More Prego's!

Here is my friend Rachel, her and her husband, Andy are about 15 weeks pregnant! And I am 31 weeks... going on 32.

John has know Andy since middle school, and I have know Andy and Rachel for about 7 years. We are enjoying sharing with them the new parent excitement!

John, Sadie and I spent the weekend in the cities. We visited Andy and Rachel for lunch on Saturday, then John went to work for Cable Channel 12 up at St. Cloud State to help tape a football game! I spent the rest of the day with the House's - and ate out - Thanks again Rick and Barb! John and I went to Substance Church in Fridley with Dan and Beth Sunday morning (their home church), while Rick watched Sadie :-)

It was a nice weekend!

Now, we're getting ready to turn right around, clean, do laundry, pack and head up to my Grandparents cabin this Thursday through Sunday. Wednesday through Thursday we're visiting John's family again, then after spending 4 days at the cabin, we'll spend a family day at home this coming Monday!

John's been putting in several 10 hour days to earn this time off... so we are thrilled to start our summer get-away! This will be our last 'major outing' before Baby Lauren arrives :-)

Barefoot & Pregnant

Nearing 31 weeks along... my checkups are every two weeks starting tomorrow! Thank God, we are in the final stretch!!!

Sadie and Momma

Yes, we are obsessed with documenting every moment through pictures in this family :-) Here we are hanging out in the backyard, enjoying the warm summer night! John got some fun shots!

Ribs, Guns and Pregnant chicks

This past weekend Andy and Rachel came down to visit. It was fun, a lot of food and guns. The girls watched movies and probably talked about how awesome we were while we were gone.

The Ribs...5 slabs of baby-backs :-) Somewhere around 15lbs of delight.


We were out shooting clay pigeons. It was pretty bad, I think we probably combined for 10 out of 90. The gun was old, but I think the problem was all user! Conclusion: we're not snipers.


I look natural with a weapon, Andy was hunting for something, not sure what. Probably his second pair of pants.


Andy shooting. A customary barrel blow was in order as you can see.


Notice the shell in Andy's mouth, an obvious sign of a tough guy. Me, I was rubbing my belly and dreaming of the Dorito's probably.


Andy is so agressive when he is holding a weapon. Here is a picture of just plain old raw emotion.


Of course it shouldn't surprise you that I packed a snack for the long journey across the street. And I had to beg to keep them...

Bathing Beauty

I got out my camera with the nice lense and captured these while Sadie played in her little pool. Then I had some fun in photoshop with these shots :-)

Playdate with Micah!

This afternoon Sadie and I had lunch with Micah, Lynn and Baby Malachi :-) Then after lunch, Sadie and Micah played with squirting water toys in the kiddy pool and jumped on the trampoline!! Thanks for a great time Micah and Lynn :-)

Packing peanuts, forts and fun!

It's the little things in life... especially when you are 3! With the days getting hotter, I am trying hard to find more fun things for Sadie and I to do IN doors!! Today, we made a fort out of couch pillows and blankets. Then later on we "ate" packing peanuts (pretend chicken nuggets) with Mickey. Sadie thoroughly enjoyed cutting (with her plastic knife) the packing peanuts into bite sized peices for Mickey :-) This fun bedroom picnic ended with the vacuum!

In other news:

Our good friends, Andy and Rachel came and spent the weekend with us! We had a blast hanging out! We visited several Rochester "hotspots" including the Nature Center, A&W, and Mills Fleet Farm... LOL! Rachel and I also enjoyed watching Father of the Bride part 2 (and Sadie napped), while the guys shot at clay pigeons at our neighbors farm :-) John has some hillarious pictures from that... we will post those another time :-)

Baby Belly!

This Sunday I will be 30 WEEKS pregnant! 10 weeks to go... or maybe 9... or 8! :-)

Fun in the kiddy pool :-)

Sadie and I are thrilled that the summer heat is here; because the last few days we have been playing in her new kiddy pool! At first she will only stand in it, then she will squat... then finally she will sit in the pool. I enjoy getting a tan, and I "water" myself with Sadie's mini watering can to stay cool :-) Here are a few cute shots of Miss Bella in her swim suit, hanging out in the pool!!!

Fun with Friends! (part 2)

Here the fun continues... :-)

These pictures start at the post bellow this one.

Andrea and I pose, showing our big baby belly's! And of course, Manny and John join the fun, showing their belly's too :-) If you look closely, you will notice the charcoal marks on John's face - he had been doing some serious grilling moments before we snapped the picture! :-)

Manny and Andrea are due to have their 3rd Baby on July 30th (and we are due August 31st)!!! What a blessing to have friends having baby's the same time we are!

And...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO JOHN, DAD, RICK, GRANDPA DON & GRANDPA RALPH!

John, you are an AMAZING Father to Sadie (and soon Lauren too). You never miss an opportunity to shower Sadie with attention and affection in so many ways. All the stories read, block castles built, playground visits, icecream dates, swing rides, sandbox digging, dollhouse playing... Thank you for all the little and big things you do for Sadie! You are her favorite ;-) You are a wonderful rolemodel and Godly man to lead her through life, I am truly blessed :-)

WE LOVE YOU!

Fun with Friends! (part 1)

This weekend, The Gutierrez's came down and visited us!! We had lots of fun! Sadie loved playing with Abby (4) and Molly (2), she had not seen them since early this past winter.

Together we visited a park in Rochester, the Quarry Hill Nature Center, we played in the yard, the girls drove Sadie's powerwheel car, the girls swam in the kiddy pool... and we ate TONS of great food and goodies!! Thank you John!!! And Thank you, Andrea for the YUMMY brownies!

Fun on the Farm

Last night, Micah, John, Lynn and Baby Malachi came over for a birthday celebration for Sadie (June 6th) and Micah (June 23rd). Both kids turn THREE this month!! We had fun eating John's pulled pork sandwhiches (YUMM), singing and blowing out birthday candles on cupcakes, playing in the yard and visiting our neighbor Harold's pig farm!! The kids got to pet baby piglets and throw corn to feed the older pigs. It was some good country fun :-)

Happy Birthday to my not-so Baby Girl!!

This time 3 years ago John and I were visiting with our friends Nate and Leslie... John and Nate had been up all night the night before. They, along with other friends made a video the day and night before for the Minneapolis 48 hour film festival!

At about 10:30 PM on a Sunday night, Nate, John, Leslie and I were sitting in their living room eating McDonalds... when I laughed at something - suddenly, I felt a small gush - went to the bathroom and quickly realized that MY WATER BROKE! I was a week early - my due date was the following Sunday. My water actually broke on their chair... they still have the chair :-) I did not actually leave a mark on their chair :-)

By 2:00 AM the same night I was in a triage room in the maternity wing at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. John was by my side sleeping :-) I lay there while my mind flooded with thoughts... Thankfully my labor was not painful until later the next day. The following Monday morning at 9:30 AM I was induced because my labor was not progressing on it's own. The stuff works great!

By 1:42 PM on Monday, June 6th, (2005) Sadie Elizabeth came into this world!! At 6 pounds 12 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Never did I think I could fall in love with someone so quickly.

Three years later, I am still amazed by God's grace and goodness. He blessed me with a Daughter who has made me a Mother and an all around better person. In many ways, Sadie has taught me more than I have taught her...

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY BELLA BUG!

Sadie's Birthday Party (part 4)

We celebrated Sadie's 3rd Birthday yesterday (Sunday)! Her actual birthday is June 6th! The weather was perfect for a perfect birthday party day!! The pictures are in order starting at the bottom (part 1) and go up. Enjoy!!

Much Thanks to everyone who helped and to everyone who came!! You made one little girl very happy :-)