The Kunkles - kunklephotos

Today was hard. We are all recovering from the stomach flu that started Monday night with Cecilia and ending with Amzi yesterday... hopefully. Tay Mu and I have been spared this time, but Aidan came home from work Wednesday afternoon and spent the rest of the day and night in his room. We were very lucky though. No fevers and no medication was needed. We made sure the invalids were hydrated and washed our hands a lot. I felt nauseous last night and was awake most of the night even with Tylenol PM, because I was afraid I was going to get it and also wanted to make sure Amzi didn't puke again. I woke up groggy and remained groggy the rest of the day with a stomach ache. Aidan went back to work with the promise to come back home if he was needed. Tay Mu left for work and was probably relieved to be getting away from the sickos. I made myself a pot of coffee and tried to stay with it. I ended up yelling a lot and upsettings the kids. Cecilia is especially annoying these days being two, almost three. Amzi tends to cling when he isn't feeling well or didn't have enough sleep. I tried my best. I really did. I just couldn't wake myself up. I was mad at myself for being a horrible mother and feeling so icky. I told myself that nothing matters but keeping the kids safe and making it until Aidan got home. I was determined not to call him. After an hour alone with the kids, all three of us were crying. I ended up yelling at Cece, which frightened Amzi and it just snowballed into this cry-fest. It was then that I turned some Raffi on and to cheer us up, Cecilia started dancing. She was so funny, but the thought of my daughter trying so hard to cheer me up, made me cry and laugh at the same time... which was pretty confusing to the kids. In the midst of my misery, I heard Cecilia ask her brother, in an attempt to distract him from crying, 'Amzi, do you like my pajamas? Isn't it beautiful? It's purple and has flowers on it. And it has me in it, that's what makes it beautiful.' *sigh* I'm so glad that today is almost over with the kids in bed and all of us mostly healthy, but I will have to write down some of the better moments. 

We celebrated 2012 in style. We took the kids and Tay Mu to the Children's museum for the Noon Year's Eve. They had a small carnival there and a magician. The climax was the dropping of the special CMOE ball at noon. That turned out to be hilarious. They had a volleyball with "2012" on it and a little before noon, a lady dropped it from the balcony with a rope. The ball came down slowly and not so smoothly and landed on the ground. We all cheered with the noise makers we made. We then had lunch at a small restaurant on Main Street. It was odd being the only customers and the hostess/owner lady gave us special attention. Our food was really good and the kids enjoyed it. We then dropped off Tay Mu and Ce back at the museum and went to Lowe's to get a ladder for Aidan to fix the roof. We had a quiet afternoon with the exception for Aidan banging on the roof. Then I went went shopping for groceries for our New Year's Eve meal. I just heated up some appetizers and got some fruit and veggies. I also made punch and that was Cecilia's favorite. We then watched the London's New Year's fireworks via YouTube and made a huge mess with silly strings and confetti. After we gave the kids a bath, we had sparkling apple juice in wine glasses and toasted to the New Year. We really had a great time. 2011 was wonderful and we look forward to 2012 with hope, love, and laughter in our hearts.

This Christmas was quite spectacular. We had so many presents under the tree, that it felt almost wrong. I think the UPS guys were here everyday for over two weeks. We had lots and lots of presents from all the grandparents and Aidan and I didn't really hold back. The kicker was Tay Mu. She has a job this year and she went all out for the kids. It was a lot of fun buying and wrapping all the presents. We were all pretty giddy leading up to today.

Height: 30" (90%)

I have just a few minutes to remember and record all that happened in the last few weeks.  August was the last time I wrote so a lot happened.  We went to Northern California to visit my family the week after Labor Day.  That was a lot of fun.  Koe Htee and Ma Mun Seng were gracious hosts and they always make our stay very comfortable and fun.  Cecilia enjoyed playing around with Selah and Joshua and Amzi bonded.  We ate some great food and got to see some neat places.  We were so blessed to have the whole Hmun family for the Labor Day weekend and got to take some group pictures at some fancy winery.  We also went to Six Flag on a really busy day and that was an experience that I don't want to ever have to go through again.  It was just crowded and confusing.  I think Cecilia had a great time riding rides and watching shows though.  I got to meet my friend Becky and her sister and niece there so that was great.  They even came back with us to hang out at the house.  So, that's all I remember from the trip and of September.

I am going to put all these stories in Cece's section of the site because I think there's going to be a lot more material.

Today, while Aidan was trying to buckle Cece in her car seat, she threw a fit because she wanted to do it herself. She screamed really loud and kicked her legs. We immediately told her to stop and explained to her how bad that kind of behavior was and how we did not approve.  I started to say, "You shouldn't scream because it hurts our ears.  Mommy doesn't scream, Daddy doesn't scream, and Tay Mu doesn't scream." That's when Cecilia said, "but Mommy and Daddy yell. They yell at me when I'm bad."

The other day, we borrowed Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from the library for Cecilia. We thought she would enjoy it since she likes candy and there are fun songs in it.  Besides, we were just sick of watching Alice and Dorothy over and over again.  Well, I put in the disc and jumped to the Pure Imagination part, because I love that song... well, she liked it until Augustus Gloop fell into the chocolate river and went up the pipe.  She started to cry and I had to stop it and tell her that everything was okay.  That was a few days ago.  Tonight we were praying and she goes, "and the boy who went up the pipe."  I knew exactly what she was talking about and had to explain to Aidan.  My little girl, who is so physically tough is just the most sensitive little thing inside.  She's just awesome.

I'm still on a very cool high.  My wonderful husband took me to see the U2 360 Tour in St. Louise just last night.  It seems like ages ago and also seems like it lasted a month not just one night.  We left Sunday afternoon around 2 and got back Monday at 3:30.  At first it didn't seem like it was possible.  First of all, Aidan purchased our hotel room around my birthday and he told me that we were going to the concert.  The tickets arrived but life went on all normal like.  I didn't even want to think about the concert.  It was too much, too huge.  I absolutely LOVE U2.  If I could see any concert in the whole world, it would be this one. Especially since Michael Jackson is dead.  Well, we arranged for Chris and Lady to help with the kids while we were gone and they showed up Saturday afternoon tired and not really understanding of what my kids were capable of.  I think they did appreciate Cecilia's temper since they witnessed it the two nights I was in the hospital after Amzi's birth.  Cece had her tantrums about brushing her teeth and going potty, but it was my little 'Love Machine' that made the practice night seem like the concert was a no-go, for me anyway.  Amzi wanted Mommy and if you offered him a bottle, he will show you just how mad he can get.  Well, it basically took four people an hour to get him down for the night.  He still didn't drink out of the bottle and that made me very sad.  I didn't want to abandon my child.  He was going to starve and what kind of mother would I be, if I went to enjoy a concert while my child suffered?!  I was sad.  I was on the brink of crying that night.  I was anxious, stressed, and just depressed.  Sunday started out normal.  We went to church and Amzi was pretty happy since he had his mommy.  Then we had lunch and he was offered a bottle and was he angry!  Needless to say, I didn't feel like going anywhere.  I was in a bad mood.  I didn't want to talk to anyone and I just didn't know what to do.  He calmed down and fell asleep.  I had all the breast milk ready in the fridge and gave my instructions before we left.  We took off after Cecilia went down for her nap.  She didn't want Aidan to talk about the concert.  That was her way of saying, "Daddy, don't go."  Well, we went.

I've been wanting to write something here for quite some time, but either had nothing to say or was too tired to put something down.  My kids have uncanny timing when it comes stuff like this.  When I want to update this site, Cecilia either acts up or Amzi wakes up and wants to be fed.  Cece is visiting the library with Tay Mu right now and Amzi is asleep in his swing.  Let's see how long I have.

This has been an awesome Mother's Day for me.  My sweet husband ordered Lasagna, salad, breadsticks, and dessert from Olive Garden yesterday so we enjoyed a nice picnic outside on a beautiful day after church.  I feel so blessed to have my family and my amazing mom to share this day with.  It was relaxing and enjoyable.  We got to take naps, watch a movie, play outside and take a nice walk before calling it a night.  I'm currently nursing my baby boy who seems to always be hungry.  He must be going through a growth spurt because he wakes up every two hours to nurse at night.  He was sleeping great before (4 or 5 hours at a stretch), but now he wakes up as soon as I make it to dreamland.  To make things worse, it's not his usual whimper but a loud siren of a cry jolting me out of bed.  I'm not complaining... much, though.  He's a blessing and I'm so thankful for him and his sister.  They are both great kids and it's an honor being their mom.  It's also an honor being my mom's daughter.  My mom is a great role model for me.  She never seems to mind being my mom.  That's a funny thing to say but I have had moments when I'm just so tired of being a mom.  I just want it all to go away.  I have never seen her say or do anything that would indicate that about her.  Cecilia has witnessed my poor attitude many times.  She's seen it so often that one day I caught her leaning against the couch with her eyes shut muttering "Jesus, help me!"  My mom is the epitome of a wonderful mom.  She's giving, kind, loving, compassionate, and fun.  She gives and goes without.  I LOVE my mom.  She drives me crazy and I'm often rude to her, but I know that I'm one of the lucky ones.  I hope I can be what she has been and is for my children.  She sets the bar pretty high and I can only hope to get close.  Happy Mother's Day!

Well, we did it!  Amzi flew his first flight.  We went down to Austin, TX, for Aidan's step-brother's wedding.  It was quite the reunion with the Kunkles, the Hillyers, and the Pomaras.  We had a great time and are so glad that we went.  We weren't sure we were going to go until a couple of weeks before.  We had RSVP'd that we were not going to make it, because we didn't know how well Amzi would do... or rather how well we would do with Amzi and Cecilia.  We made the decision to bite the bullet and emailed Lars to let him know we were coming.  Our main concern was sleeping arrangements with Cecilia and Amzi.  Amzi sleeps in his cradle with Mommy in one room and Cecilia sleeps in her bed and Aidan's bed with Aidan.  Amzi and Cece are both light sleepers and so is Aidan.  Well, it all turned out great and they slept better there than they do at home.  They are great travelers and we are so very proud of them.  We even had comments from others how well they did on the plane.

So, Monday was my 33rd birthday.  It was a good birthday.  Cecilia handed me a homemade card that she and her cousin Lydia had made.  Then, she, Lydia, Ben, and Tay Mu sang me Happy Birthday.  It was lovely.  Lydia and Ben are staying with us during their spring break and we are all thrilled, especially Cecilia.  She LOVES them!  She follows Lydia around like a little shadow and hugs and kisses her often.  Ben and Lydia are so great with her.  They chase her around saying "No, Cece!" and are so sweet to her.  They feed her and clean up after her.  I LOVE them!  I'm so happy that they can spend time with us and also help me out.  I spent most of my birthday hiding out in my room with Amzi while they entertained Cecilia.  I took Amzi to his 2 month check up while Cece and her cousins went to the library for her Monday class.  Amzi is in the 95th percentile for his age group in both his weight and height.  He weighed a whopping 15.5 lbs and is 25 inches long.  I guess I'm growing a giant.  Amzi slept on and off during the day since he got 3 shots, so I just laid in bed and played on the computer a bit.  We went out to dinner that night to an Italian restaurant and Aidan's other cousin, Seth, joined us.  It was a nice group.  They are all great kids and we are so fortunate to know them.  We ordered some great food and some tasty desserts and spent some time in a bookstore afterwards.  We also had to drop by our Asian market to pick up some rice and veggies while Amzi got his dinner in the car.  It was a long night for everyone and we crashed out when we got home.  I truly enjoyed my birthday and ended it opening cards and presents from friends and family.  You guys sure make a girl feel loved.  THANK YOU.  I want to add a special shout out to my mom who gave birth to me and to my Lord and Savior, Jesus.  Thank you very much!  I'm so happy to be alive!

So, life is hard with an infant and toddler.  No one should do this.  My back, shoulders, neck, head, and arms hurt.  Everything hurts.  The days when I have the two of them to myself, I just want to die.  It is doable though.  I have to remind myself.  It's also temporary... all of this.  This will pass and I'll miss it.  I'm writing this down so I don't do this to myself again.  :)  hahahhaa  I love them, but it is hard!  Ce is so helpful though.  She makes a mess and tries to clean it up.  She helps with the diaper changes by bringing me the diapers and wipes.  She reads to Amzi and wants to play with him so bad.  I'm doing great even though I look haggard and is snappy at times.  I've become a yelly mom and as much as it bothers me, I have to just let it go.  Sometimes, I just have to yell.  We rely on help and prayer.  Aidan and I spend maybe half an hour each night by ourselves.  We try to be supportive of each other and he really is a wonderful man.  He's been so busy at work and has had to stay late and work on the weekend.  It's just nuts.  It has taken me five days to do three loads of laundry.  I forget to eat but when I remember, I have to force myself to eat.  I do eat though, don't worry!  I am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight even though I'm not trying to even think about that. I haven't exercised in years!  I want my body back but I know it's temporary and I truly enjoy and LOVE the minutes when I feel at rest and my body doesn't ache.  That's usually late at night or early in the morning after an hour or two of sleep.  This is just a reminder to everyone to be kind to mothers.  They might be just moments away from snapping. Ha!

I have exactly two minutes to type this so I must be quick.  It's been six weeks since Amzi came into our lives and it's been pretty great.  He's a wonderful little guy.  He eats, sleeps, and poops like crazy.  He spits up a lot and every diaper is pretty stinky so he's a messy little guy, but we love him.  March started out pretty busy with both Cece's and Aidan's birthdays.  We had a great time celebrating.  We had my sister stay with us for a couple of weeks so that was great.  She got some time with the kids and it was great getting to spend some time with my big sister.  She's a wonderful sister and I love her very much.  The visit was very nice.  She knows now why I never call her or Skype her.  My life is pretty crazy.  She was a huge help though and Cecilia really enjoyed her Aunty Eh Moo.

It's been a couple of weeks since we became a family of four.  Life has been challenging but full of joy.  Cecilia still adores her baby brother and he's a pretty easy kid to take care of... compared to her.  He loves to sleep and eats very well.  He hates diaper changes and that's the only time he will cry.  He now weighs 10 lbs 1 oz, but is still a little yellow.  We will be monitoring that for another week before we take him back to the doctor.  He is pooping and peeing like a champ so I'm not that worried about it.

Amzi Moo Kunkle was born on February 3rd, 2011, at 5:30 PM.  He was 9 lbs 11 ozs and 21.5 ins.  He has lots of dark hair and his feet are very big.  He looks a lot like his sister and resembles his daddy.

I am scheduled for a c-section on Thursday at 3:30 PM. My pelvis bone is too narrow for a vbac and the baby is too big now. He's estimated to be around 8.5 lbs. Ce was 8lbs 9ozs so it would be the same scenario as last time. I'm just happy that it's all set. It seems a bit too early all of a sudden, but Doc doesn't want me to wait too long and go when he's not around (he has a conference this weekend). I'm glad my parents are with me and Chris and Lady are coming up. I'm also glad we are not having the bad weather that everyone is having! Please be careful out there and remember me on Thursday. I can't drink or eat from midnight until after the surgery, so I will be pretty weak. We will post pics of him as soon as we can. My only concern is Cecilia. She has never been apart from me at night. This will be a first for her since I'll be in the hospital for a bit. I think Tay Mu will be spending the night with her since she does not sleep through the night. I feel sorry for everyone in the house if she does not behave herself. I know it'll all be okay and it's all in God's wonderful hands. Looking forward to the next phase of our lives!

I've been uncomfortable for quite some time now.  I'm ready for this baby to come out, but I know the longer he stays in me, the better it is for him.  I got my hopes up a couple of weeks ago because the doctor told me I was 4 cm dilated and 75% effaced.  Well, nothing has changed the last two times I went for my check up, so I'm getting used to the idea that this baby wants to stay with me for the full term.  I don't think the doctor wants me to go full term since baby boy will be about the size of Ce when she was born which means c-section.  I'm basically giving up the idea of vbac (vaginal birth after c-section).  I don't think my body can do it.  Apparently I have a narrow pelvic bone or something like that which would prevent a large baby from coming out without some sort of help.  I've done it once and I can do it again.  I just hope that the recovery period doesn't last too long.  It took me awhile to get back to normal.  I want to be back to myself for Cecilia's sake as well as the baby's.  I know she's going to help with the recovery since I'll be more motivated this time.  I also know that depression had a lot to do with it last time, so I'll be more open to help in that area.  Overall, I'm looking forward to moving on from the pregnancy phase.  I can't sleep well at night and lugging this body around is pretty annoying especially in this cold weather.  The upside is that I'm warm all the time and I have an excuse to not move.  Mom and Dad are here for the week to help out, which will be nice.  Cecilia loves them and Mom can mother me.  I need it.  Aidan had to take a couple of afternoons off to help me.  I felt guilty about it, but he didn't mind and Cecilia was going nuts.  I just broke down a few times and Aidan stepped in.  He's wonderful.  He pushed himself way too hard and eventually got sick, but he's on the mend.  I've also caved in and have been taking a Tylenol PM every night to get more sleep than I was getting.  Going on no sleep and chasing Cecilia around was bound to be the end of me.  I've also stopped caring about our carpet and the house in general.  I have to take care of this baby and myself and that's my number one priority.  Ce can watch movies for awhile.  The house can look like crap for awhile.  I'm just going to let it go for awhile.

I typed 2010 at first.  I'm still having trouble with that.  So, from the lack of entries I've written about my pregnancy, you'd think I wasn't as excited as I was with Cecilia.  I guess that is pretty close to the truth, but Cecilia keeps us pretty busy and entertained that I often forget that I'm going to have another one.  I have been thinking a lot about him lately though.  He is very active in my belly and I know that he is very strong from his kicks and nudges.  He moves a lot when he hears Cecilia's voice.  She loves him or my belly very much.  She sings to him and kisses him.  She keeps talking about changing diapers and feeding babies.  But, I'm sure I can't leave her alone with him after watching her "take care" of her babies.  We are getting more and more excited about his birth.  We haven't had to prepare much in the way of his arrival, but we will have to round up a bassinet or something of the sort soon since I gave the one we used for Cecilia back.  We will also have to figure out sleeping arrangements since Ce shares a corner of our bedroom and often our bed.  I bought some clothes for him this summer and received some hand-me-downs from his cousins and friends.  We had enough foresight to buy mostly gender neutral stuff for Ce, so I think we are okay... but, there's always Target down the road if we need anything.

As for visitors, I'm not sure who is all coming.  My mom is only two hours away, but she'll be playing nanny to by best friend's little girl, so she won't be able to stay with us as much as she did last time.  I know my sister will want to visit soon after his birth and Aidan's parents are planning on being around for the birth.  I'm looking forward to all the visitors, because we love a full house and it will be nice for Ce to have that attention that she will miss from her mommy.

Well, we started off our year with a bang.  Cecilia was umm.... as excited as ever that morning, but Aidan and I didn't sleep well, so it was a rough morning.  We did salvage our day by having a huge and tasty breakfast at Denny's.  Then we went to Chuck-E-Cheese to use up some tokens we had.  That was a lot of fun.  It was great watching Cecilia and her dad acting like the kids that they are.  We came home after and all took naps.  Then we ate a quick dinner and went bowling.  Cecilia and I used ramps for our ball and we all had bumpers to assist us.  We hadn't bowled in years, so that was a lot of fun.  Yi Mon had the highest score, but it was odd that Ce scored higher than Tay Mu.  hahaha

With all the fun we've had this past year, we are pretty optomistic about this year.  I hope all of you had a great year and will have a much better year this year.  How many times can I type the word "year" in one paragraph?  I'm probably not making much sense since Cecilia is sitting right next to me yelling.  *sigh*

We had a wonderful Christmas.  My parents came down and my cousin's daughter, Yi Mon, flew in from Florida where she was visiting her Uncle.  So, our house was pretty full.  We went to Christmas Eve service at our church and it snowed while we were in service and all the way home.  By the time we got to our house, we were in a Winter Wonderland.  I got everyone matching pajamas, so all seven of us had on pjs with owl prints on them.  We looked quite ridiculous, but it was fun.  Mom took care of all the food, so we ate very well.  She made lots of Burmese favorites and everything was delicious.

Cecilia woke up early as usual and she played with her grandparents all morning until the cousins woke up. Aidan and I foolishly decided to do Christmas breakfast and tried recipes that we were not familiar with, so it Christmas morning was pretty stressful for us.  His Paula Deen cinnamon rolls were not done until later in the afternoon, but they turned out fabulous.  My egg casserole was not as great as I thought it would be. We had a lot of fun opening all our presents and enjoying the Disney Christmas parade. We later went out and enjoyed the snow outside.  It was a little slushy so we didn't make a snowman, but we did visit our neighbors, whom Cecilia considers family.  They are a nice couple that use to own our house.  They love Cecilia and gave her a present of a huge Bible this year.  Cecilia received some great toys and books from her adoring fans.  Except for her stocking, we didn't get her anything.  She loved just the whole Christmas experience.  She loves Christmas songs and knows that Christmas is about Baby Jesus' birthday.  Today after lunch, she sang Happy Birthday to everyone including Baby Jesus until she got impatient and had to ask for a cup cake.  Mom made a delicious carrot cake that we used as His birthday cake, but we also made cup cakes Christmas evening.  It's so much fun enjoying this season through the eyes of a child.  We are truly blessed with an amazing family and it was a joy spending time with each other.  The Brubakers are visiting today and Mom and Dad left shortly after they arrived.  It's just such a great feeling having them here and although they live only two hours away, we don't get to see them as much as we would like.  Cecilia loves her cousins and before her nap today, she was worried that they would be gone when she woke up.  She said, "Lydia say good bye, Ben say good bye, Daddy go to work."  I had to convince her that everyone would still be here when she woke up.  I need to go now and enjoy their company while I still can.  They are headed back home tonight.  Aside from loving each of them, they are awesome baby-sitters and I was able to update this site.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!  We hope you all had a great one and remember to keep your light shinning!  We love you all!

Currently, I'm trying to work on our Christmas card.  It's an impossible task considering we don't have any good pictures of the three of us.  I'll have to focus on Ce again this year.  That's usually the best route.  While some pictures are uploading, I should take the time to update everyone on the Family Kunkle.

We spent Thanksgiving in Arkansas and it was really great spending time with Aidan's family.  He has an awesome family and Cecilia is such a lucky girl.  We wish we could spend more time with them.  Cecilia loved holding and kissing her cousin, Baby Jaxson.  He is a sweet, sweet baby and we wish we were closer to watch him grow.  He's very strong and just adorable.  He has fantastic parents and that's always great to see.  Eleta and Dustin are just wonderful people.  They hosted the big dinner this year and they did a great job.  Grandma Anne had a whole playroom for Cecilia, so she was very happy.  We were fortunate enough to find a van that we liked before we left, so we had a great trip there and back.  It rained the whole way there and back, but we made it back safely and it felt great to be home.  We don't intend on traveling any more this year, so I am so happy!

A lot of things happened since we came back, but this was the most recent and since my memory is horrible, I need to type this out while I still remember.  A couple of nights ago, Cecilia and Tay Mu saw a mouse in Tay Mu's room.  We tried to catch it, but it was much too fast.  Aidan set up traps and of course they didn't work.  Well, the next night, Tay Mu saw the mouse again, so she and Aidan manages to catch it some how in a trash can.  They wanted to show Cecilia, so they put it in big plastic container.  Cecilia woke up the next day and wanted to hug and kiss it and she basically did hug and kiss the box.  I was freaked out by the whole thing and took it upon myself to get rid of the mouse.  I took it shopping with me and was planning on taking it to Pet Smart so they can feed it to a snake or do something else with it.  Well, Pet Smart wasn't open when I went, so after doing my shopping, I decided to leave it in the parking lot of our grocery store.  *sigh*  I waited until no one was looking and then dumped it out and by this time, the whole box was filled with poop so I was grossed out by the whole thing.  Well, I think the mouse was injured during the transport to the plastic box, weak from not eating, and cold from the freezing weather.  It just didn't move when I dumped it onto the snow and ice.  It just shook and looked so pathetic.  I wanted to die!!  I didn't know what to do, so I just watched it for awhile and was cheering it on to go into the grocery store so it could eat all that it wanted and to be happy... and stay away from our house.  I thought about running it over with the van and relieving it of it's misery, but I couldn't do that either.  So, I drove away and felt horrible with myself.  I still can't shake the images out of my head.  I thought I was trying to do a good thing, but instead I think I made things worse.  Well, the mouse did get it's revenge, because when we got home from Tay Mu's birthday dinner last night, we saw mouse poop all over the house.  Aidan had to vacuum the whole house right before bed.  It was a very long day for us Kunkles.

We just got back from our beach vacation a couple of days ago.  We had a lovely time, but it wasn't what we expected.  We expected a restful relaxing vacation, but instead we had a tiring and very memorable trip.  It's just hard to vacation with an active child.  Cecilia did great and of course she had loads of fun, but the girl does not stop.  She would go and go until she couldn't anymore.

It took most of the day to get there.  We got up early that morning around 4:30 AM and got to the airport around 5 AM.  We took a 6 AM flight to Atlanta and had a short layover.  We were supposed to join up with Chris and Lady there, but their flight was delayed and they missed the flight by just a few minutes.  They then had to take a later flight that was routed through Texas.  When we got to Mexico, we had to go through customs and had our breakfast burritos taken away by the veggie dog.  He sniffed out our snacks.  Then we took a two hour van drive to a boat.  That boat took us to the island where a golf cart waited for us to take us to our hotel.  Our hotel was awesome.  We had a great room right on the beach with a great view.  We had a king-size bed and a twin-size bed.  Aidan took Cecilia to the beach while I unpacked.  She just went nuts.  We have videos and pictures to document it all.  She just loved the beach.  She went crazy over the seashells because we talked about them before we left.  She jumped right into the ocean and the water was just at the right level and the temperature was perfect.  She has no fear.  She would have gone with our without us.  We ended the day early with seafood spaghetti and veggie pizza.  It was so good!  We would have slept very well if it weren't for the party next door and the oomph oomph music.

Chris and Lady arrived late that night so we didn't see them until the next morning.  We had breakfast at our hotel and it was pretty good.  Cecilia was so happy to see her grandparents.  We took it easy that day and everyday playing in the water and on the beach.  We ate very well on our trip and didn't really get sick.  We ate lots of seafood.  I ate about six lobster tails.  The hot chocolate at our hotel was amazing, so were the other drinks.  We had to wash Cecilia in our sink, because we tried to wash her in the shower, but she would drink the water.  She decided to continue her potty training there, which was great, but surprised us.  She got up the first day and said, "pee pee on the potty?"  We were happy to comply.  She did great.  She lived in her bathing suit so that helped.  She made a lot of friends on the island.  She received meals and gifts like she was VIP.  Everyone was so nice.

We got our fill of the beach and water on this vacation.  There was a wind storm that came through the last couple of days, but nothing major happened.  The wind howled and some rain did come through our door, but no one was hurt and nothing was destroyed.  We did get homesick.  It was a long vacation for all of us.  We missed the comforts of our home and I think so did Cecilia.  After a few days, she started talking about Indiana and missing Terre Haute... which was funny.  She started talking about Tay Mu and Papa Dan, our neighbor.  I think she was confused about whether we were there permanently or not.  When we were traveling or doing something like touring the island or taking a boat ride, she was awesome, but when we tried to read or nap on the beach, that was her signal to act up.  She would put sand, seashells, sticks into her mouth.  She would go off and explore on her own.  She just couldn't sit still.  She would crash around 7 PM every night and would be ready to go between 5 and 5:30 every morning.  So, it helped to have the grandparents be there to watch her a bit.  We were so tired by the second day.  It really did start to get to us, but we understood that having a kid changes EVERYTHING!  We were definitely happy that we took the trip and we made a ton of memories.  Chris and Lady are great to vacation with and we were so glad they arranged everything.  It was a breeze getting there and back.  We love Isla Holbox and we would love to go back again.  Next time, we'll have two kids... the more, the merrier.

Well, we had a very eventful weekend.  It started out really nice.  The weather was great and we just had a few errands to run on Saturday.  We took a van for a test drive and was returning items at Sears when it all went down.  We were all getting hungry and I was spending too much time shopping.  Cecilia got into some gift boxes and Aidan went to grab her and he grabbed her a little too hard on the arm and he heard a pop.  I didn't see it happen, but she immediately came to me and showed me her arm.  I didn't know how serious it was so I just kissed it and told her to be more careful.  Then Aidan comes up and tells me that he thinks he broke her arm.  Well, that's when I got a little scared.  I just grabbed everything and headed out of the store.  I stopped to check it and she just kept crying.  She didn't cry hard, but I knew she was in pain, because she just kept complaining.  She was so good though.  She'd be okay until she tried to move her arm.  She just didn't use her right arm and we both knew something was wrong.  We were on the other side of the city, so it took a bit to get home.  Aidan was pretty distressed.  He was in full panic mode and thank goodness I kept calm.  I was worried, but I just kept praying and trying to calm Cecilia down.  We got home and tried to feed ourselves.  Aidan called Ce's doctor and had to call five different places before he knew where to go.  Someone he talked to said it was nursemaid elbow so we knew it could be fixed easily, but we still weren't sure.  We headed to Deaconness Urgent Care right down the road from us and had to wait a bit.  Cecilia was happy for the most part.  She kept talking and singing until she tried to move her arm and then she'd cry to Mommy.  She was also very tired.  We finally saw the doctor and he examined her.  He could tell it was the elbow and popped it back in.  Aidan said he heard it pop, but I didn't.  I didn't even know he was going to do it.  I thought he was just looking at it.  Cecilia cried for a few seconds and then she was great.  We gave her a tongue depressor and she was able to lift her right arm.  She was so brave during the whole thing and by the time we got home, she was running around like nothing happened.  When I tried to talk to her about it that night, she wouldn't even acknowledge that it ever happened.  She won't talk about her arm or the doctor.  I thought that was strange.  Well, we were pretty happy that it all turned out well.

 

We went to church the next morning and everything was great until we decided to go to the zoo.  Aidan asked Tay Mu to go with us even though she didn't want to go.  We were all at the car when we realized that we had taken the housekey off of my keychain to open the house when Cecilia fell asleep after church.  We had also taken the spare key back into the house when we had the yard sale.  It was just a horrible moment.  We went around and around the house trying to find a way in.  All the windows were locked and there was just no way.  I called around and had our friend give me the numbers to some locksmiths.  I finally got a hold of one that would come out for $50.  We didn't care at that point.  He showed up and couldn't do it.  He tried and tried and basically ruined our door, but he still couldn't do it.  That took a few hours, but finally Aidan told him that he was just going to break in.  Aidan broke the glass off of the door and got us in, but then he spent the rest of day cleaning the mess.  We had to sleep with just the screen door, because we took the door down to be fixed.  Cecilia didn't sleep well that night and neither did I.  It was horrible.  She cried from 10:30 - 11:30 and I couldn't tell what was wrong.  I gave her tylenol for her arm and gas drops for her stomach.  Then she ate a little bit of cereal and fell back asleep.  Aidan got the glass replaced on the door and the lock and it's still not done, because when he got the new door knob, the keys were not included.  So, today, I will go back to Menards and get that replaced and make a few copies.  It's been a crazy week, but we are looking forward to our trip to Mexico this Friday and that is what is getting us through... that and God!

I know this month is not over yet, but we've already done so much.  We just recently got back from Washington D.C. and we are still recovering.  We had a great time with our friends Will, Mary, Elizabeth and Alex.  They are the best!  We got to see the sites and eat a lot of great food.  You can see from our pictures just how much fun we had.  We got back Tuesday and then had our first and probably our last yard sale the following weekend.  We didn't do too bad and got rid of some stuff, but I'm not sure if it was worth all the work we put into it.  I was so tired Saturday night that my body started to ache and I didn't even feel like eating... which is really something.  I did eat... a lot that night.  The next day, we took my cousin to meet her host family near Danville, IL for her ride back to Iowa.  It was a good trip and we got to see our friends Mike, Kate, Allison and Aidan.  Then we dropped by to see the Greenwoods and Brubakers and then got home for a late dinner.  It's nice to finally be back to our normal schedule.

 

So, no update on the baby yet, but he's kicking.  I feel him move every now and then and he feels big!  Cecilia has been talking about him a lot and kissing him and poking at him.  She is going to be such a great sister. hahaha  She is talking non-stop these days.  She talks in full sentences and says the funniest stuff.  She makes us laugh on a regular basis and still surprises us with just how smart she is.  It's hard to see her as a big girl since she's only one and a half, but she acts like she's much older.  We've already had to put her in time out a couple of times.  That seems to be effective for now.  We just have to stick with it, because she can be quite dramatic.  She understands everything though and we just can't let her get away with stuff anymore.  She's a sweet girl though and she is very affectionate.  She likes hugs and kisses and tells me that she loves me.  She remembers people very well and she surprised us a few times by mentioning people she hasn't seen for awhile.  One night we were asking her who we should pray for and she said, "Uncle Hsar Moo... Uncle Boke Boke"  Aidan and I looked at each other, because we hadn't seen Uncle Boke Boke or have spoken of him for a long time.  She can sing a few songs from start to finish and she loves to read books.  She sometimes recite the books back to us.  I wish we could live on camera to capture all the little moments, but I'll try to do my best to record it all some how.

We found out today that Kunkle baby #2 is a boy!  We were prepared to have a sister for Cecilia since we went online and did the Chinese Astrology prediction and it said it was going to be a girl.  We were happy to know that it's a boy though.  We feel very blessed and so thankful.  The baby looks really healthy and big!  The doctor said it was above 97th percentile for size... so he could very well be bigger than Cecilia.  I think the doctor was preparing me for another c-section just in case.  We will be monitoring the size for that possibility.  Other than that, the baby has all his parts and looks really strong.  It's just weird, he did look really strong on the monitor.

It's been awhile so I'll try to make this entry short, but a lot has happened.  Aidan, Cecilia, Tay Mu and I flew to Arizona to visit my sister near Phoenix.  It was supposed to be just us, but it turned out to be our family reunion and an early 70th birthday party for my mom.  The plans were all done at the last minute and it was just all very confusing, but it turned out great.  At first, we weren't quite sure if we were going to make it since our plane had mechanical problems and they kept delaying our flight.  We were at the airport for a very long time... about three hours, I think.  Aidan already had a full day at work and none of us had dinner yet.  It was awful.  At one point, they took off our luggage and had everyone go back to the ticketing counter to figure out how flights could be rearranged.  Our flight was to Memphis first and then to Phoenix, but we knew we were going to miss the second flight and we did.  They finally got us on the plane to Memphis.  It turned out that the problem was the air conditioning and they still couldn't fix it, so they apologized for the heat.  It felt fine to us and it was quite cold during the flight.  We stayed at a nice hotel and had to order room service since it was so late by the time we got to our room.  We were so tired but famished and we finished our huge meal in no time.  We flew out early the next morning for Phoenix and everything went well.

Needless to say Phoenix was hot, but we enjoyed that dry heat.  We spent most of the time outside near my sister's pool.  Her house was very comfortable and we had a lovely time.  My family started arriving bit by bit and by Saturday late morning, everyone had arrived.  We went to a lake up in the mountains and although it was scorching hot, the water was so cold.  I had some wardrobe malfunctions, but had a great time.  Sunday, we had a service for mom and that went well.  We had praise and worship and said nice things about mom.  Mom also had things to say and it was a lovely time.   We just hung out and ate Indian food.  It was sad to see everyone go, but we were so thankful to have that time with everyone.  Cecilia got to see all her cousins and aunts and uncles.  She still talks about them.

Either the first or second day in Arizona, I hurt my back really bad.  I couldn't stand up at one point.  During the rest of our stay, my parents with my sister-in-law's guidance, put heat compressions on my back.  That helped a lot and Aidan also massaged two huge knots in my lower back.  I still have aches every now and then, but I'm seeing a chiropractor and heat definitely helps.  My cousin, who is living with us, is a huge help.  I try to rest my back as much as I can, but you can imagine how easy that is with an active toddler.  Cecilia is very helpful though.  She knows about my back and tries to step on it or hit it every now and then.

She has had a wonderful September so far.  She got to see her cousins, received a huge swing (thanks to the Hansons) set and a play kitchen (thanks to the Huffs), and found out she's having a baby brother.  I'm so glad that she has such a great life.  It's just awesome to see her receive all these blessings.  She has been talking non-stop.  She's starting to speak in full sentences.  She'll say 'This is mommy's bag." or "Cecilia loves bear."  She's so smart.  She'll sing several verses of a song... her favorites are "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "This Is the Day", and "Jesus Loves Me".  She's also sleeping in her big girl bed now.  It's basically her mattress on the floor in our bedroom, but it's a huge step for us.  I've been very emotional about it all.  Aidan's been amazing with it all and basically doing it all, because I'm such a basket-case.  We are hoping to ween her soon and that's another huge step that I'm struggling with.  I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I feel like I'm losing my baby and it feels terrible.  Aidan just wants his wife back, but I think it'll take time. 

We met Grandpa Chris and Grandma Lady in St. Louis this weekend for a quick visit.  We left Saturday morning and met them at the zoo.  We had a couple of nights of bad sleep before hand so we were all pretty tired, but we knew we were going to try to take it easy that day.  We took it slow looking at all the animals, riding the carousel, and the choo-choo at the zoo zoo train.  Cecilia loved it all.  She bonded with her grandparents really fast.  During the day, if she didn't see Grandpa Chris, she'd yell really loud "Papa Chris!!!"  That was too cute.  We stayed till the zoo closed and then went out to dinner at Mangia, an Italian restaurant.  It was C and L's treat and they took care of Cecilia during dinner so we enjoyed ourselves.  Aidan ordered a pizza and I had the duck ravioli.  Everything was delicious.  Cecilia was super tired by the time we got back to our hotel, but she was a trooper for her bath and nighttime rituals.  She slept great and we had a good breakfast at the hotel before meeting up with the grandparents again.  We all went to the Tower Park and had to drag Cecilia away.  She played on the playground and they also had this water fountain/kiddy pool area there.  It was so much fun.  She had a blast.  We did too.  It was too short of a visit, but we had a lovely time and got home in time to relax for the evening.  We will have to make that trip again since it was such a success.

We were very fortunate enough to have the Brubaker kids stay with us for a few days last week.  They are really great kids and we had a great time with them.  They were so sweet to Cecilia.  They were very patient with her and so gentle.  Cecilia really enjoyed having them here.  She had to have both of them with her at all times.  Otherwise, she would yell their names until they came running.  Aidan had to work all week so he missed out on some of the fun, but made up for it by taking a half day and going to Holiday World with us.  We visited the libraries, the children's museum (CMOE), Walther's (putt-putt place), and Chuck-E-Cheese.  We played outside in the pool one day and also went on a walk riverside.

Unfortunately, the fun had to end and we took them back to Terre Haute on Saturday.  We hope they can come back for another visit soon.  Of course, will try to make it up as much as we can, but their school starts Tuesday and they'll be pretty busy.  It was sad when we got home, because Cecilia would call for them throughout the house and all she wanted was Lydia-Ben.

While we were in Terre Haute, we got to see some friends at church and that was awesome.  It was just too short of a visit.  We spent some time with the Greenwoods and that was great.  Lilly is growing up too fast and she and Ce got along.  That girl can hold her own.  She's so cute and we just loved holding her and watching her.  We can't wait to have another baby around.

So, we are happy to announce that we will be adding to our little family early next year.  My official due date is February 11, 2011.  We are excited and nervous about it all.  We have been talking to Cecilia about the new baby and she just doesn't care. hahahaha  She does kiss the baby and try to sit on the baby every now and then.  We won't know the gender for a bit, but I'm doing quite well.  I am getting over the tiredness and nausea, but I still have a long way to go.  God is so good and we feel very blessed.

Cecilia had her check up today.  She wasn't very happy to be there.  She was ready for her mid-morning nap and was a bit cranky.  She started crying when the doctor came in.  The doctor was impressed with her language development and gave us some guidelines about potty training... which we are trying out.  She tells us when she's done pooping by saying "I poot!"  She thinks her potty is a toy and it is to her right now.  She sits on it for fun and I got her the Elmo Potty Train Time DVD from the library, but she wasn't quite into it.  We'll try something else.  She'll get there.  She's a smart girl.  She is talking so much now.  If you call our phone, you can hear her say "Please, Leave a message."

Our little girl is very affectionate.  She loves to kiss animals and other kids.  One day we were in line to get her passport and there were three little girls in line behind us.  Cecilia just kept smiling at them and saying "hi" to them.  She was just so happy to be near them.  She kept creeping close to them and finally she went next to one of them and kissed her on the belly.  She didn't just stop with one kiss.  She wanted to keep kissing her.  That was weird and very cute.

She loves to feed and kiss her heavy ceramic baby raccoon I bought for her at Menards.  I knew she was going to love it as soon as I saw it.  She also goes to bed with her Winnie the Pooh and her cat purse.  She actually calls Pooh "Bear" and the cat purse "Meow Meow."  She learns something new everyday and she loves to show off.  We can't keep her entertained enough, but she loves to entertain us.  We enjoy her each day.  It's a blast being her parents.

I have about a minute to type this out, but we're having a fantastic summer.  Cecilia has seen all her wonderful grandparents and she is a very much loved girl.  She loves to be outside.  She plays in the dirt and her pool.  She's constantly learning new words.  She talks more and more each day.  She's definitely growing up fast.  We just recently took a trip to Missouri and she had a great time with all her relatives.  We didn't take any pictures because our camera battery charger is lost.  I will try to post pictures that other people took though.  Keeping up with a one year old is pretty hard... right now, she's enjoying taking all the dirt out of a planter.  I must go and stop her fun now.

So, my laptop was out of commission for awhile so that's why I haven't updated anything on this site.  I've just added some videos from our recent adventures.  We are having a great summer so far.  We went to Holiday World two weekends in a row already and they were both fabulous.  It's Aidan's favorite place and is quickly becoming Ce's.  She loves the water park as you can see from the videos.  We are just so very blessed.

Currently, Cecilia's favorites are:
Justin Bieber - She watches his video "Baby" on a daily basis
Mickey Mouse Hot Dog song - don't ask
Water - inside and outside, drinking and playing
Green beans
Ice
Noodlebug videos from Grandma Nikki
Baby Bug magazines from Grandma Nikki
Magazines in general
Cats and kittens
Dogs
Animals of all sorts
Balloons and balls
Beyonce's Single Ladies video
Dancing
People
Lydia Brubaker
Grandpa Wallace "Pa Pa"

Cecilia is starting to talk and I have to put this down somewhere or else people will get on me about how I don't keep a record of these things...

We were in Arkansas last week for Aidan's sister wedding.  The wedding turned out beautiful and so much fun.  We are so happy for Eleta and Dustin.  They are both great people.

Life is never dull with a one year old.  She is full of mischief and cuteness.  We often find ourselves shaking our heads.  She is quite stubborn, a characteristic that I'm afraid she inherited from me.  She will yell and scream and stomp for something until she gets it.  Yes, she has started to throw tantrums.  We're not sure what to do about that since we cannot discipline her just yet.  What I've been doing is just telling her that I don't see any tears and she's wasting her time.  She doesn't understand though.  So, I just walk away and hope that she'll get over it.  Most of the time she will and I can distract her with something else, but last night she actually tried to hurt me.  She pulled my ear and yelled obscenities of the baby kind.  It was a shock to me and Tay Mu, who was watching.  I just left the room.  Tay Mu slapped her hand after Ce did something unpleasant and Ce held her hand and tried to slap back.  I was not happy with that exchange.  I kissed her hand and told her to kiss Tay Mu's hand.  I don't want to teach her violence, but she seems to get violent on her own.  How does that happen?!  She's pretty aggressive and it's sort of okay at the house, but we witnessed her being a little rough with some kids in the nursery at church.  That was not fun.  She's very strong and I don't want her to hurt other kids.  She's also very generous and smart.  We just have to teach her how to treat others.  I keep loving on her and telling her how great she is and to calm down.  I often count to ten for her and pray for her.  She loves to say 'men' when we pray.  When Aidan prays at nights, she tries to grab his glasses or pull his hands away and almost always says 'men' several times.  She wants to talk so badly.  We hear her mumbling to herself all the time and it cracks me up.

We recently went to San Diego and that was a lot of fun.  She had a great time at the zoo and the beach.  She made her aunt cry when we were leaving by not letting her go and grabbing onto her like she didn't want to leave.  She also made a lot of friends on the plane.  She'd smile and wave at them.  She did great on the plane, but she's pretty active and wants to explore.  I'm glad Tay Mu went with us because Ce took two seats.  We are looking forward to more trips with her.  She's a lot of fun and as tired as we all are, our lives feel so much fuller.

It's been awhile since I've last written on this site.  We have been pretty busy.  Cecilia is a non-stop whirlwind of destruction.  Our house looks like a tornado hit it.  So, I want to make this short, so I will only hit on the key points.

Happy New Years Everyone!  We had a fantastic Christmas break.  Cecilia's first Christmas was filled with gifts and visitors.  She enjoyed the attention thoroughly.  It all started a couple of days before Christmas when Chris and Lady came up.  As always, they were very helpful with projects that needed to get done around the house.  Aidan and Chris were able to put electricity in the garage and install garage door openers.  That is such a blessing to us!!!  Having light in there is so nice especially these dark winter months.  Chris and Lady also made us this awesome butternut squash pie that is about the best thing I've ever tasted.  We really enjoyed their visit.  Of course, they showered Cecilia with gifts everyday.  They in return found out just how funny and weird out little monster is.  She walks around growling and chewing things.  She really is a cute monster.  It was sad to see C and L leave, but Anne showed up the very next day to take over the void.  Ce had so much fun playing with her and again being adored.  She loved the shoes Grannie Annie bought her.  She used to take her shoes off and chew on them, but she loves wearing the shoes grandma gave her.  She wears them all the time and looks adorable walking around in them.  She can now walk outside and she LOVES that!  We don't take her out much now though since it's so cold... wind chill of minus degrees is not very inviting.  The Brubakers also came down for a visit while Anne was here.  All of us went to the zoo and you can see some of the pictures that we took there.  We had a blast.  After Grannie Annie left, our friends, the Crosses had their turn.  It was great to see them.  We really missed them and wish that we lived closer.  The kids, Elizabeth and Alex, are so big now but are sweeter than ever.  We absolutely love them.  E and A are so smart and hilarious.  They said the funniest things and are just so affectionate.  Will and Mary are such great parents and we hope to be just like them.  They are fun and loving and so laid back.  They were very nice to come all this way to see us.  We will definitely visit them in Washington DC this year.  Well, needless to say, we were sad to see them leave and for our vacation to end.  Aidan and I will go back to work this week and Tay Mu goes back to school next week.  2009 was a great year for us, but we look forward to what 2010 has in store for us.  What blessed lives we have!

Cecilia had her 9 month check up last week.  She measured 29 1/4 " (95th percentile) and weighed 20 lbs 8 ozs (80th percentile).  She also got her H1N1 flu shot and didn't even cry.  She just looked down when it happened.  She's a very healthy and happy girl.  This week she's having a blast having Aidan home for Christmas vacation and her grandparents (Chris and Lady) visiting.  I'm still working part-time at church.  Although it's stressful at times, working helps break the monotony of being at home all day everyday with Cecilia.  She's so much fun right now, but some times I need to get away and "relax" at work.  She is starting to get really affectionate with us right now.  She'll nuzzle up against us and give us hugs and her open mouth kisses.  She has a very funny sense of humor.  She'll offer you a bite of her food and take it away and squeal or giggle.  It's pretty cute.  She also loves to offer her Kentucky Fried Chicken toy meal for us to nibble.  She gets such a kick out of feeding us.  She's starting to eat more and more of our food.  Some times we have to trick her to eat her food by acting like we're eating it.  She wants what you have.  She also very vocal when she wants something.  She tries to tell us what to do and lead us around the house by holding our hands.  This will be her first Christmas and as much as we would love to decorate the house for us, we know she will try to destroy everything.  We took out some lights last night and she immediately put a bulb in her mouth.  We will just make do by putting things up out of her reach.  We are all looking forward to experiencing this season through her eyes.

Cecilia is 9 months old now and boy is she active!!  We have to chase her around as she explores the house with her hands and her mouth.  She crawls very fast and often walks around the room.  It still surprises me when I see her walking around with things in both hands.  She's quite an expert at that.  The newest achievement is her ability to make a clucking sound with her mouth.  She does it when she wants to call a dog, a squirrel or her dad.  It's so cute.  She started doing it when she was playing with Rowdy at the Brubakers'.

Cecilia took her first step on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009.  She was behind me while I was chatting with Aidan on the computer.  I saw her step from the corner of my eye and I wrote to Aidan that I thought she took her first step and sure enough, I watched her take another step.  She wasn't proud or anything, but I was very excited.  When Aidan got home he wanted her to do it for him and she did 4 to 5 steps again and again.  She will attempt it every now and then, but when she really wants something, she'll crawl like mad to get it.  She normally stands up and walk along a piece of furniture.  I can't believe she's walking or attempting to walk already at 8.5 months.  She is also climbing up our very steep stairs.  We will be putting a gate up very soon.  

So, Cecilia is 8 months old and she is in the phase of squealing and screaming till our ears hurt. It's this high pitched scream that could break glass.  I have some of it recorded on a video, but she stops when she notices a camera recording any of her crazy acts.  She's a joy to have around and our days are never dull.  We look forward to all the firsts.  The holidays are coming up and even though she won't know what's going on, we sure are excited!  We will be spending thanksgiving in Missouri with Aidan's mom's family and Christmas at home.  Feel free to drop by!

So, it's fall and I know I haven't written in awhile, but with an active infant, it's a bit hard.  I'm lucky if I can get my teeth brushed by noon.  Cecilia is a proficient crawler but would rather walk.  She loves exploring the different rooms of the house and putting everything in her mouth.  She loves paper and plastic the most.  She chews everything she can find and has a taste for our magazines.  Cecilia has 6 teeth now, two on the bottom and four on the top.  She loves to eat anything and everything.  We have been sticking to the gerber organic stage 2 baby foods, but she likes her daddy's waffles and asks for whatever we are eating.  We recently got back from a vacation in American Canyon.  We were able to visit my brother's family and meet my nephew for the first time!  He is a very adorable one year old.  We love him so much.  Cecilia and Joshua got a chance to play together or rather near each other.  Joshua is hilarious and sounds just like my dad.  After awhile Cecilia got used to his grunts and growls, but at first she would cry every time he said anything.  My niece, Selah, is now five and she is such the superstar.  She loves to sing and dance and perform for us constantly.  She was in school everyday so we didn't get enough time with her, but I was also able to go watch her swim one day.  She just has so much energy!  We had a great time visiting family.  My sister and her husband was able to come up for a couple of days and my mom and dad were already there.  My aunty Dohn Dohn was there and she cooked some amazing meals.  Even Aidan's aunts, Liz and Nancy, came up for a visit.  Of course my brother and his wife were excellent hosts.  We love visiting them and wish we could do it often.

We dedicated Cecilia at CFC today.  It was a rough start since all three of us slept very poorly, but by the grace of God and everyone who prayed for us, everything went perfectly.  Our wonderful friends, Joyce and Emily, came down from Terre Haute and brought my dad with them.  They waited for us as we got ready and we actually got to church early (we are always late!) and that was a miracle by itself.  Ce started to look really sleepy and I was afraid that she would want to nurse, but Aidan held her and she was sooooo good!  We were pretty worried, because she was just unhappy pretty much all day yesterday.  She's getting over a cold and she's teething so she has not been eating well or sleeping well.  She was entertained by all the people and the music.  She even smiled a few times.  She just watched everyone and did not make a peep... even when Aidan prayed.  Aidan did such a good job.  I was very proud of the two of them.  Tay Mu video taped the whole thing and Emily took pictures.  Cecilia fell asleep promptly after the dedication and the music and stayed asleep for most of the sermon.  When she woke up, she just smiled at everyone and looked around.  She started to talk a bit, but wasn't too loud.  She behaved the whole time even when we went to lunch.  She ate some bread, a teething biscuit, and some pear.  When we got home, she was perfectly content until it was time for the Terre Haute people to go back.  She said her goodbyes and then was ready for her nap.  She napped about an hour and woke up ready to get on with the day.  The beautiful weather made it such a great day.  We felt so blessed and really felt all the prayers sent up for us.  Thank you, Jesus!

We went in for Ce's 6th month visit with her doc.  She's 27 1/4 inches tall and weighs 17 lbs 14 ozs. She is in the 90th percentile for height and 80th for weight.  She also got 4 shots (one for the flu) and she did awesome.  She cried for a minute (Aidan had to hold her, I couldn't look) and I almost lost it.  She's such a big girl.  She's starting to crawl on her hands and knees.  She's been scooting for quite some time... mostly backwards.  We will be baby-proof the house ASAP!

We just got back from Colorado and my mind is still there.  It was so beautiful and we met some awesome people. Cecilia did great during the whole trip.  She slept most of the plane ride and the car ride there and back.  We appreciate those quiet times. The weather was perfect and we truly did enjoy God’s amazing work. It was hard to leave, but we plan on going back often and we have enough pictures to keep the memories alive.  It made us feel pretty good that Cecilia did so well on the trip.  We plan on taking her to more places and introducing her to more people.  I think she really enjoyed the trip, but appreciated the rest when we got home.  It might just be us, but she looked bigger and older after the trip.  I guess that's life with a baby.  It flies!

Aidan's mom, Anne, came for a visit this weekend.  She showed up Saturday afternoon and left Monday morning.  It was a short visit, but a very nice one.  Cecilia had a wonderful time with her grandmother.  She talked and squealed and laughed a lot.  Saturday morning started out slow with us just hanging out watching movies.  We were itching to get outside by the time Anne arrived.  The weather was perfect and we headed out to Wesselman Woods.  Aidan put Cecilia in his new backpack and we hiked for a bit.  Ce fell asleep after a few minutes and woke up when we were almost at the end of the trail.  She did great on the drive and she even enjoyed saying hello to the ladies at our favorite Japanese restaurant when we went to pick up some sushi.

We headed out to do a longer hike on Sunday morning at the Audubon State Park in Kentucky.  She did great the while time.  It was the longest hike we had been on since I was pregnant.  Aidan did an amazing job with Cecilia on his back the whole way.  It was gorgeous weather all weekend and Cecilia enjoyed her time with her grandma.  She had such a great weekend and by her bedtime, she was so hyped up, it was hard getting her to fall asleep.  She was pretty tired this morning and slept most of the afternoon.  I'm so tired.  Aidan's napping right now and I wish I could get a few minutes of sleep too, but it's almost Cecilia's bed time.  I think I can make it!

Today is Aidan's first Father's Day!  Cecilia had a note for him waiting in the crib this morning and I gave him a framed picture of the two of them.  Aidan is a wonderful dad and I'm so lucky to have him as the father of my child.  He's patient, kind, loving, and generous.  The two of them have fun together and I enjoy watching them bond everyday.  I have always known that Aidan would make a great dad and I can't wait to watch both of them grow.

Aidan and I were able to go on a date last night thanks to Chris and Lady.  They were happy to watch Cecilia while we went out to our favorite Japanese restaurant.  We ordered a bunch of rolls and had a nice meal chatting.  We mostly talked about Cecilia and our future with her.  She has definitely taken over our lives.  Everything is so different now.  Our lives totally revolve around her.  We agreed that we both have changed and our relationship is different now.  We view each other differently and although we missed our alone time, we both definitely feel that our bond is so much stronger.  We just need to make it a point to have date nights and take the time to talk to each other.

Aidan and I went to see The Killers perform at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis with Becky.  It was an awesome concert and we had a great time.  It was long day for us since Cecilia kept us up the night before and then we had to take care of her when we got back to Terre Haute that night.  It was worth it to get out and see a great show.  They were so fun to watch and the venue was small and packed.

I started back at work last week.  I'm going to work only part-time, but I'm still trying to figure out my schedule.  Mom is staying with us right now, so I've been able to go in for a few hours three days a week.  I don't plan to work more hours than that, but I'm not sure how much I can accomplish.  It's been hard to leave Cecilia emotionally, but thank goodness that it's only for about three hours.  It's so good to come back home to her though.  Being out of the house has been good for me.  It makes me appreciate Cecilia more.  She's a delight, but she needs me so much.  She always wants to be held and I'm always nursing her.  I just don't feel like I have enough energy.  I'm getting more sleep, but it never feels enough.  It's not like catching on my sleep will help, because I'm exhausting myself by holding her and feeding her.  I'm sure all this will get better.  I'm so glad I have the help that I have.  I'm not sure what I would do otherwise.

I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and everything looks good. I am almost back to normal. This means that I won't have to go back until my annual exam. I don't plan on going back because I hate that place. I will eventually get a new doctor. This is good.

I had a wonderful birthday.  I would not have changed a thing.  The Brubakers came to visit and they are always awesome guests.  They were so fun to be around and very helpful.  Cecilia loved meeting her cousins and grand-aunt and grand-uncle.  She had a blast.  We went out to eat at our favorite Japanese restaurant and had my favorite, spicy tuna roll along with a bunch of other delicious foods.  It was the first time we had gone out to eat with Cecilia and she did great.  Of course Liz took care of her the whole time while I gorged on the food.  Afterwards, we went on a walk at the 4-H Center.  It was so good to be out in the sun.  I over did it a little bit though.  By the time we got home, I had to pop a pill and chill out.  Cecilia did well on the walk.  She wasn't quite ready for the sun and wind, but I'm sure she loved it.  We had to stop to take care of her a few times, but overall it was a success.  When we got home, we ate some cake and ice-cream.  Mom had sent a cake that she had baked and decorated for me with the Brubakers and it was so delicious.  She stayed up all night to bake it.  My mom is amazing and crazy at the same time.  There's no one like her.  She also had Tay Mu buy me flowers and left me a birthday card before she left.  I hope that I can be half as good a mom as she is... I think I wrote that correctly.

Mom went back to Terre Haute today.  Cecilia is exactly a month old and Dad's back home... it was time.  I'm so sad though.  It was really hard anticipating today and now that she's gone, I'm quite sad.  I know that she'll really miss seeing Cecilia everyday and I'm sure Ce will miss her.  Mom was very good to her and to all of us.  Mom would take over for me in the mornings so that I could get some sleep.  Now that she's gone, I'm a bit scared about my mornings.  I'm really going to miss her.  She had been with us since January 11th.  That's a long time.  She needs to spend some time with her husband and at her own house.  I know she's looking forward to seeing all her friends and attending her church and tending her garden.  I feel better knowing that she'll be happy doing her own things.  I'm just sad that Cecilia won't have her grandmother hugging and kissing on her everyday.  We'll just have to be enough for ourselves.  Oh yeah, Mom is only two hours away and she promises to come back whenever I need her.  We'll be seeing her again really soon.

I must say that I have an awesome support system. I've been going through some baby blues/postpartum depression stuff. Nothing too bad, but I just didn't feel happy.  I would get anxious at nights and haven't felt like eating eating at all. I've been talking to Aidan about it and that helps a lot. He just reassures me that everything will be okay and tells me how proud he is of me. I also get a lot of support from my friends through phone calls, Facebook, and emails. Each day gets a little better. I'm so thankful for everyone. My mom is also a huge help to me. She cooks and cleans and takes care of the baby when I've had enough. Sometimes she's too helpful. God is blessing us each day and we definitely feel His love through all the wonderful people around us.

I'm tired. It's hard being up all night with Cecilia. I love and adore every minute with her, but it's wearing me out big time. Even when she's asleep, I can't sleep because she makes these little noises. I worry about her all the time. It scares me that I'll be doing this the rest of her life! My back hurts from sleeping on the couch each night... or trying to sleep anyway. I pray that this period doesn't last too long. I'm not sure how long I can take this.

I went to the doctor today.  Everything is healing as it should!  I go back in four weeks for another check up.

It seems that we weren't quite ready for this baby to turn our lives upside down.  Our precious baby girl loves the night life.  She wakes up in the middle night and stays awake until dawn.  It's so awful, because this is when she is the cutest and most charming.  She just makes these adorable faces and noises.  We're falling more and more in love with her.  It seems we love her more than sleep.  I just can't wait till we can sleep through the night and also enjoy her in all her glory.

We had our first night home as parents last night. Needless to say that it was sleepless and exhausting. Aidan was a trooper getting up each time to take care of her. I'm healing from the C-section, so it's hard for me to bend and lift and do just about anything. My awesome husband is taking care of all my needs and the baby's needs as well. The baby did well. I'm having trouble getting her to latch on correctly on my breasts and plus the fact that I'm not producing any milk is making it hard on everyone. My nipples hurt really bad and I know how frustrating it is for Cecilia. We've started supplementing with formula so she's sleeping better and acting more alert when she is awake.

Cecilia was born March 3rd, 2009, at 12:26 PM.  She's absolutely perfect.

I got up to pee around 2 AM this morning and noticed something strange.  Apparently, I lost my mucus plug.  It looked pretty strange and thank goodness I was warned.  So, I started to have minor contractions and I am guessing that I've dilated some.  I'm not sure how much or how fast I'll go, but at least it's progress!  Today is Dr. Seuss' birthday, so it would be an awesome date to have this baby, but I'm also not going to be disappointed if it doesn't happen.

After weeks of not knowing what true contractions feel like, I think I finally know.  I started to have them recently and more on a regular basis last night and this morning.  It feels like bad cramps.  It feels like my body is trying to push the baby out.  I think we're definitely getting close.  So, she will be born in March instead of February.  I'm good with that.  My sister and her husband are here.  They are staying until early Wednesday morning.  I hope the baby decides to be here before they leave.  She is so excited.

Well, I had a rough night with my belly.  It's either my body getting ready for the labor or I just ate the wrong stuff.  I'm not having contractions or anything, but there's a tightening that is happening more frequently.  It seems every time I turn over or wake up, my belly just tightens up.  Maybe the tightening is waking me up.  I'm not sure how to describe it, but there's a lot of pressure when it happens.  I'm pretty sure it's the BraxtonHicks... but they're getting more and more frequent.

So, my baby likes my belly and my belly likes my baby.  She doesn't want to come out or my body won't let her.  Doctor says that there's no change in my cervix.  She had me do an ultrasound to see if everything was okay.  The baby is estimated to be 8 lbs and 4 ozs.  The fluid levels looked good.  The placenta is very mature and starting to calcify... considering that today was the due date, that's normal.  The baby is in good position... perfect position to come out.  She's ready, I'm ready... we're all ready!!!

So, I went in for a check up yesterday and there was no change.  Doc said that the baby is still growing and is a little big, but my cervix is about the same as last time.  Everything looked good.  I was a bit disappointed, but not too much.  I'm just waiting patiently.  I go back next Tuesday... on the due date and see where we are.  We discussed the pros and cons of induction and I really am not convinced that she should induce me.  If the baby is not ready to come out, I'm not going to force her.  If by next week, I'm not in labor, Doc wants to check on the amniotic fluid to make sure that it's not low.  I guess it's mostly baby at this point.

Aidan said that we will be trying out some natural induction methods this weekend.  He's convinced that the baby is coming this weekend.  He's the realist and I'm the optimist, so this is a good sign.  I had an upset stomach last night... I'm sure it was due to all the pizza I ate for lunch, but it made an unpleasant night and morning for me.  I was hoping that the baby had something to do with it.  Wishful thinking on my part.

So, I went in for my check up today.  I'm at 38 weeks and 2 days.  I had to wait over an hour for like a 5 minute check up.  I was patient though... ha!  Get it!  I just sat there thinking of how I didn't ever want to go back to that stupid hospital.  I can never find a parking space.  The receptionists there are clueless and I just don't like it there.  Okay, now to the verdict.  Nothing... no change.  I am close to dilating, but no cigar.  Doc said that she can feel the baby's head right behind the cervix, but no breakthrough.  It can happen any day though.  I get to go back for another check up in a week and see where I am.  After the due date, we'll have to figure something out.  I don't want to be induced.  I want it to happen naturally, but this little girl might just enjoy it my belly a little too much.  We'll see what happens next week!  Stay tuned!

So, I'm at week 37 and the baby is 7 lbs.  The doctor said that everything is good, but by the due date the baby should be at 8.5 lbs.  That means she's a little big and the doctor does not want me to go too long after the due date.  She examined me and she said the cervix is soft, but I'm not dilated or anything yet.  She said that does not matter, because I can still go into labor any time now.  The baby is in position and could come any day!  She's really down there now so it was hard to get a good picture of her face.  All I know is that she is chubby!  You can tell from the pictures!

On Tuesday, January 27th, Aidan and I woke up to the sounds of tree limbs breaking and falling.  Some were big enough to shake the ground.  We also heard the boom of transformers blowing out.  Then, our electricity went out.  That meant no heat and no light.  We were able to tough it out until Thursday, but it finally got to us.  We were stressed thinking about the house, my mom, my cousin, and the roads.  We heard that a third of the city was without power and it might take another week before they get everyone hooked up again.  When the power went out in the fall, it wasn't too bad, but the winter temperatures can sure make a difference.  Our house is getting colder and colder by the minute and we hope the water lines don't break.  Wednesday night, we were able to enjoy a hot dinner using the propane tank to cook outside.  We ate by candlelight and enjoyed listening to our battery operated radio afterwards.  We all bundled up under blankets and it was quite cozy even if we could see our breath every time we talked.  Thursday and Friday night we spent the night at my friend Linda’s house.  She was so kind to take us in.  All four of us moved in with our change of clothes and blankets.  We ate out both nights.

Saturday morning we headed out to Terre Haute for a bit of a reprieve and to collect Mom’s things.  We were able to get her shoes so she wouldn’t be walking around in her dressy slip-ons that are so dangerous on the ice and snow.  Aidan and I stayed at the Brubakers’ and Mom and Tay Mu stayed over at the Schwenks’.  God provided caring loving people in our lives and we are truly thankful.  I spent Saturday afternoon and evening in bed.  I just had to stop and rest.  I was so worn out and just didn’t want to tax my body anymore.  I was also a bit depressed about the whole matter.  I missed my house and wanted something stable so my baby wouldn’t be in danger.  I know she’s okay, but I just don’t know how the stress I was feeling was affecting her.  I was also tired from not sleeping well at nights and my hands and feet were pretty swollen.  I was feeling a bit sorry for myself.  The Brubakers fed us a nice home cooked meal and we were truly appreciative of that.  I felt much better on Sunday.

We got back to Evansville Sunday afternoon and checked on our house and the power was still out so that was a bit of a disappointment.  I was okay at first being in the house, but after awhile, I just had to leave.  Our house no longer felt like our home.  It was cold and dark and I just did not want to be in there.  We packed up and headed for Linda’s.  Mom cooked us a delicious Burmese meal (rice, chicken curry, salad) and that made us all feel a little better.  Mom was in her element cooking and serving.  All of us needed a bit of home to perk us up a bit.  We enjoyed watching Super Bowl together and thank goodness the Steelers won, because Mom would have gloated the whole night.  I did not have enough energy for that.  We woke up in better spirits, but Aidan has a bit of a chest cold.  It’s pretty minor, but that’s just something else we have going on.

I called our house this afternoon and our answering machine picked up.  My husband's voice on that machine sounds so sweet.  I love my house!  God is so good!

So, Aidan and I not only had one wonderful shower, but two!  We feel blessed beyond measure.  Just when we thought we were recovered from the high of the shower in Terre Haute, the staff of CFC threw us another amazing one.  We were blown away.  It was so well planned and decorated.  We were overwhelmed.  We had a lot of fun and the food was fantastic.  We had lasagna, salad, and cake!  It's like they know exactly what I like!  Mom was also able to attend the festivities and she met all my other mothers.  It was so great to have her see just how blessed we are at CFC.  Everyone was so nice and loving towards her.  Aidan had a great time at his first shower.  He and I were pretty emotional about it all.  We just don't feel we deserve all of these wonderful things!  They showered us with so many gifts and wonderful words of love and support.

Ann Fruit started it all off with just loving words of wisdom.  She described the baby as an empty suitcase that we need to fill with everything that she would possibly need to travel through life.  She then presented us with a bag full of blessings from the staff.  It contained love, compassion, joy, wisdom, humility, confidence in Christ and everything that our baby needed.  It was everything that I wanted and needed from our church family.  I had secretly hoped for all these blessings and it really was special to receive them.

We also played some fun games.  We played... name that baby food, baby themed word search, and guess which famous mother you are.  It was all too much fun.

We also went away with the stroller travel system and loads of other items.  One gift was a laundry basket full of clothes, sheets, bibs, socks, etc... all on a clothesline that we pulled out.  The line went on and on and on.  It was such a cute idea!  Our house is full of baby things and we just can't wait for the guest of honor.  She's doing well and is enjoying all the food, love, and comfort everyone is giving her via me!  God is so good!

Doctor's visit went fine on Monday.  She said everything looked good, but she wants to do an ultrasound at the next visit because my belly is measuring at 37 weeks and I'm actually at 34.  The size of the baby is probably normal, but she wants to make sure so I don't deliver a humongous baby.  We shall see.  I wonder how much it's going to cost me.

We also had our second birthing class on Monday.  That was a lot more informative than the first one... or at least we paid more attention.  She showed us a video of the different stages of labor.  It wasn't too bad.  When they showed the babies coming out, both of us got a little emotional.  I'm sure we'll both be crying when our time comes.  We learned breathing techniques and that was something else.  There were different stations that we rotated through for us to act out each technique.  Aidan kept making me laugh.  We weren't taking it as seriously as we should have been.  I hope he remembers it all, because I don't think I will.  At one point he had the other couples laughing at him.  My husband is a very funny man.  Oh yeah, he couldn't fully participate at first, because he didn't want his work pants to get dirty.  I can't wait till the baby pukes or poos on him.  It's going to be great!

I had a dream last night that they were doing an ultrasound and I saw the baby trying to say "Mama!"  She had dark hair and was smiling at me.  It was too much.  I wanted to get her out of there so she wasn't alone.  Only six more weeks!

So, our first birthing class was hilarious.  Well, it really wasn't.  It was okay.  I'm glad Aidan was with me.  He made it much more fun.  The lady was good at instructing and there was a lot of information.  I, unfortunately, hardly paid any attention.  I was tired and just didn't want to be there to be honest.  There were a lot of other couples there and one guy used to be a supplier for Aidan (plastics for Whirlpool, not drugs).  He and his wife are expecting a couple of days after we are.  We learned relaxation techniques and other things that I don't quite remember.  All I remember is how funny Aidan looked on his egg-shaped ball.  Oh and that I shouldn't over exert myself, because that can cause baby stress.  If the baby is stressed, she poops.  That means, she could be floating around in her poop and it could get in her lungs and everything!!  So, I'm going to make a shirt that says, "Don't stress me out, or my baby will poop!"  We have five more classes to go and they are showing a video of an actual birth at the next class.  I'm not sure if I can do this.

I sort of wobble when I walk.  There's this achiness down between my legs when I walk and I hope it's normal.  I was going to ask my doctor about it, but my appointment was canceled.  That's a whole other story that I don't have time to go into.  Let's just say that the people in my doctor's office are incompetent.  I'm glad I will be delivering at a different hospital.

Unfortunately or fortunately, we were not able to stay up to ring in the new year.  We almost made it, but being the old people we are, we turned off our lights around 11:30 PM.  We spent the evening watching a movie, Dark Knight, and a bit of the Twilight Zone marathon.  It was a very peaceful night.  I wish the rest of the night was just as peaceful.  We woke up to fireworks and gun shots around midnight.  Then around 2 AM, we heard a shot gun blast.  This scared us quite a bit.  It was hard to fall asleep after that, but then when we heard a hand gun go off a couple of times around 3 AM, we moved to the guest room upstairs.  We couldn't see anything or anyone and we panicked thinking that it might have been some sort of crime.  We still don't know what happened, but needless to say we started off our year asking God for protection and safety for us and our neighbors.  Hopefully, the rest of the year is full of PEACE and JOY!

We had a very relaxing day.  We did nothing except eat, watch t.v., and did a puzzle (Aidan and Tay Mu did).  It felt very weird not opening presents... with an exception of a present from Aidan's grandparents (Thank you Grandma Nikki and Grandpa Jerry!).  It was a very sweet present for the baby and a check for us.  To be honest, I missed the act of opening gifts, but I loved not being stressed about getting gifts for everyone and just focusing on family and the true meaning of Christmas (the birth of our Savior) felt really good.  We already have everything we need and if we can remind ourselves that material things don't satisfy, I think we will be better people for it.

We also know that this is probably our last year of peace and quiet on this special day.  We will be starting our very own traditions next year.  We might repeat some of the things we did this year, because they were so special.  Last night on Christmas Eve, Aidan read the "Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem after our nightly prayer.  I heard the first few lines and I was out.  It doesn't take much for me to fall asleep.  His voice is so soothing.  We woke up in the middle of the night and started to share what we did on Christmas in the past.  We were both very grateful for our parents who made this holiday a really special one.  We remembered the things that we did as a family and the special times that we had.  I honestly couldn't remember the things that I got, but really loved spending time with my parents and my siblings.  We eventually fell asleep again and woke up and kissed under the mistletoe I gave him in Mexico many years ago.  After Aidan brought us toast and hot cocoa in bed, I made mohinga, a fish soup with noodles, cilantro, and lime, and baygyaw, fried lentils in batter.  My family traditionally eats this on special occasions.  Mine wasn't as good as Mom's, but I tried.  I'm sure I'll get better with practice.

I'm still in my pajamas and haven't brushed my teeth, but what's the point... I'm going to bed in a couple of hours. 

Well, I opened my big fat mouth at the doctor's appointment on Friday and had to get a flu shot.  I got it right then and there.  I wasn't prepared for the ache I felt afterwords.  What was that about?  At least now, I don't have to think about it anymore.  The whole task of buying furniture and baby gear is still freaking me out.  I don't know what to get.  There's so much out there.  I just want someone to find the best and most inexpensive things that I truly need.  I don't want just a bunch of expensive junk that I'm never going to use.

So, life is good.  My husband is amazing as always and I'm very thankful for him.  He has gone way beyond his requirements as a good husband and is truly an angel these days.  I feel bad, because he can't have that connection with the baby like I do.  I try to make him feel the kicks whenever I feel them, but I don't think he'll truly feel apart of her world until she comes out.

I keep imagining what she looks like and I'm delighted to say that she's adorable in my imagination.  Christmas is almost here.  When I walked outside this morning, I smelled winter and it made me so happy for about two seconds.  I appreciate the warm office I work in and our warm home.

 So, Eleta would be glad to know that I have registered me and Aidan for Preparation for Childbirth classes.  They start January 5th.  I had no clue that they were for 6 weeks!  Who has that kind of time?  Well, we're signed up.  It should be interesting.  Also, after emailing my mom and Aidan's phone conversation with her, she has decided to come back in time for the shower.  I'm happy about it, but feel weird that I had to fight for it.  I'm not sure how I feel right now.  I don't think it would have been a big deal if this wasn't my first baby or if I had other relatives around.  I didn't think I was this needy, but I guess I am.

I have only 10 more weeks to go and I have to figure out the nursery, work schedule, rooms for guests, and what my mom's going to do when she gets here.  It's just all overwhelming.  The only thing that prevents me from actually hyperventilating or breaking out into a rash is the fact that the stress isn't good for the baby.  So, it takes all my energy to not think about that stuff.  I just sit and breathe and think about the baby.  I think about how once she's here, I'll have a whole new set of things to worry about.

Our furnace is making this horrible sound when it starts up.  Aidan took it apart and it's basically the motor for the exhaust blah blah blah.  Well, it sounds horrible and I know it's a matter of time before it quits.  Aidan called a place and they said they can come out on the 22nd.  I don't think we have that much time and it's hard to sleep at night when the furnace is making such a racket!  I'm hoping we get this whole thing fixed pretty soon, because I don't think I can survive with no heat or the lack of sleep.

Oh and my car has the whole check engine light on.  It makes me sad... very very sad.

So, just got back from the doctor's appointment...  Baby Girl is doing okay.  Her heart rate was normal... 150 and I checked out just fine.  I had to have my blood drawn for a routine gestational diabetes test.  They will call me in two weeks if I have to go back for further testing.  I should be okay, but you never know.  They just don't want me to have a really big baby.  I don't want that either.  I'm still trying to decide whether or not to get a flu shot.  I forgot to ask my doctor.  I don't feel comfortable with it, but... it's been nagging me.  I also am contemplating the whole labor class thing.  It might be wise to do that to prepare us somewhat.  So, plenty of things to think about...

It's snowing and it's beautiful!  This makes the stupidity of the MidWest and the cold weather all worth it... I love it.  I could just stare at it forever, but I can't.  It's just always so still and quiet when it snows.  It's just so magical and wonderful.  I love snow!

My nose started bleeding in the shower this morning.  That was awful.  I haven't had a nose bleed in a long time.  I think it had to do with the dry air, but it sort of scared me.  Then I had a headache for most of the morning.  It's gone now.  I was hating people yesterday and today, I was actually nice to those same people.  It might have been the Carmelado that I had this morning.  Life is good.  Nothing much to report as of today, but we did buy a bed from IKEA.  We probably won't have it set up for a few more weeks.  The box will just have to live in the garage for awhile.  It will be in the nursery/guest room.  I will take pictures.

We woke up this morning in a blue state!!  Both Vigo County and Vanderburgh County went to Obama.  What an exciting time!  It's so cool to be apart of something so historic.  My little girl's first president is going to be African-American.  It's amazing feeling.  I'm hopeful for this country.  I pray that he makes an awesome president and brings about some much needed change.  Please pray for our country.  I know a lot of people do not trust him, but I hope that he can prove those people wrong with time.  Ultimately, God is in control and He doesn't let things happen that is not of His will.  We must have peace with that fact and trust in Him.

We went to vote at 6:05 AM and got done around 7:30 AM.  It took me two minutes to vote, but the line was ridiculous.  It was great to see so many people come out to vote though.  It was a gorgeous morning and what an exciting day!  I'm sure I'll be dragging butt by the end of the day, but right now, I feel very satisfied that it's finally done.  We tried twice to vote early and were turned away because of long lines.  People are really impassioned this year and I can't wait to see the results tonight!  We had a fantastic weekend going to a wedding in Indy and then driving back down through Brown County.  I didn't get any good pictures from the wedding, but got some nice ones with the leaves in Brown County.  I'll upload videos from the wedding and pictures from Brown County soon.

So, we had our last ultrasound on Friday and we finally got to see her face.  Needless to say... she's perfect.  She has this beautiful mouth that I can't wait to smooch on.  She's been pretty active lately and she put up a good fight to get her picture taken.  She put up her little hands over her face and Aidan said she looked like a little boxer.  Aidan and I feel very blessed.

Just got back from Florida and boy was it nice! It was one of the most relaxing, easy, enjoyable trips we had ever taken. The weather was perfect. It was so much fun hanging out with Emily and Brett. Our fabulous host and hostess, Sean and Dana, were just so wonderful to us. They fed us well and showed us a great time. We want to thank them for their hospitality and their generosity. I hope to upload some videos soon, so check back!  Oh!  Here are Emily's Pictures: http://brettandemilygreenwood.shutterfly.com/133

Last night baby girl did a roundhouse kick to Aidan's head while he was trying to listen to my belly.  It was a funny and special experience for the two... three of us.  I think it startled Aidan, but I've been feeling the little pokes for awhile.  She's definitely active around 9:30 PM.  I know the "kicks" are going to be more and more prominent from now on.  I can't wait!

My back is killing me. It hurts to walk at times and if I turn a certain way, I can't help but utter a yelp. I am enduring this pain, because it's supposed to be part of the "joys" of pregnancy. I just hope it goes away soon.

I've just uploaded a picture of my brand new nephew. 10 lb. 9 oz., 22 inch. Born: September 27, 2008 at 4:49 PM.  Congratulations to my brother, Htee, and his wife, Mun Seng, and my niece, Selah.  I'm so in love!

I just created this site so that we can keep all of our media in the same place for easy access.  We are still in the process of uploading our recent ultrasound videos to youtube.

Feliz Navidad

Cecilia's rendition of this song... Merry Christmas!

Movie on 2011-11-09 at 15.39.mov

Amzi and Hiccups

Amzi laughing at Aidan's hiccups.

Amzi Drums

Amzi plays on Cece's drum that Papa Chris made for her. He's a natural.

Blue Birds

Cecilia singing some of Somewhere Over the Rainbow after swimming at the Longas'. She was quite tired but was very happy.

Yellow Slide

Holiday World!

Bahari River

Wave Pool

Slip and slide - Cecilia

Amzi in the pool

Cecilia Dancing

Cecilia dancing at the Henderson Blues Festival. June 17, 2011.

Baby Pool

Cece and Amzi in the baby pool. Amzi's first swim.

3/29/2009 4:58:20 PM - 001013612290
I found pictures I hadn't seen before and that always makes me happy! Congratulations Moo and Aidan, you will make the very best parents. Looking forward to seeing all of you soon...

3/16/2009 4:32:28 AM - 002051889974
Cecilia is gorgeous! The kids are enjoying the website and looking at the baby pics and videos. Congratulations again!!!

Love,
Will & Mary

3/16/2009 4:29:23 AM - 002051889974
Hi Cecilia! I am so happy you are born. I can't wait to see you. Hi Uncle Aidan and Auntie Moo! I can't wait to see you with your baby Cecilia.

Love,
Elizabeth Cross

12/7/2008 7:21:16 PM - 001012362594
Hey, I just read your post about birth/labor classes and I wanted to add that my friends who have had multiple kids all say it is an absolute must, especially if you are going to try and go drug free. But even if you're going to have an epidural (spell?) they say it's really really helpful and makes everything much easier. So if you haven't started some classes or looked into them, I would strongly suggest it. :)

10/14/2008 4:07:43 PM - 000090791030
Aidan's webpage rocks!  I love those pictures of you guys...crackes me up! 

9/30/2008 2:51:19 PM - 002031691052
You guys are awesome!  I watched the videos, it's so exciting.  You will be great parents. 

9/29/2008 12:32:13 PM - 000090791030

I love your webpage.  I can't wait to go home and watch the youtube videos. 

Emily and Brett Greenwood Shutterfly Website.