Keeping up with the Erbs

February snow brings March ... sunshine? Please?

2011-02-15T19:53:00.007-05:00

Is is spring yet?

The past few weeks have simultaneously flown by and drug on without end in sight. We've had so much snow, it feels like it might never melt (although forecast says 50s this week!) And yet, we've been incredibly busy. We had a fabulous time at The Avett Brothers concert with friends a few weeks back. Dinner and cocktails with 6 other adults felt like a mini vacation to beautiful South Bend, Indiana.

Kevin and the kids were both sick and let me tell you- I am OVER a runny nose. The next time I see a nose running in this house, I will catch it and kill it. You mark my words. However, lots of snuggles and lots of naps around here. What else is there to do with a cold weather skin advisory, level 1 snow emergency and upper respiratory infections? Here's CeCe on the couch hanging with a sick daddy.

Kiddo update:
CeCe is now 17 months and acts like she's 2. I don't know why, but she seems to act so much older than Preston did at this age. She's just as verbal as he was, but there's something so impish about her personality that makes me both laugh and worry. She's constantly seeking a reaction from her brother by taking a toy, dumping a bowl of his snacks, bopping him on the head, etc... Or, unfortunately, seeking a reaction from me by taking one of Preston's toys, dumping a bowl of snacks, bopping her brother on the head and ... playing in the toilet. yep. We've been giving her a consistent and stern "no" for that for about 6 months now, but what can I say? The girl likes to splash in toilet water. It's maddening. She's got 2 canine teeth poking through and 2 more on their way, chatting up a storm and putting a few words together here and there. She's a great eater - her favorite snack is "pesol and hummy," which translates to "pretzels and hummus." And the number one thing that describes CeCe is: obsessed with her dad. She's the biggest daddy's girl I've ever seen. She's loving all things feminine and squeals "Pretty!" when she sees a dress or new hair accessory. I did get her hair into pig tails the other day which was so cute I couldn't stand it.

Preston is obsessed with this show: http://www.nickjr.com/dino-dan/ And consequently, all things dinosaurs. Thanks to the research performed by the writers at Nick Jr, he'll accurately identify a velocyraptor, T Rex, brachiosaurus, and triceratops. I am on the hunt for a preschool for him in the fall and so far, no luck, but I've only visited one place and continue my search later this week. I really wish I could find all of my wish list in one school, but I am not finding that to be an easy task. I started a family yoga class with the kids at Prana this week and the instructor went around the room, asked the kids to introduce themselves and say whether or not they've done yoga before. Here was his response, word for word: "I'm Preston and I've done yoga before with mama." I have no idea why that one sentence that he said aloud to a room full of people melted my heart so much, but it did. He officially turns 3.5 in two days and I can hardly wrap my head around it. My sweet boy.

We've been spending tons of time in our playroom. If I turn on some music and help the kids get interested in an activity, they sometimes play down there for 30-40 minutes at a time. Not a vacation but long enough for me to start dinner or grab a shower. Thank God for that room. I will admit that I'm a big believer in us leaving the house every day, but with the weather the past few weeks, we've broken that rule and been at home much more than normal. Which means we've had to rotate play spaces from their rooms, our living room, crafts in the breakfast nook, and the basement. Have I mentioned how badly I am longing for warm weather to get them outside?
Anyways, thankful for the basement- here they are hanging with my Grandma down there last week, hanging at the water table at Science Central, and BFFs in Preston's room.

We have a pleasantly slow week or two coming up so I'll try to be good about grabbing the camera and catching up on more pics!

For all my mommy friends...

2011-02-09T20:36:00.002-05:00

I absolutely loved this:

http://www.ReflectionsOfMotherhood.com/

Blizzard Blogging: Day 3- life resumes.

2011-02-03T10:39:00.002-05:00

My Matilda Jane party was cancelled due to the snow, but the Level 1 and 2 emergency has been lifted, so Daddy is back at work. We had plans to play with a friend this morning, but her little ones were sick and there were school delays, so we are twiddling thumbs and completely out of ideas at home. I have yoga to look forward to, which means we'll all leave the house this afternoon for the first time since Sunday. I'm excited.

In the meantime, we'll continue playing. And playing. and... sigh.

Blizzard Blogging- Day 2.

2011-02-02T16:22:00.003-05:00

Had problems uploading pics yesterday, hence the delay in Blizzard Blogging.
So, snowpocalypse 2011 was not as big as they had predicted. Or, rather, as big as the world feared. At least not for Fort Wayne. However, Kevin's car did get stuck- twice, a level 1 snow emergency meant he had the day off and we took the kids sledding down an awesome hill at Taylor. Followed by homemade hot chocolate. I'm not complaining.... :)
Stay tuned for more details, but for now... check out these pics from the past couple days.

Blizzard Blogging- Day 1, Part 2.

2011-02-01T17:22:00.006-05:00

Well, the snow started, slowed, and is now just steady flurries, with a lovely "wintry mix" of sleet and heavy wind gusts. burrr. Kevin's car got stuck in the ally, but he was able to make it home for a dinner of teriyaki glazed wings, a heaping salad and some crusty whole grain garlic and cheese bread. There's something about being stuck at home that makes one want to eat comfort food. And wine. We had very little supply, so I had to trek out right when it got heavy this afternoon and Kevin got home. Cap n Cork was packed. Smart thinkin' Fort Wayne.

Blizzard Blogging Day 1:

2011-02-01T12:30:00.003-05:00

It's 12:44pm on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011, and we're expecting a little snow. If you haven't heard- just turn on the TV, the radio, log onto facebook and twitter, or stop in your local grocery store.

I figured I'd update you on what we do over the next few days during Blizzard '11. Reportedly starting this afternoon, it shall start snowing around 3, we'll get an inch an hour until Wednesday night, then it all turns to ice. I am stocked on groceries and ready to take on being stranded for the week. God help me. Things could get interesting considering I have 2 antsy toddlers, one of which had a slight run-in with a stomach bug yesterday evening. Said toddler seems ok now- she's eating fine, acting fine and no fever.

I do have a Matilda Jane show I'm hosting with Mrs. Henry here on Thursday morning. About 35 women were invited. I figure either we'll get all this snow and no one will show, or by Thursday morning, people will be ready to get out of the house, and bring themselves, their neighbors, and all their kids.

So far this morning, we've done arts and crafts. Valentine hearts, stickers, stamping and coloring. It took us about 30 minutes. This should be fun...

update for Grams!

2011-01-25T21:18:00.007-05:00

Last week, my Grandmother emailed me and reminded me that I needed to update the blog. She said in all caps, "I MISS SEEING MY BABIES!" She's looking for some new pics, so this is for you, Grams!

Last week, I signed Preston and I up for a winter dessert making class with our friends the Spitlers at a cake shop and he LOVED it! We are planning to attend every one possible from here on out! He dipped cookies, painted a chocolate snowman, and decorated a cupcake as a snow globe. He was so proud and I think he should have been- Isn't it great?? Thanks for the pics, Sara!

I have desperately been trying to get a side-profile shot of both kids in order to make some DIY silhouettes. Let me tell you- it's not been easy to snap one of CeCe. The girl moves non-stop. Here are the two from a recent bath that I believe will make the cut. And some cute out-takes of CeCe, as well. :)

Speaking of CeCe, she is talking up a storm lately! I truly feel that there are days where I get no more than 30 seconds of silence at a time all day long. She's putting two words together, saying "thank you" unprompted (melt) understands pretty much everything we say to her. She's showing interest in the potty, *obsessed* with Daddy, and loves to read. She still gets into things WAY more than Preston ever did, but part of that has to be that she does not have my full attention like her brother did.

In Preston news, the preschool search has begun and I've narrowed it down to 2. One is a lottery situation, so I'm going to put his name in, and the other is nearby, and I've heard great things. I know he's ready, but I am not sure I am! Tonight, he assembled a 56 piece puzzle by himself in just a few minutes, and it was only his 3rd time seeing this particular puzzle. He's now napping diaper-free, and we're moving to pull-ups at night soon. Lately, I fear he's dropping his nap. Hence my 30 seconds of silence comment above, I really look forward to that glorious 1.5-2 hrs in the afternoon of down time in the afternoon that they are both asleep and I can pick up the house, start dinner, shower, get online, chat with a girlfriend on the phone without a child pulling on my pant leg, or give some much-needed attention to Ruby. He's always been totally dependent on his naps- please send some sleep daytime vibes our way!

I've said it before, but perhaps my favorite thing of having 2 kids is watching their interaction with eachother. It's PRECIOUS. CeCe just adores and idolizes Preston and he thinks she's a blast because he has a constant audience. Here they are snuggling together as Preston showed her how to work the iPod. How sweet is this!?

I need to brag on Kevin for a moment- he was just named one of Fort Wayne's "40 Under 40!" This is a huge recognition that celebrates the top 40 up and coming business people from around the region of NE Indiana and NW Ohio. I am so proud of him. Way to go, honey! Looking forward to the reception in March.

As for me, I am back to an (almost) daily yoga practice and after searching for a good yoga "home" in Fort Wayne for almost 9 years, have fallen in love with a newer studio just downtown. http://pranayogaschool.com/
I'm also keeping busy with managing the social media aspect of one of Kevin's work accounts, obviously running after the kids, enjoying some wonderful girls nights out, the occasional date with my hubby and constantly trying to stay on top of cleaning this house. This weekend, we are heading to South Bend with the Steeles, the Adams, and the Broughs for a dinner out followed by The Avett Brothers concert at Morris. CANT WAIT!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T22:17:00.008-05:00

Hey, it's 2011, why haven't we all been to the moon, and where's my flying car?

At any rate, happy new year! We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years and I couldn't be more thankful going into the new year. Like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes larger on Christmas day as I watched the kids experience the holiday. CeCe didn't get it as much as Preston, obviously, but he was excited enough for both of them, and she totally picked up on his overabundance of energy!

But I have to back up- Christmas Eve day was totally perfect again as we continued with some of the same things we did last year. Baking and decorating cut out cookies, making reindeer food, followed by a trip to a new local market, a yummy special dinner at home just the four of us, and then of course, setting out the reindeer food and milk and cookies for Santa. Kevin and I stayed up late wrapping gifts by the fire, having our own little gift exchange, sipping wine and getting ready for what was coming the next morning and following day at the Erbs.

Christmas morning, Preston woke up around 6, but just stayed in his bed talking to himself. He totally remembered it was Christmas, and we can only assume he was a little overwhelmed and/or apprehensive about a man coming into his house the previous night. Finally, we went in to get him at 7 and he said, "But.... I didn't hear a clatter!" Twas the Night Before Christmas obviously had a lasting effect on him. We woke CeCe up, too and headed downstairs to find quite the load of loot!

Breakfast of omlets and fruit, then off to Grandma and Grandpa Erb's house for a full day of food, folly and fun! Check out all 13 grandkids!

We also had special celebrations the following week with the Pryor family, the Roberts family, then the Willig family. All were a blast, but I didn't get many pictures! :( Here are a few from the Roberts gathering and of the Pryors. The kids obviously made out like bandits from all the gift-fests, but I am not complaining- they've been happily occupied with the stuff every since! :)

New Years was a great night, but I was ill earlier in the day, so we didn't get too crazy. Just dinner at Eddie Merlot's with dear friends, then off to a fabulous party nearby. I tell ya, we've been wined and dined enough in the past month to last a lifetime! This week, we're getting back into the swing of things with friends, activities, and getting this house back in order. (What is it about the decorations being up that makes everything so damn dusty?!)

As we enter into a new year, we rejoice for our healthy, happy family and wish you the same!

It's that time of year!

2010-12-21T19:39:00.002-05:00

The Jib Jab "Elf Yourself" holiday 2010 edition reminded me to ask my husband for a trip to Hawaii for Christmas. Please, honey?

He's making a list!

2010-12-19T19:18:00.005-05:00

Just six days left till the fat man comes and we've got a week packed-full of prep! (And a teething toddler.) I am 99% of the way done with my shopping and I MEAN IT- no more gifts for the kids. I have just had so much fun getting their gifts and I really need to stop because they have so much already and we truly want them to know that the season is not just about getting toys. I am seriously considering keeping some toys for February when we are stuck inside all day. ;)

Last night, we began what we think will become our new holiday tradition. We told the kids that we had a "surprise," which naturally had Preston beside himself with excitement. The first part of the surprise was dinner at Fort Wayne's famous Coney Island, next to the giant Santa. It was Preston and CeCe's first time eating there and they absolutely loved how packed it was with people, watching the other kids, and the staff yelling out orders... "I need 6, 2 without!" Too cute. Not to mention, they both ate their entire meal! Next up, we checked out the Santa, got a few pics, and then still had some time to kill before the AWS Fantasy of Lights opened, so we stopped at Starbucks for dessert- who can resist their hot cocoa and baked goods? Not the Erbs! Plus, we had the entire terrarium to ourselves so we could watch the traffic on Jefferson which included all the horse-drawn carriages while the kids ran wild and adored their tree. It was such a special holiday moment for us as we sipped our coffee and watched our precious babies play together, laughing and gobbling up their treats, with total anticipation of our last surprise. The last part certainly did not disappoint, as usual. Fort Wayne's AWS Festival of Lights makes me so proud of our community for embracing this amazing cause. AWS provides services to children and adults here who have physical disabilities. Each enormous light display has been sponsored and I kid you not when I say it's a magical holiday-light filled wonderland for kids. As our car crept through the line, Preston marveled at each display, CeCe exclaimed "LIIIIIGHT!" over and over, and we enjoyed some holiday tunes. Such a great night- I cannot wait for this to be something we look forward to every year!

This week we are baking cookies with friends and cousins, finishing my shopping, making reindeer food, wrapping, addressing, a much needed girls night- the list goes on.... OY! So, until next time- Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

WOW!

2010-12-15T22:10:00.004-05:00

Santa just sent a message to Preston! You can watch it by clicking on the link below. It will only be visible during the holiday season, so be sure to watch before it's gone and he begins working on Preston's file for 2011!
CLICK HERE!

Our week in pictures

2010-12-09T22:01:00.003-05:00

Meet Edward, our elf on the shelf. One day this week, he watched from the microwave.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!! Kevin turned 32 on Tuesday and we had a wonderful dinner with John and Judy to celebrate. Love you, honey- here's to your best year yet!

Last Sunday, we made our annual holiday trek to Elcona's Santa brunch. The kids had a blast, and I couldn't help but post a bunch of pics of CeCe's adorable dress. I think this might have to make another appearance before Christmas. Hope everyone is having a wonderful December!

So much to be thankful for!

2010-12-04T21:00:00.001-05:00

And these past few weeks are just the beginning...

We kicked of our holiday celebration the same way we have the past 3 years. As Illsley residents, we are the recipients of a gift given to seven area neighborhoods on the Broadway coridoor, just a few blocks south and west of downtown. While we are not big fans of the local attorney who gives the gift, we accept it graciously anyways and will gladly partake in his annual holiday hulibaloo. LOL!
This year, we hosted the King and Spitler families for pizza, salad, breadsticks and Sara's delicious pumpkin bread and enjoyed dinner and drinks ourselves before heading down to the festivites. (Perhaps this was the first step to my gaining 4 lbs in the last 2 weeks.) Then, we bundled up the kids- all 6 of them ranging in age from 4 to 4 months- and headed down to the lighting on foot. There was live music, a Santa and Mrs. Clause, a live reindeer, and of course, the holiday train. We walked the kids in their strollers and as we were coming up on the gathering, we heard the countdown and watched them turn on the tree. It was perfect timing with perfect company on a perfect night!

We had a wonderful day at the Roberts' family Thanksgiving. Can you say stuffed? OMG- the food. In true Roberts-style, we had a smorgusboard of variety, and the desserts were amazing, including my brother Collin's birthday cake! The kids had a great time and loved loving all the attention, not to mention several hours of playing with Aunt Tori and Uncle Collin!

After 5 days of boxes in and out of the attic and basement, we finally have the house decorated and ready for Christmas. Kevin and I love - fake trees and all- decorating for the holidays. It's amazing how much holiday stuff we have accumulated in our 7 years of marriage. We've got snowflakes, wreaths, garland, lights, two trees, and now stuff in the kids room, not to mention all the accessories that are put out- the problem is just having enough space to store it all. I am embarrassed to say- I swear we need a storage unit, but that's a topic for another time. Another fun thing has been our elf, from the Elf on a Shelf book. Parents with young kids- you must have one- it's been such a fun thing to do and a tradition our family will enjoy for years! We named him Edward and he's been a very effective - um - behavior encouragement tool. I have to get better at hiding him, though- Preston usually finds him within about 30 seconds. :)

This has proven to be another busy weekend as we are loading up the kids and headed downtown tonight for dinner and then to see the giant santa, wreath, and tree. Tomorrow, it's up to Elcona for Brunch with Santa himself- more pics to come!

Once upon a time, several months ago...

2010-11-18T21:04:00.008-05:00

...My kids had birthdays!

I didn't actually realize until early last summer that having 2 kids in 2 years - with birthdays just 2 weeks apart would mean that I'd be planning 2 birthday parties every year. Within a couple of weeks of eachother. I have a few friends who are in the same boat with kids who've got birthdays close in the calendar, so I asked around about what to do. The results were mixed- some had a rotating party in the family, for example, we'd do Preston one year and CeCe the next. Some keep it small until age 5. Some combine and do one big party. Us? ...I am still undecided, but have a feeling we'll be completely inconsistent with whatever I choose, anyways. This year, Preston had a 3rd birthday party and CeCe had a first. And they were both wonderful!

Preston chose a fire engine theme and we celebrated by having a bunch of his little buddies over. His red and yellow invites said, "sound the alarm! Preston is turning 3" with a cute little fire truck print. I only got a few pics, but thankfully got a few more from Holli (THANK YOU!) He had an absolute blast and Kevin and I had an absolute blast (read: irrational freak out) while making his fire engine shaped cake. However, the look on his face when he saw his cake was something I'll never forget. It was worth every last drop of Wilton true red professional food coloring.
Here's a look at my sweet 3 year old boy on what he repeatedly called his "fire engine day."

His friends having fun!!

Cecilia's big day was all about pinwheels- turquois, pink and orange, in fact! It was mostly family and we went all out with food and cake. I had a lot of fun putting some fondant on while decorating their cakes. It was actually the easiest part of the process and it was my first time, so I felt like I was learning a new skill. She wore the most adorable outfit that came from her Aunt Natalie (Love you!) and then had a complete costume change after her cupcake. It was such a great day- she got amazing stuff and we felt really surrounded by the love of friends and family for our special girl on her special day!

Gimme Candy

2010-11-04T21:29:00.004-05:00

Happy belated Halloween! We had such a great time this year. Halloween is one of those holidays that is about 1,948,730,629 times better once you have kids. Kevin and I both got into the "spirit" (haha) of things and dressed up- he was a cowboy and I was a witch, complete with green face and all. We had two awesome gatherings to attend before trick-or-treating started at 5.

First, the Erb family has an annual tradition where Judy makes an enormous, delicious meal for all of us. Considering there are 13 grandchildren, it's a perfect time to get them all together while having fun in their costumes. I wish I had gotten more pictures. Everyone was so stinkin' cute, but alas, I was busy stuffing my face with the food and chasing around two toddlers.

From there, we traveled a few blocks away to a friends' house with even more little ones, and then off to trick or treat! Preston had a blast pretending to be a fireman and was so cute collecting his candy. He thanked every person who gave him a treat. CeCe was anxious to get out of the stroller, but was a showstopper in her bee costume, nonetheless. Such fun- already anxious for Halloween next year!

So exciting!

2010-10-28T16:42:00.003-05:00

Last month, we had family pictures done for Preston's 3rd birthday, CeCe's 1st birthday, and our seven year wedding anniversary by Vilma Deckena of Gem Photography. Vilma is a saint who, must also be a miracle worker, because she was able to get some great shots on a day that my kids were.... well.... let's just say, not at their best. Thank you, Vilma! Here is a link to our sneak peek on her blog!

Click HERE to see our preview!

More pics!

2010-10-18T20:08:00.003-05:00

...Just because! :)

catch up!

2010-10-06T19:59:00.010-05:00

Where to begin, haven't blogged, so busy, blah, blah, blah... you know the drill.... I'll skip the formalities and apologies and just say that I've been lacking on time. Check out some pics from this past summer and early fall!

Here we are at the Three Rivers Festival Parade back in July! Preston got to sit in the garbage truck, as National Serve-All is a big client of Asher's and they were the major sponsor of TRF. And CeCe got her pic taken with the Ball State cheerleaders. Go Cards!!

For YEARS, I have been badgering Kevin to go to the Elkhart County 4-H Fair and FINALLY, this year he agreed! We got to meet the Byers girls and enjoy some fair food, rides and animals. Preston is still talking about it! :)

A fun visit from the Pryors!

Kevin took me to the John Mayer concert! (swooning) And we loved The Avett Brothers, who opened for him. We even ran into my dad and stepmom. :) FANTASTIC SHOW!

I have so many pictures from the kids' birthday parties, that I have to save those for another post, but here are some other pics from the past couple of months. Highlights include: our backyard as we hosted the 2010 Illsley Place Ice Cream Social, a trip to the Grabil Fair with the Spitlers, Kevin and I before the Fort 4 Fitness 4-mile run, and me crossing the finish line, Preston starting soccer class (!!!), a girls night out, and just some other general cuteness. Enjoy!

A year ago today...

2010-09-07T07:24:00.002-05:00

We brought home our sweet Baby CeCe! As we settled in as a family of four, we realized quickly that this baby girl was going to steal our hearts. She was the easiest newborn I could have asked for, and became slightly more .... um, .... spicy around the age of 6 months. Once she realized her autonomy, she proved to be a determined but extremely loving little girl. These days, she wears her heart on her sleeve. There's no guessing her mood- she lets us know! As a one year old, she has four top teeth, two bottom, and two more coming in, still nurses a few times a day, takes a morning and afternoon nap, often sleeps through the night (yay!), cruises around furniture, explores every inch of our house and yard, loves her brother, dollies, trucks and eating plants.
We can't wait to see what the next year has in store. We love you, Cecilia... Happy first birthday, baby girl!!!

Three years ago tonight...

2010-08-16T22:19:00.003-05:00

My water broke and we headed quickly to the hospital to meet our sweet baby boy. 18 hours of labor later, he was born with his eyes open and soft little cry. That day, I didn't know how fully we would love him, but here we are and he's stolen our hearts forever.
We have so much to catch up on- I was without my computer for what feels like forever, so I will take the next month or so to post pictures and catch up with the blog, but I had to post tonight to wish our little guy a happy birthday!

Preston,
You make us smile every single day. Your heart is so open and you are the most precocious, kind, intelligent and thoughtful little boy we could ever ask for. Not to mention, your face is so stinkin' cute that I can hardly look at you without melting. I treasure ever moment we've shared the past three years, and love being your mommy more than life itself. Happy THIRD birthday, buddy... we love you forever and like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

All over.

2010-07-01T08:09:00.003-05:00

CeCe started crawling right at 9 months and I can't believe I haven't blogged about it yet. Oh, right- that's because she's into EVERYTHING and I can't sit down at the computer long enough to form a rational thought. She's literally the busiest thing I've ever seen and very unhappy if she's at all confined. She's super fast and is now pulling herself up on anything she can get her hands on. Including the toilet. (Where's my maid?) Unfortunately, this allows for her to get into and destroy Preston's toys while he's playing, which has been... um... difficult. But suffice it to say, she's all over the place and even though it's more work, it's pretty darn cute.

Preston is currently obsessed with performing and practicing his songs. Itsy Bitsy Spider, Ba Ba Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle and the ABC's. Yes, many of his songs, conveniently, are to the same tune. :) I'll have to post some more videos. He's also obsessed with the fact that he's got a birthday coming up and that he'll be three.

Enjoy some recent pics from the zoo, father's day, and our ever-elusive shot for a family photo where everyone is looking at the camera.

Itsy Bitsy

2010-06-18T21:08:00.004-05:00

Yikes!

2010-06-07T10:50:00.000-05:00

Seriously- Over a month since my last post! I am awful. And you, my friends, are out of the loop. Sooo.... in the spirit of a good friend who has a slight case of pregnancy-induced ADD (Hi Betsy!) I'll give you an efficient bullet-point blog post. Light on pictures because as I have found I am so stinkin' busy lately, I am constantly forgetting my camera when we are out and about. I will be better in the weeks to come because we have such a fun summer planned!

*First and foremost- Mother's Day was so nice!
Kevin made my day with the best Mother's Day gift ever. Tickets to John Mayer at Verizon in August! Wooohooo! Opening for him is the amazing group, The Avett Brothers. Trust me, you want to check them out. And by the way, maybe I just have a thing for bad boys, but aside from being a brilliant musician and lyricist, John Mayer is just misunderstood, so don't hate.

*Potty Time- done with daytime diapers!
For whatever reason, Preston refused the potty with gusto until back in April when he finally went. I had watched friends and family members potty train and it seemed so daunting and like so much work on my part. To be honest, I just didn't feel up to that challenge or have the energy to put into it. However, I was pretty much over diapers and thankfully after that first time, so was Preston! He totally led the way and started telling me when he needed to go. Within a few days, we were in underwear full time at home (except naps and nighttime) and now, he's going potty while at home and out in public on the big potty- both pee and poo. I am so proud and fully admit that I didn't give him enough credit. I was expecting it to take months and months, but in reality, he's only had one accident, and that was his first day in underwear. So, there you have it- daytime potty trained in a couple of weeks. Wootwooot!

*CeCe's eye.
Because of Preston's heterochromia, I am hyper-alert to anything having to do with the kids' eyes. The week of Mother's Day, I noticed a small black fleck in CeCe's right eye. It was about the size of a piece of pepper and I could tell it was on the surface. Nurse Mommy gently rubbed the lid towards the corner of her eye, and also tried to flush it out, but the thing wouldn't move. Her eye was red and watery, so I kept trying to trust that her body would clean it out like it was meant to do.
However, Friday morning, I was worried that the weekend would come and it would get infected or what if this and what if that, so I went ahead and called the doctor. They got us in, tried to get it out, but were unsuccessful, (very traumatic for both CeCe and Mama,) and then sent us to an opthamolagist who was also unsuccessful at removing it in the office and scheduled us for surgery the next morning. Yes, surgery...under general anesthetic. I was such a nervous mess. Thank God I had Kevin to calm me down every 5 minutes. Long story short, the surgeon we were scheduled with was WONDERFUL! He called our house to speak with us the night before, and she was only out about 7 minutes total. The nursing staff in the pre and post-op areas were awesome. They brought in a rocking chair and had it waiting next to her bed in recovery so that I could nurse her immediately. She did GREAT! She was a total pumpkin and even laughing, babbling and playing patty cake in the post-op area. The surgeon said that what he removed was a small piece of "organic matter," so I am assuming it was mulch or dirt or something of that nature since we've been outside so much lately. Our little sweetie, she was such a trooper. It was heartbreaking to see her in discomfort, but it was truly our only option. Here's hoping we never have to deal with a surgery again because even though she did well, it was no fun for any of us!

*9 months old!
CeCe is 9 months old! We are doing lots of big-girl things lately. Patty cake, giving kisses, so big, trying new foods, etc... I adore this stage. Perhaps the cutest thing she does (and she does a lot of cute things, so this is sayin' something...) is when we ask if she wants to do Patty Cake, she immediately starts clapping her hands. So sweet!! She JUST started crawling a few days ago, and is now trying to pull herself up on stuff. Life takes on a whole new view with a mobile baby around here! We just had her 9 month well baby visit- she was 18.2 lbs and 28.25 inches long- 50th percentile for both height and weight.

*I broke my (expletive) toe!
Walking into the door jam. It sucks trying to keep up with the kids, but I have it taped and am trying to elevate/ice it along with ibuprofen. It didn't stop me from plant shopping in Shipshewana later in the week with Judy, though. My friend Erin Spencer (Hi Chom!) broke both of her feet separately last year and somehow stayed out of the loony bin while chasing two toddlers, so I think I should try to grin and bear a broken pinky toe without complaints. It's been about 3 weeks and is starting to heal well, but I still have it taped. Badly, badly need a pedicure.

*We spent Memorial Day weekend at the lake, have been making trips to the zoo, I've been enjoying time in the garden while the kids play outside. Summer is here and we have no complaints!! :) Here are some pics of recent fun:

CeCe posing for the camera:

Kiwi for lunch:

Backpack, backpack!

Hanging in the exersaucer:

Cookin' up some trucks:

Worm hunt with buddy Audrey:

Washing up some dishes in the backyard:

Fun at the zoo!

Cecilia's baptism

2010-04-26T20:17:00.006-05:00

Well, after 7 months and 13 days, we finally had this child baptized! The very kind Father Bob from St. Jude's performed the sacrement at St. John's before everyone headed back to our house to celebrate with food and cake.

It was really nice to have a day to celebrate CeCe. True to her nature, she could not have been sweeter or more easy-going, even while she was getting doused with the water. She never fussed, went down for her nap like an angel and adored all the attention and beautiful gifts she received. The weather was perfect- high 60s and sunny, which was nice for getting everyone outdoors and taking some pictures. My only regret is that we didn't get many of her in her dress. She's obviously way too big to wear the Willig family's baptismal gown that all of my family, including myself and Preston wore for our baptisms, so I found something simple and sweet that would work, but it was less traditional. Thank you so much to everyone that shared in her baptismal day, and a huge thank you to Dan and Lisa, her aunt and uncle who will serve as her Godparents and will play a special role in her faith as she grows up.

What a blessing of love and light this baby girl has been to us!

Chicago Trip!

2010-04-16T07:58:00.014-05:00

We took a mini spring break to Chicago last weekend with the kids. We met two other couples with kids there- the Lindsays and the Nelsons, and also got to visit our friends Scott and Jeremy. What a great time! It wasn't "easy" per se, traveling with both kids, but we stayed downtown at the Marriott Suites about 3 blocks from Michigan Avenue and everything was surprisingly more simple than expected. Preston and CeCe had a blast and both did amazingly well for being so thrown off their routine. All together in our group, we had 5 kids- ages 2.5, 2.3, almost 18 months, 11 months, and 7 months. God help us.

We arrived into the city Friday morning and went to the Museum of Science and Industry on way to the hotel. It was the Friday of spring break, so it was packed, but we still had a great time. Preston LOVED the farm and train exhibits, and CeCe was happy and easy going as ever. Here's some shots from MSI:

That evening, we met up at the hotel with the other families and loaded up all the kids for dinner at Quartinos. Italian family style small plates and let's just say.... the servers got a big tip and we ordered pizza in the next evening. Probably should have paid for the meals of the people dining around us, as well. Thank God that's over.

In fact, it was so stressful, the mommies needed to leave the daddies behind once the kids went to bed and go enjoy a wine and cheese flight at Bin 36. (I felt badly, because that is one of Kevin and my favorite restaurants to go to together in the city, but alas, the kids can't stay by themselves. ;)

Saturday was a great day! We walked along the river all the way from our downtown hotel to Navy Pier. It's was a gorgeous morning and we all loved getting a chance to enjoy the sights of the city. Navy Pier is a perfect place for kids. They had little rides, tons of games, and the awesome Chicago Children's Museum. We met Aunt Kim and cousin Eve, who were also in town, and ate lunch outside on the pier. After several hours, we were all exhausted and decided to take the bus back, which was CeCe and Preston's first experience with public transportation. Interesting crowd. After we got back and got the kids down, I was even able to head to Nordstrom's for some shopping. Which I *might* have enjoyed even more than Navy Pier. :)

Chicago Children's Museum was very cool- totally hands-on for kids and there were even spaces in each exhibit room for non-walkers so that babies didn't get trampled by the overly excited toddlers. Their water works area was awesome, they had a fire station and truck that allowed the kids to fight a blazing house fire, and tons of places to dig, learn and explore. Preston and CeCe both loved it!

Here are some pics of the rest of our trip. It was an awesome getaway and reminded us that we should be a bit more brave when it comes to traveling with the kids. Now, if we could just figure out a way to pack less next time....

Spring time fun!

2010-03-28T20:40:00.011-05:00

Well, the equinox feels like ages ago and I have only blogged once this month, so I need to bring things up to speed! (thanks, mom for nagging me to update.)

Spring is my favorite season, so we've been outside a ton. I took an awesome gardening class and am currently gearing up for planting. I've ordered a few plants already and can't wait to get them in the ground. I am also currently taking a yoga class that takes place in the FW Botanical conservatory.
It's a great class and it feels wonderful to be back into a regular yoga practice. Namaste!

We kicked off the month celebrating Grandma Judy's birthday. Kevin had to miss it because he was in Baltimore, but the rest of the family had a great time. Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Kevin's been traveling a lot for work, so I've been single-momming it here and finding fun stuff to do with the kids, we've done lots of trips to the park, walks, playdates and just in case any creeps are reading this, installing security systems and stocking up on well-trained attack dogs.

Another interesting March day, we ended up with a stray chihuahua. I opened the back door to let Ruby in, and I saw not one, but two dogs running around the back yard. I asked Preston what he thought it's name was and he said, out of the blue, "Jeff." Where does he come up with this stuff?? After an entire day and two attempts by Animal Care and Control, I was able to coax him on a leash and send him on his way- hopefully to be adopted out.

With the nice weather, we've been spending more time on the porch and I recently caught this shot of Preston texting his buddies. I feel like I just got a glimpse into my future.

This past weekend, we had an egg-hunt extravaganza. We attended the kids brunch and egg hunt at Elcona and then drove to LaPorte for cousin Cameron and Austin's birthday party. And what do you know, that included an egg hunt, too! It was a lot of driving for one day- Fort Wayne to Elkhart to LaPorte back to Fort Wayne. Yikes. But both kids did AMAZINGLY well in the car and we all had a great time. Elcona does such a great job with kids events. They always have a beautiful buffet table set up low to the ground at the kids' level, and a table full of sugar cookies to decorate for whatever holiday it may be. All the kids ran around outside finding eggs. Some kids got several dozen. Preston, egg hunter extraordaire, found two. Two eggs. However, one of those was the highly sought-after "golden egg" that contained a certificate for a kids meal at Elcona. Can't wait to use it next time! He also got to see the Easter Bunny and much to our surprise, absolutely loved him and then hit some balls on the course with Grandpa. A great morning!

That afternoon in LaPorte, he found an entire basket full of eggs (some had money!) with Cameron and Austin's help. We had great food and family fun and enjoyed a darling birthday cake from Adams' cake shop in Elkhart. We bathed the kids there before leaving, loaded everyone up in the car and hit the road. Made it home by around 10 and absolutely crashed. Thanks to the Roberts, Wells and Hansen families for making it a great weekend. We love you!!

The next few weeks are CRAZY with Easter coming up, then Kevin and I are taking the kids to Chicago for the weekend, then CeCe's baptism, but I will try to blog when I find time. Until then, Hoppy Easter! :)

Waiting for spring

2010-03-02T12:30:00.006-05:00

February absolutely swallowed us whole. I think we saw sun twice the entire month. I may have rickets.

We've kept busy, hence my lack of blogging, but I figured I better bring you up to speed lest you lay awake at night and wonder what the Erbs have been up to. Below, you can see that we've played outside, had the usual playdates, made trips to the library, a trip to Angola to see Grandma Joan and had Nana Connie and Papa Sherm down for dinner. Lots of fun, and good to keep busy when it's so cold and dreary!

First and foremost, Kevin got a new job! Truth be told, he was very happy at LaBov, and was going on five years there of not looking for anything else. Barry was wonderful to us and Kevin will forever be grateful to him for the experience the position provided and all he learned while he was there. But shortly before the holidays, the well-respected Asher Agency here in Fort Wayne wanted to create a position and contacted him to fill it. It was an opportunity for our family that he could not turn down, not to mention a promotion within his field. I am really impressed and proud of him that in this economy, he was pursued for a new position. For now, he'll be working with their major accounts of Subway, National Serve-All, Indiana University football, and a few others. If you get a chance, drop him a line or send him some good thoughts to let him know you are cheering him on. I'm sure he'd appreciate it! kevin.erb@gmail.com

Spring is upon us and along with Kevin's job, we have lots of other changes going on! I just joined weight watchers to try and drop the 25- yes, 25! - pounds CeCe has left me with. Ok, 10 of that is more likely from before Preston, but still.... You get the picture. She turns SIX MONTHS OLD this weekend and I figure if I haven't lost it by now, it's not happening on its own. gahh! Anyways, I lost 5lbs my first two week. Hope that keeps up and by posting it here will keep me accountable. :) Spring is my favorite season, I dream of gardening and have a new gardening class next week at the Botanical Gardens. I also start "Yoga in the Garden" class downtown there in a couple weeks. Very excited for that and to start buying new plants for our yard here.

Another change is that CeCe is sitting up for a minute or two on her own and the big announcement is .... she's got teeth! The bottom two (or at least the left one) are through the gums and other than some unpleasant side-effects such as biting me while nursing, crappy sleep, and complete fussiness, she's been a trooper. Wait, not really. Teething sucks.

Preston is signed up for another gym class that starts next week. This one is called "Ready, Set, Go!" and I hope it wears him out as much as the other one did. He and CeCe are really starting to interact and I absolutely love it. It's by far, the sweetest and more heart warming thing I've experienced so far as a mom of two.

We have a really fun month coming up! Kevin has two trips for work- one to Nashville and the other to Baltimore, but in between, we have family birthdays, a few weekend events, including the FWMOA Gala this coming weekend and the Elcona Easter Egg hunt at the end of the month. Stay tuned for pics of both. Until next time, stay warm and keep manifesting some sun!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-11T23:46:00.011-05:00

Happy Valentines Day from our family to yours! If I were a blog reader, I'd be incredibly tired of hearing me drone on about how lucky I feel to be surrounded by so much love in this family, how thankful I am for a caring, helpful husband and how much I adore my two healthy and beautiful kids, so I guess I'll leave all that out.

Things have been moving along here as we shovel out of the massive amount of snow we got last week. The kids are tired of being cooped up and so am I. We got out every day last week, but I just LONG for days of playing in the backyard and walking to the park without needing a full snowsuit and boots.

Last weekend, my Dad, Dawn, and Tori came down to visit for the day. (We missed you, Uncle Collin!) After living here for almost 8 years, I finally made my first trip to Science Central. What a cool place! We even bought a family pass because you also get free admission to many of the Chicago museums.

It had tons to do for little kids...

(... and big kids!)

We all went to dinner afterwards, and as you can see, Kevin and I milked it for all it's worth because we had helping hands with the babies! Grammy Dawn was on "Preston meal duty" while Tori got to snuggle CeCe. Thanks, guys!

Aunt Tori and Preston reading:

This weekend has proven to be busy as well. Friday evening, my mom stayed with the kids so Kevin and I could go have a nice dinner together and celebrate Valentines Day. (And something else exciting, but I'll go into that in a different post. And no, we are most definitely not pregnant.) Thanks for babysitting, Mom!

In other news, I think CeCe is teething. Everything is in her mouth, her usually quite-tolerable-for-a-baby sleep has been disrupted, and she's fussier than normal with an occasional runny nose. She's doing well otherwise, still has some spastic movement qualities with her arms and seems unable to grasp toys as well as Preston did at this age. She likes to roll from her back to her belly, but isn't big on getting back over from there. Preston, as you can see, has resurrected his fireman costume from Halloween. Remember, the one he refused to wear? Let's hope it still fits him come this October. ;)

Tough loss

2010-02-09T08:55:00.004-05:00

The Colts just couldn't pull off the win last Sunday. What a bummer. Kevin is taking it pretty hard, but the rest of the Erb family seems to have recovered.

I saw a funny quote on facebook that- mean as it was- made me laugh. It said,
I'm sure when Peyton Manning was growing up he always wanted to throw the TD pass that gave the Saints a Super Bowl win. Now he has.

play play play

2010-02-02T22:31:00.006-05:00

What else are you going to do this time of year? Seriously, as much as I hate to say it, I could totally just do without January, February and March. We've been sick quite a bit lately, and this winter, as per usual, seems to be dragging on when all I want to do it get the kids outside and take time to plan out my garden. I try to think of as many activities as I can to combat winter boredom, or behavior (mine included) seems to take a turn for the worst around here. The past couple of weeks, we've been focusing on leaving the house at least once a day, and if it would ever stop snowing, that might be slightly easier. We've hit the library, the mall, scheduled several playdates, attend Preston's funtime frenzy class, made a trip to Mitchell Books' and It's Playtime, run errand after errand and then crash at home.
Ok, enough of my griping, check out our pics. Oh, and the tulips up top? They were a treat to myself for making it through the grocery with both kids and a packed cart. And yes, they make me smile every time I walk past them. Keeping the faith for spring. :)

Hope for Haiti

2010-01-22T21:14:00.003-05:00

Words cannot express how much the recent horrific earthquake is haunting me, so I needed to post here in hopes that maybe even one reader will donate. Perhaps it's being a parent, but the thought of thousands of children orphaned is too much. Babies dependent on mama's milk, the toddler who wonders why he can't go back home or why his father can't tuck him in at night, and their parents who've lost every single possession they've ever owned. The need is immediate and real- please give. Please help.

Please consider clicking on one of the links below for a reputable place to donate:

Catholic Relief Services

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Oxfam

UNICEF

Partners In Health

Yele Haiti

TEXT HELP INFO:
Text the word HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross
Text the word GIVE to 50555 to donate $10 to hopeforhaitinow.org
Text the word QUAKE to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton/Bush Haiti Fund
Text the word HABITAT to 25383 to donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity

Empty camera post

2010-01-18T21:19:00.009-05:00

Hi everyone- long time, no post. Nothing new going on in our neck of the woods, really. We are playing catch up after the holidays, we've all been a little under the weather and trying to get through the grayest three months of the year.
CeCe's rolling a ton and really getting good at grasping objects in the exersaucer. Preston is talking in 9 and 10 word phrases lately, (which blows our mind) is obsessed with all things Thomas the Train, and just started a toddler "Funtime Frenzy" gym class with me that he loves. Kevin finally got a new car- a used Toyota Avalon and it totally serves it purpose as transportation to and from work. I've been trying to keep up with my 2010 resolutions and I gotta tell ya- it feels good to check things off my list.

I just dumped a bunch of pictures from my camera onto my computer, so I figured I'd go through and upload some to update the blog. Some are wayyyy back from the last decade- back in 2009- so bear with me! :)

Little fatty sitting up in her bumbo:

Kevin and Erin on New Years Eve, at Catablu with the Goettermans

Celebrating the Stanski graduation with Ted and Charity

My little Jackson Pollock

Ralphie. (Snow suit - 2nd year of use- courtesy of the Kings!)

Preston in action (as always) about to tackle Ruby-

Me at 2 and a half years old. Remind you of a certain little boy?

Cecilia rolling, hanging out in the 'saucer and looking generally cute

That's all for now. We've had a ton of playdates lately and even though I've had my camera, my hands have been full and I've been horrible about taking pictures. Kevin is traveling to Boston later in the week and we've got quite a bit activity planned to keep us busy while he's gone, but I'll update soon!

Oops!

2010-01-10T15:48:00.006-05:00

Have I mentioned the nightmare of our car fire last month?

It seems every year, the week of Christmas, we should brace ourselves for some logistical pain in the ass. Remember last year when we were out of our home for 5 days without power while our kitchen was under construction? (Although good things came from that... have we mentioned our daughter?)

This year, on December 23rd, Kevin was driving home from work, and began his two week holiday vacation. It had been a crazy week and I was more than ready to start the holiday hooplah and enjoy some family time with him around. He called a couple of times on his way home, as we were making plans to meet friends, scrambling for a possible sitter last minute later in the evening. The third time he called, (he does have a half hour commute) I hear sirens in the background and the first thing he said was, "those sirens you hear are for me." The roads were bad and I immediately feared the worst and frantically asked if he was ok. After he assured me that he was, he said his car (my old beloved Volkswagen Passat wagon) sputtered and died at a light. A passerby knocked on the window and said, "It's on fire!"

That passerby must have called the fire department because they arrived within a minute of Kevin pushing it out of the road. Long story short, there was a random electrical fire and as you can see below, had the fire department not put it out, things could have gotten really bad.

The silver lining of me having to put down my wine, cease making dinner and load up BOTH kids (including a barefoot CeCe) to drive downtown and find my husband and his burnt carcass of a vehicle, was that Preston got to see the giant fire truck and they gave him some Fort Wayne Jr. Firefighter badge stickers.

So, here we are car shopping. The Passat is um... totaled. (See below.) Our insurance has been great, we are getting KBB value and looking for an older, reliable car that we can just run into the ground. We haven't found one yet, but I assure you, it hasn't been for lack of looking. I fell in love with a Diesel 1979 inexpensive Mercedes sedan the other day. Wouldn't that be fun to drive?! (Until it needed work that cost more than the car itself, that is!) We used to be a 2 VW car family and absolutely love the brand, not to mention they are one of Kevin's largest clients at work. Another upside of that is that he's been in contact with the Director of Customer Relations there who's been great. So far, though, they haven't been able to convince us to get another VW.

Oh- by the way, later that evening, he still went out to meet friends. ...Life carries on, right? ;)

In the junk yard- the window exploded from the heat:

CeCe's 4 months old!

2010-01-06T16:55:00.002-05:00

Our little angel turned four months old on Tuesday! It seemed fitting to pay her tribute via a blog post since it was a year ago this week that we discovered that we were pregnant again. At the time we had no idea how much joy she'd bring to our lives.

Her well baby check up was Wednesday morning and I'm happy to report that she's doing great. She's 14 lbs- around 50th percent for weight and get this- 26 inches long!!! 90-95th percent for height. She measured 19 inches at birth, so she's grown 7 inches in 4 months and is already being recruited by Ball State's women's volleyball team.

She's rolling over and starting to scoot around on her back. If I put her on a blanket with her head at 12 o'clock, it will be at 4 before you know it. She has started to show some interest in toys, but her absolute favorite entertainment device in the world is Preston. Her face literally lights up when she sees him and she thinks he's absolutely hysterical, which brings me to... her laugh. Ahhh! How I love her laugh. It's just infectious and her face has a huge gummy smile on it most of the time. She is still on just breast milk and will be for a few more months. We are just beginning to enter such a fun baby stage. I can't believe how quickly the time is going the second time around.... slow down, little lady!

Christmas Recap - 2009

2009-12-28T13:13:00.017-05:00

Well, the craziness continues around the Erb household. 'Tis the season!

Last week, we had the Pryor family here for a holiday visit. It was way too short as always, but even getting to see them for a few hours is good for my soul. Natalie is just the most beautiful and stylish pregnant woman you can imagine. Emma and Preston played really well and had fun making cookies with us. Thanks for making the trip, Pryors! What a great day- we love you guys!

The Illsley Place kids holiday party took place on the 20th and it was a hit! We can't wait to make this part of our family's Christmastime tradition. The kids made crafts and decorated their own sugar cookies. While Preston got a little overzealous with the green sprinkles, he was super proud of his craft tree and loved when everyone gathered around the piano and sang carols. (Yes, we really did that. Our neighbors are serious about tradition, and apparently, singing carols is a long standing ritual for the kids party.) By the way, my girlfriends will get a kick out of the fact that the neighborhood association provides special "Illsley Place holiday song books" specially printed for this party.

Christmas Eve day was awesome! We had such a special day with just our family of 4. We made cut out cookies together, assembled some reindeer dust and spent lots of time snuggling in our PJs. Later that evening, we attended the children's mass at St. Johns, then opened our doors for a cookie buffet. If the next few years allow, we will definitely continue this tradition for our neighborhood friends because it was so much fun! We set out every kind of cookie that we baked in the previous days and loaded them into bags for our guests to take home and leave out for Santa that night.

Speaking of cookies for Santa, this was seriously the part of Christmas that Preston loved most. He thought it was amazing to leave him a note on our cute cookie plate with his cookies. Then when he came down to see the gifts on Christmas morning, he ran immediately to the plate, saying, "He ate my cookies! He ate them!"
Milk and cookies before bed on Christmas Eve:

Christmas morning took on a whole new meaning for us this year. We kept it low key, or tried to with one very excited two year old, and made some delicious omlets for breakfast while opening gifts. Kevin and I were not planning on exchanging gifts but he surprised me with a gorgeous and simple jade bracelet I've been wanting. (Way to go, Santa...Mrs. Clause was very pleased!) CeCe slept in longer than Preston so we went ahead and brought him down on his own. As you can see, he had a blast digging in to his presents!

Christmas Day at the Erbs- Preston checking out his gifts, playing with his cousins, CeCe snoozing on Grandma, and Grandpa's new snuggie. :)

In my ever-constant quest for quality family photos, I even tried to set both kids up in a chair at the end of the day to capture their darling coordinating outfits and catch some Christmas smiles. Preston's expression in the lasts photo has dashed all my pageant parent dreams, but also shows what a great time he had. They were both exhausted once we got home. Thanks once again to my wonderful inlaws for a fun family holiday!

I'll stop here before this turns into a novel, but I still need to recap our car fire. (Yes, I said car fire. The VW Passat is totaled and we are officially car shopping.) Along with uploading pics from the Roberts and Willig family Christmases, which I'll have to save for another post. Kevin took the entire week off of work, so for now, I gotta run and enjoy some time with my fam. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with peace and love. Thanks for Keeping Up With The Erbs this year, wishing you all the best in 2010!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2009-12-16T22:15:00.010-05:00

Christmas is upon us and we are in full swing of holiday hoopla. The next week is proving to be just as busy and I feel like I've been in the kitchen a lot. (I'll share some good recipes in upcoming posts!)

I'm pleased to report that as of this past Thursday, I am officially done with our shopping. Waiting on a doll set to arrive from Land of Nod for Santa to bring CeCe, but once it's here, I'll be in gift wrap heaven! I've actually gotten a ton of shopping, baking and gift prep done in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed. They're both down consistently around 8 and CeCe is sleeping a good chunk of about 4 (sometimes more, but I don't want to jinx it!) hours without waking. Tonight, I even got some girl time with Kristin and Holli. We went to see The September Issue, which was so interesting and fun- I highly recommend it if you have a nearby theatre that features indie films. It was wonderful to get out on an average Thursday night with my favorite girls!

Speaking of favorite girls, the Southwood Park moms just left after a fun, yet purely chaotic playdate. Violet, Caroline, Finn, Preston and CeCe...what a crew. We made a keepsake ornament of the kids' handprints and they turned out really well. The kids had a good time playing and the mommies had a good time sipping coffee, noshing on homemade goodies and chatting. I feel so incredibly lucky to be blessed with such great girlfriends. We all have a lot going on, and it was good to get together one last time before life gets too chaotic at the end of the year.
Here's how we made the ornaments:
The night before, I combined
4 cups flour
1.5 cups water
1 cup salt

Worked in some green food coloring and kneaded for 20 minutes. (That is probably the hardest part- kneading dough is an arm workout of which I was previously unaware.) You roll out the dough, press their little hands in, make a hole for the ribbon and then bake for 20 minutes at 325.

Voila!

One other thing I have to suggest for Fort Wayners before I go is the AWS Fantasy of Lights! There are over 50 elaborate light displays set up at Franke Park and you drive through. Preston absolutely loved it and I got CeCe out of her carseat to ride on my lap. $5 a car- can't beat it- I highly recommend it if you have kids! I of course, didn't have my camera, or I'd post pics. So, until next time, these shots from the last week will have to do...

One of the three designs I ordered of our Christmas cards: (indecisive much?)

My happy boy:

CeCe in her bumbo:

Catching our breath

2009-12-08T16:49:00.009-05:00

What a crazy weekend we just had!

Friday we had the LaBov holiday party which included hosting our dear friends, Jeremy and Scott overnight. Judy watched the kids (thanks, Grandma!) and did a great job. In fact, after 6 of her own kids and 13 grandkids, she probably did better than we would have done on our own. ;) CeCe still is not big on taking a bottle of pumped milk, so she nursed for about 45 minutes once we got home. I had to start on Kevin's birthday cake for the next evening and make a breakfast casserole for our guests the next morning, so needless to say, it was a late night.

Saturday morning, we had a nice breakfast with our guests, then family pictures taken (sneak peak below!) at our home for our Christmas cards, then spent the day gearing up for hosting a big afternoon dinner for 8 adults, two wild toddler boys and 2 sweet baby girls. Yep, the Foley family drove up to Fort Wayne from Indy and joined us, along with my mom and Sherm here for a mostaccoli dinner followed by a delicious chocolate cake for Kevin's birthday. (If I do say so myself.)
I can't even begin to tell you how difficult it was to get a picture where all 4 of our eyes were open, were even remotely glancing in the camera's direction and had something resembling a smile on our faces. If you receive a Christmas card from us, you'll see what I mean. Regardless, it was still a great time and we now have three month pictures of CeCe that we can pair with 3 month pictures of Preston.

Sunday, we got up bright and early and loaded up both kids for a day trip to Elkhart. It was a fun and totally relaxed morning packing up the car with both babies as you can imagine. (<---sarcasm.) ha! Suffice it to say that our goal to leave the house was 9:00 am. But our actual departure time was 10:14 am. However, I have to say, IT WAS SO WORTH IT! What a great day at the Elcona Country Club annual Santa brunch. Great food, great time with Grammy and Grandpa Roberts and Kevin didn't even get a speeding ticket like last year. ....Oh yes, we did get pulled over, but luckily he got a merciful Columbia City cop and the guy couldn't have been nicer. Even said, "don't want to ruin your birthday, so I'll give you a warning." Much better than the blow hard Elkhart county brownie last year who DID give him a ticket on his 30th. CeCe - my "I'm so not a big fan of the car" drama queen slept right through it.
Once we got to the brunch, Preston eyed Santa and was a little nervous, but slowly warmed up throughout the morning.

He did give him a specific list:
1.Tractor Trailer. (The technical term for a semi truck.) But poor inept Santa thought he meant farm equipment and then asked if he wanted "some John Deere stuff."
2. Garbage Truck.
3. Fire Engine. Although he has several, I guess Santa will have to look for another. Which is unfortunate because Santa is quite busy these days and already has a good majority of his shopping done.
4. Thomas the Train stuff.

Monday was Kevin's birthday, so he had the day off work and we enjoyed a little family time followed by our first attempt to take both kids out to dinner just the two of us. It was a smashing success. And by "success," I actually mean "stressful evening of passing them back and forth and asking for boxes and the check immediately once our food came." Such is life with two kids. Happy belated birthday, Honey!

Thanksgiving weekend '09

2009-11-30T13:29:00.005-05:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as we did! The day itself was so much fun at Dan and Lisa's and the kids had a blast while we pigged out. Two kinds of turkey, Judy's famous oreo dessert, and plenty of wine. :)

Preston, Jacob and Lucas are our three little monkeys who were all three born within one year. (August 07- August 08) The only time they were still the entire day was when Aunt Lisa got these legos out...

He was kind of overwhelmed with 21 of us there at first but then became more comfortable and played with his cousins the rest of the day until he was absolutely worn out.

Here he is tasting Grandma's oreo dessert - an Erb kid favorite- for the first time. Let's just say he didn't hate it.

Here's baby sister in her cute Thanksgiving day dress. Her little smile is just never ending. We are so thankful for a happy baby!

Here she is with Daddy in their stripes. I think they look so much alike in this picture:

On Saturday night, Kevin and I took part in a long-time Fort Wayne family tradition. We loaded up the kids and headed downtown to see the Santa, the wreath, the big tree on Calhoun, and have some Coneys. We had an absolute BLAST! Downtown was packed. Preston was so excited and ran as fast as he could yelling, "I'm running fast to da lights!" when we saw the giant candles on the Community Center building. Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance, the horse drawn carriage rides were on every corner and even though Coney Island was packed, we braved the line and waited for some dogs. Totally worth it!

We're getting close to Turkeytime!

2009-11-24T09:12:00.007-05:00

As we count down the days to stuff-yourself-with-food-day, I mean Thanksgiving, I wanted to say how incredibly thankful I am to have the world's best husband and most amazing children. Seriously. When I count my blessings this Thanksgiving, they are at the top of my list. Beautiful, healthy, kind, fun, full of love for one another. Yes, my family is pretty great. ;)

We have a busy week ahead. Kevin has Thursday-Monday off, and let's just say I am so ready for some family-time! (Read: much-needed help with my husband around.) We have two sets of friends coming to visit... (Jeremy and Scott: "The Debut.") And The Pryors! Yippeeee! In case you are looking for us, we'll be checking out the downtown lighting festivities, which I think Preston will love this year. And of course, a fun and per-usual *huge* Erb family gathering at the Fink house. (Which will include a cornbread casserole that I am making. Thanks to Holli for the recipe. If it's a hit, I'll be sure to share it here.) And I may or may not be absolutely *living* for my haircut on Monday.

Not too many pics of the past week... we took things slow and were housebound quite a bit. My poor Preston had Roseola about a week ago, so we are now healthy and ready to take on the turkey! Until next time, here's some cuteness for YOU to be thankful for! :)
CeCe at 11 weeks:

Bunny needs a diaper change:

Sibling love. <3

Holiday Spirit!

2009-11-18T17:57:00.006-05:00

Our family was recently asked to create and perform an original dance for the 2009 Holiday Spectacular downtown this season. Here is what we came up with after many long hours of practice and a lot of determination. What do you think?

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

10 weeks later...

2009-11-14T08:00:00.004-05:00

Our sweet Cecilia Marie is 10 weeks old! And I'm really happy to report that even in our post-baby euphoria, life is beginning to take on a *somewhat* familiar routine again. I think it's really common and expected that adding another person to your family comes with an adjustment period before settling into a new "normal." While CeCe has been a pretty easy baby so far, newborns are still just so unpredictable. If they are upset, there's only so much you can do for them- nurse, diaper, burp, swaddle, rock, paci, walk, pat, sing... that's all I've got. As she starts to grow into a stage where she's content to kick in the bouncer for a few minutes and take longer naps, I've been able to see glimpses of normalcy for our family. And I like it.

Our days lately consist of wake up, breakfast, then generally we shoot for a structured activity. Usually I can count on Cecilia taking a nap sometime during the morning that lasts longer than her other day time naps which is nice because it allows me to ease into the day while my coffee kicks in. On an average morning, Preston gets some TV time while I clean up after breakfast then we might take a trip to the library, a play date with friends, a walk to the park, running an errand, etc... Then home for lunch and nap for Preston. My goal is to get CeCe to sleep while he's eating, so that she'll sleep while he goes down and I can get dinner started, get online, pick up or clean the house a little, do some art museum stuff, laundry, or whatever else is on my to do list for the day. Her other daytime naps are shorter- I might only get 30-40 minutes here and there. After Preston's nap which is usually about 2 hrs, he has a snack and more playtime. Afternoons from post nap until Kevin gets home for dinner can be rough, but we try to combat it by staying busy. I almost always have CeCe in the sling or beco for awhile, have Preston cook or bake something with me, read books, play in the basement, again some TV time, and lately we've been taking advantage of this gorgeous Indian Summer weather we've been having by playing outside. Once Kevin gets home, we eat together, play or read some more, then bath, book, bunny/blankie and bed. CeCe will hopefully begin to take a predictable afternoon nap soon and the other thing I'm longing for is to be able to bathe both kids at one time in one tub. Right now, we have CeCe in her little folding tub while Preston is in the regular tub and it usually ends with water all over both of us and the bathroom floor. Kevin puts Preston down while I nurse CeCe and from there, well, we just cross our fingers because you never know how it will go with either one these days. Oy. That saying, "when you have kids, the days are long, but the years are short"
could not be more true!! Here are some pics of our gorgeous growing girl at 10 weeks:

Last weekend, my Aunt Laura, Aunt Diana and I threw a surprise 60th birthday party for my mom in Angola. Wouldn't you know, I was without my camera, but my Aunt Laura (or, "Loda" as Preston calls her) got some great ones so I am waiting on copies from her. ...Hint hint, Aunt Loda. ;) While at Gram's house the next day, Preston got to take a bath in her kitchen sink and raked leaves with his cousin Cameron. Perfect piles for jumping!

By the way, I wanted to share the recipe for the hot chocolate Preston helped me make a few nights ago. I have to say I'll never buy the envelope kind again. This was so easy and so good! As you can see from his face, he loved it. And he was completely tickled by the marshmellows, which I don't think he's ever seen before. Here is the recipe- it made enough for a small cup for each of us. If you try it, be sure to let me know what you think!
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
4 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. water
2 c. milk
A bit of vanilla
YUM!

costume fail and big baby

2009-11-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a spooktacular Halloween!

Preston refused to wear his fireman costume, much to our dismay. The fireman costume that he fell in love with in pictures, the fireman costume we waited daily with great anticipation for the UPS man to deliver, the fireman costume that mimics the illustrations of the fireman in his favorite book, oh, and the fireman costume I ordered online and paid shipping for.

I remember how much Preston hated his chili pepper costume when he was 10 weeks old so I decided to forgo it and make Cecilia a pumpkin orange tutu to go with her little Halloween onesie. She wore it with black tights and of course looked adorable. We went to Grandma and Grandpa Erbs for sloppy joes, to see the other cousins and sneak some candy. Everyone looked darling and had a great time. Here he is coming out of Grandpa's garage without his costume. (Notice the fireman's hat in Kevin's hand.)

Cecilia is now two months old! I cannot believe it. She's smiling a lot, talking to us and starting to really notice the world around her. Kevin and I are adjusting to being up in the night again after blissful life with a toddler who was sleeping through the night. Although she really does well and sleeps in a few hour stretches most of the time. At her 2 month appointment this week, she weighed 12 lbs 6 ounces!!! 90th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. She's doubled her weight in just 2 months. Fatty fatty two by four, I can hardly carry her in the beco anymore. (not really, she's bundled up in it in the fist picture below, but it rhymed.)

Just a few other shots of the past couple weeks. We've tried to get lots of park-time in since it's been warm. Have to take advantage of all the sunshine we can before it's cold and gray through March. Ugh. Dear Winter in Indiana, please be kind to us this year. I have a toddler who needs to be outside as much as possible. Thanks in advance, The Erbs.

Getting ready for the holiday season ahead- lots of fun things planned to do with the kids! Is it wrong that I want to put our tree up this weekend?

Catching up

2009-10-23T12:37:00.015-05:00

I'm a bit behind on blogging because we've been sick, but thankfully we are now all on the mend!

No one has gotten the dreaded and highly-anticipated H1N1, or as my Grandma pronounced it, the "Heeny" flu. Haha- love you, Grams!! :) (But the media is quick to remind us that it's most certainly going to hit our household soon. DUN-DUN-DUNNN!
Preston was even on his first ever antibiotic this week. (And has mastered coughing into his elbow.) It was the pink amoxicillin bubble gum stuff that I LOVED when I was little. For whatever reason, it was a nightmare to get him to take the stuff and we had to devise a little ramekin dish with a curly straw to entice him. CeCe was stuffy but never came down with anything major, but I am in the full-blown sore throat/head cold/exhaustion phase of whatever this is. Anyways, there hasn't been much to report since we've been laying low.

We took a trip to Elkhart last weekend so that Kevin, his dad, and his brothers could golf with my dad and Collin at Elcona. They had a beautiful day and Preston and CeCe got to make their first trip to Essenhaus which was delicious as always. Of course, I didn't have my camera with us for the trip, so I will have to wait to get copies of the pictures from Grandma and Grandpa Roberts! (hint hint, dad!)

Two weeks ago, we had a VERY fun day with a few high school friends and their kiddos! Erin Spencer, Michelle Byers and their moms brought the little ones to Fort Wayne for the day and Holli Adams and Finn joined us. (Wooohooo, CHS class of 97!) Seven kids and they all sat still for a picture on the couch! It was such a treat to have everyone here. All of these kids were precious, polite, played well together, and had a lot of fun. We missed you, Britt! :( Can't wait to do it again.
Meet our little friends Camille, Luke, Kate, Abby, and Finn. Preston and CeCe loved having them here!

In other news, Kevin and I have been busy on a new project in our unfinished basement. When we bought this house, we loved the fact that there was another 1000 sq ft down there and we planned on finishing it as a nice family room and space for the kids toys. Well shortly after we moved, we did the kitchen, then I got pregnant and was sick, then summer hit and all of our focus moved to outside, then CeCe showed, then... well, you get the picture. So now it's fall, the weather is changing and I panicked thinking we'd be stuck inside all winter with two restless kids and not a lot of space. Oh, and did I mention the basement held every box that existed in the house? With no organization, rhyme, or reason to the madness? Yep, it was just a giant empty space with cement floors and boxes of junk floor to ceiling. Long story short, we've made a hodge-podge play space that houses a few larger toys and will get us through till spring. I'd like to add some other specific toys and things for art activities down there, but for now, Preston is thrilled with the 24 pounds of macaroni I dumped into his train table. He can scoop, dump, fill, and generally just make a giant mess. (His favorite thing.)

Cecilia will be 7 weeks old tomorrow! She is all smiles lately and has had a generally great week. Knock on wood, she's even sleeping pretty well. Other than some fussy time in the evening, she's an angel. We've not had any luck getting her to take a bottle, though. We've tried frozen breastmilk from the freezer and I've also pumped fresh from the tap and she's just not interested. Preston took one with no problems. Any breast feeding moms experience this or have luck with a particular brand of bottle?

First smiles- she's a happy girl, but they are hard to catch on camera!

Here are some more pics and things we've been up to since my last blog post:

Our last trip to the zoo before it closed for the season! (as you can see, CeCe was completely enthralled.)

Making playdough- Flour, salt, water and a little oil makes a great playdough recipe. I couldn't find our food coloring, so we had to make something white. Meet "Percy James the snowman" (If your kid watches Thomas the Train, you will appreciate the name.)

These are from a couple of weeks ago- getting ready for fall. Preston was helping us rake and our front step was adorned with pumpkins and mums!

The messier the hair, the better the nap!

Maternal guilt...

2009-10-11T08:01:00.007-05:00

... has started already! I'm awful. I can't believe I forgot to update on Cecilia's one month doctor well-visit. OOPS!

We had her well-baby check last Friday, (which was great that Kevin was off because he got to come along!) she was 3 weeks and 6 days, and weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces. That's up from 6 pounds 5 ounces at birth. In less than 4 weeks, she gained 2 and a half pounds. Wooohooo BREAST MILK!!!
She was 19 inches when she was born and measured 21 at the doctor's office. Although, I am honestly not sure how accurate either measurement is since it's hard for a newborn to stretch out completely right after birth and I sometimes question the nurse's competence at our doctor's office. But nevertheless, she apparently has gotten both fatter and taller.
Still nursing well (obviously) and other than some fussy and gassy spells, she has been sleeping pretty well, aslo. Overall, just a happy and healthy little girl. (Cute, too!)

weekend review

2009-10-08T08:10:00.013-05:00

Here it is almost Friday, and I'm just getting around to blogging about last weekend.

Kevin had Friday off, so we did lots of fun stuff as a family over the three days. The highlight was our trip to the New Haven and Lake Erie Railroad. It was chilly, so we bundled up and headed out to New Haven, east of Fort Wayne. There is a cute little "railroad" and train station with an antique train that runs a small track, and takes you to a pumpkin patch. (Where the pumpkins only cost 25 cents a pound!) You can hang out at the patch, they have a picnic table with coloring books and crayons, painted wooden characters like scarecrows and mummies, and little wagons for you fill with pumpkins and gourds. Then the train comes back to pick you up and you head back to the station. Preston was slightly unsure of the train ride (even though he loves train) because it was loud and the ride was kind of bumpy. Also, we went at the end of the day on Sunday afternoon, so we were one of the only people there at the time. I think if it were packed full of other families and kids, he would have enjoyed the train a little more. He did love the pumpkins, though and had a ball picking them out.

This is what the station looks like when you pull up:

The train that is an odd combo of Thomas the Train and the little engine that could:

Having fun in the patch:

The kids showing off their pumpkins:

We also took Cecilia to meet Grandma Erb:

And enjoyed the toddler time story session at the library:

One thing that Kevin and I did just the two of us was check out the Parade of Homes. It accomplished two things for me-
1. ... It made me realize how desperately we need a mudroom. How great would these be? Some women dream of charming nooks and built-ins with original hardwood floors. Me? I thankfully have those things, so I dream of a mudroom off an attached garage.

And 2... It made me appreciate our own home, on our historic street with all it's character and giant old trees, which are currently changing to bright reds, oranges and yellows. There are many amenities about a new construction house that I'd appreciate for sure, but there's nothing like the feeling or energy of an old, proud house filled with memories and generations of love!

Welcome, fall!

2009-10-01T11:20:00.016-05:00

It seems like ages since I've posted here. Not only is it rare that I get a free moment these days, we've been busy! We've been really fortunate to have friends, family and neighbors stopping by almost daily with meals, treats and adorable gifts for CeCe, (and Preston! How sweet!) and spending time as a family just enjoying the awesome autumn weather we've been having.

Cecilia will be one month old in just a few days- I can hardly believe it. I need to share her birth story soon, but in the meantime, here are a few cute pictures of her for those of you checking in for a baby fix... (thanks to Betsy for snapping the first two while she was dropping off a delish dinner last week!)

A couple of weekends ago, we attended the local favorite, "Johnny Appleseed Festival." Apparently, we missed the part of Johnny Appleseed that everyone raves about and just saw the part that I affectionately referred to as the "dream catcher" section. (That would be the section of 200 white tents, manned with people dressed as pioneers selling native american wares.) While the rest of Fort Wayne got to experience the vast sea of food, taste homemade breads and stews, visit iron smiths, see copper goods hammered right in front of them, and shop beautiful autumnal crafts. (Mental note to self- check out that section next year.) Anyways, Preston was lucky enough to get his face painted in the dream catcher section and he chose a star! Oh, wait, no he didnt. He chose a football, but the face painter messed it up and said, "Well, we'll make it into a star." (Ever heard of wiping it off and starting over, pioneer lady?) Ok, enough of that. We did love watching the center stage full of little girls clogging, though.

The same weekend, the Saint John the Baptist school/parish festival was calling our name, so we went to that, too. St. Johns is where Kevin attended school, most likely where P and C will attend, and just a few blocks from our home, so we were excited to support it's fundraiser. They had awesome food, games, and a silent auction and raffle. Preston got to ride a peddle car with Daddy and of course loved every second.

In other news, as the summer season comes to an end, we will miss the warm sunny days, playing in the water table and pool, trips to the lake, the golf course, and definitely our CSA! We bought a share of this "community supported agriculture" local organic farm this summer and got 20 weeks- yes 20!!- of locally grown organic produce. Everything from lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, corn, squash, raspberries, blueberries, potatoes, peppers of all colors, green beans, broccoli, celery, herbs, tomatoes, and a ton of other delicious veggies delivered once a week for 20 weeks. Not bad!
Here's a link: Graber Farms
Since we had tomatoes to spare and didn't want them to go to waste, we took an idea from a blog that Holli follows and tried this recipe in order to freeze them for winter:SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES
They are in the oven right now and the house smells delicious. Cecilia took a good morning nap, so Preston helped me prepare it.

First, you count them to make sure you have enough. (We used around 20 small grape, cherry, and roma tomatoes and a few larger yellows.)

Next, (while licking your lips in suspense of the deliciousness that awaits you,) slice them and then begin adding them to a bowl, drizzled with olive oil and spices. For added fun, you can drop them from "way up!" like a grapple truck.

Place skin-down on an oiled baking sheet, and bake @ 200-250 for 8-10 hrs! If you try it, let me know what you think!

We are gearing up for special October activities every weekend this month! Can't wait to reveal the kids' Halloween costumes and share more pictures of pumpkin picking and fall fun!

Good Lord, what beautiful kids!

2009-09-18T14:14:00.001-05:00

I mean, I'm just sayin'....

The week in pictures

2009-09-12T13:38:00.008-05:00

Cecilia's first week has flown by! She's really been (knocking HARD on wood here) extremely pleasant and ....dare I say it?.....easy. She's had happy and alert awake time, is nursing great and sleeping well, too. She's gaining weight really well, too. At birth, she was 6lbs, 5oz, when we left the hospital on Monday, she was 5lbs 14oz, then at her doctor's appt on Thursday morning, she was up to 6lbs 10 oz! Preston has been amazing with her and is enjoying his new role as a big brother. He loves watching her sleep, telling us when her eyes open, & pointing out her "tiny ears!" "tiny hands!" and "tiny nose!" We took a walk the other day, and I had CeCe in the sling, while Preston was in the jogging stroller. And at one point, he realized he couldn't see her and wasn't sure if she was even with us, so he whipped his head around and in a panic, flung out his arms and looked at us saying, "Wait! CeCe with us!" I explained I had her in the sling and she was right there, which made him more comfortable and content.

Tomorrow is our 6 year wedding anniversary, and I can't help but wonder what we would have thought if someone had told us 6 years ago that at this point, we'd be the proud parents of two beautiful babies. I am so fortunate to have a partner that is both willing and able to take time off to be with us and bond with his new daughter this week. He's such a wonderful dad to both and has been so incredibly helpful to me around the house these past few days as we settle in at home. All around me, I am overwhelmed with love. I keep looking at Kevin and saying, "I just feel so happy."

Enough of my sappiness... here are some pictures of the last week!

SHE'S HERE!!!

2009-09-09T11:14:00.002-05:00

Our beautiful Cecilia Marie came into the world on Saturday, September 5th at 2:19 am. She weighed in at 6lbs 5oz, was 19 inches long, and looks so much like her big brother! We are all doing wonderfully at home and will update soon!

What to do when you are waiting for a baby....

2009-09-01T19:38:00.010-05:00

Take a running leap and throw yourself onto your dog's bed:

Play outside on a chili Saturday morning. Climbing and sliding for a solid workout:

Or, try being social. Hang out with your cousin or some buddies to pass the time:

See? Waiting for a baby is easy! Especially when you are the big brother.

For mom and dad, perhaps notsomuch. But as of Wednesday, September 2nd, we have reached 38 weeks which is a great milestone for us considering I was concerned we wouldn't make it past 37. Every day she cooks is a little better for her at this stage, but I am feeling more ready both physically and emotionally. My appointment tomorrow morning will tell a lot- if I'm dilated further, what he thinks about my blood pressure and maybe he'll even take a stab at the baby's size. Here's the officially-enormous belly at 38 weeks:

And a sneak peak at her room that is almost done. Ideally, I still need some window treatments, wall accessories, a floor lap and a few other finishing touches, but I have a feeling she won't notice for awhile and once she does, I will have hopefully had a chance to finish things up in there.

We are feeling incredibly blessed and lucky to have been on the receiving end of kindness and generosity of our friends and family this past week. Numerous people have brought food, snacks, goody baskets, have helped with projects, or have just come for a visit which has been imperative to my sanity while laying in bed. Kevin's office has been very understanding and supportive and our family has been great. THANK YOU EVERYONE... Can't wait to introduce you all to our newest family member!

Bed Rest Blues

2009-08-28T07:46:00.003-05:00

Bed rest sucks!

My blood pressure related to my swelling was elevated on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, (at one point, it was 142/83) so at my appointment, Dr. Schwartz thought it would be best put me on a somewhat-relaxed bed rest so that we could keep it under control. Several people have asked, "why can't you just have her now?" And the truth is, I totally can. Yes, I am miserable and yes, if she came right now, we'd welcome her with open arms, but it really is best to keep her in there a while longer. Most importantly, I'm not on bed rest to keep labor from starting, but to control the BP and swelling- totally different. If labor started now, they definitely wouldn't stop it. In fact, my water broke with Preston just one day from where I am now and he did great. However, if BP spikes, we would need to induce and that's definitely not what we want. Statistically, induced labors are typically longer, harder, and more frequently end in cesarean section deliveries. None of these are high on my wish-list! Ideally, I want to make it to 38 weeks, which is this coming Wednesday, but would be fine if she waits longer. Also at my appointment, the doctor did an internal check- I'm still "maybe a fingertip" dilated, 50% effaced and -2 station engagement, so please keep your fingers and toes crossed that we make it through the weekend and labor will begin on it's own. I've had several contractions this morning, so we'll see.

In the meantime, my mom, stepmom and mother in law have been helping with Preston and keeping him occupied while I am in bed. Wonderful friends like Kristin and Holli have brought snacks and kept me company, and Dr. Schwartz did agree to allow me to get a pedicure yesterday, which was wonderful. I'm bored to tears, but have keeping up with the news, my email and facebook, and thank God for online shopping. The biggest catch of being on bed rest at the end of a pregnancy is that it's truly a biological need to "nest" and get ready for the baby, which I am not able to do. I desperately want to be vacuuming, dusting, folding clothes, organizing her room, etc... Thankfully, the cleaning ladies are coming on Monday, and I'll be more prepared at least in the way of having a clean house. But I'm constantly making mental preparation notes and to-do lists, especially when I'm awake at night since sleep is just a fleeting thought these days.

So, that's our update for now- stay tuned!

As the time draws near...

2009-08-24T20:58:00.001-05:00

Call me sappy, but I'm feeling so emotional as we get closer to having this baby! Of course, it could be the hormones, but I find myself wanting to just smother-mother Preston and for Kevin and I to soak up every minute of his last days as an only child. Don't get me wrong, we are SO EXCITED to meet our sweet little girl and become a family of four. But at the same time, there's this bittersweet element to our interaction with P because he so innocently has NO idea how much his life is about to change. We talk casually to him about his baby sister who is going to live with us, he hugs my belly about 100 times a day and I know he'll be a wonderful big brother. I just want to work really hard at making him feel not only included, but an integral and irreplaceable part of us.

Speaking of, I am definitely feeling closer as each day passes. At 36 weeks and 5 days, I'm less than week away from where I was when Preston was born. I've had several sessions of regular, painful contractions- at one point last week, I was convinced we were headed to the hospital, but an internal check at my 36 week appointment thankfully showed no dilation. My blood pressure was pretty high for me, 122/90, so I'm praying that's not a sign of pre-eclampsia because I do *not* want to be put on bed rest. But there wasn't any protein in my urine, which is good. It will be interesting to see what my OB says at my 37 week appointment on Wednesday. We are REALLY hoping to make it to at least 38 weeks, which will be September 2nd, so please keep your fingers crossed! I recently read that first time labors typically last between 15-20 hours, (Preston's was 18) and second time deliveries are on average, just 8. That sounds good to me... 8 hours, I'll take it! Here's a belly pic at 36 weeks:

There's nothing quite like just waiting around to have a baby, so even though I am borderline miserable, not sleeping well, have killer heartburn and of course, the infamous cankles and swollen feet, we are still keeping really active and busy. We just returned from an overnight stay at Lake James where we celebrated Preston's birthday with my Grandma Joan, who turned 85 on the 22nd. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAMS, WE LOVE YOU!) We finally made our way to a Fort Wayne Tincaps game, had some wonderful playdates and a beautiful brunch with girlfriends, and still have some fun things planned coming up, although (JUST FOR YOU, HEATHER!) I know it's getting to be that time that I need to rest and keep my feet up as much as possible to keep the swelling down and blood pressure low. For whatever reason, I have a hard time doing that. Regardless, I plan to take it easier from now on. Here are some shots of our fun the past week, including his 2nd birthday parties as promised!

Sorry there are so many, but I'm trying to practice with our new camera as much as possible before the baby comes! :)

And playing with his cousin Emily who just turned four... (Happy B-day, sweet girl!)

*****************************************************************************
And last but not least, we received sad news that Kevin's grandmother, Barbra Perdue Wade passed away last Monday. We are so saddened, yet relieved as the past eight months of her life have been more than difficult and full of suffering. Grandma Barb had a great sense of humor and Kevin has shared with me some wonderful memories of her from his childhood and years past. The Erb, Tatum and Starnes families gathered last week at her viewing and funeral to celebrate her life, and as always, had a wonderful time even while supporting one another in our time of grief. You are loved and missed, Grandma, may you rest in peace.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Preston!

2009-08-16T20:22:00.004-05:00

Two years ago tonight, I woke up Kevin with a frantic, "get towels!" as my water broke and we tried to rush around and get out the door to Dupont Hospital. I think Kevin made it from our Tacoma house to Dupont in less than 13 minutes. (It helped that it was 1am and traffic was minimal.) We had no idea how much life would change from that moment on. I didn't have an ideal labor, but did have an ideal birth because it ended up with Preston in our arms safe and sound. I remember holding him to my chest and noticing right away that he came into the world with his eyes wide open and thinking, "gosh, he's curious already." That has certainly held true to this day and I hope it always continues.

15 hours old:

2 years old:

Looking back at the past two years, I cannot believe how much Preston has grown. He's gone from this completely dependent little lump of snuggly, crying, eating and pooping newborn-ness to a strong, smart, active and engaging little boy. I also can't believe how much Kevin and I have grown as people, as parents, and as partners and how the three of us have come together and found our groove as a family.

This past year between one and two has been such a whirlwind of change and he's handled it all wonderfully. We've moved, we've learned we're expecting another baby, he's gone from crawling to walking to running and jumping, from talking in 1 to 2 word phrases to 5 word full sentences and constantly blows us away with how much he knows. He's sweet, affectionate and funny, and we are thankful every day to have him in our lives. Preston Thomas, you truly are our pride and joy! We love you, sweet boy. Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

Today, we had a small grandparents-only get together to celebrate his big day. The coolest part of the day was seeing that he actually "got" that it was all for him. He was such a show-off and just soaked it up as we sang Happy Birthday to him. More pics to come, but I wanted to post this since we are finally using our new camera!

34 weeks and a golf report

2009-08-05T20:37:00.006-05:00

I hit 34 weeks pregnant today! Nothing too exciting to report, but I did get another ultrasound at my appointment. All is well, she's doing great and thankfully, is still a girl. I'm not dilated yet, blood pressure was normal, and her heartbeat was great- 156 beats per minute. My only complaint at this point is that I'm having quite a few contractions and my swelling is not only worsening, but nothing short of severe. I have pitting edema from my toes up to my knees and swelling in my hands and face. Other than that and having a hard time sleeping (who doesn't at the end, right?) I really am feeling good overall, so Kevin and I keep saying that she needs to stay put another 4-5 weeks at the very least! I am bummed we didn't get any pictures from the ultrasound, and the little stinker kept turning away from us so we couldn't see her face.

Here's an update on what the average 34 week baby is like from Baby Center:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Ok, my confession for the week is that we STILL have not chosen a camera, but we have looked at a ton. I am telling you now that we ARE getting one within the next few days because I have a brunch for this baby girl with some girlfriends on Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon and evening we have Kevin's cousin, Laura's wedding. It's a kid-friendly wedding so Preston will be with us for part of the reception and I can't wait to see him hit the dancefloor! Not to mention, I need to update with a new belly shot and pics of both kids' rooms. We were lucky enough to get an offer from Matt and Holli to borrow their camera for our little golf outing last week. (Thanks, guys!!) Here are a few shots of him on the links!

Today...

2009-07-30T15:56:00.005-05:00

...was a day when I thought to myself that I have GOT to replace our camera. And it's only been dead for less than a week. Seriously, it's going on my to-do list for tomorrow. The one point and shoot I really want is more than I should spend, so I'm bargain shopping for another.

But humor me by closing your eyes and trying to imagine this picture:
Preston, with two of the baby's ribbon hair clips in his hair that he refused to take out, smiling up at me with peanut butter smeared on his face. Knowing how ridiculously adorable he looked, he was belly laughing the whole time. Where. was. my. camera??!!

And because I can't make a post without a picture or two, here are some fun shots from the past couple of weeks:
Making a boat out of his sister's bedding:

Spaghetti face and playing with dad:

Hanging out at the pool with Aunt Heather and Jacob:

We have a busy and fun-filled long weekend ahead as Kevin has 4 days off- whooo-hooo! Fort Wayne Tin Caps game, Kevin and I taking Preston golfing for the first time- can't wait to see him ride in the cart! Babies and Books and final summer reading program prize at the library, dinner with our neighbors and their little boy who is just a few months younger than P, Kevin winning his annual golf tournament, the Fort Wayne Open with his friends (haha), continue working on the kids' rooms, and depending on the weather, a possible trip the lake on Sunday to see Grams. Will update soon!

Transition Time!!

2009-07-23T14:20:00.013-05:00

We have BIG CHANGES going on around the Erb household in preparation for the baby's arrival.

First off, I am proud to say that not only is Preston officially taking one longer mid-day nap, he's also beaming with pride as he's now in a BIG BOY BED!!! We borrowed my brother Collin's old twin bed and took the plunge last weekend. I am nervous to post this, as I'm obviously tempting fate, but so far, it's been a dream. (pun intended.) We've taken baby steps to make the transition and there's still more to come, but his new room is definitely starting to take shape. We started by removing the bumper from the crib a few weeks back, then setting up the big boy bed along one side of his room, then eventually switching the bed and crib and putting him in the new bed. We have an extra long/extra tall guardrail on the outside of his bed, and a long body pillow between him and the wall. So far, he's either A.) not interested in escaping, or B.) Just hasn't discovered that it's a possibility yet. Let's hope it's A. He's gone down for naps and bedtime like usual. No changes in sleeping patterns, either. I think a big part of the success thus far is that we've kept his sleep routine exactly the same. Bath, book, snuggles, bed. Kevin and I are ecstatic. GO PRESTON!

Anyways, I've had fun re-decorating/re-purposing his room into more of a big boy room. Right now, we are sticking with white sheets and his trusty blankies and bunny (obviously) because that's what he's used to and I didn't want to overwhelm him with new sheets at the same time, but he's also got blue and green sets to match his cute new bedding that we'll add in a few weeks, which looks like this:

He's got a new blue dresser coming Tuesday, he's getting a new chair and lamp for our book reading marathons, and we're going to move some of his larger toys into his room. Specifically his adorable little tool bench and keeping his old fashioned school desk in there too. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty happy to see some of the toys leave our living room.

Another big boy transition is that Preston's in the (very very) beginning stages of potty learning. He will tell us when he has to go, and we have both a small potty and a potty seat for him to sit on. He hasn't actually GONE POTTY (essential to the training process, apparently...) on the toilet yet, but he does ask to sit on it quite a bit and tries to go. I'm actually really relaxed about it and feel like if it takes another year, then so be it. However, I can think of things I'd rather do than diaper two kids multiple time a day. Anyways, in an attempt for him to associate pottying with the bathroom, we are changing many of his diapers in there and got a great little stepstool with storage for wipes. He loves it. Not only is it supposed to help them potty on the big potty, but it also gives him some serious freedom to climb up to the sink, wash his hands and brush his teeth on his own. He loves it. Who knew a step stool would offer such entertainment? (And such cute buns to go with it!)

As another reminder that he's growing up, Preston is talking up a storm lately! He can sing "E-I-E-I-O!" and requests "Donald!!" in the car to hear Old McDonald. When we ask him if he needs help (going up and down the stairs with us, for example) he'll say, "Nope, got it." He says "please," "thank you," and "love you." Another new phrase is "do it by myself!" He'll say "seatbelt" to remind us to put on our seatbelts when we get in the car, (which we obviously always do anyways.) And then when he hears them click, he says, "safe!" He adores watching and playing golf. When it's on TV, he'll say, "In the hole!" or, "Ohhh! Missed it." Driving down the street, he sees someone on scaffolding and says, "Going up, up, up!" or "front loader/bulldoder (bulldozer)/big digger right there!" Seriously, if I could just bottle him up at this stage, I would. It really is precious watching his little personality and hearing his language develop. With everything else going on, it's a nice little reminder to cherish every moment of this time with him as he's getting so big and going to turn 2 in just three short weeks!!

Here he is watching his beloved garbage truck friends leave:

In pregnancy news----
I'm now in week 33 and feeling HUGE. I'm serious... huge. Swelling, heartburn, cankles, peeing all the time, uncomfortable sleep. All the good stuff that happens at the end of pregnancy. Sorry, I don't mean to complain... and we've had a wonderful break in the heat with temps in the 70s and 80s & low humidity the past two weeks. Honestly, I am well aware and remember clearly from my pregnancy with Preston just how much worse it could be. On a more positive note, my appt this week went perfectly, the baby's heartbeat was 149, my blood pressure was 102/79, and I'm measuring right-on at 32 weeks. She's moving a lot and my chiropractor is going to start working on opening up my hips, ribs and lower back in preparation for the big day starting at my next appointment. Until then... my heartburn and cankles send their best.

EDITED TO ADD:
I gracefully tripped and dropped our crappy digital camera today (darn!) I'm fine- I didn't actually fall, but the camera did, and fine it is not. I was able to get our pictures off of it, but we can't take any more. Going to shop around for a good one and taking suggestions! :)

giant balloon

2009-07-17T12:32:00.004-05:00

It's TRF time! Fort Wayne's Three River's Festival is always fun so we've made a few trips down to see what they have going on this year. We stopped by Chalk Walk, sponsored by the awesome Fort Wayne Museum of Art, where Kevin and I used to chalk a square every year. We've sort of let that go since I was pregnant with Preston two years ago, we had an active 11 month old last year, and here I am, pregnant again. Kevin did arrange for Labov and Beyond to sponsor a square, and got a few of the designers to do it. Next year, we are totally stepping up to the plate again. (promises promises) There are always these giant balloon arches and lots of cool stuff for kids, and Preston got one of the balloons. What can I say, I guess he has connections. :)
Check this thing out!

We had a play date scheduled at the Three Rivers IPFW Children's Fest this morning, but Preston's pal Stella got sick. And we did make a trip to the famed "junk food alley" which they now call just "food ally." (as if taking the work "junk" out of the name makes it magically healthier.) By the way, two gyros and an onion blossom cost us $22 even. That's right- no drink, no extras... just those three items, none of which were as good as we'd hoped, cost $22. Maybe I'm cheap, but I was shocked.

I also plan on heading down to The TRF Marketplace later today or tomorrow to see some of the cute bag vendors and look for a good diaper bag for the new baby, as my diaper bag from Preston is more worn than I would like and I want one with a great shoulder strap I can hang over the bar of a double stroller.

Speaking of double strollers, anyone have any good recommendations? 8 weeks left till d-day!

News Flash: summer half over & baby on the way!

2009-07-09T18:41:00.005-05:00

Where is this summer going? You know the drill... once we pass the 4th of July, it just flies. I'm still in shock that a sweet baby girl will be joining our family in less than 10 weeks. I know I've said this before, but we have SO much to do before she gets here. Her room is still our office, her closet doesn't have nearly enough clothes, I need a double stroller and just some general help in the sanity department taking care of her brother lately. :)
I had my 30 week OB appointment yesterday. I now go every 2 weeks and have been since week 26, then at 36 weeks I begin to go weekly. Considering I started some early stages of labor with Preston around 36-37 weeks and he was born at 37 weeks and 4 days, I am wondering if this baby will hold off until September. (That is my utmost hope because I'd love for Preston and the baby to have different birth months so that neither grows up feeling they have to share party plans, etc...)
My blood pressure was 110/64, I gained 5 (YES, FIVE!) pounds in the two weeks since my last appt. which puts me at 2 lbs heavier than I was with Preston at this exact same stage. I definitely wanted to gain less weight this time around... so, um... yeah, it's not looking good in that arena. I have Braxton Hicks contractions all the time and both my swollen cankles and heartburn have reached the extremely annoying and painful stage. Other than that, I feel good overall...my energy level is still ok and I don't have too many other aches and pains. Sleeping is getting more difficult, but I know it's not going to get easier in the coming weeks so I'll just pipe down about that. ;)

The weekend of the 4th was crazy busy. We had the Goettermans over for a yummy fajita dinner (thanks to Patrick's awesome marinade!) Spent the next day at the lake where Preston enjoyed a cookout and watched his first fireworks display, Kevin and I enjoyed a date night on the 4th, and we also made a trip to the Fort Wayne Zoo where Preston FINALLY got to see the giraffes up close at the new African Journey exhibit. We've been really lucky for Kevin to have some time off this summer and we've done lots of fun family stuff. Good times!

I believe he's saying here, "I pooped!"

Muscles!!

Mezmerized by the fireworks and all the boats lining up to watch them. I was curious how much he'd remember the next day, but when we asked him "What did we go see last night?" He'd reply, "BOOOM! Red! BOOOM! Blue!"

our attempt at a family photo at the lake:

Wooo-hooo, date night! Such a treat- thanks Nana Connie. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my husband? It's amazing what a dinner out together at a nice restaurant without trying to feed a unfocused toddler can do for your meal time mental health.

We've had a nice break from the heat and humidity and have been taking advantage of it by spending every waking moment playing outside...

Fun on the new hide and slide!!

Loving the zoo. Can't say enough about having the season pass- it's worth every penny! I know I've said this before, but if you haven't gotten the chance to check out the African Journey, be sure to put it on your summer to-do list!

This goat's eating my shirt!

As my recent hire as kitchen-protege, Preston helped me make these delicious and festive chocolate dipped pretzels! I think he enjoyed it, although he kept requesting "mo sprintals" for the sprinkles, and he didn't quite get the importance of using my red/white/blue theme. He preferred the confetti mix "sprintals," so I let him do a few of those. Little stinker, trying to undo my Martha Stewart mojo.
YUM!

We are pretty unsure of how Preston will handle having a baby sister. He hugs my belly all the time and says "Baby Sisto." He also says the name we've been calling her. (Which we aren't sure of yet, so I'm not mentioning it here on the blog! HA!) ;) We do, however, have a strong contender that was on the list before we had Preston, but we're a bit stuck on the spelling and the middle name. The funny thing is that we both think we need a back up boy name in case she is a he. So we are literally trying to finalize both a girl and boy name.

BIG NEWS in the nursery department: we're gearing up to make the switch to Preston's BBB, or Big Boy Bed if you don't speak in acronyms like me. If anyone has any advice on transitioning out of the crib, please feel free to pass it along, I'm all ears. Baby Sisto will be using Preston's crib, changing table, and dresser, so big changes are coming to his room. Stay tuned!

pics from the weekend!

2009-06-30T07:34:00.005-05:00

We had the lake to ourselves this weekend so we decided to go overnight and go out on the lake, help Grandma Joan with some chores and let Preston swim. Such a great time! We have a busy couple of weeks ahead, but are going again for July 4th with my mom's family. Lots of people and Preston's first fireworks- wish us luck!

Father's Day Fun

2009-06-25T10:56:00.013-05:00

Preston wanted to make sure this was a special Father's Day for Kevin since it's his last one being an only child before his baby sister joins the family and gives him some competition.

First, on Friday, we went to the store and got the ingredients to bake Kevin a homemade carrot cake. For those of you who know me well, you know that baking is not my forte, nor is it something I particularly enjoy. Cooking on the other hand, is wonderful and even a stress-reliever for me. There's just something about baking that seems so overwhelming and like there's so much pressure because it doesn't give a lot of leeway for error. However, recently, I have been feeling more adventurous and brave and am even making some german chocolate cupcakes later today. The recipe is from Ina Garten (known as "The Barefoot Contessa" to my fellow foodies) so I know they'll be delicious. Click here for the recipe: German Chocolate Cupcakes

Back to our Carrot Cake... Occasionally, I have Preston "help" me cook or prepare things in the kitchen. It takes longer than if I were throwing something together on my own, but it's so worth it because he gets such a kick out of it. I really strive to be the kind of mom who can always slow down enough to enjoy the every day little things with her kids. Now I like carrot cake, but I don't love it the way Kevin does. But this really was delicious. You can see the recipe by clicking here: Carrot Cake Recipe
Check out my little chef:

Can you tell we were pretty proud of our efforts as we presented the cake to Kevin? There were about 100 little finger marks in the frosting, though.

Saturday morning, Kevin golfed, then when he got home, we gave him his Father's day gifts a little early since we had such a busy few days planned. Then, a visit from Grandpa and Grammy Roberts to deliver and assemble his new Little Tykes Hide and Slide! Along with a birthday party and fun with neighborhood friends for Finn Adams who just turned ONE! Not sure why these pics are showing up so small? Perhaps because I illegally yanked them from Matt Adams' facebook account, but you get the idea... (Go ahead, Matt, try to sue me!) haha ;)

Here's a stock photo since we don't have pics of Preston on the Hide and Slide yet, but will get those up soon. He's loving it, by the way, and my dad and Kevin put this thing together in about 7 minutes tops. It's totally going in my basement this winter for indoor play.

Sunday we spent the day at Lake James which was so nice and included a boat ride and a certain toddler who was way too brave in the pool for my comfort. I forgot my camera, of course, and will have to get some pictures this weekend as we are taking off for an overnight trip up there tomorrow.

Monday, Kevin took the day off work, so we finally got to check out the African Safari at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. It was amazing! They really did such a nice job and the landscaping alone is worth seeing. The Ostriches and Giraffes come right up to you and you can feed them. It was ungodly hot so they weren't into eating much, but one Ostrich in particular was especially enamored with Preston and caused some roaring laughter from our little guy as his shoes were about to be eaten. We got ice cream for a treat and headed home to recoup after our busy and long weekend.

Ok, bear with me because I know I mentioned this in my last post, but honestly, I feel so lucky and blessed to have a husband who is such an amazing father. He really is the kind of dad that cherishes each moment with Preston and his patience and communication with him just floors me. Thank you, honey! You mean the world to us and we love you with all our heart and hope you had a wonderful Father's Day!! xoxo

Pic Fix!

2009-06-20T08:26:00.013-05:00

Camera cord has been found and we are back in business. So, for your Preston pic-fix, here are some recent pics from the last few weeks as promised.

The Pryors came to spend the night one night of my birthday weekend. It was so nice to see them, even if it was a short trip. Emma fell in love with Preston's car and he was happy to help her out when she and her baby, "Baby" got a flat tire.

We've been desperately trying to spruce up our backyard with some creative landscaping. We still need a few square yards of sod, and some more trees or large flowering shrubs, but those may be projects for next year. (You know, when I have tons of time on my hands with not one, but two kids under the age of 3.) I really regret not bringing some of the beautiful perennials we had at the old house over to our new one. I did make a trip this spring with my master gardner mother in law to pick out some new ones and I've also been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of her plant splitting a couple of times this year. Anyways, we have a desperate need to add some privacy along our deck. Our neighbors are very nice, but their bedroom window is literally about 12 feet from our back door, so if I were them, I'd be very thankful for some privacy there. We planted a really pretty chokecherry tree, and along the back of our yard, a serviceberry tree. Preston enjoyed helping us plant and water them.

Speaking of sprucing up the backyard, we are getting our effort and $'s worth, because we're spending tons of time out there. Preston has a water table, a pool, a golf set, balls, trucks, sidewalk chalk, etc... And today, much to his surprise, he's getting a new Little Tykes climber courtesy of Grandpa and Grammy Roberts. (pics to come!) Anyways, we've had playdates, planting, and dog washing sessions out there and even though I keep him slathered in 500+ SPF sunscreen, he still has a farmer's tan. The suit goes on and he's immediately in play mode. Seriously, I hope you won't get bored with pictures of Preston playing in our back yard because that's what most of our days consist of right now.

We recently watched his cousin, Baby Elliana a couple of weeks ago and he was sooo great with her. Loving on her and giving her kisses. I really hope he'll be as good with his new baby sister when she gets here. How sweet is this?

I mentioned that we had some painting done in my last post and promised pics of the nursery color. It's ridiculously far from being done. Like, stressing-me-out far from being done. But, alas, it's painted and that's a step in the right direction. We went with a very pale pink called "Pine Hutch." I'm really happy with the color because I was pretty worried about a pepto-bismol look.

And, while I'm at it, here's a 27 week belly shot and a pic of the upstairs bathroom color, called "Quietude."

Last but not least, Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband Kevin who makes being a dad a top priority every single day. Our kids are so lucky. And so am I. :)

We're still here!

2009-06-16T09:34:00.004-05:00

Geesh- I've been away from blogging for a few weeks. Just wanted to pop on and give a bunch of excuses, er- uh..... "reasons" why.

1. We've been busy! So get off my back, ok?? :) Just kidding, but we really have been swamped. With summer stuff, life, family, OB appointments, friends in town, parties, etc... The summer is flying in a blink of an eye.

2. I lost my camera cord. But never fear- I found it and have weeks of photos to upload and share.

3. I threw out my back- last week at a lunch with some friends while I was lifting Preston and have spent the last several days trying to rest to let it heal. I know, what a perfect time to blog, right? Well, the camera cord and all...

So, in an attempt to catch up, here's a family picture and some pregnancy progress info to tide you over...
This was taken at Grandma and Grandpa Erb's this past weekend. (keep in mind, my back... I was in pain) and Preston was having a ROUGH day. But Kevin looks good. As always. :)

And in pregnancy news- I'm 27 weeks. Yep, that's a week away from starting my third trimester. Ridiculous. Where has this pregnancy gone? Kevin and I keep saying that it drug on and on with Preston because we were so nervous, but this time it's going too fast. We had the baby's room painted a pale pink last week. (In fact, we got a ton of painting done.. it was my attempt to hire someone to take care of my nesting duties for me.) :) Btw, can I just say how nice it was to have someone paint FOR us? We've always painted our houses by ourselves, but we left it to professionals last week and they did a great job. We had the kitchen painted, some trim in the breakfast nook, the foyer and upstairs and downstairs hallway (bye bye obnoxiously dark black/brown color!!) the baby's room, and the upstairs hall bathroom and we are really relieved to have done in one day what would have taken us a few months. Pics of the baby's room to come...

27 week update: (taken from BabyCenter)
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Memorial Day!

2009-05-26T07:43:00.003-05:00

We had a busy weekend- starting with story time at the library with Aunt Kim, then Aunt Tori's birthday/shopping trip in Fort Wayne, a quick trip to the lake for Sunday, then on Monday, we took place in our first Illsley Place Memorial Day parade and cookout. Preston really enjoyed all of these activities, but I hardly had my camera at all, so this was all I could get... enjoy!

Having fun at the library!

Helping daddy drive the boat:

Everybody lining up for the parade. I love the bike with the red/white/blue ribbon on it! The pledge of alleigence was said and the parade took off, but it seemed everyone spread out by about the 4th house. Couldn't keep these paraders down...they were ready to go! :)

Since Easter was late and Memorial Day was early, it feels like one blink and BAM! Summer is on in full effect. Here's hoping it's a slow, leisurely summer that drags on because we are NOT ready for this little girl to be here yet- too much to do before September!

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend and has a wonderful week!