My 29th Year in pictures

30th Birthday! In the hospital

2008-09-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

So today is my big 30th birthday. The end of this blog. And I had to use a camera phone to take the picture. Oh, well. It was a good day. I had 4 groups of visitors and all of them brought me food. Cassie brought Chipotle, and then I got 3 cakes from Dad and Dawn (pictured above with cake), Jamin, and John and Jen. Not bad! Plus I had room service all day and I got a "happy birthday, I love you mommy" call from Zaria. (=

It's been a good year. Not quite what I would've expected with the twins pregnancy and hospital stay, but still a good year. It's fun to see how much Zaria has grown over the past year, and to see some of the crazy houses we looked at before buying our home last week. I've had a lot of good times with family and friends, and a lot to be thankful for.

Jamin and I will continue to post pictures and updates on our family blog, especially since we'll be seeing two adorable babies within the next 6 weeks or so. You'll find us at:
http://saminfamily.blogspot.com/

Day 367: My view

2008-09-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Not a bad view, considering. They're doing a huge construction project on the Children's Hospital across the street. I woke up to a lot of banging this morning, like they were driving in some pilings or something.

I think I messed up somewhere along the line on my day numbering, seeing as how I'm on day 367 . . . it's a bit of a hassle to go back and try to change it, so I guess it is what it is. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I've been told the sad news that I won't be discharged until at least Thursday, the day after. I guess it will be a memorable birthday in the hospital, and hopefully the last b-day I'll have to do in one.

Day 366: Still at hospital

2008-09-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

Getting a little cozy. Today is Labor Day, but it looks like we're out of the danger zone of actually going into labor today. So I tried to enjoy my "room service" and watched a "Jon and Kate Plus 8" marathon on the TLC network. I've been told for a while I should see the show since I'm expecting twins, so now I finally know what it's all about. Thanks be to God I am not having sextuplets.

Day 365: Magnesium sulfate

2008-08-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

I forgot my camera at my mom's place when we rushed to the hospital at midnight, so I guess the end of my year will be captured with my camera phone. Today, magnesium sulfate is my lot. Kinda nasty stuff. It makes me very thirsty and my hands and feet and head feel hot. Not sure how long I'll be in the hospital, but for now this IV is working to stop the contractions. We'd like to hold off on the twins' birth, but I'm also hoping they'll let me out of here by my birthday.

Day 364: Bed rest on moving day

2008-08-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

After a few hours at the hospital in the wee hours, I was ordered on bed rest today. So I didn't get to be part of the move today at all. Since both of our places would be in moving chaos, I went to my mom's house while she and Dave were out of town and slept there. I slept a lot, partly from barely getting any sleep during the night. I felt bad leaving everything to Jamin, especially since he didn't get much sleep last night either. Later in the evening when he got home, I had a lot of contractions again and this time I was actually admitted to the hospital to stop premature labor.

Day 363: Another baby shower

2008-08-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Brenda's baby shower. It was a fun change-up of a regular Friday Night Group get together, and nice that the guys took charge of the kiddos, for the most part. Brenda's due in September, so we'll have 3 little ones joining the FNG soon. I had quite a few contractions during the shower and actually ended up going to the hospital in the middle of the night, right before our moving day.

Day 362: Packing

2008-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

It is a little hard to get things packed with "help" from Zaria. Not that I can move a lot on my own right now anyway. It's strange that we'll be out of the townhouse for good in just a few days. I tried to get her sitting in the box, but she was having too much fun climbing in and out.

Day 361: Closing day!

2008-08-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

Though we were late, the closing went through. And here's our new house!
Our friend Jesse has already started painting this evening, and we've picked out some carpeting. This place will look very different in a couple of days. We weren't sure if we'd replace all the carpet or not, but once the furniture was gone and we saw all the stains, we decided it'd be easier to replace it all, especially with babies licking the carpet in a few months.

Day 360: Picking colors

2008-08-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

We grabbed a color swatch book to try to pick out some paint colors and get our new place painted before we move in all our stuff. Here Jamin was trying to find a color that would go well with the fabric on my vanity's bench. We actually ended up going with a lavender shade for our bedroom instead of trying to match the bench. It'll be so fun to have different colors at our new place!

Day 359: Preparations and presents

2008-08-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to close on our house in a couple of days and move on Saturday, I'm trying to keep a few things out and available, like gifts and eating utensils for the moving crew. I managed to shop around at Target to get a baby shower gift for Brenda and a few other items, trying out their electronic carts for the first time. It was an interesting experience making beeping noises every time I backed up and bumping into a few aisles. I only knocked a few items over . . . I definitely have more sympathy for people that try to get around stores in wheelchairs.

Day 358: Family Sunday

2008-08-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Jamin didn't have to start work yet today, as he has most Sundays this summer, so we had some nice family time. Zaria enjoyed some extra "papa time."
We also had Dan and Gwendolyn over to help fill a few boxes. Gwendolyn wanted me to take a picture of her-- I told her to pose and this was the result. The thinking 3-year-old.

Day 357: Portraits waiting room

2008-08-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

Jamin, Zaria and I got our portraits taken this morning for the church directory. They used the nursery for one of the waiting areas, which worked well since a few of the kids were able to enjoy some toys while they waited. Sadly, Zaria only started smiling by the last picture, which was one that can't be in the directory. Not that I expect many smiling toddlers in the book.

Tomorrow will be the last Sunday for Zaria in this nursery-- next week she'll be out of town with Mom and Dave while we move, and the week after that she moves up to the next older group. Jamin will be moving up with her to teach the 18-36 month-olds.

Day 356: Mini golf outing

2008-08-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's Jamin trying to get his golf ball out of the tunnel. There were 12 of us that went golfing tonight, and the vast majority ended up with scores a bit over par. Some were quite glad of the 6-stroke limit, in fact. We broke up into groups of threes-- you can see Jamin's group members Mike and Aaron being quite amused.
Mandy, one of my group members, actually scored a hole in one! Just in time as this was the 18th and last hole. I was hoping to do the same, but it didn't pan out. (=

Day 355: Our little Olympian

2008-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

The word on her lips in this shot is "running." Zaria's been watching a little bit of the Olympics with me and she decided to do her own relay back and forth through the kitchen this evening. She'd start with her back to the door, and chime in with me as I said "Ready, set, go!", and then she'd run and grab my leg, then run back to do it again. I think this went on for 15-20 minutes. Moments like this I love being a mom.

Day 354: Zoo with the ol roomies

2008-08-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

I met up with the old roommates to see the Minnesota Zoo today. We used the double stroller for Zaria and Sam, and I was pushed in a wheelchair. That means Karin, Shawna and Krista all got a good workout, pushing us and running after the toddlers when we let them loose. Below is a snuggly bunch of otters including babies. I couldn't figure out how many babies there were, but they sure are cute.

Day 353: Bible study picnic

2008-08-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of the ladies' summer Bible study, so we had a potluck brunch at the park. The kids had a lot of fun playing and hanging out in the pirate ship that was there. We also tried to go swimming, but I didn't want to get too far in the water because it was getting pretty mucky from all the birds.

Day 352: Pad Thai

2008-08-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to make some Pad Thai tonight and needed a few more ingredients, but I was not up for going grocery shopping on my own. Stepdad to the rescue! Dave came along and helped me get stuff bagged. I forgot to take advantage of him grabbing things that were low on the shelves. It can be hard to not do things I'm used to doing myself. I also stocked up on sandwich dressing since Jamin uses it all the time.

Day 351: 29 weeks

2008-08-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Still growing! I'm holding up a matching pair of little boy suits I got from Marla at the shower yesterday. I have a few identical outfits, so I guess we'll have to use name tags if the boys are identical twins.

Day 350: Baby shower for X and Y

2008-08-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Naomi put on a fabulous shower for me today. It was very fun, and I now have at least a small stockpile of diapers and some cute things for the twins when they're born. It was also a good turn out for being a little last-minute. A lot of relatives were out of town, but quite a few FNG gals came, along with my mom and grandma and a couple of others. Thank you ladies!

Day 349: Parents playtime at FNG

2008-08-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

As Karin proves here, you don't have to be under 10 to enjoy making a tower with blocks. Her 2-year-old son Sam hadn't even arrived on the scene yet. (=

Happy Birthday to my Dad today!

Day 348: Drive-In with Small Group

2008-08-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

Most of the nighttime pics I took were pretty fuzzy, but these give you a little idea of our drive-in movie experience. Our small group hung out at the back of Mark's pick-up truck with a portable radio and some snacks. Jamin and I sat back in the cab for the first movie while the others sat in camping chairs in front of us. It ended up being a really late night, so Zaria stayed overnight at Mom and Dave's house while we enjoyed the triple feature. We saw Kung Fu Panda, Dark Knight, and Hancock, all really good movies.

Day 347: Children's hospital construction

2008-08-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had another OB appointment today. Both X and Y are doing great, 3 lbs 1 oz and 3 lbs 3 oz, approximately, so just above the 50% percentile for their gestational age. Today I toured the Children's Hospital NICU and was walking slow enough that it made sense for the tour guide to wheel me around in a wheelchair. That was so nice! I haven't had mobility that fast in a long time. Also, it was encouraging to see viable babies in the NICU that were younger and smaller than X and Y.

The above photo is the new addition they're building for the Children's Hospital. I still haven't felt the need to park in the ramp, but with construction and decreased mobility, I may be doing that soon.

Day 346: Outside bubbles

2008-08-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Mom had forgotten how much Princess (or Boo Boo) loves bubbles until she started blowing some for Zaria on the deck. Zaria and I stayed over to take naps today since there was more pounding on our roof.

Day 345: Family breakfast and roofing

2008-08-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

Since Jamin's sister Jennie was still in town from the family reunion, we had her and their folks over for breakfast this morning. Zaria was enjoying having Grandpa David help her with her new pink shoes.
Meanwhile, the pounding began today. Somehow, we all managed to take a morning nap through some of the pounding, though Jamin said it sounded exactly like the pounding that happens on his semi door to wake him up after a load is finished. I guess we were pretty beat from getting back late last night from our drive back from Bemidgi.

Day 344: Family reunion

2008-08-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Zaria had fun at the park in the morning with Grandma Dawn and Aunt Katie while Jamin and I went to church with Dad. She also got a new "princess skirt" from the dollar store that she was pretty pleased about.
In the afternoon, we joined up with a fair number of Jamin's relatives at the family reunion. The above photo shows all of Jamin's dad's siblings in birth order. L-R: Ronald, Coral and Knute (they're fraternal twins, a few minutes apart), Alfred, David, Herbert and Richard. They go by Ron, Coral, Knute, Al, Dave, Herb and Rich. They're all very intelligent and had some great stories to share during the reunion. I was so glad we made the trip up. The youngest family member to make it was Ron's first great grandchild, Emery, who was just a few weeks old.

Day 343: Sunset up north

2008-08-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

In preparation for a family reunion tomorrow in Bimidgi, we drove up north to Dad and Dawn's cabin so we wouldn't have two 4-hour trips to drive in one day. Our trip up went surprisingly fast, broken up nicely by us switching drivers and stopping for dinner at Taco Bell, I suspect. One snafu to our lovely trip: we forgot to bring the Pack N Play along for Zaria to sleep in. It was pretty tough getting her to sleep on the floor where we made a bed out of blankets, but she did eventually get to sleep. That also meant we had to switch rooms with my stepsister Katie when she was already settled in, but she took it in stride.

Day 342: Packing begins

2008-08-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

We're finally starting to get serious about packing. Looks like we're closing on our new house on the 27th! That's in just 3 weeks, and hopefully we won't be doing too much at the last minute. I had some help from our friend Sara from small group today and got a good start. It's tough for me to even do much packing now, and frustrating if I can't move boxes or other things around.

Day 341: Strolling

2008-08-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

This worked great-- Zaria loves pushing dolls in the little stroller, and with her new monkey backpack on, Jamin could easily keep track of her and help her stay on the sidewalks.

Day 340: Getting out

2008-08-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm still taking Zaria places, like the library today to get some new books. It is definitely getting harder, though. She really enjoyed running around in the play room at the library and playing with Mac, a boy she's met before at story time. They're done with story time until September, but they still keep the early childhood play area open in the mornings. I think if we have Zaria in story time this fall, she'll have to go with Grandma Joy.

Day 339: Henry the Ape

2008-08-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

I've had Henry the Ape since I was a teenager. Today Zaria found a fun new place for him to hang out in the fire truck basket, something I picked out for the boys' future room at a garage sale.

All day today I kept wondering why August 5th is significant-- I finally realize after the fact that it's Dad and Dawn's 19th anniversary. Happy Anniversary you two!

Day 338: Sleeping Jamin

2008-08-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

I did ask permission before taking a picture of my sleeping husband. (= Jamin's work schedule has been so unpredictable that he's not always home sleeping anymore. It's been a little hard on me as I get bigger and it becomes harder for me to do things around the house. Tonight he was home for dinner and we even enjoyed a cheap movie together while my mom watched Zaria. We saw "Iron Man," which I really enjoyed. Robert Downey Jr. was one of my favorite actors in the early 90's, and then I hadn't seen him for a long time (I think he was just in movies that I didn't see or even hear of) until recently I saw him in "Good Night and Good Luck."

Day 337: Community dinner birthday

2008-08-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

First Baptist had our monthly community dinner (lunch) after the service today with barbecued burgers and potluck items, and somebody brought a birthday cake. So we all got to sing for Susan, who had a birthday today. She's one of the church members that has been there since she was in nursery. It's really fun to be at a church that has people like that.

Day 336: Great Grandma's 103rd birthday

2008-08-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my Great Grandma Ethel's (Cubby's) 103rd birthday today. Above she's pictured with her three sons, Gerald (my stepdad Dave's dad), Gene and Dave, and her daughters-in-law Barbara, Karen and Lynn. Great Grandma is in great shape, though she has trouble hearing people.

Below is her baby gown. Somebody at the party said that it was often a tradition to use cloth from a woman's wedding gown to use for her baby's christening gown, so this fabric is well over 100 years old.

Day 335: Big crayons, funny expressions

2008-08-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

I bought some bigger crayons for Zaria to try out today. She LOVED them. She also had fun making funny faces at me and giggling while she colored. This expression is just about there. She was making an upside-down smile/grimace and shaking her head back and forth.

Day 334: Truck repairs

2008-07-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

After a year without it working, Jamin finally got his truck in to repair the air conditioning. We stopped by to pick up the truck after small group tonight. Hopefully this means Jamin will be more comfortable and maybe even less sweaty and stinky when he gets home!

Day 333: Play date with twins

2008-07-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

These adorable twin boys, Tyler and Logan, will be a year old this week. We had a play date with them today, and I got to hear their mom's birth story and issues with having them share certain toys. They're sitting on a riding train toy that Zaria brought to their attention, and it's been a major source of contention for Tyler. He's not happy seeing anyone else use the train, so they plan to either get another one or get rid of it.

Day 332: Dine and dance with ZJ

2008-07-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

After the Bible study, Zaria, Mom and I met with Cassie and her grandma for lunch. Typically, Zaria ignores us when we go out to eat, but today she had fun hamming it up for the four of us. She stayed with her Grandma Joy through the afternoon while I had a short OB appointment, then we met up again to watch a Scandinavian band play in the park. Zaria had fun dancing and entertaining the mostly older crowd.

Day 331: Buffet date night

2008-07-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

We decided to have a date night tonight and went out to a Chinese buffet. I don't think I'll get my money's worth at buffets soon since I'm getting full fast with the lack of space. It was nice to get out just the two of us, at any rate.

Day 330: Playing outside

2008-07-27T20:50:00.001-07:00

I have trouble remembering plant names, but these guys have gone crazy this year. I should probably cut them back a little. Zaria has been nervous walking past them because there's been a very busy bumblebee that is a constant presence in these flowers. We had fun playing outside a little this evening. It had been too hot for me to be out earlier at 85 degrees. I've been so lucky that it's been a relatively cool summer.

Day 328: Robert's bday and FBC dinner

2008-07-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

We went to Robby's 1st birthday party this afternoon-- today's the actual day! I was very impressed that he likes to eat lettuce (Zaria will pull it out of her mouth). He's apparently a very good eater.

Then we headed downtown to FBC to join with the Community at Calhoun gathering. We missed the lake time, but joined everyone at church for the dinner. It was a tropical theme, so it was very fun and a great time of fellowship. Mandy was walking around taking lots of pictures, so I caught her in the act. I was sad to hear we'd missed three baptisms at the lake. My own baptism was in a lake-- I liked the idea of being in God's creation while taking that step.

Day 327: Rummy chances

2008-07-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Jamin wasn't home early enough to rock out with Bryan and Renee and I to Rock Band, but we still managed to get in a game of Rummy Cube before bedtime. We both pulled tiles to find out who should go first, and we both ended up pulling the red nines. What are the chances of that happening?

Day 326: 26 weeks

2008-07-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

No stretch marks yet! *fingers crossed* I had a nice doctor that said I may not get them since I didn't have any with Zaria. That was a relief since I thought it would be automatic with twins. I'm definitely feeling the pull of gravity and am carrying them low, which I believe would be the correct old wives' tales way of predicting a boy. Does that double with two?

Day 325: Grocery shopping

2008-07-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

I nearly went grocery shopping by myself while my mom took Zaria to the library for storytime, but by the time I had the list ready and was about to go into the store, I realized I only had enough energy to get the stuff, and not to bag it, haul it and put it all away. Since I knew Jamin would be home for a while in the afternoon, I decided to wait for him to come with me, and I was really glad I did. Zaria had a new, somewhat annoying thing to do while we shopped-- asking us to open everything so she could try it. We let her play with a can, and kept explaining that we couldn't open it since we didn't have a can opener. That mostly worked.

Day 324: Nap in the car

2008-07-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

After playing with James and Joshua at the women's Bible study and eating lunch with Grandma, Zaria was pretty zonked. I'm glad I still have the ability to transfer her successfully to her crib from the car. It is tough carrying her up the stairs, but when she's asleep I can sling her halfway over my shoulder and just take it easy up the steps.

Day 323: Tossing sleep

2008-07-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

It's a habit of mine to check in on Zaria before I go to sleep, and I'm usually amused at how much she moves around in her sleep. She takes after me in this, although I probably don't move as much in my sleep right now since it usually wakes up the twins. I've actually gotten more used to their movements and can get back to sleep with them moving, as long as they're not pushing painfully. Now as I watch Zaria sleep, I've been imagining little X and Y sleeping alongside each other in the crib as tiny little peanuts. Zaria's gotten so much bigger, but I'm still glad she's in a crib with all her nightly locomotion-- I think she'd fall out of a bed pretty quickly.

Day 322: Fun at the cabin

2008-07-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

Zaria loved having the run of the cabin, and she had an especially fun time when she discovered the shower and could open and close the door. We heard her repeat "open, close" and squeal with laughter. What a fun little girl we have!

My dad seems to be working on a project at all times when we're up at the cabin, so it was no surprise that he was down fixing something on the dock with Dawn's help. I caught this picture just as they had finished and were about to come back up the steps. Today the lake was much more wavy than it had been Friday or Saturday, but I like how the light plays on the waves.

Day 321: Toes ready to dance

2008-07-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Grandma Dawn painted Zaria's finger's and toes, and we all went into town for a community dinner and dance. The dance didn't start right away, so we went to the nearby park to play until the music started. Zaria wasn't up for dancing very long since she'd already spent a lot of energy running around right after dinner.

Day 320: Boat ride

2008-07-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

We may have missed Sonshine, but we did make it up to Dad and Dawn's cabin today. I almost wasn't sure we'd make it-- I woke up with such terrible pain in my hip that started hurting when I rolled over in the night, that I could barely move around. I went to a chiropractor to get an adjustment, and felt pretty well by the end of the day. We took a boat ride after dinner, and it was a beautiful evening. Zaria liked watching the water and the loons we passed, and didn't seem to mind wearing a life jacket like she did last year.

Day 319: Disappearing feet

2008-07-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

As I was preparing to go over our small group book, Pedaling Tandem for the Long Haul, I looked down and remembered that I can no longer see my feet. It's actually been that way for a while now, but here's a glimpse from my perspective.

Today is also the first official day of Sonshine. *sigh* We decided not to go this year since it would be too costly for Jamin to take the time off work, and I certainly don't feel up to going without him. As it was, he barely made it to small group tonight and then he had to finish dealing with a load after small group.

Day 318: Sharing at the library

2008-07-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

After story time today, Zaria spent some time playing with the other kids. Here she's sharing a toy with Tristin, one of the twin boys that comes. They amazingly took turns putting the lids into this jar. It's so good to see she's finally learning to share, since usually she just wants others to share with her.

Day 317: Swimming pool

2008-07-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

We tried out the wading pool on Grandma's deck, and Zaria loves it. She's always loved playing with water, so this was great fun on a hot day.

Day 316: Playing outside

2008-07-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day for a hippo ride.

Day 315: Preparing

2008-07-13T21:22:00.001-07:00

Just beginning to prepare a few baby boy items for X and Y's arrival. This top drawer has some of the smallest items.
Dave preparing (well, actually, starting) a bonfire for us to enjoy and roast marshmallows on.

Day 314: Back on the wagon

2008-07-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

After a traumatic spill out of the wagon a few days ago, Zaria was still willing and happy to get back in, especially with her cousin Gwendolyn. Zaria skinned her cheek and had a pretty good bruise from the tumble, which was partly due to the plastic seatbelt bolt coming out on one side while going around a fast corner. We'll be taking it much easier now, and probably replacing the bolts with something metal and sturdier. I walked just a short ways with Jamin, Dan, Naomi and the girls, then met them at the park after driving. I just can't walk very far or very fast at this point without being completely winded.

Day 313: After the storm

2008-07-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

A large thunderstorm swept across us rather quickly, leaving a nice sunset on the other side. Jamin was able to wait it out. I was just about ready to get Zaria out of bed and go pick him up so he wouldn't have to drive his scooter in the storm, but it only lasted about a half an hour.

Day 312: 24 weeks' size

2008-07-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely feeling the largeness these days. I took a tape measure out to check, and I am actually slightly larger from this angle (sideways) than straight on now, so no use in turning sideways to get around things, though I still do it out of habit.

The boys are progressing nicely-- my last OB appointment measured them at 1 lb 5 oz. and 1 lb 6 oz., and everything looked great. I'm getting more excited at the prospect of having two boys. They'll be a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Zaria also seems to like playing with boys and I think she'll have fun being a big sister to them. I'm having a tougher time sleeping, and they're definitely pushing in some painful ways, but I've also enjoyed feeling them move individually and knowing both X and Y are special and unique, even now. Y seems to be more acrobatic and moves all over the place, while X tends to have subtler movements except some occasional hard pushes.

Day 311: Family Toothbrushes

2008-07-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

I finally got Zaria her own toothbrush and toothpaste to add to the family brush holder. She's been using a brush that came in the baby medical kit, but it's gotten pretty chewed up. She's the lucky one to get an orange toothbrush with Elmo on it, currently her favorite character. I mention Sesame Street and she excitedly repeats: "Elmo, Elmo." Sometimes she also mentions Zoe.

Day 310: Close expression

2008-07-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Day 309: Sprinkler fun

2008-07-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

It was a hot day and Zaria was already needing a whole new outfit change, so I just went ahead and let her get all the way wet. She loved it-- soon after I took this picture, she started grabbing water to put in her hair. Thank you God, for modern plumbing!

Also, Happy Birthday today to Naomi!

Day 308: Sound practice

2008-07-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

This morning I got to church early to do sound. Wow, I'm a whole lot slower than I was 4 weeks ago getting around, but I had a whole lot of help with set up and tear down this time. There can often be a lot of running up and down the stairs to tweak things on the stage, so I was very grateful for the help. This will likely be the last week I do it for a long while, and I'll miss it.

Day 307: Paul and Bridie and the Chicken Dance

2008-07-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

While the newly wed couple was enjoying their shared piece of cake, Zaria was getting lessons nearby of how to do the Chicken Dance from a little girl named Arianna. Paul is Jamin's cousin-once-removed, and we had fun hanging out with some of his family before and after the wedding. I was sitting between two of Jamin's aunts with Zaria on my lap, and somehow Zaria's diaper got skewed and/or loose, and I ended up with a wet lap! That ended up being a good time to end the evening . . .

Day 306: Independence Day

2008-07-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

We have discovered that Zaria loves to eat watermelon at the Friday Night Group barbecue. She walked all over Karin and Travis' backyard, eating the piece above down to the nubs, and also had fun playing with Gideon and Sam. Below the kids are playing at the park. By then we'd had to change Zaria's outfit after the massive wet-through of watermelon, even with the bib. She also took a liking to Sam's hat, which is unusual since she won't keep hats on most of the time. Sam enjoyed exerting some independence on Independence Day by walking down past the park toward the ponds. Fortunately, I only did minimal chasing after Zaria since there was a tricycle she wanted to try out with a parent handle on the back. (=

Day 305: Small group bocce

2008-07-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Here is our Thursday night small group, minus Barry and Angela (who took Abram home for bed) and myself (I had to sit down in between) playing bocce ball. It came out a little blurry, but this was a fun action shot. Instead of our usual small group time, we did a barbecue and hang out time since tomorrow's a holiday. Since our small group is so, uh, small this year, it wasn't too bad having everyone over at our place, especially with a lot of stuff outside. The guys hung out by the grill while the girls were inside, that sort of thing.

Day 304: Pajama girls

2008-07-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

We joined John, Jen, Maria and a few other guests for dinner tonight, and stayed to visit late enough to have both of the girls in pajamas. I believe Maria had already "gone to bed" before this picture was taken, but Zaria wanted to see how she was doing and "woke" her up (as if she was actually sleeping).

Day 303: Bubbles with Boo-Boo

2008-07-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

After Bible study today, Zaria and I visited my mom for lunch and a little playtime with the dog. She used to be called Princess, now she's usually called Boo-Boo. Zaria thought it was hilarious how Boo-Boo chased the bubbles my mom blew for her.

Day 302: Grandmas visiting

2008-06-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Zaria and I had a visit from both Grandma Marla (pictured above), and Grandma Joy, my mother-in-law and mom today. The shot above was taken on the way upstairs to nap time. For both nap and bedtime she got to hear stories read by her grandmas today, which she enjoyed very much.

Day 301: Family gathering

2008-06-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

The youngest and the oldest ladies of the family all sat together at one table. It was very cute. Zaria enjoyed seeing and playing with her cousins Becca and Tricia again. The 3 great grandmas are (L-R) my Dad's mom Alpha, my aunt's mom Judy, and my stepmom's mom Wilma. They're also pictured in the group shot below.
Family picture with all the siblings on my dad's side. Renee and Kurt came to town for a visit, and Jason and his wife Caralee came, as well as my stepbrother and stepsister, Scott and Katie. The last time all 5 of us were together was at my grandpa's funeral, so it was a special day. Mom and Dave came too, and Dave volunteered to be the photographer.

Day 300: Ooh, ah, wow

2008-06-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

We're getting near the end of my year of pictures-- day 300! And since it's the 4th of July next week, there were fireworks to celebrate. My stepdad and I had a game long ago of saying, in order, ooh, ahh and wow for each firework that exploded. We sort of did that tonight, but I was mostly holding Zaria's ears until I gave that job away to her Grandma Joy so I could take a few pictures. Zaria did pretty well considering how late the night was past her bedtime. It was certainly nice having four of us to watch her/chase her as we waited for the fireworks to start.

Day 299: Fun swimming time

2008-06-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Zaria, Mom and I went to a community center pool and enjoyed lots of splashing. Zaria let us put a life jacket on her without a lot of fuss, but she wasn't ready to really try swimming. It was still fun pulling her around in the water with that nice weightlessness and she enjoyed walking and splashing in the shallow parts.

Day 298: Bandage

2008-06-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

With more walking around outside comes the inevitable boo boos on the knees. Zaria handled this one quite bravely, but was rubbing her knee later. A little bit of blood, mostly a scrape, but she'd already scraped both knees earlier this week. I'm predicting perpetual scabby knees in her young years.

Day 297: Checking out books

2008-06-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've made it a habit to check out 5 new board books each week so we have something new to read over the week. Zaria had fun at story time today and I had a chance to talk with a twin mom who has 15-month-old boys that come to story time. Zaria's also getting more prone to tantrums . . . usually the limp noodle and cry type, but it's hard with me trying not to pick her up much. We almost didn't make to to the library today.

Day 296: Stroller

2008-06-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

After Bible study today, I drove close by to the Toys R Us and attempted to redeem a coupon for a free Thomas train. Sadly, they didn't accept my coupon, but I bought this fun stroller for Zaria to push around. Her doll Mimi is going to have so much fun. (=

Day 295: Evening walk

2008-06-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was moving mighty slow today, but we made an effort to get out.

Day 294: Gift opening b'fast

2008-06-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed joining Kristie and Josh and some other friends and family for breakfast and gift opening. Since they were away from their home in California, they requested gifts in the form of gift certificates and cash, so it was mostly cards to open. Jamin had heard that it was just going to be rolls for breakfast and took the initiative to bring a bunch of eggs to cook and share, so we had a very nice breakfast and a great time of visiting on a smaller scale.

Day 293: Kristie and Josh wedding and La Crosse

2008-06-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed some toddler-free time in La Crosse before going to see our friends Kristie and Josh get married in the afternoon. Kristie is an old friend from The Rock, and we managed to meet Josh when we went for a visit to California last summer. We had a great time visiting with a bunch of old friends from The Rock, including some from the church plant in Los Angeles called Kairos.

Day 292: Jamin's esophagus and Red Wing

2008-06-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

We went to the doctor's office today to check out Jamin's esophagus. He did have some scarring from the broccoli incident last Sunday, but he also has ridges in his esophagus, which may make swallowing in general a little more difficult for him. It may also be an indication of eosinophilic esophagitis. I'm lucky to have taken some medical transcription training to be able to translate what the doctor said.

Jamin was a little woozy after the endoscopy procedure, but we drove to La Crosse and stopped in Red Wing on our way at a fun hotel restaurant. It got very windy towards the end of our meal and threatened to blow our table over, but we left before a short storm went through. Our server, a Ukrainian named Igor took this picture of us below. Zaria was enjoying grandma's house for the weekend by this point.

Day 291: The beach and beach ball belly

2008-06-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

I felt adventurous and it was a beautiful day, so I took Zaria to the beach. We didn't bring suits, though it ended up being warm enough that I wished I had. Zaria has lots of fun playing in the sand and wading in the water. I only did minimal chasing after her, really, but I was exhausted after about 90 minutes (including lunch time). Next time I'm not going as the only adult.

Later in the evening after small group, I tried on some dresses to find out what I could wear to Kristie & Josh's wedding this weekend. It was fairly hard to find a good fit that looked OK on me. Below is my beach ball belly in a dress I decided to pack but not wear to the ceremony. It'll be a little better if I get something over it, I figure. Am I really only half way there on this pregnancy? The twins are at 21 weeks today.

Day 290: Strolling

2008-06-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Zaria had more fun pushing the stroller than riding in it, I think. Inside is one of her twin dolls, who she's named Moses. His twin sister's name is Mitzi.

Day 289: Heavy

2008-06-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

This bag of balls is actually quite heavy, but Zaria enjoyed saying the words "heavy" and "Bocce" as she carried this across the room. She and I did attempt to play with the balls a little outside. They're difficult for her to throw, but she was able to make them go a short way in the right direction.

Day 288: Grilling

2008-06-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day for grilling, and Jamin was able to swallow things today, so we celebrated by having pork chops, one of his favorites.

Day 287: Happy Fathers' Day

2008-06-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, not only did Jamin have to work on his birthday, we ended up taking him to the ER for Fathers' Day. He got a piece of broccoli lodged towards the bottom of his esophagus and for a while he couldn't even swallow his own spit without it getting stuck. After some attempts at medicinal treatments, he still had trouble, but could at least swallow liquids. We were a little late, then, for Gwendolyn's third birthday party, and he had to watch me eat pizza and cake while he was only able to get a glass of Yo-J down. Still, we had fun spending time with family, and we even got Zaria in a swing for about 2 minutes to take a picture of the three cousins, Elena Zaria and Gwendolyn. Gwen was trying out her new tricycle and Zaria would not let go of this little doll.

Day 286: Twins at Como

2008-06-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

There was a big Multiple Connections picnic at Como Zoo this afternoon, and though Zaria wasn't too interested in the juggler they had, she had a great time pushing strollers and visiting with various twins. We also checked out the special butterfly exhibit, and I managed to catch a butterfly landing on my mom's head. Zaria had a great time wandering around the exhibit and flirting with little boys that were in line on the other side of the netting.

Happy birthday to Jamin, who was on the road all day today and was missed at the picnic.

Day 285: Birthday FNG and Potty time

2008-06-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

Zaria wanted to sit on the potty today and started pulling magazines to read while she sat (apparently she's noticed that we do this). I thought it was especially amusing that she wanted to read a Marriage Today magazine.
Sort of last minute, we hosted Friday Night Group at our house and had some cake for Jamin's birthday, which is tomorrow. It was a nice small group, perfect for our limited space, and we even worked in a game of Bocce ball. It's hard to see in the above photo, but I arranged the candles into the number 32. The wax was melting pretty well by the time Jamin held the cake, so he had to blow the candles out quickly.

Day 284: Socks

2008-06-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

She's been able to pull her socks off for some time now, but today she was quite determined to try putting them on by herself, as well. Our frustrated toddler stage may have officially begun. Zaria wants to do things herself, but is still learning how. I try to wait until she wants my help, and I'm learning patience when she doesn't accept help or she has a small tantrum.

Day 283: Ready to go?

2008-06-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

I almost wasn't sure baby storytime at the the library was going to happen today, but it did.

Happy birthday to Jason and Gwendolyn today!

Day 282: Snack time

2008-06-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Another ladies' Bible study this morning. Lisa did a good job of trying to organize our time, so we had time for snacks with the kids a little before 11 am. Doing snacks might be a bit of a challenge as there are a few food allergies to avoid: corn, nuts, milk and red food dye. Jen watched the kids today and set the bar pretty high by having props to go along with the story of Jonah.

Day 281: Climbing around

2008-06-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

This was the first time Zaria's actually done much climbing when we've visited a playground. I still have to stay nearby, but she showed a little more independence and was at least interested in more than just the wood chips. She's still not crazy about swings, but I try to get her in one for a short time whenever there's an opportunity.

Day 280: John Deere birthday

2008-06-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Emil's 3rd birthday today in grand John Deere style. Everything was yellow and green, and he got lots of tractors and farm equipment, which he loves. Zaria found his hat for him and helped put it on his head. She apparently likes saying Emil's name because she repeated it many times on the way there and said "bye Emil" many times on the way home.

Day 279: Moms' Day out

2008-06-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Ah, what a great day. The dads watched the kids while a group of us moms from our Mothers' Fellowship small group went to Stillwater and enjoyed a day away. No toddlers to chase around or strollers to navigate through the tiny aisles at the antique shop. So nice. Above we had a bit of tea (we actually had iced tea since it was warm out) and below we took a cruise on one of the Andiamo boats. Below are Lea, Charisse, and Jen just after we went under the bridge. It was a dinner and jazz cruise-- great food and a lot of fun.

Day 278: Garbage day

2008-06-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

I caught him in action today. Here's to you, garbage man. Thank you for all your hard work.

Day 277: Dentist

2008-06-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

My lovely clean teeth, a few hours after visiting the dentist. I did, unfortunately have one "occlusion," so I'll have to be back for a filling. *sigh* I also have a terrible case of pregnancy-induced gingivitis. At least we know what the cure for that problem will be, and it shouldn't involve any Novocaine or drilling.

Day 276: Family ultrasound

2008-06-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Jamin, Mom and Zaria all came with for the big Level II ultrasound I had today. It was a long one-- definitely over an hour, but it looks like we have two healthy little boys on the way! Yup, it turns out X and Y both have both of their nick-namesake chromosomes. I still am not sure if we'll name each with a name that has an X or a Y in it, but we'll give it a shot. I've had trouble finding names with X that I like, but I'm open for suggestions. Anyhow, they're both about 9 inches long today and I'm feeling them move a whole lot more often. I also can tell which one is moving after all that time today determining where each sac is located and where their placentas are attached. X is in my lower left quadrant and Y is somewhat in the middle upper abdomen, and will be poking into my ribs more than his brother. I am a little scared about two little Jamins running around, but I'm trying to get used to the idea.

Day 275: Bible study kids

2008-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here's Maria, James and Zaria sitting on the bench that was supposed to block things off during our women's Bible study. Didn't quite work. This was our first week of meeting, and it was a little chaotic with the kids, but we managed to figure out what book we wanted to study while the kids had fun playing.

Day 274: Asleep for the night

2008-06-02T20:50:00.001-07:00

Last night I just had Zaria in a T-shirt and a diaper, but tonight it seemed a little chilly out. Still, she is hot-blooded like her papa and had a sweaty neck, so I made sure to open her window for a while to cool her room down. I think she was pretty worn out after playing Ring around the Rosie with Grandma Joy. She was really zonked.

Day 273: Fun at Grandma's house

2008-06-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Playing croquette. It was a little hard to keep her out of the way and chase her down when she ran towards the pond, but Zaria had fun joining us.
Then she helped Grandma Joy water her plants . . . or feet, rather.

Day 272: 18 weeks

2008-05-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Day 271: FNG Welcoming committee

2008-05-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

"Auntie" Krista and "Uncle" Joe got quite the welcoming committee at Friday Night Group this week. Even more amazing was that most of the parents managed to stay past 9 pm tonight, and we even worked in a game of Settlers of Catan. I should add a picture of Krista holding the newest member of the FNG, Kelly and Phill's baby Michael.

Day 270: Diane's Funeral

2008-05-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

Above is a big group shot of family members at my mom's cousin Diane's funeral today. A few of my mom's siblings, Julene, Judy, and Jonathon were able to attend. I think I might've been the only cousin-once-removed. The two characters in the center hamming it up are Diane's sons Corbin and Benjamin. I don't think they ever take a serious photo. Maybe I'll add one more to prove my point.
The three girls in front are my second cousins that are identical triplets. They were born one month before I was, and it just so happens one of them is pregnant and due on my same due date! Don't ask me who is who though, I still have no idea.

Day 269: Playing with grandfolks

2008-05-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

We had my dad and Dawn over for dinner this evening, mostly so Jamin could show them how to use a little mini-computer they're trying out. But Jamin was running late, so we had fun playing with Zaria until he got home.

Day 268: Fruit

2008-05-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

I forgot to go grocery shopping all weekend, so Zaria and I finally went this morning. I felt bad that Jamin had practically no sandwich supplies to start out the week. Zaria *loves* fruit. When we eat, I generally have to wait until she's finished other food before offering it because that's all she'll want to eat otherwise. I let her play with a tied up bag of nectarines while we shopped today, which mostly worked. I think they only ended up on the floor once or twice.