Kickin' It With The Kolberg's

Where does time go?

2010-03-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Could time go any faster...I don't think so! Will is going to be 7 months old tomorrow and Grant is 4 going on 14! Here is just a quick recap of our last two months in pictures and a few words.

Will during bath time! He loves to splash around.

Grant invited Brooklyn and Jack to his school carnival and they all had so much fun running around. Here they took a little break to eat sundaes.

Grant is always a big helper when it comes to his little brother.

Watching the boys play together makes me so happy. Will thinks Grant is so funny and no one can make him laugh harder than Grant can.

Look at me....sitting all alone.

Will got a ride in the laundry basket

Grant was excited that the leprechaun left him a balloon and treat on St. Patrick's Day! The green milk in his cereal was fun too.

Dr. Grant on call

Grant did an intense two and a half week swim school where he learned how to save himself by floating on his back for 10+ seconds after jumping in the water. He earned his blue ribbon the first week. He is going to continue on in lessons once a week so he can be fully swimming by summer.

Playing with Mimi and Papa!

Me and my littlest boy!

Me and my biggest boy!

We had a fun Valentine's Day at the Kiss Me With Chocolate event benefiting Candlelighters! Almost everyone from our Supper Club went as well as our neighbors, Lynn & John.

It was fun to get dressed up and spend the night at the Heathman in downtown Portland.

Us with Lynn & John

Us with Marc & Kirsten Carnese

We have had a few really fun nights out lately thanks to our parents and babysitters. We went out with the Percells and Wilsons to A Cena and then to The Nines!

In the midst of raising these growing boys and having fun, we have been working away on the house. We are ALMOST done and plan to move in mid-April. We can't wait to settle in and finally call a house our home again. Will and Grant are big helpers out on site.

A view from the back yard! The front view!

Rice Cereal & Flying High...

2010-01-31T21:10:00.000-08:00

Will officially entered the world of "solids"! If solid is what you can call extremely watered down rice cereal. He looked like such a big boy in his high chair with a bib on. He was willing to try out this new form of food, but once it got in his mouth he wasn't sure what to do with it... So the most natural reaction was to just push it out...

We are continuing to practice with the rice cereal nightly and he is slowly getting the hang of it!

Will love to be on his tummy...90% of the pictures we take of him, are of him on his tummy.

Grant and Josh continue to rough house and mess around, which they both LOVE. I was amazed that Josh was able to fly Grant around the house at top speeds- all the while Grant was squealing in excitement.

The house is coming along....we made a family visit out there last week- Grant loves climbing the ladders and collecting pieces of scrap wood to take home.

A view from the landing of the stairs looking in at the great room and eventually kitchen.

Playing Catch Up....

2010-01-27T21:48:00.000-08:00

This December started out how most of them do....with a good ole' fashion Christmas Tree Hunt! Looking for the perfect tree is always fun and this year was no different- except we had our newest family member, Will, there with us.

Grant was a huge help when it came to cutting down and hauling the tree to the car! He just loves "working" with his daddy. Lets hope that lasts into his teen years!

Grant's birthday was the next big event of December! He turned 4 years old.....it is hard to believe we have a full on little boy! Grant has been such a blessing in our lives and brings us tons of joy and laughter each day- along with some angst too, but what would parenthood be without that?

Among lots of gifts, one of his favorites was his guitar. He has performed many concerts for us and we just love to hear the creative songs and melodies he comes up with.

This year we did a family birthday party at the bowling alley! We rented a few lanes, had pizza and I made Grant a special bowling cake. All the work was so worth it to hear the excitement in Grant's voice when he said how "cool" his cake was.

Grant is so full of life and fun...he bowled all night and we could hardly tear the bowling ball out of his hands. We may have a future league bowler on our hands :-)

Nice form G-Man!

Along with bowler extraordinaire, we have a performer on our hands. Grant's Preschool performance was a highly anticipated event! We practiced his songs and he couldn't wait to get on stage and show his stuff.

Little kids singing might be the cutest thing ever!

Christmas morning was the next December event that was highly anticipated by us all, but especially Grant! Santa was coming and he had high hopes for a new bike...which he found on Christmas morning with a big red bow on it in front of the tree. Santa was up until the wee hours of the night assembling it :-)

Santa brought Josh 40 chapsticks in his stocking....if you know Josh well, you know that he is NEVER without his chapstick. Santa was tired of hearing him say he was always out of it- so it looks like Josh will now have the softest lips ever!

Brotherly Love!

We were sure to sign Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas morning...isn't that the reason for the season! Sometime it is hard to remember that in all the excitement of the holidays! Grant got to blow out the candle.

The Kolberg Family!

Father and son

The cutest present under the tree! Little Will with a big red bow.

Papa John and Will!

December was a great month of friends, family and celebration! We are reminded of how blessed we truly are to be surrounded by loved ones! Happy New Year to all.

Ok, so 2010 is here and we are ready to start our new year! This year I thought through my resolutions and set several based on things that would fulfill my mind, body and soul. I wrote them down and have them posted a couple places in the house to remind me daily of what I am committed to. I am off to a good start so far, but really it has only been a month :-) Let's check back in a few to see how those are coming....

Here is a more recent picture of Will....he is getting to be such a big boy! Rolling all over, playing with his toys, giggling all the time and really lighting up our lives. He was 5 months old on November 22nd!

I just love this picture...both Will and Parker are crashed out on the floor!

In December, we cheered on the Beavers in the Civil War and were sad to not see them go to the Rose Bowl. Grant is a big Beaver fan...he even has us call him "Quiz" because he thinks he is Jaquizz Rogers! Grant and his buddy Brady love the beavers as you can see here with their jerseys on.

Last, but not least....in the midst of all the fun and festivities, we continue to make progress on our house! This picture was taken in December, before the house was painted and the garage doors were on. We are currently in the finish carpentry stage, tile is being laid and cabinets go in in a couple of weeks. Our scheduled move in date is Spring Break (late March). We are looking forward to settling into our home and spending many future Christmas' there.

Thanksgiving in Sunriver

2009-12-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Guess Who's Who????

Look down for the answer...

Grant is on the top and Will is on the bottom!

Our baby boy is getting so big. Will is now 3 months old! He is working on rolling from his back to his tummy....he does a lot of laying on his side and today got everything but his head rolled over. It won't be long before he will be all over the place.

The boys and I spent a week in Sunriver over the Thanksgiving holiday. We went over with Steve and Cindy on Monday before Thanksgiving and Josh came over for a couple nights for the big dinner. Sharon & Andy came over too. We had a lot of fun, snowball fighting, lounging, playing Wii and just hanging out together.

We got lucky and there was a little snow on the ground when we got there!

This is what we did most of the time....snuggle up in the couch with blankets! Ahhhh....

Although Grant missed his Thanksgiving Feast at Preschool, we brought his "Indian Chief" costume with us and he ran around the house like a wild man!

With the little snow we had on the ground, we were able to make a little sledding work for Grant and his buddy Brady Hottmann.

A Sunriver tradition.....seeing the lighting of the lodge lights and Santa and Mrs. Claus come in on their sled. They did the coolest thing....they had a plane in the night sky flying with a red light on the front (Rudolph's nose) and sparks coming out the back like it was coming in for a landing. Then, shortly after it landed the parade started and Santa came in on his sled. So cool!

Grant and I even got to hop in the sleigh for a picture!

The girls- Sister-in-law Sharon, Mother-in-law Cindy and Me!

The next morning we went to the lodge and had breakfast with Santa! Grant asked Santa for a blue bike with two wheels and a bell on top!

There in nothing like the magic of the holiday through the eyes of an "almost" four year old! The question I hear daily is "How many sleeps until Christmas?" He can't wait.

Almost 3 Months Later....

2009-11-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

Wow...having a second does really change the way I spend my time! Blogging just hasn't been on the top of the priority list these days. But now that Baby Will is becoming a little more predictable with his sleep, I feel ok when he gets a head start on me at night.

So for a Will update...his newest trick (performed once for Grant and I) was rolling from his tummy to his back. He hasn't been able to re-enact this trick yet, but I think it is coming soon. He loves to spend time laying on the floor checking out the world around him and he even enjoys his tummy time. He is growing like a weed....at his two month appointment he was 13lbs. 10oz. and 25" long! When the doctor saw him, he said "looks like you have a 4 month old here." Guess we do find the time to feed the guy :-)

Will was diagnosed with a case of acid reflux at about 9 weeks old- so life was a little grumpy until we got him on some good medication that helped out. We also had to adjust to life with less sleep....we don't remember being awake so much with Grant. However this too shall pass and it seems that with a little nudge from his parents, Will is starting to establish some better sleep habits...AMEN! Although for those of us with kids, we know that once they get into a "routine" the only thing you can count on is that it is going to change.

We just love our little Will...he has brought even more happiness into our lives. He is a smiley guy who can light up a room. Time is flying by and I can't even believe that he will be 3 months old in a week.

As for Grant- he is just the most loving, caring and happy little boy! At such a young age he knows just what to say to me to put a smile on my face. From "mommy I love you more than anything" to "mommy you are beautiful." Everything a mom and dad can ask for in a little boy. He is proving to be a gentle big brother too, who just can't wait until Will gets old enough to toss the football with him. Since school started, Grant has been busy with learning more about letters and wanting to spell out everything. With a little help of course! He especially loves this extra class he takes at school called Create n' Play. He is developing great relationships with friends at school and the feedback I get from his teachers makes me so proud. Below is a picture of Grant with his friends at a mommy lead craft day. Those are hand and feet turkeys they are holding. So cute.

Below is a great picture of Grant and Papa Steve with a bunny at his schools Oktoberfest.

We had a fun Halloween...after much thought, Grant decided on the Beaver outfit instead of an astronaut. Good choice since these days he is all about the OSU Beavers. GO BEAVS!

Will was a pea in the pod, which he really wasn't that into! I bought the costume on sale before I was even pregnant and it was fate that I had my own pea to put in the pod for Halloween :-)

In the midst of a newborn and adjusting to a new family of 4, we continue to make progress on our house. You can see this picture was taken when it was still sunny back in October sometime, so it is even farther along now. Siding is going to be complete this week and sheet rock starts tomorrow. We are hoping for a March move in date. Between now and then we have a lot of picking out and elbow grease to put into this project.

When the slab was poured in the garage, we got the troops up early and made sure the we left our mark in the wet cement! Even Will got his feet dirty!

Every house has to have a secret passage way into the playroom! Grant and Papa Steve test it out.

When Will was born, his big brother gift to Grant was a set of real tools to take to the job site. He can really swing a hammer.

Life at the Kolberg House has been full of activity......and we can't wait for more of it with the holidays coming up soon. We'll keep you posted.

Baby Will is here!

2009-09-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

It all started on Saturday, August 22nd around 4 something in the morning. I had was feeling pressure and sensed that I might need to head to the hospital....sure enough when we got there I was 5 cm and they immediately got me into labor and delivery for my epidural. As I sat up to get the epidural my water broke and when they checked again I was at 9.5cm and ready to push. It was around 6:45am at this point and my doctor didn't start her shift until 8am! Since Will was in no distress and I felt like I could wait, they let me labor down until Dr. Payne (I know- quite ironic) go there. She came to see me just after 8am and William John was born at 8:17am! Just a few pushes and he was here! He arrived 9 days early, just like his big brother. Here is a shot of the happy family of 4- I am so out numbered! But so blessed to have two amazing little boys.

Will weighed in at 8lb. 8oz. and 21 3/4" and looked like he was in a boxing match...his little face was so bruised from the birth. Poor guy.

It was amazing how quickly the bruising went away and now we no longer have a purple boy! He is happy and healthy at 2 1/2 weeks old.

At his 2 week doctor visit, he weighed in at 9lb. 7oz. So he is growing fast and seems to be following in his brothers mellow footsteps. Crying only when hungry and happy most of the other times.

He truly is our little angel and such a blessing.

Grant is handling the changes like a champ....sometimes enjoying being treated like a baby too. Here you can see we have both boys swaddled!

Grant loves his little brother and is so kind and gentle with him. I can already tell that they will be best buddies.

More to come, but for now I must sleep :-)

Home, Home on the Range

2009-08-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Here comes the ice cream man! Grant can hear the music of "Home on the Range" from miles away. He then starts jumping up and down and asking if he can get an ice cream from the ice cream man. Of course I cave every time- I think it is because I love the novelty of it all too. Growing up in the sticks, there was never a cute little Jeep that drove by an had a selection of frozen treats! Here is Grant posing with our local ice cream man (Grant is his only client on our street).Last night Grant picked out a cotton candy flavored Popsicle- after I talked him out of the creepy Dora the Explorer one with the black gumdrop eyeballs.

Here is proof of his excitement!

Grant savoring the Popsicle on an almost 100 degree night! YUM!

Walls, but no Will!

2009-08-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the pictures below, the house is coming along....our contractor (a.k.a- my dad) says that in the next three weeks we will really see progress. Here is a picture from last night- see no walls!Then here is a picture of today around 3:30pm! Walla- WALLS on the first floor! Josh even got in on the action and was recruited to help lift a garage wall into place. It is truly amazing to be able to walk through the main living floor and see it take shape. I am already decorating it in my head :-)

So we have walls, but no Baby Will! He is just super cozy in my belly I guess and has decided to stay put. I have an appointment with Dr. Payne tomorrow and hopefully she can get things moving a little and set an induction date if he doesn't decide to surprise us earlier. So in the meantime, Grant and I are filling our days with fun activities to keep us busy (and my mind off being SO pregnant). Today we met up with Leanne, Reese, Taylor, Shannon, Emmett and Jo at Tanner Park in West Linn for some fun in the fountain and play ground. Here are the bigger kids on the teeter-tatter while Jo watched!

This weekend, we celebrated Multnomah Days with a parade through Multnomah Village. It was Grant's first time seeing a parade and he really loved the candy that they threw. We tried to tell him to wave, but mostly he just stuck his hand out in hopes that they would throw more candy.

We met up with Kate, Sean, Sabina and some other friends at the parade. Sean and Deco (the dog) kicked off the event in the dog parade.

Go Sean and Deco!

Busy Summer!

2009-08-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I tried to get all these pictures in chronological order, but messed up! We had a busy July and start to August, which was lots of fun.....as you will see from all the pictures. My blogging will be brief so that you don't get too bored!

Josh and Grant had their first ever camp out...in the backyard. We grilled burger, had a campfire, made smores and the boys slept in the tent. Yes, they made it all night and Grant was never more eager to go to bed. Looks like next year they'll be hitting the real campsite.

Doggie camped out too!

In mid-July we made one final out of town trip to before Will arrives...it was to Seaside with the Carnese Family. Although the weather was typical overcast beach weather we had a great time.

We had lunch and did a little shopping in Cannon Beach. Here are Emma, Sophia and Kirsten at the pizza parlor.
The boys relax with some ice cream after lunch.

We made a trip down to play in the sand.

I wrote Grant's name in the sand, which he thought was pretty cool.

Josh was a trooper and let Grant and I bury him in the sand. Grant thought his head should be covered too!
Emma & Grant were quite the buddies.

Over the 4th of July weekend we had Sydne, Quinn, Luke, Barrett, Heidi, Dan and Baby Clare over to Sunriver. Heidi and Dan got to see some real Oregon sunshine and we got to meet Clare.

Syd and I relaxing at the pool.

Heidi, Dan & Clare! Clare is a true California girl and loved the water.
Luke & Grant hit the links...their Dad's did too the day before!

Happy 4th of July! Heidi, Grant & Clare are in the spirit.
The kids got their faces painted at the Fireman's Picnic.

Supper Club! We hosted the July Supper Club at our place....the theme- Cooking with Liquor! People were really creative...we even initiated our newest members (Molly & Jason) with some flaming Dr. Peppers! Welcome to the Club guys!

Taylor Forseth's 3rd Birthday! It was a super hot, but fun day at the park for Taylor's 3rd birthday party. The kids played in the water.....here are Reese & Taylor!

We all sang Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl and ate some yummy cake.

Grant was in the water the whole time. That day was also Josh's birthday so he and some buddies (Thomas, Andy and Matt) hit Trysting Tree G.C. for the day.

Grant with Scruffy....his newly created friend from Build-A-Bear! We told Grant that his soon to be born brother Will wanted us to take him to Build-A-Bear and made a stuffed animal. He had so much fun putting in the heart, filling him with fluff, picking out his football uniform, giving him a bath and making him a birth certificate. Scruffy is now his #2 guy to play football with (right after his dad)

Grant also took a Big Brother class at the hospital in early August. He brought his doggie and learned to diaper him, wrap him in a blanket and lots of other useful things about being a big brother.

Grant was very serious about the class and tells me all the time how anxious he his for his "broder" to arrive.

Cindy and Steve had given us a gift certificate to Roots, a restaurant in Camas, several years ago. The certificate was for a cooking class. So finally we scheduled it and had an amazing time. It was a five course meal outside where the owner taught and cooked all the food right in front of us. What a fun time....it also happened to be our first trip to the labor and delivery room at the hospital for a false alarm!

Construction Update:

In the midst of all the summer fun, our house project is under way- full swing. Here are some pictures of the foundation being poured.

Grant thought the BIG concrete pump truck was cool, especially when they let him run the controls!

Foundation is poured and framing has begun....I am told that this stage goes quickly! Can't wait to see the walls go up.

Baby Will Update-

At my 37 week appointment, my doctor said that I was two centimeters dilated and 75% efface...which could mean anything. She thinks that Will wants to stay put another week, but I am hoping she is wrong and he decides to make an appearance any day now. She estimates he is about 8.5 lbs as of this Wednesday! Wow- can't imagine if he stays in there too much long. Come out....come out Baby Will!

Baby Will Update

2009-07-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

It is official, Baby Boy Kolberg has a name....William John Kolberg to be know as "Will"! We had lots of friends and family weigh in on the name via our online poll and the results were basically 50/50 for the two names. Josh was pulling for Will and so was Grant (I think there was some brainwashing going on). Right around Father's Day I told Josh I had a present for him in the babies room...and it was the name Will spelled out with wood letters above the crib. At first Josh was a little surprised that there wasn't more debate/consideration, but as we started calling the baby bump Will, it started to feel more natural. So with less than 5 weeks left until Will arrives, we know the name of the fourth family member. I just love when Grant refers to him as my "broder" Will. So cute!

I had my 34 week check up today (a couple days late) and Dr. Payne says that things are progressing, but she really thinks that Will will stay put until at least 36 weeks. However beyond that she has little doubt that he will arrive early and be BIG like his brother (Grant was 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 9 days early). We have an induction set for about a week before the due date...if we make it to that point. I just hope I am close to the hospital when I go into labor- With Grant's lightening speed arrival, I can only imagine that Will will try to beat his record.

My belly is being stretched to the limits as you can see from the picture taken at 34 weeks!

We can't wait to meet Will and get to know him!

Permit In Hand!

2009-07-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Monday was a momentous day for us on the construction front. We were issued our building permit. This means that construction can officially begin. Of course as things go, the excavation for the foundation won't start until Monday at the latest due to our earthwork guy getting a sudden busy streak! But once the ball gets rolling I have a feeling that things are going to fly right along. Let the fun begin!

Catching Up.....Part 2 (Pictures Galore)

2009-07-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how fast July snuck up on us....we were really looking forward to a long 4th of July weekend over in Sunriver with the Eadie and Doan families. Heidi and Dan flew into Redmond on July 1st with their 4.5 month old daughter, Clare, who we were meeting for the first time. My one and only goal was to actually be able to go on this trip and NOT be put on bed rest. At this point in my pregnancy with Grant, I was on full bed rest and dilated. Thank goodness that wasn't the case and we were able to enjoy a fun filled 5 days!

We fit more in those 5 days then I think I ever have while over in Sunriver. We spend a couple afternoons at the pool. Syd & I enjoying the kiddy pool.

Grant found a new love in the life jacket....pure Independence! Let Pool Freedom Ring! The Grant toss. The cute Eadie Family. Quinn & Barrett enjoying the sunshine. Out near the links. Heidi & Me. Luke & Grant playing putt putt.
Horse rides really tired the dads out! Three on one! Go Quinn... Dan gets a piece of the action as Luke and Grant try to take him out. One of many pillow fights. The kids got their faces painted at the 4th of July Fireman's Picnic. Dan the Man grilling up some meat! Everyone is in the 4th of July Spirit....Grant, Heidi & Clare! Clare could hang with the big kids- with just a few short cat naps. We were able to spend some time with the Forseth family too. They were over in Sunriver with Shannon, Marc, their kids, Jen and Ben. Grant is just chilling on the long ride home from Sunriver....he always says how long of a drive it is! I agree!

So I have had some people ask me to post a prego picture on FB....yeah right! But if you have made it through this long blog, here is the most recent picture of me a 32 weeks! I am feeling large and ready for baby 'WILL" (William John Kolberg) to arrive. At my 32 week appointment, things looked good, however they determined that I have a very short cervix. I guess that means that I am starting to progress already. No dilation, which is great, but I was advised to take it really easy to get Will to at least 36 weeks. This week has been filled with contraction, which is really nothing new to me. I just take time to lay down and put my feet up! It is hard to believe that he will be here before we know it.

Congrats to you....you made it through my "Catching Up" blogs :-)

Cathing Up Again....Part 1 (June)

2009-07-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

I guess that each of my blogs should be titled....Catching Up! Since lately I haven't had a lot of time to blog. I guess that means we have been having lots of fun.

Lets start where we left off......back in June. Since my last blog we have spent almost two weeks in Sunriver. The first trip was with Josh's family. We had lots of fun....

We went on a family rafting trip- here are the boys getting the rafts readyNow it is time to float and relax...Andy, Sharon, Steve and Cindy look like they have perfected the relaxing part.
Grant was thrilled to just "oar" the whole time....with his Daddy's help. We fit in a little fishing right on the banks of the Deschutes outside the house....Grant caught the same orange fish over and over- and was happy doing so. Andy and Sharon where a little more serious.....Andy even caught a big trout.

Sunriver has a great putt putt golf course at the lodge with real grass.....I think this might have been the highlight of the trip for Grant. He was very serious about his golfing.

The weather was mild while we were over there so we only spent one day at the pool.....but Grant got in about 3 hours of swimming that day. Here Grant is taking one of his short breaks from the pool.

What a great time! The whole week Grant kept saying "I love Sunriver!"

Next event in the month of June was Father's Day. Josh spent the morning on the golf course with my Dad and Uncle Tom and then we all met up at my parents house in Colton for a BBQ.

The kids had fun playing in the playhouse....Aunt Sandy takes a turn pushing Grant on the swing. You could find most of the dads hanging around the Traeger BBQ watching the meat cook....must be a guy thing. There were lots of things for the kids to do....pet the horses, play with the dogs, and even modify the game of pool. Cousin Brooklyn gives Grant a little squeeze. Ladder golf was a hit too until Grant hit the horse in the booty with the golf balls!
It was a great way to celebrate the dads!

Catching Up

2009-06-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened with the Kolberg family since my last blog! We are officially moved into our third rental house in two years...thanks to all the friends and family who helped us out. The new house is only a 1/2 mile from where we use to live and is in a great little neighborhood. So far all the neighbors we have met have been super welcoming and there is even a woman down the street due to have a baby boy one day before me! Moving into the new house....Ryan gets the difficult task of carrying in the baby grand piano!

Nana and Grant making the front porch beautiful.

In addition to the move, Josh finished up his 2nd year of graduate school last night! Two down, one to go!!! It is hard to believe that he is 2/3 complete and at this time next year we will be celebrating a big accomplishment as he graduates. His dedication to the program and natural artistic talent continue to amaze me....I am very proud of what Josh has taken on.

The property on 54th is now bare of a house and swimming pool! It looks so different and has us very excited for the next step in the construction process....getting our house started. Grant loved visiting the site as demolition was taking place and seeing the big digger moving the rubble. He even got his turn in the driver seat! What a thrill for a 3 year old boy.....now he says that he wants a "big digger" for his 4th birthday! I wonder where we'll park it? :-)

Grant takes control of the demolition!

A little boys dream....a big machine.

Making room for the new house!

A big pile of debris....

Some fun in the midst of all the chaos....although the last couple weeks have been busy for us, we have somehow managed to have a little fun along the way. We celebrated Josh's Grandpa Stan's 84th birthday with the family, my grandma's 74th birthday and my mom's (29th) birthday! Grant and I had a couple play dates and a fun trip to OMSI with April, Ethan and baby Amelia. Now we are headed off to Sunriver for a much needed relaxing week with the Kolberg Family! Grant with his second cousins, Spencer & Blake at Stan's Party!

Looks like Grant's baby belly has taken the lead....

Ethan Baker & Grant at OMSI

Having fun at the water table...

What sweet boys!

Grant has officially finished his first year of preschool. Josh and I are in awe of how fast he is growing up and what a good boy he is. He loved school, his teachers and has made some really good friends at Sonshine Express. Next year he will start the 3's program at Sonshine. It is true...time flies when you are having fun. It seems like just yesterday he was learning to walk and talk.

We are all excited for late August....especially me as I have now entered my third trimester of pregnancy. I am officially 28 and a 1/2 weeks along and still feeling good. The contractions still come- especially when I am super active, but I am much more aware of what my body is doing this time and have been trying to take it easy. We want little Will or Davis to stay in there as long as possible. No, we haven't officially decided on a name yet. The online, blog poll basically was a wash as the results where almost 50/50! I guess that we'll save the other name for our 3rd baby boy (just kidding). Hopefully Josh and I will come to a conclusion on the name of Baby Boy K. on our drive over to Sunriver.

Have a great week and I am sure I will have lots of pictures to post after our Sunriver trip.

Out With the Old....

2009-06-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Two years after purchasing our property on SW 54th we have officially started construction! Or should I say de-construction. Below is a view of the existing house that is currently under asbestos removal, which should be complete today. Tomorrow the demolition of the house begins. Our plan involves removing the old house and essentially building our new house in the same general area.

Right now there is a lovely in ground swimming pool in the back yard that will be filled and made into a lawn area. I am sure in it's day it was a great pool, but is now beyond repair and not really practical for Oregon weather! I am sure the tadpoles, frogs, salamander, mosquitoes, etc will be sad to see it go.

The design of the house was done primarily by Josh, Steve (his Dad), and my myself. We started with a blank piece of paper and now have a complete set of plans. What a process!!! We are so blessed to have an amazing architect and designer in the family and an aspiring one as well (Josh). Steve's patience with us through the process was extraordinary and we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his loving guidance and thoughtful advice.

Now it is time for my dad, John, to take over the task of helping us out! He is our general contractor and is leading the charge to get this house built. We made him post a sign at the driveway so all neighbor complaints/questions come his way- and business too :-) We look forward to working with you Dad!

A view from the driveway! We have over 100 trees on the property right now and are planning to keep many of them. Of course we will have to take out some to get a large enough driveway to fit our friends cars for the blow out parties :-)

A view looking towards our property and down the street. Grant is already thrilled to go out to the property and scout around....just wait until tomorrow when the big equipment gets here. A little boys dream come true.
You might wonder where exactly this place is....well it is in between the Garden Home area (Old Market Pub) and Multnomah Village off Garden Home Rd., which runs parallel with Multnomah Blvd. The old Smith Elementary School is just a few hundred feet up the street from us.

We can't wait to call this place our HOME. But for now, I have got to run and get packing as we make one last move into a new rental house :-)

Enjoying the Sunshine

2009-05-30T06:32:00.001-07:00

We had a Super Fun Friday! It started off with a trip to the Club Sport Outdoor Pool....the second time Grant has played there this year! He has so much fun tossing and diving down to get his dive rings. It was great to see him already feeling so comfortable in the water this summer. I would like to get him in swim lessons again soon because I think he is getting close to taking off on his own. He would get about 4 feet away from me and swim to me underwater- he just needs to get down the kicking and reaching motions to propel himself.

After the pool, we came home and Grant actually took a nap...the pool must have tired him out. He woke up refreshed and ready to meet his friend Merrick Yates at Cook Park.
Anna and I got a chance to sit in the shade and catch up while the boys played. Grant made a new friend at the park. A grandpa who had a soccer ball! He played soccer with this nice older man for about 20 minutes....he will take up a soccer game with anyone who is willing. This man may not have realized that he became Grant's new best friend....so after soccer was over, he got his water bottle and went to sit next to him. Don't worry- I was only a few feet away the whole time :-) Here is Grant sitting with Grandpa Soccer!I can hardly ever get Grant to pose for the camera, but today he was rather willing. He always has to preview the picture afterwards and his comment for this one was "that is really cute." I had to agree.

After the park, we met Josh for dinner at Manzana in Lake Oswego. We ran into the Carnese Family out on the patio, which was a nice surprise. After dinner Grant wanted to check out the fountain. That ended with one wet kiddo and a car ride home in his underwear. Oh to be a carefree kid again :-)

To the Beach Again....

2009-05-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

We kicked off the Memorial Day weekend by celebrating Andy's birthday as a family on Wednesday night. Grant loved playing Ladder Golf and was actually quite good at it!
He loved carrying around all the golf balls on strings!

We sang Happy Birthday to Andy "twice", which I am sure he appreciated :-)

Grant thought the best present was the big box that Uncle Andy's shop vac came in. Can you find Grant?

Then it was off to the beach on Sunday of Memorial Day. We decided to go to Seaside again and this time to bring Josh (Dad)! We hit the aquarium where Grant held many things including this hermit crab.

As you can see it was a great day to be at the beach...It doesn't get much better than this in Oregon!
Then it was off to wait in line at the bumper cars!

Grant had fun tearing it up with his Daddy!

Of course we had to ride the mini train again.......this time Grant was thrilled to sit in the Caboose.

After Seaside we headed down to Rock Away, where my parents were staying with my brother and his family. We got to spend some quality time in the sand. Papa gets his feet buried by Brook!
My Mom, (a.k.a Mimi) had the dogs on the beach too.

Grant loved running in the sand...

What a beautiful beach

I was seriously running for my life because the water was sooooo......COLD! It didn't seem to bother Brook or Grant though.

I hung back and watched them get wet in the waves...

What an all around fun day! It was nice to spend the day with my boys and family.

A Visit to Eugene

2009-05-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Grant and I made the drive to Eugene to visit friends. Our first stop was at Diana's house for a play date! It was so great to see my Eugene friends and their growing kiddos. I swear that Spring has made them all blossom and grow like weeds! Grant had fun playing and tossing rocks in the park with Xander.

After spending the morning over at Diana's we met Tanya and Mikey at the mall so the kids could play in the play area. They played tag until they were tired and sweaty! I think they had the most fun at a store we went into where they found come cool glasses! Both Grant and Mikey chose the ring pop over the glasses though when it came time to check out.

After a fun day in Eugene Grant got to come home and try out his new shaving kit (for kids). Lately he has been wanting to be like Daddy in the shower and shave...so we found a cute shaving kit complete with blue shaving cream, a brush, plastic razor, and a mirror. Grant was determined to get a close shave!

Grant Loves Preschool

2009-05-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

This year Grant started attending preschool at Sunshine Express at Mt. Park Church and absolutely loves it! He has made some great little friends and couldn't adore his teachers more. They do such fun activities, crafts, etc....some of his favorite things are performing on stage (here he is at his most recent performance for Mother's Day Tea singing "I'm a little teapot"),

riding the "racer bike" around the gym, bringing snack for the class and of course recess. Today, Teacher Patty sent me a sweet, sweet picture of Grant reading to two of his friends during story time. I just love getting these little glimpses into what he does in his few hours away from me each week.

What a happy boy!

Mother's Day

2009-05-12T21:00:00.001-07:00

I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful Mother's Day....the weather was perfect and I got to spend lots of time with my family. The morning started off with Josh, Grant and I meeting my mom, dad, Ryan (brother) and Wendi, Brooklyn and Jack at Starbucks for a morning coffee and treat. We then headed to the Zoo! We had so much fun walking all over and seeing the animals, but I think the best part was all the smiles and laughs from the kids. Grant and Brook were buddies and ran from exhibit to exhibit..

Grant hardly slowed down enough to get a Mother's Day photo with me...

Grant's main goal was to get on the train (of course). He was also super excited to see the "hippo MO pottumuses" too.

Papa John seemed to always have a kid on his back or shoulders

Grant was able to sit eye to eye with a big monkey!

After the Zoo...I was exhausted so we went home and I was able to take a nap before we headed out to dinner with Josh's mom, dad, sister and brother-in-law. We meet in the Pearl at Piazza Italia for a wonderful dinner. Grant gave me the best gift of all and sat through dinner like a perfect gentleman.....maybe the zoo had tired him out! Either way it was such a nice dinner and we followed it up with dessert and some presents at our house.

What a wonderful day! I am thankful for the wonderful moms in my life who continue to be an inspiration to me as a mother. Without your advice, love and guidance I am not sure I could be the mother I am to Grant! Thanks!

Meet & Greet....a success!

2009-05-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last week, Grant and I passed out fliers to all our neighbors on Sw 54th Ave. inviting them to a Meet & Greet at our property this morning. The goal was to meet neighbors, let them know what we have in store for the property and give them our contact information. Luckily, we got a beautiful day and had lots of neighbors walk over and say hi. Everyone we met was super friendly and seemed exited to hear about our plans. We met people who have lived in the neighborhood for 50 years! There are some newcomers too who have younger kids. Grant made quick friends with a 5 year old, who lives a few houses down. They were running around, playing tag....neither wanted to part ways. I met a future babysitter as well :-) I am always on the lookout for those!

Overall it was a great way to meet some of our new neighbors. Being out there at the property makes me even more excited to get the process started.

A Day at the Beach

2009-05-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Grant and I decided to make the most out of our Saturday (a couple weekends ago) when Josh had an all day class and head to the Beach! My parents were staying in Gearhart for a golf tournament so we headed that way for the afternoon. We had so much fun!

First we rode the carousel at Seaside.

Then it was on to the bumper cars! Mimi (my mom) rode those with Grant....

Right as it started to rain we headed to the beach. We brought a kite, but the string had somehow disappeared.

Grant was happy to chase the birds and Mimi...

Then it was off to the little train, which might have been the highlight of the day for Grant!

It was a busy day with one exciting thing after another....we were off to the Seaside Aquarium where Grant fed the seals and poked some helpless sea enenamies.

I thought the sting rays were pretty cool.....especially this one that looks like it is right on top of Grant's head!

After a long, fun day for the boy we headed back to Portland. Grant fell asleep within minutes of getting in the car and slept the whole way home! When we got home, Josh was babysitting cousin Brook & Jack so there was even more fun to be had. The kids ate dinner together, played and even got clean.

Grant went to bed and I got a little snuggle time in with my sweet niece and nephew! What a fantastic day.

A Full Plate

2009-04-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

This week has brought on quite a bit of stress for Josh and I! On Sunday we found out that the rental we are in is going into foreclosure due to our landlord not paying the mortgage. The house will go to auction in August (within a week of my due date) and we were suppose to rent through January 2010. For us this means that we need to find a new rental, one that will rent to us for less than a year, and move within the next month or so! I can't believe that we are going to be packing up all our belongings and moving for the third time in two years. I feel like I am in college again and moving every few months :-) I try to keep a positive attitude about the whole situation. Looks like we may have to move within a couple days of Josh's final project for the term being due. And if you have heard...the last week or two before his final project is always stressful for him. To top it off my nesting instincts have kicked in and all I want to do it get the boys rooms all set up and ready! Fighting my type A personality traits is a challenge :-)

On top of it we are working through the permit process for our home and ramping up to start the construction! Super exciting, but stressful none the less.

Last week I also started to feel some light contractions, very similar to what I felt with Grant at this stage. I have had to make a huge effort to keep my stress in check, rest and drink plenty of water. At this point my doctor isn't worried about the contractions saying that they are very normal in a second pregnancy at this stage. I feel so much better knowing that she isn't concerned right now. I can't imagine going on bed rest this summer with all we have going on. Please keep us in your prayers for a full-term pregnancy and no pre-term labor.

On a lighter note, Josh and I had a wonderful night out for our 9 year anniversary last night. We dined at A Cena in Sellwood...which was amazing. Seriously I haven't enjoyed a meal out that much in a long time. We had a fun time talking about the exciting (yet somewhat stressful) things we having going on right now and debating baby names! Really it comes down to two names we both like, but each of us has a slight preference for one. How do we decide? I suggested a vote by friends :-) We shall see. We know the middle name will be John, but it the first name is still unknown.

Looks like this weekend will be beautiful and I can't wait. Sunshine always makes life feel brighter!

The First Major Step....

2009-04-23T21:16:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the City of Portland and submitted our demolition and building permit plans for our house on SW 54th! On our way downtown, Josh and I realized that we have almost owned the property for two years now....WOW...time flies! Designing your own home from a blank piece of paper is a BIG task, but we are excited to finally be making major steps towards getting the construction process started.

The City actually issued us the permits to demolish the existing house and pool (yes, I lost that battle) today and we should expect to hear from them as to when we'll be issued a building permit by April 29th. Typically building permits take from 10-15 working days to issue. Lets hope they are true to their word!

I am looking forward to keeping track of our home building journey via blog and photos!

Sunny Day Fun!

2009-04-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been sunny and bright in Oregon...we took full advantage of them too!

On Monday we went to The fountain in Lake Oswego and then to Foothills Park with Taylor and Leanne Forseth.

On Tuesday we met up with Ethan & April Baker as well as Emma, Sophia and Kirsten Carnese at Commonwealth Park in Beaverton. It was a cute park that I had never been to before...there was a big pond and the kids had a blast feeding the ducks. I had to convince Grant that the ducks didn't need to eat a whole bagel at a time and that the fun would last longer if he gave them smaller bites.

We could get use to this sunny weather!

Fruit Blossom Train Excursion

2009-04-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

For the last couple weeks, Grant could not stop talking about the ride we were going to take on the Fruit Blossom Train out of Hood River. Saturday was the day of the big ride and Grant said that it was a "Very Special Day and the air was fresh." We met my parents in Troutdale and headed to meet the 3:30 train out of Hood River to Parkdale, OR where there was to be an art and jazz festival.

Once on board the train, we were in for an hour and a half ride there and the same on the return trip. Grant did not tire of the ride for a minute. The train whistle was a little loud for him so he spent a lot of the time with his hands over his ears!

But for the most part he just rested his head on the window sill of the train and watched everything go by.......We were surprised to find that the art & jazz festival was two guys with guitars and 4 small booths selling tie-die shirts and dream catchers. Not really the "festival" I had envisioned, but after seeing the size of Parkdale, it was in scale. At the stop over in Parkdale, Grant needed to check out the engine to make sure everything was ok and was invited by the engineer into the main engine. A little boys dream!!!

On the ride home, Grant spent lots of time in the open air caboose...we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for a train ride.

"Rest Time"

2009-04-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Grant's naps are a thing of the past...however he is still very good at taking a "rest" in his room. I never know how I will find him when I open the door and today this is the scene! He told me he was just reading his bible for Vacation Bible School. Must be more comfortable to study the bible sans pants and underwear!

Extra Prayers

2009-04-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

Each night before bed we say prayers with Grant. Sometimes he wants to say them himself, but most of the time he wants me to say the prayer. After Josh and I volunteered at Doernbecher Children's Cancer Unit, it was heavy on my heart to pray with Grant for the sick kids. Especially two that I had met personally that night, Mesa and Adrianna. So in our nightly prayers I prayed for them and explained to Grant who they were.

Today he asked about my sick friends at the hospital and wanted to be reminded of their names. At bedtime again tonight he specifically asked to pray for the sick kids who are mommies friends. I said the prayer, tucked Grant in and happened to be lingering in the hall once the door was shut. I could hear him talking and did a little ease dropping. He was in his bed saying a prayer to God for those sick kids in the hospital, mommies friends Mesa and Adrianna. He wanted them to get better so they wouldn't have to get pokes.

Could a mom be any more proud of a 3 year old who says an extra prayer for sick kids he doesn't even know? I don't think so.......he never ceases to melt my heart!

A Visit From the Easter Bunny

2009-04-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

This was the first year that Grant was super excited for a visit from the Easter Bunny! We had talked a lot about the Easter bunny, but also the true meaning of Easter and it was so cute because he would say "the most important part of Easter is God." But bottom line he couldn't wait to hunt for those eggs :-)

When he woke up he ran downstairs and started looking for the eggs. He spotted quite a few right away and with each egg discovery he grew even more excited!

He realized he hit the mother load when he found his Easter Basket!

The festivities had just started and this was the first of many egg hunts of the day....Grant's Mimi and Papa John came over with more Easter loot....

Then it was off to church followed by a family brunch at Josh's parents house. We had wonderful food and another egg hunt for Grant. His Easter outfit made it until just prior to the brunch (I should know that a white shirt and a 3 year old boy just don't mesh).

After brunch we made the trip to Gigi's house (Grant's Great Grandma Ouellette) for another egg hunt and wonerful dinner. Grant had lots of fun playing paddle ball....the pink glasses were for eye protection after he got a shiner from the hard rubber ball.

Our family had a blessed Easter!

Easter Fun

2009-04-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

What could be more fun than making sugar cookies and decorating them with mom? Hmmm...playing with Hot Wheels cars! I thought I would plan to make Easter sugar cookies with Grant for friends and that he would be totally into it. Well it turned out that he was totally into eating them instead of decorating them. He decorated a total of 4 cookies and ate 3 of them immediately after putting the frosting and sprinkles on. Then he was off to his new Hot Wheels race track. So much for the Mother/Son cookie activity :-)

Grant did enjoy cutting out the cookies!

Here he is eating his work! By nights end he had eaten a total of 5 or 6 cookies!

Later in the night we decorated Easter Eggs....which Grant LOVED!

I think we are all ready for the Easter Bunny to visit on Sunday!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

It's a BOY!

2009-04-02T20:38:00.001-07:00

On March 31st, we had our ultrasound to determine the anatomy of Baby K. Instincts had told me that we would be having a girl, but odds told me boy! With almost everyone around me having girls lately and about 75% of pregnant people I know expecting girls, I should have set my sights on the odds this time.

Both Josh and I came from family units where there was a girl and a boy so I think in our mind we had thought that is how it would be. After really thinking about it we are so happy that Grant will have a brother to play and develop a strong bond with.

In the days leading up to the ultrasound I had told Grant that his job would be to teach his brother/sister the ABC's when they were born. I have a friend who had her daughter teach her son the ABC's and I thought that was a very cool idea (Thanks Diana). Grant came to the ultrasound with us and as always was concerned while I lay on the table and made comments about me being brave. At one point he stood by my side and put his hand on my arm, to seemingly comfort me, and then sang the entire ABC song. It was one of those precious moments that I will always want to remember. That little guy melts my heart continually.

The ultrasound tech said that the baby looked healthy and gave us some great shots of him proudly displaying his gender.

Another shot of him waving hello!

And a full body shot!

I was a little concerned when I got a call two days later from my doctors nurse asking me to come in again in 3-4 weeks for another ultrasound because they weren't able to see everything they needed to in the heart. After I had time to process the initial call, I called the nurse back because I was really worried. She assured me that this happens a lot and that it was most likely (90% of the time) because the baby was in the wrong position and she also said that it may have been due to getting the ultrasound at 18 weeks instead of 20. So please keep us in your prayers as we head into our next ultrasound.

We can't wait to meet our little guy and raise him to be a strong and good man!

The Worm Farm

2009-03-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Grant is lucky to have two cousins, Brooklyn and Jack, who live close by! Brook is 1 year older than Grant and Jack is two years younger than him. Last night they came over for dinner and we spent some time outside enjoying the sunshine! Brook and her Dad (Ryan, my brother) made a worm farm with some left over worms he had from fishing. She was so excited to show Grant.

Brook and Grant dug right into the dirt and each grabbed a worm...they were swinging them around and I was trying not to show how grossed out I was! Brook had named all her worms too.

I think this ones name was Cash a.k.a Cash Money! Grant looks a little grossed out by his worm....

While Grant and Brook flung their worms around, Jack was content to play big boy basket ball.

As always it was a fun night with the kids, Ryan and Wendi! Lets hope that Grant got enough of Brook's worm farm because Mommy won't be making one for him anytime soon :-) Ewww....

"Mini Vans"

2009-03-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, while driving down the road, Grant pointed to a minivan and asked "what is that?" I told him it was a minivan and that mommy never wanted to drive a minivan (although for those of you who have them- I know that they are fab and that I should get one). So I made up a little song about minivans to an old tune I knew. I sang "we don't want no minivan, no, no, no, no minivan." Of course, Grant being my biggest fan, thought it was super hilarious. So for awhile there and still occasionally he will point out a minivan and say "sing that minivan song mommy."

So this morning I was putting on his shoes (Vans) and Grant tells me, "mommy, these are my minivans." How clever.....I just cracked up!

Oh and we are on night seven of no pee-pee at night success!!! Way to go Big G!

Six Nights and Counting

2009-03-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Grant has been potty trained since 2 1/2 years old, but we continued to use Pull-Ups at night because he has always been a big night-time pee-pee-er! Occasionally there would be a morning where he would wake up dry, but for the most part he would go at least once a night in the Pull-Up. A couple weeks ago we heard him get up in the morning and use the bathroom and get back in bed...only to find a dry Pull-Up. So after 5 straight nights of no pee in the Pull-Up, Grant went commando to bed last night. He was excited to not sleep in the diaper and even asked if he could not wear underwear (maybe too constricting- I guess). This morning we all cheered his success and have him tons of kudos for getting up to use the bathroom instead of wetting the bed. You should have seen how proud he was of himself. We are now on night two of sleeping sans diaper.....let hope for continued success!

Rest In Peace Murphy

2009-03-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that when we got Murphy, he could fit in the palm of our hand, just a ball of cute fuzz, who was wobbly on his feet and quite clumsy. In our over 8 years with Murph he became a huge part of our family and even in the end hadn't outgrown his clumsiness. Before Grant and even after the cats were subjects of many of our pictures....one of my favorite is of Murphy the time that he partied a little too hard on New Years and we caught him passed out.

Anyone who knew Murphy knew that he was a big teddy bear....he let you hold him like a baby, let kids crawl all over him and would take loves wherever he could get them. Murph was know to get himself into some tight spots..below are just a few!

Murphy has a larger than life stature! When Grant was born it took him awhile to outgrow Murph...

Grant and Murphy became buddies and even in his last hours he was tolerant of the hugs and kisses that Grant showered him with. Grant knew that Murphy was going to see God in heaven and asked me if he was going to take a rocket ship to get there?

We will sure miss our friend Murphy and his loving ways! We will miss watching him bask in the sun, miss finding him curled up in the tightest spots, miss holding him like a baby, miss his big green eyes and little black goatee. He was a big part of our lives and it was hard to say our final goodbye.

We will always remember our family member- Murphy! We love you sweet kitty.

a Little Boy's Dream- Mass Transit!

2009-03-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

We have always known that Grant LOVES trains and all things that go, but a recent trip with Josh to his school downtown got him really interested in the ariel tram as well as the MAX train. I guess they stood on the sidewalk downtown and watched it pass many times before they were able to go home. On Saturday, we decided to make all his little boy fantasies come true and take him on the ariel tram up to OHSU and on the Portland Streetcar. He was a little afraid to ride the tram at first because he thought we might hit the trees, but once we go there he was the first one to run on and loved the ride to the top and back down. (This picture doesn't show his excitement though)

After we took our ride on the tram, we jumped on the Portland Street Car and rode that up towards PSU. Grant was all smile and thought that the streetcar was just about the coolest thing ever. We stopped downtown and had Hot Lips Pizza (one of Josh's old PSU Grad school spots) for lunch. Grant had a hard time saying good-bye the streetcar and we had to make promises to ride it again soon. I think our next play date should be riding mass-transit around town...anyone in?

The Date Is Set!

2009-03-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Will Grant get the "chocolate" sister that he is hoping for or a little brother to take under his wings? The anatomy ultrasound date is set for Tuesday, March 31st! All ultrasounds are exciting, but this one is my favorite...it just makes everything feel more real. Let me know what your predictions are.....I love to hear if people think it is a girl or boy! Either way, we are so blessed to be welcoming a little one to our family.

Just A Day At The Park!

2009-03-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

Grant had a super fun Friday. The day started out with a trip to the Children's Museum with his "buddy" Brady. They had fun at the grocery store, the dig pit, making music in the theater, and at the water table!

They managed to put on a two man show with the drums and the tambourine~

After "rest time" (which is more for mommies benefit) we walked to Florence Park where Grant played in the pond, kicked the soccer ball a lot and got tons of under doggies on the swings.

Dinner Drama

2009-03-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

So around 6pm in our house you would think that we were performing some type of torture ritual on our child....but no, it is just dinner time. If it was summer and the windows were open our neighbors might call child services because they would hear crying, screaming and excessive whining from Grant.

Let me start at the beginning...it isn't really Grant's fault. As parents Josh and I failed him by catering to his every desire for dinner. I would make Josh and I one meal and G would have his standard of pasta, carrots, cheese, olives, sandwich, etc... You would even find us packing Grant's dinner when we went out to dinner as well! What were we thinking? Anyway, we decided that at age 3 he needs to start eating what the family eats. My first goals are to have dinner ready for all of us at 6pm (when Grant gets hungry) and to make dinners that you would reasonably think a 3 year old should eat. Both things have taken planning and some dedication on my part because I love to try new, fun recipes and don't always have the meal prepared by 6.

This week we have had spaghetti, chicken rolls, and breakfast for dinner. All three have resulted in utter meltdowns. We have to basically put the food on the fork to get Grant to eat and he complains the entire time. It is exhausting, but we are committed to repairing the damage we have done by not starting this earlier. The next baby is never going to know that there is another option. By the time it can eat solids, it will eat what we eat!

I look forward to the night when we can make it through dinner without crying or whining!

A Chocolate Sister...

2009-03-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

I get the question a lot...."Does Grant understand that you are having a baby?" As much as any 3 year old can comprehend, he gets it. We have told him from the day we found out that he was going to be a big brother and that mommy has a baby in her belly. We asked him if it was going to be a little brother or a little sister and he has always said "little sister." But he instantly went further and now thinks that he is carrying a sister in his belly. When he wants to eat cereal in the morning, he says that it is for his little sister. I think he got that during my first trimester when I went on a cereal kick! When anyone asks him what he has in his belly, he relies, "a sister." Now when you ask him what he is going to name his sister, he says "chocolate." I guess she is also going to be coming out of his nose in a few days too (ouch). Oh the things they come up with.

I think he is going to be a super big brother and is already excited to buy the baby a doggie just like his favorite doggie. Believe me, when we find out what we are having, we'll either be getting another blue doggie or a pink one from big brother Grant!

Another Project Completed!

2009-02-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Since my one great amoire find this summer at a neighbors garage sale, I have kind of been obsessed with finding inexpensive furniture and refinishing it. Most recently I realized that Grant's book collection was starting to take over the house and I needed a place to store all these books....so I scoured craigslist and finally found two book cases that are both about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. I couldn't pass them up considering that they were only $15 for both of them! Here is what they looked like when I brought them home:

They were painted a blue color and pretty beat up. I sanded them a little, cleaned them with some TSP and went to town painting. Lucky for me we had a few nice days and I was able to do quite a bit of it out in the driveway. And of course with my respirator on (yes, mothers I was wearing it at all times)!!! Now I am only finished with one of them, but it turned out really cute and looks great in Grant's playroom and most importantly it holds LOTS of book. Here is what the one I have completed looks like:

The red in the picture is actually not really this bright. With some distressing and cute new knobs from Anthropologies it is a fun, inexpensive addition to the playroom. Below are the other pieces that I have refinished!

The armoire, which was a cream color and two pine colored nightstands!

A Landmark Day!

2009-02-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, so most of you who will be reading this blog know that we are expecting a little Baby K in late August! Today marks the end of my first trimester….I am so happy to get to this point. Tomorrow we have an ultrasound and I am sure I will be able to rest at ease even more when we see that little one wiggling around in there. I find it hard to believe that the baby is now the size of a lime with lots of working parts. Aside from being super sick with colds and an ear infection, I am feeling great. I consider my lack of morning sickness my trade off for it always taking so long for me to get pregnant….

Grant is getting super excited to be a big brother. He thinks that he has a baby sister in his belly and that it is good for her when he eats cereal. He also thinks that my baby will come out of my nose. OUCH! I am sure as my belly starts getting bigger he will begin to wonder more and more about the sibling that will be coming into his life soon.

Speaking of belly getting bigger….today I pulled out my maternity clothes from when I had Grant. Aside from being mostly out of style, they are the wrong season. Grant was a December baby (burr….) and this next one is an August baby (sizzle…) I have winter maternity clothes that are huge on me now and super small summer maternity clothes that I can’t imagine fitting me late in pregnancy. So looks like I will be heading out to work on my maternity wardrobe soon. Twist my arm!

Melt My Heart....

2009-01-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

This morning while I was making my darling son breakfast he said "I spy with my little eye a very cute girl." I smiled and asked "who" and he said "you mommy". What a way to start a day! Did I mention that he could have asked for the world in that moment and I would have given it to him.

A New Blog Spot for the Kolbergs

2009-01-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Admittedly I have never been a consistent blogger....but I am going to make big effort to be better about keeping track of the big and little things that happen in the lives of Josh, Grant (mostly) and me. I am retiring my Windows Live blog space because people were always complaining that it was too difficult to access. Blogger.com seems user friendly so if you are inclined to see what is happening in our lives....bookmark my blog and check it out occasionally. More stories, thoughts, and adventures to come....stay tuned.