January 2012!

New Years started off quiet and we enjoyed being at home together as a family. We stayed home New Year's Eve eating pizza for supper with spinach and artichoke dip with Uncle Philip. Judah went to bed while the rest of us watched movies late into the night. The next day we had our friends Katie and Lynn over for some Pork Chops and sour kraut/cabbage to celebrate bringing in the New Year.

Next, we started the New Year off with the Iowa Caucuses for the Iowa Presidential Republican Candidate. We ran our local caucus where Senator Rick Santorum won. For our large turnout in our small urban precinct we had 27 people. Judah spent the evening with a neighbor friend getting his first taste of Winnie-the-Pooh as they watched the latest movie in their pajamas. Meanwhile the statewide vote totals came in putting Senator Rick Santorum and Governor Mitt Romney at a virtual tie until mid-January when certification showed that Senator Rick Santorum finally won Iowa.

By this time we all became sick with viruses. For three Wednesdays in a row we went to the doctor. For our first round of the virus, Tim took the day off so we could go to the family doctor. The second Wednesday we did a follow up appointment with Judah as his sleeping and eating still seemed off. In spite of a swollen lymph nodes, Judah's blood work and second strep test turned out normal.
Finally by mid-January (January 18) Judah came down with the flu. After nap on Tuesday, Judah started throwing up. In four short hours, he managed to throw up five times. By 8:30pm he has stopped throwing up and was ready for bed at 10:00pm. He slept until 2:00am when he awoke throwing up again every 20 minutes on the dot until 5:00am before dropping off to snooze. By the time we took him into the pediatrician at 11:15am he still was vomiting. The pediatrician sent us directly over to the Emergency Room for some fluids. Judah had thrown up everything including water he had in the 16 plus times within that 24 hour period making him one sick boy who lost three pounds.


Our afternoon and evening then was spent in the children's emergency room at Mercy where Judah was started on fluids. Hooking him up to an IV was not his favorite part. By evening though, we transferred over to the new children's ward upstairs in the hospital to keep him overnight. Tim spent the night with Judah so that mommy could go home and take care of herself. After being hooked up to fluids all night long, Judah woke up finally laughing again the next morning, especially at his Winnie-the-Pooh movie. A little puffy-eyed, by mid morning with his IV out, he finally found the toy room across the hall. And by later afternoon, we were released to go home.

During recover, our house became crazy with piles of laundry, dishes, toys, and remnants of cleaning as we had been doing some projects around the house. Judah continued to gain his appetite and put on the calories as we let him choose his own diet and drink plenty of juice. Thankfully, for us, our church family delivered a few extra meals on the side as we got caught up at home and at work.


This month we really focused on getting ready for baby aside from being sick. Tim did some small home improvement projects around the house by adding shelving in the closet and in the laundry room. By the end of the month, we then moved around the upstairs furniture. Papa Ed and Nana Joyce came down for the weekend to help play with Judah and move desks, beds, and toys. The next week, Tim gifted us with having the house deep cleaned including in and behind appliances and behind furniture.


We were able to see lots of family this month though. Tim and Uncle Philip did take Judah to the John Deere expo for some much needed man time. Judah had fun seeing the tractors and he continues to line up his toy tractors for his own expo. That same weekend, Papa Ed and Nana Joyce came to hang out for some Judah time. Also, we saw Papa Larry a few times as he was on his way down to Kansas City as Gigi was with Cousin Gabe, who was also recovering from being ill.


Getting back home from Christmas meant we struggled with nap and bed time again. Many times Judah would get up out of bed to turn on the lights so he could play or read books in the nearby rocker. By the end of the month, we changed the room around again taking away his toddler bed and replacing it with a Tim's old twin bed. Judah had fun picking out his McQueen sheets and construction big boy sheets as a result of his new bed. Then we took out all the toys moving them into the loft, now our toy area, removing any temptation to play during quiet time. Afternoons have become quiet times now where he can just sit in bed doing quiet activities and reading his books. However, we found that if he gets too bored, he likes to rip up his books.


Weather has almost been spring like temperatures allowing us to be outside and take walks. Judah has been on the look out for snow all season. The nice January weather has allowed us to spend a lot of time outside instead of being cooped up in the house. In fact in one week we went from having Monday play group at the park and eating lunch the next day without coats practically outside to a snowstorm a week later with 5 inches. Tim finally was able to take Judah out to build a snowman and get a ride in the sled.


Judah is really starting to use his imagination and pretend. Often he takes objects and pretends they are something else. Even at meal time we pretend his macaroni is different cars and trucks. He is also starting to role play such as playing David and Goliath, being a tap dancer, or being a cowboy with dad. Judah's conversation skills have also increased to include real thoughts and several sentences. You will often hear him say, "I already did" or "I am thinking." He likes to ask so many questions and you can see his little brain processing the answers.



Being sick this month has opened a whole new world of television for Judah. He really has become quite attached to Winnie-the-Pooh. We bought him the new movie after it made him laugh during recovery at the hospital. Then with his new Chuck and Friends tumbling tower, Judah received his Chuck and Friends video, where he now plays with his cars and trucks. A lot of his play has been centered around his video experiences.

Tim has been struggling to stay afloat with work this month. Missing several sick days has caused him to get behind on the many projects and daily work. Approval for the new Boys and Girls Club site has increased Tim's work load as they move forward to making plans on setting up space in a nearby Middle school. Also, Tim has been in charge of the Iowa Youth of the Year state event.

Mommy has been spending her extra energy on getting ready for baby's arrival. Sorting, reorganizing, and packing has kept her busy. Her biweekly doctor's appointments continue to go well. In spite being more uncomfortable with swollen limbs and back pain, her diabetes has been able to be controlled by diet. The third trimester has definitely left her more tired though.

Judah has shown an increased interest in baby. He can pronounce Baby Boolina correctly even though he still tells people her name is "Four." When we pray he often wants us to include her as well as daddy's "baby" as we pray for each member of our family. Occasionally, he will think of her as he talks about sharing, saving, or getting something for her. He enjoys the few books we have that discuss baby asking to read them several times. Judah has also tried pulling up his pants over his belly like mommy's maternity pants.

December 2011!

This was the first Christmas that Judah was really old enough to understand what was going on and be excited for all the festivities. And his interest made it that more special and fun to watch him throughout all the activities of the season.

Most of December we spent getting ready for Christmas with activities or decorating the house. The second weekend, we took Judah to the Howell's Christmas Tree Farm for our White Pine Christmas Tree. We walked around the snowless field in the cold only to decide to get a tree that was pre-cut. Judah also picked out a wreath (with blue balls) for our door this year. After being outside, we went inside to warm up next to the Lego train set with candy canes.

Later that Saturday evening we put up the tree and decorated it together as a family. Judah had fun getting out the ornaments, especially his, and telling daddy where to put them on the tree. This year we put all our family ornaments at the top and had kid-friendly ornaments at the bottom for Judah to enjoy. The tree only stayed nice for one evening as the next day the beads followed by ornaments one by one came off the tree leaving it green and bare from the waist down. The next evening we finished decorating the house after he went to bed.


We squeezed in our other December activities this month when we could. Judah and I made some Christmas cookies for friends. Judah had fun playing in the cocoa and coconut, covering himself from head to toe. When we took him to see the Christmas lights, he talked about nothing else for days except to see the lights again especially going under the tunnels. Mom and Dad made it out to their annual dinner at Centro followed by their Christmas Tonic Sol-fa concert. while Judah stayed home with Miss Sarah. And for the Church Christmas program (since Judah was still too young) he informed us that next year he wanted to be a shepherd.


Christmas was always on Judah's mind. After we would shop and pick up a present for Tim, Judah would inform daddy what he got leaving no surprises for daddy. He then would help mommy wrap the gifts with stickers that kept bouncing from one wrapped box to another. When we got out the Fischer Price Nativity, Judah set it up at his little table and played with it through the Holiday season, rearranging the wise men and baby Jesus. We would read the Christmas story and he would then want to play it. The famous penguin lights also made it out of the box this year only to later be hidden away back in the box. Judah constantly (sometimes twice a day) wanted to watch Charlie Brown's Christmas or old episodes of Christmas cartoons. We found out that he was afraid of the Polar Express though. Then we would catch him singing Jingle Bells, Angels we Have Heard on High (the Gloria verse), or Away in a Manger. The ornaments were a constant temptation and by Christmas Day, all the ornaments from waist down were gone. Finally Judah would pretend to wrap objects in paper and unwrap the "surprise" to mom and dad's excitement. And any ribbons off the presents instantly turned into road tracks for his cars or trains.


Judah had so much fun with the gifts this year including helping mommy and daddy with their gifts. He came downstairs in amazement and surprise to find all the presents under the tree for previously he could not leave them alone (and so we never put them out in advance). For the first 15 minutes on Christmas morning (Thursday was our Christmas Day) he sorted all the gifts by taking them out under the tree to line them up. He then could not decide which to open first until we mentioned his stocking. His first gift he wanted to open was our family videos which had attached baby Jesus from our nativity. According to our family tradition, when we find the baby Jesus, we stop to read the Christmas story and put baby Jesus in the manger. By the end of the morning he gave up on even opening any gifts and instead enjoyed passing them out for all of us and making us open them one after another.

Judah's big gift this year was a road carpet for his cars. Instead of wrapping it, Tim brought it out to the living room and unrolled it for him to his amazement. To go along with the carpet, he received some new Chuck and Friends trucks and wooden city vehicles he got in his stocking. In addition, Judah received the Thomas Train Early Engineer Busy Day on Sodor set to add to his train collection. Mommy also picked out a play dough set of tools and a rubber stamp set to entertain him as well as a wooden alphabet puzzle and a Richard Scary's Busytown Board game. Dad received mostly clothes (as he already knew from Judah) and a good book. Mom found the family video in her stocking along with newborn girl tights that Judah picked out for baby. And we all enjoyed our matching red pajamas this year. As we opened each gift, Judah insisted that we get out each item and play with it before the next present.



Of course we stopped after opening the stockings for a big breakfast. Then we resumed opening gifts which seemed to go a lot faster this year because of Judah's excitement. By the time the presents were opened and we had played a while, Judah had a melt down from all the stimulation. So we paused the day for some needed quiet time. Then later in the day we ate our Christmas dinner of Chicken and potatoes (from our usual Pork Chops).


The next day we packed up to head north to the farm for Christmas with the Rittgers on Christmas Eve. The cousins had fun playing together while every now and then they would attempt to unwrap a gift. We enjoyed our Prime Rib dinner and singing Happy Birthday do Jesus. When the time came, the kids passed out the presents before succumbing to driving around their new emergency vehicles. By the end of the evening, all tuckered out, Judah was curled up on a mattress on the floor next to our bed in his new John Deere blanket.


On Christmas Day we went over to celebrate at the Kreis household. We arrived in time for a Christmas brunch with the family. Judah this time was the only one to pass out the gifts to the adults. He found time though to play with the Christmas ribbons pretending it was track for his cars. Judah had a nice afternoon playing with the Uncles as they got out every toy from the basement, setting each train and track set up for him (they were just looking for an excuse). We had a nice turkey and ham dinner and then settled down for an evening of playing games and watching movies.

The rest of the Christmas weekend was spent visiting with both families. Judah played with his cousins at the farm while mom and dad went out to a movie. It was a nice year visiting with all. Dan and Shannon and Matt and Hilary even made it back to Iowa for Christmas.

Aside from Christmas, Judah's independence made its appearance this month in many ways. The first evidence of independence was his effort to pour his own milk. Mom turned away for a second only to turn back and see that he attempted to pour the large gallon of milk on his cereal. Next, much of this month was spent getting Judah adjust to sleeping in his toddler bed. For several weeks at nap time, Judah was rewarded with a hand stamp if he stayed in his bed. For a time, he would sleep and then when he awoke, he would request his stamp and ink color. Mommy let him do his own stamping which often resulted in tattoos up and down his arm.




Baby Boolina has continued to grow this month making mommy's appointments well. However, mom has had to deal with adjusting to gestational diabetes. During this pregnancy, Emma failed the the four hour test by two and with the new testing rules was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. She failed her glucose screening right before Christmas and it was over the Holiday season that she went through training, consulted with professionals, and even learned how to do the insulin shot just in case. So far though, mommy has been able to control her diabetes with a change in diet.

Tim has been busy this month finalizing plans at work for Adopt-a-Family and Toys for Tots. Judah even spent valuable time in the office while mommy had her diabetes test sorting items for these projects.