

What a busy month we had for month EIGHT! It was a month of a million new things... Isabel started crawling on April 13th...and in no time at all she was crawling fast. It only took her another couple days to learn to go from a crawling position to sitting back up! THEN she started working on standing up. That took another couple days and she was constantly pulling on up everything. Now she prefers that we help her walk everywhere...but has no problem crawling into trouble either. I can't believe how quickly these things all happened!

She also started eating all kinds of new foods...lunch meat, chicken, puffs, melts, biter biscuits...you name it. Puffs are probably her favorite. One day I was holding one in my hand and I wasn't quick enough to get it to her mouth, so she grabbed my hand and moved it to her mouth. If I put puffs on her tray, she will grab them and shove them into her mouth. She also figured out how to make a smacking noise when she eats...just so you know she is eating!

We also found a couple toys that Isabel DOES NOT like this month. When my brother lived in Australia, he brought back a koala bear that plays the Australian anthem...so I added it to Isabel's toy basket. Well...that didn't go over so well. Here is a video of her showing me how much she doesn't like the Koala!

With a baby on the move, pictures are definitely getting interesting...it's hard to manage the camera when she is crawling away from me...or about to find something she shouldn't! Here are all of her eight month pictures.

On the move!

"I'm going to get you!"

We made a house for Isabel out of a box...she loves her new toy!

Daddy is patiently helping Isabel learn to walk...something I think he will come to regret.

This is the only way I could get her eight month picture and have her looking at the camera.

Striking a pose in the walker.

Miss Mischievous!

Tour de Houston - Last but not Least

2010-05-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last but not least on our trip to Houston we went to Katy, Texas to visit the Ramsey's. My friend Monica and her husband, Chad, recently moved to Houston over the holidays. I wanted to visit when they lived in Vancouver, but could never coordinate. So I was thrilled when they landed in Houston...so close in proximity to all the others we saw on our Tour.

Besides our trip to Galveston, our visit at the Ramsey's was nice and low key. We hung out close to home, played with the kiddos and stayed up too late enjoying beer and warm weather! It was the perfect ending to our wonderful vacation. I can't wait to go back to visit...just not in the middle of summer.

I took a ton of pictures on our trip...and while I'd love to blog about all the adventures, I'd probably lose all my readers. If you'd like to see the rest, check out my album on Kodak by clicking here.

Vivian and Isabel playing together with one of Braden's toys!

Vivian 'staying cool' in Chili's

Lost in thoughts at the playground

Not sure who was having more fun!

Family photo time

Tour de Houston - Galveston

2010-05-24T21:00:00.010-05:00

I'm starting to realize why we were absolutely exhausted when we got home from our trip to Houston...we were non-stop on the go!

While we were in Houston, we took a day trip to Galveston with my sorority sisters, Monica and Kristin...AND kids! We had four adults and FIVE kids. Here is the run down on ages...Braden (3), Ava (2), Isabel, Luke & Vivian (all 8 months). These three babies were born within a week of each other! What ironic timing, eh?

I think Isabel loved her first trip to the beach. It only took a minute before she crawled off the blanket and found a handful of sand to investigate. I took a million pictures in Galveston, but here are some of my favorites. I'll post a link to all our Houston pictures in my next post.

My little beach bum

"The waves are going to get me"

"Yum, salt water"

"Mom, I want to play in the water again...put me down"

Me and Monica with Isabel and Vivian

The babes checking out the water. Would you guess that they are all the same age?

The bigger picture...oh my...

The babes were zonked out while we ate lunch!

Tour de Houston - Isabel Meets Chloe

2010-05-19T20:40:00.000-05:00

The second stop on our tour of Houston was to my friend Laine's house. I was super excited to for this stop as this was the first time I got to meet her BABY girl, Chloe! Though this girly was really no baby at all. At sixteen months, this little girl was so grown up (sniff sniff, bummed we live so far apart). I know Isabel left their house with the inspiration to walk...among other tricks. (thanks a lot Laine!)

I'm a little bummed I didn't take many adult pictures on this trip. I have pictures and videos galore of all the kiddos, but very few of us. I guess that is how things are going to go for a while, right?

Miss Chloe showing off her big girl chair.

Awe, isn't Chloe so sweet...kissing Miss Isabel!

Chloe and Isabel playing Chicken!

Tour de Houston - Isabel Meets the Pool

2010-05-17T22:46:00.004-05:00

While we were in Houston we took Isabel for a quick dip in the hotel pool. I was so excited for her that once again we had a photo shoot (mandatory when you are this little and this adorable in a swim suit). Lucky for me I had the camera in my hands, so I didn't have to brave the cold water like Ben did.

Tour de Houston - Peak

2010-05-14T19:33:00.004-05:00

Isabel is at the peak-a-boo stage. She loves this game....which we usually shorten to PEAK! We had a mini photo shoot on vacation in our hotel room and I caught this series of pictures while Isabel was playing peak-a-boo with Daddy.

Tour de Houston - Family Fun

2010-05-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

We started our Tour of Houston in Spring at my cousin Kensey's house. We had a mini-family reunion as my Aunt Jayne and cousin Stacy also made the trip to Houston from Louisiana to visit. It was a full, FUN house.

My cousin Kensey and her husband have one son, Aiden and another (Grayson) on the way. Aiden is three and a half and unbelievably entertaining...though I'm pretty sure his mom and dad think otherwise. He has grown up so much since I last saw him. He was full of concern for who was playing with what toys...not to mention WHO was touching HIS toys. At one point...this was my conversation with Aiden:

Aiden: Who moved my monkey up here?

Me: I did, so the babies wouldn't get it.

Aiden: Why?

Me: Oh because I didn't want Isabel to play with it without your permission.

Aiden (wish accusation in his tone): So, you touched it?

Me (looking around the room): Ahhh, yeah, can anyone help me with what to say here?!

In from Louisiana, my cousin Stacy and her husband, have a baby girl who is a month younger than Isabel. Aubrey was such a fun baby to play with! She is FULL of expression. This little girl was so patient...she made Isabel look like a rebel (and I think Isabel is pretty good)! I think the girls had a fun time "playing" together. Though, Isabel was mobile and she was a little pushy at times crawling over Aubrey in attempt to get toys. In no time the two girls will be causing all kinds of trouble together.

The kiddos...this is the best one I have on my camera...but there were cameras and people jumping up and down for smiles like crazy!

Umm, yeah, I think picture time is over!
Kensey & Joe with Aiden and Grayson in belly :)
Aunt Jayne, Stacy and Aiden

Stacy & Paul with one happy little Aubrey

Isabel learned to "give sugar" in Houston.

One of the few family photos from the trip...and my husband has to go and act like a monkey.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2010-05-13T20:19:00.000-05:00

We just got back from our first vacation with Isabel. We flew down to Houston to spend time with my cousins and a couple of my girl friends from college. I'm going to break up the posts between all of our hosts, but I have a couple cute pictures from our flights to and from Houston.

Isabel was such a good baby on our flights. Our flight there was FULL of babies. Apparently the first flight out on a Saturday morning, with a final destination of Orlando, Florida is NOT the ideal flight to pick. Needless to say, Isabel wasn't the best baby on board and she was FAR from the worst. She did really well!

"Mom, put the camera away in the airport...you look like such a tourist"

My two greatest loves, inspecting the plane.

This was kind of an accident, but it looks so cool.

On the way home...anxious to escape!

Where Can I Get Frames on Sale?

2010-04-25T20:49:00.005-05:00

Because I need a million of them for this little girl! Seriously. Maybe someone should take the camera away because I don't know where I'm going to display all these precious pictures!

"Hey look Mom...sunlight...and plants...and birds...and flowers...OH MY!"

"Hey Mom, lets GO! Lets go outside!"
Its a GREAT big world Isabel Marie!

You are my Sunshine!

2010-04-24T20:46:00.005-05:00

Bring on the sunshine...Isabel is all ready for it!

"Just call me Ray Jr baby!" Already doing impersonations, just like her Daddy!

Seven

2010-04-19T22:25:00.001-05:00

Isabel just turned the lucky 7 months! What a busy month for her. I've been keeping a little journal of all the things she is doing since she seems to change daily. I'm scrap booking her baby book, but at this rate, I'll be lucky to finish by the time she graduates from high school. My goal is to be caught up by her first birthday...now it's in writing, hold me to it.

Seven events for seven months:
1) Feet...loves to look at them, splash with them and occasionally suck on them!
2) Swinging...or anything out in the fresh air. One day we just took a walk to the mailbox for entertainment. Otherwise, we walk around the neighborhood for hours.
3) Talking...she has covered mamamama and dadadadada, but I'm not sure if she knows what either means yet. Most frequently it's just a constant jabber or as Ben calls them "soundbites of intelligence"...I'd classify the noise more like grunting, but whatever...it's cute. I'll work on a video for your viewing pleasure!
4) Rocking...we almost have a crawler! She is constantly rocking on her knees and diving for toys. Somewhere throughout this month she mastered sitting up on her own. I must have blinked as I'm not sure when that happened.
5) Food...we have upgraded to three meals a day. Baby food fruits and veggies, puffs, string cheese...plus real fruits. This girl is a good eater (Can't decide if she takes after her Mom or Dad). She eats it all! She even mastered the skill of holding her own bottle and sippy cup this month.
6) Sleep...what a good little baby we have (knock on wood). She is starting to work her way out of three naps a day and down to two quality naps. Sometimes we can squeeze a third cat nap in the stroller or the car. Her bedtime is around 7ish and she is such a joy to put down at night as well as to get up in the morning. She doesn't really sleep through the night regularly yet, but hey...you can't have it all!
7) Toys...Isabel is constantly playing. Spinning the alphabet toy, opening/closing her laptop, watching the jack and the box, rolling the stacking balls, knocking over blocks or sucking on any other toy that she can shove in her mouth.

If you want to see the visual for all of the above...here is a link to her 7 Month album.

Bundled up for a walk

In Isabel's mind, her shoes are just one more toy. Lucky thing those things don't actually touch the ground yet.

Yum, breakfast!

Big smiles for a big push from Daddy!

Rocking

Just being her adorable self. I love this babe!

The first of many pictures of the kitty and Isabel. Isabel loves the kitty...and the cat, well, she loves Aunt Amanda who babysits Isabel. Therefore, the cat has to go by Isabel to get to Amanda. Ha!

This sign thing has gotten tricky! My cousin has these cool stickers that say the number of months...much better idea than a sign. I had to enlist Ben's assistance this month. The outtakes are hilarious! I should save the signs too...all crumpled up with the occasional bite mark.

The best baby on the block!

Jaws

2010-04-17T21:23:00.007-05:00

No joke, I think we went through our first teething phase for about three months. I could see the whites on Isabel's gums all the way back in December. FINALLY...on my birthday, Isabel got her first two teeth! Yay Isabel...and Happy Birthday to me. She literally changed overnight! Not sure if it was the teeth or the end of a cold that brought on her pleasantness, but we were all thrilled.

I tried for weeks to get a picture, but all I got was tongue...

A bit blurry, but teeth!

Teeth!

My Blue Eyed Beauty

2010-04-17T21:14:00.004-05:00

Not sure where she gets the blueness in her blue eyes, but they are absolutely stunning. Ben and I both have blue eyes, but not this shade. Her blue eyes and long eye lashes just look like plain trouble to me!

Not a perfect picture, but here is my blue eyed beauty!

Easter Bonnets are the Best

2010-04-15T21:13:00.009-05:00

Wow, I can't believe Easter was almost two weeks ago! These pictures were just too precious not to share.

Yumm, plastic grass...

"Hey Grandpa, check out my cool hat."

"What do you mean I can't eat this?"

And one more...I made our dining room all pretty for Easter brunch. So much fun. Now, if I could just get a maid to clean it all up!

I'm Flying

2010-04-06T21:07:00.011-05:00

Okay, maybe not flying...just suspended in the air by this plastic thing hanging from the sky!

We made our way to the park last week on one of the MANY beautiful days last week. Not only was the weather perfect, but we were also lucky enough to have Katie and Finn join us in our adventure! What a perfect afternoon!

At first, we weren't so sure of the swing.

Ben describes this face as the "Zeller look"

Starting to enjoy this phenomenon.

Both kiddos checking out a "big kid" swinging next to them!

Now we are having fun!

Oh, I cannot WAIT for summer! If only I had my summers off of work, then life would be perfect!

It's Busy Season

2010-04-06T20:53:00.005-05:00

Isabel has been missing her Grandpa (my dad) a lot lately as it's his busy season. So instead of working 60 hours a week...he works about 100 hours a week...crazy! It's really limited Isabel's amount of time to play with Grandpa. At one point my mom took Isabel to my Dad's office so that he could finally see her!

So Isabel has been "working" hard on her laptop lately just like Grandpa!

"All done, time to quit working!"

"Oh wait, I think I just got an email."

Adventures of Isabel & Mya - Part II

2010-04-05T21:38:00.009-05:00

A couple weeks ago we took another road trip. The boys had free passes (sort of free) to go out with their friends, so I decided to go up to Chicago and visit my friend Rachel. It worked out pretty well...the girls were in bed by 7:30ish and then Brittany, Rachel and I had dinner and cocktails. Lots more fun than I would have at home by myself!

Anyways, you may remember that these two really hit it off last time they got together. So the next morning we let the girls play again. I don't think their conversation this time was nearly as entertaining, but they still had a good time!

Mya: Hey look, they both have camera's...how stupid do they look?!

Isabel: Just smile for a minute, they will go away.

Mya: Hey Isabel, I think you should put this necklace on for the pictures, it TOTALLY goes with your outfit!

Isabel: Hey wait, I don't have my necklace on yet.

Mya: Seriously guys, enough.

Mya: Whatever, I'm done with the photos. Isabel, do you want to smell my feet?

Isabel: Ahhh mom...mom...MOM, get me out of here...she is sticking her feet in my face!

Mya: Oh Isabel...don't worry, I just took a bath last night.

Isabel: Phew...I was worried you had toe jam! Ha!

Mya: Hahaha, Mom, what is toe jam?

Okay, enough already...

Got Anything to Sit In?

2010-04-05T21:14:00.005-05:00

This is Ben's idea of "daddying" Isabel and working on the landscape at the same time. He pulled out the wagon (which he swore we didn't need) and put Isabel it it. Not only is she in the wagon, but she is also sitting in her "box" (see below for more info)...with a blanket to block the wind and toys to entertain. The only thing missing was sunglasses and a big umbrella to block the sun! Isabel loved the wagon and helping Daddy work outside, but she did not like it when Ben would look away. At one point she started whaling when Ben decided to go dump the wheel barrel. One of these days he will understand that multi-tasking with a child is much harder than one thinks (i.e. sorry honey for never cooking dinner or cleaning the house)!

I'm always looking around the house for unconventional toys for Isabel. While I love to buy her new toys and see her play with them...I could easily go broke. So one day I got a lovely package in the mail from my cousin Stacy (thank for the blanket Stacy)...and needless to say the box is just as cool as the blanket. Not only could the box contain all the toys from rolling away, but it also helped Isabel perfect the art of sitting up. I have a video of Isabel playing in her box on my cell phone and she is literally going crazy throwing the balls around. She loves it. Though it's been a couple weeks since we discovered the box...we are still coming up with new uses. It's perfect to hide toys or make a table or stack blocks on to knock over. So my review...keep those empty boxes for the baby...they will love them! I can't wait to get a big box once she is a little older...maybe something like a refrigerator box or something that we can make a fort out of! Now, what should I convince Ben that we should buy...for the box! Ha!

My Precious Cargo

2010-03-30T20:04:00.012-05:00

We had an awesome visitor a couple weeks ago...my friend Katie came over to take the most charming pictures of my baby girl! I keep looking at all the pictures she took and I'm absolutely in love with my little Bug-A-Boo...not to mention Katie's photography talent. We are blessed to have such a wonderful little girl, a home to raise her in and incredible friends and family surrounding us!

Sitting in my Grandfathers antique suitcase playing peak-a-boo with Daddy!

Isabel sandwich

Are those dimples I see?

"Hey, what are you doing with that thing?"

The typical inquisitive look from Isabel

I think she takes after her fathers butt...

Isabel meets grass!

So Big!

And if I haven't given you enough...here is a link to the whole album of pictures that Katie took!

Good Morning

2010-03-29T20:28:00.000-05:00

I'm far from a morning person, but this little angel makes my morning (assuming morning is after 6 am...preferably 7 am). She is so precious and smiley in the mornings. We usually find her cooing and playing in her crib in the mornings and the second she hears the door open we get the biggest smiles. I want to take the video camera with me one of these days...it's heartwarming!

Here are a couple of our morning photos

Six

2010-03-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness...I woke up and I have a six month old baby! I feel like it was just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital...I remember sitting in the backseat of the car with her and just crying with overwhelming happiness.

Isabel has changed so much over the past month. She reaches for everything...toys, plates, hair, noses, wine glasses, etc. She has a toy hanging on the bar of her car seat and she finally achieved pulling on the toy (repeatedly) to get it to make noise and vibrate. Outside of her car seat, she has really perfected the ability to sit up. She will sit up and play with toys or watch TV (don't judge me). If she can't reach a toy, she will roll to her tummy and try to scoot or roll to her destination. This month she even learned to turn her crib soother on all by herself. I was floored one morning when I checked the monitor and found the soother ON! In her jumperoo, she no longer requires the pillow to make her tall enough and she can "catch" the hanging toys! In the exersaucer, she can spin around and pick up all of her toys and put them in her mouth. In her world, she rates toys by how well they fit in her mouth. She spent the majority of this month working on her teeth (still)...but more news to come on that front soon.

At Isabel's six month check up, she weighed 15 lbs 7 oz (50%). She was 26 inches tall (55%)...and her head circumference was 16.5 inches (40%). Why do they measure the head circumference anyways? Overall she is growing just right! We had a couple of "sick days" this past month. Isabel got her first cold in February. Nothing bad, just a little congestion. I rushed out to Wal-Mart with a shopping list of recommendations from my mom friends. Isabel was feeling better in no time at all! A couple weeks later Miss Izzy had another rough couple of days. She woke up with a temperature 3 days straight...no stuffy nose, no cough...just a temp. So the doctor checked her out and said all was well and sent us home. The poor thing was so poopy and lethargic on her half birthday:(

As I look back at our pictures from this month, it's hard to pick just a couple to share. She is such a cutie pie. Lots of smiles...absolutely priceless! Her smile definitely resembles me as a baby. I'll have to find some baby pictures of myself to share how she finally resembles yours truly! Here is a link to all of the pictures from Isabel's sixth month!

Fun times in the bath tub!

Rolling all over the place with her cutie baby leggs!

This is my darling daughter captivated by the television...yes taking after her father. It's like "Yeah I can hear you, but I just can't take my eyes. off. of. the. tv."

I love this picture because it captures the expression that Isabel wears so frequently. She is always so serious and investigating everything and everyone!

My crazy little teether! This toy is awesome. I bought it one day in desperation mode while at Schnucks. At any store, I always wander down the baby aisle to check out inventory/prices and scan the toys. This star is chewy/rubbery, but it vibrates when she bites down on it. She loves it...and amazingly she got it to work right away all by herself.

I love all her expressions...so cute! And the big blue eyes...ahh.

Outtake number 403 for the six month photo. Notice the crinkled up paper...she really wanted to eat the sign!

The Greatest Invention

2010-03-07T20:30:00.000-06:00

There are so many luxuries that children have these days that our parents didn't have when we were growing up. Ben was under the mindset that we didn't need to register for any baby stuff. Instead of a high chair, he thought we would just tie the baby to a chair with a scarf. Instead of baby toys, he thought we would just let the baby play with household accessories. Instead of a stroller, he would just carry the baby everywhere. HA (said like Harry Caray).

Since those days, he still won't admit that we need any of the fancy baby stuff we have at our house, but he does use it all the time. I have so many favorite or "must have" baby registry items...but the video baby monitor is HANDS DOWN the most incredible invention. I love watching our baby girl sleep (or not). It's the sweetest thing I have ever seen. What will they think of next?

Sleeping Beauty

Spring Fever

2010-03-07T20:11:00.000-06:00

We have Spring Fever at our house! Isabel was such a little baby all through the winter that I never minded the miserable weather. We were blessed to be able to stay inside on all the nasty days. But now I am done with that phase! We want to go outside!

Isabel tends to have a "fussy" period in the afternoons, so this past weekend we took a quick stroll around the block. She seemed to love it...the fresh air totally calmed her down. Well, she loved it once the stroller started moving...the pictures don't look the most convincing. Come on summer...we can't wait!

"Hey Mom...Are you sure I have to wear this hat?"

"For real, put the camera down and push me down the street!"

God Bless You Isabel Marie

2010-02-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

Our baby girl was baptized back in December. It was such a neat time of year to make this commitment. Our pastor incorporated Isabel's baptism into the children's sermon...the message being "Why did God send a baby?" The summarized version: babies are so little and fragile, yet babies are so good at inviting you to do the right thing. It was a memorable message...I can't wait to share it with Isabel each year.

Isabel wore the precious heirloom Kiedaisch christening gown. She was the 23rd "Kiedaisch" to wear the gown. It was first worn in 1911 by my Grandfather's sister, Millie. Here is the run down in case you are a family history fanatic (eh um, Mom): 1. Mildred 2. Arthur (my grandpa) 3. Dorothy 4. Carol 5. Walter 6. Janet 7. Bonnie 8. Robert 9. Joyce 10. Danny (my dad) 11. Randall 12. Julie 13. Jeanne 14. Kristy (me) 15. Michael (my brother) 16. Stacy 17. Kyle 18. Kensey 19. Michael 20. Jillian 21. Nathan 22. Emma 23. ISABEL...and 24. Aubrey.

Yes, you are reading the list correctly, we made it to #24. A couple weeks after Isabel was baptised, her 2nd cousin Aubrey wore the same dress! Luckily we made it through the service without any messy disasters. Actually, Isabel was a dream child throughout the whole service. She sat patiently through the children's sermon at the front of the church while all the children looked upon her, she didn't say a peep when Pastor touched her head with water and she even let Pastor hold her so he could stroll up and down the aisle to show the church who they were promising to raise knowing the Lord.

Our little angel checking out the crowd.

How precious is this picture?! It's a good thing that drool is clear because that gown had a lot of drool on it after Isabel wore it!

The Funk side of the family at the baptism.

Ben and I chose our good friends Seth and Katie to be Isabel's Godparents. The boys grew up together and Katie and I always tell each other how lucky we are that each chose such quality wives! Seriously, we are blessed to have such good friends that are willing to accept the commitment of a Godparent. I hope Isabel can rely on them as much as she does us for guidance in her spiritual life.

Here is a picture with Seth and Katie and their son Finn, who is two months older than Isabel.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend...not so much...don't even think about it Finn, she isn't allowed to leave the house until she is 30!

The Kiedaisch side of the family after the baptism!

Princess Pea, checking out the yummy cake!

Great-Grandpa Jensik likes to dote on Isabel!

DISCLAIMER...these pictures are INCREDIBLE as they were all taken by Isabel's Godmother...Katie Zeller.

Five

2010-02-13T21:33:00.000-06:00

Miss Isabel turned FIVE months old this past week. Despite the cold, snowy, icy winter...we have been busy growing and learning to play! This age is really so much fun. She is full of expressions and curiosity. She responds to her name...when she wants to (finally something she gets from me)! She loves to chat...and commonly chats herself to sleep. She also has this "fake cough" as we call it. I'm not sure what she is doing. I asked the doctor about it at her four month appointment, but he said it was nothing. So now I think she is just trying to imitate us. I was trying to teach her to "say aaahhh" and it's more like "fake cough, fake cough"...and then I dump a spoonful of cereal in her mouth!

According to our unofficial weighing method, she is close to 14 lbs 10 oz. I still continue to think that she is teething (one of these months I'll be correct) so she is putting everything in her mouth. She is now a pro at sucking her thumb instead of her whole hand and you will constantly see her chomping on her tongue. When Isabel is awake, there is constant movement...always doing something. She now rolls all over the place, you'll never find her in the same spot you put her. She is working hard to sit up, but isn't quite there yet. Ben always says "Honey, she's drunk again!"

Overall, I'm just doting over her every spare minute I have (if you couldn't tell). She is such a blessing to us and I truly can't remember what mattered in my life before she was born. Here is a link to all of our photos from the past month if you want to see more of our joy!

My little mamushka...less than thrilled with me and my camera.

"Come on mom...aren't we done with this photo shoot?"

I'll do just about anything to see my baby smile! This is one of my favorites.

I love this look...pure innocence!

Chomping on her tongue

Getting skilled with the feet!

Side note, despite the same outfit, these pictures were taken throughout the month. Grandma Nancy bought this outfit for her...it's so warm, cuddly and perfect colors for the Valentine's holiday...so she wore it a lot this month :)

Blondies

2010-02-13T21:07:00.000-06:00

Last weekend one of my oldest friends, Angie, came over to visit with us with her two beautiful blonds! Ashley is almost 5 and Kylie is almost 2.5...ironically Kylie shares a birthday with Miss. Isabel! The girls were shy at first, but once Isabel woke up from her nap, everyone was super smiley. I caught the picture below and was absolutely shocked...all three smiling and looking at the camera. It's amazing what nap time does!

Isabel loved looking at the girls...I think she was captivated by the pretty pink dresses.

Kylie was absolutely thrilled to see the baby. She kept flashing the most adorable looks while playing with Baby Izzy. And Isabel couldn't be happier hanging out with the girls!

Ashley's turn...notice Kylie fighting to get to Isabel!

Playing with Mya

2010-02-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Miss Mya and her Momma came over for a quick visit! Between lunch and a looming nap time, we didn't have much time to play, but I managed to snap a couple quick shots!

"Hey, let me see that camera!"

Isn't this pose the epitome of childhood?

Just like old friends, gabbing on the couch. Doesn't this series of pictures look like a story?? What do you think they are saying to each other??

I think it goes something like this:

Isabel: So I went to this party last night...BYOM (Bring Your Own Milk)

Mya: Really, was it fun...did you get wasted?

Isabel: Oh My Gosh...was it fun!

Mya: Umm, hello, then why didn't you text me and tell me to come?

Isabel: Really, the boys were so cute...they were wearing designer diapers.

Mya: Seriously Isabel, I'm annoyed with you...I like designer diapers.

Isabel: Oh come on Mya...I'm sorry I didn't call you. I promise I'll call next time.

Mya: It's okay, I still love you!

Isabel: Wait a minute...I feel a burp coming on.

Mya: Oh Isabel...you're so gross sometimes.

Mya: So anyways, what do you think of my new haircut?

Isabel: Well...it's spiky!

Mya: Well, maybe we can put rollers in it later? What do you think? Hey, at least I have hair...

Feed Me

2010-02-06T22:16:00.001-06:00

We are going through a "funk" around our house these days. I think Isabel is going through a growth spurt and really needing more food. We had a solid month or two of good night sleeping. Yet as of a couple weeks ago, Isabel seems to need a couple meals in the middle of the night...which is starting to get old REAL FAST. I don't know if I'm not keeping up with her hunger needs or if she is just testing my limits or if she is just using me to pacifier herself....OR all of the above?!

Our pediatrician said we could start with cereal at 4 months, but I mentally wasn't ready for my baby to eat foods yet (not that I want to breast feed until she is sixteen or anything). As our late night feedings continued, I started to consider the idea of cereal more. So we started by putting together Isabel's highchair and letting her test it out. She loved it right away. It puts her at a nice height to see what is going on. Plus she has this sweet suction cup toy stuck to her tray that can't escape her hands...which is brilliant I must say!

"Yea, I'm a big girl...sippy cup and all! Don't worry...there is nothing in the sippy cup...I just hold it to be cool"

"Come on Mom, I told you to leave me alone when I'm playing with my toy!"

Finally, one night this week Isabel was sitting her chair while we ate dinner and I just thought, why not?! So I made a little cereal, gathered the camera and video camera and tested it out. The first night of cereal was a joke, but we have tried it every night this week. I think she is slowing starting to get it. She doesn't really keep anything in her mouth as her freakishly long tongue is in the way (I'm still working on capturing this on camera). Even though she spits a lot out, she will instantly stick her thumb in her mouth after I give her a bite and that usually forces something down the hatch! So we will take it slowly. Hopefully she will get the hang of it and start feeling a little more satisfied.

"Not too bad"

"Stop taking my picture and stick the spoon in my mouth so I can chew on it"

"All Done"

I Can't Resist

2010-02-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Isabel just loves bathtime. She is always so good and loves the water. I can't wait to take her swimming someday. One day I had Ben helping me out with bath time and he made me fetch the camera to take these pictures. Someday she will absolutely hate me for these pictures, but in the mean time, they just make me smile. I couldn't resist sharing with you!

Look at that baby butt...precious!

And she caught on to what we were doing...

Four

2010-01-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

Wow, Isabel's fourth month was a CRAZY month. I started back to work part-time in December, so that sadly cut down on our time together. Although it was a rough transition, I think it was a wise move to slowly ease into the reality of work. In December, Isabel spent her mornings with Uncle Mikey (until he quit), Grandma Nancy and Aunt Amanda. In January when I went back to work full-time, Isabel spent lots of time with Grandma Nancy, Aunt Amanda and Aunt Jenny. I like to think she misses me, but since my office is right around the corner, I can hear her squeals of delight when hanging out with all of the above! We are so blessed to have family with such flexibility to come to our home and take care of our baby girl. Maybe this arrangement will buy us a couple more months of a sick free baby (knock on wood). I know she will need to build up her immune system at some point, but can't we wait until she is a little older before she gets sick? Besides, I still need practice with the "snot sucker"!

In other news, Isabel spent the past month ROLLING...all over the place. One morning we awoke to her squealing with delight in her crib...check the video monitor and she is on her tummy. DOUBLE TAKE...did I put her in her crib like that last night (read, did I have too much to drink last night)?! Nope...she spent all morning showing me her new skillz! Now she won't stay on her back for more than 30 seconds. I really need to take a camera in her bedroom with me when she first wakes up. I always peak through the crib slats and see Izzy on her belly with the most adorable baby girl smiles!

Isabel also has a new hobby...ISU basketball games! Grandma and Grandpa took us to three home games and Isabel loves the action. She startles easily at the horn, but loves looking around at all the lights. Go Birds!

We also found out that Isabel is finally at the age where she can play. As noted in my earlier blog about Mr. Butterfly, she now really grabs and holds onto all kinds of toys, hair, necklaces, clothes, etc! This works every time about 60% of the time. She can really entertain herself in the car seat, church, etc...until she drops the toy!

Our little girl has also started to work on her voice! She spent the past month talking away. She constantly jabbers away and tries to put both hands in her mouth at the same time. Ironically, she also puts herself to sleep in this fashion. She will be chatting away one minute and asleep the next (usually with a toy over her eyes).

Here is a link to all the pictures from this month (if you have a lot of time on your hands)!

Beautiful

Say Cheese

Almost sitting up...

LOL

2010-01-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

Warning, this blog may just melt your heart. This is by far one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard in my life! My little girl has started to laugh. She did it once in the middle of the night a couple months ago and it was amazing...but now she does it pretty regularly, especially when playing with Daddy!

Here is a video clip of daddy making Isabel laugh. I may need to keep this one on my desktop eternally...it might be helpful to play this again and again as she grows up (especially through the teen age years)!

Girl Time

2010-01-15T21:46:00.000-06:00

Over the holidays we got to visit lots of friends...and meet a couple new ones! First we got to meet Izzy's double mint twin, Vivian. These two cutie pies had the same due date...what are the odds?! Yet, they ended up nine days apart. The girls had the chance to meet while Monica was in Bloomington. Check out these adorable pictures!

Isabel meet Vivian :)

How beautiful is this baby girl? The biggest blue eyes I've ever seen...and the hair! Where did she get all that hair?

Isabel & Vivian outtake number 95...

The next night we decided to do something absolutely crazy. We drove up to Chicago for a mini-Delta reunion. Since so many girls were in town for the holidays, we had a gathering...a BYOB (Bring your own baby) gathering! Amidst the chaos, we had a lot of fun catching up! Isabel and I decided to really test our luck and we spent the nigh at Katie's...along with Monica, Vivian and Ali. CRAZY. Seriously, we should have taken the BYOB theme more seriously and brought more booze!

Of course we had to have a photo session...like one I've never seen before. There were more flashes in 30 seconds than I have ever seen. No wonder I have a dozen pictures and all the babies look like zombies!

Left to right: Jack Hager (1 year), Jonathon Brown (5 months), Vivian Ramsey (3 months), Aidan Butscher (4 months), Isabel Funk (3 months) and Leah Schreiber (3 weeks)

Just a couple more...with the momma's! L to R: Katie & Jack; Ami & Jonathan; Monica & Vivian; Staci & Aidan; Kristy & Isabel; Leslie & Leah

Mini Me

2010-01-15T20:19:00.000-06:00

If you have the opportunity to meet my baby girl you can instantly see that she is a spitting imaging of her father. My friend Rachel's husband said it best..."I always wondered what Ben would look like with long hair." So I went digging for pictures at my mother-in-laws house and look what I found. A confirmed "Mini Me" of Ben!

Baby Ben

Baby Isabel

Baby Ben

Baby Isabel...the cute expressions never stop!

Mr. Butterfly

2010-01-12T22:10:00.000-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me how little Ben and I know about parenting. Seriously, I have a lot of experience with children. I babysat every summer growing up...plus so many of my friends already have babes...so you would think I understand the simplest of things. Yet one day Isabel was fussing away...we tried the typical routine of changing her diaper, walking with her, putting her in her swing, jumperoo, rocking, feeding...nothing really seemed to satisfy. And then we saw it...the mound of toys in this girls room. Ben holds out Mr. Butterfly in front of Isabel in hope of satisfying her and instantly she reaches out and grabs the toys right out of his hand. She did it with such skill that you would think she practices this as night after we go to bed. What were we thinking...she wants to play...well that and put things in her mouth. The poor thing is teething...er, at least I think she is teething (remember my earlier disclaimer about my inexperience). She drools all over the place and puts everything in her mouth. I have seen the outline of the bottom two front teeth for over a month, yet I still don't feel anything sharp.

So anyways, back to Mr. Butterfly. Ever since this day we don't go anywhere without Mr. Butterfly. He goes up the stairs with us, down the stairs with us...in the car, to church, to the grocery store, to the ISU game, etc. He has saved me repeatedly.

Mr. Butterfly even gets Isabel to fall asleep in her car seat. It's a great alarm clock too...when she wakes up she just starts playing with it and the crinkle noise lets me know she is stirring.

Look at these adorable legs. She is still a bit little for the Jumperoo, but with a pillow under her feet she goes to town!

In the jumperoo hanging onto Mr. Butterfly...she is in 7th heaven.

Again, Mr. Butterfly lulls her to sleep. It probably helped to have the "lights off" with her hat over her eyes :)

Three

2010-01-11T22:03:00.000-06:00

So a month ago my baby was 3 months old!! It was a bittersweet milestone. She is growing so much and getting such a cute personality, yet 3 months marked the end of my "spa retreat" from work. Over the third month Isabel had a lot of firsts...the best was a faint little giggle that I got during a middle of the night feeding. Oh my goodness I have never heard anything so sweet. I was so blissful that I couldn't fall back asleep so I just stared at her on the video monitor. Another noteworthy event over the past month was the change from size one to size two diapers. Let me tell you, I learned how to measure diaper sizes the hard way! We had three nights in a row of "blowouts" and I finally got the hint... I guess I just couldn't handle the fact that my baby was onto the next size diaper. Finally, Isabel had a fluke rollover during month three. One day during tummy time she rolled over to her back. I say it was a fluke as she has yet to do a repeat performance...stay tuned for more updates.

Here is a link to my obsessive compulsive picture taking of my baby girl on Kodak. I have lost all control...sorry.

Here is my favorite month 3 milestone photo... She pooped out of her cute outfit right before our little photo shoot, so I decided to capture the moment anyway. Can you tell how annoyed she is with me?

Trying so hard to sit up!

One of the first outfits I bought for Isabel (size 6 months) and she is already growing out of it. She is growing so fast that we need to have a fashion show to capture all the cute outfits!

Is it bad to capture these type of moments?? I just love every single thing about this baby girl...

Merry 1st Christmas Isabel

2010-01-10T22:36:00.000-06:00

Christmas with a baby is incredible. It's amazing what a child brings to the holiday celebrations...

We started off the holiday season with a photo shoot with Old St. Nick! Instead of batteling the crowds at the mall and paying a fortune for a subpar poloriod, we invested a trip to V Gallery in Morton. She is the best Christmas present I have ever received!

After we sat on St. Nick's lap...we headed over to visit Grandma Funk. Isabel was all smiles...I couldn't snap enough pictures. If only we could have gotten the smiles 30 min earlier...

This was an early celebration to visit my Great Uncle Wally and Aunt Myrna. It was their 65th wedding anniversary AND both of their 90th birthdays! Isn't that unbelievable. The line to visit with them was out the door...so we passed time with a photo shoot with Grandma and Grandpa.

Our first Christmas tree with our baby little girl!

Santa's Little Helper...thanks for the adorable outfit Auntie Sharon!

Photoshoot with Meeme and Papa

Isabel on Santa's lap at the Baby Jesus' Birthday Party

On Christmas Eve we went to a candlelite services with my parents. Here is a charming picture of my baby girl (on Grandpa's lap)...she wasn't so charming when she burped loudly, spit up all over me and had an extrodinarly smelly poopy diaper IN CHURCH!

Our little mamushka...

Hey Great Grandpa...I have a Santa hat just like you!

Thanks for the fun toy Grandma!

Isabel at the Funk Family Christmas...she just woke up from a nap, but she looks just like Mary. Perfect for the Christmas celebration.

Yay, Aunt Jenny is home for Christmas. Isabel is showing Jenny how big she is!

So precious!

Four generations of Funk's celebrating with Grandma Funk.

Let It Go

2010-01-03T22:59:00.000-06:00

So I've been a little behind in blogging... I really want to catch up to share some of the sweet moments from the holidays, but I just had the impulse that I should write the following feelings while they are so fresh in my heart...

As a new year is upon us, I'm sad to see 2009 go. It was an incredible year for me...I found out we were going to have a baby in January and our little miracle was born on September 10th. Every minute of my life since then has been different. The light bulb went on...I get it now. Having a child makes the good times so much better, the laughter so much sweeter, the smiles so much bigger, and on and on.

I just fed Izzy she kept catching me staring at her and she would just stop and give the best smile...the kind where her hole face is so squinty that it appears as if her eyes are closed. She occasionally would give me a little shrill to show her love. I'm sad to put her in her to sleep in her crib. The fleeting moments just keep escaping.

I now know how my parents felt while raising us. I know why they do so much for me and my brother. I understand the support, generosity, thoughtfulness, punishment, hugs, kind words, listening ear and most importantly the love so much better. I would (will) do the same for my children. It's love.

So, with the light bulb turning on...I'm going to change up my resolutions this year. Though I'd like to lose weight, exercise, eat healthy, etc... it's more important to enjoy every moment with my baby girl. I need to learn to "Let it Go" and focus on the important things rather than the countless details which used to consume me. I'd love to be wonder woman and have the perfect wardrobe, polished nails, a clean house and a warm dinner on the table (in that order). Yet I'd rather have a happy, healthy baby girl that smiles every day.

With that, here is a picture of my inspiration to keep my new years resolution...

So Stinking Cute

2010-01-02T23:13:00.000-06:00

I know I'm biased, but she is just so stinking cute... Here are some of my favorites from November!

Friday the 13th

2010-01-02T22:57:00.001-06:00

Isabel's first Friday the 13th turned out to be unlucky. She had her first round of vaccinations. I had my mom come along with us to the health department for moral support. To make Izzy feel better about the shots she had to get, my mom and I both go the H1N1 shot. I don't think this made her feel any better.

My little baby had to get one oral vaccine and three shots. Poor little thing. Being the scrapbooker she is, my mom had to take pictures to capture the moment. Luckily Izzy only cried for a minute after the shots and all pain was forgotten once I nursed her.

Poor thing...I love you!

Sip-N-See

2009-12-22T17:33:00.000-06:00

My mom's good friends, Carol and Sue, recently threw Izzy a Sip'N'See! Let me tell you...this is my kind of party! What do you do..."sip" on alcoholic beverages all while "seeing" my baby girl! Seriously, brilliant! Truthfully, I think you are really supposed to sip on tea...lame!

Carol and Sue with the Grandma of the Day!

Everyone generously brought a book for Grandma Nancy's library for Isabel...and future grandbabies! Wow...we might have to have story time at Grandma Nancy's frequently...such good books and so little time!

Can you believe there is a series of books called "Fancy Nancy"?

Izzy giving me the look asking "Where is my drink?"

My little bug a boo... Isn't this dress the most precious?! Thanks Aunt Kathy for the princess dress...Izzy loves it!

Boys Boys Boys

2009-12-22T17:02:00.000-06:00

We took another road trip up to Chicago to visit my friend Staci and her newborn baby, Aidan. Aidan is almost 3 weeks older than Isabel. So it was so fun to get the kiddos together to "play"!

Check out this little guys smile...

How funny is this picture?? Clearly the kids are just thrilled with our little photo shoot!

Our other friend Katie also joined in on the festivities on her day off of work. Her little man was a little over ten months at this point and he was loads of fun to watch. He was also loads of work. Staci and I looked at each other with a little relief that our babies can't move yet :)

How handsome is Jack?!

The impossible shot...this kids were probably seeing dots for 10 minutes after these photos...3 mom's with cameras = tons of flashes! In fact, some of my outtakes show the red-eye reduction from either Katie or Staci's camera :)

Here is Jack trying to feel Aidan's mohawk...or fighting over Izzy perhaps?!

I got the look of concern (the norm) after taking so many pictures of the boys.

Two

2009-12-22T16:18:00.000-06:00

Isabel's second month was so much fun. We finally started figuring things out this month. There are two things to note this month and I can't decide which is best... First, Izzy started sleeping in her crib HOORAY/sniff sniff. My dear friend Rachel was the ultimate winner at convincing me of breaking the habit of holding Izzy when she sleeps...after spending the night with the Wiegman's I came home with the motivation to get Isabel to like her crib. I put her in it and after maybe two minutes of whimpering (not crying) she was asleep! She didn't sleep through the night or anything crazy...but a night without my baby girl in my bed was restful for me. Though it is bittersweet as those moments of listening to her breath, watching her smile and drifting off to sleep are missed.

The other major accomplishment of the month is Izzy's SMILE! She has learned how to make our hearts melt. My favorite smiles are usually at 3 in the morning when I feed her. It's just the two of us and I think she knows I need the encouragement. Seriously, with smiles like hers, I would stay up all night to feed her!

At her two month check up, Dr. Emm said that Isabel was a "healthy" (not fat) child. She weighed 12 lbs 1 oz, 75th percentile and was 22.5 inches long, 50th percentile. Her chubby cheeks are my daily indicator that she is getting enough to eat! What do you think?

Here is a link to all of Izzy's second month of pictures. Lots of similar photos...I just couldn't decide which expression was my favorite :)

Here is a two month photo outtake...I love the smile...I just can't get her to do that for the camera!

This is the look right after she spits her entire dinner up on Daddy because he thought it would be cute to play "airplane"!

Doesn't it melt your heart? It melts Daddy's wallet :)

Eat em up Redbirds

2009-12-22T15:37:00.000-06:00

So obviously I'm a little behind in blogging...these pictures are a dead giveaway...sunny and no jackets! Don't worry...it was a beautiful fall day. Luckily the wonderful weather landed on a weekend when the redbirds were in town. We joined Grandma and Grandpa K and tailgated before the Redbird football game!

Grandma and Izzy match in their redbird red!

Izzy signing the fight song!