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Playing with a phone on thanksgiving- We were twins!
I'm 18 months old!
Admiring her hard work after we decorated the tree.
Helping hang the balls that she chose at Home Depot for our tree.
My Black Friday shopper!


There is a one and a half year old running around the house now! How did that happen? A whopping 18 months old. She's NOT a baby anymore!

We went in for the 18 month appointment today. Gosh, I cannot imagine those with an infant along too! Not the point, but filling out surveys with a scared child, in a tiny tiled room with no toys, is difficult. But, Coranelle made herself heard and scribbled all over the 8 pages analyzing her development and growth. As always, I think the whole office heard her protesting and screaming while we weighed, measured and examined her. Not sure why that is so scary, but Coranelle HATES it all. On a positive note, my peanut has graduated from the fifth percentile in weight to the 13th- weighing a whopping 21 lbs, 11ounces. Yay! She's been eating really well lately- even enjoying vegetables again -not just tomato sauce and salsa, but bits of carrot, red pepper, cucumbers and olives. The new teeth must be helping her enjoy a bigger variety of foods. She loves her meat too, and "meat" is one of her favorite words now. As far as the other stats, she's 32 inches long (61st percentile) and her head is in the 80th percentile. She gets the big brains from her daddy!

I talked to the doctor about having another kiddo and helping her to adjust, potty training, night terrors, etc. Overall, she is doing really well. She's at the top of the charts for her communication, gross and fine motor skills, problem solving abilities and personal/social skills. I am very proud of her and feel SUPER blessed. We took a survey for Autism and she is not showing any signs for that either. So, really no complaints or anything out of the ordinary.

I cannot believe how her language has exploded in the last month. It is so fun to be able to communicate with her and see her learn lots of new words. She imitates everything I say and I cannot even keep track of all of her words. When we're driving, she loves for me to point things out and then she repeats it. "Cow, Sun, Bright, Tree, Car, Light, Horse, Etc." She also loves trying to recite the alphabet and she repeats all the letters. She's struggling with "W, J, and G" but, it's awesome! I think the more she can communicate, the happier she seems.

And, as for my last post... since my nervous ranting, she has improved significantly on being able to entertain herself. While I cook dinner, she'll sit in her high chair and play with her bowls and spoons. She is getting really interested in coloring, stickers and play-doh and she does pretty well playing on her own for a while while I do chores. I feel so much better about the new addition to the family when she acts a bit more independent. So, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers there.

Excuse me for the rather numerical and informative post. After tomorrow- I'll have some other kind of news to share. Yes, we learn the sex of the baby tomorrow! We're are very excited. Ryan thinks boy this time, and my guess is girl. We'll see who's right soon! Stay tuned!

restless dependence

I thought I would be blogging this post about our trip to Florida (which was awesome, by the way), but I have something pressing on my heart that I wanted to get out. It seems as if writing about things on my mind often really helps, not to mention that the little bits of feedback and the advice I get are priceless.

As I look towards the changes that face us in April with the arrival of a new baby into our lives, I have been feeling pretty anxious and apprehensive lately. I cannot stress how much I love Coranelle or how blessed we feel to have her in our lives. We love her spirited nature and who she is becoming. Yet, when I imagine taking care of her and a newborn, I panic. The girl CANNOT sit still- not ever. I am not talking about your typical energetic toddler. We saw plenty of those on our trip. Those toddlers fell asleep on a four hour plane ride. They'd sit in a stroller, shopping cart or wagon for at least 10 minutes without freaking out and throwing a fit. No, this is a different kind of restlessness and inability to relax. Holding her on our laps on the plane was an exhausting and almost impossible endeavor. If the fasten seat-belt sign came on and we had to keep her on our laps instead of standing between us and the seats in front of us, she would yell, wail, flail, wiggle and fight. We had all the essentials to keep her entertained- fun snacks, stickers, coloring books, toys, new books from the library, the aqua doodle, etc. Managing to get Coranelle to stay in one place for that long was enough to convince us that we will not be flying again... for a long time. We just spent a whole week at the beach and I never once laid on a towel and read a book. Actually, I never sat in a lawn chair. Not that I minded, we had a blast playing in the water and sand with Coranelle, I am just illustrating my point.

The way Coranelle manages to fight sleep is kind of astounding. She didn't nap well in Florida, despite all the sun, running and playing on the beach, and excitement. She was up by 6:15 most days, but didn't fall asleep until around 8:30. She's not really getting the recommended 11 hours a night of sleep that is needed at her age. It doesn't matter how early we put her to bed. It's typical for her to take 45 min to an hour to wind down and fall asleep. When she gets overtired, we seem to experience the dreaded night terrors, which we had two of this past week because she didn't sleep/nap and got overtired.

On top of her restless nature, I have been noticing more and more how much she depends on us to entertain her. I know this is my fault, but I am not sure how to force/teach her to play independently. We had a different routine and schedule on vacation, and that seemed to augment the issue. I could barely pour a cup of juice without her wanting me to hold her so she could watch. We have come to realize that me holding her all the time is not good during pregnancy (or ever at this age). It is taking it's toll on my back and neck. So, when I refuse to pick her up so I can take a few minutes to make a sandwich, cook, put clothes in the washer, type a quick e-mail, whatever... she freaks out and cries. Obviously, this is not going to work when baby #2 comes around. So, what do I do? How do I prepare her? What on earth is going to happen when I have to nurse an infant for 30-45 minutes 8 times a day?! I don't seem to be able to nurse within 10 minutes like many moms, so I am really worried about this. My mom said that when she nursed me, Stefan would just sit really close to her on the couch and watch. We have a problem there as my child literally cannot sit still! I am really quite concerned about this. We have lots and lots of toys, but she doesn't seem to want to play alone. I know she will change and grow up in the next few months, and I am hoping that she will grow out of her current neediness, but I don't know. I'd love some advice! She'll have to adjust to spending more time at home, playing on her own as we spend time nursing, waiting for the baby to nap, avoiding big crowds and the flu season for a while and I am concerned about that!

I've been hearing from a few moms recently who had their second kid this past month. It is almost upsetting to me to hear how easily their first child has adjusted, because I know Coranelle will not fall angelically into the role of being an older sister. I want to be able to find a sense of peace about this so that all of my worrying about what's to come doesn't stress out the little one inside of me! I fully believe that God won't give me more than I can handle. I know He'll give me the grace and strength to get through, and provide lots of people to help out and support me. Sometimes though, I feel as if Coranelle drains every last bit of me and I don't know how I'll properly care for two. So, I'd appreciate your prayers and advice immensely!

On a more positive note, the trip to Florida was a wonderful time to spend with Ryan, Coranelle, my mom and Steve. We loved it and I hope you enjoy a few of the pictures! Enjoy your thanksgiving week!

leaf piles

Playing with GPS this weekend!



17 weeks along.


I'm not actually going to write about leaf piles, I just drew a blank when thinking of a title and wrote the first thing I saw when I glanced outside into the rain/snow mix we have coming down on this chilly afternoon. I shouldn't be surprised that it is cold, it just seems as if we have had a gorgeous fall settle in this past month and I was getting used to spending hours outside everyday.
I don't really mind the change in weather- it is fun to get out some old sweaters and fleeces and feel like it could be an afternoon for hot chocolate. It seems about time to have a fire in our stove and hang out as a family reading.

Soon, we will be facing a stark (and welcome) contrast to snow, fires and hot chocolate, as we leave for Florida with mom and Steve. I am so excited to play in the sand, beach and pools with my little fish. She loves scooping sand and playing in the water and I cannot wait to do it in warm weather. Ryan has also been swamped with work and responsibility, so it will be wonderful to spend time together as a family! On that note, if anyone has suggestions for keeping my monkey of a child entertained for 3 1/2 hours on my lap during a flight, I'd LOVE to hear them! I am nervous about that part of the trip, but thrilled and anxiously awaiting everything else. I already have summer clothes packed in the suitcase and am currently looking at a stack of sand shovels and sunscreen that need to be tucked into bags too.

Here are a few updates on the last post: We have not had any more night terrors! I am not counting on them being over, but it has been a blessing to have a break from them. Now, every night before bed, we say a prayer and ask Jesus to keep Coranelle sleeping soundly and feeling safe. If I forget to say a prayer before bed, she'll say "A-mee"- which is her way of saying "amen" to remind that we still have something to do. She sits her little body quietly on my lap, with her hands folded, head against my chest, and listens until I say "amen" and she chimes in. No guarantee that the prayers stop the night terrors, but it was a fun habit to start and she is SO adorable when we pray that I had to paint you a little picture. Speaking of adorable, she just gets cuter all the time. I know I am biased, but it's allowed, so humor me. When we go to the rec center or church now, she happily runs in to play with the new toys... but always remembers to turn back and say, "Bye Mommy". When I return, she always runs to greet me and says good bye to everyone in the room and blows kisses. When I picked her up from her second successful trip to MOPs this morning (for a 2 1/2 hour period of time!), she was as happy as could be. (I know, because I picked her up and asked her how she was, and she said "happy.. happy") The ladies taking care of her said that she was a lot of fun and did really well. All the ladies at church know her by name now and get excited when she comes in and always make a point to tell me how much fun she is. (They probably say this to all the parents, but... it's true- she's getting to be SO fun!). I just love her so much!

Now, for all you moms out there growling at me because your kid is not sleeping, not eating, throwing tantrums, or whatever- don't hate me. I'm just focusing on the positives. We have tantrums- daily. We do. She gets frustrated that she cannot walk by herself in the grocery store or push the cart the whole time. She screams and howls at times when I try to put her in her car seat. She gets mad at me when I tell her she cannot stand on furniture and we have to put her in her crib for a time out. We deal with all that on a daily basis. But, what I love is that her little personality is coming out and she's learning how to express herself and it's so fun to see her becoming a little kid. She is such a blessing and I am so happy that I get to see every day. I missed her TONS this morning during MOPs and when my parents took her overnight on Friday for our date. I know it is great for her to spend time with other people, and great for us, but she is addicting!

On that note, we did get to go on a lovely date this past weekend and Coranelle had a sleepover with Grandmadele and GPS. We got to get coffee at Ozo, have a delicious dinner at the Med and enjoy Glacier ice cream and a movie. It was a much needed treat and wonderful to have some time to catch up with Ryan without a kid yelling, or wanting down or needing something. We need to do it more often! Coranelle did really well at her grandparents' house- except for not falling asleep until after 9pm, but she does that at home, so no complaints.
Here are a few pictures of our date.
Waiting for an hour at the Med. I didn't mind the wait at all because we could sit and chat and people watch!
We shared a latte at Ozo before dinner. My mom dropped me off to wait for Ryan to finish work on her way to take Coranelle to Longmont and I even had a few minutes to myself to journal! What a novelty!

My mind is drawing a blank for what else to report. But, before I forget, I have exhausted my list of books and I need some more ideas, hopefully before Florida. So, if you've read a great book lately, please share.

I hope you are all having a wonderful November!

Fall Festivities

Having a ball on the hay bales at the pumpkin patch. She kept running back and forth saying "Happy... Hay.... Happy... Hay"
This is what she does when I tell her to smile. Charming.
She loved these rabbits!

Finishing off my hot chocolate on a chilly day visiting the pumpkin patch.


Just wanted to write about a few things we are enjoying and struggling with this fall. First- all the fun things:
1. The leaves changing this year are gorgeous and the yellow in our front yard was stunning. We just had a storm blow through, and most of the leaves are on the ground, but I still LOVE all the fall colors.
2. Baking- I love baking in the fall. I'm making an apple spice cake today for some good friends who just had a baby. Soon to follow- banana and pumpkin bread.
3. Talking- Yes, I talk during all seasons of the year. But, Coranelle just really took it on this fall. In the car, we play a game, where I say a word and she mimics it. If I pause too long between words, she'll shout "Mo... Mo"- which means, "More... More". It's so fun to hear her communicating more.
4. Quiet mornings- Coranelle has switched to one nap a day and that has somehow extended her bedtime sleeping. The dark mornings help, but she tends to sleep in more, which means I get a little more time with Ryan before he leaves for work and then a few minutes to myself before getting Coranelle up and ready.
5. New experiences and people- Today, I am going to try a MOPS meeting for the first time. I was interested before, but it took place during Coranelle's morning nap. Now, that she's awake during that time, we thought we'd give it a shot. I've never left her with someone that is not family for more than an hour, so the 2 1/2 hours that this morning brings is making me a bit anxious. We'll see how she does and if we both like it.
6. Blankets, slippers, hoodies and hot drinks- all fun things when the seasons change
7. Lots of time sitting in Coranelle's glider or on the floor reading books. I think she could listen to books for hours if we'd read that long. It is great fun to see her interacting with the books. Pointing to the animals and objects I ask her to find and tell me what the different colors are.
8. Halloween stuff- We're not super into Halloween, but I am excited to put Coranelle into her duck costume and go visit some of the neighbors we are friends with. Our church also has a great fall party that we'll dress her up and take her to. Her grandparents are running the cakewalk, so we'll have to go get a cake too! This weekend, we'll carve our pumpkins and I'll bake the seeds.

That's all the fun stuff that fall has brought. Here is our struggle:
1. Night terrors- twice now, Coranelle has woken up with a night terror. These are scary for all of us, as she doesn't fully wake up. She seems to be in a dream state, but her eyes are wide open and she is screaming, her heart pounding, and inconsolable. She won't make eye contact and nothing calms her down. We try books, water, a bath, looking at pictures, rocking.... etc. We've since learned that we're not supposed to pick her up or turn the lights on, but let her get through that stage of sleep on her own. Hopefully she doesn't have many more because it freaks me out to see that blank look on her terrified face. They supposedly come after a day where the child feels stressed, anxious or scared. Ah, the mysteries of being a parent. I guess only 5% of kids have night terrors, but if anyone has had experience with them, I'd love to hear your wisdom.

That's all for now. Please feel free to share what you are enjoying or doing this fall.

So hungry

My little doll! I cannot believe I captured this instant. I told her to smile and she usually is too busy to stop and smile, so I didn't expect such a good shot!
Showing me around! Hopefully we can make it back and visit the petting zoo and jumpy castles when the whole world isn't there.
My two favorite people!
Her little cluster of favorites. She loves pumpkins!

I am obviously aware that this is a really silly thing to be blogging about, but it's the honest truth- I am so hungry all the time. I went from never wanting to smell food, talk about food, hear people discuss food to wanting to eat all the time. I don't remember being this hungry when I was pregnant with Coranelle. I am trying to eat healthy snacks and take care of myself, but I'm not perfect.

I also somehow gained about 7 pounds in just over 2 weeks. That seems a bit fast! But, I know it was because I was sick and then didn't really eat or drink for about 9 weeks. My body is making up for it- I guess. I just hope the weight gain slows a bit, or I'll get too big to chase my kid around!

Since I have my appetite back, I have started doing some meal planning. I am enjoying browsing through cook books and cooking again. The grocery shopping with a mini toddler- well, that's not so fun, but we get through it. Here's what I've made thus far:
Famous Mork burritos (2 batches)
Loaded baked potatoes
Huevos rancheros
Chicken fried rice
Pasta bean and sausage ziti
Spinach and cheese omelets
Warm fajita salad
Potato and bean chowder
Grilled egg sandwiches
Beer cheese bread
Mexican gumbo
Ham and cheese calzones

Whew! That's a lot of cooking! And a lot of eggs and potatoes- not sure why, but my body seemed to want them. If you have fun recipe suggestions, feel free to let me know! Or, if you have good ideas for snacks to keep me going, I'd appreciate those too!

In news unrelated to food, Ryan was a busy guy this weekend replacing the shocks and struts on our 4-runner. He's quite the handy man and also put a 3 inch lift on our car, and thus we officially have an off road vehicle! And, a pretty cool mom car, I might add. We also took a trip to the pumpkin patch (along with the rest of the world) and got some fun pictures. (Posted above). This coming weekend, my dad, Christina and Kyle arrive for a visit and we're looking forward to spending some time with them.

The lifted 4 runner!
The two Mork off roading vehicles. I think ours might be a little more "family friendly" than "Clifford"- or Josh's. I think this was taken before the lift... but I am not sure- which is sad and funny at the same time. You see, I didn't really want the lift, so you'd think I'd be able to tell the difference on the car I drive every day.

That's all for now. I hope you are all enjoying your fall!

celebrations!

Checking out the lights at the zoo. She LOVED them!
Really enthralled with the Lorikeets. Coranelle liked them too! :-)
Enjoying the morning at the zoo with mom/ Grandmadele.


Just wanted to share a little bit of good news. The test that I studied for for months and took with the stomach flu and nausea- well, I passed it! I am so relieved. Now, I am one step closer to my ESL endorsement. My next step is waiting to see if all of my classes count.

Second little celebration is that I am almost through the first trimester (14 weeks on Thursday) and am feeling much better! I finally have an appetite back and am gaining back the weight I have lost over the last few months. I am actually grocery shopping and cooking again! I can open my vegetable drawer without gagging and cook chicken (with garlic and onion!), without having to dry heave! It is so much easier to be excited about being pregnant when I feel better! I am still tired, but it's 100 times better than feeling sick all day. And, I don't think the being tired feeling is going to go away anytime soon- considering the wee one that I chase around, carry and entertain all day. Now that I am cooking again, she LOVES seeing everything I am doing and wants to be held so she can see everything I chop, grate, boil or bake. Making a meal and holding a toddler is a workout in itself! I get frustrated that things that I used to be able to do seem immensely harder now. I'm not THAT far along and am just starting to show, but when I take classes at the rec center, my face is purple and I am just dying. Anything that requires core strength seems impossible. How is it that I already have lost any abs I had gained back after Coranelle? Oh well, it's all for a great outcome, sometimes I just feel frustrated that things I used to do all the time leave me completely winded and exhausted.

Coranelle has a little baby doll of her own that she is learning to care for. She is not gentle at all, but she loves the baby. She points to my belly all the time and says "Bay- beeee" in the cutest way. We have some books for her about being a big sister that I hope help a bit.

Coranelle seems to be talking up a storm right now, getting very proficient at mimicking our words and it is fun to see her vocabulary expand. I think that this age is really fun and I enjoy seeing her turn into a kid and explore the world around her.

That's all for now. Just a few little bits of good news.

loneliness leads to appreciation

I've been feeling a bit lonely recently. Nothing to cry over, just kind of a deep feeling inside my gut. You see, I used to be surrounded by people during all hours of the day. At any given moment, I had twenty 9 year olds that needed something or wanted to share something with me. I had lots of co-workers coming in and out of my classroom to chat and to plan lessons. Our social lives were pretty busy on weekends with other singles or newlyweds.
I suppose a lot has changed since I had a child. There are days where I go from 10am until 6pm without talking to another adult, except maybe the grocery clerk. It's okay, I really appreciate this time of my life and the chance to know Coranelle. But, sometimes it gets lonely. I believe it has been over a year since I saw one of my girlfriends that I knew and was close to before having a kid. And even then, I had Coranelle with me, so it was hard to be fully focused. That's not super alarming, really. In high school, most of my closest friends were guys. It wasn't until Capernwray that I had a girlfriend that I had always hoped and prayed for, the one you spend tons of times with and can talk to for hours on end. I had a few more in college, and I miss them dearly. Girlfriends that I could run with, bike with, train for triathlons with, pray with, cook with, have sleepovers with, pour my heart and soul to. Life has taken us to different corners of the nation and different pages of our stories. But I miss that closeness.
Don't get me wrong. I feel so thankful for the moms that I have made friends with in the past year or so. I have really enjoyed my time with them and they have been extremely supportive and helpful and kind. But, it is a different relationship. They don't KNOW me in the same way as my girlfriends from the past did. I am somehow now 90% Coranelle's mom, and 10% Kari. Or, it feels that way. And different parenting styles, work schedules, family planning, etc. often makes it so that Coranelle and I spend a grand portion of the day alone together. Some mornings when I wake up, I feel a little overwhelmed by the fact that I need to entertain Coranelle on my own for about 10 hours.
The two of us went to the zoo together Wednesday and I was hoping to have someone else come, but a few options fell through. We ended up having a total blast and she was an angel. I could really focus on her and what she wanted to see and explore and it was a really wonderful mother daughter day that I will treasure for a long time. I started reflecting on my loneliness and realized that I have something that not many women have.





My husband is truly my best friend. He is someone that I can share my soul with. We are that couple that likes to do almost everything together. He will bike, hike, run, swim, cook, relax, and explore with me. We think alike on just about everything. We agree on faith, politics, our individual roles, how to spend money, where to shop for our clothes, what kind of car to buy, how to save money, how to raise Coranelle, and on and on. Okay, so we disagree on how often the lawn should be mowed, but that's pretty minor. I am so thankful that I have my best friend by my side through all the transitions, drama, chaos, and blessings that life brings. I get to see him every morning and evening and find fun things to do with him and Coranelle all weekend long. Even when we're doing mundane projects like building a patio, we have a good time together. It's so refreshing to have a conversation with him in the evenings and feel like someone really knows me, gets me.
Although I do hope that as time goes on, I deepen some present relationships and create new ones, I truly appreciate my family and the people I have in my life right now.