All I Want for Christmas...Are my FOUR front teeth

I thought it would be a fun post that has to do w/a Christmas song during Christmas time. Strummer's 2 front teeth starting coming in at the end of October, and a few weeks ago, the 2 teeth that are on either side started coming in. Hense, I said 4 front teeth! I'm sure they will come in handy when eating all sorts of yummy food this Christmas. Including Kumlas! I'm SO excited for Strummer to start eating Kumlas! They are SO yummy!

Congrats to My Dad!

My dad is an awesome person and a business-man, and the professionals think so as well!

He was selected at the IA Society of CPA's Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry for 2010!

He is also nominated as a national candidate for the same award!

I always knew he was a great president and CEO at Pharmacists Mutual!!!

Congratulations Dad!!! You have all made us very proud!

Big Boy Shoes!

A few weeks ago, Strummer received an early Christmas present from Aunt Jean. A new pair of 'big boy shoes'. Of course, I'm not saying the other shoes that he has aren't 'real' shoes, however, his new shoes are from an actual shoe store, not from the baby section in Kohls, Target or Babies R Us. In fact, they are from Famous Footwear. His first pair of tennis shoes. With laces and tread bottoms and everything! I think Strummer really likes his shoes and he also looks adorable w/them on! Here are some pics!

They have a real shoe box - Size 5

Close-up of the design

Close-up of the top

Sitting at the desk showing off the bottoms

These work swell for walking!

A New View!

I decided heading to Mason City (a little over 1-1/2 hours) would be a good time to 'test' out Strummer facing forward. Since he has been facing backwards, reclined for the past 13-1/2 months, I wasn't sure how he would react to being in a different position. Plus, I wasn't sure if he would still fall asleep in the car not being reclined. Well - my fears were no more, when I looked back at him b/f we even drove into Ames he had already fallen asleep. He stayed asleep until we got into Mason City! He did fuss for the first 5 min or so in the car, however, I think he was just confused.

I don't know about this..

Hi!

Strummer and Bosco fast asleep (PS - as you can see from this photo, there isn't a whole lot of room in the back seat. One of the main reasons while we are looking into getting a bigger vehicle)

This was taken one day coming home from the Y. Strummer fell asleep in the 4 minute car ride!

Happy Thanksgiving and a Mommy Vaca!

Okay, so I'm a bit behind again, so I'm catching up before Christmas arrives!

We had Berg Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving. We had it at Mike and Crystal's house. It was lots of fun! We had some yummy food, spent time w/the whole family and had some surprising news! That was, Hannah is going to be a big sister again and Ian will be a big brother! That's right, the Urbandale Berg's are having a 3rd! Crystal is about 8 weeks behind me, she is due at the end of May! It will be fun having cousins the same age! Congrats again to my big brother and my lovely sister-in-law!

The following weekend, we packed the 4 (well 5) of us up and headed to Mason City for the weekend. It was nice seeing all of Brad's family (Kay, Chrissy and the kids, Doug and Jean) for the day. Bosco enjoyed having more people to play with...and I think so did Strummer :P Strummer really enjoyed getting into this old desk (which apparently, used to be Brad's) and color. It was so cute, but we had to keep a watch to make sure he didn't walk off the chair, and to be sure he climb down the correct way. He's so adventurous!

Even though there was a huge variety of food for Strummer to eat, he really didn't eat like his 'usual' self. The kid is cutting a bunch of teeth at once and wouldn't even touch the turkey! Poor guy!

The weekend of Thanksgiving after the family was ready to go, Brad and Strummer went home and I went up to Algona w/my parents, Jensen's and Lockard's! Since Brad had been gone, then was sick, he decided I needed a bit of a break! It was fun hanging w/my parents and sisters and spouses. The gang pretty much was at the store (The Chocolate Season and Bradley's Photography) working on laying flooring and painting. So I was able to just chill at my parents house for most of the weekend. I did run errands for my family while they were working and stopped by the store here and there. However, since they were doing lots of smelly work w/out ventilation, I pretty much stayed away. Plus, just being in there for a few minutes started giving me a headache! I feel bad I can't help, but have assured Era that I will be there to help organize things in the store and in their new house! It was nice having a little vacation, but was ready to head home on Sunday and see my boys! I did have one 'mommy-moment' that weekend. I was cutting a banana to having a peanut butter and banana toast (YUM). However, w/out even THINKING I started cutting the banana like I cut it for Strummer. As in, cutting down the middle and slicing. Whoops! hee-hee-heee! Thanks to my WONDERFUL hubby for letting me have a break!

Here are some pics from both family Thanksgivings.

Strummer loved being on the rocking horse!

His Thanksgiving meal..all though he looks more interested in the awesome placemat Hannah made.

I think he enjoyed his birthday cupcake that grandma helped him decorate

(all fall birthdays made cupcakes)

My beautiful mom and my beautiful sisters and at my parents house

Having fun w/Uncle Doug. Wee!!!

Having fun w/daddy!

So proud of himself coloring like a big boy in the desk!

I LOVE Bearcat Football!!!

For anyone who knows me, you know i LOVE NWMSU Bearcat Football!! It's my 'obsession' during football season and talk about it....almost non-stop. Probably to the point that it may annoy my family and friends, but I don't care! I just really-really like where i went to college! :P

So once again, the football team ROCKS! They are now heading back to Florence, Alabama to play for the D2 Football Championship! This will be their FIFTH year IN A ROW! That's right! I KNOW this is the year to win it. Unfortunately, they have lost...at the very end of the game by a less than a touchdown. Really quite bizarre on how little they have lost each game. They have owned the post-season games the season!

*The first round they had a bye

*The second round the beat Abeline-Christian 35-10

(which was the only team they lost to at the VERY beginning of the season)

*The third round they traveled to Washington and beat Central Washington 21-20

Here's the link the press release - it was a CRAZY game http://www.nwmissouri.edu/sports/football/2009/pressreleases/09fb1128.htm

*The semi-final game was played at home and they beat California U (Pa.) 56-31

Here is a video I found on YouTube. Each time the guys go to the national title (well for the past 5 years) the students STORM the field after the semi-final game and take down the goal posts...literally, then carry them to Colden Pond. So - that pond is VERY full of goal posts!

Tomorrow they play Grand Valley State Lakers...again. This will be the 4th time they have played each other in the past 5 years. The first 2 years were for the National Championship. The next year was in the semi-final game, which the Bearcats WON! Now, it's back to the title game.

Here's a link to press release for the stats of the teams for tomorrow

http://www.nwmissouri.edu/sports/football/2009/pressreleases/15-GVSU.pdf

So here's my shout-out to The NWMSU Bearcat Football team and Coach Mel Tjeerdsma! Good luck tomorrow! Win or Lose, you're the best team in my book!!!

22 weeks and Comparison Pics!

Here are some stats on how little Eden is doing. On average at 22 weeks the baby is 11 inches, about the size of a Spaghetti Squash and weighs almost 1 lb. However, since she was at 11 ounces at 19 weeks (about 3 oz larger than average), she might be slightly bigger than a pound.

Her lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct and she is starting to develop tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes are completely formed, however her eye color doesn't have any pigment yet. (It will be interesting to see if she ends up w/brown or blue eyes!)

Some fun things happening to me is my fingernails are growing faster and my hair might even be getting thicker! It's also possible that my feet may grow...however since they didn't grow w/Strummer, hopefully they won't grow this time. Considering I already have size 10 feet, having them get bigger is not something I would want to happen! Oh and my belly gets bigger every week! However, that's a pretty obvious change :P

My last appointment went well. She is growing and her heartbeat is good and strong. Here's a shocker....something that RARELY happened at my appointments w/Strummer....I was measuring about where I should be. At my appointment I was at 21 weeks, 5 days and was measuring at 22. W/my last pregnancy at about every appointment...except for one or so at the end...i was always measuring 3-4 weeks ahead! So maybe Eden won't be 9 lbs! Or maybe, she will still be big and just doesn't need as much room as her big brother :P

It's also hard to tell on if I'm bigger or not b/c I'm carrying a lot different. It's pretty clear now that I am carrying A LOT lower than I was last year. You can tell in the pics between this year and last year. So since it's so hard to see a from the sides (at least when I take them myself), I'm having to take by 'looking up' instead of down or from the side. I myself have been able to tell she is lower b/c I am always feeling major kicking and movement below the belly button and in the LOWER abs. It's pretty crazy! So maybe it'll be easier w/delivery since she's already so low! Who Knows! :D

21 weeks w/Strummer

21 weeks w/Eden

(as you can clearly see, I'm carrying pretty low)

This was just to funny not to post! I can't seem to show how big I am unless it's taken from below :P