Give Thanks

Check out what grandma had at her house!

My main updates for this post are around Thanksgiving....and of course I have a lot to be thankful for.  The weather, my health, and of course my family.  Of which I got to see more of this past week as we made a trip to Lincoln for the holiday.  Mom and dad were real nervous on how Heidi would handle the trip, so I stayed up most of the trip to watch her every move.  Turns out she slept the entire 3 hours there on Thursday AM.  I just hung out, stared out the window, and then took a nice 30 minute cat nap.    That was enough to get me all pumped up for play time at grandma's.  She immediately pulled out some super sweet toys for me to play with, I especially loved the art table and the horsey....and Sadie!  I still miss YaYa every single day and talk about her daily...so it was a lot of fun playing with Sadie.  It was even warm enough on Thursday for me to join grandma to walk her!

I talked all the girls into trying on the headbands.  As you can see, I was
the only one amused!

Grandma made a great spread for us.  I loved the turkey...and I quite enjoyed the pumpkin pie.  Enough to have two pieces.  Oh how grandma spoils me.  Love it!

Friday we went over to the Pinkelmans to watch the Husker game.  I didn't watch much of the game.  Once I warmed up, I had a blast playing with Abby and Ella and all of their cool kitchen toys.  They were really nice to share.  They also had fun holding Heidi, I think they wanted to keep her!

Tummy time!

Who doesn't?  I just flash my smile and melt hearts!  Hey...i'm doing the recap here.  But yes, Heidi is getting quite fun these days.  She coos and sings and smiles a lot!  Mom says she still has some work to do in the napping department (very needy), but she is sleeping 6-7 hrs at night and all in all she is doing good now that she is 2 months old!  Time flies!




Back to the weekend, we also got to see Grandpa McLain.  We went to his house to catch up, it was a first visit for Heidi...i think she liked him - and the feeling was mutual!  We also got a visit from mom's friend Sarah and her girls Annie and Ellie, they are 6 months younger than me, but you wouldn't tell by looking at them.  We are the same height!  Darn my genes!  If we lived closer, I'm quite sure we would have many a play date.

All in all, as you can see in the pictures.  I had a lot of fun in Lincoln.  And since we did so good with the drives, and me sleeping in my travel toddler bed, hopefully that means we'll get back for a visit again soon.  I'm ready for grandma to read me more stories!

We made a stop at NFM on the way home to check out a few things, you
think I would have got enough sleep, but their beds were so comfy.  Yes,
dad...I am ready for a big girl bed.  Yellow please!

I was glad to get home at the same time.  Especially since we started to get ready for Christmas and Santa!  We went and picked out our tree on Sunday, it is really pretty and smells so good.  I even helped mom decorate it.  I have some really cool ornaments as you can see.  I have a feeling there will be lots of Christmas music around the house in the weeks ahead...as I already can't stop dad from singing tunes.  I'll post some pics of our pretty tree and decorations next time.

Since it took so long for Amelia to post this blog, I now get to a word in because I need to give you updates from yesterday's big trip.  Where to you ask?  Nebraska?  NO....but I would have taken another 3 hour drive over 3 shots in my leg!  That's right, these people there seemed all nice and teased me with talking to them and smiling and then when I thought we were ready to go - BAM!  Needless to say, I let out my pain shrieks, which I could tell made mom and dad very sad, but it HURT!  Dad gave me hugs though and eventually I let it go.  I basically slept off the pain the rest of the day, with a little help from my new friend Tylenol!  In case you are curious, I measured up pretty good.  My head is at 15 1/4 apparently perfectly average.  Still at 50-60% for height at 22 1/2 inches (a 1/2 inch taller than Amelia!)..and 10 lbs 3 oz.  That is a whole 11 oz more than she was!  AND...twice while doing tummy time on the table waiting for the doctor, I rolled over!  That's right....that is WAY earlier than Amelia did.  Bring it on big sis! 

Heidi OUT!
Here is a video of me talking with mom and a few other pictures

I finally remembered to get a picture of cutie pie Lukas
when I saw him and his mom at the mall today!

So I'm not always good.  This is my corner I have to go
to.  Heidi, what are you smiling at?  

Who Wore it Best - 11/27/2012

I figure there will be a lot of these Who wore it better posts...so I would start dating them.

Me circa 2010

Heidi - 2012

PS - having storage issues so I will post my next blog once I figure out how to upload more pics.

The sincerest form of flattery

I have a lot of catch up to do with pictures as you haven't had a sister blog for a couple weeks now.  I'll let Heidi speak up first as I see she is getting tired and ready for a nap.  Thanks, Sis... Things have been pretty quiet for me as of late.  Mom and I have a pretty good routine down and I am starting to get the hang of things.  I now like to talk back to her when she sings to me...and of course I show her that I am listening by smiling lots.  People all look so funny, how can I not smile at them?!  The last couple nights we have started a new bed time schedule, I am trying to get use to it.  Mom says I was a rock star Friday night sleeping almost 10 hours.  Something about her getting more sleep than she has had in months.  I guess I can please her every once in a while, right?  Last night was more like 6 hours, I need to keep some variety!

ready to hit the town

Mom and I have made a couple of outings together.  I had my first experience at the voting polls.  Even Amelia hasn't done that - Ha!  I got my very own sticker...and since the elections are well over, I see my cool Obama pillow that my cousins brought down is going to be relevant for another 4 years.  We have had lunch with Kellie and Lukas at the usual spot and even splurged on some gelato, but did I get any?  No!  We also enjoyed a girls dinner out for some Mexican.  There I saw Mae and Maddie and I got to meet Case Weber (you would never guess he was only 6 months!), and there were a lot of girls there too of course not just us kiddos.  Mom did remember to take a couple pictures at dinner, but I need her to get better at remembering at other places.

We have also had some visitors.  Kellie and Lukas came over to play one day last week and bring me this awesome new vibrating chair to use.  I sure like it!  They also brought mom flowers and helped cheer mom up.  Again, mom didn't take pictures so you can't see how much of a looker Lukas is...I'll remind her for next time!  My friend Davis came over for some lunch and catch up time too.  We remembered a few pics, you can see he still has a couple pounds on me!  I'm trying to pack them on though don't you worry, up to 10lbs already!

Speaking of packing on pounds, man...I just had a huge meal.  Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but I can pound down meat and or cookies whenever you give them me too....Is that why my jeans are kind of tight today?  I still help mom a lot with entertaining Heidi.  I think she likes me...I sure do love her!  The whole family came this week to see me perform in the Thanksgiving show at school.  Unfortunately, I got a bit of stage fright so just stood there instead.  But you have me sing the same songs at home or anywhere but on stage, I'm all over it!  We got to enjoy a nice turkey dinner afterward so that is always fun.

 I quite like my days at school and even though I am the smallest kid in my class, I can hold my own.  I won't lie...I got in trouble for biting someone recently, but he was in my space!  I have been taking care of the babies there too.  I learn a lot how to do that by helping with Heidi around the house.  My teachers were impressed with how I could keep them so well fed and told dad...so he recorded me when I fed my babies here at home that night.  Seems like such an invasion of privacy, I don't record mom when she feeds Heidi!


I also don't just imitate mommy with Heidi....I like to be like daddy too!

In other news, grandma and grandpa Steffen and Aunt RaRa came to visit this weekend.  They hadn't been down since Heidi was first born, so they decided to make a quick trip.  As always, we had a good time.  Us girls even all got out to do a little shopping at the mall since dad never wants to go.  I kind of get it, as it was a busy place, but I had a blast running around the stores.  We stopped and got some yummy gelato after lunch, can't go wrong there...and then I got to ride the big carousel.  I rode on some sea horse thingy. That was so much fun...I wanted to go again!  But it was getting late, so I only got to ride it once.  Boo....  Hopefully I'll get another chance soon.  Until then, Amelia OUT!

driving choo choose at Minskys

Almost forgot about my dinner with Maddie and her parents
we got our own little table to eat at!

We are the cutest aren't we?  

Marley & Me

Well, Marley and Us....not just me, I guess.

Marley is with Jesus.  I keep asking where Ya-Ya is and then I remember that mommy and daddy told me that she is now playing with Jesus.  Mom cries a lot and tells me that we won't see her anymore.  I'm not too sure what that means.  Because this is a hard subject, I decided I would let my mom guest blog on this one.

This has been the toughest few days of my life, I am not going to lie.  As many of you know, Marley has had issues for quite some time now with diarrhea.  We have visited with 3 or 4 different doctors and  tried multiple things (foods, medications, etc).  Especially in the past few weeks when things really started to get bad fast.  Our Marley just wasn't the same, she at one point stopped eating and had lost 30% of her body weight.  We finally gave in the recommendations of many including the vet who had a long conversation with me about 'quality of life' and our options last Wednesday after another rough night on Tuesday.  Phil was up with Marley all night as she went out non stop to continue to have bloody diarrhea (actually both inside and outside), had continual tremors (they say a sign of pain), and at one point she didn't even have it in her to go inside on her own, so Phil had to carry her in.  She then preceded to throw up while in her kennel.  In the end, they believe that it was either cancer or Crone's disease...neither of which would allow Marley a happy future. I write all this, to remind myself just how miserable she was and that we haven't had the old Marley for quite some time now.  As I have had overwhelming feelings of guilt mixed in with the extreme sadness I have missing her every minute of the day.  I think of her when we are outside, cooking, eating (yes, we now have to sweep!), or just hanging out.  Phil has been a rock, he was the one that was with Marley at the end.  And she gave him final kisses before she peacefully went to 'sleep'.  

Speaking of sleep, I want to share a few of my favorite memories of our first baby.  Sleep was probably one of her #1 favorite things to do, even when healthy.  We always joked she was part cat.  But really, she just fit into our family perfectly as we all love to sleep.  Phil and I first brought her home before we were married, so she truly has been through everything with us.  Marriage, 2 houses, and 2 kids!  

She was such a trooper from the get go, handling road trips to Nebraska and being dragged around by the nieces.  She was SUCH a kisser, she LOVED to attack people laying on the ground and stick that long tongue anywhere she could...she particularly loved noses and ears!  Or Phil would just yell "Help me Marley" and she would find me and start licking me.  (Never sure how that helped Phil!)  We enjoyed many a walk, but even at a young age she would sometimes just lay down on those hot days, and just look at us...like "someone better pick me up, because I'm done with this walk business".  And when she didn't get walks and needed to exert some energy (or after a bath), she would have her spaz attacks.  They were hilarious to watch.  She rarely got in trouble, but when she did (i.e. chewing up red pen all over apt. carpet),  We would just say "What did you do?"..and she would lay down on her back with paws covering her face, saying I'm sorry.  

She was AMAZING with kids.  I think that is what makes me so sad too.  She was so good with Amelia, no matter what she did with her.  She never walked better than when Amelia was holding her leash.  I hate that Heidi only had 1 month with her, and realistically Amelia won't remember much, if any, of her ya-ya.  

Phil keeps telling me that things will get better each day and our tears will be less and less frequent.  And we will then just remember the good times and not have the extreme sadness, but that there will always be a place in our hearts for our dear dog.  We decided to honor her today by planting a lilac bush in the back.  Not that Marley was sweet smelling or had some certain infinity for lilacs, but they are a symbol of love and there is no doubt that Marley was loved by many.  

My dear Sweet Marley, we were so blessed to have you in our lives even if only for 5 short years.  Here's hoping that I do see you again one day as the poem below states and that until then you are keeping other people's feet warm, getting lots of sleep, and enjoying lots of bacon and steak.  

Love mom.

RAINBOW BRIDGE

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....  Author unknown... Marley - July 17, 2007 - November 7, 2012

Instead of putting all her pictures on here, I have a lot of the favorites in the video below.  Along with some favorite videos we took of her.  This is really just so I have everything in 1 place, I'm sure you all don't want to see them all.  Sorry you had to put up with me pouring out here...helping with the whole 'closure' thing!  I will not hijack anymore of their blogs!