Kennandamy.com

The Difference Having a Kid Makes

2008-09-03T21:13:00.003-05:00

This is our family room BEFORE Caleb was born, about 4 weeks before, actually.

THIS is the same family room, 2 years and 3 months later.

Me personally, well, I like a little color in my life. Thank you, Caleb, for the past 27 months of glorious color and mayhem. Hopefully your brother brings the same joy into our house as you have. :)

When and how big will Beckett be born?

2008-08-29T13:24:00.002-05:00

Please add your vote in the comments as to the date of Beckett's birth and his weight.

Information:

Caleb was 9 days late and weighed right on 9lbs.

Beckett's Due date is Sept. 20th.

Amy is measuring bigger now than she did with Caleb to this point in the pregnancy

Her Dr. will not let her go past her due date.

Outrage and Frustration--A Commentary

2008-08-29T09:09:00.003-05:00

Now, I realize that probably a lot of people won't know what I'm talking about here, but boy, I need to say something anyways. About a year ago, I was introduced to and fell in love with the "Twilight" saga books, by Stephenie Meyer. Surely a ton of people have read them, and they are pretty amazing. The 4th and final book, Breaking Dawn, just came out this month and I've already read it twice. The books are great; they've been compared to "Harry Potter" in that both series have encouraged more reading in children, teens, and adults alike. And, if that wasn't enough, the books are just a lot of fun. Now, most basic fans of the novels might not be aware of this, but Stephenie Meyer had one more "Twilight" novel in the works, a book called Midnight Sun, which is basically the story of "Twilight," but told from Edward's perspective. She posted the 1st chapter on her website, and I've read it about 10 times already in my need for more Twilight-ness. She had said numerous times that once "The Host" and "Breaking Dawn" were both published and tours were done, she would most likely begin work on Midnight Sun so we could all get our fix.

And then some MORON stepped in and ruined it for everybody.

Ms. Meyer announced last night on her website that someone she had trusted with an UNFINISHED manuscript of Midnight Sun took it and distributed it illegally all over the internet. She wasn't happy with it, there were mistakes and things that needed changing, and now people all over the world have read something that she never intended for them to read. She is hurt, and upset, and I don't blame her in the least. I would be livid if someone I'd trusted did something like that with a work I had created and put so much time and effort and so much of myself into. Her decision? Work on Midnight Sun and publication of the same are on hold indefinitely.

I. Am. Ticked.

I have been patiently waiting for MS to be finished and published so I could continue my "Twilight" fix, and I knew it would be a while, and I was ok with that. But now this idiot has ruined it for the millions of fans who couldn't wait for this story to come out. There are a LOT of comments posted on the Twilight Lexicon about this, and the general consensus seems to be that everyone is furious, and no one's going to read the unfinished, illegal copy in hopes that Ms. Meyer will change her mind and continue work on MS. I whole-heartedly agree. I don't WANT to read something that isn't as good as the author can do, and isn't what she wants her readers to read.

It's amazing how hurt I am by this, so I can only imagine how hurt Stephenie Meyer is. I hope the jerk who did it can be sued for everything. If this were back in the day, I think we'd be having a witch-hunt, and I would definitely participate. Grrr.

This can only end in tears...

2008-08-26T22:27:00.003-05:00

Seriously, if I get much bigger this can NOT end happily. Well, no, it'll be happy because Beckett will finally be here and all, but...man, I'm big. In fact, that's exactly what Kenn said after taking this picture Monday night (36 weeks and 2 days). Sure makes a girl feel good. ;)

My absolute favorite thing today, though, was what our friend Rob told his wife Nicole after he saw me briefly last Friday. He told her that although my stomach was definitely bigger, I looked like I had LOST weight. Bless you, Rob, bless you! I'm gonna have to make you some cookies or something!

I am getting excited, however much I might complain. We're really just waiting for Beckett to come at this point, because everything is ready for him. And thank goodness Caleb loves his new big boy bed, because it will make it that much easier when the new kid inhabits the crib.

My next appt. is on Thursday, so we'll see then where I'm at and what my doctor thinks. I'm crossing my fingers for at least a little dilation. :)

Fun in the sprinklers via pictures

2008-08-26T21:48:00.002-05:00

What the Heck is a Schlitterbahn

2008-08-26T21:34:00.003-05:00

There is a magical place in Texas called Schlitterbahn. We got "free" tickets from HEB after we purchased a certain few products (and by certain few, I mean 15 tubes of toothpaste). It only costs $15 in the end for $80 worth of tickets.
Caleb had a lot of fun. It was an ALL-DAY event for him, which doesn't normally happen since he usually has an afternoon nap. There was all sorts of stuff for him to do and he had the "time of his life" (I use this phrase alot when it comes to Caleb)

Can you tell he is my son?

And here he is with his momma. (Amy yelled Objection! on this photo, but in the end she will allow it since Caleb is so cute in it)
We were all SO tired by the end. It was a PERFECT day since it was overcast (keeps crowds away), on a Tuesday (keeps crowds away) and it even rained a bit (did I mention there were no crowds). We even went to Mimi's Cafe afterward for dinner. Great place to eat.

Preggers Update

2008-08-15T16:02:00.003-05:00

Ok, here I am in all my prenatal glory.

I know I've e-mailed this picture to a few people, but I thought the world in general deserved to see the monstrosity that is my stomach. Can you believe this? And this is only 34 weeks along! And as of tomorrow, I'm officially 35 weeks, which means I'm even bigger! The confirmation of my ridiculous size came at the doctor on Wednesday, when I measured 37 cm, even though I wasn't even 35 weeks (FYI, you're supposed to measure as many centimeters as you are weeks along, although 2cm either way is generally acceptable as well). But I'm huge. And the doctor said it's not excess fluid or anything--it's ALL Beckett. He's just a big boy. My doctor isn't worried, though. Even given my size, or rather, HIS size, she won't do anything to get me going until I'm 39 weeks. So, at least 4 more weeks of blissful, lovely, not-enough-sleep and too-much-going-to-the-restroom. Unless this boy decides to give me a break and come early. I hope I hope I hope.

He can eat Peanut Butter Sandwiches

2008-08-14T18:51:00.005-05:00

Some of you may know that Caleb has a little allergy problem. He is allergic to:

Milk
Eggs
Beef
~~Possibly Nuts~~
Possibly Shellfish

But today, he was given the ok on Peanuts. This is a bad allergy that cannot be tested until they are older, like around 2-3 years old. He was tested today and all is well. This is his back after all the scratch tests.

For Beckett, Amy must be careful what to eat while she nurses as well. Crazy.

We finally have a normal little boy that can eat PB&J. Next up, Mac and cheese.

Oh and don't tell any of the other Texans he's allergic to beef, it may be illegal in this country (Texas).

Shortest Haircut EVER!!!

2008-08-05T21:10:00.003-05:00

Lucky it's Caleb, and not me. :) The kid has just been so sweaty lately, and I couldn't get his hair short enough using scissors, so tonight we caved and we took clippers to his head. I would've loved to use the #3, but our kit gave us two #4's and skipped the #3 entirely, so instead I used a #2. It is SHORT. And it makes his head look pretty round. But the more we look at it, the cuter we think he is. He definitely looks boyish. And his mouth looks EXACTLY like my niece Lydia's in that tiny grin picture. I've never seen a resemblance between them before, but I think it's pretty cool that it's there now. :) Oh, and Kenn says Caleb looks like Fester. Lovely.

The Week of Wonderful Things!!!

2008-08-04T14:01:00.005-05:00

It truly was--there were so many cool things about this past week! Where to begin?

Well, 1st off--the baby's room and our master bedroom are officially DONE! And they both turned out so good! Kenn got the transition pieces of pergo (the go-betweens from the pergo to the carpet/bathroom laminate) put into place, and they look perfect, and that was really all that was left. We are so happy, I can't wait to get all the baby clothes and crib and everything into the baby's room and really see it come together, and our bedroom feels like a hotel room, without the weird smell and uncontrollable room temperatures.

Wonderful thing #2--"Breaking Dawn," the 4th and supposedly final book in the "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer, came out Friday night! And being the geek that I am, I finished reading it yesterday afternoon and started reading it AGAIN last night. :) Yes, I thought it was that good. I love to read... :)

#3--I got baby gifts! The reason this is so especially wonderful is because I haven't really been expecting baby gifts, considering I'm having my 2nd boy. I already have tons of boy clothes and burp cloths and crib bedding and all that stuff, but my fantastic friends are very cool, and gave me things I didn't have for Caleb. My friend Nicole got me this super cool nursing cover (mine will be the kensington print) and my friend Carrie MADE me a baby sling! She and I went to this cute quilting store, and I got to pick the fabrics and she came to my house and sewed it together for me that afternoon. It's gorgeous, with a large-paisley print in a darker cream on a cream background on one side, and the other side is chocolate brown with a smaller cream-colored paisley print. As Carrie said in her blog, the fabrics are "neutral, but still have a girly look to them." That's what I go for. :) So yah, I've got some pretty fantastic friends here in Texas, I must say.

#4--We're finally cleaning our house! It's been a shambles since we started redoing bedrooms, and since we're done tracking sawdust and whatnot into the house, we finally started deep-cleaning everything, and I gotta hand it to my darling husband Kenn--that boy can vacuum like it's nobody's business. He doesn't just vacuum the carpet and call it good--he busts out the hoses and attachments and cleans off ceiling fans and under furniture, and corners, and baseboards and stairs, and...yah. He's amazing, and for that I am grateful. I don't vacuum like that even when I'm NOT pregnant, so it's nice that he does. :)

I'm sure there were a bunch more wonderful things this week, but these were really the top picks. The cleaning is still going on, as Kenn's best friend Jenn and her little boy Azure are coming to visit us this week from Las Vegas, but we should be able to get it all done and have the house looking spectacular. Then we get to go crazy and have fun for a few days, which I am really looking forward to. I can't wait to take Jenn to Rudy's for some sweet BBQ, and we might even finally take a trip to San Antonio while she's here. It's about time, right? We've lived in Texas for over 2 years now and still haven't gone.

So yah, that was the week. It was a good week. And it got me to write on our blog, so hooray for that.

Ummm...now what do I do during naptime?

2008-07-11T22:00:00.004-05:00

It's uhhh...it's finished, people. The cross-stitch. It is really and truly done. I finished it tonight at about 5:36pm, while Caleb asked repeatedly to go in the car, and Kenn played Mario Brothers 3. I literally almost cried when I realized I'd stitched the last stitch, and now I'm just in a bit of disbelief. I'm debating whether or not to wash it, because I'm sure I should but I'm so afraid of ruining 5 years of work, and I will definitely iron it, and maybe for Christmas it will get professionally matted and framed (hint hint, kenn). Once it's cleaned/ironed, I'll try and post a picture. I guess that should happen pretty soon, because now I've got all this free time on my hands.

Except for the guest room needing to be painted. Hmm.

Should a Birthday be this upsetting???

2008-07-06T16:33:00.005-05:00

So, our little man turned 2. We planned a cool little party for Caleb, trying to keep things simple but still fun for him, and it turned into a pretty fun day, although he got VERY emotional a few times. We had his birthday present all wrapped and ready the day before, and my parents had mailed him a few things also, so Saturday morning (the 28th) we let Caleb open up his birthday presents. We gave him a sprinkler/pool thing which was also the main activity for the party, and also a rag quilt that I had made a few months ago. Happily, he LOVED the blanket. That always makes a girl feel good. :)

And then the party itself went pretty well, although this was where the tears came. Before friends arrived, we set up the sprinkler thing outside, and Caleb saw it of course, and completely burst into tears when we didn't let him immediately go out and play in it. So he was crying for about 10 minutes before people even showed up. Then, once everyone was there, we did cake and ice cream, and when we sang "Happy Birthday" to him he freaked out. Literally. Lots more tears and screaming. I don't think I'm really doing the situation justice, but we got it on video, so you can all see for yourselves what went down.

Caleb loved eating his cake that mommy made in the shape of a puppy, and then all the kiddies went out and played in the water and had a great time. He even got to open more presents that his friends had brought him. It was nice that he didn't cry anymore. :) So, a big thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us, and thanks for the gifts that you gave Caleb. He had a great birthday, and we loved sharing it with you all. Enjoy the pics!

Amy's Psychotic Dedication to her Craft

2008-06-26T08:44:00.004-05:00

It has taken me over 5 years to get to this point, the point where you can seriously tell what my cross-stitch is (Greg Olsen's "O, Jerusalem"). I can now honestly, seriously, say that it is almost done. When we moved to Texas 2 years ago, all I had was the yellow and gray above Jerusalem, and the trees and bushes behind the Savior. Since then, I've done EVERYTHING else. I finished all the basic cross-stitches a month or so ago, and started the overwhelming task of outlining. Now, I've finished everything on the main cross-stitch key (which is good, because it was really falling apart) and all that's left is 3-D stitches of bushes and outlining the city of Jerusalem. I am FLOORED that I'm really so close, and the hope is to finish the entire thing before this baby is born in a little less than 3 months. I also have to make a Christmas stocking for the baby, and finish reading "Gone With the Wind," and read "Breaking Dawn" once it comes out. Oh, and let's not forget that we actually have to paint and redo flooring and replace a ceiling fan in the guest room for the baby.

But seriously, the cross-stitch comes first. It's been staring at me for so long, and vice-versa, I am psychotically devoted to being done. Kenn thinks I'm crazy, but I think he's secretly very impressed that I've come this far. He's proud, I know it. :)

Them's the Breaks

2008-06-26T08:28:00.003-05:00

He broke his finger. It wasn't enough that he once came home with a huge goose-egg above his eye that was cut and bruised, but now he actually went and broke a finger while playing soccer. I asked Kenn how he broke it, and in true Kenn-fashion he responded, "I stopped the ball." I don't know why I asked. The sad thing is he broke it right after the start of the second half, so he had to continue his goal-tending duties for another 20 minutes or so with a broken finger.

They lost the game, as I'm sure you guessed.

Kenn went to the Urgent Care Center as soon as the game finished, and sure enough the pinky was broken. So it's taped, and he has a splint, and he has some happy pain-meds to help him feel better, which I now see he took to work with him. That should be fun. :)

Purple swelling is so lovely, we had to share it with everyone else.

Kow is Home!!

2008-05-26T18:33:00.003-05:00

My little Bro Kow (Karl) came home over the weekend. We surprised him at the airport, he didn't know we were coming. He looks so old, but also so good. He was serving his Mission in the Richmond Virginia Mission and had a WONDERFUL time. I always knew he'd make a great missionary. His humility and general nice guy attitude have always impressed me.

Mom and Dad went to Virginia to pick him and bring him home and go to see some of the great people in Virginia that Karl had the privilege to be around. It's good to have him back. On the way home from the airport we attempted to plan a snowboarding trip, but too many are closed at the moment. Snowbird is open, but I don't like it there. Next February we are going, no matter what.

Here are a few pictures of the clan that saw him come back.

Welcome home Kow. We missed you.

Our Son, the Genius

2008-05-10T11:57:00.003-05:00

Well friends, an important milestone was met today by our very own Caleb. What could it be, you ask? Has he learned the secret art of holding it? Can he now multiply large sums in his head? Did he discover that tiny objects can fit into his nose? Oh no, it is a skill beyond all these other trivial accomplishments, something the wisest of us often cannot master until well into our later years. Ladies and gentlemen, Caleb can now...drink through a straw. ::wild applause::

Announcing the newest North of 2008--a BOY!

2008-05-06T13:44:00.001-05:00

It's official--Kenn was right, and we're having another BOY! This picture proves it all. :) Everything else looked good, heart and spine and all that, and this little one is definitely a mover and a shaker just like Caleb was. He kept wiggling and kicking the whole time. But it was fun to see him, and Caleb even got to come along and see the "baby" on the screen. He understands now that there is a baby in mommy's tummy, and he's given the baby kisses and everything, so hopefully we can get that brotherly love going strong before this baby is actually born. At any rate, Kenn is thrilled, and I'm excited, although a little surprised that I was wrong. I was so sure it was a girl, but I can't know everything, I guess. I'm glad we won't have to buy all new bedding and clothes and everything, cause goodness knows we're equipped for a boy. So, off we go into the world of getting ready for another boy. My goodness, what are we getting into?

UPDATE from Kenn:
All of our friends and ourselves got caught up in the charts, calendars and other signs of telling if a baby is a boy or a girl. This goes to show all that stuff is just not reliable. It could be right, but with chances that are 50-50 the results are seriously skewed. I'm happy it's a boy, but I'm truly more happy that everything looked good on the ultrasound, and that Amy is healthy and happy. Caleb will have fun with his new little brother. The new Caleb 2.0! We'll get things right this time ;).

More pregnancy and baby pics

2008-05-06T13:38:00.004-05:00

So, some more pics for your viewing pleasure. I'm 20-weeks along in the pic, and the ultrasound ones are rather self-explanatory. There's a few more in the photo album as well. Yay baby!

Amy's First Rag Quilt!

2008-05-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

I guess I knew there was a reason that I picked boy fabrics, although I told myself it was because of Caleb. :) So I'm quite happy with how this blankt came together, and I definitely learned a LOT about good and bad ways to make a rag quilt. I cut individual blocks of batting and the backer-fabric for each piece, but I think next time I would just piece the front fabrics and do a solid batting piece and solid backer instead. I probably will give this blanket to Caleb for his 2nd birthday, because it's kind of big for a baby, but looks about right for a toddler bed. Plus, the frayed pieces of batting might be of some concern for a baby, but I think/hope that Caleb will know not to eat them. At any rate, I'm quite proud of myself. I think it turned out really cute.

Our, new to us, 2001 Subaru Forester.

2008-04-13T20:02:00.006-05:00

After 4 1/2 years the old white 1990 Subaru Legacy we had got to the point I didn't want to put money into it any more. It was GREAT car seeing as we paid $1250 for it when we got it and the only thing we really did it was CV joints and a new radiator. It had 225,000 miles and ran famously when we sold it, but the air didn't work and I wanted to sell it while it was still in good shape. I sold it right after we bought the Forester in 12 hours on craigslist! I love craigslist.

Here is our new car. Only 94,000 miles and in perfect shape. I've been tinkering with it and getting all the little pieces in the interior working where needed and had it detailed since the previous owner had a dog and it went for rides in the car. It's got it all as far as we're concerned. Keyless entry, leather seats, a yakima roof rack for Bikes, skis, and a luggage carrier, and it drives like a dream.
We also tinted the windows as dark as the country of Texas will allow.

We had quite an ordeal getting it registered. I even was threatened at the DMV to have the sheriff called on me. Very amusing, but when I lived in the U.S. things weren't nearly as difficult, but now that I live in Texas it's very different. This is a strange country, where everyone carries a gun, and the least occurrence of sarcasm, the sheriff is called.

Anyway, it's a great car and Amy loves driving it, it's a little taller and so it's easier to get Caleb in and out of and will be easier with the new baby as well.

My birthday surprise at work

2008-04-11T08:11:00.004-05:00

I turned 28 this week and I am not really one for parties and such or letting the world know. However my wife is, and she was able, through a lapse in judgment on my part, to get an email address of a colleague at work. And this is what happens when the people at work figure out it's your birthday.Here's a shot of the mayhem from a great distance. They got these things everywhere.
Up close you can see the wittiness that is my co-workers. I'm not 35, nor is it my "Birfday", but hey, it's all in good fun.
Thanks guys for a fun birfday and sweetie, you are no longer allowed to talk to any of my friends at work. Only bad things can come of this.

Correction, I "Know" Your Flower

2008-04-08T10:29:00.004-05:00

Did anyone catch that movie reference?? It's not supposed to be "flower," of course, it should be father, but then it wouldn't make sense with my post. :) I didn't plant daffodils! I am so silly! Once something bloomed, I was immediately reminded that I'd planted IRISES. Silly, Amy. But they do look gorgeous. So here are the pictures to show it. Hooray for flowers!

The Hairiest Week Ever

2008-04-05T21:27:00.003-05:00

Ugh. SOOOOO much going on this week, but really the most exciting thing that happened was we ALL got our hair cut. And boy, it was about time. Caleb looked like a girl, his hair was so long and curly; Kenn had a bit of a fro goin' on; and my hair was down to my shoulders--- noooo!!!! So Caleb's was cut short on Monday, mine was cut Friday, and Kenn finally got me to cut his hair today in-between Conference sessions (awesome talks this afternoon, by the way!). I'd say we're all looking a bit neater now. We'll see how long it lasts.

Oh, and we bought a new car, but we'll have to do a whole other post about that. I'll leave that to Kenn. (Isn't that a great picture of him? You can really see where Caleb gets his blue eyes. And I like the one he caught of me--it turned out cool, and you can kind of see my tummy. Oh dang, that would probably be another post as well. Man, we've got a lot to do. )

I Love Austin in the Springtime...

2008-04-05T14:41:00.004-05:00

How can you not love it when you get a tulip growing in your front yard by the end of March? This picture is not a lame stock photo off Google, people--this is actually outside my front door! It's the first, and only, tulip that has bloomed, and although the daffodil leaves came up back in January and I thought it was a wasted effort on my part, they, too, are looking like they're preparing to bloom. The little bit of color next to the tulip is a snapdragon flower that was blown off in a thunderstorm, but the point is that I have snapdragon flowers again! I have about 3 or 4 plants that survived the whole winter and are blooming in gorgeous colors. I love it! Not that I'm a great gardener or anything, but it is nice to see those pretty flowers when we go out the door, and Caleb loves to look at them. He squats down as close as he can and calls everything "red." It makes us both smile, though. You can't beat that. :) I'm definitely enjoying our springtime.

Over-all, this was a pretty funny day...

2008-03-26T10:12:00.003-05:00

Oh...my boy and his over-alls...I think they are the absolute cutest things that he wears, but they just seem to inspire silliness in everyone. Caleb has recently developed an interesting and slightly-questionable habit of sticking his hands into the sides of his over-alls whenever he wears them. He does enjoy the gentle reminder that his tummy is indeed still attached to the rest of his body, but other than that I'm not sure I see the point. It sure makes for a good picture, though. And then there's the cupboard. You all know from my previous post that he digs pulling the plastic bowls out of the cupboard, but this day he went one better. He pulled out the bowls, and then decided to sit in place of the bowls while he drank his soy-milk. How do you NOT take a picture of that? Even mid-dinner-prep, I let the ground turkey handle itself so I could capture this. Totally worth it, over-all.