Our Kuhl Life

Happy Birthday Sara!

2009-12-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

My sweet sister-in-law's Birthday was yesterday. She always does sweet blog posts on her blog for others' Birthdays, so I thought it was fitting that I do one for her Birthday. Only a day late, too! :)

Happy Birthday Sara! We love you and miss you. See you very soon!!

Poly-what?

2009-11-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned once or twice on here that Rider has had some struggles in using his left hand/arm. Because he was still struggling with it at his 6 month check up, his pediatrician wanted to take a closer look at what might be causing it. Since we were pretty confident it wasn't anything to do with his actual arm, the feeling was that it was neurological. So, they scheduled an MRI for his brain. Last week, I had to starve him (okay - no food for 12 hours isn't starving him, but he sure thought so!), and take him to the children's hospital for an MRI. That was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done as a parent. Holding the poor boy down while they stuck him (3 times) to start his IV. Then watch him completely go limp when they gave him the drugs (which they prepared me for, but still...), and then just leave him in there. Wow! Thankfully he woke up just as quickly as he fell asleep and was happy and ready to eat when I got back to him. Thankfully the MRI was on Thursday, so we were able to get results on Friday - without having to wait through the weekend. So, after several phone calls from me to the drs office, our ped called late Friday evening with the results.

Rider has polymicrogyria (if you are a curious researcher, please know that there are mild and extreme cases, Rider's is very mild) which means that when his brain was developing in the womb, the nerves in the brain that start in the middle and migrate out in a specific pattern got out of sequence. Thankfully, it is only out of sequence in a small area on the right side of his brain, therefore making this finding significant, but not devastating. This on his brain is permanent and will never become worse or get better, and interestingly enough some people live their whole lives with it, and never notice anything until after death an autopsy is performed revealing it.

We met with a (now our) neurologist this afternoon. God has been so faithful in allowing all of this to happen quickly for us - not causing us to wait, which has been so nice! This neurologist had a cancellation this afternoon, and we were able to get right in. I haven't ever tried to get an appointment with a pediatric neurologist, but I would imagine it takes longer than a day. Praise God! Anyway, we felt reassured after talking with him, and have nothing but positive thoughts as we move forward with Rider's treatment....which actually is just to continue what we've already started with therapy. In fact, he's already made huge improvement and is army crawling all over the living room chasing Brice, Chloe, or computer cords. (Maybe I should baby-proof now. :)) He expects Rider's brain to figure out ways to work around the affected area and be able to crawl, walk, run, and chase after his brother. There may be some initial difficulty, but those are things that can be addressed in therapy. We also found out that he will qualify for the state's early intervention program, which means they will come to us to do therapy and it will be at no cost to us...another huge praise!! He also does not believe that his learning, language, etc will be affected by any of this.

So, the questions have been answered as far as why he is behind with his left arm, and really it keeps us in the same situation we were in before we knew; love him just like we were, treat him just like we were, and always expect the best from him. The only difference is that there is a real physical reason to why he was having those struggles and that now we need to watch out for other similar situations to ever arise.

How are we feeling about all this? Well, we know we serve a very big God who cares about Rider very much. We know that God knit Rider together in my womb exactly the way he wanted him to be. We know that miracles happen, and we know that God is our ultimate physician. All that said, we want God to be glorified in this situation. We will be careful to give Him praise when steps forward are made. We also do NOT want to put God into a box, and say, "well, this is what we are stuck with, and Rider may never be able to do (fill in the blank)." No, nothing is impossible with God - nothing! We will believe only for the best for Rider and his development. If you know me, you know that if someone tells me I can't do something, I'm bound and determined to prove them wrong...I am finding that I'm even more so that way with my kids! So watch out! ;) Rider may very well be a left handed pitcher in the majors someday! And no matter what, we trust and know that God has a perfect plan for this sweet boy of ours!

One thing that we would ask that you join us in prayer for...with the way his brain developed, the nerves are a little out of sequence, which could cause seizures. There is no real way to know when/if this may happen. So, please pray that first and foremost, this would not happen. But, I also ask that you pray for us (me especially - Darren is really good about this), that we would not live in fear of what may happen, but trust that God has Rider in His hands, and will take care of him. My prayer is that I am constantly reminded that God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Thank you for any prayers offered up for our sweet boy and our family!

The 8th Wonder of the World

2009-11-23T18:16:00.000-08:00

On our trip to Texas, we took a little time driving back to do something fun. We decided to stop by and take a tour of the new Cowboys stadium. It is as big and impressive as it seems on TV!! Just a little sidenote...if you go, and they tell you it will take an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, plan more for like over 2 hours. There is no way we would have gone on the tour if we had known it would take so long - especially with little ones, but they did great, and I'm glad we were able to see the stadium!

Watch for this guy next time you watch a Cowboys game...not quite as big a deal as Jerry Jones, but don't tell Rider that!

"Artwork" commissioned by Jerry Jones to make it "more than a stadium."

Darren ran through the tunnel pretending to be Tony Romo on game day.

Even the drain covers are stars!

Yep - on the field...Brice started at this endzone and ran all the way to the other one...

...and then took a break. :)

Trip to Texas

2009-11-23T17:52:00.000-08:00

Sadly, Darren's grandmother passed away a couple weeks ago. The family had learned that she had just a little time left, and we were hoping to make it to see her at Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, she didn't make it that long. So, instead of a Thanksgiving trip to Texas, we went down there a little early to be with the family for her funeral services. She was an amazing woman - mother to 9 children! That in itself is admirable - especially since there are days I don't think I can make it with 2! Grandma Kuhl - you will be missed by so many!!

We did get to see a lot of family and some friends while we were there. (And got to tour the 8th Wonder of the World - which I will blog about soon!)

Uncle Dee and the kids...we stayed in this great little cozy cabin with Darren's brother's family. It was great to watch the kids play together!

4 Generations of Kuhls

All 9 siblings and Grandpa Kuhl

Brice playing with cousins (or are they second cousins? who cares!)

And to round things out, a visit (short, but sweet) with Becca. Love this girl! Do yourself a favor and check out her blog!

And now, we will be staying put in Tennessee for Thanksgiving. It will be a first without family around, but we have such a gracious church family and have been invited for Thanksgiving dinner by some people from church. And, thank God I still haven't had to cook a turkey! :)

Halloween - Better Late Than Never, Right??

2009-11-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

This year's Halloween was a lot of fun since Brice actually knew kind of what was going on. I'm sure he'll drive us crazy in the years to come, but this year was just enough not knowing, mixed with just enough understanding to make it a blast. I ordered their costumes online, and when they came in, I tried to get Brice to try his on. He wanted nothing to do with it! So, when the day of our first* event arrived, we knew we would need to do something. So, we got him to put it back on again and "practice" trick-or-treated (yeah, I just made trick-or-treat into a verb...it's my blog, I can do what I want!). Sure enough - the promise of candy if he put on his costume was enough.

*We got good money out of the costumes this year...the boys wore them 4 times!

Here are some pictures of our many Halloween celebrations...

Our MOPS group took the kids to a nursing home to trick-or-treat.

Brice and Addy were a hit. :)

Of course, so were Tigger and Pooh!

This was the best part of that trip...most of the residents were in therapy, so the lady in charge (aka Marylin) wanted to take the kids down there. Brice - being Tigger - "bopped" right in and put a smile on their faces. It brought tears to my eyes (laughter and joy!). He can be such a ham!

Brice getting his face painted at Darren's work party...it was so great. They had lots of fun stuff for the kids...but, with 2 kids to keep up with, we didn't get many pictures. Oh, and I think the camera battery died - explaining why we don't have any pictures of the actual trick-or-treating that took place on Halloween night.

Hey - at least I got this posted before the next holiday, right? :)

Brice's Birthday

2009-11-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Brice turned 2 a couple weeks ago. I am a bad mother for just now posting this. Hopefully he won't hate me for it someday. As previously mentioned, we took a trip to KC the week before Brice's Birthday and had a party with family. Then on his Birthday, I couldn't resist making a cake for him, so we invited a few friends over to share in the sugar with us. I cannot believe he is 2 now. I will post some pictures of his parties. But, before I do that, I want to run down all the cool things Brice is doing now that he is two...

* Talking...incessantly. He can and will say just about anything - better watch your mouth around him! He can speak in short sentences, but often, his mouth moves faster than his brain can think, so his sentences come out pretty broken and scattered. It's so cute when he gets excited, because he will just spout out words that go together, but not in any order. Some of our favortie phrases/words: "car-tunes", "sorry dude", "Brice Kuhl", "kool-i-ade", "Rider awake - play Rider!", "see?", and my all time fave..."clean up, clean up, clean up".

*Bopping...in big people terms...jumping. He can jump and get both feet off the ground. His most recent display of this talent was when he was Tigger for Halloween, and when asked what Tigger does, he would proceed to "bop, bop, bop". Awesome.

*Singing...especially in the car...to old Sesame Street songs. I love it...he doesn't know all the words, but he knows when the notes go higher, and he belts them out. He will also sing with me to several favorite songs, which Rider thinks is pretty funny. Also, awesome!

*Counting. He is just like his momma...he counts everything. From the shapes on the bottoms of his shoes to the number of waffle pieces on his plate. His numbers go something like this...one, two, three, four, six, ne-nen, eight, nine, two, three, etc. I love it!

*Cleaning up. I promise I didn't really force him into this. It is something I think they taught him at MOPS, and it has just stuck. He loves to clean up...I must say, I really like it!

*Sleeping on his couch. I'm not sure exactly how this started, but he prefers to sleep on the little love seat in his room rather than his bed. Whatever - I don't care as long as he sleeps. I usually go in before I go to bed and put him in bed, but sometimes, he just sleeps there all night - or on the floor next to it. Oh, and he doesn't sleep with his pacifier anymore, either. What a big boy!

Alright - here are the pictures...

His party in KC

Pretty sure he's in love with Addy :)

Birthday kiss from Addy...yeah, we put her up to it.

"Car cake"

Happy Birthday, Sweet Brice! We love you!!

Trip to KC

2009-11-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

We had 2 great reasons to make a trip to KC a few weeks back. Brice was about to turn 2, and his family in KC, of course, wanted to spend time with him for his Birthday. AND, the Cowboys played the Chiefs. Since I don't work, (that could be debated...pretty sure I worked pretty hard today...anyway...) we decided I would make the trip on Monday, and Darren would join us on Friday. The question became...do I drive with both boys for 10 hours or brave the airports for an hour and a half flight? If you count the time it took to get from our house to my sister's house, the airport route took a total of 6 hours...yes, please. Now, traveling with two children under 2 (Brice hadn't had his Birthday yet) isn't easy...don't get me wrong. BUT, God was so faithful in ordering our steps for us. Everything we did that morning was smooth. We had incredibly sweet people sitting next to us - willing to hold Rider when I needed to lift Brice's carseat into the airplane seat, understanding when one of them may have fussed (which was actually very rare - even without the DVD player!), and no doubt, placed there for a reason. The flight attendants were very helpful, and both boys even slept a little. Anyway, we got there, and I think I could even do it again! We spent a relaxing week in KC - not doing much - just enjoying family time. Darren drove in on Friday night, and we got to see his family on Saturday. We had Brice's Birthday party that night. I didn't plan it well, but it all worked out in the end...we even got to eat Pizza Shoppe - which we miss! Sunday was the big game. Really - it was a win-win situation for me. Either team could have won, and we'd have been happy - well, I would have. Darren is pretty loyal to the Cowboys. Anyway, we went with Darren's dad and brother, and ended up with some pretty good seats. After an overtime victory by Dallas, the boys all went home happy. :) (I'm convinced the Cowboys won because I was cheering for the Chiefs - you're welcome Dallas!) Anyway, we left the next Monday, and had a LONG 11 hour drive home (not really 11 hours of driving, but after stopping with Grandma and Grandad for a delicious lunch and being stuck in Paducah, KY for an hour in traffic, it ended up being an all day affair.) Some pics of the week we spent in KC...

Playing with Taylor at Brice's Party

Playing with more cousins

Go Chiefs...er Cowboys!

Trip to the Farm

2009-11-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

Okay - we didn't actually take a trip to a real farm, but we did drive about 10 minutes from home to go to Ring Farm back at the beginning of October (or was it end of September?? It's been a while since I've updated, huh?) Anyway, it had rained for something like 2 weeks straight, and we finally saw clear skies in the future one Saturday afternoon. So, we waited for the sun to come out, and then headed out to the farm. Since it had been so rainy, we were the only ones there. We were able to get some pumpkins, navigate the corn maze, climb a pile of rocks - okay - only Brice climbed the rocks, go down slides made of industrial sized tubes, and take a private hayride (private only because we were the only ones there). Enjoy some pictures from our day at the farm!

I told you we had a lot of rain!!

Brice's Pile-o-Rocks...he loved this! (Those shorts still look dirty - after 3 washings!)

Tube Slides...doesn't feel great on the behind!

Hayride - what handsome guys?!?

"How Tall This Fall?"

We had a great time - I love it when we get to spend time as family out and about making memories. For now, they are just memories for Darren and I, and will be memories through pictures for the boys. But, memories nonetheless.

Goin' to Grandma's (and Grandad's)

2009-10-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was little, I had a suitcase that said Going to Grandma's. I used to love visits to my grandparent's house. After we moved to KC as a kid, I remember getting to fly to their house for a week or so at a time. I still love going to their house. Since they are our closest family now that we live in Nashville, I decided we should take a trip to see them, and let Brice and Rider experience going to see the grandparents. So, one Monday morning about 2 months ago, we loaded up the car - me and the two boys and made the 5 hour drive to Troy, IL - pretty close to St. Louis. Thankfully, the drive was very uneventful. In fact, my bladder cooperated, and we didn't even have to unload everyone on the way there...we drove through Mickey-Dee's for lunch, I fed Rider in the parking lot while Brice ate his nuggets and we were back on the road in under 15 min. (One reason why diapers are still an okay thing). My sister and her sweet little Max also made the trip from KC, so we got to see them, too! Bonus!

We had a great time that week. Brice - like he does with most men in our family - fell in love with Grandad - whom he lovingly calls PawPaw. PawPaw loved his new little buddy and they spent a lot of time together. Brice got to pick okra from the garden, and one afternoon, the girls took the little boys shopping while PawPaw and Brice stayed home and napped together. In fact, Brice took a nap on his lap - if you know my kid, he doesn't do that with anyone! How special! :) Brice sure does love this man, and I mean, really, how could you not???

Rider and I shared a room - which didn't allow for a ton of sleep for me, but we managed, and he got all kinds of love from Grandma. Max loved playing with Rider...he was so good with him. I think Beth should have another one for Max to play with. Just a thought! :)

Grandma taught Beth and I how to can that week, too. They have a nice, big garden - that I am jealous of - jealous of the space and time to have a garden - someday I will have one, again! Anyway, their garden was full of tomatoes, so we boiled, peeled, cut, strained, boiled again, then canned our very own tomato juice. We also made some delicious chili sauce - which I have used on - yes, you guessed it - chili, and it is very yummy. How fun to learn one of those long, lost skills! I've since looked at stuff in the grocery store to do my own canning, but it is a little expensive, plus, I don't have my own veggies from a garden. I'll stick to buying them for now. :)

We also tried out a new omelet cooking method - in a ziploc bag in boiling water. Yes - it works - in fact, that's what we ate for dinner tonight. It is so easy! Crack 2 eggs, add a little milk, salt, pepper, any fillings (bacon, sausage, cheese, peppers, onions, etc) put all into a quart size ziploc bag, "smush" everything together (Brice's favorite part), place bag into boiling water for about 15 min, cut bag, and your omelet will roll right out. Try it! I love omelets and this is the easiest way to make one!

Since our trip last month, we have been able to see Grandma and PawPaw again. We recently took a trip to KC, and on our way home, we stopped off for some delicious potato soup, grilled cheese, and peach cobbler. Grandma sure does take good care of us!! Thank you for all the wonderful memories, and many more to come. We love you guys!

A Growing Boy!

2009-10-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am constantly amazed and reminded how quickly babies grow up. Rider turns 6 months old on Sunday...seriously...6 months?? Where has the time gone? I can't believe he is halfway through his first year of life!

Some of Rider's favorite things:

*rolling - back to belly, then crying because he's on his belly - which is getting better - sometimes he'll flip back on his own.

*sitting - he will now sit for extended periods of time, then either face plant or fall to one side or the other.

*standing/jumping - if you're holding him, he wants to be standing in your lap. Relax? No way! He also loves his johnny jump-up...the doorway jumper thing. He gets going, and gets so tickled - it is adorable! He has an exersaucer that he will tolerate, but he must feel a little restricted in that. :)

*eating - we are still doing the nursing thing which has been a huge $ saver, but also sweet times. He has also started eating solids, and isn't a huge fan of the veggies. He enjoys his fruit, though. It's amazing, really, how anti-climactic starting solids for the 2nd baby is. I remember it being much more fun with Brice than it has been with Rider. It is fun watching his face light up when he sees his food, though. :)

*sleeping in his car seat - no, not all the time, but he does love to sleep in his carseat. For now, his naps happen there. If he naps in his bed, he will still only take a 30 min nap, but in his seat, he'll at least take one 2 hour nap for me. Yes please! It is really nice because he will do this anywhere...at church, the daycare at the gym, restaurants, friends' houses, you get the idea... He gets strapped in, gets his blanket, and I cover his carseat with another blanket, put him in a corner, and he drifts off to sleep without much of a peep at all. It's amazing, really. No cuddles for him - he'd rather be ignored. Not really - of course I cuddle him as much as he'll let me, but in reality, that's not much at all. :(

*visiting his friend Amy at physical therapy - he is a perfectly healthy little guy, but he likes his right arm and hand better than his left...a lot better. So, we had some tests run, and nothing is wrong with him, so now it is just a matter of getting his left hand caught up to the right. He's just a little slow on that side. Darren is still holding out hope that he'll be a left handed pitcher someday. :) He is making tremendous progress - last night, he held his bottle by himself with both hands!

*sleeping at night - yay! He doesn't sleep through the night - he still wakes up once to eat - somewhere around 3 or 4. But, he goes to bed at 7, wakes at 7 or 8, and if he does wake up at other times, he will get himself back to sleep on his own. No more walking, rocking, bouncing, etc in the middle of the night! Now, I get up for no more than 10 min, feed him, snuggle him and put him right back down. We are all much more rested at night! It is wonderful!

One of his last nights sleeping swaddled...the picture quality is terrible, but ahhh - a sleeping baby is too sweet!

Rider's little personality is really starting to come out. He is absolutely precious and has a smile that lights up his whole face. He loves to laugh with his big brother and I swear sometimes he's telling me jokes. Hard to believe he'll be crawling, walking, talking, and feeding himself so soon. For now, I am very much enjoying my baby!

Catching Up

2009-10-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

So this morning at my MOPS meeting, we had a guest speaker in talking about scrapbooking. I am not a scrapbooker...I don't have the time, money, creativity, or really the desire to get into it. When I started my blog, I intended for this to be "scrapbook-y"...a way to document and journal what goes on in our lives. I have been so bad lately about updating, and the longer I wait, the less I want to do it because I start to feel overwhelmed, and feel like I can't leave something out. So, I am going to be playing catch-up the next couple days. Hopefully my blog readers won't get overwhelmed by all the entries I plan to post. Enjoy, and hopefully I can be more faithful in documenting our lives - so at least my children will have something to look back on - even if it isn't a scrapbook!

Watch Out!

2009-08-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Look out - you might get video overload from our blog for a little while. We were given a new Flip camera yesterday. It is the size of a digital camera, but takes video. It has a built-in USB, so you just plug it in, and can upload videos, edit videos, and even create a "movie mix" all very quickly. So, we went to McDonalds today (I take the boys once a week - Brice LOVES to play there), and I got out the new camera. I took a couple videos of Brice, and when we got home, I got both boys down, and started playing. I created this movie mix using the videos I shot. Really - it took like 3 clicks of my mouse. The video isn't that great, but I am very impressed by my little man being able to make it all the way to the top in the playland. What a stud. :)

Movie Night

2009-08-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

We have been thinking of ways to get Brice to sleep in later. One theory we had, was that he was hungry early in the morning, so we tried getting him as full as possible before he went to bed. Nope - 5:30 still. Next theory...he goes to bed at 7. We thought maybe a later bedtime would help. So, last Saturday, we decided we'd have movie night. Rule #1 for the next movie night - don't tell him quite so early in the day. As soon as we said something about movies, he went and got all his favorites, and had a stack about 6 high of movies he wanted to watch. Thankfully, he forgot about it after a little while.

During the afternoon, we went and picked out a new movie - Charlotte's Web - he loves farm animals, so this was an easy choice. We then wore him out at a grand re-opening shindig at our local Lifeway Christian Store. They had a huge inflatable slide that Darren took him down once...after that - he was all about it...I swear he went down it at least 15 times.

Rider decided he would rest during the concert put on by our friends' band Pocket Full of Rocks.

So when we got home, we ate some dinner and then movie night began. Rider even got to participate a little before he went to bed.

Brice when we started the movie and he saw the pig...unfortunately, you can't see that he is jumping up and down saying "pig, pig".

We rounded out the evening with milkshakes and fruit snacks. Brice had a great time - he didn't sit through the whole movie, but he got to stay up until 8:30 anyway, playing with his new car from Grams.

And no, he didn't sleep any later...still got up at 5:30. Needless to say, his bedtime will remain 7pm. :)

Grams and Pa-paw Visit

2009-08-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

Grams and Pa-paw came to visit a week or so ago. After a visit to the park and lunch date with dad, we took a trip to Arringon Vineyard, where Brice got to pick grapes right off the vine. He was very meticulous about his grape picking - making sure not to pick ones that were within his reach, but choosing ones that were well over his head. He would reach up, pick a grape, step back, eat it, repeat. This kept he and Pa-paw busy while Grams, Rider and I were inside checking out the wine.

That night, after the kids were in bed, we taught David and Joan how to play Wii Bowling. David was a natural, and it only took Joan one game to get in her groove.

The boys had a blast during their visit - too bad it was so short. We look forward to seeing you guys again soon!!

What Is He Thinking???

2009-08-11T14:24:00.001-07:00

The mind of an almost 2 year old is an amazing, intriguing thing. I often find myself wondering, "What is going on in his head?". His, meaning Brice's, of course. Lately, he's been asserting his will and independence in some pretty adorable ways. Here are a few things that he's done lately that make us laugh and make us wonder...

At bedtime, we always read books. Lately, Brice has taken to designating one of us as the "reader" for the night. It is usually dad, but sometimes I get to do it. After jammies are put on, he snuggles under the covers, and will tell us who gets the honor for the night. And don't you dare try to change his mind, or disobey. He comes un-snuggled and throws a mini-fit until the proper person begins reading. Thankfully we both still get hugs, kisses, and get to pray with him.

He will only drink milk from an orange sippy cup. You think I'm joking? Try giving him milk in another colored cup! He will drink water or juice from any color, but milk - only orange! Thanks to cousin Taylor (and Uncle Brad and Aunt Crystal) for forgetting Taylor's orange sippy cup after vacation, so now we can use one and wash one! We owe you guys!

So this one, we got to the bottom of, but it is still very funny. I have to preface this by saying that at dinner time, if something is on the table, it has to be on Brice's plate...salad, salad dressing, butter, shredded cheese, etc. So, if it is something we are using, he wants it too. So, sour cream has been an addition to our meals a few times since vacation, and every time, Brice would ask for some, but rather than putting it on his plate, he wanted it on his nose. Yeah - his nose. So, I obliged - what can it hurt? He just would wipe it off, and lick it from his finger. After the second or third time of this happening, I had to know why. My first thought - my dad, "dad-dad". "Why?" you ask. Well, that is just the type of thing he would teach the grandkids. So, I called him - my mom answered - I asked her about it. She said she didn't teach him that...my dad overhears and I can hear him laughing in the background. Sure enough, he taught him to put whipped cream on his nose, and since sour cream looks like whipped cream, Brice thought that is where it went.

Finally, Brice likes to get up at 5:15. Are you kidding me?? And if he didn't bang on his door and yell "daey" (daddy) until we went in there, it wouldn't be so bad. However, this morning, Darren went in, and got him to chill out - he stayed in there until 6:15 when his banging and yelling routine started again. Not sure what he did for that hour, but we got to sleep more. Anyway, I really wish I knew what was going on in his head to cause him to get up so stinkin' early!

So, what is he thinking???

A post about all things Rider coming soon!

New Developments

2009-08-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

WOW! There is a lot going on around our house!!

We'll start with Rider. He is now 4 months old, and can sit on his own for about 3 seconds before he topples over. He also rolled over from his back to his belly for the first time this morning. He was in the living room playing on his playmat, and I was feeding Brice breakfast. I KNOW I put him on his back, and when I went back in the living room, he was on his belly playing with a toy!! I still didn't believe it, so I put him back on his back to have him do it again...sure enough!! Only problem now, is that he doesn't like being on his belly, so when he rolls - which he has done numerous times since then, he gets rather upset. He can roll the other way (well, at least he could a couple months ago), but he won't....so he's stuck - or so he thinks. We've also started trying to work on Rider's sleeping. His naps have been better - still not great, but at least taking one good long nap a day. Night time is another story. He goes to sleep fine, but sometime around 9 or 10 every night, he wakes up. He isn't hungry then, but has a hard time getting back to sleep. So, we've started letting him cry some. So far, we've done it for 2 nights, and it hasn't worked very well. We will keep trying...once he does finally go back to sleep, he sleeps pretty well until morning...if only we could get him past that 10 o'clock hour!! So, that's Rider's world...he's a happy, energetic little guy - with a smile that lights up his whole face. I love it!!

Here he is showing off his new sitting skill!

On to Brice. Brice had his first visit to the dentist yesterday. He wasn't too sure about laying flat on his back to let the hygenist look into his mouth, so all we did was have him lay back to let the dentist count his teeth and check them really quickly. Otherwise, the dentist was a fun trip for him...while Darren and I had our teeth cleaned, the assistants had a blast playing with Brice. He's quite the flirt! On to other news...we have started potty training. Let me start by saying that I was fine waiting at least another year before we started this. Brice had other ideas. First it started just by taking his shorts off - all the time. Then yesterday, he took his shorts and diaper off and peed on the floor. So, I decided we should give it a shot. We went and bought him a potty, and let him sit on it last night. First time on, and he peed! No, it's not that easy! Today, we've been working on it, and we have not peed in there at all! Oh well - I am really in no hurry - it is just rather time consuming to sit him on the potty every 20 minutes. Oh, and we'll be securing Daddy's job because we're using M&Ms as incentive to sit on the potty!

Here's a picture of Brice at the dentist...

And because I can't end my post with such a distressing picture, here he is afterwards in his cool sunglasses...

And just for fun, one of the boys helping me cook

Goodness, I'm tired just talking about all the changes going on!! So glad it's almost Friday, and that Grams and Papaw are coming to visit next week!! Mama could use a break!!

Chopped!

2009-08-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

My side of the family all went on vacation a couple of weeks ago...everyone...8 adults and 5 kids (all 3 and under!!). It was as relaxing as having 5 kids all in the same house can be. We took lots of walks to the beach, went to the pool on a daily basis, and drove to a couple of beaches. Having kids made us take it easy - we didn't try to do too much since they needed (and I mean needed) their naps and early bedtimes. A typical day for us was ...wake up (times varied depending on the children - we were up early because our precious Brice likes to wake up early), eat some breakfast, walk to the ocean, play, eat lunch, go to the pool, take naps - the kids and sometimes the adults, play, maybe walk back to the ocean, feed kids dinner, baths for kids, bed for kids, adult dinner (more about that later on), then dessert and maybe a card game or two. Sounds crazy, but by the end of the week, we had it down to an art, and it wasn't too bad. Since the kids were outnumbered - for now at least - there was usually an extra set of hands if someone needed help or needed to rest. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the week...you can check out my album on facebook for the rest of the pictures.

Our home for the week...it was just as pretty inside!

Just too pretty not to post.

Rider showing off...

"Boat boat"...Brice's favorite game to play...point out every boat he sees (and doesn't see).

Mommy and Brice at the beach.

Darren caught a shark...a baby one, but hey - it was a shark!

I promised (and I know you are dying to know) that I'd talk about our dinners. You might remember my post a while back about my dinner challenge. Well, that idea blossomed into a fabulous dinner menu for the week. Now, the kids all still ate mac 'n cheese, ravioli, hot dogs, avocados, etc. But, the adults - man, we ate good! So, each couple created a list of 4 ingredients (a la another Food Network show - Chopped), we drew names and traded lists. Every night, during the kid dinner, bath, bedtime, one couple was releived of those duties, and got to cook dinner for the adults. (May not sound like a good trade off, but trust me, not having to feed, bathe and put kids to bed every now and then is VERY nice!) Each couple paid for the groceries they used for their meal, and it was fun to see what we could eat for - no one's dinner was over $10 a plate, and every dish would have easily been more than that in a restaurant. So, here's what we created...

Beth and Clark...Sirloin Oscar with Spinach noodles and a lemon, garlic sauce. The sauce on the sirloin was a crab bernaise sauce...sounds fancy, and it was delicious!

Brad and Crystal...Shrimp Scampi with linguini and a lemon caper sauce and a fruit salad. Theirs was my favorite!

Mom and Dad...Toasted walnut grouper with a fruit salsa and mashed sweet potatoes. Can't get much better than fresh - and I mean fresh! - fish!!

Darren and I...Bacon wrapped cream cheese and jalepeno stuffed chicken with an adobo peanut butter spread and jalepeno spoonbread and salad with avocado vinagrette dressing. In our defense - our ingredients were by far the most difficult...jalapenos - no big deal, peanut butter - what??, ritz crackers - what??, and polenta (we used this, but it was not very tasty the way I did it...maybe I'll try it again someday). Oh, and I made sopapilla cheesecake for dessert...thanks to my friends for their help with the recipe! :)

What a fun week - it was good to get home, but Brice still asks to go to the beach...almost on a daily basis. I'd love to be able to grant him that request! Maybe next year buddy!

You can check out a couple other blogs if you haven't read enough...my sister, sister-in-law, and dad have also blogged about our time together!

Mmmmmm

2009-07-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm...that is what Brice says when I am eating something that he wants. It's also the way I get him to try new things....I will eat it, say "mmmm" then suggest he try it...it usually works. Anyway, we like food around our house. We also like to watch cooking shows. Brice will watch almost an entire episode of Rachel Ray - no joke. I am convinced Brice is going to be a little chef - which is fine with me - maybe one day he'll cook me dinner! Here he is helping "cook, cook" - which he asks to do every day around 5 o'clock. Yeah, it's Hamburger Helper - don't judge - read on! :)

Anyway, one of our favorite summer shows is Next Food Network Star. I wish I was getting some sort of compensation for promoting their show - even some free food would be nice. I'm not, but I'll still tell you that we like the show. So, every week they have some sort of culinary challenge. So, this week, we had our own "dinner challenge". Now, I think I'm a pretty good cook - if I have a recipe. If I don't have a recipe, forget it. But, here's how the challenge worked...Darren gave me 6 ingredients that I had to use in our dinner...no computer to use to look stuff up, no cookbooks, just my little brain. My ingredients were: cherries, honey, pineapple, carrots, avocado, and chicken. Here's what I came up with:

Honey-Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Pineapple, Red Pepper, and Avocado "Relish" - here's a pic - I didn't think about taking pictures until after we were done, but there was some left over.

Honey Glazed Carrots

Cherry, Berry Sauce for dessert - and a pic of this too. Not the greatest picture, but it was delicious!

Darren told me I won the challenge...not sure who I was competing against, though. Nonetheless, it was a fun way to change up the daily "What's for dinner" question!

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, I realize it's too late to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July, and it is getting too late to even talk about what we did. So, I am taking a break from my mom duties - which have included - in no particular order lately - trying to get Rider to nap, dishes, trying to get Rider to nap, laundry, trying to get Rider to nap, cooking dinner, trying to get Rider to nap, enjoying some time at the pool with Brice, and trying to get Rider to nap. Thankfully, right now, Rider is napping peacefully in his swing...I better type fast...when he does nap, it is usually for about 45 min. I seem to remember a while back, I posted that Rider is a good napper...not so anymore. Never again will I blog about how well my boys sleep...everytime I mention it, they do just the opposite. Anyway, this isn't a post about Rider's napping...it's about our Fourth of July...

Me and my two firecrackers...precious boys!

We went to Franklin's July 4th celebration...Franklin on the Fourth. They had a petting zoo, that Brice wasn't too sure about, but he eventually warmed up enough to walk around at least. I must say, it was somewhat of a stretch for me to be in there with the animals, too. Not really my thing!

Anyway, here's a pic of Brice and I with Eeyore.

Darren had Rider duty, and Rider cooperated nicely by sleeping in his Snugli.

Brice with his flag...he will say "cheese", but you better be fast...he doesn't hold the smile for long!

And Rider with his flag.

I won't bore you with our evening activities - which included a dinner challenge (see "Mmmmm"), a 7 o'clock bedtime for the boys, and a movie during which I fell asleep. Yeah, I won't bore you with those details. It was a fun, relaxing day, and any day that I get to spend with Darren and the boys is great - no need for fireworks here!

Dad-Dad, Dee, and Dedication

2009-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

My dad, "Dad-Dad" as he is affectionately known to Brice, came to visit last week. He had a conference in Nashville, so he decided to make a week of it. Brice had tons of fun - it's nice to have someone other than mommy around all day! Dee came later in the week to spend the weekend with us and to see Rider dedicated at church on Sunday. It was a great time, and as always, so good to see family! We were sad to see you go...Brice cried for a good 5 min after they pulled out of the driveway, and even tried to run down the street after them. Thankfully we'll get to see them in 3 weeks when we go to the beach! Here are some pictures of the week...

Our closet under our stairs was a DISASTER! I wish I had taken a before picture, but here's the after...my dad helped put shelves up, and it is much, much better! Sometimes I go in there just to see how good it looks. :)

Dad-Dad loves to build things...so after we got the shelves put up, he used the leftover wood to make Brice his own seat outside.

We took the boys to the pool twice - Brice is a huge fan of the "la-la-la-la" (water).

Rider and Dad-Dad hanging outside

We went and checked out the Belle Meade Plantation...here are Dee and Brice in their gardens.

Rider's Dedication at church. It was a special day! We are so thankful for a church and a church family for Rider to grow up with. Even though our family isn't close, our boys will have people who will be like family, and that is a great feeling.

Thanks for visiting Dad-Dad! We had a great time! You still take care of your little girl pretty well! :) Oh, and Happy Birthday!!! We love you!!

And, if you're bored, you can check out Dad-Dad's blog we set up for him while he was here.

Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum

2009-06-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

Brad, one of Darren's friends from KC, came to visit last weekend for the Eddie Vetter...er... Vedder concert here on Thursday night. We had a great time with him while he was here. He was a trooper and endured Friday with me and the boys while Darren worked - surviving Brice's fits and all. We enjoyed a great show at the Bluebird on Friday night...if you're ever in Nashville, I highly recommend a show here...but, make sure you get your tickets as soon as you can (they are only available a week before the show, and the sell out quick!).

On Saturday, Brad and Darren took Brice on a roadtrip to Louisville to visit the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. You know - the famous Louisville Slugger bats? They make them here! Being the baseball fans that they are (Brad, we don't hold it against you that you are a Red Sox fan), this was at the top of their list of things to do. So, they took the 3.5 hour trip north. Oh yeah, and Brad got to check Kentucky off of his "States to visit" list.

On their way there, they stopped off at Chaney's Dairy Barn for some lunch and ice cream.

Rider and I stayed home (and enjoyed a rather relaxing day, I might add), but they were reminded of me anyway. This brand of popcorn shares my name...all the way down to the spelling! Crazy, huh?

Brad, Darren and Brice on the big glove scuplture...which also doubled as Brice's playground for a little while.

And of course, Brice had so much fun that he crashed on the way home. I know he had a great time!

Thanks for visiting Brad! We thoroughly enjoyed your company! Oh, and Brad also has a blog...check it out...he's a pretty funny guy!

Father's Day

2009-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Darren!!

You'd never brag on yourself about how great a dad you are, so I am going to take this opportunity to brag for you. You are such a patient, loving, FUN "daey" (Brice's new way of saying daddy). I love it that every weekend, you want to make it so special...doing things the boys enjoy. I love it that when you get home from work, you put aside all other distractions and focus on them. I love to watch you playing cars with Brice or cuddling precious Rider. I love when you laugh with them - I see such joy in your interactions with them. You are a wonderful daddy, and our boys are so blessed to have you in their lives. I, too, am beyond blessed to be able to share in our journey through parenthood with you!

Happy Father's Day to my sweet dad, too...aka "Dad-dad"!

I have so many fun memories of times we spent together - design building, buddy trips, swimming in the rock swimming pool in Coffeyville, the list could go on forever! You set the bar high, and for that, I am forever grateful! I am super excited for you to come visit tomorrow!

And to Darren's dad...aka "Papaw"...Happy Father's Day!!

I am so thankful to you for your influence on Darren's life...for the values that you taught him, and for being such a great example of a father! We hope you guys are having fun in Germany...or Italy...or wherever you are right now! :)

And, finally, Happy Father's Day to the Great Grandads, too! We love you, and well, without you, none of us would be here! Hope your day is great!!

A Trip to the Zoo (and a look into ours)

2009-06-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Brice absolutely loves animals, so we've been wanting to take him to the zoo for a while. Saturday ended up being that day! We took both boys to the Nashville Zoo. Unfortunately, many of the animals were snoozing in the back of the exhibits - I don't blame them - it was a hot one! But, we were able to see many animals that Brice had only seen in books up until now. He had a good time, as far as we could tell.

Here is one of Darren and Brice checking out the elephants.

This was Rider the whole time we were there. He took his cue from the animals.

The elephants were HUGE! Thankfully, you can't say that about me anymore (or at least, please don't, even if you feel like it!)

One of the best parts - they have a little petting area full of goats, birds, donkeys, etc. Brice loved the goats - ran around saying "goat, goat, goat" and saying hi to them all. Here is one of his new friends.

Here are Darren and Brice hanging out with the lemurs.

And because I found the giraffes so intriguing and amusing...did you know that they have the same 7 neck bones that we do, theirs just grow to be a foot long each?!?

And now for a quick peek into our own little zoo we have here at home...

Brice has found a new use for sidewalk chalk...

Brice has found a new use for his lion toy (he's mowing the yard - no joke - he pushed the thing all across the yard - back and forth for a good 1/2 hour!) He then proceeded to "pull weeds" (which meant, he pulled random handfuls of grass) and redistribute mulch. Must have been a day for yard work!

Here's Rider showing off his new trick - he can sit! Well, not on his own, but still -he's a strong kid!

Gotta have a bath pic. :)

In the words of a 20 month old...

2009-06-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

I am afraid that blogging may become my newest way to procrastinate. That being said, I should be getting ready to go to the gym, but instead, I am enjoying a "conversation" with Brice that reminded me that I wanted to make a list of all his words. So, for your enjoyment, here is a list of all Brice's words (some with interpretation). I'm sure I left some out, but here's a start anyway...

mama
da (dad)
Ra-Ra (Rider)
Dee (Grandma Dee)
Dad-Dad (Grandad)
Pa-Paw (Grandpa Kuhl)
some combination of sounds I can't seem to spell, but I'm sure he is saying "Grams"
no
yaya (yes)
car
caf (coffee - thanks to Grandma Dee and Pa-paw)
cow
cat
dog
tink-tink-tink (from Tigger and Pooh)
Tee (Chloe, please)
tank-tou (thank you)
dot-dog (hot dog)
noonel (noodles)
yay (and includes clapping and/or hand raising)
pooh (the cartoon character)
biper (diaper)
shack (snack - usually fruit snacks)
nana (banana)
cereal
pop (which means anything that comes from the toaster or looks "toasty")
up
Jack (cousin Jackson)
Tay (cousin Taylor)
nulk (milk)
duice (juice)
la-la (water)
ow-sigh (outside)

I know there are more, but I will now go get ready to go to the gym. My bathing suit and upcoming trip to the beach are haunting me.

I Give In...

2009-06-11T10:59:00.001-07:00

I've said for a while now that I won't start a blog. Too much work, too much pressure to keep it updated, etc. BUT, as my adorable little boys are growing up, I find there are so many funny stories, milestones, etc, that I want to share - especially since we are far away from family and so many friends. So, here you go...

Rider waiting - very patiently (truth be told - it was close to an hour!) - for his 2 month dr. visit.

He had to get 2 shots, but did awesome with them. He's also growing like crazy - weighing in at 12lbs 8oz, and 23inches long. He loves to smile now - all the time...when he wakes up, when he eats, when he's sitting in his bumbo chair (I know it may seem early for this, but he's a pretty strong kid), basically he smiles all the time. He takes great naps - which if anyone knows how Brice was, this is new for me. He sleeps okay at night - we are trying to break the habit of sleeping in his carseat, though...any tips would be appreciated! He naps without it, but at night, he won't sleep long without it. He'll be 10 weeks old on Saturday and I can't believe it's been that long already! He is a great baby!

Here is a recent pic of our entire family. We went to Texas for the wedding of a high school friend of Darren's. It was a great time - getting to show off our family. :) The boys did great - even though it was WAAAAY past bedtime!

Another pic from the wedding. It was a beautiful setting, and Brice - who loves the outdoors - just wanted to be outside. I thought this photo was just too precious!

And another one of Brice - our little surfer dude. Grams and "Pa-paw" (Brice's name for Grandpa) have a pool at their house. Brice could have cared less about the pool, but loved adventuring in their huge backyard. He also really liked sitting in the lawn chairs.

Enjoy!