On Sunday morning, Lillian brought her little pink purse to church, with her little pink wallet. Usually we'll give her a dollar for the offering plate, but she said she had money already - she put in her only $2 bill.
Then at lunch, Papa Bob had a $2 bill for each of the grandkids! I pointed out that she gave her money to God at church, and he gave her another $2 bill!!
Then on the way home Sunday evening, we saw lots of black smoke up ahead-something was on fire. We turned off on our exit before we saw what it was. The kids were riding with Roy, and he told me Lily said, "Daddy, should we pray for the people in the fire?" So they prayed. Turns out it was a semi that had flipped on it's side and was completely on fire. But you know what? The driver made it out before the truck caught on fire! I told Lily later that the driver was safe - her prayers worked!!!
If you're up for a heart-wrenching, completely inspiring, guaranteed bawl-out-loud crying jag, click here.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Knobbly Knees
What do two Scottish descendants and their lad and lasses do on a sunny Saturday afternoon?
Sarah and I took Lillian and the twins to Celtic Fest at Usher's Ferry in CR! We saw our cousin Pete in a kilt (yikes!) and learned a lot about our Scottish heritage and traditions.
One tradition that I had no clue about was the Knobbly Knees Contest.
Somehow I was picked out of the crowd to be a judge - maybe it's the reddish hair?? Now, having never seen a "Knobbly Knees" contest, much less even heard of one, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
It's a contest where men or boys (kilts required) come up on stage, and a judge or two feels their knees to see how "knobbly" they are. Yes, I was a judge, and I felt lots of knees, including some very rough knees, and some very ticklish knees, and some very knobbly knees! Bribes were abundant - a dollar for each judge tucked in the top of each stocking, a bit o' whiskey offered from a flask pulled out of a sporran. There were lots of taunts and barbs between the contestants too, such as, "A real Scotsman would never give away TWO dollars."
The man that won the contest had very knobbly knees, it felt like 3 knobs on each knee! His prize was a bottle of Scotch or whiskey and the title of reigning champion for the year. All I got was a dollar!
Pics are posted here.
Sarah and I took Lillian and the twins to Celtic Fest at Usher's Ferry in CR! We saw our cousin Pete in a kilt (yikes!) and learned a lot about our Scottish heritage and traditions.
One tradition that I had no clue about was the Knobbly Knees Contest.
Somehow I was picked out of the crowd to be a judge - maybe it's the reddish hair?? Now, having never seen a "Knobbly Knees" contest, much less even heard of one, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
It's a contest where men or boys (kilts required) come up on stage, and a judge or two feels their knees to see how "knobbly" they are. Yes, I was a judge, and I felt lots of knees, including some very rough knees, and some very ticklish knees, and some very knobbly knees! Bribes were abundant - a dollar for each judge tucked in the top of each stocking, a bit o' whiskey offered from a flask pulled out of a sporran. There were lots of taunts and barbs between the contestants too, such as, "A real Scotsman would never give away TWO dollars."
The man that won the contest had very knobbly knees, it felt like 3 knobs on each knee! His prize was a bottle of Scotch or whiskey and the title of reigning champion for the year. All I got was a dollar!
Pics are posted here.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Small World
Due to my work schedule, and Roy being in Kenya, Dale and Myriam took the kids overnight Friday. We met in Manchester for the kid hand-off, and I stayed at home Friday night. Saturday I drove up to Garnavillo after work and stayed last night. The kids and I drove back today. That's WAY more driving than I'm used to, usually Roy drives when we go up there. I finally found my way around the construction in Strawberry Point, so was later than I planned last night. On the way home, we took the posted detour. Duh, me.
We went to the Elkader Evangelical Free Church today. We've been there a few times, when we're staying in Garny for the weekend. I mentioned to a friend there that Roy was in Kenya, so he added him to their prayer requests during the service. It went something like this:
"This lady over here is a Duff from the Volga Duff's, and her husband Roy is on a mission trip in Africa with some eye doctors. She has that square car out there." After the worship service, a man from the Volga area talked me up about the Probert and Duff families being the first in Volga, about how they inter-married between the families, etc. He mentioned all the work my cousin Pete had done in Volga and that I should go see it sometime. Then he said I got the Scottish red hair, so I talked about the Celtic Fest, and they wanted to go but didn't this year. SO, after we left Roy's parents' house, we went to Volga and saw the new fountain, and we went to the Highland Cemetery and found pretty much all the Duff tombstones, including my Grandma Lillian's. There were lots of Robert Duff's there, kinda weird. Aaron was fascinated by all the tombstones. We saw old tombstones from the 1800's. Visits to the cemetery may seem morbid to some people, but I think it gives us a sense of our history, and respect for the people who lived before us. I only wish we'd gotten some flowers for Grandma Lillian's stone. It's been 5 1/2 years since she was gone, and with our Lillian's 5th birthday this week, I've been thinking about her.
We went to the Elkader Evangelical Free Church today. We've been there a few times, when we're staying in Garny for the weekend. I mentioned to a friend there that Roy was in Kenya, so he added him to their prayer requests during the service. It went something like this:
"This lady over here is a Duff from the Volga Duff's, and her husband Roy is on a mission trip in Africa with some eye doctors. She has that square car out there." After the worship service, a man from the Volga area talked me up about the Probert and Duff families being the first in Volga, about how they inter-married between the families, etc. He mentioned all the work my cousin Pete had done in Volga and that I should go see it sometime. Then he said I got the Scottish red hair, so I talked about the Celtic Fest, and they wanted to go but didn't this year. SO, after we left Roy's parents' house, we went to Volga and saw the new fountain, and we went to the Highland Cemetery and found pretty much all the Duff tombstones, including my Grandma Lillian's. There were lots of Robert Duff's there, kinda weird. Aaron was fascinated by all the tombstones. We saw old tombstones from the 1800's. Visits to the cemetery may seem morbid to some people, but I think it gives us a sense of our history, and respect for the people who lived before us. I only wish we'd gotten some flowers for Grandma Lillian's stone. It's been 5 1/2 years since she was gone, and with our Lillian's 5th birthday this week, I've been thinking about her.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
He's a traveling man, made a lot of stops, all over the world...
Roy leaves for Kenya with a medical missions team on Thursday and will be gone for 10 days (until Oct 7th). He's going with his boss Dr Fitzgerald and 4 other people, a PA, and RN, a photojournalist, and another optometrist from their office. They are going as a humanitarian mission through Dr Fitzgerald's non-profit organization, but they are partnering or being sponsored by Empowering Lives Int'l (ELI).
They are going to a village called Kipkarin, which has a medical center. Part of ELI's mission is to train native Kenyans to sustain themselves, while still spreading the Word of God. The team plans to set up an optical lab so they can manufacture their own lenses after the team leaves. So far the only electricity is generator power, but the village is supposed to have electricity soon (as in within 5 years??). Roy has extensive lab experience, so he will be helping mostly in this area. He is very excited!
We would appreciate everyone's prayers for Roy and the team as they travel and work over there. Last year no one got sick and everything made it (27 boxes!). This year they're taking 25 boxes so are in the same situation. Please pray for protection from injury, disease, and no tariffs/taxes on the boxes.
Thank you,
Bridgit
They are going to a village called Kipkarin, which has a medical center. Part of ELI's mission is to train native Kenyans to sustain themselves, while still spreading the Word of God. The team plans to set up an optical lab so they can manufacture their own lenses after the team leaves. So far the only electricity is generator power, but the village is supposed to have electricity soon (as in within 5 years??). Roy has extensive lab experience, so he will be helping mostly in this area. He is very excited!
We would appreciate everyone's prayers for Roy and the team as they travel and work over there. Last year no one got sick and everything made it (27 boxes!). This year they're taking 25 boxes so are in the same situation. Please pray for protection from injury, disease, and no tariffs/taxes on the boxes.
Thank you,
Bridgit
They Say It's Her Birthday!
On Sunday we celebrated Lillian's (it's no longer Lily if you ask her) 5th birthday. Her actual birthday isn't until Wednesday, but Roy is leaving for Kenya, Africa on Thursday, so we needed to have it this
weekend. Her brother gave her a present of his own choosing - a Transformer toy of his that she always plays with. She was NOT pleased about getting a "boy" toy and stared him down a couple of times until they both started giggling.
She also got LOTS of High School Musical (HSM) stuff - blanket, dolls, singing card, handheld game and even an HSM UNO game. Also Barbie clothes, My Little Ponies on top of her cake, an art set and paper, her very own scrapbook with paper and supplies, and a picture album of her very own. A Sorry game, girly stuff like lip gloss and headbands, and various other items that a spoiled 5 year old girl loves.
We got her some books for her LeapPad, a bike helmet and new knee pads, elbow pads and bicycle gloves. But no new bike? Well, Papa played along with us and pretended he was going to the bathroom, but he really went outside and got her new bike (from Mommy and Daddy). Papa teased her as he brought in the bike, and said "Lily, look what I found in the bathroom!" She was confused for a little bit until we told her that Mommy and Daddy bought the bike for her! She was wearing a long straight skirt, but she still put on all the gear and tried out her new bike!!! The training wheels will come off very soon.
Lily, oops, Lillian starts Kindergarten next year since she has a late September birthday. The babysitter's daughter is a year older than her, but she's in school most of the day so Lillian gets to be the big helper and she loves that position. They do lots of phonics and one of her favorite quiet activities is writing letters and short words on "school" (dash-lined) paper. The fall and winter seasons also mean lots of crafts.
Aaron is 8 1/2 and in 3rd grade. He is becoming a block-out-everything reader. We have to call him a couple of times to get his nose out of a book. He tends to choose books that are too easy, so Roy got him the first two Harry Potter books. Of course, Roy read them first since they were really for him anyway!
weekend. Her brother gave her a present of his own choosing - a Transformer toy of his that she always plays with. She was NOT pleased about getting a "boy" toy and stared him down a couple of times until they both started giggling.
She also got LOTS of High School Musical (HSM) stuff - blanket, dolls, singing card, handheld game and even an HSM UNO game. Also Barbie clothes, My Little Ponies on top of her cake, an art set and paper, her very own scrapbook with paper and supplies, and a picture album of her very own. A Sorry game, girly stuff like lip gloss and headbands, and various other items that a spoiled 5 year old girl loves.
We got her some books for her LeapPad, a bike helmet and new knee pads, elbow pads and bicycle gloves. But no new bike? Well, Papa played along with us and pretended he was going to the bathroom, but he really went outside and got her new bike (from Mommy and Daddy). Papa teased her as he brought in the bike, and said "Lily, look what I found in the bathroom!" She was confused for a little bit until we told her that Mommy and Daddy bought the bike for her! She was wearing a long straight skirt, but she still put on all the gear and tried out her new bike!!! The training wheels will come off very soon.
Lily, oops, Lillian starts Kindergarten next year since she has a late September birthday. The babysitter's daughter is a year older than her, but she's in school most of the day so Lillian gets to be the big helper and she loves that position. They do lots of phonics and one of her favorite quiet activities is writing letters and short words on "school" (dash-lined) paper. The fall and winter seasons also mean lots of crafts.
Aaron is 8 1/2 and in 3rd grade. He is becoming a block-out-everything reader. We have to call him a couple of times to get his nose out of a book. He tends to choose books that are too easy, so Roy got him the first two Harry Potter books. Of course, Roy read them first since they were really for him anyway!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
I can't possibly sleep Mommy
Since Lily has a sore throat, we went to HyVee for some pudding. After taking her sweet time eating 2 cups of pudding - 1 lemon and 1 chocolate, I told her it was time to lay down. She begged me to let her sleep on the couch with the TV on. An hour later, she informs me that she just can't sleep, it's too hot, and she can't sleep with it noisy or quiet. I gave her the choice of laying down in her bed in her room, or she could clean her closet. She huffed upstairs and told me she would try to clean her closet all by herself. It's been 30 minutes, so I just checked on her.
Yeah, you guessed it:
She's asleep.
Yeah, you guessed it:
She's asleep.
Who knew the last 2 weeks would be so......?
My twin niece and nephew were born on August 14th, and both got to go home on Aug 17th. Since then, life has been somewhat chaotic!
Monday the 20th I drove my sister to the hospital, where she was admitted for 2 days due to fluid retention in her lungs, high blood pressure, and a host of other complications. Diuretics, blood pressure medication and 2 pints of blood later, she's home by the 22nd.
Tuesday August 21st Aaron starts third grade. The ensuing attitude of a sophisticated young man develops rather quickly (see previous post).
Thursday night something possessed me to think I could stay overnight and help take care of the twins. It went fine, I'm just out of practice! Luckily I had Friday off to sleep, right?
Um, no. I went shopping at this great consignment store, and it was fill a bag for $20!!! I even got a box of free plastic hangers! Then i had to eat lunch, and finally laid down for a nap around 1:00. Then I read my book until I fell asleep around 2:30. Then I had to get up at 4 to pick up Lily & Aaron. So Friday night Mommy was CRANKY! Saturday morning came too soon, but I was doing better.
The kids and I spent Saturday with Sarah and the twins, and the kids noticed David's diaper contents were orange. They teased Aunt Sarah about feeding him carrots!
Sunday at church was great, we had an excellent sermon from one of our "young" elders - I think he's about my age. His sermon was initially about grief, but developed into more of a message about hope.
By Monday the 27th, David's diapers were looking red, as in blood. Sarah and Brett took him to St Luke's hospital here in CR, where they conducted lots of tests. The likely culprit was a severe milk allergy. Amazingly, David was calm and not fussy or screaming, like most babies do with a milk allergy. He is a laid back little guy, but this was definitely the Hand of God for him not to have any pain. Monday night David was taken to the U of Iowa Hospitals in an ambulance, so he could see the pediatric gastroenterologist there, to confirm the milk allergy. Sarah and Brett had a hard time finding the UI Hospital, as St Luke's gave them the wrong map, and valet parking was closed by the time they got down there. David, Sarah and Brett spent the night at U of I. The grandparents took care of Zoe back at home.
Tuesday the twins were 2 weeks old! David had an endoscopy (scope up his bum), where the doctor found a small inflamed area that was likely causing the bleeding. They also took a couple of samples for a biopsy to be on the safe side. The specialist was reasonably sure the problem was the severe cow's milk allergy as suspected. They sent him home with a special formula called Similac Alimentum. Sarah says it smells like dog food, but David likes it, and his diapers are now a weird greenish color, much better than red!
Papa Bob and Grandma Iris got to take Zoe to her regular 2 week check up on Tuesday. We joked that people wouldn't be able to guess if they were the parents or grandparents! David weighed 6 lbs 10 oz at the hospital on Monday, and Zoe weighed 6 lbs 10 oz at the doctor's office on Tuesday. They're twins, but who knew they'd weigh exactly the same at 2 weeks old??!
Due to all the hoopla, we didn't see the twins until last night (Wed the 29th). Wouldn't you know, they both look BIGGER?! David's cheeks have even filled out, though I doubt his cheeks will ever be as chipmunky as Zoe's! She was born with those cheeks! When I changed Zoe's diaper she peed on me as usual. She's peed on me more than anyone else I think. Luckily I'd taken off her sleeper since i knew she had a nasty #2 in there. She still managed to soak the changing pad and table cover. David likes to pee on people too, as he has a boy shooter. We told Sarah she should put a target up on the wall by the changing pad.
Sarah got a call from UI last night that David's biopsy was normal!! They can continue on the Alimentum formula, or try breastmilk or another formula. Miss Cheryl from church was there dropping of a meal, and she shared how 2 of her grandsons had milk allergies, and it took months of switching formulas to figure it out. Brett and Sarah have decided to leave David on the Alimentum, as it's working well and he's not having any problems. God has blessed in so many ways!
It amazes me how much our kids love taking care of David and Zoe. There's still some boy/girl favoritism, Aaron wants to hold David first, and Lily wants to hold Zoe first. They both love to feed the twins their bottles, and change diapers. Aaron didn't even mind too much when David peed on him. They can't stand it when we get there and the twins are sleeping, but we just explain that babies sleep - A LOT!
Today (Thurs the 30th), Lily's babysitter emailed me that Lily had sore throat and a low grade fever. I picked her up and took her to the doctor. She was really brave when they did the strep swab with the giant Q-tip. She even got a Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia sticker! (That's VERY cool). Luckily it's not strep throat, just a virus. We'll have to stay away from the twins for awhile.
Wow, long post, and that's not even everything. I forgot how exciting baby diapers are, right?! If anyone is grossed out, you've probably stopped reading a long time ago, so no apology here!
Bridgit
Monday the 20th I drove my sister to the hospital, where she was admitted for 2 days due to fluid retention in her lungs, high blood pressure, and a host of other complications. Diuretics, blood pressure medication and 2 pints of blood later, she's home by the 22nd.
Tuesday August 21st Aaron starts third grade. The ensuing attitude of a sophisticated young man develops rather quickly (see previous post).
Thursday night something possessed me to think I could stay overnight and help take care of the twins. It went fine, I'm just out of practice! Luckily I had Friday off to sleep, right?
Um, no. I went shopping at this great consignment store, and it was fill a bag for $20!!! I even got a box of free plastic hangers! Then i had to eat lunch, and finally laid down for a nap around 1:00. Then I read my book until I fell asleep around 2:30. Then I had to get up at 4 to pick up Lily & Aaron. So Friday night Mommy was CRANKY! Saturday morning came too soon, but I was doing better.
The kids and I spent Saturday with Sarah and the twins, and the kids noticed David's diaper contents were orange. They teased Aunt Sarah about feeding him carrots!
Sunday at church was great, we had an excellent sermon from one of our "young" elders - I think he's about my age. His sermon was initially about grief, but developed into more of a message about hope.
By Monday the 27th, David's diapers were looking red, as in blood. Sarah and Brett took him to St Luke's hospital here in CR, where they conducted lots of tests. The likely culprit was a severe milk allergy. Amazingly, David was calm and not fussy or screaming, like most babies do with a milk allergy. He is a laid back little guy, but this was definitely the Hand of God for him not to have any pain. Monday night David was taken to the U of Iowa Hospitals in an ambulance, so he could see the pediatric gastroenterologist there, to confirm the milk allergy. Sarah and Brett had a hard time finding the UI Hospital, as St Luke's gave them the wrong map, and valet parking was closed by the time they got down there. David, Sarah and Brett spent the night at U of I. The grandparents took care of Zoe back at home.
Tuesday the twins were 2 weeks old! David had an endoscopy (scope up his bum), where the doctor found a small inflamed area that was likely causing the bleeding. They also took a couple of samples for a biopsy to be on the safe side. The specialist was reasonably sure the problem was the severe cow's milk allergy as suspected. They sent him home with a special formula called Similac Alimentum. Sarah says it smells like dog food, but David likes it, and his diapers are now a weird greenish color, much better than red!
Papa Bob and Grandma Iris got to take Zoe to her regular 2 week check up on Tuesday. We joked that people wouldn't be able to guess if they were the parents or grandparents! David weighed 6 lbs 10 oz at the hospital on Monday, and Zoe weighed 6 lbs 10 oz at the doctor's office on Tuesday. They're twins, but who knew they'd weigh exactly the same at 2 weeks old??!
Due to all the hoopla, we didn't see the twins until last night (Wed the 29th). Wouldn't you know, they both look BIGGER?! David's cheeks have even filled out, though I doubt his cheeks will ever be as chipmunky as Zoe's! She was born with those cheeks! When I changed Zoe's diaper she peed on me as usual. She's peed on me more than anyone else I think. Luckily I'd taken off her sleeper since i knew she had a nasty #2 in there. She still managed to soak the changing pad and table cover. David likes to pee on people too, as he has a boy shooter. We told Sarah she should put a target up on the wall by the changing pad.
Sarah got a call from UI last night that David's biopsy was normal!! They can continue on the Alimentum formula, or try breastmilk or another formula. Miss Cheryl from church was there dropping of a meal, and she shared how 2 of her grandsons had milk allergies, and it took months of switching formulas to figure it out. Brett and Sarah have decided to leave David on the Alimentum, as it's working well and he's not having any problems. God has blessed in so many ways!
It amazes me how much our kids love taking care of David and Zoe. There's still some boy/girl favoritism, Aaron wants to hold David first, and Lily wants to hold Zoe first. They both love to feed the twins their bottles, and change diapers. Aaron didn't even mind too much when David peed on him. They can't stand it when we get there and the twins are sleeping, but we just explain that babies sleep - A LOT!
Today (Thurs the 30th), Lily's babysitter emailed me that Lily had sore throat and a low grade fever. I picked her up and took her to the doctor. She was really brave when they did the strep swab with the giant Q-tip. She even got a Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia sticker! (That's VERY cool). Luckily it's not strep throat, just a virus. We'll have to stay away from the twins for awhile.
Wow, long post, and that's not even everything. I forgot how exciting baby diapers are, right?! If anyone is grossed out, you've probably stopped reading a long time ago, so no apology here!
Bridgit
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Photos!
Our kids, Sarah & Brett's babies, etc. Click HERE! and on the album below. Sorry it's such a cheater post, I'll actually type more later, I promise.
Photobucket Album
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
On the first day of 3rd grade...
...my mom made my dad take my picture. He actually came in the building, in front of my friends and everyone. Don't they know I'm a third grader now? This is SO not cool. He even gave me a hug goodbye.
Notice his shirt says, "Parents for Sale: Buy One Get One Free".
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Little Mama Lily
Lily and I spent the day at Brett & Sarah's. Lily was a BIG helper - held the babies, helped change diapers, washed dishes, and helped me boil bottles and put them back together. No wonder she fell asleep on the way home!
I am a terrible Auntie though, I forgot to take my camera! We took lots of pictures on Brett & Sarah's camera, so they'll be posted soon enough.
Aaron is at Adventureland with his best friend Trey, for Trey's birthday. They are very excited, as they are in the same class this year - 3rd graders already. They haven't been in the same class since Kindergarten, so this was a big deal. School starts Tuesday. Summer flies by so fast!
I am a terrible Auntie though, I forgot to take my camera! We took lots of pictures on Brett & Sarah's camera, so they'll be posted soon enough.
Aaron is at Adventureland with his best friend Trey, for Trey's birthday. They are very excited, as they are in the same class this year - 3rd graders already. They haven't been in the same class since Kindergarten, so this was a big deal. School starts Tuesday. Summer flies by so fast!
Friday, August 17, 2007
The Hansels are home
Sarah, Brett, David & Zoe are at home! We stopped by so the kids could meet David (he was in the NICU before), and hold Zoe again. They both held each of the babies a few times. Those little ones sure do put up with being shuffled around! Auntie Bridgit was a little too quick with the camera, so there were a lot of blurry pictures. I've posted the best (viewable) pics here.
Lily really really really wanted to be home in time for the premiere of High School Musical 2 on the Disney channel at 7 p.m., but guess who didn't want to leave the babies?!! We had to drag her home!
Lily really really really wanted to be home in time for the premiere of High School Musical 2 on the Disney channel at 7 p.m., but guess who didn't want to leave the babies?!! We had to drag her home!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
TWINS update!
Hello everyone,
Both babies are doing very well. David is still in the NICU, but breathing on his own, they will keep him there for a total of 48 hours. Tomorrow evening hopefully he'll be back with his sister and parents. Zoe is a little ham, making lots of faces and expressions. Her cousins Aaron & Lily got to hold her a lot tonight, and Aaron said he likes her even though he thought David would be better since he's a boy, but now he changed his mind.
On the way there, I told Lily she could hold Zoe, and said she'd need to be very careful and use a pillow underneath. Lily assured me she "knows how to hold a baby Mommy". Oh yeah, she does that all the time right?! When she got to hold Zoe, she looked over at Uncle Brett and said, "See Uncle Brett? This is how you hold a baby." I think he's got the hang of it already!
Sarah is doing much better today, she feels like herself again. Brett is a proud daddy!!
Brett took me upstairs to see David in the NICU. David has his own little room where it's nice and quiet. He looks smaller than Zoe, but I think it's because he didn't have a hat on. His nose is a little different from Zoe's, and his hair looked darker to me. I hope I can compare them side by side sometime soon here. Either way, they're both CUTE!!
CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF THE TWINS!
Both babies are doing very well. David is still in the NICU, but breathing on his own, they will keep him there for a total of 48 hours. Tomorrow evening hopefully he'll be back with his sister and parents. Zoe is a little ham, making lots of faces and expressions. Her cousins Aaron & Lily got to hold her a lot tonight, and Aaron said he likes her even though he thought David would be better since he's a boy, but now he changed his mind.
On the way there, I told Lily she could hold Zoe, and said she'd need to be very careful and use a pillow underneath. Lily assured me she "knows how to hold a baby Mommy". Oh yeah, she does that all the time right?! When she got to hold Zoe, she looked over at Uncle Brett and said, "See Uncle Brett? This is how you hold a baby." I think he's got the hang of it already!
Sarah is doing much better today, she feels like herself again. Brett is a proud daddy!!
Brett took me upstairs to see David in the NICU. David has his own little room where it's nice and quiet. He looks smaller than Zoe, but I think it's because he didn't have a hat on. His nose is a little different from Zoe's, and his hair looked darker to me. I hope I can compare them side by side sometime soon here. Either way, they're both CUTE!!
CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES OF THE TWINS!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Babies!
Hello everyone, Auntie Bridgit here! My twin niece and nephew were born today, whoo-hoo!!
Zoe Elizabeth weighed 6 lb 1oz - 20" long.
David Jacob weighed 6 lb 5oz - 20" long.
The babies are doing fine. Sarah is very groggy and tired. Brett is a proud daddy! Grandma Iris says the babies both have dark hair, and they look so much alike you'd think they were identical (they aren't!). Zoe was sucking on her fingers like crazy.
Update:
Zoe is doing well under the warmer in the nursery. Once her temperature is stabilized she'll have a bath! David had a little trouble breathing and is in the NICU for the night as a precaution, but should be fine. Both of the babies are so long!
Sarah is still groggy, but the nurse was getting ready to help her up for walk when we left tonight. Brett is beaming! He took us (Roy, me, Lily & Aaron) to the regular nursery to see Zoe. When we got to the nurses station, he said, "I'd like to see my daugh-daughter." It was so cute, it was the first time he'd said "my daughter"! Zoe has plump little cheeks and long feet, and Grandma says David looks just like Zoe. We can't wait to see David tomorrow, and hopefully hold them both!
I'll post a few pictures of Zoe, hopefully I'll have pictures of David tomorrow!
G'night,
Auntie Bridgit
Zoe Elizabeth weighed 6 lb 1oz - 20" long.
David Jacob weighed 6 lb 5oz - 20" long.
The babies are doing fine. Sarah is very groggy and tired. Brett is a proud daddy! Grandma Iris says the babies both have dark hair, and they look so much alike you'd think they were identical (they aren't!). Zoe was sucking on her fingers like crazy.
Update:
Zoe is doing well under the warmer in the nursery. Once her temperature is stabilized she'll have a bath! David had a little trouble breathing and is in the NICU for the night as a precaution, but should be fine. Both of the babies are so long!
Sarah is still groggy, but the nurse was getting ready to help her up for walk when we left tonight. Brett is beaming! He took us (Roy, me, Lily & Aaron) to the regular nursery to see Zoe. When we got to the nurses station, he said, "I'd like to see my daugh-daughter." It was so cute, it was the first time he'd said "my daughter"! Zoe has plump little cheeks and long feet, and Grandma says David looks just like Zoe. We can't wait to see David tomorrow, and hopefully hold them both!
I'll post a few pictures of Zoe, hopefully I'll have pictures of David tomorrow!
G'night,
Auntie Bridgit
Sunday, August 12, 2007
A dash of sarcasm
On the way home from Garnavillo today, the kids were playing "I Spy". Roy and I joined in...
Daddy: "I spy with my little eye, something blue."
Aaron: "My butt?"
Daddy: "If your butt is blue, we need to get you to a hospital!"
A few minutes later...
Mommy: "I spy something orange."
Aaron: "My butt?"
Lily: "We need to get him to a hospital!"
Daddy: "I spy with my little eye, something blue."
Aaron: "My butt?"
Daddy: "If your butt is blue, we need to get you to a hospital!"
A few minutes later...
Mommy: "I spy something orange."
Aaron: "My butt?"
Lily: "We need to get him to a hospital!"
Monday, August 06, 2007
Our children are thoroughly brainwashed, and we like 'em that way
This weekend was Scion-filled family fun time! Saturday we stayed out in the cold pouring rain for the first Cedar Rapids Scion Show. Everyone got a t-shirt, stretchy wristband, backpack, hanging dice, and other miscellaneous items of frivolity. For the raffle drawing, Roy brought home a 12" subwoofer & amp! It was cold and wet, but we all had a great time, especially afterwards at Granite City.
When we got home, the kids had their sweatband/wristbands on, and Lily's boyfriend Austin was all concerned and asked her, "Lily, what did you do to your arm?!" He thought she had a cast on, because it covered her whole forearm. Lily & Austin are so cute, they have no idea what boyfriend/girlfriend is, but their older siblings seem to think it's funny, so they say keep it up. Austin is 5, and Lily is 4 1/2. At Vacation Bible School, I picked Austin up to wipe his face, and Lily came up to me a little while later and asked, 'Why did you have your hand on my boyfriend?" SASSYPANTS!
Anyway, back to this weekend.......We had planned to have some Scion buddies staying with us, so the house was moderately clean. Then no one stayed with us, and we had a clean house, so we had a bunch of the Scionoids over on Saturday night. Being the old married couple w/kids, we stayed at home when they left to go to a bar at 11 p.m. When they all got back for their cars at 4 a.m., we were very glad we stayed home in bed like normal people. They assured us they'd been at Perkins for a couple hours, and were sober enough to drive. Hope so!
Aaron had a great time with G&G Brandt in Garnavillo. He and his cousin Mitchell got to stay Thursday-Saturday. They went to the Clayton County Fair both Thursday and Friday nights, which Roy said was totally unfair- he never got to go for two nights when they were kids!
Aaron also came home with a new pair of Crocs (yess!) and a CD from the Coupe Devilles, who were playing at the fair I assume. Aaron is less than forthcoming with all the fun details, as he is an 8 year old almost 3rd grader with a mini-attitude. Grandma Myriam also washed all his clothes - bonus!!!! Aaron was back for roughly 20 minutes when he and Lily starting picking on each other as usual.
Lily leaves for G&G's on Wednesday, but she's convinced she's leaving tomorrow. She's already packing! She gets to go to G&G's with her two cousins, Laurelle (5) and Adriana (a young 4). Usually Laurelle and Lily are little mommies to Adriana, so they should be fine. We made sure her flashlight is working, as nighttime on the farm is pretty dark - I'm still not used to it up there, although the morning sun seems to stream in without much difficulty.
Anyway, back to this weekend........on Sunday, we went to the Quad City area for a Scinergy meet/picnic. I went to HyVee with another wife and we decided a cake would be a great idea. There isn't an official Scinergy chapter there yet, but I dubbed their club, "ScinergyQC", which we had them write on the cake. It was cool.
While we were at the park in Milan (hello Uncle Keith & Aunt Michele!), one of the guys who happens to be an electrician and Best Buy employee installed Roy's new subwoofer & amp (see above). The ride home was thumpin'!
As we got close to home, my sister (pregnant w/twins and on bedrest) called and said Brett was extremely bored, so we stopped by. Stopping by ended up being supper and a couple of baby-prep chores. Roy and Brett installed the bases for the carseats, and Lily and I helped pick out the babies' outfits for coming home from the hospital. Sarah keeps getting the runaround about when the babies will arrive, but it should be soon - she's 36 weeks already, with high blood pressure/pre-eclampsia. We can't wait to see David & Zoe in person!!
When we were leaving, Roy and Aaron went out the car and set the music thumpin'. Lily and I came out and started dancing in the headlights, until Roy busted up laughing. We didn't know that Brett had stuck his head out the garage door to see us bustin' loose! oops!
On the way home we discovered the radio was set on "Neutral", so we bumped it up to "Hear". WOW, big big thumps now!! We're obnoxious and we now it, clap our hands.....
When we got home, the kids had their sweatband/wristbands on, and Lily's boyfriend Austin was all concerned and asked her, "Lily, what did you do to your arm?!" He thought she had a cast on, because it covered her whole forearm. Lily & Austin are so cute, they have no idea what boyfriend/girlfriend is, but their older siblings seem to think it's funny, so they say keep it up. Austin is 5, and Lily is 4 1/2. At Vacation Bible School, I picked Austin up to wipe his face, and Lily came up to me a little while later and asked, 'Why did you have your hand on my boyfriend?" SASSYPANTS!
Anyway, back to this weekend.......We had planned to have some Scion buddies staying with us, so the house was moderately clean. Then no one stayed with us, and we had a clean house, so we had a bunch of the Scionoids over on Saturday night. Being the old married couple w/kids, we stayed at home when they left to go to a bar at 11 p.m. When they all got back for their cars at 4 a.m., we were very glad we stayed home in bed like normal people. They assured us they'd been at Perkins for a couple hours, and were sober enough to drive. Hope so!
Aaron had a great time with G&G Brandt in Garnavillo. He and his cousin Mitchell got to stay Thursday-Saturday. They went to the Clayton County Fair both Thursday and Friday nights, which Roy said was totally unfair- he never got to go for two nights when they were kids!
Aaron also came home with a new pair of Crocs (yess!) and a CD from the Coupe Devilles, who were playing at the fair I assume. Aaron is less than forthcoming with all the fun details, as he is an 8 year old almost 3rd grader with a mini-attitude. Grandma Myriam also washed all his clothes - bonus!!!! Aaron was back for roughly 20 minutes when he and Lily starting picking on each other as usual.
Lily leaves for G&G's on Wednesday, but she's convinced she's leaving tomorrow. She's already packing! She gets to go to G&G's with her two cousins, Laurelle (5) and Adriana (a young 4). Usually Laurelle and Lily are little mommies to Adriana, so they should be fine. We made sure her flashlight is working, as nighttime on the farm is pretty dark - I'm still not used to it up there, although the morning sun seems to stream in without much difficulty.
Anyway, back to this weekend........on Sunday, we went to the Quad City area for a Scinergy meet/picnic. I went to HyVee with another wife and we decided a cake would be a great idea. There isn't an official Scinergy chapter there yet, but I dubbed their club, "ScinergyQC", which we had them write on the cake. It was cool.
While we were at the park in Milan (hello Uncle Keith & Aunt Michele!), one of the guys who happens to be an electrician and Best Buy employee installed Roy's new subwoofer & amp (see above). The ride home was thumpin'!
As we got close to home, my sister (pregnant w/twins and on bedrest) called and said Brett was extremely bored, so we stopped by. Stopping by ended up being supper and a couple of baby-prep chores. Roy and Brett installed the bases for the carseats, and Lily and I helped pick out the babies' outfits for coming home from the hospital. Sarah keeps getting the runaround about when the babies will arrive, but it should be soon - she's 36 weeks already, with high blood pressure/pre-eclampsia. We can't wait to see David & Zoe in person!!
When we were leaving, Roy and Aaron went out the car and set the music thumpin'. Lily and I came out and started dancing in the headlights, until Roy busted up laughing. We didn't know that Brett had stuck his head out the garage door to see us bustin' loose! oops!
On the way home we discovered the radio was set on "Neutral", so we bumped it up to "Hear". WOW, big big thumps now!! We're obnoxious and we now it, clap our hands.....
Monday, July 23, 2007
What NOT to do for family fitness
I had a great idea last night - let's walk down to the nicely paved Cedar Lake Trail. Of course, that meant Aaron rode his bike, Lily rode most of the way in the wagon, and hyper-dog Loki came along on his leash. One lady said I needed another arm - no kidding! Especially the 180-degree rotating kind of arm! At one point, we had Loki's leash looped through the wagon handle, and he was helping me pull the wagon. Did I mention Loki likes rabbits and squirrels?!!! He only got off track once, but he is quick!
AND, it's 6 1/2 blocks to the trail each way, and we walked maybe 2-3 miles on the trail. UGH! I'm not used to exercise!
P.S. Definetely sore today too - must try again tomorrow, but maybe without the dog!
AND, it's 6 1/2 blocks to the trail each way, and we walked maybe 2-3 miles on the trail. UGH! I'm not used to exercise!
P.S. Definetely sore today too - must try again tomorrow, but maybe without the dog!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Passing fancy..
Why is it that our neighborhood popularity (with the kids anyway) depends on the size of our pool?!!
We had a pop-up pool, the kind with a pump and chemicals, but it started leaking around the hoses and we took it down. So yesterday Roy got a regular inflatable pool for the kids and set it up. One of the older neighboor kids came over in her swimsuit and asked why we got rid of our old pool. I explained, and told her she was welcome to swim in the new pool. She did for awhile, then went to play with another girl who has a BIG pool. Whatever!!
On another note, Roy bought a new lawnmower at WalMart last night. It's so quiet, just putts along. Roy said it didn't shake and rattle like our old one, and his arms didn't feel like rubber when he got done mowing. This is the first NEW mower we've had, as family members (DAD) always seem to get their hands on a "good used one". WOW, new is nice!
We had a pop-up pool, the kind with a pump and chemicals, but it started leaking around the hoses and we took it down. So yesterday Roy got a regular inflatable pool for the kids and set it up. One of the older neighboor kids came over in her swimsuit and asked why we got rid of our old pool. I explained, and told her she was welcome to swim in the new pool. She did for awhile, then went to play with another girl who has a BIG pool. Whatever!!
On another note, Roy bought a new lawnmower at WalMart last night. It's so quiet, just putts along. Roy said it didn't shake and rattle like our old one, and his arms didn't feel like rubber when he got done mowing. This is the first NEW mower we've had, as family members (DAD) always seem to get their hands on a "good used one". WOW, new is nice!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Over their heads
Don't you hate it when you say something really clever, but the kids don't get it?!
We were driving by the credit union and I pointed out there was an ambulance in the parking lot with it's lights flashing. I said, "Somebody got a high interest rate!", but the kids didn't get it.
We were driving by the credit union and I pointed out there was an ambulance in the parking lot with it's lights flashing. I said, "Somebody got a high interest rate!", but the kids didn't get it.
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