Bradley Reunion ~ Year #1

Last night I hosted a "Bradley Reunion" at my house for all of the couples that went through my Bradley classes last year. They brought their babies and we shared birth stories, helpful hints, and enjoyed mingling and eating appetizers. It was fun!

I tell you what... It was such a cool feeling for me to look around the room and see all of those beautiful babies and couples and know that I made some type of a difference in their lives. That is all I want to do with these classes.... educate and make a positive difference in people's lives. These classes have also helped some of the mom's connect, become friends, and gain new resources. They have helped dad's feel comfortable with pregnancy, labor, delivery, and beyond. My favorite part was going to the hospital after each birth and sharing in the excitement of the new arrival. I feel blessed to have been a part of these things!

It was also a strange feeling to look around the room and to know that I am the only pregnant one now and everyone else is not! Ha... what a change :)

Here are some pictures of each of my couples and their Bradley Babies. I hope to remain in touch and with all of them because I got pretty close with them throughout our 12-week courses. These pictures are in order of their births...

Tim, Joanna, and Dalton Liberty

Joe, Sarah, and Tyler Gearhart



No Picture


Glenn, LeeAnn, and Joy Williams
(Moved to Florida so they could not make the reunion)


Jon, Julie, and Riley Isbell

Jason, Erica, and Josiah Bell

Amy, Rich, and Adalyn Vail

Scott, Sarah, McKenzie, and Morghan Archer

Cheers! To last year's amazing Bradley Births... and to this year's group of Bradley Births. What a fun job!

Krue is 5 Years Old!

Birthday presents from Mom, Dad, & Kiefer
A race track from "Cars"!

The car Krue chose for not sucking his thumb. (See Below)

A really cool new Big Wheel that "I can spin out on!"

It is so hard to believe that our first born is already 5 years old! People tell me all the time... enjoy every moment because it will go so fast. This couldn't be more true. I mean, we only have 13 more years with him and then he will be off to college! Now that is weird.

Krue has been getting geared up for Kindergarten. He talks about riding the yellow school bus with Lauren and playing on the playground all the time! He will be going to JR Watson Elementary this fall.

We look forward to this year with Krue because it will be filled with lots of activities and excitement. Krue will continue to do taekwondo throughout the year... along with t-ball in the summer, football in the fall, and basketball in the winter. He is really excited about being in these sports! I think Lee is going to try and coach a couple of them. Kiefer would love to try these sports with his brother, but must wait until he is five :(

For the past couple of months, Krue has been telling us that he is going to stop sucking his thumb when he turns five. Lee and I ran with this goal he set for himself. My mom gave us the brilliant idea of buying a bunch of matchbox cars, putting them in a place that he could not reach them, and then telling him that if he didn't suck his thumb for an entire day then he could choose one car from the bag. Well, this sounded like it was right up Krue's alley. He is sooo into the movie "Cars" right now so I bought him about 12 of the little cars from the movie. I showed him all of the cars and then put them on top of the fridge. We stuck a band aid on his thumb to help remind him not to suck on it. This worked beautifully! He has gone an entire week now without sucking his thumb (even at night)! He looks forward to picking out a new car everyday and is so proud of himself for keeping his thumb out of his mouth. Yay! This is such a relief for Lee and I because he has already done some damage to his upper front teeth. We wanted to get him to kick this habit before he got his permanent teeth... and it looks like he did.

Here are some fun facts about Krue at the age of 5:

Personality

Krue is quite the character at this age. He is starting to test his boundaries, emotions, and humor (good and bad). His teachers describe him as, "A goofball... but very smart." They get a kick out of him at school. Krue can talk a person's ear off and ask so many questions at one time. He is very interested in how things work and what life is all about. Krue treats his Mommy like a queen (he tells me he loves me and that I am pretty about 20 times a day - no joke!) and he loves to hang out with his Daddy because, "Daddy knows how to do everything".

Likes

-Race cars and anything that goes fast!

-Playing Mario Baseball on the Wii

-Riding his two-wheeled bike

-Cuddling on the couch

-Warm weather & the lake

-His best bud, and little brother, Kiefer

-Broccoli & Asparagus, Green Apples & Pineapple, Cheeseburgers (with the bun) and Grilled Cheese

-His glasses because "they help me see better"

-Taking baths & sitting in the front

-Getting money for doing chores

-Watching movies in the car

-Trying to fix things by himself

-The idea of flying like a bird

-A clean & orderly room

-Exercise & playing sports outside

-His "girlfriend" Gabby, his "best friend" Madeline, and Lauren "she will always be my friend".

Dislikes

-Scary movies & bad guys

-Being cold

-Being told not to do something... "Mom, that makes me angry"

-Tornados & Bombs

-The thought of getting lost from him parents

-The thought of dying

-Dressing himself & making his bed

-Getting dirty

Talents

-Eye-hand coordination & balance

-Spacial concepts & math skills

-Reading & sounding out words

-Imitating people and characters

-Finessing a sport's technique

-Green belt in taekwondo

-Mastering the Wii

-Routines & remembering

-Responsible for personal items

Birthday Dinner & Fun!

My sister-in-law, Amy, and I share a birthday. This is so much fun because we get to celebrate every year together. For our birthdays this year we decided to eat at "Paula's" in Ft. Wayne. We had a fabulous dinner with great company... Heath, Amy, Dan, Abby, Nick Delagarza, Tyler and Missy Romine, Lee and I.

Amy found a birthday card for me that reads, "Tomorrow we can eat broccoli. Today is for ice cream!" That is how we felt that night. We ordered sinful desserts all to ourselves. It was great!

Amy with her chocolate-peanut butter pie. Yum!

Me, with my turtle pie. Yum Yum!

After dinner we went to a quaint little Irish Pub called "Deer Park". In all traditional Irish Pubs they have something called a "snug"... this is a private booth separated from the rest of the pub. Amy and I thought this was so cute... and it is what sparked the idea for the remainder of the pictures.

Enjoy the fun!

The Snug

One birthday girl sitting all alone. Away from her friends, where did they go?

Just when she started feeling blue - along came another friend, and that made...

Two!

Two birthday girls sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

When they started to think, "where could they be?" - along came a friend, and that made...

Three!

Three sister-in-laws sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

At that moment they heard a knock at the door - along came another friend, and that made...

Four!

Four crazy Nagels sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

Just when they thought no one else would arrive - along came another friend, and that made...

Five!

Five fabulous friends sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

They started to think, "who could we add to this mix?" - along came another friend, and that made...

Six!

Six silly friends sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

The fun they were having started to feel like heaven - along came another friend, and that made...

Seven!

Seven smiling friends sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

They started to think they could no longer wait - along came another friend, and that made...

Eight!
Eight elated friends sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

Amy shouted, "Hurry! Your going to break my spine!" - along came another friend, and that made...

Nine!

Nine piled-up friends sitting all alone. Away from their other friends, where did they go?

All of them thinking, "How much more room can we lend?" - along came another friend, and that made...

Ten!

Ten tangled friends sitting all alone. Away from their other friend, where did he go?

Amy shouted out, "Let's kick out seven!" - along came their last friend, and that made...

Eleven!

Eleven extraordinary friends, together again at the pub.

Having so much birthday fun... now they know why it's called a "snug".

(Hee hee... maybe I've read too many children's stories lately... but wasn't that entertaining?)

5 Months!

Here I am, 5 months pregnant. I took this picture a week late because my camera has been broken. I had to use my camcorder to take the picture. This past month was a whirlwind of emotions... I just couldn't stop crying when I would start! Ah, hormones. Gotta love 'em. Lee has been a huge help with this. He just listens and gives me hugs. Then I'm better.

Anyway, things are going really well. The baby has been very centralized these past couple of weeks and I feel lots of movement from the inside. I felt my first kick with my hand the other day which was cool. I have even felt the baby have hiccups a couple of times :) We are scheduling an ultrasound sometime in the next 5 weeks or so to see the position of the baby and all that jazz. We aren't finding out the sex of the baby, though. Don't get your hopes up! (Secretly, I am dying to know.)

We have the nursery half-way completed... and the boys are getting really excited about having a baby in the house. They now think it will be a baby sister :) They always ask me what the baby will sound like, look like, and when he/she will be here. It is fun answering all of their questions and seeing them get so excited.

Until next month... may my belly get bigger and the baby stronger!

Valentine's Day 2009

I had the BEST Valentine's day ever this year! I am not just saying that... I really did.

Lee started off my day by having a massage therapist come to our house and give me a 90 minute massage! He helped her set up the massage table in our family room, started a fire in the fireplace, and then took the boys to breakfast and to run some errands. How nice is that? I enjoyed my massage sooo much and really needed it. Lee told me that he is going to have her come back one more time before I have this baby to give me another 90 minute massage! I can't wait.

When the massage was finished the boys walked in. Krue was carrying a dozen beautiful red roses and gave them to me. Kiefer handed me a cute card that Lee helped them pick out. They had recorded their voices on the card saying things like, "Happy Valentine's Day, Mom. I love you." It is precious.

All day long I was showered with compliments from he boys... "Mom, you the best." "I love you all the way to outer space!" "Your the best Mom in the whole world!". "Your pretty, Mom." I don't know if anyone told them to compliment me all day... but somehow they knew. They made me feel like the best mom in the world.

That evening Lee and I got dressed up and went to a Valentine's day Habanera Party at the Country Club. Heath, Amy, Neal, and Melanie were there, too. There was great food, socializing, and dancing. It was fun! Lee gave a really really good toast, too.

I don't know if the boys could ever top this Valentine's day again. It was perfect!

I love the special men in my life.

Birthday Party/Welcome Home Party

On February 7th we had a birthday celebration for my mom, Amy, and I. This was an extra special celebration because my grandma (Mamaw) was released from the hospital that day! Mamaw went into the hospital several days before this complaining of an irregular heart rate. They kept her in the hospital for monitoring and tests. At one point she was transferred by ambulance to Lutheran Hospital for a procedure to check the "plumbing" of her heart. All looked good! She was released on beta blockers until they can figure out was is causing the unpredictable arrhythmia. The beta blockers make her feel tired and not as peppy as she normally is.

We were so excited and thankful to have her home. It was a happy occasion indeed!

(The following pictures are off of my mom's camera. For some reason they won't enlarge. You'll have to click on them to get a better view.)

Mamaw and I enjoying a little chat.

Mamaw and her children. Dwight drove here from Virginia, and David drove from Chicago when they found out Mamaw was in the hospital.

Throwing together a spur-of-the-moment birthday meal.

Cute picture of Amy, Lee and Chris.

Amy, Mom, and I blowing out our birthday candles (with the boy's help).

Opening presents...Peace.

A shot of some of the people at the party.

The Carpool Crew!

Yes, I take these turkeys to preschool and pick them up every Monday and Wednesday. We get lots of comments when we are walking in, hand-in-hand. It is cute! The kids enjoy riding to school together and like to watch and sing "Veggie Tales". Lauren and Krue like to help me pick up Kiefer and Graham in their classroom after school... Kiefer and Graham run and hug each of them excitedly. Lauren is a big help with getting the younger boy's coats on. When the preschool teachers see these four walking out together they say things like, "Boy that is a spirited group" or "You've got your hands full!" or "I'll bet that group keeps you hopping." Yes, this group of personalities keeps me moving, laughing, and learning for sure :)

Kiefer is 3 Years Old!

Wow. I can't believe my little man turned 3 years old on January 29th. That time went so fast! Kiefer had such a dramatic entrance into this world... he had to endure some pretty tough stuff at a very young age... NICU, breathing treatments, asthma, lots of allergies. We feel so blessed that Kiefer has overcame almost all of these things! He is now a very, very healthy boy who is super smart and LOVES life. What more could we ask for?

Here are some fun facts about Kiefer at the age of 3:

Personality

-Wakes up every morning and comes down the stairs (with a different stuffed animal each time) saying a cheerful, "Good Morning, Mommy!"

-Very social, lots of energy, and likes to go. Kiefer asks me every morning, "Where are we going today, Mommy?"

-Such a good cuddler and hugger! He is always ready to give anyone who wants one a hug.

-When Kiefer gets hurt he runs directly to his Mommy :)

-Is a great eater... but no thank you on the veggies.

-Kiefer is so kind, polite, and loves to share.

-If something doesn't go the way Kiefer thinks it is going to go (Ex. going to bed instead of playing with Daddy some more) we will see the waterworks. He is pretty happy most of the time.

-Kiefer puts a smile on everyone's face. He lights up a room.

-Is a nurturer... "Mommy, I'll go get my animals and rub your back so you can feel better. Okay?"

-Is so ticklish!

-Loves to laugh... and we love his laugh!

Likes

-Stuffed Animals, Music, Cars, Books, Sports, and the Wii.

-Putting a blanket on the ground and cuddling on it.

-Accessories!

-LOVES his brother, Krue. They are best buds. They crack each other up and get along so well.

-Cute animals.

-Babies.

-Dancing to music.

-Sparring and wrestling his Daddy and brother.

-Cuddling with his Mommy on the couch.

-Back rubs.

-Coloring, Cutting, and Painting.

-Making messes.

-Going places and seeing people.

-Cheese! We have nicknamed him, "Cheese-fer".

-Birthday parties.

-Pictures!

Dislikes

-Runny noses and coughs.

-Dill Pickles.

-Vegetables.

-Any food that is too hot (temperature).

-Feeling alone.

-When other people are sad and crying.

-Not being able to go outside and play.

-Staying at home all day long.

-Going to bed.

Talents

-Very coordinated.

-High kicker and fast runner.

-Flexible.

-Remembers people's faces and names.

-Can recognize all of his classmates names by himself.

-Can count to 20.

-Knows all of the letters and what they sound like.

-Gets along well with everyone.

-Is an orange belt in taekwondo!

-Knows how to snow ski and drive a jet ski :)

-Can recognize different types of cars as we are driving down the road.

Moving Up In Rank!

In the beginning of January, Krue and Kiefer both moved up in rank in their Taekwondo classes. Kiefer tested out of his white belt and into an orange belt (and he wasn't even 3 year old!) Krue tested out of his camo belt and into a green belt. We keep all of the belts they have tested out of on a plaque on their bedroom wall... so they were very excited and proud to add their new additions to this plaque.

Mr. Steinman presenting Kiefer with his new orange belt. When Kiefer was called up for the belt he exclaimed, "Mom, I get my orange belt!"

Miss Madi is one of the student helpers in Kiefer's class. Kiefer LOVES Miss Madi and I think Miss Madi is pretty fond of Kiefer, too. She drew Kiefer a picture for his birthday which was so cute.

A very proud Kiefer.

Krue at home with his new green belt!

Checking it out.

Showing me some moves.

And one final pose.

Kiefer had to get in on the action and show me some of his moves, too.

4 Months!

I am officially 4 months pregnant and feeling great! Still can't believe how fast time is flying. My belly has really popped out in the last couple of weeks. Everyone is noticing! I am still in transition clothes and am able to wear my jeans (with a rubber band around the button). I have been feeling the baby moving several times a day... just little flutters or pokes. At my last appointment the baby's heart rate was lower... 152 bpm... down from 164 bpm. 152 is the same heart rate that Kiefer had when I was pregnant with him. I have no clue if it is a girl or boy. I am just happy that everything is going well and, as far as my midwife can tell, the baby is centered in my uterus... not off to one side like the boys were. Yeah!