Happy New Years Eve!

Happy New Years Eve to everyone!  Stay safe and have fun!

More to come on the blog soon...

And We Are Back To The Blog!

Wow!  This vacation has been flying by!  Of course ALL vacations go quickly but this has been a complete whirlwind of excitement.  I hope I got to talk to most of you over the holidays so I won't do a huge recap of who we saw or where we went.  Let's just say we were running from place to place each and every day.  Now that I have a moment to myself instead of a date with my wonderful hubby or dinner with friends I am sitting here blogging.  So I hope you enjoy!  Here are some great moments captured by Grandpa K.

Thanks!

I just wanted to say a quick THANKS for all the comments and verbal feedback about the blog!  I always like to hear what people prefer to see on here and I love to know you are interested in our simple, everyday events!  Keep on visiting because I am going to keep on blogging!

Movin' & Groovin'

Minka allows me to clothe her if I can catch her!

Christmas Eve

Well it is Christmas Eve today but I am writing this post about a week before because I plan on RELAXING on my vacation and will post new pictures when we get back to AL.  I am happy to be back home and see all the familiar faces, friends, and family I have missed so much while we have been across the country.  In the past 9 months I have learned a few things about Alabama..

Only in Alabama will you see a Denali lifted high enough to walk underneath it.

Only in Alabama will you see a vehicle with rims more valuable than the entire rest of the car.

Only on a military post will you see an 8 year old boy waiting for the bus stop stoically doing push up after push up staring down each car that passes.

Only on a military post will your walk be quickly interrupted by three 10 year old boys jumping out from nowhere dressed from head to toe in army get-up screaming and chasing each other with guns.

Merry Christmas!

4 months!

Miss Minka Mae is 4 months old today!  She sure has learned a lot!  I have had so much fun these last four months, I cannot wait to see what else she has in store for me!

Happy Four Month Birthday! 

So What Wednesday

 So what if I...

• wish my linea nigra would fade away.  It was cute when I was pregnant- not so much anymore.  Bye Bye my latin black line.
• love craigslist and have already checked out the market in North Carolina to see if I can continue to find great deals!
• I put on work out clothes but never make it to the gym.  I wish thinking about working out was as beneficial as actually doing it.  I would be in really good shape!
• I am not completely confident with my post-pregnancy body.  It took me 20 years to get used to the first one I had.. ugh!
• EVERY time Minka squeals and "talks" to us it makes me smile.  I could listen to those fun noises all day every day!

...so what!

Mmm...Mmm...Good. Or Not.

Minka had her first taste of rice cereal.  This is how it went....

200th Post!

This is my 200th post!  Wow.  I didn't think I had that much to say.  This is your time to tell me what you like, what needs to be changed or general feedback about the blog!  Leave me comments.  The most comments I have EVER had is 2 on a single post.  I challenge you to leave me as much feedback as possible!  Anyone can leave comments or click the buttons below each post.  

Should I do more "picture only" posts?

Should I send more updates on Jareth's flight school or what I do everyday?

Do you like to see a post every day or just a few times a week?

Do you want more videos?

Should I use more Text effects?

Let me hear it! 

Minka Visits GA, MN, & ND!

We are on our way to Atlanta, GA to catch our flight to Minnesota for the holidays!  This is the first time for Minka to visit the states Georgia, Minnesota, and North Dakota.  This is the first time she will meet her Great Grandparents, Great Aunts, Great Uncles, Uncle Matt, Uncle Kai, Uncle Austin, and all the rest of the family!  This is the first time she will be on an airplane or in the car for more than 2 hours.  This is her first Christmas and New Year's!  She may even be able to eat her first meal of rice cereal!

What would the holidays be if there wasn't traveling, stress, family & fun?!  We can't wait!

(Forgive me if I get a little backlogged with the blog posts!  I am sure to have lots of pictures and news once we return on January 2nd!)

Every Girl Needs Her Little Black Dress

Does This Diaper Make My Butt Look Big?

Where Are Those Baby Rolls?

Minka seems to be compiling all of her growth to her height.  She has hardly any of those cute baby rolls she is supposed to have! Don't let this skinny baby fool you, she sure can eat!

So What Wednesday

So what if I...

• Am going to miss Alabama a little bit when we move.  We have spent awhile here, made good friends, enjoyed the weather and now that we know about the area...it will be time for us to leave soon.
• love work!  I enjoy my co-workers, the schedule, and of course the dress code of being at home! I miss Minka everyday but it makes me cherish every moment we get together!
• also love daycare!  She gets to socialize with other babies without the exposure to a huge amount of germs/sickness.  I love our provider-she is great with Minka and Minka is so excited to see her every morning.
• can never wait until the big day to give Jareth his presents.  His Christmas present this year was wrapped for about 2 days before we sat down to open it!
• hate cleaning but love a clean house.  Who's gonna make that happen for me?  I wish I had that cleaning fairy Mom always told me about.
• do not like making bottles for Minka.  Did I get the scoop exactly level?  Was there too much/too little water?  I might be a bit too paranoid about this part of parenting but it's just her complete nutrition that allows her brain and body to grow- no big deal.

...so what!!

Snow in AL!

Snow covered tree in Minnesota!

Snow covered tree in Alabama!

Rockin' and Rollin'

Minka decided it was time to roll over!  On Saturday evening she rolled from her front to her back twice.  Since then- stationary as can be. It was pretty funny to watch her topple over.  This is just the beginning!

P.S.  I didn't know I would LOVE being a mommy so much!  Everyday is exciting!

Bred For Their Skills In Magic

We recently visited a Zoo and it was a true Alabamian day!  First we ventured through many ranches going towards a destination our GPS could not find, we were honored to have witnessed the award winning home for the most junk in the front yard, then finally we got to the zoo.  It was an outdoor zoo with makeshift cages- these huge lions, buffalo, tigers, and bears could easily just bust right out of the cages.  This zoo had a ton of different animals from all over the world.  The tour guide was a look alike to Steve Irwin with a mullet and had a great personality.  After the zoo we had a delicious BBQ lunch with mason jar drinks!

A Zedonk- Zebra Donkey mix

 A black bear eating marshmellows from his mouth!

OOps...Tiger has his leg!

 A white Siberian tiger snacking on some raw chicken

 It's a tiger, it's a lion..no ITS A LIGER!

 They had 2 out of the 162 ligers in the world.  Tom and Jerry.

We also got to meet two pot belly pigs, Ham and Bacon, Tigger a Tiger, Simba a lion, Yum Yums a black bear, a grizzly bear, Siberian and Bengal Tigers, a babboon, lemurs, buffalo, deer, a camel, monkeys, emus, turtles, peacocks, and numerous birds!  It was a fun day for all of us!

Uncle Matt, Let's Have A Contest

I'm having a bad hair day, let's see yours!

Soldier Care Packages

Here is a picture of all the items we were able to purchase for the soldiers overseas.  We filled four large boxes!!  The first of the packages will be arriving just in time for Christmas. 

Thank you to everyone who made donations- this turned out to be a much bigger success than I was hoping for!  We were able to purchase the following:

4 Large Containers of Folgers

200 coffee filters 

10 packages of baby wipes

2 Large peanut butter jars

1 Large jelly

12 pens

24 pencils

2 reading books

1 bar soap

2 large lotion

2 large body wash

8 air fresheners

26 female razors

1 pack hot chocolate

3 types of trail mix

2 types sunflowers

2 face wash

1 large mixed nuts

15 large muffins

i honey buns

48 pop-tarts packs

1 twinkies

4 packs granola bars

1000 Q-tips

2 packs band-aids

1 huge bag cheez-it party mix

Yum Yums

Minka's number one toy?  Her hands.  This means a lot of drool.  We helped her chew on a teether and she loved it!! (I made this post before we knew about her teeth so it all makes sense now, doesn't it?)

Rank

Looks like we all know who outranks who.

So What Wednesday

I follow a blog called, Life after I "Dew", and she does a thing called So What Wednesdays so here is my version of the things I am so what-ing.

So what if I...

• light some candles when I am in a time crunch for cleaning...the house doesn't smell bad but a nice scent to hold the chores over for a day or two is refreshing.
• am happy Minka hasn't rolled over yet.  She is getting so much older and bigger so fast- I don't mind if it takes her awhile to reach some milestones. I want her to be small forever!
• enjoy a glass of wine or beer occasionally.  A happy mom makes for a good mom, right?
• cannot stand when people misuse the words there, their, and they're.  Don't we learn about homonyms by 4th grade?
• SUPER excited to be in MN for awhile and see the snow.  It will be fun to visit and then nice to come back to live in this beautiful weather :)
• am extremely proud of my husband for taking on flight school and becoming a Dad at the same time.  He has done great and was born to be a father!
• rock Minka WAY too long when she rests her head on my shoulder before bedtime.  It is so precious...I know I should be teaching her to soothe herself and fall asleep on her own but for now, I just don't care...I am sure I just may care a little more later on :(

...so what!

Ah Ha! There Are My knees!

Minka found her hands awhile back and has been eating them constantly. She has now found her knees and loves to hold them and pull on her pants!

Sneak Peek

Jareth was so kind to put his photography skills to use for our Christmas card.  We did a quick "studio"session last week and Minka was so good- the first pic we took was the winner!  Here is a sneak peek, a picture we didn't use on our card!

Tooth Fairy

Minka is teething!  We can clearly see her two canines on the bottom!  I was completely shocked that she has teeth moving around so early!  It is exciting but also a reminder that she is growing up so fast!

Have you Missed this cute face?

O Christmas Tree

This is the first year Jareth and I have had our very own big Christmas tree!  It is not real and we got it really cheap but we love it just the same!  I'm very excited about the tree skirt we get to use for the first time as well...hand-stitched by my Grandma every single sequence and bead!  I think it is just lovely.  Now all we need is some snow.....

I. AM. NOT. WEAK.

Stay awake. All I need to do is stay awake.  Fight it. Cry. Wiggle.  Don't let it get the best of me.  I think I can, I think I can. I will not fall to the pressure. Silly Sleep, that is for the WEAK!

Our favorite day of the year

Yes, we love every holiday but Thanksgiving is the best!  We love to cook, eat, and be lazy!  It also lets me remember our special wedding day as we had a great turkey dinner to celebrate then too.  Here is Minka all dressed up for the special occasion.

 

You may be wondering where are her clothes?  She must be freezing!  It's Thanksgiving for God's sake! 

Nope, not freezing- it is 80 degrees here today!

Good Morning Pre-Pregnancy Weight

What a lovely way to start the day!  I have finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight after three looooonnngg months!  Yay for me :)  I plan on celebrating with a large glass of wine and a bountiful Thanksgiving!

Booyah.

3 months!

Minka is 3 months old today!  Where has the time gone?

Let's Join Together

I have found this website called www.AnySoldier.com.  This website brings together soldiers in need and people wanting to provide love, support, and care packages to them.  The website works as a facilitator allowing a soldier from any branch of the military to become their groups volunteer to request items and disperse them when received.  Some of these soldiers have been deployed recently, some are almost done with their deployments.  They are stationed all over, the ones I looked at mainly were in Afghanistan or Iraq.  They can represent hundreds of other soldiers or a small group, a handful of soldiers.  These are men and women currently deployed of all ages in all sorts of conditions.

I have chosen to send a package to a group represented by Specialist Andres Montero.  His unit is from Texas and he is asking for a number of items for 11 males and 5 females. They are estimated to be in Iraq until October 2011.  The items specifically requested include the following:

Dove Body Wash
Wet wipes/baby wipes
Lotion
Air Fresheners
Beef Jerky (no pork allowed)
Band-Aids
Q-Tips
Honey Roasted Peanuts
Trail Mix
Face Wash
Female Razors
Green Socks (Army issued, no sizes mentioned)
Coffee
Quick Breakfast food such as Muffins, Cereals, Bagels etc
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Shower Shoes
Bed Sheets

Other common requests include:
Letters- write like you would to a friend, thank them for their work, wish them a happy holiday, have your child make a card or draw a picture etc
Letter materials- stamps, paper, envelopes, pens
Books


Homemade items NOT accepted

Now, I am asking for your support so we can meet some of their requests.  I am going to be sending a package Monday December 6th so it has time to arrive before the holidays.  I plan on sending additional packages after the holidays to continue our support after the madness settles down again after Christmas.  This is completely voluntary.  If you would like to help me, please mail items to our house and I will be compiling donations from our friends and family across the country and our new friends and family here at Fort Rucker.

If you want more information, need our house address or have questions please email me at emilyandjareth@gmail.com!

If you choose not to donate any items, please at least say a prayer for the soldiers who serve our country everyday.

Storytime

It is never too early to start good habits right?  The other day,  I read a book to Minka and she focused on each page intently as I read the entire book.  Ever since then I have begun to read much more.  She LOVES it!  We can sit for 20 minutes just reading books and she can stay focused and happy the entire time just listening to my voice and admiring the pictures. 

Hands & Legs

Minka's new favorite thing is to eat her hands.  I do not just mean nibble on her fingers.  She gets closer everyday to completely swallowing her entire fists.

Check out Minka's adorable leg warmers :)

BWS

Jareth has now completed another section of flight school.  He just passed his last check ride with flying colors and this week he will start BWS, Basic Warfighter Skills.  This is a short, "fun" class that he will be doing until Christmas exodus rolls around.  After Christmas he will start the LAST section of flight school and will go through a 12 week course learning how to fly his specialized aircraft, the Blackhawk.  I can't believe how fast this is going!  We are so proud of our soldier!

Minka Bean

Yesterday I am proud to say I survived Minka's first shots...and she did too! Jareth was able to come with us and I was very happy to hear this wonderful news!  First we got her checked out and she is as healthy as can be!  She weighs 12 lbs 6 oz to put her in the 62nd percentile, her head is 40.5 cm to put her in the 78th percentile, and she is 24.75 inches long to put her in the 97th percentile!  It looks like we may have another Sequoia on our hands.

Then we had to do three shots and an oral injection.  The Dr held her legs while Jareth held her arms and shielded the tiniest mad face from me.  She screamed and cried a bit while he did the shots but calmed down very quickly while Jareth cuddled with her after.  That little pouty lip just breaks my heart! 

Glad to say we completed her first set of shots and she is doing very well with it!

Where, Oh, Where Did My House Go?

Oh yeah, Minka stole it.  After returning to work, I think I need to work on some time management skills because there is simply just not enough time to clean and definitely not enough space to organize all of Minka's stuff!  Look at this ridiculousness....

Christmas Came Early

We decided to try to get most of our Christmas shopping done early this year.  A couple weeks ago I bought a Christmas tree at a garage sale because it was such a good deal so we just put it up right then- 2 months early!  I pulled out some other decorations as I was putting away the Halloween decorations- one less time to dig out the boxes. I also got to put out my Grandma's ceramics for the first time this year too!  So in the spirit of gift buying we had to get Minka something special and we decided on an exersaucer.  This may be more of a gift for us as she becomes ever increasingly squirmy and will be soon rolling and in a few months sitting up.  Here is a pic of her checking it out.  She is still too small and needs more body control but when we get home after the holidays I hope to have her using it all the time!

Beauty Sleep

This is the first time Minka has worn a real t-shirt and pants pajama set.  Isn't she cute?  She looks older by the day!

A few of our favorite things

I have only been a Mom for 2 1/2 months but by now we have gotten into a routine.  The hour time change has totally wiped out Minka and she is going to bed an hour early and unfortunately hungry an hour earlier in the morning.  I still can not complain though- she is still sleeping until 4:30 or later and I have a wonderful husband to help out as needed!  So far after these short 11 weeks, I have learned how to pack a diaper bag like a pro for any occasion, identify Minka's cry and soothe her quite quickly, and love our smiley good mornings.  There have been hurdles along the way and we learn swiftly. 

A few of our favorite things include:

• SwaddleMe blanket.  Oh boy!  Minka LOVES to be swaddled.  When she realizes what we are doing as we tuck her feet in and then one arm at a time, she shoots us a big gummy smile to let us know we have approximately 4 minutes before she is out for the night. 
• Womb Bear.  This was the first thing Jareth and I purchased after finding out we were pregnant and I am sure glad we did.  Every now and then Minka will let out a cry or two a few hours after being put down and all we have to do is turn the womb bear back on and it lulls her right back to sleep- truly a dream come true!
• Pacifier.  We must not forget this little, very important, piece of gear.  Best used to soothe a tired baby in busy places or fend off a feeding until I can clear the checkout line.
• Soothie.  Soothie is a brand we love for bottles and pacifiers.  They can be put in each and every way, even as I dodge other vehicles and search for her mouth with my arm bent all around her carseat.  They also have proven to be the best for feedings with less dribble and choking-yikes!
• Google.  Even though we read too many baby books, went to baby classes, and were given instructions by experts, we still utilize Google to find our answers for cradle cap, jittery arm movements, and every other minor concern to ensure Minka is happy and healthy.  Pediatricians must be forever grateful for Google.
• Gymboree Outift.  Minka received an adorable outfit from Gymboree including a onesie, sweatshirt, and sweatpants.  If it came in my size I would be wearing it right now. The only time I see it is on laundry day when it is being folded, then back on Minka it goes...
• Gummy smiles. Squeals of delight.  A restful head laying on my shoulder.  These are just a few of my most favorite things :)

Hanging with Dad

So Many Activities!

We got Minka's play yard for a great deal so after adding a few toys of our own, she loves to kick and play in there!

Birthday Treats

Jareth, Minka and I went to a local steakhouse for my birthday dinner and boy it was delicious!  We also enjoyed some DQ cake as well :)  It was fun to relax with my family and enjoy it with my favorite people!

Oh my, I am cute!

We bought Minka a play yard since she loves the one at day care and she just stared at herself totally consumed by the cute baby looking back!

Play time!

Minka is learning so fast!  She now likes to watch Jareth and I move about a room, she turns to find our voices, and she is also starting to like to touch different textures and stare in the mirror!  It is fun to watch her at daycare, the babies love to stare at each other!