Brodd Family Fun Time

8 Big Ones!

2012-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

Not sure how it happened, but she is 8 months old! She is full of smiles and giggles. Don't let the smiles fool you, she will gnaw your finger off!

Violet 7.5 Month Update

2012-01-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well the little one continues to grow. Yesterday she had a nurses visit for a couple shots. Prior she was weighed for our records...

15# 2oz!!!

A couple of Violet's favorite things:

putting anything she can possible put in her mouth - including toys, hands, and even her feet!
she has recently fell in love with 'solids' including cauliflower, squash, pears, and broccoli
she loves jumping - both in her johnny jump-up and her exersaucer
full of giggles... we will get more of those on tape

As we thought about it, Sylvia was "small" for her age, so we wanted to graph the weights of the two girls based on their age (not corrected age). It may have taken Violet 200 days to catch up, but she has overtaken her sister in the weight department!!!

It will take some data mining, but the next assignment is to plot their lengths side by side.

Ice Fishing with Dad and Grandpa

2012-01-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

For our birthdays, the family got together at the lake and since the weather was so nice, we took the opportunity to do a little ice fishing.

This was Sylvia's first time ice fishing, and while we didn't catch anything, I know she had fun playing with the slush around the holes.

Maybe next time we will set up the fish house and stay out for longer than 20 minutes!

Giggles

2012-01-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

At least someone in this house feels good!

While most are back in shape - Sylvia returned to school yesterday, Dad to work tomorrow, and Jamie on the mend... we are extremely lucky that whatever we had didn't hit little V (knock on wood)

And the rest of the story...

2012-01-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Per normal, our holiday season was filled with many Christmas celebrations with family and friends.

Sylvia opening her Hello Kitty doll from Santa on Christmas Night

Cousins chasing one another at the Dunphys

Violet with Cousin Claire at the Anderson Farm

Dice game at the Anderson Farm

Sylvia's ornament she made at school

Santa stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's house as well!

The cousins also decorated gingerbread men - yummy!

Santa also stopped at Auntie Leah's house...

and guess what... more treats! This time sprinkles on the ice-cream

Let's not forget, Christmas at the Brodds.

Wrapping up the holiday season on January 8th!

While it was a long three weeks, Sylvia still had time to help her sister open all of her presents. I guess that is what big sisters are for, right?

Happy Monday!

2012-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Happy 7 month

2012-01-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

We are a couple days late, but that is what happens when daddy goes back to work!

Sylvia's 1st real food was on New Years Day 2009

Violet's was just a couple days later (January 4th, 2012)

Technically she is ~1 month older when she had solids, but corrected for age, she was 1 month earlier than Sylvia, so those cancel out and they are the same...

Not quite sure what to think here...

Maybe I do like this?

She did get a bit upset when Jamie stopped feeding her, and relaxed when she got some more, so I think it went pretty good for the 1st "real" food.

Enjoy the rest of the week - the last Christmas is coming up this weekend, followed by the Christmas 2011 post!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Our annual tradition of staying in on Christmas Eve, wearing pajamas, and opening just one present was a success! Sylvia loves her new purple boots.

While Violet opened her first of many presents on her first Christmas. This one was a wooden toy which appears to be a whale helicopter.

And nothing says Christmas like "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

Merry Christmas everyone!

Holiday Party

2011-12-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

Sylvia was having a holiday party with all of her friends

and the Christmas elf Violet was one of the many presents under the tree!

Wishing you all some holiday cheer!!!

Pancakes, Pie and Pictures

2011-12-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

Auntie Missy came over for a night of fun with the girls. Between dinner, dessert and bath time they kept her pretty busy. We had breakfast for dinner and Missy wouldn't take the pie home so I got stuck eating it :)

sprinkling on the yummy topping

kissing little sister

Lucky for us Sylvia doesn't mind sharing her bath time with Violet. At some point sharing with little sister won't be fun anymore, but for now we will enjoy all the sister love.

Thanks for all the great pictures Auntie!

Violet 6 month

2011-12-08T17:27:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday was Violet's 6 month birthday. She continue to grow and gets stronger every day! She loves to smile, jump in her Johnnie Jump-up, and sometimes we even get a giggle!

The stats:

Length - 24 3/4"
Weight - 12# 7oz
Head - 16 1/2"

After next week's official weigh-in at the doctor, we will publish the official growth chart.

Turkey Day

2011-12-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

We had lots of fun during Thanksgiving, but were only able to capture a couple of the moments...

Sylvia was showing her cousins that she is pretty tough for her size.

I think she pinned Blake in this one. Jared was the referee in the match.

Later in the long Thanksgiving weekend, we headed out to the lake for some relaxation and some more food. The typical crew was out there, but I think Auntie Liz and Kevin wanted to have some fun with Violet.

"Moose"

Violet modeling her new hand-knit sweater

Not sure what is going on here...

Happy Birthday Grandma

2011-11-27T19:03:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note of birthday wishes to Grandma from Sylvia and the Chickens!

Sylvia is singing “Happy Birthday”

Giving thanks

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when everybody gets mushy and lets everyone know what they are thankful for. This blog doesn't get mushy to often, but this was a year of many thanks and so much to be grateful for.

We were about 10 months behind on getting our photos developed so when I was sorting through the stacks and they were in this order it was a bit shocking to me.

One day we are taking belling picks and then bam everything changes. I know this picture of her is hard to look at with all the equipment and her little breach legs, but it is a reminder of how lucky we are that she is strong and healthy.

Fast forward 5 1/2 months and we have two healthy girls that love each other like only sisters can.

We wish you all a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving weekend.

brrrrrrrr

2011-11-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

With the snow fall last weekend, turkey day tomorrow, and lights going up around town, it would appear that Christmas is almost here.

Like any 3 year old, we need a letter to Santa. Last Friday, Liz and Kevin were nice enough to help Sylvia out with her note to Santa. I am thinking maybe Jamie influenced one of these items - I will let you guess which one. Personally, I am not sure what she means about "a little sister"... I mean you just got one!

The back of the letter with cut outs from the Toys R Us circular. To be honest, I think these are here 5th-9th picks, as we cut her top 4 out earlier in the week and they were in my car during this crafting session.

We also had time to watch one of my favorite holiday movies -Elf. Yes, it may be a "dumb" movie, but I like the message...

The first snow of the year. After the shoveling was done, several sled rides were given, a snow fort was built, and Sylvia still wasn't ready to come inside. Next step - roll around in the culdesac for a while! I think this will be a good winter.

And finally, nothing says winter time like some Easy Bake Oven. Sylvia has become quite the helper in the kitchen, and she was able to enjoy her "cake" for a treat on Sunday night. Notice she is all decked out in her Vikings cooking apron (Thanks Auntie Jane).

Testing the done-ness with a toothpick - great form Sylvia!

What's in store for this long weekend? Maybe we will get a tree!

Shaylan and Blake

2011-11-23T09:47:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!

Sending big hugs and smoooooochies to you!

Swiper

2011-11-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

Depending on the day, Sylvia can be a pleasure to do 'arts and crafts' with, or it can be a short-lived messy experience. This was a case were it was a pleasure!

Her coloring has been getting much better when it comes to staying within the lines.

The "Rainbow Sniper" is off to catch some of Dora's treats...

and to top things off, Sylvia says:

"Mom when this is done it is going to be beautiful!"

Yeah, She's Advanced...

2011-11-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

Since she wanted to come into the world early, she may as well start reading early has well.

My Little Animal Book is a recent favorite.

Other favorites include "Go Dog Go", "Children's Nursery Rhymes" and Jamie's personal favorite "The Difference Between Boy's and Girl's" straight from the 'totally improper collection' that we have been building for years!

Can't wait to see what we will be reading next week!

Halloween

2011-11-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

Since Halloween fell on a Monday night, Dad was busy curling with the boys and the girls were in charge of trick our treating. It would appear the Ms. Piggy filled in just fine for Daddy.

Violet in her Halloween Onsie

and then in full costume!

Princess Sylvia also had to pose with the pig..

Don't forget about Auntie! (Thanks Liz for helping)

From what it sounds, the girls all had fun. That could've done a little better on the candy collection, but I guess we really don't NEED anymore that what we already had!

Happy 5 Months

2011-11-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Violet is 5 months old today! She had a nurse visit to catch up on some shots, so the updated weight is:

11# 7.5oz!!!

It is either the good stock or the good food, but this kid is growing fast. Everyday she shows more and more of a personality.

This past weekend we headed out to the lake for a family reunion / surprise birthday party. Both girls did quite well considering seeing some people for the first time.

Uncle Jacob getting close and personal with Violet

One of the few times Jamie was holding Violet... must of been snack time!

Look at those giggles!

Some other pictures from the party...

We will catch up with Halloween pics soon.... Thanks for the pics Missy!

Autumn Celbration

2011-10-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

It is that time of the year again... Late October means the leaves are changing colors, the temps are dropping, Jamie is one year older, and it is Celbration Time! (For those reading this that are not familiar with the history, about 5 years ago I made t-shirts for our group of friends and misspelled celebration and since then, it has stuck)

This year the weather was perfect once again. We had a pretty good sized group and as a host it seemed like it was pure chaos, but the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves.

While the younger ones were playing outside, the grandparents were passing around Violet - which was a huge relief, so thank you all for that!

The day after the party was filled with clean, washing dishes, cleaning, washing more dishes, and then washing a few more dishes. Of course the little one are not quite to the age of cleaning, so instead Sylvia wanted to try on her costumes from prior years.

Monkey from 2 years ago (12-18m)

Peapod from her 1st Halloween (3m)

Seriously, what is with that smile???

Apples apples apples

2011-10-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

When Fall approaches in this household, it means two things. 1. A Halloween Party and 2. Apple Orchards.

Maybe it is because Jamie really likes apples this year, or it is because she is trying to make up for lost time this Summer, but we have definitely made the orchard circuit thus far. Luckily, I was spared from most of it or I think I would have gone crazy.

Orchard #1 - Carlson Orchards

Following the orchard (and about 60 pounds of apples) we enjoyed some smore's at the cabin. While I am not positive, I think this was Sylvia's first smore.

Smore' please!

Orchard #2 - Carpenter Nature Center

This trip was with Trinity, Jamie, and Sylvia. Dad tried to hold down the fort with Violet!

There were several different types of animals as well as a nice orchard. The best part about this trip was that it was free!

Orchard #3 - McDougall's Apple Junction

This trip was through Sylvia's school and Jamie was lucky enough to volunteer as a chaperon. Similar to the nature center, this "orchard" also had animals, like the goats shown below

as well as giant mounds of straw for the kids to climb on

and even a playground which featured a large wooden train.

You would think that is it for this year right? WRONG. This Sunday we will be headed up to Waldoch Farm for one more fun day outside!

Happy Wednesday

2011-10-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

We have been keeping Aunty Missy busy. She is going to start avoiding my calls soon :)
Have a wonderful day and enjoy the sunshine!

Warning...naked babies pee a lot!

Four Month Update

2011-10-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

Violet had her 4 month appointment on Monday, Has it already been four months?!? The Dr. said everything continues to progress well. She is even on the "normal kid" height and weight curves!

Stats:

Height - 22 3/4" 5th percentile

Weight - 10# 3.5oz <3rd percentile

Head - 15 1/2" 10th percentile

If the above were corrected for her due date, she is near the 50th percentile for all. It will be interesting to see how she continues to grow. Will she be like her sister and hover around the lower 10% or will she continue to sprout... we will see!

Of course we need to share a picture... Her is some big sister love from our last photo shoot.

Alpaca Farm

2011-09-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, one of Adam's co-workers had an open house at his farm for "Alpaca Days". His wife has a "hobby farm" of about 60 Alpacas, a couple horses, a bunch of chickens and ducks, and don't forget the two pot-bellied pigs.

We were hoping for more close and personal pictures with Sylvia and the animals, but she was a bit tired from the long drive over.

Our guide / escort was saying that they only get sheared 1x a year.

This newborn was outfitted with a child's sweater vest

They opened the gates a bunch of them ran out to the pasture.

Sylvia did find a tree swing that she absolutely loved.

It was a long drive, but we all had a great time. Thanks to Willem for his hospitality.

Tummy Time

2011-09-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's never to late to work on your tummy time!

At the Cabin

2011-09-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed out to the lake for a long weekend. The weather was OK, but it made for great working weather... Since the past two summers have seen flooding on the lower part of the lawn near the river, we felt it would be a good project to move the fence out of the flood plain. Adam and Jim were started working on the fence Friday night, but we had some help on Saturday

Sylvia did a great job of handing screws to dad and grandpa one at a time. She also helped separate the big screws from the small screws.

Believe it or not, I did use the fence post pounder once again. After knocking me out of commission a couple years back, I took on the beast again... This time with no injuries or urgent care visits to speak of!

The frogs and toads were also preparing for the fall. We must have seen 50 of them throughout the weekend. Sylvia was pointing out this toad as it tried to drink some of dad's coffee.

Why stop at frogs and toads... How about some worms! Sylvia did attempt to touch the worms with her bare hands, but felt that mittens were needed for protection from these slimy creatures.

And what is a trip to the lake without a 4-wheeler ride! I think we may have a daredevil on our hands since dad wasn't driving fast enough or going far enough... Sylvia did however want dad to "hold me real tight", so maybe she isn't completely fearless.

We hope to get back out to the lake next weekend. Maybe some fun pictures of pulling in the dock with 40 mph winds and 50 degree water!

Say Cheese-it's Friday!

2011-09-23T10:45:00.001-07:00

Enjoy her silly little smile.

Thanks for the cute pic Auntie Missy!

Bocce Night

2011-09-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we hosted the last "bocce night" of the season and as a tradition tried to get a picture of all the kids. Some weeks are more successful than others... This was not one of those weeks!

Little Froggie

2011-09-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

A little flashback to the NICU. This day was the fashion show and Missy was able to snap a couple pictures. Violet's cousins should be happy to see her dressed up in the froggy outfit they got her.

It sure is amazing how our journey has progressed this Summer. In just under two months from when this picture was taken, Violet continues to grow (over 9#) and has become more and more active, energetic, and even developing her own sense of personality.

Brrrrr

2011-09-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the air and it's time to bust out the booties.

I think we need to switch outfits about 10 times a day so she can wear all of the summer stuff before it's to cold. Enjoy the fresh air!

Sisters

2011-09-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

A bit more hair and much more oxygen at the same point in their lives...

Violet @ 41.5 weeks (8# 4 oz)

Sylvia @ 41.5 weeks (6# 10oz)

It will be interesting to see these two as they grow up...

3 Month Check Up

2011-09-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

You talkin to me?

Violet had her 3 month check-up on Tuesday. First things first...

Weight - 9# 1oz
Height 21.5"

According to the preemie charts she is 95%+, but according to the "normal" charts she is ~5%. So, let's say she is at 50% and call it a day.

I am working on the chart comparing Violet's weight gain and Sylvia's weight gain, but that will be a couple days... I am on vacation after all and spreadsheets / graphs are not to be created on vacation. ;-)

McLeod County Fair

2011-09-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

Catching up on some posts...

The third weekend in August marks the McLeod County Fair. They had some new cutouts this year for the "kids" to pose and take pictures. A bunch of blue ribbon winners!

I think the sheep had some problems finding the hole, but the bunny is all smiles!
Baby chicks in the kiddie barnyard. Sylvia and chickens are like peas in a pod... These were a bit smaller than she is used to playing with, but enjoyed them all the same.
The little goat was even nice enough to come over and say hi to Sylvia.
"putt, putt, putt" goes the little tractor. (That is the noise a tractor makes, right?)
As we were wrapping up the day, we walked through the car show and Sylvia loved this car. It was named "Woody", since the body was constructed mostly of wood, and riding shotgun, was a small Woody doll from "Toy Story". Needless to say, we starting watching the Toy Story trilogy once we returned home.

Until next year... Good-bye McLeod County Fair

Big Sister

2011-08-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to Grandma and Grandpa's for a BBQ with the McCracken clan. Grandma Charleen asked Sylvia if she had held Violet yet... the answer was, and has been, "when she gets bigger". I guess Grandma felt that time was now! It looks like Sylvia enjoyed the role of big sister - not sure what Violet was thinking however...

Of course we need to feed the chickens when we are at G&G's place

"Elvis - you need to eat the strawberries!"

Violet's Latest Weigh-in

2011-08-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

The little monster continues to grow. Last Friday we took her in for her weekly weigh-in and she is now tipping the scales at 8# 8oz!

I will try to upload the growth chart she is on, but it remains on the same slope since we have left the NICU. By 1 year of age, she will weigh 29 pounds!

3M Family Picnic

2011-08-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we had our annual 3M Office Supplies Division picnic. It was similar to last year - hot weather, cold beer, and tons of things for kids to do.

Sylvia enjoyed a ride on Hersey

Violet trying to stay cool

Violet enjoying her first bouncy castle

The Willards were there and we enjoyed our dinner (and ice-cream!) with them

Even the tattoo lady returned for another year

A new "toy" this year was the climbing wall. We weren't sure how Sylvia would do, but she seemed to like it.

Until the event next year - thank you 3M!

Happy Wednesday

2011-08-24T13:53:00.001-07:00

Life is good!

41 week (11 week) update

2011-08-20T17:14:00.001-07:00

Since Sylvia was born at 41 weeks, we thought this would be a nice comparison.

Violet went in for her weekly weigh-in and, drum roll please....

8# 0.5oz!!!

As a comparison, Sylvia was 6# 11oz at birth (41 weeks)

Things continue to progress. Still on the force feeding schedule, but at least that is becoming a normal routine that we are living with.

McLeod County Fair tomorrow!

Thanks for the great picture Missy!

Planking

2011-08-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

For those that are unaware, people in today's world have way too much time on their hands, and because of great things like MTV, Facebook, and the Internet, they have an avenue to share their "talents".

"Airplane Plank"

"News Plank"

Planking is one of these talents that Sylvia has been working on mastering.

Sylvia's "Couch Plank"

OK - got that out of the way... I hope we didn't make you any dumber by reading this post!

Happy Due Date

2011-08-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today was Violet's due date - but since things didn't work as planned, we celebrated her 10th week with a quick visit to the clinic for a weight check (7# 4oz!) and a photo session with Auntie Missy instead.

As she continues to grow, she also continues to gain more of a personality. When I say personality, I mean she now cries when she is hungry, she makes noises (grunts) when she is full, and likes to stay awake from 7PM - 11PM which is our core "family time", so I guess she doesn't want to be left out.

August 12th seemed like it would never come back in May, but I am not sure where June and July went. It's hard to believe she is already 10 weeks old. We are thankful for Violets health and for everyone's support.

Como Zoo Field Trip

2011-08-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last week Sylvia's school took a field trip to Como Zoo. Jamie went as a chaperon, mainly to keep an eye on Sylvia.

It was mostly pure craziness the entire trip. A full sized school bus was full of kids, teachers, and parents. Luckily the weather wasn't too hot.

One of Sylvia's teachers, Ms. Christie, stopped at the ice cream stand and purchased bomb pops for all the kids. These were not your 50 cent bomb pops... we are talking full sized BOMB POPS! Of all the kids, only one finished the entire treat, and they ALL had red lips and tongues.
The end of the trip was sack lunch time. All of the children sat in a row and dug into their lunch. Sylvia is sitting next to her best friends... The girls are both 5 years old and just love Sylvia.
One of her friends must have taught her how to eat Oreos, because she didn't learn that from mom or dad.

It was a great (hectic) trip and the kids all had a fun time.

Meow-it's tummy time

2011-08-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

What a slacker-she is sleeping through tummy time. Chop chop monkey girl it's time to learn your animals.

Happy Sunday

2011-08-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful weekend!

The Castle

2011-08-05T15:36:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday night, Sylvia had Date Night with Grandma and Grandpa, while Adam, Jamie, and Violet had a Date Night as well.

A bit of history behind The Castle. When Jamie was admitted to the hospital on May 23rd, we knew that hopefully this was a long term stay. When Sylvia came to visit mom, we wanted to remember fun stuff and not hospital stuff. As it turns out, Sylvia was one step ahead of us. As we were driving to the hospital back on May 25th, Sylvia yells out "The Castle" as we drove by the St. Paul Cathedral. Ever since that trip, when we drive by, we discuss who is in the castle today. It is usually Fiona (from Shrek), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), or Cinderella. We always meant to go check out the castle close up, but that never happened... Well not until last week that is.

They played outside on the grounds as well as taking a stroll through the church. Pictures are not allowed inside, which is too bad, because Sylvia had found a small door that they keep all of the crowns in. (I am sure the real crowns are hidden somewhere else, but let the kid imagine)

There was even time to relax and smell the flowers.

Time to go home...

Thanks to Charleen and Michael for spending this special night with Sylvia. Mom and Dad enjoyed our appetizers and Happy Hour!

A Tale of Two Cities

2011-08-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

South Minneapolis - July 2008 (Sylvia ~1 wk old)

Woodbury July 2011 (Violet ~2 months old)

Same hat, same shirt, same size diaper. Violet is just a couple ounces bigger at this point (and had a healed belly button!)

Violet Update

2011-08-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

Violet had her weekly Doctor visit and we were pleased to hear that she is up to 6# 14oz! The little milk monster is growing over an ounce a day. Great job little one!

Now a couple pics of her hanging out in the swing.

3 Year Wellness Visit

2011-08-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sylvia had her 3 year wellness visit and all things are good... well after the kicking and screaming and 20 minutes of not cooperating, but that is what 3 year olds do, right?

Purple Kitty

The Stats:
Height - 36" (25th percentile)
Weight - 29# (5th percentile)
BMI - 15.2 (45th percentile)

The BMI number threw us for a loop since she is in the lower part of the height and weight, but I guess they know what they are telling us...

Sorry for the delay in the post Sylvia - we are trying not to ignore you!

Naughty Dad!

2011-07-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

I was upstairs getting ready and realized it was quiet down stairs. If I was eating ice cream for breakfast I would be quiet too. Guess who now asks daddy "can I please have a little bit of ice cream for breakfast". It's pretty hard to resist her cute little face. She now thinks every day is Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day :) Not a bad idea!

7.5 Week Update

2011-07-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today was Violet's first visit with her pediatrician in Woodbury. While she has been poked, prodded, inspected, and measured by doctors every day since she was born, today she finally got a "normal" doctors visit.

Since moving to Woodbury, we have only had to go to the clinic once, for Sylvia's 2 year checkup, but we were happy with the Dr. then. Today was no different. While to wait was a bit long to get in, mostly due to paperwork, the appointment itself was pretty painless.

So now the stats.

The put Violet on the Premie curve, so these numbers were a bit shocking.

Height - 20 inches - 95th percentile
Weight - 6# 3.5 oz - 80th percentile
Head - 13.5 inches - 94th percentile

As a point of reference, Sylvia was hovering between the 3rd and 5th percentiles her entire childhood. It will be interesting to see the differences in these two girls as they grow.

Happy Monday!

2011-07-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

Wake up sleepy head!

We're Home

2011-07-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

At just under seven weeks old, Violet is home! It was quite the process, but the time went by pretty fast. We were joking with the nurse yesterday that Jamie and I didn't even get in a stress-related yelling match... Much better than most couples in our situation said the nurse. I guess we will wait for the stress related issues to start once we add sleep deprivation on top of it.

To be allowed to take her home, she needed bolsters in her carseat. Seems like an infant insert would be easier to use, but that was a 'no no'. Oh well, that will change soon!

While she is about 1# lighter than Sylvia when we came home, they look like they fill out the car seat about the same. (see post from 3 years ago - link)

I am sure we will have many stories to share over the next few days, but bottom line is she is home! Yeah!!!

6 Week Update - Big Sister Visit

2011-07-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Violet is six weeks old today. She continues to grow and get closer to coming home. She currently weighs 5# 12oz, which is much bigger than her 3# 4oz birth weight, but still quite tiny as you can see compared to dad's frame.

Holding on tight to dad's shirt

Since Sylvia hasn't seen Violet yet, and it is possible that Violet is coming home next week, we wanted to let Sylvia get to see her little sister at the place she has been growing up the past six weeks.

At first she didn't really know what to do. We had to talk in quiet voices, make sure our hands were washed multiple times, and become aware of all the equipment, wires, and beeps.

But after a bit, it was no problem at all.

Small hand, smaller foot

Sisters checking each other out

The visit was short, about 15 minutes total, but we think that is was good for Sylvia to see her little baby gouda. Next steps are getting Violet home and teaching Sylvia her sisters 'real' name!

Violet 5 1/2 weeks

2011-07-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Quick update on Violet.

She continues to grow - up to 5# 8oz already. She has been doing much better on the O2 and body temp regulation. Still working on eating, but since she had her first bottle a bit over a week ago, that isn't too much of a surprise.

No certain timeline on when she will be coming home, but could be as early as next week.

Pictures of the little one...

"Flashing gang signs"

Finally, I had to chart her weight gain since birth. The recent spike in weight over the last two weeks has slowed a bit... mostly due to the change from "forced" feeding to attempts with Jamie and bottles.

We will continue to keep you all updated.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sylvia!

2011-07-12T04:45:00.000-07:00

Today is Sylvia's third birthday... can we now mention the cliches that everyone says about children - "Don't blink or you'll miss it" and “Enjoy it while it lasts, your kids will grow up way too fast.” While they may be cliches, they sure are true.

This past Saturday, we had some family over to celebrate Sylvia's birthday a few days early. The weather was great, the food was great, the Costco cake was awesome!

It sure is amazing the difference one year makes. This year she sat like a "grown up" and enjoyed her cake and ice cream without smearing it all over her face (or her cousins face)!

Present time was also enjoyable... The main difference this year was fewer toys and more educational "games". It is never too early to start learning - and learning is fun, right?

Happy 3rd Birthday Sylvia!

I'm a Little Turkey

2011-07-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

As we prepare for Violet to come home, we are going through old bins of baby stuff. Jamie came across a bag of Ginny dolls that Megan was going to toss out when she moved to San Fransico. If you don't know about these dolls, they are more of the collectable, stick'em on the shelf type dolls. Not the typical kids play doll.

Well, Sylvia did a great job of gentle play (for about 2 minutes), but then the clothes started coming off, and the body parts didn't have a chance! (notice the look on her face)

"Mom, I found a head!"

Sylvia was acting very similar to the Honey Badger. For those who are not aware of the honey badgers powers, you should click on the name above to learn more.

Have a great day... another update on Violet soon (including graphs!)

4th of July / 4.5 Week Update

2011-07-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

The Celbration was smaller this year than in years past, but the weather was absolutely perfect. Of course the island was calling, and the children being one year older enjoyed it even more... The Willards, Stracks, and Brodds made this years party - I guess this is the calm before the storm, as next year marks the 10th anniversary.

Mom and Linda took the paddle-boat for a spin

The kids enjoying some time outside of the water

As mentioned the weather was great, food was good, and no major injuries to report, so all in all it was a good day.

Changing gears to Violet. Since we missed posting her 4 week update, we will go with a 4.5 week update instead. After an up and down 10 days or so, she is off the O2 again. She needed a small dosage of steroids to help with the lung development, but it seems to be doing exactly what they are supposed to do.

The nurses keep calling her "chubby" (which is a good thing when you are in NICU) and today she weighed in at 4# 15oz, so just about to the 5# mark! A couple of days last week she was growing 2 ozs a day!

While I consider this bow 'a bit much', one of the nurses was quite proud of her achievements.

Taking a nap...

Taking another nap...

While it may not be obvious from the pictures, she does open her eyes from time to time. She has been making good strides towards wanting to nurse. The doctors will start to try bottle feeding soon to see how that works. Since that is one of the gating items to coming home, it is a good thing to get going on that.

She is in great hands and had a great weekend. She continues to grow, is sleeping in a crib, and breathing room air. Next year, she will be able to take part in the celbration in person!

"But Why?" and 3 Week Update

2011-06-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

"But why?" This question has been asked of mom and dad about 3,263 times in the last week by Sylvia. I guess she finally hit the age where she wants to know why things are how they are.

A: Sylvia, it's time for school.
S: But why?

A: Sylvia, let's buckle into our carseat
S: But why?

J: Let's put our pajamas on
S: But why?

Well... you get the picture. I guess that is much better than "NO!"

Today after school we packed up a picnic and headed to Lake Elmo Park. We enjoyed some time on the swings prior to our picnic and Sylvia was a smiley little peanut!

She even played some hide and seek with camera.

Surprisingly our picnic was somewhat peaceful and leaving wasn't too difficult. i.e. no kicking and screaming on the way to the car. I guess promises of a Dairy Queen Blizzard will do that!

Since most of the posts have been Violet based over the past three weeks, we needed to give Sylvia her due, but I am sure you all want an update on the little one as well... Her three week birthday was today. She had a couple ups and downs this week with the O2 levels, but was hanging in there today for almost 4 hours without O2. I happened to be there to grab a couple pictures without the tube in her nose.

Her weight has sorta peaked just below the 4# mark, but that is expected with the antibiotics and other meds she has been given over the past few days. The doctors and nurses say this is all "par for the course", but it is hard to see our little one back on O2 after being off it so early on in the process.

"View from the port hole"

We continue to spend as much time as we can at the hospital with her and can't wait for the day when she comes home... No updates on the timetable, but I'm guessing it will be for at least 2-3 weeks.

Princess and the Pea

2011-06-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

Time for another upgrade... This time to a crib! Not sure if it will stick, as she is required to maintain her body temperature, but they wanted to give it a try. Not sure how she could lose any body temp with all the blankets she is wrapped up in...

She is wearing a t-shirt, a sleeper, a fleece swaddle, two cotton blankets, and a double-thick polar fleece blanket. Oh, and don't forget the hat!

Today she weighed in at 3# 14oz... Almost to the 4# mark!!! More updates to come.

2 Weeks Old (32 weeks)

2011-06-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that our little Violet has been with us for two weeks already! She continues to do well. Getting "A's" on her tests already... Those may be big shoes to fill!

While Jamie has been able to go to the hospital everyday, dad has not been able to. Last Wednesday night, dad was able to get some cuddling time in with Violet. She is still connected to her feeding tube and monitoring equipment so it makes holding her a bit of a tetris-like operation, but it is definitely worth it.

Tiny foot and mom's hand

Daddy's wedding ring next to Violet

By 34 weeks, she should hopefully be up to 4 pounds and be moved from her isolette to a crib. She should also start nursing - so we will see how this next chapter turns out...

Violet Update

2011-06-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a picture of our little peanut. She has been doing great! Her weight is back to birth weight and has been doing ok with taking milk. Some spitting up from time to time, but for the most part, she is just fine.

Jamie has been able to spend most every day in the NICU when Sylvia is in school and Adam is at work. Lots of kangaroo time (basically skin on skin contact) for mommy and Violet.

We got a picture of her digs for those who are interested. Basically a bunch of medical stuff, a couple monitors, a couch and work area to the left, and her little "bed" or isolette. It definitely looks much worse than it is... Oh, and the nurses and doctors have been fantastic!

No word on an estimated time to come home... We just need to continue doing what we are doing and the homecoming will be right around the corner.

Happy 1st Week Birthday Violet

2011-06-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Fun Facts

-she pooped 4 times in one day and still gained 2 oz
-her brain scan results came back and they looked good
-she got her IV out yesterday
-once she gets to 4 lbs she get to move up to a crib
-momma got more vicodin today
-we will try to get more pics soon-the room is kept pretty dark so it's hard to take pictures, but we will get more soon

and we can't forget about Sylvia...

S-momma do you like cupcakes?
M-yes
S-momma do you like purple cupcakes?
M-doesn't everybody like purple cupcakes?
S- momma do you like milk?
S- momma do you like cookies?
S- momma do you like ... and so on

Tiny Update

2011-06-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Violet is all done with her lights and she gained an ounce :) Momma got her staples out (26) and is enjoying fresh air and hugs from Sylvia.

Little Sprout

2011-06-06T05:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,
It's 3:15am and I just got back from visiting our little sprout. She had her first bath so her hair was fluffy and she smelled so good. We snuggled in for our kangaroo time and she melted my heart. I am not sure how the nurses don't fall in love with all the babies? She already likes her nuk and she sounds like Maggie from the Simpson's.
Good Night
P.S.grow little sprout grow!

Update

2011-06-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a quick update. Violet is doing great. She is breathing on her own and the nurses say she is a rock star. She should be done with most of her IV's in a week. The doctor said that she is a bit jaundice which is very common and will probably need to start the lights tomorrow. I just learned that she is in the 75th percentile for her size. I was surprised by that, but maybe she would have been a Brodd baby if she would have a stayed longer?

She is a snuggle bug. We did our first kangaroo-skin to skin last night and she snuggled right in.

Since I know some of you won't be able to resist buying her a little outfit or 2 the NICU nurse recommend that we buy newborn size instead of preemie because once she goes home that size will fit her for a bit longer and she would be just about big enough to fit into them.

After lots of discussion and votes from the nurses we picked Anna for her middle name.

I hope to go home from the hospital either Monday night or Tuesday!

Violet

2011-06-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

We would like to introduce Little Miss Violet.

She had a great first 18 hours, so Jamie got to spend some time holding her! She has been breathing on her own since this morning and all vitals look great.

Already has a pacifier... and the color is perfect!

Mom, Dad, and Violet

Talking with the nurses today, it is still unknown when she can come home. A lot depends on how she breaths, eats, and maintains body temp. They are estimating 5-7 weeks if all goes well.

The tiny diaper

Thank you all for the good wishes, prayers, company, and food over the last two weeks. Jamie should be coming home on Monday or Tuesday.

Mom and Dad are still working through the middle name, but we wanted to get this out now.

Baby Brodd is Here!!!

2011-06-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

During this morning's ultrasound it was discovered that baby was in breech. We were surprised considering she was head down during the ultrasound last week. That, coupled, with Jamie's contractions that increased in intensity throughout the day made the choice for a scheduled c-section the smart choice to make.

She is currently in the NICU and things look great - all things considered.

She was born at 7:12PM
Weight - 1490 grams (3# 4.55oz)
Height - 16"
Head - 11.5"

We were both able to see her tonight. She is kicking up a storm and doing great. She is breathing mostly on her own and they will continue to run some tests and monitor baby closely over the next 48 hours.

We hope to have an update tomorrow with a picture and more importantly a name.

Update

2011-06-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Quick update on Jamie's status...

Thursday morning she started having contractions at a somewhat normal pattern. This slowed throughout the day and was allowed to go back to her bigger room last night. Even though she is flat on her back, at least we were back in her room.

Well contractions started again this morning around 2AM but still not in a real regular pattern. We are waiting for the Dr. to stop by today and discuss the next steps.

We will update the blog once we know more.

Big Smiles

2011-06-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this silly picture from daycare and give a little update. Momma and baby are just hanging out. We have our weekly Biophysical Profile on Friday so we should have an update then.
I get to look forward to a little pizza party tonight with Adam and Sylvia and then maybe a wheelchair ride!

Chicken Run

2011-05-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sylvia spent last night at Grandma and Grandpa's house to give mom and dad a "date night". While the lack of a nap today and a crabby child, I think Jamie and I needed some quiet time alone last night.

As you can see, I think Charleen either got them wet or fed them after midnight, because her chickens have multiplied. (I am sure most of you get the reference, but if not, it is from the movie Gremlins)

All of the kids have their own chickens... This one is Sylvia's chicken - Elvis

Cousins taking a group photo with funny faces...

I wonder if Jarred has his license for tractor driving?

Giggles...

and more giggles...

As for an update on our status. Jamie and baby continue to remain the same, which is the best we can ask for now. We thank everyone for the help, food, company, etc.

During our date night last night, we were planning on watching a movie and relaxing, but instead we had the opportunity to have a wheelchair ride (Jamie's 1st trip out of her room since Monday) as well as a tour of the neonatal ICU. It was very impressive and they obviosuly know what they are doing. Of the 50 rooms they have, one of them will be for our little peanut once she is born. They are private rooms with a couch (bed) for mom and dad to spend time with her.

In other news, the naming game just moved into overdrive. Since most all nurses have asked if we have a name picked out, I figure I should do my part to start searching. Baby Name Wizard is my new favorite website!

Until the next update.... Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday.

29 Weeks

2011-05-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

We have made it to 29 weeks. Baby seems happy to stay where she is and momma is doing well. Every day she stays put is a blessing so we are taking it one day at a time too.

We have been upgraded to a new room.

New room # 2312

New phone#651-241-7345

I would like to thank everyone for there prayers, happy vibes and help. This is all very overwhelming, but all of your support is helping so much and I don't know how to thank all of you.

P.S. thanks to Missy for more cute Sylvia pics

P.S.S. thanks to the mystery flower sender-I think the card got lost, but they are beautiful.

Update

2011-05-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

A quick update with some more great pictures from Missy. (http://melissarosephotography.com/)

Followed by some not so great news... For those that haven't seen the 'press release':

On Monday morning when Jamie was at work, her water broke. She was taken to the clinic next to work and then transferred to United Hospital in St. Paul. These last 36 hours have been extremely nerve-wracking as we don't really have control of anything and have been inundated with doctors, tests, uncertainties... What we do know is that Jamie is not in labor, no contractions, no pain, etc. What we also know is that Jamie will be in the hospital until our little girl is born. The goal will be 34 weeks (6 weeks from now), but every day is critical for baby's development.

This news has been extremely difficult to swallow. This obviously will be a huge change to our family - but it is only short term. We know that Jamie and Baby are in the best hands and they will do everything they can to provide the best care for Jamie and our little one.

Jamie's Contact Info:
Telephone - 651-241-7356 (This is direct to her room)
United / Children's Hospital (333 N Smith Ave. St. Paul) Room 2334
jamie_dunphy@hotmail.com (we will have a laptop for her shortly)

Sylvia and I are trying our best to figure out a routine to get through this time. We will likely attend BBQ's / B-day parties / etc... to try to keep life as normal as we can. I know you will ask what can be done to help and all I can say is anything you want to do, I am fine with.

Thank you all for your thoughts during this time.

Tonight we decided it was time for Sylvia to see Mommy. She did great (and so did Jamie)... When we left it was a bit tough, mostly due to Sylvia's comments.
A: OK, we need to go home now.
S: But I don't want to.
J: It is OK, I will see you soon
S: I want mom to come home
J: I need to stay at the hospital so baby is OK
S: But I love you
(A & J trying to hold it together after hearing Sylvia say that)
J: I love you to

I can't thank you all enough for the support we have gotten thus far. Hopefully we can get some sort of routine set up over these next couple months. As tough as it may seem, we need to stay positive... for example, we have already made it three days! Hopefully another 36 or so until baby decides to show up. Until Chapter Two...

Weekend Fun

2011-05-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Who says you can't fit 30 bags of mulch in the back end of a Rogue? Oh yeah, that's right, you can. It took some Tetris like skills, but I managed to do it. I enjoyed the young punk working at Menards giving me the 'yeah, that's really gonna fit it that small car' smarta** comment. I should've grabbed him and showed him my fully loaded car, but figured it wasn't worth my time. At any rate, I have 70 bags of mulch to lay down once I get the rest of the yard prepped.

We were able to get out to the lake for a day last weekend as well. Jamie took a picture next to this tree when she was pregnant with Sylvia. This time around she gets to share it with Sylvia. Looking through the pictures from back then, it is hard to believe how much work has been done out at the lake since then...

While the rain showers have limited the weekend activities thus far, we hope that the sun peeks through for a little bit so we can enjoy the outside and get the garden planted.

Spring Cleaning

2011-05-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is warming up, it is time for some spring cleaning. Sylvia did her part as well by washing out her house. She used the hose, some scrubbers, and a towel to finish it off. We all needed to get out of the house after the long winter, so we are now taking every chance we can, even if it is to 'chores'.

Names

2011-04-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last week at school, they played a name recognition game where they write a student's name on the whiteboard and if it is your name you stand up. While Sylvia has really started to understand her name and other "S" names, she has also picked up a name for her yet to be born baby sister. (Well we think that is the baby she is talking about... it is always referred to as "her baby")

For the past two weeks or so, Sylvia has been talking about Baby Gouda. While this may seem a bit strange for a not yet three year old, she definitely has a pallet for the 'fancy' cheeses. She has sampled, and liked, over 10 different varieties of cheeses from an aged farmhouse cheddar to dads favorite blue cheese. Not your run of the mill, hot chicken wings dipping sauce blue cheese... we are talking dirty feet stinky blue cheese, and she loves it! So, I guess that Baby Gouda may not be too far out there for our big girl. I am hoping that she refrains from taking too many bites of the little one once August rolls around.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T10:13:00.001-07:00

As with every holiday, we try to fit three days worth of family and friends into one day. Easter Sunday was no different. We started the day at Dan and Kelley's house in Northfield.

Sylvia was a bit quiet and attached to Dad's arm for most of the morning, but finally broke loose and tried out Shaylan's guitar for a while.

Since the weather was finally warming up, they also had a chance to play outside on the deck with the trikes and the slide.

The next stop was Tim and Marilyn's house just down the road. While I was out back keeping the young ones occupied, the Easter Bunny dropped off the goods. Jared, Blake, and Sylvia quickly gathered up the eggs.... They actually did a good job a sharing - well, they gave Sylvia all of the raisins, while they took the gummy bears, so maybe not such a good job...

And the last stop for the day was at the Willard house. Liz's parents were in town for the Easter weekend / Charlie's 1st birthday and the Roses and us shared in the fun.

A bit of kickball in the driveway
followed by some swinging and sliding
and lastly Charlie and Reagan trying to prevent their skin from touching the grass... the parents really got a kick out of this one.

It was time to leave, which is always a fun thing to do, and Sylvia had to throw a little bit of a fit, but then again it was a very long day with a really short nap, so all things considered, she did pretty good.

Savannah Trip

2011-04-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

While the trip isn't over, we had a bit of 'down time' to pull together some pictures of our trip so far. The weather has been beautiful and we have spent most of the time outside.

Here Jamie is posing in front of the fountain in Forsyth Park.

Adam before dinner at The Crab Shack. This place is likely a huge tourist trap, but the shrimp boil was great.

We spent the day at Tybee Island today. It was a great beach and the first time I was in the Atlantic Ocean.

On the way to Tybee Island, we stopped at Bonaventure Cemetery. It was a large cemetery with tons of moss covered trees. Very cool stuff.

A staple of Savannah is Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House. They serve lunch only and we waited in line for over an hour, but the food was great! You share the table with those you waited in line with, so we got to know the people from Vermont well. There was also a couple from Texas, and three from Oklahoma. Not much talking at the table however, as everyone was busy eating.

And of course the Mercer house from "The Garden of Good and Evil" book fame.

And because we live in a world filled of technology, I had to share the picture of Sylvia at school today. She is finally starting to feel a bit better and it looks like she was enjoying art time today.

See you all soon! Adam and Jamie

Froggy Bottoms

2011-04-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

What a cute little bottom. We have been trying to catch her doing the Monkey Dance, but as soon as she sees the video camera she won't perform. We will keep trying :)

Art Time

2011-03-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

A typical after school treat includes art time with mom. Sylvia is enjoying her 'rock crayons' from Trinity.

Tracing mom's hand (where is that wedding ring???)

Soon the weather will be nice enough were we can color with chalk on the driveway... please come faster!

What do you do for fun?

2011-03-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well Sylvia has her things - that is for sure.

Background story on this one. One of the magnets fell out of her magnetic refrigerator letters and Dad needed to fix it with 'special' glue. That glue was actually a piece of double stick tape. She watched me fix it and the next day felt the need to "fix" all of her magnets by applying a piece of masking tape to each and every one of them.

Another fun game Sylvia plays is the tupperware lid organization game. I think Aaron would be proud of all the yogurt and cottage cheese containers we are re-using!

And finally, Sylvia loves to smile!

You spin me round

2011-03-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sylvia loves the song "Monkey Dance" by The Sweet Colleens. Prior to doing her routine for that song, she decided that she needed to warm up with some spinning... Enjoy!

Smile

2011-03-10T19:23:00.001-08:00

A couple of pictures from bath night...

Happy Friday!

2011-02-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a fun picture from school.

Day 2

2011-02-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

A new day, but the same results... this time with the mountain of snow that the plow pushed up. Thank you City of Woodbury!

Sylvia conquered the mountain to hug the tree...
and then thought it to be a good idea to blow some bubbles (it wasn't)

Bring on the 50 degree weather.... My back could use a break!

Yeah... More Snow

2011-02-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

While the 50 degree weather a week ago was nice, today's storm let us know that we do live in Minnesota and should expect nothing less.

The good news was that I had a helper tonight. Even with the wind and blowing snow, Sylvia was a trooper and enjoyed her time outside with dad.

If it snows too much more, I think it will be up to her neck!

Drive safe everyone and enjoy your President's Day.

Ice Cream for Breakfast!

2011-02-06T17:00:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday marked the annual Ice Cream for Breakfast day and not to let the holiday down, we had to have ice cream for breakfast. While Sylvia opted for the more traditional ice cream cone - Aaron, Jen, Jamie, and I had ice cream topped waffles.... YUMMY!

After the sugar high wore off, we finally tackled the wall hanging project in the living room. I don't think we could have done it without Sylvia's help. Sorry for no pictures of the finished project, but I think it looks pretty nice.

Sylvia's New Friend

2011-01-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

While Mrs. Pig has been a part of our family since our wedding day, and sitting in the same spot in our house since we moved in... that is until tonight!

As we were walking downstairs, Sylvia said that she wanted Mrs. Pig to play with us tonight... so she did. We played blocks, put together some puzzles, sang songs, and to top it off, watched an episode of Dora.

Mrs. Pig was zoning out on the TV, but Sylvia had a chance to pose for the camera.

She also did her BIG smile for the camera!

Have a happy weekend!

Stud Finder

2011-01-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

Sylvia's new favorite toy - Dad's stud finder...

The Newest Skill

2011-01-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

What more can you say, besides I am guessing she will regret this when she is dating (so in like 30 years!)

Thanks again for the pictures Missy.

Merry Christmas

2011-01-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

A compilation of the 2010 Christmas season is shown below. Basically it involved 5 different parties in 4 days... We needed a break following that!

On Christmas Eve we spent it at home with just us three. Sylvia got to open a couple presents, but fell in love with her hand-held vacuum cleaner. She could really care less about the other gifts she got that night.

The next morning, we headed down to Northfield for a breakfast at the Dunphys. Cousin Shaylan is enjoying a new book.

Sylvia opened her present - a new tent for the playroom downstairs. It has become an instant hit for her and the other kids that come over.

Grandpa Dan loves his new bird house!

While the camera was away, we spent the afternoon and evening at the farm for the Anderson Christmas.

The next day was a more intimate Christmas with the McCracken / Berry gang. The kids all came over for a appetizer / snackfood marathon. A few hands of Nuts were even played.
More presents....
Still more presents...
Yup, you guessed it, more presents...

The last, but not least, Christmas celebration was out at the Brodd cabin. Even though we were at a new setting, the traditions remained the same. Homemade ice cream, gag gifts, and a horde of dogs... Good times!

Wait until next year... I can already feel the burn from this Buns of Steel video.

Sylvia on her second (or third) bowl of ice cream.

I was spare the details of that night, but someone decided they had enough and didn't want to sleep. I can tell you that it is really quiet and really dark out at 2-5 AM.

The next morning, after a much needed nap, Sylvia was able to do some cookie making with Megan who was home for the holidays. For being cheap Trader Joe's cookie mix, they were actually pretty tasty.

And finally, today wrapped up our Christmas 2010 when Ben and Bonnie stopped by on their way back from Hayword. We enjoyed some snacks and chit chat while catching up on the past couple of months. We all got some great presents and the curling teammates will especially enjoy the IPA from The Angry Minnow on Monday night!

We hope everyone enjoyed their holidays as much as we did and wish you all a happy 2011.

Elf in Training

2010-12-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Spoiler Alert - If you are a male in this family, you likely don't want to read this post until after we have opened presents!

In the sake of making this a homemade Christmas, Sylvia has been busy with her crafting time. Under the watchful eye of her teacher, the young apprentice hones her craft. Hopefully the finished product gives joy for years to come.

Pine Cone Bird Feeder

2010-12-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Since Trinity was over to celebrate her B-Day with Jamie, she was able to partake in a little craft time with Sylvia as well.

Sylvia carefully applying peanut butter to the pine cone (I think I may need to discuss with Jamie the fact that Sylvia is using a sharp knife for this task - but that is for another time)
Once the peanut butter is applied, some scoops of bird seed over the top will make a tasty bird treat.
"I can do it myself Mom!!!"
Dad also got in the mix when Sylvia and I hung our bird feeders with care... now we wait for the birds to feast on the tasty creation!

Getting Comfy

2010-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

Snow Day

2010-12-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Like most of Minnesota, we got hit hard with snow on Saturday. Because of the crazy wind, it was hard to tell how much we really got, but it was between 16 and 20 inches.

Sylvia spent most of the weekend on this side of the window, mostly because of the wind chill factor. She did stay busy organizing the window clings.
While the front entry was shoveled out twice yesterday, there was a large drift covering the door again this morning.
A view from the garage looking at the large snow mountain for the neighborhood kids to play on. They were busy digging tunnels and setting up their winter fort.

Even with my neighbor blowing out our driveway twice, it was still quite the exercise moving all of the white stuff around... I am quite certain I know what Santa is bringing this guy.

Minnie the X-mas Elf

2010-12-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

Sylvia is such a big fan of her Micky Mouse scrubs and ears... I think she wears her ears almost every night.

The first night we brought the tree home, she was helping out quite a bit. She was even unscrewing the lightbulbs from the string of lights. So much for the C9 sized lights. After she went to bed, Jamie and I swapped them out for the traditional sized ones.

Of course Sylvia gets her own 'baby' sized tree. Don't you think she is proud of it!??!?!?

Her "I'm really, really excited my eyes are closed" look was shown again tonight when she was DRINKING the ketchup from the little cup at Wendy's. I almost lost my dinner! YUK

Winter Cabin Fun

2010-12-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the family made the trip out to Cokato to check on the progress and do a bit of work on the property as well.

Here is a shot from the lake looking back at the cabin

Inside in the living room - looking up into the loft. I love the hand rails and spindles which were reclaimed from an Ash tree that needed to come down to make room for the cabin.

Since the weather cooperated, we were even able to have a nice big winter bonfire (it did finally start on fire...)

Due to the mixed temperatures and heavy winds a couple days earlier, there were some really cool ice formations along the shore line.

We had a great day and am completely amazed how the new cabin looks. Can't wait to share it with the extended 'family' soon!

Rice Crispie Eating Skunk

2010-12-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

I mean seriously... what kind of parent dresses their child in a skunk dog Halloween costume?

Probably the same type of people that buy costumes for their dog!
(in my defense, the costume was like 90% off...)

Also noted in this picture is Sylvia's new habit of closing her eyes when she is SUPER happy. So the question remains - is she happy because of the rice crispie bar or the skunk costume?

Happy Birth-Turkey Day!

2010-11-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was filled with a surprise birthday celebration

lots of pies and a b-day cake

happy pie eating

underage drinking

naughty aunties

and more present opening

Sylvia only stole one of Blake's gifts. The house was full and the food was great.

Winter fun

2010-11-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Grandma Charleen and Cousins Blake and Jared came to the house on Friday to allow Jamie and I to have a quiet relaxing dinner followed by a night of curling. What started as a plan for a bunch of inside playing turned into a fun snow-filled Saturday as well.

It looks like a game a hide and seek from Grandma found the kids all hiding behind the sofa in the living room

Kissing Cousins ?!?!??!

"Helping" Dad clean the heavy snow on Saturday morning.

Sledding down the hill in the backyard with cousin Jared

Blake helping out by cleaning off Grandma's car

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

Either warming up their backsides or passing gas.... Unfortunately, I am guessing the latter.

Daycare Fun

2010-11-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

Someone LOVES to play outside in the snow... I think that same someone loves to say "Cheese" to the camera!

Happy Last Day of the Workweek!