My little tadpole

Isabel had her very first swim experience in the YMCA pool this past Friday. She was so funny. The Y has 2 pools and a whirlpool room. The smaller pool is a lot warmer than the big pool- it felt like warm bathwater- which was great for her. The minute her and I entered the pool, she started giggling and kicking her little frog legs. She absolutely loved it. They have a lot of fun things for the kids to play with in the family pool, like swim boards, swim noodles, little rubber duckies floating around, balls... she had so much fun playing with everything. Her favorite was the ball. So, first time swimming was a hit. Planning on it being an every Friday night family night at the Y. (It's crazy. Friday nights are our only nights free out of 7 days a week - the only day without gymnastics and hockey practice, guitar lessons, games or meets, or Kendel's hockey practice and games too). Abby is a fish- she loves to swim, so she is happy about that. She is great at diving. Diving with Daddy last Friday. You can only imagine how much more graceful Abby's dives were as opposed to Daddy's near belly flops. lol Poor Thaniel has been afraid to enter the pool, even though he lovesswimming too, because his eczema has been acting up and his legs are really hurting him- so dry and irritated. So he skipped the swimming and played racquetball instead. Anyhow, it was a fun time. Thaniel has his home hockey tournament this weekend, so it is going to be crazy busy. 3 days of hockey, hockey, and then some more hockey, then Kendel has games on Sunday and Monday nights. No rest for the weary...

Just bought Isabel a riding/walking toy. She can either sit on it and scoot around, or you just adjust it and flip the seat up, and she can use it to hold onto/push while walking without mommy's help. She has been doing great. I foresee her walking and taking her first few steps on her own any day now. She has the whole standing and balancing thing down all by herself, now we just need to add some steps, and she's good to go. She's pushing that toy around all over the living room, then decides "I'm so done with this, now I just want to sit down and play with the toys on it..."

This weather can go to 'h' 'e' double hockey sticks! I'm so sick of winter I could just puke, and then puke some more! Actually, no, but I am so sick of this cold nasty winter- frigid temps, snow piles up to your chin... I'm praying for an early spring. Pray with me!!!!

Well, time to go make goulash while Isabel is napping. Gonna put it in the slow cooker. I love slow cookers. They make life a lot easier.

See ya.

Hello... and goodbye

Isabel has now mastered the art of opening and closing her hands and says a high pitched 'hi' to you and will wave goodbye to you! And her new favorite thing to do is turn the tv off and on. She is attracted to the light on the on/off switch on the front of the tv, and it is within her reach, so she is a magnet to it. Made Kendel put a piece of black tape on it to hopefully detract her from seeing it and pushing it. So far, so good. Out of sight... out of mind. For now anyway... she was a little girl with a one track mind yesterday. It didn't matter how many times she was told 'no' and taken away from the tv. The word 'no' does not phase her one bit. She thinks I'm being funny when I say it to her. She just looks at me and smiles the minute I'd put her down and head straight back over there. Same thing with the Christmas tree, cupboards, drawers, printer. She's relentless. She is just starting to learn how to show she is mad at you for not letting her have her way. If I take her away from something she shouldn't be doing, I try to distract her by giving her something else to play with. She swats it away or throws it on the ground and then whines and kicks to be put down or flails her hands up and down in the air, and if you are within her reach, you might get hit too! Starting tantrums already!!!! She gets over it quickly though. She's does the same thing if she see's me and wants me to pick her up- she usually only gets whiny like that if she is getting tired. Oh, the joys of temper tantrums!

I have been working with Isabel on brushing her teeth after every meal. She loves this! First I brush her teeth with the finger brush and baby toothpaste so I can scrub her teeth and gums good, then I give her her baby toothbrush to chew and brush with. I show her how mommy brushes her teeth, and she is a quick learner. She imitates everything you show her. She is a sponge. I told Thaniel and Abby they better stop fighting and arguing with each other, especially in front of her, otherwise she is going to learn and think that is how you're supposed to treat each other. She watches and listens to everything going on around her. She's a smart cookie.

This past weekend

So, this weekend was the usual running around for Abby and Thaniel's meets and games. Thaniel had a game in Kenosha on Saturday, and a game on Sunday in Cedarburg. Won both. Abby had a meet on Sunday. Left the house at 11:40am, meet was in Brown Deer. Had to be there by 12:30pm for warm up and walk in, then meet was supposed to start at 1pm. Yeah right! Didn't start until after 1:30pm. Competition was supposed to be from 1-3:30pm, then awards afterwards. Well, let's just say we didn't get out of there until after 5pm. These gymnastics meets are whole day ordeals!!!! Thank god they had an upstairs viewing area that we could sit to watch her from above, so that I had room to let Isabel crawl around and play and eat up there. We would have never survived in the bleachers for that many hours!!! Sad to say, you only actually see your daughter perform all 4 of her events (beam, floor, bars, vault) for a total of less than 10 minutes- the rest is all waiting for rotations and the inbetween practice time on each event before they actually perform. UGH!!! But she loves it, so what can you do?!! It is worth it for her, it just isn't exactly easy with Isabel. I feel bad for her not being able to crawl around and do what she wants. That's a lot of being held and having to stay in one place for such a long time. She was happy when we got home, that's for sure! Abby's team placed 2nd place- last meet they placed 3rd. So they have placed in the top 3 so far at every meet. Abby hasn't won any individual medals yet, but she is improving every meet. So hopefully she will soon. She has some tough competition. There are girls competing that have been in gymnastics a lot longer than her. I think Kendel now realizes what I go through at the meets- he realizes I wasn't kidding when I said there is nowhere to sit, that it is crazy at these meets and is an all day ordeal between hours at the competition plus driving time. We could have easily eaten both lunch and dinner there at the time it was taking from start to finish!

Isabel has been drooling alot again- I think she'll soon start teething on the top now. She only has her two bottom teethers so far. She is kind of a late teether. Didn't start getting teeth through until after 9 months. So, slowly but surely! She'll be walking soon! Mommy and Isabel have been practicing. She has been walking along things and has been doing a lot of standing and balancing on her own, not holding onto anything. She has taken one step towards me before leaning the rest of the way towards me for me to grab her. So, she is doing really good! Can't wait for her to start walking- yet dread it at the same time! She is a bundle of energy- she crawls at lightening speed everywhere, so you can't take your eyes off of her for a second, or she's gone. And trying to wash her face, change her clothes or diapers have turned into wrestling matches around here! She doesn't sit still for a second! A little squirmy worm. I get a workout trying to wash her up or change her. She loves baths, but hates her hair washed. She damn near drowns herself trying to get away from me when I'm trying to wash her hair. Even though I have one of those containers that has a soft rubber part you put against their forehead so that it forms a seal around their head so the water is supposed to stay out of their eyes. Well, yeah right, if they actually sat still and put their heads back nicely for you! I think I'm going to have to get her an actual bath visor she can wear instead, because the other option isn't working.

Well, Kendel still is doing well at work. Not sure if this is something he wants to do for the rest of his life, but it pays well, and even though it isn't exactly what he wants to be doing in his line of work (it has to do with what he does, just not the aspect of it he'd like to be working on), he's lucky to have just been transferred to a different department instead of being let go again. We're lucky he still has a job at all, so we're thankful for that.

Thaniel's grades have been improving at school. I'm very proud of him. He has been enjoying hockey, and has had two electric guitar lessons so far since Christmas. He got the electric guitar for Christmas from Mom and Kendel, that he had been begging for for quite some time, and lessons too.

Abby has been doing very good at her gymnastics, and school is going good too. She will soon start piano lessons once I find someone who will come to the house (to save me less running around than I already do) to do it. The piano was given to us by Kendel's mom Kay. Abby is VERY grateful that we have it here now. She has been impatiently waiting for us to get from there house to here, and now that it is here, she is playing it quite a bit. Thank you OMA!

Nothing new with me, other than I have rejoined the YMCA by changing our membership from Abby only back to family. Have been back once so far walking with Isabel in the stroller on the indoor track while Abby was at gymnastics practice and Kendel and Thaniel were playing racquetball. It truly is a great way to spend time as a family- getting exercise, and getting to swim is always fun too for the kids. I'm going to be humiliated to be caught in a swim suit right now, but I will wear a t-shirt over it and try not to think too much about it. Once I get in the pool with Isabel, I'll be fine. I have never been so heavy in all my life, and look forward to losing the weight slowly but surely since I'm still breastfeeding and losing it too quickly like I've done in the past wouldn't be good for Isabel. I will be really proud of myself once I start to lose. It sure is more difficult to get those first few pounds of that you want to lose when you get older. Nothing gets easier, that's for sure. My whole body hurts from all this extra weight. I don't want to be one of those moms that have to watch from the sidelines while their little ones are playing because they don't have the energy or the flexibility to get down and play with their little one. I want to be the active mom that is always running around with the kids and playing with them, not just watching them! So, I have to keep my eye on that vision. Spring is coming up soon, so I'm hoping to lose at least 20 pounds over the next 4 months. Even just that would probably make me feel better- my feet and back won't hurt as bad, and I won't feel so lethargic all the time. So, please wish me luck! I wish I had a workout partner, but don't know anyone... yet. All family and friends live too far away. Maybe I'll meet some other moms when going to the Y. Here's to hoping!

Well, that's about it for the time-being. Everyone take care, and hope Oma and Opa are enjoying the weather in Texas until March.

Love to all!

Latest pics

Isabel hanging out with the dogs on movie night with the family.

Isabel comparing tootsie toes with Newton! Too cute!

Still playing with Newton's tootsies!

Her new favorite seat in the house- the step stool. She is so cute when she sits on it- she swings her feet back and forth and gets really excited!

Isabel sitting on the stool again- she escaped me when I had just taken her pj's off to put her clothes on! Dressing and changing her diapers have turned into wrestling matches around here!

Had to include cute food face! She is having fun learning to feed herself!

Licking her fingers clean!

Daddy and Newton having snuggle time.

Just a cute face! Happily crawling and playing around!

Tired, messy food face!

Practicing waving goodbye. Almost has it down!

Playing footsie with Newton again!

Thaniel's hockey tournament in Rhinelander

Thaniel and Kendel were gone the past two weekends for Thaniel's hockey tournaments. Last weekend they won the Green Bay Tournament! 1st place! woo hoo!!!!!! Unfortunately this weekend up in Rhinelander didn't go as well- I believe they got 4th...? Abby spent the weekend visiting Nattie, Maria and Jarod at Uncle Chris and Aunt Wendy's house, and Isabel and I stayed home by ourselves. Unfortunately, Rhinelander was too far of a drive and too cold to go with Isabel, and would have been 3 days in a hotel room. Didn't think it was a good idea, so unfortunately Mom missed this, but Kendel tried to get some pictures for me, but a lot of them turned out blurry or dark. So here are some of the better ones. Kendel said the one picture is of this giant 'hodag' thing that is their mascott, and when their team scores, it supposedly comes out of the ice cave and the eyes light up and smokes or something. Interesting, to say the least!!!

Abby will be having her second meet this weekend in Brown Deer, so depending on when Thaniel's game is, they might be able to come to see her after his game, since it is in the morning, and she probably won't compete until the afternoon, so they might make it on their way back from Kenosha. They'd stop at the meet on the way home.

Gymnastics meet

Abby's First Gymnastics Meet

Abby's first gymnastics meet was in Waukesha this past weekend. She was very nervous, yet excited all at once. This was her first competition EVER! She did very good for her first time. I was very proud of her.