If we are 'friends' on Facebook, then you know that finding our baby boy's name was quite the challenge. We were taking the decision seriously but were having a truly difficult time. Here is a bit about our name search and how we landed on 'Shaw'.
Throughout my pregnancy Corey and I were pretty laxed when it came to preparing. This was our second baby so it wasn't as 'new' as it was with Emma. His room was done later, I didn't garage sale looking for items, his bag wasn't packed, and his name was definitely not decided.
We would discuss names........for like a minute and then move on to a different topic. We knew we had to make a decision but we also knew we had time.
As of Monday, July 23rd we had the following names:
- Deven (Corey's choice)- Corey met a guy named Deven a few months ago and decided that he really liked the name
- Riley (mutual liking)- I mentioned it one night and he agreed he liked it
- Noah (my choice) - Not sure where I got it, but like it
When we took Emma to the lake on Monday, there was a little boy named Noah and his mom just kept yelling for him 'Noah, Noah' and I had enough. I told Corey right there- Noah is off my list.
Walking in to to the hospital on Wednesday, July 25 we had the following names on our mind:
- Deven
- Hank-- a name that we liked for a while
- Riley
About 3 hours in to the day, Corey decided to add "Jackson" to our list. This was interesting since I mentioned Jackson months ago and it was a name he turned down instantly. Here we were with our new list:
-Deven
-Hank
-Riley
-Jackson
I gave birth and we were so focused on other things that we just called him 'baby' 'little guy' 'buddy' and 'dude'. We decided that we would take a family vote that night. Corey's mom and sister came up to visit and so we asked them, I also texted my mom, sister, and a good friend of mine- Sarah Fischer. Somewhere we decided against Hank because we thought it might lose the 'cute' factor once he got to a certain age. We were voting on:
- Deven
- Riley
- Jackson
Our vote turned out to be 'Jackson'. Some family mentioned spelling it Jaxon and nicknaming him Jax rather than Jack. We liked it but it was obvious that our search wasn't done. Either way the vote eliminated Riley.
When his family left we flipped a coin between Deven and Jackson. The flip concluded with Jackson and, again, we weren't sold.
Thursday came -- and still no name. The birth registrar called us in the morning asking for information to fill out the birth certificate and we told her she would have to call back the next day. We had family coming that night and we knew we were going to get pressured to make a decision--apparently that wasn't enough motivation for us because the evening came and no name was decided. My mom and step-dad (Jim) came up as well as Todd, Bryn, Carson, Morgan (the wonderful Muehlbauer clan that Emma is always with). Once they left Katie Sabraski was up with Brae and we were talking names and she said something about 'Shaw'. Corey got a big smile on his face. Shaw is a name Corey thought of back when I was pregnant with Emma. If she was a boy, it was our top running name; however when he mentioned it sometime during this pregnancy I had turned it down right away...probably mainly because he turned down all my boy names instantly. Now, with it being brought up, this began the discussion again- I agreed that I liked the name as well. It is unique, yet not completely crazy. We also had Chris Studanski and Christina Wollak up, who agreed that Shaw was a great name. Now, let's not ignore the obvious.....'Shaw' is a popular name in the racing community. In fact, Corey drives a Larry SHAW midwest modified. This is originally where the name came up. These 3 friends who loved the name are all racing friends--however I am sure there is no correlation between the two :) My objection was that 'Shaw Donald' did not flow. Since Corey had decided years ago (literally) that our son would have the middle name 'Donald' it was a non-negotiable topic and I wasn't sure if I liked it.
Our friends left and we sent baby boy down to the nursery. We decided to take a stroll down to the cafeteria and we came back and (finally) had a great discussion about names. By now we had input from our family, the nursing staff, and friends. Throughout the pregnancy, day of birth, and hospital stay it was the best name conversation we had...however we added another name: Owen. It had been a name I suggested a while back but, of course, Corey was stuck on 'Deven' at that time and wasn't fancying any other names. Our new list was like this:
- Deven
- Jackson
- Owen
- Shaw
We went through each name, talking about spelling, nicknames, pairing it with Emma, connecting it with 'Donald', looking at him and calling him by each name, and even yelling out "Emma and ______ get over here". Yep, we went to all lengths. At this point, Deven went right out the window. It was a tongue twister for me to pair it with Emma in a yelling situation. I said I would end up calling our kids 'Evan' because I would throw the two names together. Corey tried and he agreed. For the first time in months he actually said 'no' to Deven--BIG shocker! Jackson- we decided that even though we can't look at babys and come up with names, even to us the little guy did not look like a Jackson. In addition, our family vote and coin toss concluded with Jackson and we obviously hadn't chose it for a reason. Owen- we liked. It sounded good with Emma and Donald, and it wasn't a tongue twister. Lastly, Shaw. Which we both like for the unique value. There it was--
-Shaw
-Owen.
We felt very good about these two names and wrote them up on the white board so we could ponder on them through the night.
In the morning we still felt great about them, as we began discussing the registrar lady called again asking if we had come up with a name. I told her to give us an hour. Sometime in the next 30 minutes we decided that we placed more value on the 'unique' factor than the 'flow' factor. Meaning- that we liked that 'Shaw' was unique more than the fact that we disliked that it didn't flow too well with 'Donald' which was the positive of 'Owen'. Once we decided I told Corey to text our family so we couldn't change our minds. I finished feeding Shaw and published it on Facebook--which then we definitely couldn't go back :) Then, Corey had the nerve to add- if we have another boy we will name him Owen, because I really like that name" Ummmm...wait ANOTHER baby? I don't think so. I know women forget the pain but not nearly enough time has passed--hell I am still in the hospital!! Note to family who is getting a glimpse of hope- Shaw is our last child.
That is how Baby Eystad became Baby Shaw Eystad.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
DOB: July 25
Our little bundle of joy is here! He may be nameless but is definitely loved!
My induction was scheduled for 6am, we checked in about 5:45 and were admitted to the largest birthing suite at the St. Cloud hospital. It is insane and we didn't want to leave! It is a corner room with 2 full walls of floor to ceiling windows. There was so much space. They do this for people who want to make this a family experience- the Eystads did not :)
7am: They got me admitted and I was receiving pitocen by 7am. It was different to just wait for the contractions to start versus with Emma when my water broke and it was 'go' time. I was dilated to a 'stretchy 4' which they said was a good thing that my cervix was so soft.
8:45 am- Dr. Marushin came in and broke my water. I was dilated to a 5 at this time
10am- the contractions were getting stronger and I received my epidural. My nurse, Carla, called the doctor to come check me since I was feeling a lot of pressure
10:13- Dilated to a 6 and released a lot of water when she checked me so they were sure things were going to start moving quickly.
12:17pm I was dilated to 7 and 80% effaced
1:11pm- dilated to 8 with lots of pressure. My nurse called my doctor to come over from the clinic and she got stuck in some road construction. She also called a doctor that is going through her residency but she was stuck in a c-section so we called the doctor on call. Good thing because this baby was coming and I was feeling a ton of pressure.
1:58pm- gave birth to a healthy baby. The official weight was 9 lbs 2.7 ounces but they rounded it up to 3. He is 20" long. They said my doctor was running down the hallways to get to me, she came in to watch me push 1-2x and catch him. She was suprised how fast things went since I went from an 8 to basically pushing in less than an hour. She also mentioned that she was very glad that we decided to induce because she didn't want to see how big he could have gotten. I believe my first words after he was born were "I am so glad that is over" and I probably repeated it 3-4x back to back, and then 20x throughout the night. I only pushed 3-4x but it was painful, even with the epidural.
3:27pm- still in recovery, extremely glad it was over. In lots of pain.
I began losing a lot of blood and this was a bit concerning, but everything was fine, they just wanted to watch it. Usually they try to get you out of the recovery room within 2 hours of delivery; however they didnt' end up moving us until about 5-5:30. While holding the baby I got very dizzy and had Corey take him, I was very sure I was going to pass out. Shortly after they were going to transfer me to a wheel chair to try and go to the bathroom and I had another dizzy spell. Therefore, they had me lay back down and hang out in the room for a bit longer. When they decided to transfer me, they actually just pushed me down the hallway in the bed. I snacked on a donut and muffin throughout the afternoon but hadn't had a meal.
When we moved in to our post-delivery room, baby boy got his first bath right inside the room. It was very neat and he did a great job. He also did a good job eating.
We ordered Pizza Ranch and ate dinner with Corey's mom and sister. Around 830 they let me try to get up, which I was able to do just fine. I am sure my body just needed a meal.
Denis and Lora came up around 830 to bring Corey a blanket (THANK YOU!) and so we got to hang out with them a bit. Then we hit the hay about 9:30pm. Bleeding became fine and I felt good as well.
Now today- the goal is to decide on a name, little guy will get his circumcision, and I want to get in the nice jetted tubs that they have.
My induction was scheduled for 6am, we checked in about 5:45 and were admitted to the largest birthing suite at the St. Cloud hospital. It is insane and we didn't want to leave! It is a corner room with 2 full walls of floor to ceiling windows. There was so much space. They do this for people who want to make this a family experience- the Eystads did not :)
7am: They got me admitted and I was receiving pitocen by 7am. It was different to just wait for the contractions to start versus with Emma when my water broke and it was 'go' time. I was dilated to a 'stretchy 4' which they said was a good thing that my cervix was so soft.
8:45 am- Dr. Marushin came in and broke my water. I was dilated to a 5 at this time
10am- the contractions were getting stronger and I received my epidural. My nurse, Carla, called the doctor to come check me since I was feeling a lot of pressure
10:13- Dilated to a 6 and released a lot of water when she checked me so they were sure things were going to start moving quickly.
12:17pm I was dilated to 7 and 80% effaced
1:11pm- dilated to 8 with lots of pressure. My nurse called my doctor to come over from the clinic and she got stuck in some road construction. She also called a doctor that is going through her residency but she was stuck in a c-section so we called the doctor on call. Good thing because this baby was coming and I was feeling a ton of pressure.
1:58pm- gave birth to a healthy baby. The official weight was 9 lbs 2.7 ounces but they rounded it up to 3. He is 20" long. They said my doctor was running down the hallways to get to me, she came in to watch me push 1-2x and catch him. She was suprised how fast things went since I went from an 8 to basically pushing in less than an hour. She also mentioned that she was very glad that we decided to induce because she didn't want to see how big he could have gotten. I believe my first words after he was born were "I am so glad that is over" and I probably repeated it 3-4x back to back, and then 20x throughout the night. I only pushed 3-4x but it was painful, even with the epidural.
3:27pm- still in recovery, extremely glad it was over. In lots of pain.
I began losing a lot of blood and this was a bit concerning, but everything was fine, they just wanted to watch it. Usually they try to get you out of the recovery room within 2 hours of delivery; however they didnt' end up moving us until about 5-5:30. While holding the baby I got very dizzy and had Corey take him, I was very sure I was going to pass out. Shortly after they were going to transfer me to a wheel chair to try and go to the bathroom and I had another dizzy spell. Therefore, they had me lay back down and hang out in the room for a bit longer. When they decided to transfer me, they actually just pushed me down the hallway in the bed. I snacked on a donut and muffin throughout the afternoon but hadn't had a meal.
When we moved in to our post-delivery room, baby boy got his first bath right inside the room. It was very neat and he did a great job. He also did a good job eating.
We ordered Pizza Ranch and ate dinner with Corey's mom and sister. Around 830 they let me try to get up, which I was able to do just fine. I am sure my body just needed a meal.
Denis and Lora came up around 830 to bring Corey a blanket (THANK YOU!) and so we got to hang out with them a bit. Then we hit the hay about 9:30pm. Bleeding became fine and I felt good as well.
Now today- the goal is to decide on a name, little guy will get his circumcision, and I want to get in the nice jetted tubs that they have.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Dear Mr. Junior Eystad
Hello my dear child. Tomorrow is the day your father and I have been waiting for for quite some time, beyond the 9 months that I was pregnant with you. We have talked about a family like this for years, even years before our marriage. Tomorrow, when you are born, our family will be complete. Your sister Emma is a sweetheart; she melts our heart every day and we know you will too. At times I am sure you will find her to be your friend, ally, and even your scapegoat, but no matter what she is your family. Sweetheart, there is nothing more important than family. I pray your father and I will raise you to believe and live this throughout all your years.
The fact that I am getting induced tells me that you are going to be stubborn, which is a trait both your mom and dad have. I hope you are a spitting image of your dad including his down to earth personality and his humor. I can't wait to watch your personality form and watch how you form in to the world around you. As you form, don't conform. Instead, be you. Be confident in yourself and know that no matter what, you are enough. God made you special and unique for a reason, embrace it. I know that we will, every day of our lives.
I love you already and am so excited to meet you.
Mom
The fact that I am getting induced tells me that you are going to be stubborn, which is a trait both your mom and dad have. I hope you are a spitting image of your dad including his down to earth personality and his humor. I can't wait to watch your personality form and watch how you form in to the world around you. As you form, don't conform. Instead, be you. Be confident in yourself and know that no matter what, you are enough. God made you special and unique for a reason, embrace it. I know that we will, every day of our lives.
I love you already and am so excited to meet you.
Mom
Thursday, July 19, 2012
History has not repeated itself...
Doctor's appointment yesterday--she asked if I had thought anymore about getting induced. I said I had and would schedule it for next week but really wanted to try and get him to come on his own to prevent a potential c-section. She agreed. So I asked if she would strip my membranes..which she easily agreed to. With Emma, I got contractions immediately and 24 hours later my water broke. Well, my appointment was yesterday at 9:30, I have felt only a few contractions but no major discomfort. I do not see my water breaking in the next 3 hours. Huge bummer! In hindsight, I was almost 40 weeks with E and hadn't progressed at all; whereas I am already a 3 (even if I have been for 2 weeks) and I am at 38 weeks. I guess he is just not ready to join us yet. I will be doing lots of walking thru the week-end to try and persuade him to come out and meet us.
If you are on Facebook, you probably have noticed the maternity pictures we took last week. We went to Jennings Distinct Images out of St. Cloud (she actually lives closer to St. Joe). The few pictures on Facebook are just a sneak peak of what is to come, I am hoping to see them in the next 2 weeks or so. Emma wasn't smiling a whole lot for us so I was happy to have one good family pic, and I love the pic of her laying on my belly.
That's about it....I can only hope that my next post will be highlighting baby E's birth rather than my feelings prior to induction--but only time will tell.
If you are on Facebook, you probably have noticed the maternity pictures we took last week. We went to Jennings Distinct Images out of St. Cloud (she actually lives closer to St. Joe). The few pictures on Facebook are just a sneak peak of what is to come, I am hoping to see them in the next 2 weeks or so. Emma wasn't smiling a whole lot for us so I was happy to have one good family pic, and I love the pic of her laying on my belly.
That's about it....I can only hope that my next post will be highlighting baby E's birth rather than my feelings prior to induction--but only time will tell.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Contractions
I had lots of contractions last night. They weren't consistent..and to be honest some of them may have been 'fake' and it could be he was moving and hitting things that caused cramping...either way it made me go in to nesting a bit further. Saturday's goal: pack our bags, take maternity photos, and put the infant car seat in the Edge. Then I think I would feel more prepared. Then when my mom visits on Sunday we can clean out baby's room and the misc other things..and I may feel better. I am hoping she can find more storage space somewhere because I feel like every place I look has baby stuff we need to hang on to for the little guy...
Corey was a sweetheart and spent his Friday off doing all kinds of things around the house....and the race car stayed in the trailer. I am sure it was a temptation but there are so many things that are now done and look/feel great. The 'damn daily's as I like to call them (and I believe I stole that from Dr. Phil) just seem to get worse and worse if you don't take care of them..simple things like picking up toys, dishes, laundry, etc..and I was at a point where I was just overwhelmed. In reality it really wasn't bad, but it felt like everything needed to be done and with me hardly being able to bend down to pick things up..it seemed like an impossible feat.
Corey was a sweetheart and spent his Friday off doing all kinds of things around the house....and the race car stayed in the trailer. I am sure it was a temptation but there are so many things that are now done and look/feel great. The 'damn daily's as I like to call them (and I believe I stole that from Dr. Phil) just seem to get worse and worse if you don't take care of them..simple things like picking up toys, dishes, laundry, etc..and I was at a point where I was just overwhelmed. In reality it really wasn't bad, but it felt like everything needed to be done and with me hardly being able to bend down to pick things up..it seemed like an impossible feat.
Friday, July 13, 2012
37 Wk Dr Appt
We had a doctor's appointment this past Monday. We got to see our 'little' guy during a growth ultrasound. The doc wanted to see how big he was and, from there, determine an induction plan. Well, baby surpasses the 90th percentile in every category and is weighing in at 7.5 lbs. However- they may be off up to 1 lb and 2 ounces, lets hope he is lighter than what they are thinking and not the other way around. They are not too concerned since Emma was big, this is my 2nd, and its a boy..but he is big. Afterwards, I went and met with my doctor. She checked me and said I am dilated to 3. The look on my face must have been of complete shock because she said, "Yep, 3, so go home and pack your bags." Considering I was hardly dilated to a 1 - 24 hours before my water broke with Emma, I was thrilled! She continued on to say that if I don't have him by next Wednesday (my 38 wk appt) we will schedule an induction for the following week.
For as much as I would love to not be pregnant anymore, if they are only going to induce me a week early, I kind of think I prefer to wait and let him come on his own. It is more natural (so hopefully that means less painful, less waiting around the hospital, etc) and then I get my 'suprise' moment like I did with Emma. We will see how I am feeling, but as of right now I am praying he comes sometime next week....then I don't have to worry about the next step. Hell, if she is thinking of inducing..maybe she can just scrape my membranes...that worked like a CHAMP with Emma. At least that would be a little more natural than pumping me full of petocin.
Since that appointment, we haven't packed or really done anything to continue to get ready. Actually, correction, we did get Emma in her toddler bed. SHE LOVES IT! However there has been one night that she woke up screaming, felt horrid for her. Other than that she loves to be able to jump in and out as she pleases. When we put her down she may get out to get a book, but then she crawls right back in and stays there.
I am definitely in a 'nesting' stage but I dont have the energy to be able to move around and clean things up. In addition, when I bend over to pick up I feel like crap and start cramping real bad. My mom is coming up on Sunday to help me--I am hoping this makes me feel more prepared and less cluttered.
There is 18 days until my due date, so whether I get induced or go on my own...he will be gracing us with his presence soon..
His name----------------------still undecided. Honestly, we do not have a #1 yet.
For as much as I would love to not be pregnant anymore, if they are only going to induce me a week early, I kind of think I prefer to wait and let him come on his own. It is more natural (so hopefully that means less painful, less waiting around the hospital, etc) and then I get my 'suprise' moment like I did with Emma. We will see how I am feeling, but as of right now I am praying he comes sometime next week....then I don't have to worry about the next step. Hell, if she is thinking of inducing..maybe she can just scrape my membranes...that worked like a CHAMP with Emma. At least that would be a little more natural than pumping me full of petocin.
Since that appointment, we haven't packed or really done anything to continue to get ready. Actually, correction, we did get Emma in her toddler bed. SHE LOVES IT! However there has been one night that she woke up screaming, felt horrid for her. Other than that she loves to be able to jump in and out as she pleases. When we put her down she may get out to get a book, but then she crawls right back in and stays there.
I am definitely in a 'nesting' stage but I dont have the energy to be able to move around and clean things up. In addition, when I bend over to pick up I feel like crap and start cramping real bad. My mom is coming up on Sunday to help me--I am hoping this makes me feel more prepared and less cluttered.
There is 18 days until my due date, so whether I get induced or go on my own...he will be gracing us with his presence soon..
His name----------------------still undecided. Honestly, we do not have a #1 yet.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Happy (belated) 4th of July!
Hello!
The 4th of July has come and gone, which means we are having this baby in just over 3 weeks! It's crazy to think that its that close, yet it doesn't seem close enough. So cliche, I know.
I had my 34 week appt a few weeks ago and my doctor told me that my baby is 'a big boy' after hearing her say it pretty much 3 times in a row..with little to no words in between..I got a little worried. If you have seen me, you can see that my belly is big and it looks like it doesn't have much more room to drop..however my doctor noted "it's not because your belly is large or that its you second child...when I feel your stomach it's all baby, like he already doesn't have room to move. Yep, I know (and can feel) this! I had to skip a 36 week appt because of the holiday and my doctors weren't available, so on Monday we will be doing an ultrasound and then meeting with my OB afterwards. I am psyched to be having an ultrasound because we have only had one so far and we had 3-4 with Emma. By the sounds of it they will be scheduling an induction but as we were chatting it occurred to us that we may have my due date pegged wrong. Since we never did an ultrasound in the beginning it could be that I am farther along then we had thought..this means the baby could truly come anytime--on his own. Like I said before, I want to be done but even more than that I want him to come on his own and have the 'suprise' factor when my water breaks.
Other than the normal aches, pains, and pelvic pressure/pain, I can't really complain. He moves a lot and I enjoy it. I haven't blown up as much as I did with Emma..however I weighed mysef tonight and I weigh a couple pounds more than I did the day I gave birth to Em--swollen and full of fluids. That was kind of an eye opener...yikes!
Emma loves the belly too, she loves to lay on it or up against it. She has become quite the cuddler with me lately and I am sucking it up. She is the cutest girl ever! She still loves to play outside and around Corey as he is working on the race car. She doesn't talk a ton still but understands a lot and we keep working with her to talk rather than her 'eh eh' talk.
Hmm....not sure what else is new ..just trying to put down some notes about the pregnancy..before its all over...
The 4th of July has come and gone, which means we are having this baby in just over 3 weeks! It's crazy to think that its that close, yet it doesn't seem close enough. So cliche, I know.
I had my 34 week appt a few weeks ago and my doctor told me that my baby is 'a big boy' after hearing her say it pretty much 3 times in a row..with little to no words in between..I got a little worried. If you have seen me, you can see that my belly is big and it looks like it doesn't have much more room to drop..however my doctor noted "it's not because your belly is large or that its you second child...when I feel your stomach it's all baby, like he already doesn't have room to move. Yep, I know (and can feel) this! I had to skip a 36 week appt because of the holiday and my doctors weren't available, so on Monday we will be doing an ultrasound and then meeting with my OB afterwards. I am psyched to be having an ultrasound because we have only had one so far and we had 3-4 with Emma. By the sounds of it they will be scheduling an induction but as we were chatting it occurred to us that we may have my due date pegged wrong. Since we never did an ultrasound in the beginning it could be that I am farther along then we had thought..this means the baby could truly come anytime--on his own. Like I said before, I want to be done but even more than that I want him to come on his own and have the 'suprise' factor when my water breaks.
Other than the normal aches, pains, and pelvic pressure/pain, I can't really complain. He moves a lot and I enjoy it. I haven't blown up as much as I did with Emma..however I weighed mysef tonight and I weigh a couple pounds more than I did the day I gave birth to Em--swollen and full of fluids. That was kind of an eye opener...yikes!
Emma loves the belly too, she loves to lay on it or up against it. She has become quite the cuddler with me lately and I am sucking it up. She is the cutest girl ever! She still loves to play outside and around Corey as he is working on the race car. She doesn't talk a ton still but understands a lot and we keep working with her to talk rather than her 'eh eh' talk.
Hmm....not sure what else is new ..just trying to put down some notes about the pregnancy..before its all over...
Saturday, June 9, 2012
2am wake up!
With Emma it was 12-2/3 and now its 2am. During the week we wake up at 445 to go to work so sometimes I don't get back to sleep and end up staying up for the day but sometimes I do fall asleep around 4am and then just get a nap before work. It is getting pretty annoying but I guess they say it prepares you to be a parent again so I will be appreciative one day---maybe.
I was supposed to have my 32 week appt yesterday; however, long story short it didn't happen. I will do a 34 week appt instead which was a recommendation from my dr. Overall I still feel good, have some cramping when I do a lot of walking and some pain in the morning but otherwise I shouldn't complain. I have been nesting a lot more with this one then Emma. I am always trying to organize my kitchen drawers, cleaning things, but mainly organizing. I am always looking for organizers on Amazon or ways to clean up the clutter. It's a good thing! I spent $25 getting some drawer organizers and it made my week. I just kept opening the drawers and closing them, feels so good!
Last week we had Jennifer & James Unger over for our first bonfire in our bonfire pit. It is always a blast to sit and chat with them, just wish I could have shared in on the alcoholic beverages! My day will come I guess.
Racing is still going well, even though we haven't been on the track a ton, I like having Sunday nights as race nights versus Saturday. We will still race some Fridays and Saturdays, I am sure, but it's not a repeated thing every week-end.
Well that is about all I know this morning. I am sure I will think of more later. Enjoy the weather--I am sure I would if I didnt' have this baby in my belly!
I was supposed to have my 32 week appt yesterday; however, long story short it didn't happen. I will do a 34 week appt instead which was a recommendation from my dr. Overall I still feel good, have some cramping when I do a lot of walking and some pain in the morning but otherwise I shouldn't complain. I have been nesting a lot more with this one then Emma. I am always trying to organize my kitchen drawers, cleaning things, but mainly organizing. I am always looking for organizers on Amazon or ways to clean up the clutter. It's a good thing! I spent $25 getting some drawer organizers and it made my week. I just kept opening the drawers and closing them, feels so good!
Last week we had Jennifer & James Unger over for our first bonfire in our bonfire pit. It is always a blast to sit and chat with them, just wish I could have shared in on the alcoholic beverages! My day will come I guess.
Racing is still going well, even though we haven't been on the track a ton, I like having Sunday nights as race nights versus Saturday. We will still race some Fridays and Saturdays, I am sure, but it's not a repeated thing every week-end.
Well that is about all I know this morning. I am sure I will think of more later. Enjoy the weather--I am sure I would if I didnt' have this baby in my belly!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
30 Weeks!
I almost forgot to announce..I am 30 weeks along today. This is when the pregnancy is starting to really become a reality. Of course I know I am pregnant and feel the little man moving around all the time- however now it's becoming real that this baby will actually be joining us soon. Yesterday I booked the rest of my doctor's appointments as well, which was an eye opener! With Memorial Day this week-end, we are hoping to make some progress in Eystad Jr's room. Right now its a guest bedroom/throw in whatever you don't know what to do with. In an ideal world we would get a crib this week-end, decide on decorations and paint color, as well as start cleaning it out- not sure that I am living in this ideal world--however we need to kick it in the butt. Summertime = busytime!
Today is also my 3rd year wedding anniversary--Corey and I were talking this morning that its crazy to think 3 years ago we didn't have Emma and she was only a thought. We wouldn't have our family any other way and I know we will feel the same way once the next one joins us. However- if we could go back to 3 years ago we would like to enjoy the wedding experience all over again as well as the great trip to Dominican Republic. 2 years ago today I was 20 weeks pregnant with Emma and we were picking out her bedroom furniture, bedding, stuffed animals, the works and only weeks later did we have it all in her room and ready for her arrival. Of course she was our first- but we are just as excited this time as we were last time...so its time to step it up!
Today is also my 3rd year wedding anniversary--Corey and I were talking this morning that its crazy to think 3 years ago we didn't have Emma and she was only a thought. We wouldn't have our family any other way and I know we will feel the same way once the next one joins us. However- if we could go back to 3 years ago we would like to enjoy the wedding experience all over again as well as the great trip to Dominican Republic. 2 years ago today I was 20 weeks pregnant with Emma and we were picking out her bedroom furniture, bedding, stuffed animals, the works and only weeks later did we have it all in her room and ready for her arrival. Of course she was our first- but we are just as excited this time as we were last time...so its time to step it up!
Cravings
With Emma, I didn't really have cravings. I guess you could count the PB & J a craving, but I think it was more of an answer to my hunger without shoving a ton of food in to my mouth. However, lately I have been craving pop. We don't even drink pop at our house, so it's kind of weird. This probably has more to do with the fact that I crave FLAVOR rather than bland lemonade or water. Pop has that boom of flavor and carbonation that just dances in your mouth. Not having had pop for so long the carbonation kind of burns and I can understand when kids say it is 'spicy'. I allowed myself a 'sip' of pop one night and that sip turned in to a can. The same thing happened the next night. Now instead of fighting it, I am just going to go and get some caffeine free pop and allow myself the flavor and sugar.
Friday, May 18, 2012
April showers brings.......more May showers?!
Once again, its been too long since I last wrote. I know I need to post pictures of me and the belly, pictures of Emma, but that never seems to happen. Right now its almost 4am and I woke up to use the potty and found myself tossing and turning. I have some belly pain at night because my mind still wants to sleep partially on my back, which I can do ..........for a while. Then I have more pain or if I do fall asleep when I wake up I can hardly roll out of bed.
Other than sleeping, the pregnancy is still going well. Some days I am a bottomless pit and feel like I am eating constantly, other days its not as bad. I am moving slower and have more back pain, which tends to make me waddle as the day drags on. This time, my placenta is towards the back so I am able to feel movement much better than I did with Emma. This guy moves around all the time and has been kicking the inside of my belly button lately, which is really uncomfortable. While I like the movements I can see how they could get irritating. On a different note, I believe I am more mobile through this pregnancy then I was with Emma (since I started working from home at 30 wks) and I plan to stay that way. I have already gained 25 pounds or so, so I am right on track for another 50 like I had with Emma. I am sitting at 29 weeks. For me, '30' weeks is a milestone where I all of a sudden feel like the baby is coming .....tomorrow. Of course I still have 10 weeks left and plenty of time to get things ready but there is something about it that makes me take a step back. Corey and I have been debating what we will do Memorial Day week-end and have decided that aside from racing..which we are unsure what we will do, but we will be purchasing a crib and bedding set for our little guy. We will also figure out what color we want to paint his room and hopefully pick out a time to paint. By this time of my pregnancy with Emma her room was done. I know she was my first so that's common, but I just would like to get his stuff ready as well. We have also been talking about names more seriously, we haven't agreed yet but hopefully that isn't too far away either or at least find a couple that we both really like. Once we thought of 'Emma Louse' it stuck and we didn't look back and we just haven't found that name for him yet.
On the racing front, Corey has raced 1 night and had 2 practice sessions--the lack of racing has been due to the weather. We decided to race mainly every Sunday at the all new Granite City Speedway (formerly known as the Golden Spike). Last Sunday was our first night and we were proud of his finish. Check out www.eystadracing.com to learn about his schedule and results.
Emma seems to be growing like a weed. She is still IN LOVE with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while mom and dad pretty much want to see all the characters struggle for air. Her passion for it is so cute, she hears it come on and she is glued to the TV, starts dancing, and sometimes even squeels. Then when all the characters are named she is trying to say them along with the song. She doesn't say many words but 'Daisy' seems to come out the best. Love it! She also loves to play ring-around-the-rosy. I am a better participant than her dad because once she gets started its hard to get her to stop. She tries to sing along with me and, of course, loves to 'fall down'. Her favorite foods are fruit, granola bars, pop-tarts, and yogurt. She loves to go in the pantry and in the fridge any chance she gets. She started the terrible 2s tantrums weeks ago and they happen here and there, some days more than others.
We poured a concrete slab for our driveway on Tuesday and so Emma can finally play with some toys outside. Having that portion done makes me want another slab done but I know it will be a while before that happens and that is ok, I will enjoy this for now. She hasn't played on it yet, but she will love it-she loves being outside! We are always working on projects and the next one will be baby's room as well as figuring out what to do with the kid's play area outside. The old owners filled it with wood chips, which doesn't seem to safe and we are not fans. We are debating about pea rock or rubber mulch. We like the idea of rubber mulch because its soft, effective, it lasts a long time, and doesn't hold moisture or bugs like sand. It is also less maintenance, however all those perks come with a cost too. So if you know anyone or you know how to get a big discount, let us know, because we would be interested!
Well friends, that is about all that is new around the Eystad household. We are just living life one day at a time and not a whole lot changes from day to day. We hope all of you are doing well!
Other than sleeping, the pregnancy is still going well. Some days I am a bottomless pit and feel like I am eating constantly, other days its not as bad. I am moving slower and have more back pain, which tends to make me waddle as the day drags on. This time, my placenta is towards the back so I am able to feel movement much better than I did with Emma. This guy moves around all the time and has been kicking the inside of my belly button lately, which is really uncomfortable. While I like the movements I can see how they could get irritating. On a different note, I believe I am more mobile through this pregnancy then I was with Emma (since I started working from home at 30 wks) and I plan to stay that way. I have already gained 25 pounds or so, so I am right on track for another 50 like I had with Emma. I am sitting at 29 weeks. For me, '30' weeks is a milestone where I all of a sudden feel like the baby is coming .....tomorrow. Of course I still have 10 weeks left and plenty of time to get things ready but there is something about it that makes me take a step back. Corey and I have been debating what we will do Memorial Day week-end and have decided that aside from racing..which we are unsure what we will do, but we will be purchasing a crib and bedding set for our little guy. We will also figure out what color we want to paint his room and hopefully pick out a time to paint. By this time of my pregnancy with Emma her room was done. I know she was my first so that's common, but I just would like to get his stuff ready as well. We have also been talking about names more seriously, we haven't agreed yet but hopefully that isn't too far away either or at least find a couple that we both really like. Once we thought of 'Emma Louse' it stuck and we didn't look back and we just haven't found that name for him yet.
On the racing front, Corey has raced 1 night and had 2 practice sessions--the lack of racing has been due to the weather. We decided to race mainly every Sunday at the all new Granite City Speedway (formerly known as the Golden Spike). Last Sunday was our first night and we were proud of his finish. Check out www.eystadracing.com to learn about his schedule and results.
Emma seems to be growing like a weed. She is still IN LOVE with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while mom and dad pretty much want to see all the characters struggle for air. Her passion for it is so cute, she hears it come on and she is glued to the TV, starts dancing, and sometimes even squeels. Then when all the characters are named she is trying to say them along with the song. She doesn't say many words but 'Daisy' seems to come out the best. Love it! She also loves to play ring-around-the-rosy. I am a better participant than her dad because once she gets started its hard to get her to stop. She tries to sing along with me and, of course, loves to 'fall down'. Her favorite foods are fruit, granola bars, pop-tarts, and yogurt. She loves to go in the pantry and in the fridge any chance she gets. She started the terrible 2s tantrums weeks ago and they happen here and there, some days more than others.
We poured a concrete slab for our driveway on Tuesday and so Emma can finally play with some toys outside. Having that portion done makes me want another slab done but I know it will be a while before that happens and that is ok, I will enjoy this for now. She hasn't played on it yet, but she will love it-she loves being outside! We are always working on projects and the next one will be baby's room as well as figuring out what to do with the kid's play area outside. The old owners filled it with wood chips, which doesn't seem to safe and we are not fans. We are debating about pea rock or rubber mulch. We like the idea of rubber mulch because its soft, effective, it lasts a long time, and doesn't hold moisture or bugs like sand. It is also less maintenance, however all those perks come with a cost too. So if you know anyone or you know how to get a big discount, let us know, because we would be interested!
Well friends, that is about all that is new around the Eystad household. We are just living life one day at a time and not a whole lot changes from day to day. We hope all of you are doing well!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Hello Spring!
Ahhh the nice weather is upon us again! Of course that means the Eystads will be headed to the race track before long, but I guess I will take the good with the bad :) JK.
Yesterday we were promised partly sunny skies and highs in the low 70s and we saw fog, cloudy skies and a high of around 60 (at the most). Today is sunny so I will take it. Emma and I just got back from our walk and I decided to lay her down for a nap and get on here in an attempt at re-creating a blogging habit.
Saturdays are usually pretty productive for me around the house, but yesterday we were in Hutchinson for the car show. This means Emma and I hung out with Corey's family and also made a trip to my sisters to see her family (which was looooong overdue!). Corey hung out at the mall chattin' cars, motors, and everything racing with the fans that walked through. His car looks great. If you haven't seen it yet, you should go to his website: www.eystadracing.com. Thank you to Crow River Signs for making a fantastic wrap to send a 'thanks' to all the troops!
So since yesterday wasn't productive, today was. Laundry, dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, general bathroom clean up and so forth all got done this morning. Then when Emma wanted to hang out outside I cleaned out two of the vehicles. I didn't go all out with vacuuming (although they highly need it) I just picked up the trash and misc stuff that seems to build up.
As I have said before, this pregnancy is way different than my first one. To be honest, I don't even know how many weeks along I am. That is very sad! To figure it out I have to go back to my last dr appt ...so that puts me at 23 weeks as of this coming Tuesday. I think '30' weeks will be an eye opener, knowing I am on the downhill slide may motivate me to do more with his room. Oh yes, we are having a boy. We are thrilled (of course). Corey has already tried using this to his advantage saying that our boy should race and, therefore, we should keep the car. Yep, that isn't going to work with this mama. Here is a long overdue picture. I am 16 weeks in this one...yes I popped very early in this pregnancy and look wayyy larger than I should be for 16 wks.
Other than that...nothing else is new with these Eystads!
Yesterday we were promised partly sunny skies and highs in the low 70s and we saw fog, cloudy skies and a high of around 60 (at the most). Today is sunny so I will take it. Emma and I just got back from our walk and I decided to lay her down for a nap and get on here in an attempt at re-creating a blogging habit.
Saturdays are usually pretty productive for me around the house, but yesterday we were in Hutchinson for the car show. This means Emma and I hung out with Corey's family and also made a trip to my sisters to see her family (which was looooong overdue!). Corey hung out at the mall chattin' cars, motors, and everything racing with the fans that walked through. His car looks great. If you haven't seen it yet, you should go to his website: www.eystadracing.com. Thank you to Crow River Signs for making a fantastic wrap to send a 'thanks' to all the troops!
So since yesterday wasn't productive, today was. Laundry, dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, general bathroom clean up and so forth all got done this morning. Then when Emma wanted to hang out outside I cleaned out two of the vehicles. I didn't go all out with vacuuming (although they highly need it) I just picked up the trash and misc stuff that seems to build up.
As I have said before, this pregnancy is way different than my first one. To be honest, I don't even know how many weeks along I am. That is very sad! To figure it out I have to go back to my last dr appt ...so that puts me at 23 weeks as of this coming Tuesday. I think '30' weeks will be an eye opener, knowing I am on the downhill slide may motivate me to do more with his room. Oh yes, we are having a boy. We are thrilled (of course). Corey has already tried using this to his advantage saying that our boy should race and, therefore, we should keep the car. Yep, that isn't going to work with this mama. Here is a long overdue picture. I am 16 weeks in this one...yes I popped very early in this pregnancy and look wayyy larger than I should be for 16 wks.
Other than that...nothing else is new with these Eystads!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Wayyy too long!
I know it has been entirely too long since my last post- no valid excuse here. The even sadder part is that I am 21 weeks pregnant and this is my first post about my pregnancy. SAD! Let's start there....
Corey and I told our family over Christmas that we are expecting baby #2--aka the final Eystad baby from these two Eystads! I went through a few weeks where I was very naseous again but then it stopped, wayyyy sooner then it did for Emma. In fact at this time with Emma I was still vomitting and that portion of this pregnancy is hardly a memory already. I have been having cravings, whereas with Emma I did not. I went through a long time period where I craved fresh, cold food: carrots, celery, salads, etc and I ate a lot of it! During that time having the smallest amount of sweets would actually cause a stomach ache...well nowadays I have chocolate cravings. If we are friends on Facebook then you know that I found the most amazing ice cream ever. Edy's Triple Cookie Fuge Sundae-including 3 flavors: vanilla with chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate with chocolate fudge swirl, and vanilla with brownie bites. It's a MUST have! Corey laughs at me but he enjoys it just as much as I do! We went to our 20 week appointment about a week ago and found out we are having a little boy--of course we are thrilled!! It's funny because with Emma I knew right away I was having a girl-there was no doubt in my mind. This time around I didn't have one gender pulling me as much..however there were several times I caught myself referring to the baby as 'he', which coworkers continued to point out to me. Knowing this was our last we preferred a boy, so I was trying to be careful and not get my hopes up. However during the ultrasound it was pretty obvious. I still don't truly believe we are actually having a boy but still completly psyched! We have began discussing names but haven't come across anything that has sold us yet.
Now Emma...she is getting so big! I ask her, 'Where is the baby?' She lifts up my shirt and touches my belly. She mainly likes to do this because her hands are usually cold and by her touching it I jump, which she really enjoys. She also likes to poke at my belly button which I really don't like. She is walking/running all over the place now. She likes to try and copy some of the words we say- her favorite lately is 'hot' she opens her mouth really wide to pronounce it. She also giggles and laughs more often- which is probably the best sound in the world. She highly enjoys being outside and we have realized how much of an issue keeping her indoors is going to be this summer (for naps or whatever). Even if she can't be outside-outside she loves being in the garage. She likes to hit the race car and be around it any way she can. She also searches through Corey's parts containers for 'fun' things to play with. Her favorite lately has been the hose clamps which she tries to take and put them all on her arms as bracelets. It's hot! I am pretty sure if I would have worn hose clamps on our first date, Corey would have married me right then and there. Other new things with her: new favorite food is cherry pop tarts, favorite outdoors toy- stroller or the cozy coupe (reddish car with yellow roof..like the staple outdoors toy for kids).
The racing season is in sight. The race car actually was started today so the motor is in and the graphics are one. Corey has also been doing some work on the trailer as well (powder coated the wheels and fixing the brakes).
Me- well you know..nothing really new other than the baby belly. I still enjoy my sleep at night even though that was supposed to go away after the 1st trimester but I do seem to have energy on the week-ends after a full night sleep. I enjoy baking/cooking with Emma every chance I get. Each Saturday I try to bake cookies or brownies or fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls. She loves sitting on the counter and 'helping me'. She has been trying to help me load/unload the dishwasher as well. In fact, today she decided to take clean tupperware out of the cupbourds and add it to the bottom rack. At least she has the right idea. She also loves to be in the pantry. She understands food comes from there and she likes pointing things out! She has a mouthful of teeth now so she is able to chomp down pretty much everything.
Well that is a heck of an update if you ask me! I know I owe it to you all!
Corey and I told our family over Christmas that we are expecting baby #2--aka the final Eystad baby from these two Eystads! I went through a few weeks where I was very naseous again but then it stopped, wayyyy sooner then it did for Emma. In fact at this time with Emma I was still vomitting and that portion of this pregnancy is hardly a memory already. I have been having cravings, whereas with Emma I did not. I went through a long time period where I craved fresh, cold food: carrots, celery, salads, etc and I ate a lot of it! During that time having the smallest amount of sweets would actually cause a stomach ache...well nowadays I have chocolate cravings. If we are friends on Facebook then you know that I found the most amazing ice cream ever. Edy's Triple Cookie Fuge Sundae-including 3 flavors: vanilla with chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate with chocolate fudge swirl, and vanilla with brownie bites. It's a MUST have! Corey laughs at me but he enjoys it just as much as I do! We went to our 20 week appointment about a week ago and found out we are having a little boy--of course we are thrilled!! It's funny because with Emma I knew right away I was having a girl-there was no doubt in my mind. This time around I didn't have one gender pulling me as much..however there were several times I caught myself referring to the baby as 'he', which coworkers continued to point out to me. Knowing this was our last we preferred a boy, so I was trying to be careful and not get my hopes up. However during the ultrasound it was pretty obvious. I still don't truly believe we are actually having a boy but still completly psyched! We have began discussing names but haven't come across anything that has sold us yet.
Now Emma...she is getting so big! I ask her, 'Where is the baby?' She lifts up my shirt and touches my belly. She mainly likes to do this because her hands are usually cold and by her touching it I jump, which she really enjoys. She also likes to poke at my belly button which I really don't like. She is walking/running all over the place now. She likes to try and copy some of the words we say- her favorite lately is 'hot' she opens her mouth really wide to pronounce it. She also giggles and laughs more often- which is probably the best sound in the world. She highly enjoys being outside and we have realized how much of an issue keeping her indoors is going to be this summer (for naps or whatever). Even if she can't be outside-outside she loves being in the garage. She likes to hit the race car and be around it any way she can. She also searches through Corey's parts containers for 'fun' things to play with. Her favorite lately has been the hose clamps which she tries to take and put them all on her arms as bracelets. It's hot! I am pretty sure if I would have worn hose clamps on our first date, Corey would have married me right then and there. Other new things with her: new favorite food is cherry pop tarts, favorite outdoors toy- stroller or the cozy coupe (reddish car with yellow roof..like the staple outdoors toy for kids).
The racing season is in sight. The race car actually was started today so the motor is in and the graphics are one. Corey has also been doing some work on the trailer as well (powder coated the wheels and fixing the brakes).
Me- well you know..nothing really new other than the baby belly. I still enjoy my sleep at night even though that was supposed to go away after the 1st trimester but I do seem to have energy on the week-ends after a full night sleep. I enjoy baking/cooking with Emma every chance I get. Each Saturday I try to bake cookies or brownies or fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls. She loves sitting on the counter and 'helping me'. She has been trying to help me load/unload the dishwasher as well. In fact, today she decided to take clean tupperware out of the cupbourds and add it to the bottom rack. At least she has the right idea. She also loves to be in the pantry. She understands food comes from there and she likes pointing things out! She has a mouthful of teeth now so she is able to chomp down pretty much everything.
Well that is a heck of an update if you ask me! I know I owe it to you all!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays everyone!
I know I owe you pictures of Emma, but that isn't going to happen today. Sorry!
This week the whole company is shut down (it's an annual thing)-so Corey and I have the week off--which is great; the downside is that there is no pay which can be tight around this time of year..however we will make it work. Our Staff Accountant at work put in her notice and yesterday was her last day, so for the past two weeks I have been training to take over her position. It will be a good challenge but it is a LOT of work. So while I would love to stay home this week and be with the fam, a smarter idea would be to go in and work at least one of the days to catch up.
Corey has put together his new sponsor packet and he will be meeting with potential racing sponsors this week, so before we know it..the week will be over and we will be back at the office on Monday.
Christmas was good to us, like it is every year. We have a wonderful family and are greatful for our blessings everyday. Some of Emma's favorite toys are the small magnidoodle and the rocking chair she received. She is a big fan of both items..among other things but those seem to be her favorite right now.
She has been walking more and more since my last post. She is pretty much a walker now- it is her mode of choice unless she is wanting to really get somewhere fast..sometimes she gets a little excited and ends up falling more than walking so she will just crawl. Otherwise she will choose to walk most places. She also has been recognizing more and more words which is fun to watch her learn. She doesn't really speak any words but she does recognize them. Of course we love her to death and just have more and more fun with her.
Hmmm that is about all that is new with us. Hope Christmas was wonderful to all of you!
I know I owe you pictures of Emma, but that isn't going to happen today. Sorry!
This week the whole company is shut down (it's an annual thing)-so Corey and I have the week off--which is great; the downside is that there is no pay which can be tight around this time of year..however we will make it work. Our Staff Accountant at work put in her notice and yesterday was her last day, so for the past two weeks I have been training to take over her position. It will be a good challenge but it is a LOT of work. So while I would love to stay home this week and be with the fam, a smarter idea would be to go in and work at least one of the days to catch up.
Corey has put together his new sponsor packet and he will be meeting with potential racing sponsors this week, so before we know it..the week will be over and we will be back at the office on Monday.
Christmas was good to us, like it is every year. We have a wonderful family and are greatful for our blessings everyday. Some of Emma's favorite toys are the small magnidoodle and the rocking chair she received. She is a big fan of both items..among other things but those seem to be her favorite right now.
She has been walking more and more since my last post. She is pretty much a walker now- it is her mode of choice unless she is wanting to really get somewhere fast..sometimes she gets a little excited and ends up falling more than walking so she will just crawl. Otherwise she will choose to walk most places. She also has been recognizing more and more words which is fun to watch her learn. She doesn't really speak any words but she does recognize them. Of course we love her to death and just have more and more fun with her.
Hmmm that is about all that is new with us. Hope Christmas was wonderful to all of you!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Are you kidding me?
Was my last post really in AUGUST? Wow! That is incredibly horrible. So much for 'keeping tabs on the Eystads'! Well, I guess this is the reason I have stayed away for so long. So much has happened and I don't really know where to start.
Somewhere around September Emma started crawling, although the day before she started I was pretty sure she was going to start walking first. She seemed to have way more interest. Then one Saturday she woke up and just crawled over to Corey. Seriously, that is how it happened. Everything is always on Emma's terms and this was no exception. She has walked along furniture since before she was crawling. She is almost walking now but not quite. She zooms around furniture and if we are on the floor with her she tries to stand up and walk to us on her own. It is obvious that she is pushing herself and really trying. Corey has better luck with her than I do. She just wants to come to be so bad that she chooses the fastest mode of transportation-crawling. We are just getting over pink eye now which she got last week-end and she is battling a bad cough/possible upper respiratory infection. Poor kid. She is still the cutest button ever. For Halloween she was Minnie Mouse-pics are on Facebook. Mickey's Club house is still her favorite show; however she enjoys Elmo and we even watched Monster's Inc the other night and she was pretty 'in' to that too. She eats anything and everything, still loves bread. In fact, she still gets excited when she sees the loaf come out of the cabinet. She is still a happy baby and we couldn't ask for anything more. On October 9 we had an early birthday party with some close family. She loved her mini cake and her gifts.
I have started my Masters program. I'm attending Adler Graduate School in Richfield for Marriage and Family Therapy M.S. I know, its a far cry from my Business degrees however it has been a goal of mine since early High School years. With the recent layoff from Rasmussen, it has allowed me to persue things that I truly want. I absolutely love classes and the students I have met so far.
In the midst of everything on October 31 I started working for my dad, another goal of mine since my early years. I truly love it!! Things are going very well so far.
Hmmm....as you probably have guessed the racing season has ended; however we did race after the 'poof' post. We went to Alexandria for the Fall Classic. Emma got some quality time with her nanas. It was a good time, thanks to my dad for allowing us to take the RV. Without it, I am pretty sure we wouldn't have made the trip.
Well, that is about it. I am sure I am missing milestones and I could spend days telling you about all the cute things Emma does but these are some highlights of our lives since Aug. Now that I have bit the bullet and caught myself up, I hope to continue..............................but we'll see :)
Somewhere around September Emma started crawling, although the day before she started I was pretty sure she was going to start walking first. She seemed to have way more interest. Then one Saturday she woke up and just crawled over to Corey. Seriously, that is how it happened. Everything is always on Emma's terms and this was no exception. She has walked along furniture since before she was crawling. She is almost walking now but not quite. She zooms around furniture and if we are on the floor with her she tries to stand up and walk to us on her own. It is obvious that she is pushing herself and really trying. Corey has better luck with her than I do. She just wants to come to be so bad that she chooses the fastest mode of transportation-crawling. We are just getting over pink eye now which she got last week-end and she is battling a bad cough/possible upper respiratory infection. Poor kid. She is still the cutest button ever. For Halloween she was Minnie Mouse-pics are on Facebook. Mickey's Club house is still her favorite show; however she enjoys Elmo and we even watched Monster's Inc the other night and she was pretty 'in' to that too. She eats anything and everything, still loves bread. In fact, she still gets excited when she sees the loaf come out of the cabinet. She is still a happy baby and we couldn't ask for anything more. On October 9 we had an early birthday party with some close family. She loved her mini cake and her gifts.
I have started my Masters program. I'm attending Adler Graduate School in Richfield for Marriage and Family Therapy M.S. I know, its a far cry from my Business degrees however it has been a goal of mine since early High School years. With the recent layoff from Rasmussen, it has allowed me to persue things that I truly want. I absolutely love classes and the students I have met so far.
In the midst of everything on October 31 I started working for my dad, another goal of mine since my early years. I truly love it!! Things are going very well so far.
Hmmm....as you probably have guessed the racing season has ended; however we did race after the 'poof' post. We went to Alexandria for the Fall Classic. Emma got some quality time with her nanas. It was a good time, thanks to my dad for allowing us to take the RV. Without it, I am pretty sure we wouldn't have made the trip.
Well, that is about it. I am sure I am missing milestones and I could spend days telling you about all the cute things Emma does but these are some highlights of our lives since Aug. Now that I have bit the bullet and caught myself up, I hope to continue..............................but we'll see :)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Poof!
Usually 'poof' can be a good thing- like the conclusion of a magic trick where a rabbit all of a sudden appears out of a hat or 'poof' one of your socks is left solo at the end of your laundry pile. This is not the kind of 'poof' that happened to us, wish it was!
Friday Corey decided to go racing in Superior, WI. It was a 2.5 hour drive but I decided not to moan and groan because he has always wanted to go. We packed up Emma and headed out. I have to say, it wasn't a bad trip and Emma did very well. We got there, unloaded, and got on the track. Corey looked great in his heat--until around lap 3 when the car went from a strong 3rd place to fighting for 4th. Then it came- poof-- white smoke. As a racer or race fan, you know this isn't a good thing. Corey put the car in neutral and rolled to a stop. They pushed him in and that was the end of the night. We know the motor has some big problems but we haven't rolled it out of the trailer to look at it yet. Needless to say we drove 5 hours for 4 laps. :(
We had a wedding on Saturday night and hung around the house on Sunday. A lazy rest of the week-end..and that was all right for us!
Friday Corey decided to go racing in Superior, WI. It was a 2.5 hour drive but I decided not to moan and groan because he has always wanted to go. We packed up Emma and headed out. I have to say, it wasn't a bad trip and Emma did very well. We got there, unloaded, and got on the track. Corey looked great in his heat--until around lap 3 when the car went from a strong 3rd place to fighting for 4th. Then it came- poof-- white smoke. As a racer or race fan, you know this isn't a good thing. Corey put the car in neutral and rolled to a stop. They pushed him in and that was the end of the night. We know the motor has some big problems but we haven't rolled it out of the trailer to look at it yet. Needless to say we drove 5 hours for 4 laps. :(
We had a wedding on Saturday night and hung around the house on Sunday. A lazy rest of the week-end..and that was all right for us!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
HELP! Need help in the food department!
Emma has been off the bottle for over a week and was off of formula for almost that whole time as well, until recently when I started giving her a little in her sippy cup as a snack to help supplement the nutrients she needs because....she has become a very picky eater! In the morning she does great- I still have her on Gerber Cereal mix that up with some applesauce or yogurt and she is in heaven. However for lunch, snack, or dinner she isn't eating so well. About 5 days ago or so I gave her a piece of dry bread as a way to buy time while I was getting her supper ready. Needless to say, she fell in love that day...with dry bread. She will eat 2 whole pieces if I let her. She will ignore everything else-spaghetti, lasagna, green beans, fruit, any meat etc. However, she will eat grilled cheese (Go figure--bread!). She also loves toasted bread sprinkled with cinnamon or even a little peanut butter. If its bread- dry or toasted- she loves it. When she was younger, she used to love the fruit and veggies in the jar..and now none of those things interest her. At first, I liked that she was getting her grains and now it seems that is all she is getting. I will say, that generally I don't give in. If she doesn't eat then I may try another thing but then she is done. For example, last night she wasn't eating her lasagna. I tried to spoon feed it to her and I also put it on her tray for her to pick up and neither option worked. Then I tried some fruit and also green beans. She ate a few green beans and then was done. I try to offer a variety of food groups during each meal--and it was working well--until the bread came along!
HELP! Anyone have ideas of how to integrate other foods or how to ignore her only choice? Where am I going wrong?
HELP! Anyone have ideas of how to integrate other foods or how to ignore her only choice? Where am I going wrong?
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A Maze'n!
Our life is always eventful in the summertime, but I wouldn't trade my family for anything in the world (the hobbies--maybe but not the people :) Friday we bummed around the house and then Saturday we went racing. The last few days Emma has been in such a great mood that we decided to bring her and she did not dissapoint! It was her second time at the races and the weather was much more favorable this time. Emma hung out on a blanket in the trailer. She played with toys and ate supper/snacks. She got sleepy but I was trying to keep her up for as long as possible so she would just crash. Well she did just that the race before Corey's feature. I put her in her carseat in the truck. She sat up and played with the buckle on her seat belt and then ended up falling asleep like that. I layed her back and turned on the truck to keep it a bit cool in there. Lucky for us we didn't have too long to wait, Corey wanted to watch the Mods after him but it all goes pretty fast at that point. Plus I knew she was out.
Sunday we went to the A Maze'n Farmyard in Eden Valley with Jen, James, and Avery Unger. It is a farm that you can pet animals, enjoy a pony ride, has a large slide, and a train ride (that literally takes you on a path to see nothing--very (un)interesting!). However, the weather was great and it was just fun to have Emma pet the rabits, the camel, horses, and so forth. We even got to feed them a bit..it was a good time.
Emma is on her 4th day without having a bottle (may even be longer but I realized it and started counting 4 days ago). She has had formula 1x the last 2 days. She eats a large breakfast- usually a formula/cereal (toddler cereal) mixture with yogurt and a piece of toast. Then she really hasn't been eating lunch so formula has been supplemented to get her to eat something then at night she eats a full lunch. We haven't tried milk yet but will be soon. She loves to drink out of her sippy cup--usually prefers juice or formula--but will also drink water almost the same. She doesn't crawl yet but she has been rolling over for the past week and a half. She rolls both ways but hasn't really used it to get to places. I know...a lot of babies roll over when they are like 4 months old..but Emma decided that she wasnt' ready until she was 10 months. She also loves to be on her feet and walk around the house. When we let go she falls instantly--still not sure how to balance her weight but we'll take it one day at a time.
Emma's first racing bracelet.
Sunday we went to the A Maze'n Farmyard in Eden Valley with Jen, James, and Avery Unger. It is a farm that you can pet animals, enjoy a pony ride, has a large slide, and a train ride (that literally takes you on a path to see nothing--very (un)interesting!). However, the weather was great and it was just fun to have Emma pet the rabits, the camel, horses, and so forth. We even got to feed them a bit..it was a good time.
Emma is on her 4th day without having a bottle (may even be longer but I realized it and started counting 4 days ago). She has had formula 1x the last 2 days. She eats a large breakfast- usually a formula/cereal (toddler cereal) mixture with yogurt and a piece of toast. Then she really hasn't been eating lunch so formula has been supplemented to get her to eat something then at night she eats a full lunch. We haven't tried milk yet but will be soon. She loves to drink out of her sippy cup--usually prefers juice or formula--but will also drink water almost the same. She doesn't crawl yet but she has been rolling over for the past week and a half. She rolls both ways but hasn't really used it to get to places. I know...a lot of babies roll over when they are like 4 months old..but Emma decided that she wasnt' ready until she was 10 months. She also loves to be on her feet and walk around the house. When we let go she falls instantly--still not sure how to balance her weight but we'll take it one day at a time.
Emma's first racing bracelet.
Cute girls!
Let's pet the bunny!
This fun lil guy kept following us around since we had food. So we decided to let Emma ride him!
Let's go down the slide!
Weeeeeeeeeeeee!
Mommy & Emma
Thursday, August 11, 2011
2 + 2 = 4 teeth!
Emma's two top front teeth coming in. We noticed that one broke through the gum over the week-end and noticed the other yesterday. She has had a temp on and off and has been kind of whiny, but she has been WAY better than I expected a teething baby to be.
She turned 10 months old yesterday-so hard to believe. Every time I am away from her I feel like she grows like a weed. :)
Love that girl!
She turned 10 months old yesterday-so hard to believe. Every time I am away from her I feel like she grows like a weed. :)
Love that girl!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Do you have any allergies?
Up until about 2 months ago, my answer to this question was always "Nope." However, I have realized that I have been allergic to eggs and milk probably most my life. I would get stomach aches after eating and just thought I over ate (again) but now I have realized that it was an allergic reaction. Now that I have stopped eating the foods I have really noticed a difference, especially since I drank at least one glass of milk with every meal.
Well, yesterday my sister and mom had Emma so I asked that she take her to see Jim, the ultimate Chiropractor/Muscle Tester because she has been struggling to have a bowel movement for up to a week. He gave her an adjustment, which he said was needed. Then he also completed a nutrition check and low and behold, she is allergic to eggs as well. If this girl gets any more like her mama--she would BE her mama! She is a true Mini-Me. It goes without saying that 24 hours after her appointment her colon is empty and she is a very happy girl.
I haven't given her a lot of eggs, but I have made them on at least 3 different occassions for her because I just thought it would be a great food for her to eat- protein, easy to make, and easy to eat. She never really cared for them and so it's not a huge loss----however my allergy is strong. I can't even eat foods with eggs and milk in them. I made salmon last night for supper and put mayo on the outside (grilling tip for salmon btw, the mayo adds flavor as well as prevents it from sticking) and I was extremely sick--read the ingredients of the mayo and of course there was egg in there. Yep...thats how bad my allergy is. I will assume that Emma will be the same way for now. So that means a lot of 'ingredient' checking as well as good-bye egg noodles, pudding, a lot of baked goods, ice cream, and all the other yummy foods!
I can't recommend Jim and his practice enough--honestly--it doesn't always work overnight but for Emma it always has. For me it took 2 months but it is SO worth it. In addition, we are working to correct my knee which keeps dislodging and has prevented me from running and enjoying other excersises for years. If I lived close and was able to go as often as I need--it would probably be fixed by now but due to living an hour away, working, and so forth-- I just haven't been able to!
Well, yesterday my sister and mom had Emma so I asked that she take her to see Jim, the ultimate Chiropractor/Muscle Tester because she has been struggling to have a bowel movement for up to a week. He gave her an adjustment, which he said was needed. Then he also completed a nutrition check and low and behold, she is allergic to eggs as well. If this girl gets any more like her mama--she would BE her mama! She is a true Mini-Me. It goes without saying that 24 hours after her appointment her colon is empty and she is a very happy girl.
I haven't given her a lot of eggs, but I have made them on at least 3 different occassions for her because I just thought it would be a great food for her to eat- protein, easy to make, and easy to eat. She never really cared for them and so it's not a huge loss----however my allergy is strong. I can't even eat foods with eggs and milk in them. I made salmon last night for supper and put mayo on the outside (grilling tip for salmon btw, the mayo adds flavor as well as prevents it from sticking) and I was extremely sick--read the ingredients of the mayo and of course there was egg in there. Yep...thats how bad my allergy is. I will assume that Emma will be the same way for now. So that means a lot of 'ingredient' checking as well as good-bye egg noodles, pudding, a lot of baked goods, ice cream, and all the other yummy foods!
I can't recommend Jim and his practice enough--honestly--it doesn't always work overnight but for Emma it always has. For me it took 2 months but it is SO worth it. In addition, we are working to correct my knee which keeps dislodging and has prevented me from running and enjoying other excersises for years. If I lived close and was able to go as often as I need--it would probably be fixed by now but due to living an hour away, working, and so forth-- I just haven't been able to!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Fun week-end with friends!
Friday came and went without much action around the Eystad home. As Saturday came, Corey's excitement hightened for the big $20,000 to win Modified special at Deer Creek Speedway, which he attended that night. My friend Sarah Anderson and her son Tyson came and spent the day/night with us. We had a lot of fun just hanging out together. Once the kids went down we brought out the adult beverages and sat and laughed. Corey got home around 1:30 and caught us watching our wedding video......yes we started at the beginning and were just minutes from the very end. It was like 'people watching' without having to leave our couch. It was fun to watch our ceremony but a lot of fun to watch the reception and people dancing. Corey joined us for a few drinks and then we all hit the hay. Sunday became a lazy day but I did get the lawn mowed, so it wasn't a complete waste.
Today (Monday) I was supposed to go to Valleyfair with a friend, but thanks to the storms, we didn't get there. Instead, I had a day home with Emma. I also did all the laundry and some homework. It was a successful day...now back to work tomorrow.
Here are some new pictures--until next time..
P.S- It's August?!? Really.....not cool!
Today (Monday) I was supposed to go to Valleyfair with a friend, but thanks to the storms, we didn't get there. Instead, I had a day home with Emma. I also did all the laundry and some homework. It was a successful day...now back to work tomorrow.
Here are some new pictures--until next time..
P.S- It's August?!? Really.....not cool!
Here are some pictures of Corey and 'daddy's little girl'
Here is Emma & Tyson taking a bath.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Last dr appt as a 'baby'!
Yesterday was Emma's 9 month doctor appointment--the next one she will be at she will be a toddler..so sad!
Here are her stats:
Height: 28" = 57th percentile
Weight: 20.8 lbs= 80th percentile
Head: 45 cm= 76 percentile
Seriously, she has gained like one pound in the last 4-5 months..it's just crazy! The doctor still said that she is healthy and isn't worried about her size :)
We asked about concerns since she isn't crawling/moving and she is not concerned at all--so that is good to hear! She still loves to try new foods and is doing well with the sippy cup...but still loves her bottle!
Just wanted to give you all a quick note....
Here are her stats:
Height: 28" = 57th percentile
Weight: 20.8 lbs= 80th percentile
Head: 45 cm= 76 percentile
Seriously, she has gained like one pound in the last 4-5 months..it's just crazy! The doctor still said that she is healthy and isn't worried about her size :)
We asked about concerns since she isn't crawling/moving and she is not concerned at all--so that is good to hear! She still loves to try new foods and is doing well with the sippy cup...but still loves her bottle!
Just wanted to give you all a quick note....
Sunday, July 17, 2011
9 months old!
I am the mother of a 9 month old--it is so hard to believe but it's true! Friends of ours, Avery Unger and Jessica Studanski, are celebrating their 1 year birthdays this week-end and it just reminds me that Emma's is just around the corner!
We have been giving her more foods and trying to rely on the bottle less often. She still isn't perfect at the sippy cup but is doing really well during meals. Recently, Corey made his ice cream concoction (ice cream, malt powder, and chocolate syrup) and she tried it..needless to say she was a huge fan and kept leaning closer to him to get more. One evening we also gave her a frozen thin mint girl scout cookie. We thought it would be nice and cold on her front gums as well as a nice treat. We just gave it to her as she sat on the living room floor. Well Corey and I began talking in the kitchen and temporarily forgot about her. Needless to say, when we went back she had chocolate all over her hands, face and even a toy. Just as I began to pry the cookie from her hands it broke in two and she got another taste before the fun ended. She loved it. Since, we gave her another one. Only this time we did so in her booster chair. I also love the graduate meals because they are an easy meal to warm up in a pinch and she eats them really well.
Corey went racing this past Saturday and it was our first time in 3 weeks. It didn't go so well and I don't really know the whole story. It sounds like there was a lot of water on the track and it just wasn't a good thing. Last week-end we went to Watercade in Litchfield. We watched the parade and then grilled with friends. Emma got to be at her first parade and of course I forgot my camera. I have been doing that a lot lately. Then we brought her to my mom's house as we went out for the night--and had a blast with Sarah & Tyler Anderson as well as Laura & Dale Imholte (our new friends). Sunday we came back and grilled with the Ungers-of course that is always a good time. It was too warm to spend time outside so we stayed in.
That is about all that is new..here are some updated pictures.
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We have been giving her more foods and trying to rely on the bottle less often. She still isn't perfect at the sippy cup but is doing really well during meals. Recently, Corey made his ice cream concoction (ice cream, malt powder, and chocolate syrup) and she tried it..needless to say she was a huge fan and kept leaning closer to him to get more. One evening we also gave her a frozen thin mint girl scout cookie. We thought it would be nice and cold on her front gums as well as a nice treat. We just gave it to her as she sat on the living room floor. Well Corey and I began talking in the kitchen and temporarily forgot about her. Needless to say, when we went back she had chocolate all over her hands, face and even a toy. Just as I began to pry the cookie from her hands it broke in two and she got another taste before the fun ended. She loved it. Since, we gave her another one. Only this time we did so in her booster chair. I also love the graduate meals because they are an easy meal to warm up in a pinch and she eats them really well.
Corey went racing this past Saturday and it was our first time in 3 weeks. It didn't go so well and I don't really know the whole story. It sounds like there was a lot of water on the track and it just wasn't a good thing. Last week-end we went to Watercade in Litchfield. We watched the parade and then grilled with friends. Emma got to be at her first parade and of course I forgot my camera. I have been doing that a lot lately. Then we brought her to my mom's house as we went out for the night--and had a blast with Sarah & Tyler Anderson as well as Laura & Dale Imholte (our new friends). Sunday we came back and grilled with the Ungers-of course that is always a good time. It was too warm to spend time outside so we stayed in.
That is about all that is new..here are some updated pictures.
Bathtime fun!!
Avery & Emma---3 months difference (Avery turns 1 this w/e..yes Emma is a tank next to her)
We told Emma to give her a hug, she leaned in for a kiss instead!
Ice cream with dad--YUM!
1st cookie incident..this is what we found as we came back in to the living room.
She didn't give it up willingly but was still so happy!
Blowing bubbles during tummy time. Puppy finally got to be in a picture.
2nd cookie incident. I have to say, she is a spitting image of me (and my baby pics!!)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
1+1=2
2 Little teeth are peeking their way in to Emma's mouth. We noticed last week that she had 1 peaking through..and now there are 2! She has been kind of whiny at night but I have to say I am a HUGE fan of the teething tablets that melt in her mouth. I know some moms don't use them anymore but, I will use them until they are gone. I think it is like any other medicine, don't over use it and your baby will be fine! I prefer them to Tylenol.
She also added 'Nana' to her vocab. I say ' Moma Moma' and she says 'Nananana' or 'Dadadada'..she thinks its funny :) She has said moma before but it's a little game we play.
She is also giggling more-- love it.
Two nights ago during tummy time she lifted her hips/butt up and started to get on her knees. She isn't even close but the fact that she is starting to move the rump roast at all is a nice change!
She also added 'Nana' to her vocab. I say ' Moma Moma' and she says 'Nananana' or 'Dadadada'..she thinks its funny :) She has said moma before but it's a little game we play.
She is also giggling more-- love it.
Two nights ago during tummy time she lifted her hips/butt up and started to get on her knees. She isn't even close but the fact that she is starting to move the rump roast at all is a nice change!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
4th of July
Happy (belated) 4th of July everyone!
Whether you were racing, with family or friends, or just hanging out at home----I hope you all enjoyed your week-end!
We had a great time. Friday we hung out with Jennifer & James Unger as well as Siri & Phil. Of course the Ungers are always a great time and with the addition of Siri & Phil, it was a good time. We started off at Space Aliens for dinner and lunar teas (my favorite)! I hope you were all safe during the storms. Corey and I ended up driving through it on our way to town. The straight line winds hit us and we ended up pulling over-at one time we were thinking the Edge was going to lift off. The sirens were going off but we got to the old neighborhood safely!
Saturday we spent a few hours at the lake with our daycare lady- Brooke & her family. Then Sunday we hung around the house then went to my dad's house to just hang out in the yard for a couple hours. Corey went racing that night, wasn't too successful but at least he got the itch scratched for a little bit. Monday we grilled with my dad and just enjoyed the day as well. Overall, we didn't do a ton but it was still fun!! Here are some updated pictures...
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Emma & the puppy (a few weeks ago)
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Hangin' out on the beach with friends!
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Whether you were racing, with family or friends, or just hanging out at home----I hope you all enjoyed your week-end!
We had a great time. Friday we hung out with Jennifer & James Unger as well as Siri & Phil. Of course the Ungers are always a great time and with the addition of Siri & Phil, it was a good time. We started off at Space Aliens for dinner and lunar teas (my favorite)! I hope you were all safe during the storms. Corey and I ended up driving through it on our way to town. The straight line winds hit us and we ended up pulling over-at one time we were thinking the Edge was going to lift off. The sirens were going off but we got to the old neighborhood safely!
Saturday we spent a few hours at the lake with our daycare lady- Brooke & her family. Then Sunday we hung around the house then went to my dad's house to just hang out in the yard for a couple hours. Corey went racing that night, wasn't too successful but at least he got the itch scratched for a little bit. Monday we grilled with my dad and just enjoyed the day as well. Overall, we didn't do a ton but it was still fun!! Here are some updated pictures...
The crew at Space Aliens-----From the left: Siri, Phil, Corey, James, Me, and Jennifer. It was taken on Corey's cell phone so it isn't the best.
Emma & the puppy (a few weeks ago)
Lake picture #1. She is just getting the feel of the cold water. She whined at first but then didn't mind it at all. If it wasn't so cold, I think she would like it.
Happy 4th of July ---From the Emma Bear
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Aloha!
Wow, she was 7 months old the last time I wrote..which means that was almost 2 months ago..SAD!
Since May, we have had a few changes at the Eystad residence. Here is a breakdown:
1. Emma is almost 9 months old!
2. She is saying words like "momma" and "dada"
3. She is eating more and more solids, loves puffs, yogurt bites and anything else she can get in her mouth. The other day I was sitting next to her eating a pop-tart and she just grabbed the entire thing and put it in her mouth. I let her until it started crumbling more than I liked. Based on her snack consumption, one would think she is starving but she isn't, she just likes snacks!
4. Although she is getting better at chewing, still no teeth have popped through
With the arrival of summer, we are at the race track again. With the rain, we haven't went as much as we would have liked but considering it is just a hobby I think we are right on schedule. So far the season is going very well and we can't complain whatsoever.
Last Saturday we were in Brainerd for the USMTS show and so Emma went to her favorite 2nd mom & dad's house (Godparents) and she had some fun of her own. Bryn, her Godmother, took her to her first play! Oh she had a good time. Bryn said that she began talking quite loudly during the play so they had to walk out but then she fell asleep right on the floor. Cutie pie! She also had the joy of going to her first baseball game on Saturday and first soccer game on Sunday.
We have begun more construction on the yard. A lot of the landscaping (around the house, walls, etc) is done and now we are working on our patio and bonfire pit. It's a lot of work but it will be well worth it in the end! Do you know anyone that does concrete work? We are willing to pay for some help in this department!
Lastly, for those of you that do not know, I am no longer with Rasmussen College. It was a bittersweet ending and although I really enjoyed the work I did, I didn't always enjoy all the other parts. I am now working for First Financial Merchant Services out of Medina. I am a Recruiting Manager and started with a team of 3 and we are up to 6 and hope to be up to 8 by the end of the summer. I have been there about 3 weeks and have been extremely busy. So far I have enjoyed it-every job has its ups and downs as well as a learning curve for new things- but it is going as well as I could hope for.
Til next time -- (which will not be in 2 months!)---
Since May, we have had a few changes at the Eystad residence. Here is a breakdown:
1. Emma is almost 9 months old!
2. She is saying words like "momma" and "dada"
3. She is eating more and more solids, loves puffs, yogurt bites and anything else she can get in her mouth. The other day I was sitting next to her eating a pop-tart and she just grabbed the entire thing and put it in her mouth. I let her until it started crumbling more than I liked. Based on her snack consumption, one would think she is starving but she isn't, she just likes snacks!
4. Although she is getting better at chewing, still no teeth have popped through
With the arrival of summer, we are at the race track again. With the rain, we haven't went as much as we would have liked but considering it is just a hobby I think we are right on schedule. So far the season is going very well and we can't complain whatsoever.
Last Saturday we were in Brainerd for the USMTS show and so Emma went to her favorite 2nd mom & dad's house (Godparents) and she had some fun of her own. Bryn, her Godmother, took her to her first play! Oh she had a good time. Bryn said that she began talking quite loudly during the play so they had to walk out but then she fell asleep right on the floor. Cutie pie! She also had the joy of going to her first baseball game on Saturday and first soccer game on Sunday.
We have begun more construction on the yard. A lot of the landscaping (around the house, walls, etc) is done and now we are working on our patio and bonfire pit. It's a lot of work but it will be well worth it in the end! Do you know anyone that does concrete work? We are willing to pay for some help in this department!
Lastly, for those of you that do not know, I am no longer with Rasmussen College. It was a bittersweet ending and although I really enjoyed the work I did, I didn't always enjoy all the other parts. I am now working for First Financial Merchant Services out of Medina. I am a Recruiting Manager and started with a team of 3 and we are up to 6 and hope to be up to 8 by the end of the summer. I have been there about 3 weeks and have been extremely busy. So far I have enjoyed it-every job has its ups and downs as well as a learning curve for new things- but it is going as well as I could hope for.
Til next time -- (which will not be in 2 months!)---
Monday, May 9, 2011
7 months!
Wow, my last post was almost a month ago..where does the time go to? My appologies!
7 months ago from right now I was receiving petocin in an attempt to keep the contractions constant. I was nieve in thinking that too much petocin may mean that she would be born before midnight, thereby just missing the cool birthday of 10/10/10--yep I was a nieve first mom..especially since she wasn't born for another 7 hours(!!!) at 5:01am. That is ok- I wouldn't have it any other way.
My first Mother's day was a great one. We woke up and hung around the house and then headed for Hutchinson to spend time with our moms. Corey gave me a heart necklace with Emma's birthstone in the middle and a really sweet card, what can I say--I enjoy cards that come from the heart!
Emma is at the age where she is SO fun! We love to just watch her, play with her, and get her giggling or just making any noise. Her eating patters are odd and seem to constantly be changing--some days she loves veggies and other days she doesn't want to eat any solids.
Last Saturday was our first race and it started rough and ended really well! If you are not an avid race fan, you may not know of the new rule changes this year where Corey had to adjust the set-up of his car (ask him for details). With this major change, we weren't sure how the car was going to respond. In the heat race- it wasn't well! Corey literally could not turn the car....at all! So, he did a total makeover and changed a variety of things ..which had great results. He started 11th in the feature and ended 4th (he was running 3rd but was passed right at the end). Considering first went to Dan Ebert and second went to Shane Sabraski..being 3rd would have been like winning the race for us..but 4th was WONDERFUL. He reflected and realized that he wasn't in the tech shed at all last year--so to be there the first race of the season felt great and we hope to be there more this year.
Here are some pictues of our trophy girl :)
Also- I completely forgot to make a May resolution--in fact it didn't cross my mind until a couple days ago. Therefore, I think I failed for May..although I could use Penny Pincher Jennifer since I have been doing that since the beginning of the month and am not sure how much longer I will do it for.
Have a great week!
7 months ago from right now I was receiving petocin in an attempt to keep the contractions constant. I was nieve in thinking that too much petocin may mean that she would be born before midnight, thereby just missing the cool birthday of 10/10/10--yep I was a nieve first mom..especially since she wasn't born for another 7 hours(!!!) at 5:01am. That is ok- I wouldn't have it any other way.
My first Mother's day was a great one. We woke up and hung around the house and then headed for Hutchinson to spend time with our moms. Corey gave me a heart necklace with Emma's birthstone in the middle and a really sweet card, what can I say--I enjoy cards that come from the heart!
Emma is at the age where she is SO fun! We love to just watch her, play with her, and get her giggling or just making any noise. Her eating patters are odd and seem to constantly be changing--some days she loves veggies and other days she doesn't want to eat any solids.
Last Saturday was our first race and it started rough and ended really well! If you are not an avid race fan, you may not know of the new rule changes this year where Corey had to adjust the set-up of his car (ask him for details). With this major change, we weren't sure how the car was going to respond. In the heat race- it wasn't well! Corey literally could not turn the car....at all! So, he did a total makeover and changed a variety of things ..which had great results. He started 11th in the feature and ended 4th (he was running 3rd but was passed right at the end). Considering first went to Dan Ebert and second went to Shane Sabraski..being 3rd would have been like winning the race for us..but 4th was WONDERFUL. He reflected and realized that he wasn't in the tech shed at all last year--so to be there the first race of the season felt great and we hope to be there more this year.
Here are some pictues of our trophy girl :)
Bath in the sink! Emma had a #2 accident in the bathtub and so we relocated her to the sink to finish bath time! There isn't much room to kick and play here..but lots of bubbles to make up for it!
Happy Easter!
New bathtub- this is our 3rd bathtub purchased and so far--my favorite!! She was having fun but on the edge of bedtime so she took a time out from splashing to suck on her fingers a bit. For those of you that knew me as a kid...it looks familiar..only she uses her pointer and middle finger whereas I used my middle and ring finger.
Also- I completely forgot to make a May resolution--in fact it didn't cross my mind until a couple days ago. Therefore, I think I failed for May..although I could use Penny Pincher Jennifer since I have been doing that since the beginning of the month and am not sure how much longer I will do it for.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April {Snow} showers?
The Eystads are ready for Spring, as I am sure you are as well! It seems that we always get a late snow shower after everything melts..and we received that, on schedule, in March. Now more icky weather in April? Ew. We need sun!
Recently, Corey and I purchased a storm door to accompany our front door. We have installed it (thanks Denis for the help...or for doing most of it :) and we just love it. I look forward to summer when the sun shines through. It allows the area to be brighter and for us to actually see out the front of our house.
Emma had her 6 month appt today and I always get so excited for her measurements..but they can't be right. The nurse rushed through them. She said her weight was 18 lbs...but Corey and I weighed her about 2 weeks ago and she was 20, then her height was less than what she was last time we were at the doctor..and I can guarentee you she didnt' shrink. Even the doctor mentioned that it seemed off so it's a bummer we don't have the correct ones in the record book. Other than that, she got 2 shots and screamed but did well otherwise. The rest of the day she was calm and very tired. I can feel myself getting sick as my sinuses have become inflamed as the day wore on, so I didn't mind. Selfishly, I hope that tomorrow is another calm day.
I found another vegetable she likes- grean beans! I told the dr that she loves veggies and isn't a fan of fruits, for now we will soak that in since most kids are the opposite. She doesn't have any teeth so I haven't ventured to give her anything other than puree food..I think this also has to deal with my nervousness of being a first time mom.. I can tell she really wants to try everything, she gets so excited when I put her in the highchair as Corey and I eat. Poor thing.
Nothing else is new with us--
Recently, Corey and I purchased a storm door to accompany our front door. We have installed it (thanks Denis for the help...or for doing most of it :) and we just love it. I look forward to summer when the sun shines through. It allows the area to be brighter and for us to actually see out the front of our house.
Emma had her 6 month appt today and I always get so excited for her measurements..but they can't be right. The nurse rushed through them. She said her weight was 18 lbs...but Corey and I weighed her about 2 weeks ago and she was 20, then her height was less than what she was last time we were at the doctor..and I can guarentee you she didnt' shrink. Even the doctor mentioned that it seemed off so it's a bummer we don't have the correct ones in the record book. Other than that, she got 2 shots and screamed but did well otherwise. The rest of the day she was calm and very tired. I can feel myself getting sick as my sinuses have become inflamed as the day wore on, so I didn't mind. Selfishly, I hope that tomorrow is another calm day.
I found another vegetable she likes- grean beans! I told the dr that she loves veggies and isn't a fan of fruits, for now we will soak that in since most kids are the opposite. She doesn't have any teeth so I haven't ventured to give her anything other than puree food..I think this also has to deal with my nervousness of being a first time mom.. I can tell she really wants to try everything, she gets so excited when I put her in the highchair as Corey and I eat. Poor thing.
Nothing else is new with us--
Sunday, April 10, 2011
New Year's Resolution Update
My New Year's Resolution was to have a new resolution every month..here is how I would grade my progress so far:
January- Refrain from buying ANYTHING without a coupon or in-store savings= A+. As many of you know, I am still actively doing this and am sharing it with you at www.pennypincherjennifer.com
February- Get organized= I give myself a 'C' here. I made progress but not as much as I wanted to do.
March- Complete my weekly homework by Friday of each week I give myself a 'B' here. I missed it one week but there were only 2 weeks (I didn't think of this before the quarter started). Although, I started my April resolution during the last week of March..so actually I only went 1 week without being connected to a resolution.
April- Make meals 5 nights/week. These can not include frozen pizza, so if we decide to have that it has to be on one of the other nights. So far this has went very well, I have been doing it for the last 2 weeks.
I have some ideas for what I would like to do in the coming months, but I have not made any decisions yet.
Have you stuck to your New Year's Resolution?
January- Refrain from buying ANYTHING without a coupon or in-store savings= A+. As many of you know, I am still actively doing this and am sharing it with you at www.pennypincherjennifer.com
February- Get organized= I give myself a 'C' here. I made progress but not as much as I wanted to do.
March- Complete my weekly homework by Friday of each week I give myself a 'B' here. I missed it one week but there were only 2 weeks (I didn't think of this before the quarter started). Although, I started my April resolution during the last week of March..so actually I only went 1 week without being connected to a resolution.
April- Make meals 5 nights/week. These can not include frozen pizza, so if we decide to have that it has to be on one of the other nights. So far this has went very well, I have been doing it for the last 2 weeks.
I have some ideas for what I would like to do in the coming months, but I have not made any decisions yet.
Have you stuck to your New Year's Resolution?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Where have I been?
Wow it has been a long time since I posted on here. I knew it had been a while but I didn't realize it has been THAT long. So what have the Eystad's been up to?!? Good question...let's just summarize it all
Emma:
As of this Sunday she is 6 months old. Wow. It is true that time flys by when life happens. In the past week she has began sitting by herself (glad this has finally happened), actually jumping in her jumper. She just LOVES it. I also put her in her booster chair while we are eating where she plays with her toys, she seems to enjoy that as well. A couple weeks ago we went to Iowa to visit our good friends (5 hour drive - she was absolutely fantastic!) and she all of a sudden began grabbing at things. My pop-tarts wrapper, my subway sandwhich wrapper (yes while my sub was on it), my nose, ears, lips, anything. Today she reached for Odie and has began petting him...or at least trying. He is so god with her. He just started licking her hand-which she also loves.
She is smiling all the time now and is just becoming so much fun. Both Corey and I just laugh with her. She loves eating sweet potatoes and squash. Those are her favorites! We have also tried carrots, prunes, and peas which she does well with but doesn't seem to love them as much because she allows herself to become distracted. She is wearing 9-12 month clothes and seems to be lengthening out and just overall, so big! She seems uninterested in her bouncy chair so we may begin growing out of toys now as well. She still loves her mobile over her crib though, I don't see that going away any time soon. She is also a huge fan of her blanky. Honestly, we don't go anywhere without it. The only time she isn't gripping it in her little fingers is when she is eating or in her jumper. Otherwise, she loves it. My sister told me that with her "new" love (it's been going on for 3-4 wks) for her blanky she may stop sucking on her fingers. I said, "No way" She is a huge fan of sucking her pointer finger and middle finger on her left hand..although I think she might be right. Emma used to suck her fingers all the time, and it is slowly going away..even when we lay her down in the crib. We love this!
She is still sleeping through the night, daylight savings seem to have a big affect on her but now she is back to her schedule: goes to bed around: 6:30 and up between 4:30-6am. She eats and then goes right back to bed. Then wakes up, eats, stays up for maybe 30-45 minutes and takes another nap. She is such a good baby- we understand this! She is so good in fact, that when she shows signs of being tired we just put her in the crib and she puts herself to sleep. Love that girl!
Corey & I:
Nothing is really new with us. Just lookin' forward to summer! We have spring/summer fever.
Racing:
Race car is ready. Corey spends his time tinkering. I know he needs to buy tires, fuel, and also scale it but just small (but important) things like that. I know he is getting excited to get on the track but we are hesitant with the year we had last year.
That is about it! Hope all is well with everyone else!
Emma:
As of this Sunday she is 6 months old. Wow. It is true that time flys by when life happens. In the past week she has began sitting by herself (glad this has finally happened), actually jumping in her jumper. She just LOVES it. I also put her in her booster chair while we are eating where she plays with her toys, she seems to enjoy that as well. A couple weeks ago we went to Iowa to visit our good friends (5 hour drive - she was absolutely fantastic!) and she all of a sudden began grabbing at things. My pop-tarts wrapper, my subway sandwhich wrapper (yes while my sub was on it), my nose, ears, lips, anything. Today she reached for Odie and has began petting him...or at least trying. He is so god with her. He just started licking her hand-which she also loves.
She is smiling all the time now and is just becoming so much fun. Both Corey and I just laugh with her. She loves eating sweet potatoes and squash. Those are her favorites! We have also tried carrots, prunes, and peas which she does well with but doesn't seem to love them as much because she allows herself to become distracted. She is wearing 9-12 month clothes and seems to be lengthening out and just overall, so big! She seems uninterested in her bouncy chair so we may begin growing out of toys now as well. She still loves her mobile over her crib though, I don't see that going away any time soon. She is also a huge fan of her blanky. Honestly, we don't go anywhere without it. The only time she isn't gripping it in her little fingers is when she is eating or in her jumper. Otherwise, she loves it. My sister told me that with her "new" love (it's been going on for 3-4 wks) for her blanky she may stop sucking on her fingers. I said, "No way" She is a huge fan of sucking her pointer finger and middle finger on her left hand..although I think she might be right. Emma used to suck her fingers all the time, and it is slowly going away..even when we lay her down in the crib. We love this!
She is still sleeping through the night, daylight savings seem to have a big affect on her but now she is back to her schedule: goes to bed around: 6:30 and up between 4:30-6am. She eats and then goes right back to bed. Then wakes up, eats, stays up for maybe 30-45 minutes and takes another nap. She is such a good baby- we understand this! She is so good in fact, that when she shows signs of being tired we just put her in the crib and she puts herself to sleep. Love that girl!
Corey & I:
Nothing is really new with us. Just lookin' forward to summer! We have spring/summer fever.
Racing:
Race car is ready. Corey spends his time tinkering. I know he needs to buy tires, fuel, and also scale it but just small (but important) things like that. I know he is getting excited to get on the track but we are hesitant with the year we had last year.
That is about it! Hope all is well with everyone else!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Online shoppers-save more!
Do you shop online? Then you need to save more!! Sign up for Ebates by clicking on the logo. By signing up through this logo you and I will both earn a credit!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
"Emma...meet the race car"
Emma got to meet the race car yesterday. Corey was working on it and he just couldn't wait to show her. Here are some pictures of their experience:
Daddy let's chat...
Getting an "inside" view...
"Emma......here is the race car....."
Daddy let's chat...
Big girl on the race car---Corey is so happy!
Getting an "inside" view...
Productive Saturday!
What a great Saturday! Emma slept on and off throughout the day which was good but still time consuming. By the time I would get her to sleep she would sleep for 20 minutes and then be back up again. Then late in the afternoon she snoozed for 3 hours. I was able to get 4 lbs of hamburger browned. I packaged them in air tight containers and threw them in to the freezer. I love doing this for meals throughout the week. I also took out a huge sirloin steak for 2 to defrost it. We will be grilling today in the wonderful weather and then making some potatoes to compliment the steak. In addition, I made racers tacos for us to eat during the Bud Shoot out! Yummy!
I also took out Emma's baby book. We purchased a book that labels all her firsts as well as thoughts we had before she was born and after and just other details on her life. The majority of it focuses on before birth and just weeks after her birthday. Then the other half focuses on things that can come up throughout the first 3 years of life. My sister and I (probably more effort from my sister..she is the creative one) will be making a scrapbook as well but this is just a nice book that holds a bunch of dates and things. I also went through on read my blog days leading up to her birth and a couple weeks after. It was so sweet to read and I am SO happy that I did it!
Hope everyone had a great week-end!
I also took out Emma's baby book. We purchased a book that labels all her firsts as well as thoughts we had before she was born and after and just other details on her life. The majority of it focuses on before birth and just weeks after her birthday. Then the other half focuses on things that can come up throughout the first 3 years of life. My sister and I (probably more effort from my sister..she is the creative one) will be making a scrapbook as well but this is just a nice book that holds a bunch of dates and things. I also went through on read my blog days leading up to her birth and a couple weeks after. It was so sweet to read and I am SO happy that I did it!
Hope everyone had a great week-end!
Friday, February 11, 2011
New Resolution?
Yes, its true. I am changing my February resolution to - Get more organized!. You may say, "Um nice work...11 days in to the month." The truth is, I have been working on this since day 1. In addition, I need to get organized before I can just start having these domesticated meals 3x per week. For all you moms and wives out there who work full-time outside the home and make homemade meals every evening- I bow down to you. Now that I have realized it, I don't know how my husband and I have made it through suppertime for the last 4 months. When I was working from home (during the end of my maternity leave) I made meals all the time because it was easy since I was already home-now time is my biggest roadblock. I am organizing all the roles I play in my life: student, wife, and mom. I know I will feel better at the end of the month too. I also need to organize everything for our taxes and clean out a couple closets. I already look forward to it!
Yes, I am loving these challenges so far. It may only be 11 days in to February but I like it!
Yes, I am loving these challenges so far. It may only be 11 days in to February but I like it!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Superbowl Sunday
My title itself tells you I am days late. Either way..here is our life for the past week...
Last Friday my mom and her main man came up to Cloud. We were going to meet my oldest sister Kari but she had some car troubles, so instead us 5 went out to eat. It was good to see them again. Emma loves seeing her grandma. Saturday we went back to Hutchinson and she got to see her other grandma. Then Sunday we hung around the house. I did homework and then we headed to the Studanski household for the big-game. I didn't really watch much of it and really didn't pay much attention to the commercials either. You could ask me what my favorite commercial was and I wouldn't know one to choose because I don't remember any of them, now ask me what my favorite food was and you will get a whole different answer. I guess you can see where my focus was.
Emma is doing great. I can't wait for her to be able to sit up on her own to be able to play with the other kids. Brooke, my daycare lady, has an 8 mo. old and he just wants to play with her so bad so she has been working with Emma on that as well.
I realized today that it is already the 2nd week of February, so you can imagine how my February resolution is going...........umm...not so well. Last week was wicked bad since I didn't come up with it until mid-week so I already knew I would be carrying this in to March (even though I already have several ideas for March). Monday night I made spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic toast. Now, I was thinking fruits and vegatables were together on the food guide pyramid, obviously I was wrong and should have done research to prepare for this. I have since looked it up and realized there are a whole lot of food guide pyramids out there-I went with an old school one and have now put it on my fridge so I know. Therefore, Monday night we missed the mark. I have added a small "exception" since we don't eat fruit with our meals I have allowed a snack to be included where I will make smoothies or some other fruit gig. So this one isn't going so well..I may have challenged myself a bit too much.
Pictures:
Last Friday my mom and her main man came up to Cloud. We were going to meet my oldest sister Kari but she had some car troubles, so instead us 5 went out to eat. It was good to see them again. Emma loves seeing her grandma. Saturday we went back to Hutchinson and she got to see her other grandma. Then Sunday we hung around the house. I did homework and then we headed to the Studanski household for the big-game. I didn't really watch much of it and really didn't pay much attention to the commercials either. You could ask me what my favorite commercial was and I wouldn't know one to choose because I don't remember any of them, now ask me what my favorite food was and you will get a whole different answer. I guess you can see where my focus was.
Emma is doing great. I can't wait for her to be able to sit up on her own to be able to play with the other kids. Brooke, my daycare lady, has an 8 mo. old and he just wants to play with her so bad so she has been working with Emma on that as well.
I realized today that it is already the 2nd week of February, so you can imagine how my February resolution is going...........umm...not so well. Last week was wicked bad since I didn't come up with it until mid-week so I already knew I would be carrying this in to March (even though I already have several ideas for March). Monday night I made spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic toast. Now, I was thinking fruits and vegatables were together on the food guide pyramid, obviously I was wrong and should have done research to prepare for this. I have since looked it up and realized there are a whole lot of food guide pyramids out there-I went with an old school one and have now put it on my fridge so I know. Therefore, Monday night we missed the mark. I have added a small "exception" since we don't eat fruit with our meals I have allowed a snack to be included where I will make smoothies or some other fruit gig. So this one isn't going so well..I may have challenged myself a bit too much.
Pictures:
Emma looks sad because she can't play with the fun toys with Jessica Studanski (Jessica is almost 7 months)
Jessica & Emma
Emma looking very tired.
Avery Unger & Emma. Avery is also almost 7 months old. They didn't take pictures too well together.
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