the berry patch

we visited the berry patch today with part of the henry fam and gathered quite a nice collection of blueberries- however, there would have been significantly more berries had someone's chubby little fingers not been dipping into the bucket eating them..... none the less- we had a great time. we went early- 8a.m. and they were almost completely picked out- and it is a BIG berry farm. ian and reagan are quite the berry spotters though so we managed to get some of what was left. i guess i can add blueberries to the short list of relatively healthy things my ever so picky child will eat. whoo-hoo.

notice the desperate need for a hair-cut- here's me pleading to auntie rachel when she comes next week to bring her scissors and give him a trim. he won't sit still when we go somewhere- and he screams the entire time- and i hate taking him. so, thus, he starts looking a little shaggy about a week after the traumatizing event and stays that way until i can talk myself into taking him again. we still think he's cute!

and on to my dream where i move him from the crib and into his big boy bed in his new room- let's actually go ahead and call that a nightmare. two days into it and he screams- i mean screams like someone cut his arm off- every time i set him in the bed. doesn't matter that all his stuff from the crib is there too, or that i am sitting right next to him- he just screams. i guess that's his way of telling me that he's not ready. so, for now we'll borrow a crib to put in his new room and that's where he'll sleep until he's ready. i'm just glad we have one to borrow and don't have to buy a new one...... it will work either way. we've added more furniture to this house in the last week than i thought would ever fit! and we still have one bed to go. well, enough of my blabbing. better get to bed- my dad will be here tomorrow and i still have lots of hiding of baby stuff to take care of since he's one who doesn't want to know what we're having this time :)

"not sure what you want me to do mom"

"i guess i am supposed to put this in the bucket?"
"i need the goods momma!!"
"these berries are delicious!"
enjoying a post berry picking snack of juice and baby goldfish with reagan and ian
all excited for a train ride with reagan and then they cancelled them all before we could go since there were too many people there- maybe next time
fun day at the berry patch

weekend catch-up

where does my time go? between getting ready for the baby, family visiting (my favorite), summer activities and a few extra shifts at work i swear it is gone before i even knew it was there. this last weekend we had grandma and grandpa k. come and see us for 4 days! it was lots of fun, and we had a great time. we did some shopping, the boys went golfing and just enjoyed our time together. we got noah's room painted too- i'll get some pics of that up in a bit. lisa donated some of her time and helped me get it done in one afternoon- thanks auntie!! she's good at the high areas that i can't reach! just have to finish the baby's room (which of course i can't show until after the baby gets here to keep the surprise for some :) and wash up some clothes and i think we'll call it good. ok- so here are some pics from the weekend- i thought i had some with grandma in them too- but i guess i failed on that one! here's hoping that they have some to share....

helping daddy eat his dinner (as if aaron has ever needed help eating anything...)

reading with grandpa

sporting grandpa's glasses
my big cheesy smile in my new chair in my big boy room that i hate (more on that later)

spikes magee- thanks to auntie lisa

from noah: auntie lisa is always messing with my hair. she especially likes to put sunscreen in it and make it stick straight up. sometimes i laugh- just to humor her- and other times i just can't cause i know i look so so silly. this last time was last weekend and she really got crazy- plus i REALLY need a haircut (hint hint momma)! mom says my hair grows so fast she can hardly keep up with it. daddy says i should just buzz it. i'm lookin for a nice summer do though- just enough off to keep me cool. i love summer- spikes and all. every morning i wake up and put my shoes on right away just hoping to sneak out early. no such luck yet- but i keep trying. well, enjoy the pics, mom is having fun looking back through the ones from the last year so you may see a few more on here soon. have a good day! love, noah

p.s.- auntie lisa i really do love you and i can even learn to like the spikes- thanks for swimming with me on saturday!

not such a baby anymore

i had a suggestion from someone to start getting out the "baby stuff" to let noah get used to it again- and maybe used to the idea that he's too big for it- yeah- that's not really working for us. as you can see he thinks he is clearly not too big and he can lounge should he feel like it! he was only one week in the first pic- and then just yesterday in the second and third one. when he was supposed to be sitting in it- it wasn't his favorite. now he seems to love it.... this is all we've gotten out so far. i'm a little nervous to get the swing out- not sure it can with stand his weight! anyway, it's hard to believe he is as old as he is- i feel like he was just a little snuggle bug yesterday. we're definitely looking forward to another little snuggle bug, but i'm gonna miss him being my baby!

part fish, part monkey

it's a bonus that nana teaches swim lessons in their pool cause it means noah gets a jump start on learning to swim. we've always teased my mom that she would have him swimming before he could walk. well, i think we were close. last summer he loved the water- but still couldn't do much. this summer- not so much the case! he loves jumping in, putting his face in the water and kicking his feet back and forth across the pool. we're still working on the "you're not tall enough for me to let you go by yourself" concept- but we'll get there. i think i just need to get him a life jacket so he can at least think he has some sort of independence. that's him these days- mr. independent. mr. do everything myself and you don't help me. it's a fun stage.... i got the rooms both taped up and ready for a coat of paint. i'm hoping to con my sister into helping me paint this week when she is here with noah. we'll see. i decided to switch the rooms around all together. since noah took his first of many jumps out of his crib yesterday it looks like we are moving up a little sooner. so once we get a toddler bed we'll move him into that and into his new "big boy room" and then get his old room ready for the baby. it will be a tight squeeze in there with the crib, changer and since it is our guest room too we'll have a day bed in there that my dad and gail are letting us borrow. (thanks again dad and gail!) i don't think the baby will mind anyway..... once we get that all put together and finished i think besides washing everything we should be pretty close to ready. well- as ready as we are gonna be anyway. for the moment noah is in his crib attempting to nap- and so i better nap now for work tonight or i may never get a chance.

thomas the train extravaganza

we spent friday afternoon at thomas the train day at the historic train station near here. we may have over estimated noah's knowledge and "love" of thomas though. and it was possibly a year- even two- too early for him to really understand. oh well- that's how i learn i suppose. the tickets were kinda spendy- and the only part that you were paying for was the train ride itself- which as you'll see below- was not exactly his favorite part! it was about a 30 min ride, but that's a long time for him to sit still. anyway, he did love all the train tables to play on and absolutely loved feeding the animals. they were hungry little things too- almost lost a finger or two more than once. my dad and gail were here for the weekend so it was great to have them along. noah has since been walking around the house looking for grandpa and grandma. thanks for coming guys- and we can't wait to see you both when the baby gets here!

on the bus out to the train depot- he chatted it up with a little girl sitting behind himplaying with the train tables they had set up
more train tables- it was hard to share the trains with the other kiddos.....
future firefighter- i had to bribe him to get out of there and give someone else a turn!
i think this is an alpaca- not the prettiest creature- but hungry none the less
loving the train ride!
a horrible pic of me- but it was the only group one we had

i love these boys

happy father's day!!!

and happy father's day to terry and my father in law- galen! we love you all!!!

our bright new furniture

so noah is big into climbing- as we all know- but what he really loves is climbing into his very own new chair. it's just his size, and he can get in it from the top, the side or even like anyone else might- from the front. we don't get in it that way very often though. our friend kathy found this gem at a garage sale last week and thought of our little man. after a little scrub down in the washing machine it was good as new and has added more than a little color to our otherwise neutral living room. what better way to enjoy some cheerios, milk and a little backyardigans?

head-banging and gigi loving

we made a trip to il this past weekend to see some family. lisa came with us and it was SO great having her there. she was such a huge help to me- i even got to sleep in two mornings. that never happens! and i mean sleep in until after morning nap... i know- it rocked! anyway, my cousins jess and bets and her little man colton were back too so it was a bonus to see them- and a great trip all around. for some reason- and i am told it is a toddler thing- but noah has taken a liking to banging his head on various things around the house. be it a soft material or hard it doesn't seem to matter to him. he still bangs away. i'm also told that he won't do it hard enough to hurt himself- but it doesn't look like any fun and i have yet to see the excitement in it. and of course with the head banging comes that whole "why is he doing that- should he be evaluated by someone" thought process. the same folks tell me no- that he is fine- so we'll just watch him for now i suppose. he seems to do it when he gets really excited and i think isn't sure what the heck to do with all that excitement- that's my professional opinion anyway. and since we have been back i have been organizing and cleaning stuff out like crazy. i never really did this when i was pregnant with noah- but this time i feel like i have SO much to do and not a lot of time to do it in. but then on the flip side- i can't wait to be done being pregnant and have the baby here. i'm guessing i just need to relax and enjoy it. back to the trip.... here are some pics of the boys playing and some photo ops with gigi (great grandma). the boys were less than happy to be taking pictures- but we at least got them in a few. get ready though- there are a lot. and regarding the shirtless kiddos.... it was a little warm that evening and who wouldn't run around showin some skin if they could?? can't get enough of cute baby fat......

trying on grandma's slippers- they are so soft!

this is where the head banging occurred- at least it was soft.....

chillin in colton's "pool"

can't get enough of the lovey- maybe his head was hurting??

gigi, lisa and noah

the first attempt at that photo.....

worked out better when we got in it too

we love gigi!!

a little thing called tulip festival

we get to attend this festival in aaron's home town each year. we love going back to see grandma and grandpa, great grandma and great grandpa and some of aaron's friends from high school. the flowers are beautiful and there is lots for the kiddos to do. this year we had a full house with all three kiddos and us, as well as rachel and my mom and terry. we had tons of fun- and minus a few swats at eli by noah- i think they had fun too. eli- we're still sorry about that! here are some pics from our trip. we are off to the water park tomorrow with some good friends and hopefully we'll get some photos there too. and for anyone reading this- any advice on stopping the hitting would be greatly appreciated. we're currently trying "time-out"- but it's not really that great. anyway- we'll take what we can get! have a great night....

new rocket racer- thanks rylan!

the crazy slide- loved it!

i can slide down all by myself

me and my cousins- our mommies make us take this pic every year

see you cats later!

uncle nathan's old dutch costume- loved it!

long time again

it's hard to believe it's been two and a half months since i last posted. i have no idea why i find it so challenging to get on here and post. it's not as though i'm not on the internet- or not looking at other blogs- but none the less i struggle to get on here! lots to share. we know what we're having- but there are a few folks in the fam who don't want to know so for them we won't post what it is. i'm pretty sure that most who read this knows what it is anyway...... pretty sure my "blogging" (or lack there of) is of no interest to people who don't know us. regardless- we are getting really excited. i can't wait to get things together and get that sweet "baby stuff" out again. i guess it hasn't really been away for very long though. i am fairly certain that noah has no idea what's coming his way- and i probably don't for that matter either! he does pat my belly and point to the baby- however- he may think that "baby" is the belly button cause we can't seem to get that part down. some days i look at him and can't believe he won't be my baby anymore because he seems so little and then other days i think he is getting so big- and so fast- that i am ready for this new little person. we'll see i guess. we're looking forward to this summer and the warmer weather. i've got some pics to post here soon but for now better sign off.