Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas Craziness

The last day or so leading up to Christmas and the ones following tend to be a bit hectic for our family. Not sure what it will look like next year when there are 5 of us, but we stuck with our typical tradition again this year.

We celebrated Christmas as a family Sunday afternoon. The hubs and I didn't do anything since we have so much going on with the new house, but the kids had stockings to open and to presents to unwrap under the tree. It may not seem like much, but they get spoiled rotten between all the family parties so we think a minimalist approach is best.



On Christmas eve we hit the road to celebrate with my mom's side of the family at my Grandma's house. We stuff ourselves with way too much scrumptious food, have a mini Christmas program and then open gifts. During the Christmas program we light candles and sing Christmas carols while the kids tell the Christmas story. Jason wasn't impressed with Easton's 'hillbilly Santa Claus' get-up i had for him this year :)
The grandparents with all their grandchildren and great grandchildren
Once it's way past the little peoples' bedtime, we load up and continue to head east to stay at my mom and step-dad's house. Usually everyone heads to bed while my mom and I stay up to chat and wrap any last minute presents. This year an amazing thing happened- all the gifts were under the tree so we didn't have to break out any wrapping paper!


Christmas morning can be a bit chaotic with 4 adults and 5 kiddos nestled in around the tree. We open presents and have a big brunch before packing up the van again to head back west to my dad's. We hang out open presents and have dinner. Most of the time we stay over night before heading back home, but with Christmas on a Tuesday we needed to get back so Jason could go  to work. We also had scheduled our carpet to be installed upstairs.

Papa Spence is aiming to be the next family photo bomber
Things are a little crazy, sometimes things feel a bit rushed, but this is the best system we currently have to see all of the family that is spread out in a short time span. Next year we may have to come up with a new plan- it's hard to fit four of us, all the gifts and overnight gear in our van now!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and friends.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Party with the Kleins

This year's festivities with my hubby's side of the family were back-to-back. We celebrated on Friday night with his sister, brother-in-law and parents and then saw the extended family on Saturday. The kiddos did well considering their schedules were all off. Easton even figured out that unwrapping presents can be great fun.
Loving on daddy
'Cheese' with Aunt Jessica

 In fact these little people keep me so busy, I barely got any pictures this year!

Friday, December 14, 2012

10 Months

How can my baby be turning one in two short months?!? I swear the time flies even faster with kiddo number two. Life is so much busier, more tumultuous and mommy finds herself struggling to keep up, but I want to be sure these things are documented for you to look back on one day precious boy.
Mom-fession: You may be a *bit* older than 10 months here.
I think we finally have a sleep schedule figured out for you- hooray! You take two naps (about a hour and a half each) and then go down for bed between 7:30-8:00 and sleep until around 7:00. This makes your momma one happy lady- she needs her beauty sleep.

You still nurse four times a day, along with 3 meals and two snack through out the day. I have several jars of baby food left, but we typically don't do more than one a day (if I even give you one at all). You're not a big fan of the stuff anymore and it so much easier for me to simply put food on your tray you can maneuver yourself.

I swear, if your eating habits are any indication of things to come I better start saving for grocery bills now! I know the doctor said your weight percentage had dropped last month, but I can't fathom how. You must have your daddy's metabolism, plus you never stop moving unless there is food involved or your sleeping.

You have finally managed to crawl and have gotten pretty good at it although you still army crawl on occasion. I'd say you have your own crawling 'style'. It seems like you dog track when you're on the move, with your behind off to one side when your on the move. You've also discovered creeping along furniture so I don't think it will be long before you take off! You also visited Miss Katie to get your first hair cut.

We had some diaper rash troubles this month so we've been going back and forth between cloth and disposables. You still wear a 3 in disposables and the cloth diapers are on the middle setting. Clothes are 9 months or 6-12 months these days. Most days you sport sweat pants or one piece outfits because mommy hates fighting to keep your jeans on all day long.

It was another crazy month at our house with demolition still on going at home and all the holiday festivities. Yet you continue to roll with everything and don't let many things get you worked up as long as you still get fed :) I pray your laid back attitude stays with you as you grow- we need someone around to balance out your feisty big sis! You are still the happiest little fellow I know and we love you to pieces!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Room to Grow

Not exactly what we were planning, but our family continues to expand. Goes to show we're following His perfect plan (not the one we had mapped out in our heads).

Next year the Klein household will have FIVE stockings hanging from our mantel and we couldn't be more thrilled! Through all the craziness of moving and renovating we've found another reason to be joyful this Christmas season.

*Just to clarify for all those questions that have been asked- we are not intending to fill all 5 bedrooms in our new house :) *

Monday, December 10, 2012

Daddy, the Photo Bomber

Just when you think you've captured a few cute pics of the kids during the holiday festivities, you get home to find someone was being deviant int he background...

I hope to get a couple of decent photos of the kids this year without Jason intruding!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Grandma Must be Mrs. Claus

We had our annual party with my mother-in-law's family yesterday and every year we have a special visitor. Mrs. Claus comes to pass out gifts to all the children. Last year Emma decided it must be grandma Klein (which is in fact true) we tried to convince her otherwise.
 After Mrs. Claus left this year she came right over to me to inform me that Mrs. Claus is grandma. I told her she was wrong so she promptly pointed out that grandma was no where in the vicinity. While my child has a grand imagination, it is clearly limited to dolls and play time. I think Easton has a year or two yet as long as his sister doesn't blow it for him
Later grandma told her that she was in the bathroom when our visitor arrived and wanted to hear all about it. Emma said that she looked and talked like grandma so it must be here. Grandma informed her that she think they may be related... I don't think this tradition will hold out as long as I had hoped!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

First Party of the Christmas Season

The kids had a great time at the first of many Christmas gatherings this weekend. We joined my dad's side of the family to celebrate before my grandparents headed south for the winter. With 11 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren in attendance it was loud and chaotic, but wonderful to be able to celebrate the holiday together.
Emma decking out the cookies for the party
Technology was very prevalent this year!
Our best gift this year!

Easton helping Carrie open gifts and Kayla helping Emma try out her new robe.

Easton checking out his chair handcrafted by great grandpa Spence. Every grandchild and great grandchild has one, such a special tradition!

He loves it!
So good to see everyone and celebrate the Christmas season together. We love you all!

*I have some pictures to come of the gifts I made, but have to get through the rest of our parties first :) *

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Trouble on the Move

Someone figured out how to stand up on his own today- let the craziness commence!
But seriously, how can you get upset at that sweet face?!?

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Living Under Construction

If it wasn't bad enough that some walls have been torn down, floors being refinished, bathrooms out of commission now the outside is being up heaved too.
 Jason had a driveway put in so the semi could be parked next to the house. We were paying rent to have it parked in Overisel, but now that we have the space it just makes sense to bring it closer to home.

While the grass is destroyed and it's all a muddy mess it reminds me of how I am not in control. It's all in God's hands; every last bit. So the house is a disaster; it won't always be that way. We'll get there eventually. It's just not worth stressing over! Some how my neat, orderly self struggles with that one a bit :)
It's also amazing to see how much we can live without. While we are now able to utilize about half off the house- the main floor is essentially done with the exception of some paint touch ups and the bathroom. However our bedrooms are all going to be upstairs so we're all inhabiting temporary quarters for the time being. Emma is still in the playroom, Easton has been moved to the office and the hubs and I have taken over the future guest room.

Basically, the only room that has been completely unpacked is the kitchen. Our basement and garage are still packed with boxes and furniture. Not only is it so obnoxious to have to dig through a hundred boxes to find something it's also made me think, 'Why do we have all this stuff?' We've been living without it for almost a month now. Do we really need it? As I gear up to unpack in the near future, I have a feeling there will be a few loads being dropped off at Love Inc. as well as more garage sale boxes. Just because we have a bigger house doesn't mean I need to fill every nook and cranny!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a wonderful day filled with good food and family!
Love our two little turkeys- we have so much to be thankful for!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Nine Months


Well little man the last month of your life has been rather chaotic. A lot has happened, but you have been great just rolling with it.

You continue to be such a good natured little fellow, with the exception of your sleeping habits. Mommy finally moved your pack 'n' play  into one of the empty rooms of the new house and let you cry it out because at this point I don't know what else to do with my dear stubborn boy. We made it one night where you slept all the way through until you had to move back into the living room with us while the wood floors are refinished. You wake up no later than 5:00 every morning and fuss until I break down and feed you around 6:30.
We celebrated your baptism
We are down to four feeding a day (about every 4-4.5 hours) and three solid meals. You don't snack much, but you do chow down when it's time to eat. There isn't too much you don't like with the exception of peas. Still can't get you to choke those things down. You eat a jar of baby food at every meal and then a portion of whatever we are having. If we don't allow you to try something we're eating you get really upset. You've also learned the sign language for 'eat' and 'more'. I love that you are able to communicate your desires more clearly!
We packed and moved in 1.5 weeks
You still have no interest in 'creeping' along the furniture, even though mommy has tried. You are able to get up on all fours and crawl, but after a few paces you decide it's faster to do the army crawl. Sometimes you will kick your feet out while you are up on all fours which makes mommy giggle. It looks like you are doing a donkey move with those feet flying. You can go from laying to sitting too, but you don't have much interest in doing so- you'd much rather be on the move. You've also learned to speed crawl when you know you're in trouble and heading for some where you're not supposed to. So cute, but so naughty!
Your first Halloween
Last weight check you came in just under 17.5 lbs when weighed fully clothed. At your 9 month visit you weighed in just under 17 lbs. You're now in the 6%, but the doctor attributed some of that to the nasty cough you've been struggling with. It seems like you are all over the place when it comes to clothing sizes! You are primarily wearing 9 month or 6-12 month, but some of your 6 month and 6-9 month stuff fits just fine. Your jeans are all 6-12 month which are perfect in length. However you continue to crawl right out of them. Mommy still hasn't pulled out the cloth diapers since the move. She's still waiting for a few things to get settled before we go back to them. For now you are in size 3 diapers.

No new teeth this month, but you've had a nasty little cough you just can't shake. We had a 24 hour stretch with a high fever and a rash once the fever broke, but nothing the doctors have been able to clear up. For a while there it was very clear you weren't feeling well. Oh the joys of cold and flu season! The cough itself doesn't seem to slow you down too much. You're still a happy little bugger :) We love you so much little man!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Living the Crazy Life

Well, we're all moved in a settled into the new house. Hahaha, if only that were true! As the hubs put it, we're living dorm room style. I like to point out that it's worse considering our roommates are under 3 feet tall and have a strict bed time to adhere to. We are all moved in, but that's about it. The whole situation feels surreal.

Almost everything was emptied out of our old house on Saturday and we spent our first night on the couch since the air mattress we were hoping to use developed a substantial hole. The rest of our belongings we're moved on Sunday and now we're still trying to get things in order. Hopefully we'll be all settled by Christmas (I wish that was an exaggeration).

It seems like each thing we try to accomplish hits a roadblock. The only thing that has gone smoothly was carpet installation in the living room which was essential for us to have a place to sleep. Just a few examples:
-Wallpaper steamer blew a hole in it less than 24 hours after I bought it. So thankful Menards replaced it!
-Tenants backed out so I had to turn utilities back on at the old house until we figure out what we're going to do.
-Hardwood floors need to be refinished, but the company hasn't gotten back to Jason. As soon that is done we can at least set up our office and 'settle' into the guest room until the upstairs is finished.
-The dining room was not going to be painted until we removed tape from painting the trim... this removed some of the paint. Since we don't have any old paint it looks like we'll be painting in there after all.
I could keep going and I know in the grand scheme of things they're all minor, but it's hard when your living in the middle of it. Especially when you have some sort of neatness OCD like me!

I promise to have before and after pictures- some of them you will hardly believe. Until we're ready for that here's a picture of the outside.
 I'm sure we'll be happy when everything is all done. It won't happen over night so I just have to remember to be patient. I know someday we'll look back on this whole escapade and laugh at the chaos that's going on, but I'm not there yet. What were we thinking?!?

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween from the Farm!

My barnyard crew just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! Harley the pig choose to opt out of the photo shoot....

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Season of Changes

Almost one year ago we placed our home on the market because we had our eye on another house in the area. After a few months without a single call, the other house sold and we decided it wasn't meant to be. A lot has changed over the last year- our family grew, Emma started school, the trucking company celebrated a year of success.

Recently the farm to the west of the home farm became available. The sweet couple who have lived there forever decided it's time to move into something smaller. Jason has always thought that might be a great place for us to relocate too, but I've never quite agreed. It's very close to the farm which concerns me for starters. My hubby is a hard working guy so I'm afraid being right next to work will cause his presence in our home to lessen. I fully appreciate how hard he strives to provide for his family, but I need him here too.

I also love living 'in town'. Don't get me wrong, we by no means live in a metropolis. However the speed limit in front of our house is 35 mph, there are sidewalks to bike and a school within walking distance to play. Those things will all be gone. The farm is on a rural 55 mph road. I have to remind myself the kids will have more room to roam with fabulous neighbors close by.

So the last week has been a whirlwind at the Klein household. Last Wednesday we were given access to out new home even though we don't close on it until this Wednesday. We, along with the help of family and friends, have been hard at work to prepare the 'new to us' home for moving. Plaster has been pulled down, layers of floor have been pulled up, wallpaper has been torn down and painting has begun. We have a long way to go, but we're making progress.

Unfortunately some of the work isn't going to be able to be completed before we move in. Our current home is being rented to a couple who have to be out of their rental by the 10th and she is due with their first baby on the 17th. Needless to say, they are experiencing some stress of their own and want to be in here by the 4th. So I'll keep packing like a maniac and moving boxes one by one until we get there. Please pray for us during this crazy transition!

I'm not going to lie, I'm going to miss this old house. For all the complaining I did about silly little things (being cold in the winter, uneven floors, and not enough space) I love our home and it has served us well. It's the first house we bought, where we came home after our honeymoon, where we brought our babies home from the hospital. The place where we've rested our heads for the last six years. There is a lot of love and memories in these old walls. Now I'm gearing up for all the things to come in our new home!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Easton's Baptism

We were so blessed to celebrate Easton's baptism this weekend surrounded by family and friends. He is so loved, what a lucky little boy!
Practicing his silly smile for the crowd

 
The Klein Family

The Burtraw/Doyle Family

My dad and Brenda
 There was a picture taken of the entire group, but I don't have one in my possession yet. We thank all our family and friends for coming out to show their support and love for us!

Our sweet boy

Friday, October 12, 2012

Eight Months

Not gonna’ lie little man, this last month has been a rough one! You popped that first tooth through at 7 months and have been teething ever since. You now have your four front teeth and I can see at least two more thinking about making an appearance. On top of that you’ve been battling a nasty cold and ear infections. I’m happy to report that your sleeping habits are almost back to normal and mommy is getting a decent 5 hour stretch. It was so hard getting up every 2-3 hours again for a few weeks there!
Here's that pitful pout I've mentioned before- the typical reaction I get as soon as he's put in bed!
 You have certainly become quite the mover and shaker! The army crawl has been mastered for a while now, but you no longer limit yourself to one room.  You like to be where sissy is, so where ever she goes you’re likely to follow. And you’re getting to be pretty darn fast too. I’m not sure you’re ever going to walk. I feel like once you are able to maintain your balance, it will be full bore running all the time!
We did get you to sit still to take your first combine ride.
You currently wake to nurse around 4 and again at 6:30. Over the course of the day you’ll eat another 3-4 times. You also eat about 3.5 ounces of baby food at each meal along with a taste of whatever we are having. You’ve finally mastered self-feeding and you love to be in control. If given a choice, most of the time you’ll pick real food over blended mush.  I still like to offer the baby food though because then I can know how much you’re eating and that you’ll eat until you’re full.
We tried tofu and you loved it, although you made quite the mess.
Last time we checked you weighed in at about 16.5 pounds. You are still wearing a lot of 6 month stuff except for pants and one piece outfits. Those have bumped up to either 6-12 month or 9 month.  You have such long legs little one! However you are still pretty skinny, so it’s a struggle to keep you from shuffling right out of your pants.
Rockin' the skinny jeans, daddy's fav ;)
You have become so much fun baby love! Always a happy camper, even when you feel crummy. When I get the camera out you scrunch up your nose, close your eye and give me a big toothy grin. I’ve tried so hard to capture it on camera, but I think a video clip is required for this one. You are such a happy boy and we love you to pieces!
My camera is just not fast enough to capture the full effect of that silly smile.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Little Sparties

Starting them early!