Cookies for Dad

John has been working so hard lately. He really has a lot on his plate with Young Life growing, new staff, new schools developing, raising finances, running a committee, not to mention all the contact with high school kids. Besides all of that, he has been intentional about making time to spend with Logan and I whenever he can. Its a lot to juggle and we're learning to balance life as best we can! There is not always much I can do besides encourage John by telling him what a great job he is doing at work and how gifted he is for his position in Young Life. Logan and I thought we would make Daddy's favorite peanut butter cookies on Thursday, just for a treat because he is so great!

Logan enjoys helping pour the ingredients in the bowls and especially stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon! I think he will soon need his own apron because we're a little messy!

We let Logan sit on the counters when we cook, bake, and prep food. He likes to help out. It might not be a very good habit, but for now it seems to work well!

As you can see, Logan thoroughly enjoyed the cookie dough (and there were no raw eggs, so I let him indulge a little!). This little mini spatula was the perfect treat for Logan while he sat to help finish the cookies.

Just for the record: I am not much for cooking or baking. I like to try, but nothing seems to turn out that great. Even when I've made something a million times, I still have no problem messing it up! So, as you can probably guess, we ended up throwing out the cookies. John didn't even get to enjoy them - I guess its the thought that counts! At least it kept Logan and I busy after nap time and Logan enjoyed a little peanut butter dough!

Baby Kumquat

Here are the ultrasound photos from yesterday:


Baby's profile; hand up by face.

Baby's profile; hand up by head.

Baby's profile; mouth open and hand by chin.

Surprise!

Yes! We kept the gender of this baby a surprise! We had our latest ultrasound today and decided not to find out. We will wait to find out at the delivery whether we are blessed with another boy or a little girl. I'm 21 weeks pregnant now and loving it. I feel so good and really am able to keep up with Logan all day with no reservations (except for a nap when he naps on some days!). Everything looks to be developing just right and my wonderful OB even assured me that this baby is actually average or even below average in size so far (what?!). That doesn't mean that Baby Kumquat won't be huge like Logan by the time 38 weeks rolls around, but its a good start! We can't get over what a blessing it is to be looking forward to this addition to our family...we know the time will pass quickly!

This is not the best photo of me, but I know some people have been asking for a baby bump update, so I obliged!

Life with Logan

Last weekend, we planned to have John's parents babysit Logan while we enjoyed an evening out...maybe dinner and a movie? Well, that plan quickly turned into two nights away while Logan stayed at Eiselts' house Friday night-Sunday. John and I spent two nights at the Westin in the Galleria in Edina, MN. The new hotel was beautiful and relaxing. We had a few things we needed to accomplish while we were in the Cities, but mostly spent time together, catching up on life. We called this our "Babymoon #2". Before Logan was born, we traveled to the same area for a long weekend away before baby...this was a great chance for us to shop, go out for dinner, enjoy Starbucks, and even a movie together before a few crazy weeks with Young Life and Logan Life.

Logan did a great job at the Eiselts'...he is such an adaptable little boy and loves being with different people (especially grandparents!). We feel very lucky that Logan has been so easy going about traveling and staying away from home. I think Grammy and Grandpa were a little tired when we left with Logan on Sunday, but all had a great time!

We had a great time, too, but caught ourselves looking at other children all weekend. Toddlers made us melt and miss Logan; babies made us melt and get excited for baby kumquat! It was a great weekend away, but we were so excited to have Life with Logan again on Sunday evening!

We stopped at a baby store to pick up a few things and one thing we came across was this potty chair for Logan.

I'm not sure if these pictures are okay to post, but we thought they were really funny! He certainly knows what the potty is for, but I am predicting it will be a long time before he uses it.

"My parents went away for the weekend and all I got was this potty."

Logan's Baby

When my mom visited this week, she brought Logan a "big brother" gift to help him get ready for the role. We thought we would wait a while to give the gift to Logan, so we put it away downstairs for a while. Well, it only lasted one day. Logan made his way into the downstairs bedroom and found the present, dragged it out and started opening! I guess he learned at Christmas that gifts sure are fun! So, I will need to do a better job hiding things in the future if Logan is not meant to have it.

Hmmm...this blanket is a little small for Logan...

A "baybee"!

Logan loved his baby from the start. He's been so interested in other kids, calling them all babies. We try to point out babies when we see them, just to get Logan to understand. If you ask Logan where the baby is, he will point to my belly (and usually try to pull my shirt up!). I know he's too young to really understand, but its fun to know that he's starting to pick up a little interest in babies.

Logan likes to wrap the baby in the special little blanket and carry it around the house. The sometimes he spikes the baby on the ground like a ball...we're working on that!!!

Nap time with the new little baby!

We recently had friends who've had their 2nd child and they recommended a baby for Logan to start help with learning about babies and being a big brother. So...this gift was just perfect!

Construction Zone

We were lucky to have a visit from Nana this week! Logan gets so excited to see "Nana" (which he says perfectly now!) that I can't mention her coming until she is practically on our street. If I say anything about "Nana coming" any sooner than that, he would spend all day waiting at the window. Its so cute! As usual, Nana came bearing a couple gifts for Logan...

Logan was anxious to tear through the tissue paper and find his new building blocks. Since opening this package, our house has been a construction zone! Logan is really good at putting the blocks together and building towers, which he then loves to destroy and build again. Its been a fun new past time at our house!

Logan getting some help from Nana...

Wow!

Already busy...

Such a happy boy!

Despite a runny nose and sporadic cough, Logan has been a really happy, energetic little boy this week! We've been keeping busy, that's for sure! It was lovely to have Nana visit and we even got to celebrate her birthday with her - just one day early.

A rare moment

Logan is now 17 months old and its very rare that he will fall sleep with us anymore. Unless he is sick, we usually don't hold him past the sleepy phase. He falls asleep really well in his crib and sleeps from about 8pm-7am. Its great! We enjoying those long nights of sleep until baby kumquat arrives in June!

This week Logan has a little cold and today I didn't get him down for his nap on time, so we had a little trouble. I ended up rocking him in his room until he fell asleep and then I traveled downstairs with him and we sat for two hours. Logan slept like such a peaceful little baby and I watched some of the historical inauguration coverage on "mute". I cherish times like this because they are very rare moments with Logan as he gets older.

When toys are boring...

Apparently, this is what happens when you can't go outside for days! The toys get a little boring, markers and fingerpaints pretty lame, and books just not so exciting. Instead, we started playing with anything and everything that could hold Logan's attention. The cups were the best by far! He loved lining them up on the window sill, moving them, stacking them, putting them away and then starting all over again!

Luckily, we're looking at warmer temps for just a few days next week.
We'll definately be ready to take advantage of those!

Family Friday

On Friday morning, John spent a little extra time with us at home and then we all decided to go to Starbucks for a special treat. I love mornings where we all get to enjoy time together, without rushing around the house trying to get off to our different commitments and destinations. Last week was so cold that I especially appreciated John's help getting out with Logan (bundling him, warming up the car, etc). It was so special and you can tell Logan really appreciates the extra time he gets with Dad. Our Starbucks has a nice little cozy nook with big comfy chairs and a bookshelf, so Logan snuggled right in for a story with Daddy.

Nothing like a warm Starbucks drink to start a cold day off on the right foot!

Trapped!

With subzero temps outside and even "subber"zero windchill, we didn't even set foot outside today. Boo hoo. Winter sure can make you crazy in this part of the country! We had another 4 inches of snow yesterday, so Logan and I played in the warm, cozy indoors, watching the snow plows pass by several times throughout the day. The forecast is calling for a few more days of this, which means at some point we'll break down, bundle up and at least get in the car for a quick trip to Starbucks or the grocery.

I got a few cute pictures of Logan today, so I thought I would share a couple....

We out away Logan's high chair a couple weeks ago when he refused to sit in it anymore! He insists on sitting in a regular chair, so we just put his booster seat on a chair and he sure is happy about it! He loves to sit and eat with a fork and spoon...just like Mom and Dad.


After being stuck inside with me all day long, Logan was so excited to see John when he came home tonight! Logan ate dinner early, so while I got dinner ready for John and I, Logan had his bath and even brushed teeth with Dad. It was great. John headed out for a boys basketball game with Nic, another YL leader, tonight. While John was waiting for Nic, Logan got to have some special time reading and playing with Dad. They enjoyed their new book, "Knuffle Bunny".

Help Yourself...I guess

We returned home from a great weekend in Stillwater early Monday morning. Logan actually went home with my mom on Wednesday morning and spent Wed-Friday with my parents until we arrived to join him at their house on Friday afternoon. It was nice for John and I to have some time at home to work on a few things. And I finally got the Christmas decorations all packed away! John and my dad took Logan to the MN Zoo and kept busy so that I could do lots of wedding planning with Amy. It was great!

This is a lot of photos for one short sequence of events, but it was just so funny! We were making bars in the kitchen and Logan was so quiet, keeping himself busy. When I turned around, he had pulled the bread off the counter and opened the bag, grabbing a couple slices like a big old sandwich. I couldn't believe he maneuvered all that! He kept saying "Mmmmmmmm!". It was too funny! I thought it was pretty harmless...

Its like he knows he's "up to something"!

Yum!

Every time I turned around, he had another piece out of the bag. By this time, there were about 4 pieces, each with a few little Logan bites out of them.

As you can see, he put his toy car in the bread bag.
What a goofball (I wonder where he could get that?!)

Another one bites the dust...

I've been working at Starbucks inside the mall in Eau Claire for about two years. I transferred from a free standing store when I was just a few months pregnant with Logan. The mall store was pretty quiet, relatively small, and very easy-going. It has been perfect for me as a mom, since the hours are only 9am-9pm. However, the store has reaching its final fate, closing the doors at the end of the year. So sad! I think even more than losing my job there, I was sad that I won't be able to grab a Starbucks latte if I'm at the mall (we don't go to the mall much here, but if we do, we usually like to stop in for a coffee).

Since there are several other Starbucks in town, none of us really "lost" our jobs. We were just placed at other stores. I wasn't sure whether to keep working or not, but John and I decided I would just apply for the transfer and see if I could still get good hours at one of the other stores. My requests were granted without any qualms, so I start working back at the Clairemont Ave. store next week! I'll still be on the one/two days per week schedule, which works perfectly for us. Let's just be honest...we can't bear the thought of living without the Starbucks employee perks!

My two favorite girls on our last night working at the store!

On the Mend

After three days of struggling with a fever, Logan woke up today "good-as-new". Thank goodness! Logan has always been so healthy, we were reminded of our blessings and that each healthy day is a gift. The waking up at night was probably the hardest on us (give us another 6 months and we'll be in full swing of night feedings, etc with baby 2!). Luckily, Logan isn't showing any other symptoms, so he must have fought something off. He's such a tough little boy and remained in pretty good spirits despite the temp. In a way, I enjoyed all the cuddling and how Logan let me hold him just like a baby...its been a long time since he would sit still long enough for that!

Logan is quite the Daddy's boy lately! It must have to do with the shirt he's wearing!! Haha! Its going to be tough when John goes back to a full week at work this week...we've really been enjoying time together while he took vacation.

Logan has somehow developed a love for this hockey stick. Really, this is no mystery since John has been pushing hockey since before Logan was born! John found this little stick, set up an old mini hockey net and got a couple plastic pucks. Logan has been chasing the puck all around the house and takes the stick with him everywhere. He even tries to bring it to bed. Oh no! I may be out numbered, but I'll fight my side of this battle...encouraging soccer and basketball, I think!

Although I am not thrilled, I will admit, he is pretty good at the hand-eye coordination! I'm impressed and I know he does not get those skills from me!

2009 is Here!

Happy New Year! We're ringing in the New Year with a feverish little boy here today. He is on his second nap already and just isn't himself. Hopefully this isn't an omen for what 2009 is to bring for us! Luckily, Logan was in great spirits last night when Auntie Amy and Uncle Andrew came over to spend the evening with us. Thanks for making the trip, you two...and by the way...I am not sure how you made it out of here without getting even one photo taken! :) Lucky!

Best wishes for the New Year!