The Ives Story

Will we ever get this all home????

2011-02-27T19:39:00.001-08:00

So after 4 different Christmas' all in one trip you can imagine that we went home with a lot more than we came with. After this trip we did determine that we would need a van with the next child. This CVR would not hold anything else. We do travel with our dogs in a kennel so in all fairness that does take up about 1/2 of the very back. We didn't have room for the car, but we did manage to save room for Lanie (barely)!!!

Christmas #4

2011-02-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

Our fourth and final Christmas was at my Grandma Dot's. Lanie had to take a nap in the afternoon so we started opening presents without her. So if she looks a bit sleepy in the pics she went directly from nap to opening presents. Tough life! Again I now know that I have to really step up my game with pictures and get some of Lanie actually with family. Better luck next year!!!

Lanie really liked this piano. For a short second I thought we might should get one for her. Then I came to my senses and determined we already have plenty of loud toys. She does however love music and dancing so I am sure at some point we will break down and get this girl a keyboard who knows she may even actually want to learn to play someday.

Christmas #3

2011-02-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

Later on Christmas eve we met up with all the Bratten's. We always have quite the crowd so we meet in the fellowship hall at the church. We don't see the whole family but about 2-3 times a year and we missed last Christmas so this was the first time Lanie was really big enough to interact with all her cousins. She wanted to be right in the middle of all the bigger kids presents. Luckily Ella let Lanie play with her fun dress up stuff.

Christmas #2 - My Parents

2011-02-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas at my parents was a lot of fun. We got up on Christmas Eve for opening presents. I again did not do a great job of taking pictures, but here are a few. Of course all she wanted to do the whole time we were there was go to the shop to ride in her "go car" with Papa. As you can imagine Papa never said no!!

Mixer for baking up some cookies.

Pots and Pans. Someone had given a tip that Lanie likes to cook at her kitchen.

Feeding her new baby.

Highway to the Danger Zone

2011-02-25T19:51:00.001-08:00

Grandma and Papa got Lanie a Jeep Powerwheels which Papa stood in line for 1.5 hours on Black Friday to purchase. We are huge Black Friday participants which brings me the idea of doing a blog about that day (or actually would be better described as that night). Anyways back to this jeep. My parents couldn't wait till Christmas to give Lanie this present. They could barely stand waiting until we got there. Plus we were going to be getting some colder weather so they wanted her to have time to ride it. We ended up just putting it in Papa's new shop. She drove that car round and round and round. She still isn't quite getting the steering part. However the pedal to metal that she understands.

1st time to sit in the Jeep and somehow already knows exactly what to do.

Round and Round and Round in Papa's shop we go.

Papa's shop was still pretty cold at this point, but during our trip the men installed the wood stove so the shop was soon very toasty.

Tinky even got in on some Jeep action. I am not sure how I even got this picture, she bolted right afterward.

The men working on the wood stove. This monster used to heat our house. I had to inform my dad of the memories I have of cutting wood every weekend to put in that darn stove to heat the house. Need less to say I did not enjoy it. Poor Bart had never cut wood before so he actually volunteered to go help out my Dad. I am not sure you will ever catch me cutting wood again unless I am very desperate.

Grammy Karen's Christmas

2011-02-25T19:24:00.001-08:00

Lanie had a Christmas morning at both Grandparents houses just on two different days! She had a great time at Grammy Karen's and got some great gifts. Thanks again Grammy Karen, Uncle CJ, and Aunt Libby!!!!!

Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

Twas the night before Christmas. Grammy K got Lanie this really neat stuffed animal that told the night before Christmas story. She was mesmerized by the mouth actually moved with the words. We listened to it over and over just a few times (more like 10). We hope to make this a new tradition for the night before Christmas at Grammy Karen's!!!

One of the few times that she has actually sat still in someone's lap

Let's just say my mother n law really likes me or at least I think she used to. She not only got Lanie a popper but also a music roller. She had to have one for both hands right? Funny thing is she plays with them a lot at the same time. Daddy and Lanie often have races with these two FUN toys right before bedtime when we are attempting to run down her energy.

GK also got Lanie this crazy doll that laughed anytime someone even came close to it or it would just go off at random times. I have to admit that I have not replaced the batteries in this toy after the ones that came with it ran out. Sorry GK!!! Someday I will feel guilty and replace them (someday I just don't know when at this point.)

I realize that I completed slacked on taking pics. I mean I didn't even get any pics with Lanie and the fam. I promise to do better next time.

Opening our first presents of the Christmas Season

2011-02-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

We always open up our presents at home before we leave to visit our families the week of Christmas. Here are Lanie's few gifts that we got for her: 1st lego set, little people nativity set, and new backpack. She was very meticulous with unwrapping the paper on the presents. She wanted every little piece of wrapping paper off and believe you me she wasn't stopping until she completed the task. As she opened more presents she even started putting her paper directly into a trash bag. That's my girl!!! We had to be very watchful with Lanie around any other presents since she had learned how to unwrap. She thought all presents were hers. It's a lot for a year old to figure out so we just did our best at making sure she didn't get her hands on any other presents.

Christmas Decorating

2011-02-25T18:40:00.000-08:00

Lanie was big enough this year to help us put up the Christmas tree. We always try to put the tree up right before we leave for Thanksgiving since we visit our family for about a week. She was very very interested in every part of putting up that tree. She surprisingly really got that tree figured out. Granted it took about twice (or maybe longer) to put up the tree, but we enjoyed listening to Christmas music while having quality family time. Bart was also in on the action but ended up taking all the pictures. I kinda wish I would have traded him places after looking at these pics. Sorry about my appearance and wardrobe! The first set up pics happen to fall on an OSU game day. I can't quite remember what game it was, but it was a big one so we are sporting our orange.

Finished project!

We bought some new stockings this year. Couldn't quite get them to hang right to capture all our names for the pic, but they are pretty cute.

Happy 1 1/2 Birthday

2011-02-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

On November 19th, Lanie turned 1 1/2 years old. As I am writing this now she is only 3 months away from turning two. I have no idea where the time goes, but I am making an attempt to take advantage of every moment I am blessed with. I know the first two pics below are very much the same, but they were both just so darn cute I couldn't chose.

Other Children

2011-02-25T12:52:00.001-08:00

Thought I would do a small post for our other children Tinker Bell and Jazmine. We do still have two jack russells. They have lost a lot of their attention due to Lanie joining our family, but they are still loved. Lanie loves her puppies and they love her!!!!!

Trick or Treat

2011-02-25T12:39:00.001-08:00

We debated back and forth about trick or treating this year and then finally decided to go for it. We put Lanie in her wagon and just went around our neighborhood to a few houses. Lanie loved to put on her costume. I am going to remember the concept of buying a costume you can slip on over any clothes anytime you want. Easiest costume ever and pretty cute too if I might add. She really didn't know what was going on but being the social butterfly she is (no pun intended) so liked going to say hi to all our neighbors.

As we were walking around Lanie started taking some candy out and putting in in the bottom of her wagon. Bart turned around at some point and said it looked like she had something in her mouth. So we stopped to turn around for a good look. She wasn't chewing or anything so we carried on. We started to keep a better eye on her back in that wagon. Every time we turned around she would just look at us like...what I'm not doing anything wrong. Finally in a moment of weakness we caught her chewing. She has bit a peanut M&M package open and was slowing enjoying them. That lil stink!!! She hadn't even had peanuts yet. We will remember this for many years to come. The fact that she hid it from us a 1 1/2 years old tells me we are going to have some challenging, adventuresome, yet fun years ahead.

Pumpkim Patch

2011-02-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

We had our now annual visit to the pumpkin patch. This year we went with Lanie's daycare field trip. We had a pleasant time. No one got bit by any animals. They also moved the pigs to a pin in which they cannot be fed. This may or may not be because I called them after my incident last year when one of them tried to take my finger off. At least they took me serious since the guy laughed at me on the phone. Not a good idea when I am already perturbed. I'm already looking forward to next year!!

Pin the pigs now reside in!

Corn maze. Took a few trys and short cuts but we managed to find the way out.

Kids enjoyed the wagon for the long maze.

This is Lanie's favorite spot in this stroller. She will just sit in it when they are playing outside since it has buckles which she is obsessed with.

Cowgirl Lanie

2011-02-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Not happy about this pre church photo session.

Lil bit happier but not about to look at the camera cause I know that is what mommy and daddy want me to do.

Alright I am done...gotta make my get away quick.

What another pic with mom?

and Dad??

Not the best model this morning but could have been much worse. We had to capture these pink cowgirl boots Aunt Kassidy got for her. I am sad to say that I was going to have her wear them a few weeks ago and her foot wouldn't fit. :(

Tulsa State Fair

2011-02-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Someone else feeding the camel. You will understand after you read the below comments.

I was getting worried this ostrich was starting to think bad thoughts so we moved further away directly after getting this pic. Not sure why Lanie looks so unhappy. O wait she really doesn't like to be constrained to be still so I am sure that is it.

Big Pink Fire Truck

We did bring her stroller, but she was tired of it at this point. So now she is enjoying playing/pulling mommies hair. Notice her hair is getting a bit longer yet still curly.

Daddy's so tall she can see everything sitting on his shoulders.

We do try to attend the state fair every year. Lanie loved the food but she was not big enough to ride rides or anything like that. So we went to the petting zoo. Unfortunately Lanie's first Fall we went to a pumpkin patch/petting zoo. I actually got bit my a pig. Darn thing tried to take my finger off. That event has pretty much ruined petting zoos for my children as I won't let Lanie feed any animal with her hands now. Yes I do admit that I am over protective, but she only has 10 fingers and I would prefer she keep them all. Luckily they had these little shovel type things to put the food on to feed the animals. So we did get to partake in feeding them just not with our hands. A few days after our fair visit we learned that we totally missed a building with a whole bunch of kid friendly activities. At least we know for next year!

Chuck E Cheese Please

2011-02-25T11:36:00.001-08:00

Watching a game with her buddy LiLi (Eli).

She Loves slides.

This is the face of someone ready to dominate.

Daddy showing her how the game works. Of course if you know Lanie she did it her way anyways.

O WOW!!

Meeting Chuck E Cheese for the 1st time.

She's not scared of much of anything. (Except Santa which we learned a few months later)

We met some friends at Chuck E Cheese. This was Lanie's first time and she loved it. She ran from game to game. It is fun to be able to let her enjoy kid friendly places for a special treat.

PARK

2011-02-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is a short post but wanted to show you Lanie's favorite big red car in her favorite park. We go here every time the weather is nice. Also notice the hair progression over the next few posts.

Going Somewhere??

2011-02-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

One day Lanie got on this kick of "packing her car" with all her toys. It was fairly entertaining watching her lil mind work through this process. We finally just started handing her toys for her to pack since everything she got out of the car to get more toys everything would fall out. Then she would get frustrated and start all over. One thing about it this is one determine lil girl. Once she gets her mind set there is no way she is a changing it. Note: I have no idea where that trait cam from!

July......R U KIDDING???

2011-02-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

So for everyone out there who keeps up with my blog and continually only have seen the update I did in July...I'M SO SORRY!!! What can I say, life got a lot hectic and the blog seemed like the logically choice of something to give up for a bit. Then you know how it goes once you get out of the habit of doing something it is soooo hard to get back into it (ex. exercising).

The end of 2010 taught me a whole lot about life, work, and family. I have learned what my limits are and that I truly am going to do my best to not allow myself to get past that point again. It all started with work picking up quite a bit. I mean for 3 months I worked 55-60 hours per week which meant LONG days and working on the weekends so therefore other things had to slide. Any "free" time was spent with Lanie (and the hubby) and cleaning the house for an occasional house showing. O yes don't forget our house was on the market (and still is) during this time as well. I essentially had to give up all my time off during the holidays to meet some deadlines. We still traveled to see our parents so they could enjoy Bart and Lanie's company and occasionally get to see me during my breaks.

I have been debating back and forth on whether to just start updating the blog starting at the current moment in time OR trying to play catch up and updating it for some events over the last few months. I was leaning towards the first option until I read a blog last night about mother's are memory keepers for their kid's lives. Pretty much a punch in the gut!!! I know that I have slacked on taking pictures let alone downloading them/printing them. I am just not the scrapbooking or anything creative for that matter type of person. I have tried to do various projects with friends and always just seem to make myself feel worse and inadequate. So I am making a pledge to myself to make blog books for my children so they can make all memories documented. Yes I know that means I HAVE to be much more diligent about updating my blog. So here's to a new year (wait are we already almost in March).....Here's to the rest of this year to keep my blog up to date for my poor child's sake. I truly want her to have pictures to look back on to remember all the fun family events we do. So now I need to get busy with catch up!!!! (Wonder how many hours this will take).

Tulsa Zoo

2010-07-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

Mark July 17, 2010 down as the hottest day on record in 2010. What did you do that day?? Well the most intelligent Ives' went to the Tulsa Zoo. Nobody told us it was going to be the hottest day ever (well maybe we didn't watch the news). Anyways I knew it would be hot, but foolishly thought that if we went first thing in the morning we would be ok. Actually it was an unplanned outing which doesn't happen all that often for us. We got to the Zoo around 10:00 and were out of there by 11:30 when the heat index was already 110. Lanie did miss her morning nap besides the 10 minutes she feel asleep on the way in the car (which also never happens). We overall had a great time besides the heat. Lanie was getting too tired and hot and honestly wasn't all that interested in the animals probably because of the hot and tired thing. Afterward we found a Braum's and grabbed some lunch. Notice the last pictures of Lanie stuffing her face. She loved her some Braum's fries. Also a special side note, the FREE ice cream with the order of a combo meal completely hit the spot after near heat exhaustion.

Kid's Camp 2010

2010-07-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ridin' the bull!!!!

Isn't this picture so funny?? They are like checking each other out.

Crazy girl is all I can say.

Keep away from Lanie.

Lanie with her best bud Jared.

Lanie even helped out nurse Lori.

Three years ago we received a call from our Children's minister inviting us to be counselors at Kid's Camp. We were unsure with all the logistics at first, but prayed about it. We made the decision to go for it. Three years later I would have to say it was a pretty good decision. We both loved the camp experience. We have a set bible study to teach the kids that ties into the lessons from the pastors. They have awesome activities for the kids to have fun and get messy with in the afternoons. After our first camp adventure we knew this was something we would do again. Last year I decided to stay home since Lanie was just 2 months old. I didn't want to expose her to the July heat and let's be honest nursing in the middle of the night on a bunk sounds less than desirable. So I spent the week with my parents while Bart made the trip to camp. This year our family of three all adventured to camp. Yes we did take our one year old with us. Lanie (all of us) had a complete blast. Lanie's nap schedule couldn't have worked better with the camp schedule. We also had a couple of youth from the church to help us out with entertaining Lanie. I didn't take a whole lot of pictures because I never seemed to have my camera when I needed it. I will admit it was a crazy busy week keeping up with Lanie and camp responsibilities, but I wouldn't change a thing. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. For the life of me I can't figure out out to get the text above the pictures (please somebody help me!!).

Going one, Going twice

2010-07-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

We have decided to put our home on the market. We are truly out of room since we are using our 3rd bedroom as a full time office. We work from home so can't really see a way around it. We have decided to build a lil bit bigger house in a near by neighborhood. I actually can't wait to be in that neighborhood. It seems such a great place to raise kids. On another note I am truly saddened to leave our current home. We love it so much. It was our first home as husband and wife. The home we brought our first child home. Lanie has met so many milestones in this home. It is emotional for me, but I know it has to happen in order for your family to expand further. Now before anyone speculates we are not pregnant just planning for the the future years.

If anyone knows of someone looking for a nice home in the Jenks area send them our way. It is going to be quite an adventure keeping our home show ready all the time, but hopefully it will be worth it.

http://www.tulsarealtors.com/Pictures.aspx?MLSNUM=1020427

Happy Independence Day

2010-07-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July on a Sunday is such a treat. I loved having a church service acknowledging the freedom that God has provided for us and soldiers that have fought for it. For one holiday this year I did remember to take a family picture after church. As you can see Lanie is already half asleep from missing her morning nap. We had a cookout with the Alexanders that evening. You can bet we had great food between Bart and Cheyenne. Menu was bacon chicken bites, bacon wrapped banana peppers (scrumptious), corn on the cob, potatoes, sauteed spinach, and a flag cake. Lanie loves playing with Bailey and Avery (or at least loves their toys). She stayed up till about 9:30 that night which hardly ever happens. She was mesmerized by the fireworks that we could see from our backyard. Again such great family time with good friends!!

Yee Haa

2010-07-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

The weekend prior to the 4th of July we went to Freedom Fest at Ridgeway Church in Sapulpa. We have went the past several years, but this is the first time we got to enjoy all the fun stuff for kiddos. Lanie loved the ponys and all the food. She was too small for all the inflatables, but the ponies made up for it. She of course wasn't scared one bit. Poor Bart didn't get in any of the pics because someone has to take the pics right. Notice my excessive grip. I just can't ever trust that she won't just decide she is done riding and try to bolt off. Such a great family evening!!

Vacation to Lake of the Ozarks

2010-07-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June we traveled to Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, MO. Our condo was right on the water as you can see from the pictures from our balcony. However we didn't get on the lake once. We didn't have much planned for the week besides relaxing and SHOPPING. There was an outlet mall 5 minutes away from the condo. Bart and I usually don't do much shopping, but boy did we have a shopping spree. We went to the mall everyday multiple times a day. It was just so nice to not have to rush and shop as long as we wanted. Of course we did have to shop around Lanie's nap schedule, but thanks so my parents we go to shop during her afternoon nap because most of the time they needed a nap while she was napping as well. I think she tends to wear them out. She is a very busy girl and keeps everyone on their toes constantly. We had such a great relaxing time and were so thankful my parents were able to come with us. We had a 3 bedroom condo which meant Lanie got her own room which was also a blessing since she goes to bed at 7:30. We had a hot tub on the balcony which you better bet I enjoyed every evening. I didn't take a whole lot of pics because let's face it we didn't do hardly anything. O on a side note we also had a massage therapist that actually came to our condo for a stress free massage experience. The best part of our vacation was coming home on a Friday. We had the whole weekend to do laundry, clean house, and get caught up before starting the work week (and reality). I totally recommend!!

1st Haircut

2010-07-09T19:44:00.001-07:00

After Lanie turned one I broke down and got her first haircut. It was long long overdue, but I had made up my mind to wait to cut her hair till she was one so that is what I did. She did great. I think the 2nd to the last picture is so funny. She was looking at Daddy saying why are you letting them do this to me?? Her haircut turned out really cute and made her look like such a big girl. We have had to already go back for another hair cut. Her hair grows so fast and it is getting more and more curly which I love since I have thin straight hair. Looking forward to a life time of hair adventures!

Fun Adventures

2010-07-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting this picture. This lil goat had gotten out of the pen and hurt its lil nose. They were taking this lil guy to my Grandpa's to get doctored up. I might add that I had to catch this goat twice. I guess I still have some country in me.

This is my rocker chair from my childhood. My mom has saved it all this time.
Lanie really enjoyed it as you can see!!

Hope you enjoy the pics they are just a few from all our summer fun. This girl loves the water and out doors. At this point I don't have much to say. I think the pics kinda speak for themselves!

Water Fun

2010-05-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Lanie got a lot of good water toys for her birthday so the day after her party we decided it was warm enough to give them a try. This was her first time in a bathing suit. I know I am the mom, but I think that bathing beauty is pretty darn cute. I had to include the pic of Lanie and mommy since they are few and far between (I had just got back from a run).

1st Birthday Party

2010-05-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Again Luv me some balloons.

Unusual pic of Mom and Dad so I had to include.

Cute pic of Lanie and Uncle CJ.

No Idea about what is going on.

Holy Cow. Do they realize I can reach this?

Wow I have never tasted anything like this before.

Ok I am really really liking this.

What next?

I have had all I can handle (for now).

I'm still cute even with all the frosting and cake all over my face.

Destruction!!!

Grandma's resting from the day.

Mom and Dad totally done from the 1st Birthday PARTY.

On May the 22nd, we celebrated with Lanie's 1st birthday party. What a great day!! I will try to not go into a lot of detail, but we had friends and family over to enjoy the day. We had cake, cookies, and ice cream with a few other finger foods. Then we had pulled pork and some sides for supper. We were all stuffed from all the food, but that smoked pork sure was tasty. Lanie received lots of fun presents. Thanks everyone!! The load of pictures above should do the party justice. I must admit that I am not the best party host because of my lack of creativity. I tried really hard to throw a great party which I don't think I failed, but even if I did I think the party still turned out great.

Lanie's 1st Birthday

2010-05-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Good Night 11 month old

Good Morning 1 YEAR OLD (yes this is how her hair looks every morning)

Mommy and Daddy filled my crib with balloons.

Luv me some balloons!

Daddy and Lanie on her birthday morning.
Of course Mommy didn't get in on the photo op. Yes the hair is out of control again.

Lanie's Birthday blue berry muffin.

Lanie's birthday was an exciting yet surreal day. I still am in disbelief that she is actually one. I of course am slacking with my picturing taking. Seems to be on the back burner most days as I am trying to manage everything else involved with life. Lanie's birthday was on a Wednesday so after we get done with work to church we headed. We knew there was a chance of severe storms, but let's face it this happens a lot in OK. During Awanas I keep keeping a look at the window and then started receiving Frank's weather call. Soon after everyone in the church was escorted to the "Pit". The youth normally meets in this basement, but it often floods so has not been used for the past few months. Once I realized that we were going to the basement due to the sirens going off I immediately ran to get Lanie from the preschool rooms. Bart had beat me to her (such a good daddy), so I grabbed another lil girl from her class to take to her mommy. As soon as I got to the main building there was her mommy who was quite relieved to see her. For the next 30 - 45 minutes we were all stacked out in the "Pit". We then received word that there was a break in between the storms and if we lived close we could make it. So knowing that it was past Lanie's bed time we decided that we should head to the house. The sky looked not so good on the way home. I kept looking around knowing that a tornado was going to pop out of the sky coming right towards me. Well Thank Goodness that didn't happen. Once we arrived home, I started to get Lanie around for bed as usual. I managed to get Lanie through her bath and was putting on her PJs when here comes Bart saying..."um we need to get into the closet....like now". So here I go off to the closet thinking to myself....why o why did we not stay at church which at least was a bit safer. If you can imagine me sitting in the closet with Lanie (on her birthday), 2 dogs, one who is very very scared of storms, and Bart standing close by watching the news on TV. We had the mattress from our roll away and all the pillows from our bed. Then I hear a possible tornado on the ground 2 miles south of our house. I must say there was a thought that went through my head. If a tornado hits this house are we going to be safe???? Truth is you just never know. That night solidify my previous request for a storm shelter in our next home. I will have a shelter with absolutely no doubt in my mind. The good news is the storm blew over our house with no tornado. Of course as an after thought I wondered why in the world we did not document our closet storm shelter experience on Lanie's birthday for memories. I guess me freaking out about our safety consumed my mind. Silly me. Turned out to be quite an exciting 1st Birthday. I;m hoping not to make this a yearly birthday tradition but we will have to wait till next year!!!

Lanie WALKS!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today May the 10th of 2010 marks the day that my precious baby girl learned to walk. Lanie has been scooting along furniture for a good month now. She has babbled with a few steps here and there, but today was day it all clicked. She is officially a walker. As the day progressed Lanie became braver and braver with her new found skill. Our lives are forever changed so I am told!!! Bumps and bruising will be on the rise.

Virus, Teeth, Ear Infection......

2010-05-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

New Kitchen set

1st balloon - 5/8/2010

Now she's ready for the beach!!

Just another Sunday afternoon drive.

Lanie always has a toy in her mouth. Usually 1/2 an Easter egg.

The week before last we had one of the longest weeks in the Ives' household. Lanie had a diarrhea, 2 new teeth, runny nose, and an ear infection all in one week. I called her doctor's office every day with a different ailment and finally by Thursday they thought she should be seen. Sure enough she had an ear infection. Her first ear infection might I add. So antibiotics we did start. With all the diarrhea, her lil bottom got a horrible rash. We had to stop using wipes and pretty much bath her every time she went to the bathroom which was about 4-5 times a day. That's a lot of baths people. I need an expert in this field to explain why Lanie could only go to the bathroom while taking a nap or during a good night's rest. Multiple times in the night might I add. The good news is we are now doing much better. I do believe Lanie lost at least 1 lb. that week. O and those antibiotics I spoke about earlier. Well this mommy spilt the whole bottle on the counter so therefore another call was made to the doctor to get yet another prescription.

All Caught Up

2010-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

This video is a special treat to celebrate being caught up on my blogging. I have made a decision to desperately try/attempt to stay caught up weekly. We shall see if I succeed or fail. I severely hate failing but as a full time working mommy I have learned that some pleasures have to wait their turn. Let me know if you think this video is funny enough to submit to America's Funniest Videos. I think it is pretty stinky funny but I am of course biased. Comments please!!

Sapulpa Truck Touch

2010-04-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Sapulpa Truck Touch. My good friend Jade helps put this event on with the elementary where she teaches. It was a cloudy day but we managed to see everything before the rain started. Sorry for the over abundance of pics, but there were a lot of cute ones. The paper guy even took a pic and said it might show up in the Sapulpa Herald. We will have to keep an eye out for that. A helicopter was supposed to land for all the kids to watch but there were not able to make it due to the weather. The Truck Touch was a great event for the kiddos. Lanie even got to hang with her buddy Eli for a bit. I love the picture of them holding hands. It is so fun now that Lanie is getting old enough to enjoy events like this. Don't you just love the pic of her driving the big blue bus!!

Just a Swingin

2010-04-18T18:58:00.001-07:00

We have spent a lot of time this Spring outside. This is Lanie's new favorite spot on our back porch. Just so happens to be mommy's new favorite spot for Lanie too! She will sit in her swing for quite some time which allows me to actually get something done besides chasing her around the house. She is one active lil girl I tell ya. She hardly ever stays still in one place for any time at all.

Lanie will be 11 months old tomorrow so I am going to document some details from her life. Some things she like to do is stand at our back door to look out at her doggies, ride in her car, swing, go for walks in the stroller with mommy, and she loves loves her bath time. She will actually crawl to her bathtub when she is ready for her bath. She says doggies, Tinky, Jazzy, Momma, Dadda, Papa, and Jaja. Her favorite foods are bananas, squash, cheese, toast, peas, blueberries, and puffs. Her favorite toys are actually chunky books. Hopefully she will really like to read! For about the first 10 months of her life she hated snuggling. However over the past month she has really starting to give hugs and kisses especially at bed time. We cherish each and every snuggle we get.

Baby Goats and Chicks

2010-04-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

During our trip to Taloga, Lanie got to see some baby chicks and goats up close and personal. She really enjoyed the goats. She probably would have even kissed one of them on the nose if we would have let her. I love the one where Lanie is putting her head on the goat's nose. I think that is her version of a hug. So cute! My grandpa had two baby goats that were 2 weeks old and 2 baby goats that were 2 days old. They were very precious especially the 2 day old ones. I had even had to go catch the 2 weeks old ones so Lanie could see them. Yes this girl still knows how to work it in the country. Precious moments for Lanie to spend with her Great Grandparents (my dad's parents). Once again Lanie you are well loved by many.

Big Girl Car Seat

2010-04-18T18:19:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took a trip to Taloga. More pictures of that soon, but also Lanie got her big girl car seat for the trip. As you can see she is still backwards facing which she doesn't know any difference so it works for now. The new guidelines say they should remain backward facing until 2 years of age. I'm not sure if we will make it that far but we will just have to see how it goes. She LOVES her new seat. She can see out the window and has a ton more room to kick back. As you can see in the last picture she is completing reclining enjoying her juice.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

We somehow neglected to take a good family pic this Easter. You can bet I will make every attempt to not let that happen again. Lanie is so hungry and exhausted from playing at church that we hurry home to get her feed and down for a nap so we didn't have a chance to ask someone to take a pic of us. Bart and I made a traditional Easter meal with ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and hot rolls for for the two of us. We are normally at home with family but ended up staying home this year so I wanted to make it memorable for our family as well. Lanie looks super cute in her new hair bows and loves her rubber ducky bath toys. Easter was fun times for the Ives household. I think one must try very hard to not enjoy these precious first moments with children. I treasure each and every day with this baby girl.

1st Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Easter Sunday we went to the Jenks Easter egg hunt which they have on their turf football field. It was perfect for Lanie to crawl around. We had a lot of fun however Lanie was not all that interested in the eggs. She loved watching all the other kids however. She is such a people watcher. I had to include the 1st pic above to document the fabulous bruises Lanie had on her face. The one of her check if from a meeting with Jocelyn's coffee table and the one one her forehead is from our ottoman both which occurred during the same day. We have had plenty of bumps and bruises so far with Lanie learning to walk.

Just a few cute ones

2010-04-17T19:28:00.001-07:00

Here's just a few pics from the past several months that I thought were cute of my lil cute pie. Hope you like them as much as I did!!

Eubanks boys come to visit

2010-04-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago the Eubanks boys (and their mommy) made a stop by. Lanie loved having them here, but was a bit uneasy with them playing with her toys. Each time one of them took off with one of her toys she would watch them very closely and end of crawling after them. She couldn't let them get too far away. She was very worn out after they left and took a nice long nap while mommy finished her work day. We look forward to getting to see these boys a lot more since they are moving back closer.

Lanie's Dedication

2010-04-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

On March 7, 2010, we dedicated Lanie's life to the Lord at First Baptist Jenks. I couldn't have asked for a better day. All of Lanie's grandparents were here to enjoy the day. Lanie loved being up on stage once she noticed the audience. She was kicking and talking the whole time. When Pastor Rick was praying for us Lanie grabbed her letter right one of his hands. She is supposed to open it on her 18th birthday. Sure hope I can remember!!! It was such a great weekend with family. Lanie I hope you realize how much you are loved and not just from your parents. I pray that someday you will give your life to the Lord so we can spend eternity together!

The Aquarium

2010-04-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

On Valentines Day (yes I know this was 2 months ago), we made our first trip to the Aquarium with Lanie. Some family was visiting so we decided it would be a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Lanie was memorized by the fish. It was funny to watch all the high school valentines dates walking around. We purchased a family year pass so we are looking forward to visiting the Aquarium many more times to come.

9 month pics

2010-03-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

Lanie's 9 month pictures were a bit more challenging than her 6 months due to her mobility. She seriously is a very busy girl. She has this look in her eyes that she needs to discover all there is to discover and she won't stop till the task is completed. I feel like her hair wasn't really working all that great, but I will admit she needs it shaped/trimmed up a bit. I do however refuse to cut her hair till she is a year. Even then I am sure I will have to force myself. Our friend Carissa Miller has taken her 6 month and 9 month pics. She does very good job with the little ones. Check them out.

Lanie's 9 month
http://www.ccmillerphotography.com/blog/?p=575

Lanie's 6 month
http://www.ccmillerphotography.com/blog/?p=79

Look what we found

2010-03-11T19:17:00.001-08:00

Jocelyn (Lanie's sitter) called me a few weeks ago and told me I had to come over. She has stood up in her pack n play for the first time. Then a few days latter we found her standing up in her crib. I of course ran to get the camera so I would have these memories. Now that she has learned this new trick she can't stop standing up. I have to go lay her back down several times for naps or she will just stand in there and play. I almost forgot to mention in one of the pics above Lanie has a sleeve off. She was really into pulling that one sleeve off during her naps. I wonder how much she plays in her bed rather than sleeping. At least she is resting right!

Piggies

2010-03-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a few shots of piggie tials. Bart loves her hair like this. I do like it as well, but I think she looks like such a big girl!! My baby is growing up so fast. She will be 10 months old next week. I just can't hardly believe it. Lanie mommy loves you more than words can express. I just want to savor every stage of your life.

HAIR

2010-03-11T18:46:00.001-08:00

So my baby girl has herself a head of hair. I have no idea where in the world all this hair came from, but it seems it is here to stay. As you can see from the pics, the hair on top of her head has grown extremely long. She has a few stray hairs by her ears that are very long as well. She has to have her hair in pony tails every day so mommy is learning how to fix her hair while she is squirming around like crazy. As you can see at the end of the day after all her playing and napping the pony tails suffer a bit, but that is my Lanie. This girl loves to play and never stops moving. She is one busy girl to say for sure, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

January?????

2010-03-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

Ok I am so sorry to admit that I have not posted anything on my blog since January. I promise to get some updates made this weekend. Not that anyone else out there really cares, but I have got quite a few stories that I need to get document. So hear it goes to getting this blog world caught up.

Army Crawling

2010-01-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

On New Years Eve, Lanie learned how to army crawl. She has been rather frustrated the past couple of weeks because she has been wanting to move but couldn't quite get it figured it out. That has all changed now. She sees something in sight that she wants and she goes for it. We have and are learning how determined this little girl can be. Some says she acts like her mother but I have no idea what they are talking about!!!!

Lanie's first Christmas

2010-01-03T18:47:00.001-08:00

Lanie's first Christmas gift from Mommy and Daddy. We let her open it right before we left to travel for the Holidays.

Yummy she enjoyed that paper.

I love, love my jumper.

How can I get over to those doggies???

Speaking of doggies. This is their favorite spot at Grammy Karen's. Yes there is a table in front of the window for them to see out. Usually it is used by Grammy Karen's cats, but the dogs sure enjoy it while they are there.

Grammy Karen and Lanie all dressed up after church. Such a good pic.

All dressed up in her Christmas dress.

Aren't I just a DOLL???

When do we get to open these presents!

Sure do love to chew on all these packages.

Baby's first Christmas ornament. Thanks Grammy Karen.

I tried to take this package away from her, but she wouldn't let go and stood up attached to it.

Charlie Brown Christmas book

This was her favorite paper to play/chew.

Love me some new toys.

How does this work mom?

New stocking with Lanie's name on it

Lanie's scrap book....THANKS so much Bobbi!!!!!

Lanie's first Cabbage Patch doll....Emmy Jolene

1st Christmas outfit

YEA more presents!!!

I am also "Santa" at my Grandma Dot's Christmas. This year I had a little elf (Autumn) to help hand out all the gifts.

A big box with a bow what more could a girl ask for.

Slowly getting into the big box

Mommy what is that hat you are wearing.

For some reason I am in this box.

Lanie's first Christmas season was an absolute blast. She was very curious with all the packages and would really get into unwrapping. She is such a happy baby girl and a delight to be around. For a recap of our Christmas holiday. We went to Grammy Karen's house in Buffalo for about 5 days. We had Christmas there on the 22nd. Lanie got lots of great presents including new toys, books, snow boots, winter jacket, and lots of other stuff. We then drove to Taloga to Grandpa and Grandma's house. We luckily traveled the day prior to the big snow blizzard. I was so thankful to not be out in the snow. We however had our Christmas Eve with the Bratten's canceled because of the storm. The roads were just too dangerous to be traveling. We really didn't have a Christmas on Christmas day but Santa had a couple of gifts for Lanie to open that morning. We did have a great lunch with some family members that day. Then the day after Christmas we had Christmas with my parents and Levi and Tobi. Lanie got a shopping cart cover which we have already used several times. She loves being out of her car seat while we are at the store so she can look around at everything. It again was a great time hanging out with family. I sure wish we had more opportunity to spend some good quality family time with all of our family. Then on Sunday we had Christmas at my Grandma Dots. Lanie of course got a lot more good toys, bows, and a blanket made my her cousin Halie. The Bratten's Christmas was rescheduled for that evening, but we unfortunately had to get on the road to head back to Jenks. I truly hated to miss it, but it is a 3.5 hour trek home and we didn't know the road conditions in Eastern OK. I am glad that we skipped the evening Christmas because the roads got worse the closer we got to home. They were still snow/ice packed from the storm 3 days earlier. We actually pretty much 2 weeks later still have snow on the ground. I have never seen snow stick around for this long due to such cold weather. We truly had a great Christmas time. We are so blessed to have families that love us so dearly.

CATCH UP - Part 2

2010-01-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Meeting Santa for the first time (she enjoyed the beard very much!)

It was VERY cold.

Lanie's treat bag (I forgot I put Lanie's bow in my hair)

Lanie playing at church with one of her friends

Lanie doing a tricks.

Pre-crawling stage.

Here are few pics from December. We got invited to Santa on the Roof at the Hedgecock's house. We figured this would be a fun way for Lanie to meet Santa for the first time. She was of course memorized by the big white beard. It was very cold but we had a great time. Lanie is starting to get up in the crawling stance and rock back and forth when this picture was taken.

CATCH UP - Part 1

2010-01-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

Camo day in honor of hunting season

Daddy after hunting on Camo day

Dad and Lanie at the "ranch"

1st baby food of Squash

Bart making baby food (please look around the mess we call our kitchen)

Lanie swinging at the park in Buffalo (she loves swinging!!!!)

Lanie's 1st bath in the "big" bath

Lanie eating in my high chair from my childhood

I can't believe it has been 2 months since I last updated the blog. We have been quite the busy, traveling family. We spent 10 days in Western Oklahoma between both of our parent's houses for Thanksgiving and 9 days for Christmas. We had a great time seeing all of our family. I truly cherish the moments with them especially with Lanie. I want her to be close to our families even though we don't live all that close. She does really well traveling except for in the car. She has an 1 hour 45 limit in the car before she tells you that she is unhappy with the situation. Thanksgiving is also Deer hunting season so therefore the camo pics above. Bart didn't get a deer this year but enjoyed getting out in the "wilderness" to hunt. He got some good quality time with my dad at least. The last picture above (I am not sure why it is sideways but I can't get in to rotate) is Lanie in the high chair that I used when I was a baby. It is neat that my mom has held on to it all these years. I am going to try to get a better pic of it next time. Lanie took her first bath in a big bath tub while we were at Bart's mom's house so of course we had to document the occasion with a picture. Bart has taken on the feat of making all of Lanie's baby food. It has actually been quite easy so far. Her first food was squash and she loved it. Squash is still her favorite. I think she would eat it every meal. Trust me the last 2 months has been a whirl wind. November and December is the busiest time of the year for me at work so I have not had a lot of extra time on my hands. More posts to come very soon from Christmas. It was a blast this year for Lanie's 1st Christmas!!!

Halloween

2009-11-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Lanie was a black kittie cat this year for Halloween. She actually had a pumpkin costume as well that she wore at the pumpkin patch. It was too warm on Halloween to wear that outfit so we went for the black cat. Yes we did take our 5 1/2 month old trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. It was an absolutely beautiful day so we just went for a walk to a couple of friend's houses. It was a great 1st Halloween for little miss Lanie. I look forward to the many more to come.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

Nice Piggy

Bad Piggy that bit my finger

A week ago we took Lanie to a local pumpkin patch. It was a great experience and as you can tell we went a little picture happy. I think we got some really good pictures. Lanie was a really good sport through it all. As you can see there was a petting zoo so we got to feed some sheep, goats, and pigs. Well all was going well until we got to the pigs. Maybe I should have known better but I honestly didn't even think that maybe I shouldn't feed the pigs. So of course one of them bit the crud out of my finger. I was seriously bleeding all over the place and it hurt pretty bad. I didn't let that darn pig ruin our evening though. All the pics we took on the pumpkins were after the pig incident. It was overall a very fun time that we got to spend together as a family.

Trip to Taloga

2009-11-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

Sissy loves her Lanie.

Hi Grandpa

Watching football with Grandpa

She liked Grandpas recliner

O it's my Tinky

Hanging with Aunt Libby

Lanie, Aunt Libby, Uncle CJ, and Daddy

The Brothers

A couple of weekends ago we made a trip to Taloga for a family reunion. Of course I didn't get any actual pictures from the reunion. We did get to see Bart's family while we were there though. It is so good to have both sides of our families so willing to share their time. It was a great weekend. Lanie went on her first 4 wheeler ride. I will have to add those pictures later.

Trip to Buffalo

2009-10-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

Lanie's first parade...it was a wind chill of 22 degrees...burrrrrr

Mommy and Lanie

Daddy and Lanie

Our Family

Chubby Checks

Sunday Church Dress

Just because I'm cute

One word...CUTE!!!

Mommy and Lanie

4 Generation picture

I love this pic...Lanie and Grandma Dot talking

Lanie and all her Grandparents

Lanie and her Grandmas

This are some pics from the past weekend during our trip to Buffalo to visit Bart's mom. Sorry there are so many pictures, but there were so many I liked I just put them all. My parents came up on Friday because they only live an hour away. It was so great for Lanie to get to see all grandparents. They all love her so much and just can't get enough of her. We had such a great weekend and can't wait to visit again for Thanksgiving. It was Buffalo homecoming so we got to take Lanie to a parade. It was freezing, but we bundled her up and went for it. She was nice and toasty afterward, but I can't really say that for the rest of us. Bart and I weren't quite prepared for winter weather. I really cherish the time that we get to spend with family these days. I want Lanie to be close with all her grandparents just like I am with mine!!

1st Trip to the Park

2009-10-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to visit Bart's mom in Buffalo. There is a park across the street from her house that Bart has been waiting and waiting to take Lanie. One day while we were there the weather was beautiful so we decided to take advantage of it. I do realize she is still really small for the park, but it was fun anyways. I am quite positive there will be many more trips to this park in Lanie's future.

4 months

2009-10-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Lanie turned 4 months this day. We happened to be going to Stillwater for my Softball Reunion weekend. So of course she had to have an OSU cheerleader outfit. It was a great weekend to catch up with some old friends from college. We were at the football game when we got a call that my dad just had a heart attack. He is doing so much better now, but it was quite a weekend to say the least. At the 4 month appointment, Lanie was 75% in height, 65% in weight, and 45% in head circumference. I am hoping that she keeps some of Bart's height. Although at the moment she has my short legs. She is growing at such a rapid rate I can't hardly stand it!!!

Sunday Morning

2009-10-05T19:14:00.000-07:00

I just had to snap some pics of Lanie this Sunday morning on the way to church cause I thought she looked super cute. Thanks Aunt Tobi for the outfit.

Lil Sprouts

2009-10-05T19:07:00.001-07:00

Some of my good friends are starting a business called Lil Sprouts. They are selling all sorts of baby items from bows, burp clothes, paci clips, and Halloween costumes. Check out their blog at http://lilsprouts226.blogspot.com/. Lanie got to model some of her items. It was so fun to play dress up. Here is just a quick picture I took that day, but the pictures on their blog is much better.

First Pony Tail

2009-10-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Lanie's hair is long enough to get into a pony tail now. I think it makes her look like such a big girl. If we don't have her hair up it is so long it gets in her eyes. I refuse to cut her hair!!

First College Game Day

2009-10-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

As you can see Lanie had quite the first college game day outfit. Bart is an OU fan so Lanie's Grammy Karen got her this bib. Of course I had to add a OSU item to make it all fair. She is going to be one confused little girl growing up!

Labor Day weekend

2009-09-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Me and Daddy

I'm actually looking at the camera!!

The hickey I gave myself by sucking on my yummy wrist during the night.

Enjoying my bottle before bed. I have to hold on to it so mommy doesn't take it away cause she thinks I need to burp. Someone should tell her I am too big to burp anyways.

Before: Ah finally asleep for the night.

After: I managed to get out of my swaddle blanket and turn side ways in my crib.
(This was also the night she sucked the hickey on her wrist...geez)
All in a nights rest!!

My first college football game day. As you can see I am a little confused
(well maybe my Daddy is anyways hehehe)

Isn't Lanie getting so big?? She is so much fun to interact with at this age. She loves to smile and crack up at us. We had a four day weekend for Labor day so you better believe we took full advantage of spending quality time with Lanie. We had so much fun doing nothing but just hanging around the house. Bart and I actually got to watch 2 movies during Lanie's naps. Of course it took us 4-5 hours to watch a 2 hour movie but we did manage to finish them. We also spent all day Saturday watching football which is Bart's favorite thing to do. Lanie decided that she was ready to start rolling over on the floor. She can get from her back to her stomach but can't quite get her arm out from under her so that makes her upset. Last night she was like a rolling pin rolling from one side to the other trying to get on her stomach. She finally settled for her back which made Mommy happy!

Day of Firsts

2009-09-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday (8/29/09) was a day of Firsts for Lanie. She took her first ride in the stroller without being in the car seat. Doesn't she look so big!! She also tried rice cereal for the first time. She actually did very very good well as better than I expected anyways. Today was her 4th day of cereal and she is really catching on quickly. I am completely amazed. Lanie's third first on Saturday was rolling over in her crib. I was at a shower Saturday morning and came home to find Lanie sleeping on her stomach during her nap. I immediately made sure Bart had not laid her on her stomach and he assured me he had not. So she had managed to roll over and looked quite comfy. She rolled over for two naps that day of which she slept for 2 hours straight each time. I really tried to get it on video but if you watch the video above she couldn't quite get all the way over while the camera was on (of course). As you can tell Saturday was a big day in the Ives' household. I love watching Lanie learn new things daily. She is really liking making noises with her lips!! We are taking off work on Friday so I can't wait for a 4 day weekend to spend with my little bundle of joy!!!!!

No Breaking News

2009-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Lanie had an appointment with her pediatrician today to try to determine what she has been crying about. She doesn't have an ear infection, but she could have a stomach virus thing (but she hasn't had a fever and isn't spitting up). So the doctor thought she might not be getting enough to eat so she recommended I start her on some rice cereal. To be honest I am a little apprehensive about starting her so young, but she is sucking her bottles dry during the day so it might help. Of course another option is early teething. Doc said her gums do show early signs but no teeth popping out yet. So the guessing game continues. We will just have to figure this out by trial and error. Pics to come soon of Lanie's first rice cereal!!!!

12 HOURS

2009-08-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

I had to document this milestone in Lanie's life. Lanie slept for 12 hours straight last night for the first time. She has been doing excellent with sleeping but we just hadn't reached this step yet. Don't get me wrong I don't expect this every night at all. Sad thing is she hasn't been feeling all that well and cried a lot yesterday so she probably was so worn out. She was sure happy this morning after a good night's rest so let's hope today she feels good. I am taking her to the pediatrician today anyways to rule out an ear infection and hopefully determine why she is crying like she is hurting. I sure wish she could just tell me what is going on. Sure would be a lot easier than guessing, but seems to be one of the joys of parenthood. I will try to post more after her appointment. I have a list a mile long of questions for the doctor so should be fun!!

3 months

2009-08-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Lanie is now officially 3 months old. These pictures were taken a week ago now on 8/19/09. Sorry about the last picture that she is crying. I just had to show everyone her crying face. Of course only a mother thinks the crying face is still sooo cute. We have about determined that Lanie seems to be teething. I know it is early but apparently I did the same thing. I don't see a tooth yet, but she is showing symptoms. Happy 3 month birthday Lanie. We love you more than words can express!!!!

Been awhile

2009-08-26T18:02:00.001-07:00

Gotta love crazy hair after bath time

The happy family

Sissy loves Lanie!

Proud Grandparents

They don't love her at all. Can't ya tell!!!

Whatcha lookin at??

Look at my pretty bow that Jade made to match my outfit.

Daddy gave me a flower just cause.

Look at my smiles :)

I know I'm cute!!!

Well well it sure has been awhile since I have posted anything. Sorry!!! I guess this is what happens when you become a working mama. Yes I have returned to work not by choice mind you. I would love to be able to stay at home with Lanie, but we have to stick to our financial plan for our future. I do work from home so that helps a ton. Lanie has started going to a babysitter. We would love to keep her at home, but it is just too hard to be a full time parent and employee at the same time. My stress level has decreased immensely since Lanie has been at the babysitter. Don't get me wrong I totally did not want to take her at all. I want to be the one to comfort and soothe her when she is upset, but I had to make a grown up decision. So I cried just like every other mom the first time they leave their child with someone. As you can see from the pictures Lanie has grown a lot. She is smiling and interacting with us more everyday. I love that she recognizes my voice and smiles when she sees me. I have to apologize to Grammy Karen. We went to Buffalo this past week and absent minded me didn't take a single picture. So the next time we see Grammy Karen we are going to have a photo op for sure. Well 3 month birthday pictures to come soon on another post. Yes my little girl is already 3 months old. I can't believe it either!!

Tummy Time and attempting to Roll over

2009-07-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent videos we have taken of Lanie. As you can see she is getting very big and strong. She does great at holding her head up. All of a sudden this morning she decided she wanted to try to rollover. I couldn't believe it so I went running for the camera when I noticed she got up on her side. I know that chances are I will miss recording her first roll over, but I sure am going to try to capture the moment. I can't believe how fast she is progressing. I am truly cherishing every moment!!!!!

Week 10

2009-07-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

Every morning Lanie shares with us her morning smiles.

Lanie's first sit in her bumbo. I can't believe she is big enough.

She really enjoys being able to look around.

Sunday afternoon nap with daddy.

Sweet baby.

Holding her head up high. She is so strong.

Lanie at 9 weeks

2009-07-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Here are just some pictures of Lanie we took recently. I haven't had much time to update the blog lately cause I started back to work this past week. It is going to be quite an adjustment. Lanie is growing and changing so much everyday. She has started really "talking" a lot. She smiles a lot more especially in the morning when she is getting up. That is one of my favorite times of the day. More updates and pictures soon.

Sleep

2009-07-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pics this time, but I have to write about how proud I am of my little girl. She does sleep very well once we get her to sleep. Naps are generally not too bad but night time is not so good. It generally takes us an hour of crying to get her to go to sleep. Mind you she isn't just in her room alone crying for an hour but we are in and out of her room calming her down. It just takes an hour for her to actually fall asleep. Once she is asleep she sleeps till 2:00 and then to 6:00 every night/morning. She has put herself on that schedule (she must know her mommy likes schedules). I say all this to tell you that last night for the first time she went straight to sleep at 8:00 with only about 30 seconds of crying. We just couldn't believe it and frankly weren't sure what to do. We didn't know if she would awake in the night earlier than normal, but no she slept till 2:00. We will see if this trend continues tonight. Wish us luck!!!

Tummy time

2009-07-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Lanie really does enjoy her tummy time. Bart actually caught her pushing her lil bottom up with her legs and feet. She was actually scooting herself forward. I am not sure if this is normal for 7 week old babies or not but she seems awful strong to us. She is really good at holding her head up as well and has been from day 1.

Photo Op

2009-07-08T10:47:00.001-07:00

Here are just some pictures we took one afternoon that we thought Lanie was looking pretty darn cute. She is 6 weeks old in these pictures. She is looking sideways in almost every one of the pictures because I couldn't get her to take her eyes away from the window. She really enjoys the light from the windows. She is generally a very happy baby however we have yet to get her to crack a smile. I can't wait!!

Taloga Baby Shower

2009-07-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Paparazzi (sooo funny)

The Hostesses

The Cake

Beautiful Flowers and Yummy Strawberries

Last weekend we had a baby shower in my hometown of Taloga. We waited till after Lanie was born so everyone there would get a chance to meet her. It turned out great. As you can see from the first picture the poor baby didn't get any attention at all. She was soaking up all the attention for sure. We got a lot of good stuff and are so thankful. It was a good day for sure.

Bath Time and More

2009-06-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

These are just some bath time and more random pics. Lanie loves her baths and loves having her hair washed even more. She cries when we are finished. Her cord just fell off yesterday so that is why we have been doing sponge baths up until this point. Now after 6 weeks Lanie will get to take a big girl bath (kinda). I am so happy that darn cord finally fell off. Lanie is 6 weeks old today and I just can't believe she has been here that long. I am truly amazed on how the time has flown. We took our first road trip this past weekend. She did great in the car sleeping the whole time. She did have some tough days while we were visiting however. She didn't want to sleep very much, but I think she has a tummy ache. Poor baby. Over all the trip was great. We had my 10 year high school reunion, a Bratten family get together, and a baby shower. The weekend was packed to say the least, but it went great. I will try to put the few pictures I actually took of the weekend up at some point. I failed miserably this weekend with taking pictures. I have got to get better at capturing the moments.

Random Update Take 2

2009-06-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Me and Tink. Jazzy was in the pic too but she left before the pic could be taken. Maybe next time.

I am such a big girl in Daddy's recliner.

I think this picture speaks for itself.

Look at all my blond hair.

Tink and me again.

My first nap in my crib (however I never really went to sleep)

Here are more random pics. She has grown sooo much. She is taking all her naps now in her crib so eventually she (mommy) will be ready to sleep there at night. She does a great job sleeping once we actually get her to go to sleep. She just really likes to be awake. Here lately it has been taking us hours to get her to get to sleep for the night, but once we do get her to sleep she sleeps 4 hours between feedings. That means mommy gets somewhat decent sleep considering which is a very good thing. More to come soon.

Random Update Take 1

2009-06-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Satisfied with a full tummy.

I wonder what my silly daddy is up to??

My uncle Levi thinks I'm cute. He told me so!!

Lanie's first date. I am going to have to keep my eyes on that Jarrett.

My mommy thinks I have the sweetest face.

Tink and I are already pals.

Just me!!!

My Daddy and me.

Our family after Lanie's first bath at home. We had to take this pic since we forgot to take one of the actual bath.

Here are some random pics from our life in the past month. Yes Lanie is already a month old. I can't believe how much she has already grown and how time flies. I need it to slow down a bit already. Hope you enjoy the pics.

1 week photos

2009-06-18T07:49:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken by Cody Johnson. I thought he did a great job. Lanie was only 1 week old in these pics. She has already grown soooo much. I am way behind on updating the blog so I apologize for that. My goal is to get it caught up soon. Enjoy the pics!!

LANIE GRACE IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-28T13:05:00.001-07:00

Lanie Grace was born 5/19/09 at 2:24 pm weighing 6 lbs. 9 oz. 19 1/4 inches long. I am sorry it has taken me so long to get the blog updated, but I have been a little preoccupied with my new little bundle of joy. I will did end up having to have a c-section so I have also been recovering myself from the surgery. I am doing quite well though. The day Lanie was born was perfect. I checked into the hospital on the 18th. I started Cervadil at about 7:00 pm, but by 11:00 pm I was starting to have hard contractions putting me into labor earlier then the doctors wanted so they took it out. I had dilated to a 1 but my cervix was only 50% effaced. I then started on Pitocin at around 5:00 am. The Pitocin did make me have contractions but they were not strong at all. At one point I didn't feel like I was having contractions at all even though they kept turning it up. After 8 hours of the Pitocin my doctor checked me and I was still dilated to a 1 with absolutely no progression. At that point we had to make a decision whether to continue the medicine by trying Cervadil again that night with more Pitocin the next day. The second option was to do a c-section. My doctor couldn't really even feel Lanie's head so she was thinking she was not very engaged if at all. By this time I had already been off my blood thinner for 2 days so I was nervous about waiting another day or more before Lanie was born. My doctor also thought that even if I did progress with the medicine that there might be a size issue because my pelvic is small and didn't have a lot of room for Lanie. She said there was a 50/50 chance that I would end up having a c-section at the end of labor anyways. So Bart, the doctor, and I came to the conclusion that the c-section would be the safest bet. After the decision was made it was a whirlwind. My doctor, the surgery room, and all the nurses were available so the c-section happened very quickly. My doctor said that Lanie was still floating around and not engaged at all. She was very content with the decision to have the c-section because it would have taken quite a bit of time to get Lanie out vaginally. Bart and I totally do not regret the decision. I can still remember the moment that I first heard her cry. My heart melted and tears started rolling. Bart being a proud daddy got to carry Lanie to meet all the family and to the nursery. I was so jealous that I had to stay in surgery for about another 30 minutes before I could go hold my baby girl. Not much excitement happened after that except for a lot of loving on Lanie. It was just perfect. I stayed in the hospital until Friday. The first night was what all first nights home are like. We didn't get a lot of sleep at all cause Lanie had a stomach ache. My parents were here that night and really helped out. We have had some good and some bad nights, but overall things have been great since we have been home. We had our first peditrician appointment this past Tuesday and she is gaining weight back great. She does like to eat I will say that much. Bart's mom (Grammy Karen) is here this week to love on Lanie and help me out around the house. I can't lift anything heavier than Lanie so it has been great to have extra hands around. I am so thankful for all our parents to help us out this past 2 weeks. I can't imagine how we would have made it through without them. Well that is all for now, but I am going to get better about posting I promise.

Going to the Hospital

2009-05-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well the day has come to go to the hospital for Lanie's birth. We have appointments with my doctor this afternoon and then we are checking into the hospital after that. Our bags are packed except for Bart's whose always is a last minute task. It will be ready though by the time we leave. I am starting some medication this evening and then my doctor will decide in the morning if we will start Pitocin or do a c-section. C-section will only be necessary if I haven't progressed at all after the medication tonight. So far I have not dialated at all and Lanie has not moved down. We shall see what the morning brings. One way or another Lanie will be here tomorrow. The next post should have baby pictures, but I am not sure if that will be tomorrow or the next day. I will try to get it updated fairly quick though so we can all celebrate Lanie's birth.

37 weeks pregnant

2009-05-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the 37 weeks belly. Apparently I forgot how to smile in the first picture. Not sure what face I am making. We went to the doctor yesterday which went well. Lanie is doing great. I however have a bit of high blood pressure. My doctor has asked me not to work anymore. I was only planning to work through Thursday, but as of now I am resting all day. This is a foreign concept for me to be off of work and my only responsibility is just to rest. Hopefully I will get the hang of it. I need to rest this week to make sure Lanie stays safe and the blood pressure stays down. I am going to enjoy this last week before parenthood. Although I can't wait to become a mommy next week. The current plan is to check into the hospital next Monday at 5:00 to start the induction process. I am hoping Lanie will be here by Tuesday afternoon, but she has not dropped at all yet so her head is not engaged. I am hoping that she decides she is about ready to be born so she can start moving her way down before next week to make the process go a bit smoother. I will try to post updated information before we go to the hospital next week.

Jenks Town Wide Garage Sale

2009-05-04T17:59:00.001-07:00

Garage Sale Bargains

Lanie's closet before Garage Sale buys

Lanie's closet after Garage Sale buys

This past Saturday was Jenks town wide garage sales. We strolled out of bed at 6:00 am on a Saturday which those that know me well know that I really enjoy my Saturday mornings to sleep in. I know that is all about to change once Lanie gets here, but please let me live in my dream world for as long as possilbe. We have went garage saling the past couple of years and really found some good stuff. Well this year we got to look for baby stuff which is always abundant at garage sales. We found two really really good sales which I bought lots of cute clothes that appeared to have been barely worn. As you can see from the closet before and after pictures we truly did get a lot of clothes. I am sure this sounds weird, but I feel much more prepared and like a better mother already just knowing that she will have something to put on her little body (without having to do constant laundry). I sure do love saving money and garage sales always seem to provide!!!

36 weeks

2009-05-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the 36th week belly. We had yet another doctor's appointment today. Lanie is measuring 6 lb. 10 oz. She is just doing great. She is still a very active baby and is always trying to stretch the limits of my belly. My doctor scheduled my induction for May 19th today. Hard to believe that is 2 weeks away. We are slowly trying to get all the last minute things done including hospital bags packed. Problem is I am so worn out that I can only do a little each evening. My blood pressure has been a little high the last 2 weeks so my doctor has instructed me to rest as much as possible. I truly am resting more, but it is hard when you feel like you have stuff yet to do and not much time in the day after work. Bart has really been great with helping around the house as he usually is, but he has been having to do more lately because I just don't have the energy and am trying to keep my swelling down. I am starting on a new blood thinner today. Now I have to give shots twice a day (yuck). Only 8 more weeks of shots though because I have to take them 6 weeks after Lanie is born. Hopefully everything will go just fine with the new medicine. At least with this one if I happened to go into labor I could have an epidural which is important in my book. I would ask everyone to keep us in your prayers in these last crucial weeks for Lanie to stay healthy. I am starting to feel more of the pressure of these last few weeks. Everything will be fine, but I sure will be relieved when I am holding her safely in my arms on May 19th!!!!!!

34 week ultrasound

2009-04-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

34 week profile pic: her lips are puckered cause she had been sucking on her wrists

Face pic showing her chubby checks

Today we had our 34 week appointment. 4 weeks left I just can't believe it. I am being induced at 38 weeks hopefully on May 19th. I have totally started feeling more pregnant in the past week. I am starting to get a lot more frequent braxton hicks and cramping. I know this is all a good thing that my body is preparing for the future task. I don't mean to just be complaining but my back has also really starting hurting a lot. This is all to be expected but sitting at a computer all day does not help. I keep telling myself 4 weeks left!! Tomorrow Bart and I are going to a baby class at St. John's that covers care for the whole first year of a babies life. I am quite sure it will be information overload but I am looking forward to it. They will teach us infant CPR. I will try to get another belly pic up over the next week or so.

33 week profile pic

2009-04-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

This pic is a week late, but I am finally getting 33 week ultrasound pic up. I didn't get a pic of it, but we could actually see her fat rolls this week. So she is growing and gaining weight just fine. She passed her bio physical ultrasound test just fine, but was so active she was forgetting to breath some. She is quite the active baby!!!

Baby Shower

2009-04-07T17:32:00.001-07:00

Me and the Grandmas

Big Belly

Me and Kassidy

Me and Libby

The Hostesses

Karen and Me

Mom and Me

This past weekend we had a great baby shower for baby Lanie. I very much enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Lanie got a lot of good stuff. It was so fun to get all sorts of baby stuff. It made this baby more real to me for sure. Only 6 weeks from today little Lanie will be here.

32 week ultrasound

2009-04-07T17:06:00.001-07:00

Balancing her cord on her nose!!

Sleeping like a baby.

Big Foot

We had our 32 week appointment yesterday. Lanie was 4 1/2 lbs and in the 62%. She is growing like a weed. She had a hand up my her bottom so we got a good picture of her side profile this time. She was very tired and didn't want to move around a lot so she didn't pass her bio physical test near as fast as last week. I think she was worn out like her mommy from the weekend. We had family up for a baby shower. I greatly enjoyed the weekend, but I was totally exhausted after wards and apparently Lanie was as well. More pics from the shower coming soon.