Sophia is learning to sing!!! Just in the past couple of months, she's got some songs figured out and if you listen closely, you can just make out what she's singing. She sings most often when she thinks no one is listening, but also loves to sing in the car and at the table and when washing her hands. (I always sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star when she's washing up so that she knows how long she should be washing those hands.) She also sings the Clean up song and her new favorite is "This Little Light of Mine", especially the "Hide it Under a Bushel" verse. You'll have to listen closely to catch her in the video, and don't miss Noah rolling around on the floor in the background. No, we did not get a pet; those pet-like noises are actually Noah's contributions to the song!
December 11, 2007
'Tis the Season
Christmas season is here!!! And after being in the 70's for the first part of last week, it has now finally snowed and actually feels like winter time! We are all so excited and ready! We've been out to look at Christmas lights a number of times, and Sophia's favorite phrase to repeat EVERY time we get in the car these days is, "Lotsa Christmas lights!" She couldn't be more thrilled. There's one house near us that has made national news for the amount of decorating they do; it's the kind where you actually have to stop the car and get out and wander around to see everything they have on display. They have a number of trains running through one section of the yard and Sophia asks repeated to see the trains. (Coincidentally, one of our most frequent babysitters lives virtually right next to this house, so Sophia insists on going along every time we go pick up Jessicup, aka Jessica.)
We have a number of Christmas trees scattered throughout our house of varying shapes and sizes, and Sophia even has a small pencil tree in her room with Curious George ornaments. If you ever ask her what goes on the tree, she'll tell you "George." My mom has also made her an advent tree, and she daily looks forward to getting the box and finding the right ornament to put up for that day. The first day I had a hard time explaining to her why we could only put one ornament on that day, but she's got the routine down by now.
We went to pick out our real tree last weekend, and it was quite the affair. Each year, there is a man who owns a nursery who is an elder at our church (it was for his dad that Tim used to work landscaping) who kindly donates a free tree to the pastoral staff of our church, which is what allows us to be able to afford a tree from his lot. They are very costly, but also very beautiful. Every year, we say that we don't think there is a hint of a bad tree in his lot. We enjoy our outting every year, as it's complete with hay rides, cider and hot chocolate, roasted peanuts and chestnuts (which incidentally, for my family, are WAY better than our London experience of roasted chestnuts- they're actually good), Santa, and several reindeer!! Sophia had a great time riding in the wagon behind the tractor and checking out the reindeer. Noah, who was all bundled up in his carseat as it was cold and snowing, was less thrilled with the experience!
Sophia and I have been out to play in the snow several times, and it never fails to amaze me how she doesn't seem to get cold! I'm always ready to come in long before her. We've made her first snowman this winter (which scared her a ton when it crashed over while I ran into the house to get the decorations for his head), she's been on several sled rides, and today we made her first snow angels. They're so small!!! Usually, we venture out in the morning while Noah is napping, so he usually misses the fun, but we did take both kids for a short sled ride on Sunday after church. Noah was not impressed with the sled, until it started moving. In fact, he definitely wanted out, until Tim started pulling and then it was okay. But the minute we stopped moving, he was ready to be done!
It's been so much fun to experience the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a child. And it's also been a real eye opener for us. Now that Sophia is old enough to begin to understand presents, and decorating and all these things, we are striving so hard to teach her the real meaning of Christmas. Which we've discovered is even harder when it seems that we frequently fail to remember what Christmas is really about. We've debated for years (long before we had kids) what we were going to do about the great Santa debate. And finally, this year, we are feeling more pressure to actually have an answer as Sophia is beginning to recognize Santa everywhere we go. Just days after Thanksgiving, I was thinking through all of this while I was waiting for Sophia to go potty, and I ended up thinking out loud "Maybe we'll make a birthday cake for Jesus this year." I've always thought that was pretty cheesy, but now that I'm wrestling with this for myself and my kids, I thought it might be a semi-tangible way for a 2 year old to comprehend some of the reason for Christmas. Little did I know, Sophia was fully listening to me thinking out loud and would bug me daily about a birthday cake for Jesus!!! So maybe, just maybe, we are on the right track...
Merry Christmas, everyone!
We have a number of Christmas trees scattered throughout our house of varying shapes and sizes, and Sophia even has a small pencil tree in her room with Curious George ornaments. If you ever ask her what goes on the tree, she'll tell you "George." My mom has also made her an advent tree, and she daily looks forward to getting the box and finding the right ornament to put up for that day. The first day I had a hard time explaining to her why we could only put one ornament on that day, but she's got the routine down by now.
We went to pick out our real tree last weekend, and it was quite the affair. Each year, there is a man who owns a nursery who is an elder at our church (it was for his dad that Tim used to work landscaping) who kindly donates a free tree to the pastoral staff of our church, which is what allows us to be able to afford a tree from his lot. They are very costly, but also very beautiful. Every year, we say that we don't think there is a hint of a bad tree in his lot. We enjoy our outting every year, as it's complete with hay rides, cider and hot chocolate, roasted peanuts and chestnuts (which incidentally, for my family, are WAY better than our London experience of roasted chestnuts- they're actually good), Santa, and several reindeer!! Sophia had a great time riding in the wagon behind the tractor and checking out the reindeer. Noah, who was all bundled up in his carseat as it was cold and snowing, was less thrilled with the experience!
Sophia and I have been out to play in the snow several times, and it never fails to amaze me how she doesn't seem to get cold! I'm always ready to come in long before her. We've made her first snowman this winter (which scared her a ton when it crashed over while I ran into the house to get the decorations for his head), she's been on several sled rides, and today we made her first snow angels. They're so small!!! Usually, we venture out in the morning while Noah is napping, so he usually misses the fun, but we did take both kids for a short sled ride on Sunday after church. Noah was not impressed with the sled, until it started moving. In fact, he definitely wanted out, until Tim started pulling and then it was okay. But the minute we stopped moving, he was ready to be done!
It's been so much fun to experience the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a child. And it's also been a real eye opener for us. Now that Sophia is old enough to begin to understand presents, and decorating and all these things, we are striving so hard to teach her the real meaning of Christmas. Which we've discovered is even harder when it seems that we frequently fail to remember what Christmas is really about. We've debated for years (long before we had kids) what we were going to do about the great Santa debate. And finally, this year, we are feeling more pressure to actually have an answer as Sophia is beginning to recognize Santa everywhere we go. Just days after Thanksgiving, I was thinking through all of this while I was waiting for Sophia to go potty, and I ended up thinking out loud "Maybe we'll make a birthday cake for Jesus this year." I've always thought that was pretty cheesy, but now that I'm wrestling with this for myself and my kids, I thought it might be a semi-tangible way for a 2 year old to comprehend some of the reason for Christmas. Little did I know, Sophia was fully listening to me thinking out loud and would bug me daily about a birthday cake for Jesus!!! So maybe, just maybe, we are on the right track...
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Sophia and Noah riding in the sled (Noah's first ride)
Go, Daddy, Go!!!!
Sitting on Santa's lap. She had NO idea what to say when he asked what she wanted for Christmas. You may wonder where Noah is? Well, I was going to sit him in there after this shot, but then the batteries on the camera died, so this was all we got this year!
Sophia's first snowman! (After repairs from crashing over!)
November 6, 2007
Harvest Festival and Nurse Maid Elbow
For the first time since we've been in Colorado, our church did not do a harvest festival on Halloween night this year. I was very bummed when I learned this was the case, but it turns out, it was one of the best things that could have happened. Tim didn't spend a week rounding up enough cardboard to make a crawl through maze in the student center, and better yet, I didn't have to take the kids out all by myself while he was stuck supervising high schoolers. This year, Halloween was actually a family affair. We just decided we'd take the kids to a different church for a harvest festival experience! I think I was most excited about the fact that Tim was coming with us. Anyway, it turned out to be a lot of fun- even more fun than the our church's usual production. The church we went to was much bigger, and so there was so much more there and it was so much more spread out. There were at least 4 bounce houses, more games than we could count, several live shows, balloon men, and all kinds of things we didn't even get a chance to see. And best of all, we didn't even come home with that much candy! (Although what we did collect was quickly gone because every time Sophia poops in the potty she would ask to pick something out of her bucket! I figured that was a good way to get rid of the little bit we did have, so I didn't bother to argue!)
So you might be asking, "What about the nurse maid elbow?" Let me tell you, because Tim and I are new experts on the subject. Towards the end of the night, Sophia was freaking out about her arm. We had no idea what she was talking abut, but we did see a couple of spots that looked maybe like a little rash starting. She was overly tired, so we didn't know how much that was contributing to the situation, but she was crying about her arm when I took her out of her carseat, she didn't want to put it through her pajamas, and basically just held it into her tummy. The next morning when we were debating what to do about the arm that she still wasn't using, she was telling us that it hurt from holding Daddy's hand. Tim said, "She was trying to pull away from me and I was having to hold on pretty tightly." We got her into the doctor later that morning, and our pediatrician diagnosis was "nurse maid elbow". Basically what happened is that the ligaments across her elbow got shifted out of place. They had mostly moved back into place by the time we got to the doctor, but she said she did feel a little click in one of her last movements, so the doctor figured that was the final "adjustment" to move the ligaments back to where they belong. We were kind of sweating how we were going to explain when Sophia said that her arm hurt from holding Daddy's hand, but before we even got that far, the Dr. told us that this commonly happens when toddlers are holding their parent's hands and try to pull away! So, consider it lesson learned!
Our own branch of Nielson Farms
Sophia's first bounce house experience. She had fun, even if she still can't jump!
Amy and Noah
Tim and Sophia
So you might be asking, "What about the nurse maid elbow?" Let me tell you, because Tim and I are new experts on the subject. Towards the end of the night, Sophia was freaking out about her arm. We had no idea what she was talking abut, but we did see a couple of spots that looked maybe like a little rash starting. She was overly tired, so we didn't know how much that was contributing to the situation, but she was crying about her arm when I took her out of her carseat, she didn't want to put it through her pajamas, and basically just held it into her tummy. The next morning when we were debating what to do about the arm that she still wasn't using, she was telling us that it hurt from holding Daddy's hand. Tim said, "She was trying to pull away from me and I was having to hold on pretty tightly." We got her into the doctor later that morning, and our pediatrician diagnosis was "nurse maid elbow". Basically what happened is that the ligaments across her elbow got shifted out of place. They had mostly moved back into place by the time we got to the doctor, but she said she did feel a little click in one of her last movements, so the doctor figured that was the final "adjustment" to move the ligaments back to where they belong. We were kind of sweating how we were going to explain when Sophia said that her arm hurt from holding Daddy's hand, but before we even got that far, the Dr. told us that this commonly happens when toddlers are holding their parent's hands and try to pull away! So, consider it lesson learned!
Our own branch of Nielson Farms
Sophia's first bounce house experience. She had fun, even if she still can't jump!
Amy and Noah
Tim and Sophia
Sophia's Big Kid Bed
Here she is in the bed she is so excited about!
Notice the Rockies jersey, which she also loves. She gets so excited to wear her very own 'baseball shirt' (which isn't even actually her own, since it's just on loan for the season).
One day I'll get the curtains done, and then the room will be complete!
October 18, 2007
Potty Training
Our "baby" has become such a big girl, as evidenced by all the changes in Sophia's life in the last couple of weeks. We have moved her to a "big kid bed", which is still a major source of excitement for her. We had set it up a couple of days before we moved it into her room, and she talked about it non-stop. We had set it up downstairs, and she would come down to her bed and just sit in it and play for long stretches of time because she was so excited about it. But then when I put it her room and put her in it for her first nap, she was less than thrilled, let's say. Okay, truthfully, she freaked out! She cried and cried, and I had to lay in there with her for a bit. But after sleeping in it just a few times, she's become used to it and now loves it. She loves to put her babies to bed in it, and close the door to let them sleep quietly. (And then she'll immediately open the door to "check" them!) She's even told me a couple of times that baby has been naughty and she's put her in there for time out. Yesterday, she came and told me that Baby was in time out, and she needed to go "check" her. She came back saying that Baby was sorry and that she was praying and telling Jesus she was sorry! Oh, from the mouth's of babes... Those are the moments when you realize that somehow, by the grace of God, you are doing something right!
Anyway, the biggest event in Sophia's life, is that she seems to have almost conquered diapers!!! YIPPEE!!! We had been half-heartedly getting Sophia acquainted with the potty for several months, and then a couple of weeks ago, we went to visit friends and Sophia wanted to use the potty just like her friend Taylor. We got home that day, and from that minute on, Sophia started telling us she was done with diapers. Every time we would change her, she would tell us that she needed to go "pee-pee", and she would manage to squeeze something out every time! So that continued for a week until she ran out of diapers, and then we realized we had finally come to a turning point and decided we needed to figure out what we were going to do. Last Friday, we decided to hit the potty hard core. Turns out, it was a good decision, although it took us a little while to be convinced. There were several factors we were unsure of how she would deal with, but she's pretty much shown us that she was more ready than we realized. By the end of the weekend, we weren't sure we had made the right choice, but she woke up on Monday showing us she knew the drill. I was worried about all kinds of things: how would we ween her off treats, would she tell us when she needs to go, would she poop in the potty, what about when we're out of the house? And this week, one by one, she's past all those hurdles! We've only had a few accidents, she hasn't asked for treats, I haven't changed a poopie diaper from her in a week, and she told the ladies in the nursery at church this morning that she needed to poop on the potty!!! And, we weren't even going to address this issue for some time, but on her own, she has stayed clean and dry during all of her sleep times this week! Who knew? Kids sure do surprise ya sometimes! And we are all too grateful!
Anyway, the biggest event in Sophia's life, is that she seems to have almost conquered diapers!!! YIPPEE!!! We had been half-heartedly getting Sophia acquainted with the potty for several months, and then a couple of weeks ago, we went to visit friends and Sophia wanted to use the potty just like her friend Taylor. We got home that day, and from that minute on, Sophia started telling us she was done with diapers. Every time we would change her, she would tell us that she needed to go "pee-pee", and she would manage to squeeze something out every time! So that continued for a week until she ran out of diapers, and then we realized we had finally come to a turning point and decided we needed to figure out what we were going to do. Last Friday, we decided to hit the potty hard core. Turns out, it was a good decision, although it took us a little while to be convinced. There were several factors we were unsure of how she would deal with, but she's pretty much shown us that she was more ready than we realized. By the end of the weekend, we weren't sure we had made the right choice, but she woke up on Monday showing us she knew the drill. I was worried about all kinds of things: how would we ween her off treats, would she tell us when she needs to go, would she poop in the potty, what about when we're out of the house? And this week, one by one, she's past all those hurdles! We've only had a few accidents, she hasn't asked for treats, I haven't changed a poopie diaper from her in a week, and she told the ladies in the nursery at church this morning that she needed to poop on the potty!!! And, we weren't even going to address this issue for some time, but on her own, she has stayed clean and dry during all of her sleep times this week! Who knew? Kids sure do surprise ya sometimes! And we are all too grateful!
Go Rockies!
Tim and I have had the privilege of attending more Rockies games this year than we have in several previous years. And this year, we have actually been to 2 games, within one month even, with just the two of us. That hasn't happened in more years than we can count. We had forgotten how much we like to go to baseball games together because we always have other people with us and don't get to just enjoy each others company as much.
And what a year for it this has been! The second to the last game we went to was on October 1st- the play-in game against the San Diego Padres. Without a doubt, we are both in agreement that that was bar none the best baseball game we have ever been to! The game itself was absolutely amazing, intense, and nerve racking! 13 innings, a back and forth score, and a must win situation. Does baseball get any better than that? The emotion and intensity of that game were like no other game we've been to. We felt like everyone in the seats around us were family by the time the game was over because we had been through such a bonding experience over the course of nearly five hours!
But then Game 4 of the NLCS was pretty amazing, too. Although the Twins have been to the World Series twice, I had never had the privilege of being at a playoff game prior to this year. The game this week didn't hold the same level of intensity as the play in game (which is to be expected when you're up 3 games to none and have 4 remaining games in which you only need to win one!), but that night was magical in it's own ways. There's something about sitting in nearly freezing weather until almost midnight rooting your team on! Our biggest disappointment of the night was that we took out the brooms to bring them along, and forgot them at home. But there were brooms aplenty that evening, and they were sweeping the city by the time we finally headed out of downtown at nearly 1 am!
So next week begins our attempts to obtain World Series tickets. They are only selling 18,ooo, and they are only available on-line, so our chances of actually obtaining them from the Rockies organization are slim to none. And someone told me today that Slim is walking out the door right now! But that's not going to stop us from trying. If we don't get them when they go on sale at 10am on Monday, you can better believe we'll be living on Craig's list attempting to find some for a "reasonable" price!
And what a year for it this has been! The second to the last game we went to was on October 1st- the play-in game against the San Diego Padres. Without a doubt, we are both in agreement that that was bar none the best baseball game we have ever been to! The game itself was absolutely amazing, intense, and nerve racking! 13 innings, a back and forth score, and a must win situation. Does baseball get any better than that? The emotion and intensity of that game were like no other game we've been to. We felt like everyone in the seats around us were family by the time the game was over because we had been through such a bonding experience over the course of nearly five hours!
But then Game 4 of the NLCS was pretty amazing, too. Although the Twins have been to the World Series twice, I had never had the privilege of being at a playoff game prior to this year. The game this week didn't hold the same level of intensity as the play in game (which is to be expected when you're up 3 games to none and have 4 remaining games in which you only need to win one!), but that night was magical in it's own ways. There's something about sitting in nearly freezing weather until almost midnight rooting your team on! Our biggest disappointment of the night was that we took out the brooms to bring them along, and forgot them at home. But there were brooms aplenty that evening, and they were sweeping the city by the time we finally headed out of downtown at nearly 1 am!
So next week begins our attempts to obtain World Series tickets. They are only selling 18,ooo, and they are only available on-line, so our chances of actually obtaining them from the Rockies organization are slim to none. And someone told me today that Slim is walking out the door right now! But that's not going to stop us from trying. If we don't get them when they go on sale at 10am on Monday, you can better believe we'll be living on Craig's list attempting to find some for a "reasonable" price!
Riding the Rockies bus
At the game
With some of our closest friends Kyle and Erika Morris (Kyle's the one who scored us that night's tickets)
The Rally Rag says it all
Can you catch the time of the clock at the top? The screen is showing post-game celebrations
October 16, 2007
Harvest Festival
Practically right across the street from us, there is a local Historical Museum. This is really one of our favorite places to hang out during the week because it's just a short walk and Sophia loves all the animals they have there. There are actually two working farms on the property, one from the 1860's time period, and one much more modern farm from the 1890's! They have several cows, sheep, pigs, donkeys, chickens, cats, and even a few peacocks. Incidentally, if you've ever heard peacocks, they can be VERY loud, and Sophia frequently hears them at our house and always wants to drop everything to go see the peacocks.
Anyway, we try to go there as often as we have time for, and we have now made it a tradition to be there for their annual harvest festival. Last year was my first year with Sophia, but this year we convinced Tim and Noah to brave the crowd and come with us. It turned out to be well worth our time. The event itself is free, but then you can buy all sorts of jams and food and of course pumpkins!!! They have cider and wagon rides and all kinds of pioneer games. This year they had a mini-corn maze, which was a HUGE hit with Sophia. She would have wondered through it nearly all day if we would have let her.
And certainly the day wouldn't be complete without some pumpkin pictures! It was so funny to observe other families and moms trying to get their perfect family photos. After watching one particular family, I couldn't help but laugh. There were a couple of kids, but you couldn't help hearing the 5-ish year old girl saying, "Mommy, I don't want to sit there. It hurts. Mommy, it hurts!" To which the mom responded, "Sit down! It doesn't hurt that bad! Let me take the picture!!" I am sure she was a very good mom, but the whole thing was much more comical to watch from the outside, and you just wonder if the Mom realized how irrational she sounded. Sometimes ya just have to ask yourself, "Is the picture really worth the trouble?"
Well, for us, it certainly was! The kids, fortunately, were VERY cooperative, and we got some great shots from the day, so I couldn't resist sharing them with whoever might check for them! Noah, in particular, seemed to think this day was made as his own personal photo shoot! He couldn't stop laughing and smiling! It turned out to be lots of fun for all of us.
Anyway, we try to go there as often as we have time for, and we have now made it a tradition to be there for their annual harvest festival. Last year was my first year with Sophia, but this year we convinced Tim and Noah to brave the crowd and come with us. It turned out to be well worth our time. The event itself is free, but then you can buy all sorts of jams and food and of course pumpkins!!! They have cider and wagon rides and all kinds of pioneer games. This year they had a mini-corn maze, which was a HUGE hit with Sophia. She would have wondered through it nearly all day if we would have let her.
And certainly the day wouldn't be complete without some pumpkin pictures! It was so funny to observe other families and moms trying to get their perfect family photos. After watching one particular family, I couldn't help but laugh. There were a couple of kids, but you couldn't help hearing the 5-ish year old girl saying, "Mommy, I don't want to sit there. It hurts. Mommy, it hurts!" To which the mom responded, "Sit down! It doesn't hurt that bad! Let me take the picture!!" I am sure she was a very good mom, but the whole thing was much more comical to watch from the outside, and you just wonder if the Mom realized how irrational she sounded. Sometimes ya just have to ask yourself, "Is the picture really worth the trouble?"
Well, for us, it certainly was! The kids, fortunately, were VERY cooperative, and we got some great shots from the day, so I couldn't resist sharing them with whoever might check for them! Noah, in particular, seemed to think this day was made as his own personal photo shoot! He couldn't stop laughing and smiling! It turned out to be lots of fun for all of us.
Sophia picking her own personal pumpkin. She was so excited to go get pumpkins that day.
A glimpse of what's coming for Halloween...
Who knew that Noah apparently loves pumpkins?
My personal bias is that these could definitely be the cutest kids EVER!!! (Incidentally, these were the pumpkins we ended up bringing home.)
Future Nielson Christmas card picture?
Again, Noah's hamming it up for the camera!October 2, 2007
Random Things
Some people I know have blogs that are the most current news of their lives. I, clearly, am not one of those people. So for all of you out there wondering what is happening in our lives these days, and wondering how much the kids have changed and grown since my last post, this one's for you! Things here have been crazy busy. This is Tim's busiest time of year, and that has filtered down to the rest of our family. The entire month of September has passed in a blur - and so many things have happened. Tim's been busy with the beginning of the school year, getting student groups off to a strong start at church, organizing our own mini-version of the Amazing Race, and hiring a new worship director. (Which may not seem like that big of a deal, except that the new guy came from Minnesota without a place to live, so we had a roommate for two weeks until he found a place of his own.) I did a week of babysitting for a friend's kid right after Labor Day, and then followed that up with two straight weeks of subbing at my old school.
Sophia has been busy, busy, busy. Who knows what exactly it is that she's doing most of the time, but she's busy doing whatever it is! She talks non-stop and has a continuous running commentary of what is happening from the time she wakes up (even before we go in to get her up in the morning) all the way until we lay her down in bed at night. She is finally beginning to learn some pronouns and prepositions, so that is moving her closer to using actual sentences. She has developed a new found passion for yogurt (we hear her in her bed before she gets up saying "yo-gurt, yo-gurt"), her babies are her hands down favorite toys, and just today we went to pick out some bedding for her "big kid bed." I wasn't sure she would get that concept, but she hasn't stopped talking about it, so I know she's excited.
Noah has changed the most in the last month. He is growing so fast these days! He has added quite a list of foods to his menu (peaches, pears, apples, squash, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas and tomorrow is our first attempt of avocado). Mid-way through September, he bursted out "Da-da!" and just a few days ago, he first said, "Ma-ma." Although we are not foolish enough to believe that he has attached meaning to those words yet, I keep encouraging him to "Say Mama" (in which case, Sophia always does exactly as asked!). He has also accomplished one of his first major feats so far- sitting up all by himself. This happened just yesterday and the minute I let go and he realized he was on his own, he just looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, "I"m such a big boy! I know I'm doing something cool!"
This past month was also a great month for out of the usual activities for Tim and I. We were actually able to get away for a night to a little Bed and Breakfast in Manitou Springs (just outside of Colorado Springs) for our anniversary. We had a great time, and we have decided that now that we have kids, a one night getaway just isn't enough! Then last night, we were actually able to get two tickets for the Rockies one game playoff against the San Diego Padres. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we are in agreement that it was the most incredible baseball game we have ever been to! Wowsers, 13 innings, a score that went back and forth, so many close calls, and finally, the big W for the Rockies! Whew! Go Rockies!
Noah's "First Meal"
Noah doing what he does best!
Home after a hard day's work!
Sophia in her birthday dress from Aunt Julie
Noah sitting by himself for the first time
Sophia has been busy, busy, busy. Who knows what exactly it is that she's doing most of the time, but she's busy doing whatever it is! She talks non-stop and has a continuous running commentary of what is happening from the time she wakes up (even before we go in to get her up in the morning) all the way until we lay her down in bed at night. She is finally beginning to learn some pronouns and prepositions, so that is moving her closer to using actual sentences. She has developed a new found passion for yogurt (we hear her in her bed before she gets up saying "yo-gurt, yo-gurt"), her babies are her hands down favorite toys, and just today we went to pick out some bedding for her "big kid bed." I wasn't sure she would get that concept, but she hasn't stopped talking about it, so I know she's excited.
Noah has changed the most in the last month. He is growing so fast these days! He has added quite a list of foods to his menu (peaches, pears, apples, squash, peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas and tomorrow is our first attempt of avocado). Mid-way through September, he bursted out "Da-da!" and just a few days ago, he first said, "Ma-ma." Although we are not foolish enough to believe that he has attached meaning to those words yet, I keep encouraging him to "Say Mama" (in which case, Sophia always does exactly as asked!). He has also accomplished one of his first major feats so far- sitting up all by himself. This happened just yesterday and the minute I let go and he realized he was on his own, he just looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, "I"m such a big boy! I know I'm doing something cool!"
This past month was also a great month for out of the usual activities for Tim and I. We were actually able to get away for a night to a little Bed and Breakfast in Manitou Springs (just outside of Colorado Springs) for our anniversary. We had a great time, and we have decided that now that we have kids, a one night getaway just isn't enough! Then last night, we were actually able to get two tickets for the Rockies one game playoff against the San Diego Padres. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we are in agreement that it was the most incredible baseball game we have ever been to! Wowsers, 13 innings, a score that went back and forth, so many close calls, and finally, the big W for the Rockies! Whew! Go Rockies!
Noah's "First Meal"
Noah doing what he does best!
Home after a hard day's work!
Sophia in her birthday dress from Aunt Julie
Noah sitting by himself for the first timeLabor Day on the Farm
Our time on the farm already seems like forever ago, but Sophia is still talking about it. We just got pictures in the mail the other day from Grandma, and I'm sure that has refreshed her memory, but she hasn't stopped saying, "Ride tractor Grandpa." Sophia had so much fun on the farm this last time we were there, and it made for such a fun trip. It was great to be there when the weather was so good, and Sophia could run around and play all day. She was so tired out by the end of the days, but then she would wake up in the morning listing everything she wanted to do that day, "Ride tractor, Grandpa. See cows. Ride wagon. Eat corn." The list would go on and on. And then when we got home, she kept asking to see Grandpa. A month later, she's still remembers picking flowers with Grandma and Jake and his stupid rocks!! Noah doesn't have as fond of memories, it seems. He has yet to talk about his trip to the farm :) It will be fun as he gets older and he begins to enjoy the cows and tractor rides and other farm activities. Check out the pictures to see Sophia's commentary of what was happening. (For those of you who haven't spent much time with Sophia lately, she's a born commentator. This is what takes place all day long at our house! - These would be her exact words when we looked at the pictures.)
"Ride-tractor-Grandpa. Shushie driving."
"Shushie riding wagon."
"Noah touching Grandpa face. Noah smiling."
"Shushie sitting Grandma. Swing."
"Shushie playing truck Grandma."August 25, 2007
Sophia's Second Birthday
I'm not sure who enjoyed Sophia's birthday more this year- her or me! It was so fun to get her excited about it and anticipating it. I felt like all we did for weeks was talk about "birthday coming" and cake and what we were going to do and all her friends that would be there. I had bought her a dress a few weeks beforehand to wear for her party, and we tried it on the first night that I brought it home, but since then, it's been hanging in the closet. I pulled it out to get her ready for her party, and she got so excited and kept saying, "birthday dress!" So I know she gets it this year!
We had her party the Sunday before her actual birthday, and she loved it. How could she not, all her favorite friends were there, we had pizza and cake, we played at the park, we splashed in the pool, and we opened presents. What's not to love?
Unfortunately, we were all recovering from the most contagious flu bug I've ever been in contact with. I thought we were all in the clear, but I was a little unsure about Noah, so I actually had a babysitter come stay with him in the basement so that I didn't have to worry about any of the other kids getting too close. Turns out that was all in vain, since we spread the dreaded illness to several of the families at the party. Oops! I'm just beginning to get over the guilt! And I realized during the course of the party how not back to normal Sophia was when I realized that she didn't eat one single bite of her birthday cake- the same cake that she had been talking about and asking for for weeks!
Sophia's actual birthday was on a Wednesday (Aug. 15), and we had planned to take her to a local water park, but it ended up being fairly cool and rainy that day, so we took her to the mall instead. We looked at puppies and rode the escalators, and I think I was more disappointed with the change in plans than she was. Presents kept arriving in the mail all week long, and let's just say that Sophia has DEFINITELY come to understand the meaning of presents. Every time we bring a box in the house, she gets all excited thinking it's presents. Yesterday, Tim went to the dentist for a routine cleaning, and when she heard him coming back home, she got all excited saying "Daddy presents!" (So he ended up giving her his freebie toothbrush and she was thrilled- I am cherishing the days when she is so easily appeased!)
We ended up going to the water park the following weekend, and it was still lots of fun. Sophia has definitely learned to enjoy the pool this summer and never wants to leave. She probably would have stayed all day if we hadn't been chased out by rain.
Anyway, it was tons of fun and now, I've decided I have mixed emotions about birthdays. It was so much fun, that I wish I could do it more than once a year. But at the same time, I'm pretty sure that I'm not allowing Sophia to have any more birthdays for the rest of her life because I kind of like the way she is right now!
We had her party the Sunday before her actual birthday, and she loved it. How could she not, all her favorite friends were there, we had pizza and cake, we played at the park, we splashed in the pool, and we opened presents. What's not to love?
Unfortunately, we were all recovering from the most contagious flu bug I've ever been in contact with. I thought we were all in the clear, but I was a little unsure about Noah, so I actually had a babysitter come stay with him in the basement so that I didn't have to worry about any of the other kids getting too close. Turns out that was all in vain, since we spread the dreaded illness to several of the families at the party. Oops! I'm just beginning to get over the guilt! And I realized during the course of the party how not back to normal Sophia was when I realized that she didn't eat one single bite of her birthday cake- the same cake that she had been talking about and asking for for weeks!
Sophia's actual birthday was on a Wednesday (Aug. 15), and we had planned to take her to a local water park, but it ended up being fairly cool and rainy that day, so we took her to the mall instead. We looked at puppies and rode the escalators, and I think I was more disappointed with the change in plans than she was. Presents kept arriving in the mail all week long, and let's just say that Sophia has DEFINITELY come to understand the meaning of presents. Every time we bring a box in the house, she gets all excited thinking it's presents. Yesterday, Tim went to the dentist for a routine cleaning, and when she heard him coming back home, she got all excited saying "Daddy presents!" (So he ended up giving her his freebie toothbrush and she was thrilled- I am cherishing the days when she is so easily appeased!)
We ended up going to the water park the following weekend, and it was still lots of fun. Sophia has definitely learned to enjoy the pool this summer and never wants to leave. She probably would have stayed all day if we hadn't been chased out by rain.
Anyway, it was tons of fun and now, I've decided I have mixed emotions about birthdays. It was so much fun, that I wish I could do it more than once a year. But at the same time, I'm pretty sure that I'm not allowing Sophia to have any more birthdays for the rest of her life because I kind of like the way she is right now!
Waiting for the party to start
Opening presents
Playing with one of her best buds, Mia Heck, on her actual birthday
Celebrating Sophia's birthday at the mall
Move over Paris Hilton, Hollywood, here Sophia comes! (This get-up was a birthday present from her favorite friend, Will Ballard.)
Birthday Girl
Ready to blow out candles
August 14, 2007
Summer Pics
Checking out the zoo with Uncle Eric & Aunt Gretchen
"Noah Flying!"
Noah has found his toes! (And the only time I could catch the picture was when he was naked!)
One of our favorite after dinner activities
I'd claim these cuties any day!
"Sushie glassee head!"
July 24, 2007
Toes and other stuff
Noah has had quite the month, with all kinds of firsts. His biggest discovery is that he has found his toes! In fact, he has decided they are his favorite thing to play with these days. He's finally started to grab for other toys, but more often than not his preference is his own toes. He has also had his first adventures in the swings at the park. He loves swinging! And Sophia loves to swing next to him and tell the whole world that "Noah flying!" and "Sophia flying!" Noah has also started riding in the actual stroller seat occasionally (instead of lying down), and Sophia loves to tell the whole world that "NOAH!" is behind her.
Sophia's other new trick is that she has discovered the word "mine." And while we knew it was inevitable, it's still not so fun. I'm not sure entirely where it came from, since the first time she said it, it was entirely out of the blue and unexpected, but I guess maybe that proves that it's just inherent in human nature? Anyway, she's only used it a few times, but I'm sure it won't be long before we're really tired of the word! She does have some much more fun phrases, too. She likes to say "Mama coming" whenever I'm not within arms reach, and she frequently tells me, "Noah miling" (translation: Noah's smiling). She definitely has not figured out pronouns and prepositions yet, but she is beginning to link several words together, and the other night she told me, "Mama, eyes, blue." Which was particularly amusing since Mama's eyes are, in fact, green!
The most exciting news in her world is her upcoming birthday. She recently went to a party for one of her favorite friends, which was held at a local park which happens to be very large. Her friends family also had a small version of a bounce house at the party, and that's the first thing Sophia remembers about the party. She's going to be awfully disappointed to learn that there will be no bounce house at her party, but she is certainly looking forward to the event! I think it's helped that she went to a party so close to hers because she now understands what it's all about and gets so excited every time we talk about her birthday!
She is also very excited to have another cousin this winter. She clearly has no idea of the concept of cousins, but she does know that "Dretcha baby" in her "tummy", so I know she's aware of the whole event. She's been asking to see Gretchen's baby, so I think she might be a little disappointed next week when Eric and Gretchen get here and she can't actually see the baby yet! Soon enough, soon enough!
Sophia's other new trick is that she has discovered the word "mine." And while we knew it was inevitable, it's still not so fun. I'm not sure entirely where it came from, since the first time she said it, it was entirely out of the blue and unexpected, but I guess maybe that proves that it's just inherent in human nature? Anyway, she's only used it a few times, but I'm sure it won't be long before we're really tired of the word! She does have some much more fun phrases, too. She likes to say "Mama coming" whenever I'm not within arms reach, and she frequently tells me, "Noah miling" (translation: Noah's smiling). She definitely has not figured out pronouns and prepositions yet, but she is beginning to link several words together, and the other night she told me, "Mama, eyes, blue." Which was particularly amusing since Mama's eyes are, in fact, green!
The most exciting news in her world is her upcoming birthday. She recently went to a party for one of her favorite friends, which was held at a local park which happens to be very large. Her friends family also had a small version of a bounce house at the party, and that's the first thing Sophia remembers about the party. She's going to be awfully disappointed to learn that there will be no bounce house at her party, but she is certainly looking forward to the event! I think it's helped that she went to a party so close to hers because she now understands what it's all about and gets so excited every time we talk about her birthday!
She is also very excited to have another cousin this winter. She clearly has no idea of the concept of cousins, but she does know that "Dretcha baby" in her "tummy", so I know she's aware of the whole event. She's been asking to see Gretchen's baby, so I think she might be a little disappointed next week when Eric and Gretchen get here and she can't actually see the baby yet! Soon enough, soon enough!
Pepper-nose-ouchy!
That would be Sophia's version of today's events. My side of the story contains slightly more detail.
It was a typical lunch affair at the Nielson's- Sophia in her high chair enjoying pita bread, orange peppers and cottage cheese. Noah was playing somewhat contentedly on the floor. I was scrounging scraps of whatever I was giving to Sophia. Noah, however, was ready for an early nap, seeing as how we had already been to the doctor's office this morning for a vaccine for him. He didn't get much of a morning nap, so by 12:30, he was ready for some sleep.
Every time it happens, I think that I wish there were another way, but I took Noah downstairs for his nap, leaving Sophia in her high chair with her lunch. I came back up to find Sophia with a finger up her nose. Of course we discussed how that was not a good place to put fingers, but then when I looked again, her nose was rather red, and she just couldn't keep her fingers away.
I didn't really figure it out until she started saying, "Pepper, nose!" And can you believe the pepper was so far up her nose, I couldn't even see it? So I started replaying my way too many first aid training courses and wondering if I was really going to have to call our pediatrician and tell them I needed to bring my kid in because she had a piece of pepper stuck in her nose? I got Sophia out of her high chair and tried to investigate if there was anyway I could get the pepper out myself. That's when I realized there was not one piece of pepper stuck up one side of her nose, but multiple pieces in both sides!!! By this time, the kid was totally wheezing around the peppers.
I got the tweezers out of the bathroom, and successfully managed to pull one piece out of the right side, but didn't think there was much of a prayer of me getting the piece out of the left side without pushing it further in. I sat Sophia up and had her blow, and this is when the third piece came out of the right side! Good grief, she almost had a whole garden in there!
At this point, I realized, yes, I was going to have to call the pediatrician's office, and yes, we were going to have to take her in. I called the doctor's office and had to explain to the call center "what was going on with Sophia today" and had to explain that no, it wasn't ground pepper in her nose, it was a piece of orange pepper almost an inch long! After 10-15 minutes on hold, they told me to bring her in. They scheduled an appointment for an hour and fifteen minutes from that time at an office that isn't our usual office b/c no one at our regular office was answering the phone, but if we came right away, they might be able to squeeze us in sooner. Who says we need health care reform in America?
Anyway, Tim ended up coming home from work to take her so that I could stay home with Noah, and they were back in nearly an hour. It ended up costing us $30 for a doctor to pull a piece of orange pepper out of my kid's nose!!! Really, it could have been so much worse, but how pathetically humerous was the whole event?
And Noah's version of the story? Well, he doesn't even know because he slept through the whole thing! So let's hope he didn't get any bad ideas from his sister-yet!
It was a typical lunch affair at the Nielson's- Sophia in her high chair enjoying pita bread, orange peppers and cottage cheese. Noah was playing somewhat contentedly on the floor. I was scrounging scraps of whatever I was giving to Sophia. Noah, however, was ready for an early nap, seeing as how we had already been to the doctor's office this morning for a vaccine for him. He didn't get much of a morning nap, so by 12:30, he was ready for some sleep.
Every time it happens, I think that I wish there were another way, but I took Noah downstairs for his nap, leaving Sophia in her high chair with her lunch. I came back up to find Sophia with a finger up her nose. Of course we discussed how that was not a good place to put fingers, but then when I looked again, her nose was rather red, and she just couldn't keep her fingers away.
I didn't really figure it out until she started saying, "Pepper, nose!" And can you believe the pepper was so far up her nose, I couldn't even see it? So I started replaying my way too many first aid training courses and wondering if I was really going to have to call our pediatrician and tell them I needed to bring my kid in because she had a piece of pepper stuck in her nose? I got Sophia out of her high chair and tried to investigate if there was anyway I could get the pepper out myself. That's when I realized there was not one piece of pepper stuck up one side of her nose, but multiple pieces in both sides!!! By this time, the kid was totally wheezing around the peppers.
I got the tweezers out of the bathroom, and successfully managed to pull one piece out of the right side, but didn't think there was much of a prayer of me getting the piece out of the left side without pushing it further in. I sat Sophia up and had her blow, and this is when the third piece came out of the right side! Good grief, she almost had a whole garden in there!
At this point, I realized, yes, I was going to have to call the pediatrician's office, and yes, we were going to have to take her in. I called the doctor's office and had to explain to the call center "what was going on with Sophia today" and had to explain that no, it wasn't ground pepper in her nose, it was a piece of orange pepper almost an inch long! After 10-15 minutes on hold, they told me to bring her in. They scheduled an appointment for an hour and fifteen minutes from that time at an office that isn't our usual office b/c no one at our regular office was answering the phone, but if we came right away, they might be able to squeeze us in sooner. Who says we need health care reform in America?
Anyway, Tim ended up coming home from work to take her so that I could stay home with Noah, and they were back in nearly an hour. It ended up costing us $30 for a doctor to pull a piece of orange pepper out of my kid's nose!!! Really, it could have been so much worse, but how pathetically humerous was the whole event?
And Noah's version of the story? Well, he doesn't even know because he slept through the whole thing! So let's hope he didn't get any bad ideas from his sister-yet!
June 19, 2007
Minnesota Days
No matter how many days we spend in Minnesota, each trip seems to get shorter and shorter with never enough time to do everything we want to do. But we sure do have fun! We just got back yesterday, and I'm not sure whose more wiped out- me (Amy) or the kids. I can't believe how well the kids tolerated the constant activity while we were gone. It seemed like we just never stopped going. We were even so brave as to try our first day without any nap (and although it's amazing how well it went, it's still not something I recommend!). Has anyone every seen a toddler loopy from a lack of sleep? It's hilarious and pathetic all at once! In our handful of days in Minnesota, we packed in the park and splashing rocks in the river, the beach, the boat, and waterskiing, reliving our childhoods by digging out all the toys that were stored at my parents, a Twins game, church and a new nursery, the Children's Museum, and even a few games of Cornhole.
It was so fun to experience it all through Sophia's eyes. It's been a LONG time since I've found the joy in throwing rocks in the Mississippi, but I think Sophia could have spent hours collecting rocks and making them "pwash". I also had the thought that I'm sad we don't live near so many lakes. I would love to take Sophia to the beach more often to get her used to the water. She didn't seem to like her first boat ride too much, but the second time was much better because she was busy watching Uncle "Wya" wakeboard. She kept saying "bath" and when he would fall, she would say "all done." And for as hard as we've tried, I don't think Sophia's super thrilled with Twins games yet! She's been listening to them on the radio since way back to her "in utero" days, but she was more interested in the popcorn and snacks at the Dome than the actual game.
Overall, we had a great time. I always say I love living in Colorado, but each time we visit Minnesota during the summer, I think about moving back. There are so many great things about the summer months, not to mention being near family has it's perks, too!
Noah meets Opa- and seems to enjoy him quite a bit!
Where's the beach?
Posers!
Did I forget to mention we visited the Curious George exhibit at the Children's Museum in St. Paul? Noah wasn't all that thrilled with it, but I don't think Sophia has ever been so excited in her life! Every new display she saw was more exciting than the last. "OOOH, JUGE!!!" She would exclaim over and over.
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