Trip to Hibbing

My Grandma passed away on Friday February 15th. She was 92 years old and an amazing woman. She suffered her first heart attack at the age of 38 and has dealt with heart issues most of her life. She has had congestive heart failure among other problems these last few years. She amazed me most of my life. Granted I loved my Grandpa very much too, but there was something about my Grandma that really hits home. She was one of the sweetest people I ever met. I remember taking trips to Hibbing about once or twice a year with my parents ever since I was a toddler. We had even planned a trip in April so that Grandma could meet her newest Great Grandson. I was excited. I knew that she was not sure who we were anymore, but she's loved babies so much I was just excited for her to meet this baby. I know she's happier now and with Grandpa and I know she's watching us and loving Isaac from Heaven.

Here's a picture taken a few years ago that I will cherish forever!


And this is one of my very favorite pictures of her in her new hat!


February 18th Isaac and I hit the road with my parents. We went half way and stayed with my brother Ryan and his wife Michelle and daughter Norah. It was a good time. Daryan was even able to come over for dinner and visit for a few hours. Norah is now 20 months old and she never stops. She is on the go constantly but such a character that girl! She loves her baby cousin. She kept saying "babeee" and "bot" and she would go get into Isaac's diaper bag and bring everything to me and then take it back. What a silly girl!!!! Tuesday morning Michelle and I made a trip to Good Will. I picked up a couple things for Isaac but didn't find anything for baby, oh well maybe next time.



Around 11:00 or so we headed for Hibbing. It was about another 4 hours from my brother's place so that wasn't too bad. Isaac did wonderful again. He either sleeps or plays with his toys and looks around. We got to the motel around 3:30 pm. Mom and Dad had one room and Isaac and I had another that was adjoining so that was very nice. That night we went over to my Aunt Brenda's house. The house was packed with family and friends. It was so great to see all of our family members that could make it. Everyone just loved Isaac and said he's such a good baby, and he is. The family that we were able to see was my Aunt Brenda and Uncle Butch, my cousin Jeff, his wife Sue and their 2 year old son Jack, my cousin Scott, his wife Julie, Julie's two girls Allison and Amy, and Scott and Julie's 2 girls Emily and Megan. We saw my cousin Bill and his wife Alisa, my cousin Chris, his wife Melinda and their son Jameson. My cousin Joe was able to make it but his wife Jill and their three kids Liam, Claire and Emmett were not able to make it. My Uncle Brian and Aunt Colette made it but none of their kids or grandkids were able to. My Aunt Janet was there as well. Then we also got to see good friend Tim and his son Timothy. What a full house and Isaac loved it all.

Wednesday morning we had to be at funeral home by 8:30 for visitation. My Grandma looked really good. She had lost a lot of weight, but she looked good and had a beautiful dress on. She looked different without her glasses, but it was good to say goodbye. I never had that closure with Grandpa. The funeral was at 10:30 and burial afterwards. The weather was so cold, 22 below so Isaac, my Mom and I stayed in the vehicle during burial. We had lunch afterwards and then went to the motel for a few hours. That night we went back to Aunt Brenda's with everyone and had another great time. Thursday morning we left around 9:00 and made the entire trip home, about 8 hours or so. Isaac did wonderful considering he was in that carseat for so long.

4 months old

Isaac turned 4 months on Wednesday. Where has the time gone? I took a few pictures today. Isaac still has a fever from getting shots on Friday, but he still did well. Isaac is eating quite a bit now. He takes a bottle every 3 hours during the day and sometimes he'll sleep through the night but lately he's been waking up at 4:30 to eat again. I think he's going through a growth spurt. He drinks about 35-36 ounces a day. Growing boy!!!! He's such a good baby though and he loves loves loves his bath!!!! He kicks and splashes all the time. It's so funny, he could be fussy as ever and we put him in the but and he's happy as a clam. What a goober!!!

Meeting new friends

Isaac has had the opportunity to meet a few friends. On February 10th we had waffles and then went over to Grandma and Grandpa Winter's to celebrate Grandpa Winter's birthday. Ross' cousin Adrienne and her family came over. Adrienne's youngest is about 9 weeks younger than Isaac.



On February 16th Isaac and I went to Sioux Center to meet some friends. I had met another gal from Iowa who also adopted a baby not too long ago. We met Katie and her 7 month old son Gerrit for dinner. It was a good time.

4 month check up/ 20 week check up

I bet not many people can make a post like this !!!! Isaac will be 4 months next week. I can't believe it, where has the time gone!!!! He's such a good baby though and I thank God everyday for this beautiful gift. Isaac is a whopping 14 pounds 3 ounces and 25 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for both height and weight.

I am doing well, the pregnancy is going well and I'm now feeling good. I got over the morning sickness at about 14 or 15 weeks and I can finally take my prenatals. I was taking flinstone vitamins since I couldn't stomach the prenatals. We heard the heartbeat again. The heart beat was at 157, last time it was only 140. We have the big Ultra Sound on March 4th. We are hoping to find out if we're having a boy or girl. Of course I don't care either way, but I still want to know. Ross would rather not know but I think I've convinced him to find out.

Still has that rattle in his chest

Well Isaac still had that terrible rattle in his chest and the cough at night so I took him to the doctor again. The amoxicillan didn't do nearly enough. We did a RSV test again which came back negative again, they tested for influenza which came back negative. They also did a chest xray which came out clear. So they really don't know the cause but the doctor could definitely hear the rattle in his chest. So they put him on zithromax and prednisone. I sure hope this works. If it doesn't help we'll go a different route. We go back a week from Friday for his baby well check up and my 20 week check up so we'll see if the meds worked. Isaac was weighed with his clothes on today and he weighed 14 pounds 10 ounces. What a big boy!!!!

Weekend at Grandma & Grandpa's

This past weekend, Isaac and I went to Milford and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa B. Ross went with his brother and sister to Iowa City to a Hawkeye game. Isaac and I did not feel like riding in the car for 6 hours. We headed to Milford Friday night after I got off work. I was afraid Isaac would wake up half way there and cry the rest of the way but he didn't. He slept the entire way. It was the other baby causing problems. Sammy was so excited to see Mattie he kept crying. Ha!

We had a good weekend. Friday night Isaac did well and slept from 11 pm to 6 am which isn't too bad. Saturday was worse though and I am pretty sure it was because Sam was sleeping in the same room and couldn't get comfortable and was crying part of the time so needless to say at 3:30 Isaac was awake so I fed him a bottle and he went back to sleep until 7:00.

We had the chance to see Kathy, cousin Emily and Great Grandma and Grandpa J. It was a good weekend overall. Sam and Mattie played like crazy so they are resting up now that they are back to their normal schedules.

Isaac is back to sleeping well again too which is very nice. Last night he slept from 10:30 to 6:45 so that was nice. He still has a cough that wakes him up at least once in the night but he manages to put himself back to sleep.

So here's my adorable blue eyed baby boy!!!!

He's doing so good

Isaac has slept through the night 4 nights in a row. He usually goes to bed about 9:45 and I wake him up at 6:50 to feed him. Mom and Dad are really liking this right now. We just hope he continues after his weekend at Grandma's in a different bed. He's been sleeping in his own room in his crib since he was about 4 weeks old so it's really nice not having to get up in the night with him. Last night we thought he might wake up because his cough woke him up at 3:30 but he managed to put himself back to sleep.

I took a few pictures the other day messing around in the house. I'm hoping to try some during the day where I can have some more light. I'm hoping to get some good photos so I don't have to take him to the professional every time. Of course I wasn't thrilled with Sears so who knows what we'll do for his 6 month photos.

Time to update

Things are going pretty good here. Isaac and I are both getting over being sick. I came down with a sinus infection and Isaac has had a bad cough/cold. He is on Amoxicillan right now and he still has a nasty cough. I'm hoping by the time he's finished he'll be better. He's still such a happy baby for feeling under the weather. Last Tuesday Isaac slept through the night at 8 1/2 hours. We were so happy. But he's been back to 4 1/2 hours at a time due to his cough. I'm sure he'll get back into a normal sleeping pattern once he gets rid of his cough.

Isaac is now 3 months old. It is amazing how fast time is just flying by. We took him to Sears to have his 3 month pictures taken but the experience wasn't very good. We ended up with a very inexperienced photographer so that didn't help matters. We thought we'd try Sears out so that we don't have to call Ross' cousin Melia out to our house all the time, especially with the snow on our yard. But I do think we'll be hiring her for Isaac's 6 month pictures. She would have done such a better job anyway.

As far as baby #2, we had a doctor appointment on Friday and got to hear the heart beat. The heart beat was at 140 which is right where it should be. I can't believe I'm 4 months along already and now starting to show. I purchased a new bedding set which will be for Isaac's new "puppy theme" room. The baby will be taking over the Pooh Nursery. We have to start looking around at cribs though and hopefully we can find a transition one that we like.

Happy Birthday to me!

Well today I am 28 years old. I can't say I feel any older but I am. To be honest it doesn't really feel like my birthday. I got a couple presents from my parents last weekend which was very nice and my Mom made me a chocolate cake with the chocolate frosting recipe my Grandma B always used to make. That was so good. Tonight Ross and I are going out to eat. I'm looking forward to a steak and fries. It's been a while since we've been out, Ross' birthday in December probably. I'm not sure what Ross got me for a present. We didn't exchange Christmas presents this year because our intention was to get a camcorder (haven't gotten it yet). But at any rate I'm not too worried about it because I have the best present in the entire world, my son. I cannot even describe how much that little boy means to me. I've heard other new Moms say it, but I can say it too, I never knew I could love something so little, so much!!!! Isaac will be 3 months old in about 10 days. It's amazing how fast time is flying. I can still remember the day we got the call that his birthmom had chosen us. We have not heard anything from his birthmom but we continue to send her updates and pictures. We have however, heard from his birthdad through email. We really treasure his emails. I plan on holding onto those emails for Isaac someday.

14 weeks and feeling yucky!

Today I am 14 weeks along. The last week has been pretty rough on me. I have had either a headache or migraine pretty much every day. I ended up missing work yesterday because of it. Wednesday night I was so sick from the migraine, I was seeing lights and throwing up. I'm in the 2nd trimester now so I should be getting out of it. It's so hard to take care of a baby, cook supper, really do anything when feeling like this. On a good note, I have a doctor appointment today. I really hope something can be done. The doctor prescribed Tylenol with codeine last week but I only took one capsule and hated the way it made me feel, plus it's a Class C drug which means there have bee no testing to prove whether or not it affects the baby or not. I don't feel like taking that chance right now. So lately all I have been taking is regular Tylenol. It has to get better soon.

Isaac's First Christmas

We had a good first Christmas with Isaac. After all he is our Christmas miracle. December 22nd we celebrated with Ross' parents, sister Erin, brother Nolan and his wife Nicole, sister Gina and her husband Brad and their little boy Caden. We had a wonderful time. Isaac was spoiled of course. He got the cutest little winter sweater from his Aunt Erin. His Aunt Gina, Uncle Brad and cousin Caden gave him a little musical drum. This was hand picked by Caden so it must be good! Grandma and Grandpa gave him an Aquarium for his crib and a couple toys. It was great. Christmas Eve the only plans we really had was to go to the Children's service at church. My best friend Sheila had come over earlier and Isaac got a new sleeper and a Winnie the Pooh bear that plays music. Isaac wore his new sleeper along with his Santa hat to church. After church we went over to Grandma and Grandpa K's house for snacks and a movie.

Christmas Day we headed to Milford and spent the afternoon at my Aunt Marline and Uncle Bruce's house. Also there was my Aunt DeAnna, Uncle Mark, cousins Lydia and Leah, cousin Will, Travis and his wife Juli and their little girl Addison, my brother Chad and his 2 girls Kim and Emily, my brother Ryan and his wife Michelle and Daryan and Norah. I think that's everyone. Isaac wore his little Santa suit and was as adorable as ever. We had our annual walk as usual. Every year since I can remember we write down how long we think it will take to walk 1/2 mile. Whoever comes closest wins money. This year I put down 10 minutes 45 seconds and came in at 10 minutes 26 seconds. I got 3rd place and won $2.00. Later on we did the children's exchange and grab bag. Norah had Isaac's name and he got a cute little sweater outfit. I can't wait for him to fit into it. I ended up with a flash drive which I really needed for all of Isaac's pictures. Ross ended up with what he brought (the tape measure) but he really wanted it anyway! About 4:30 we packed up and hurried over to Grandma and Grandpa W's house. We had soup and sandwiches for supper. Isaac was entered in the children's exchange this year and got a nice warm blanket from Ava. Then we did a grab bag while playing jeopardy. I'm no good at that game. I was about the last female but I did get a good gift. I got some hand soap from bath and body and a good smelling candle.

The 26th my family came to our house to open gifts. I made monkey bread for the first time and it came out yummy! My Mom and Michelle brought the rest, egg bake, orange juice, bacon and dessert. We had a great time. Isaac got a lot of cute gifts. He got a little jean jacket from Michelle and Ryan and the family. Michelle's mom Barb made him some little mittens that are so cute. Chad and Vickie got Isaac a set of onesies which are very cute. Kathy and the girls gave Isaac a little toy and a mirror for the car. Grandma and Grandpa got Isaac a Winnie the Pooh hamper, bath seat, and some sleepers. I think that's it, it's hard to remember. I got a pair of pajamas, Okoboji sweatshirt, and the Magic Bullet. Our final Christmas celebration was last night with the whole Kooiker clan. It was a good time. Uncle Glenn had Isaac's name and gave him a pair of jeans and a cute racing t shirt. I got a cute Welcome decoration. Everyone enjoyed meeting Isaac. He was a good baby.

Okay onto the pictures, I didn't get a whole lot, hard to take pictures and take care of a baby I guess!

Shots are the worst

Isaac had his 2 month shots today. It was the saddest thing for me to have to watch. He was so happy and then he was screaming and screaming. I felt so bad for him because he was in so much pain. I'm so glad I gave him some Tylenol 30 minutes before his shots. I think it helped him sleep. By the time we got to the car he was sleeping and then I took him to daycare.

He has a doctor appointment this afternoon to get his eye checked. I think it's just a clogged tear duct, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better so I figured it was time to get him checked out. I am hoping he's feeling okay this afternoon.

Tonight Ross and I have to finish Christmas shopping so Isaac's Grandma will be watching him tonight I think. I hope he isn't too fussy. I also hope he sleeps at night. Maybe the Tyelnol will help him sleep. One could only wish right?

He was doing good with his sleeping but this last week he's gone backwards and is only doing 3 1/2-4 hours at a time instead of the 5 1/2-6. I think he's going through a growth spurt right now.

Well that's all for now. Here's a couple more pictures.

Last few days have been rough!

I've been seeing a couple different chiropractors for the last 5 or 6 weeks because of my hip constantly getting out of place and the pain associated with it. Well Saturday I tried to finish up some Christmas shopping but couldn't because I could barely walk. Luckily my Chiropractor Kurt came to the office to adjust me. I'm feeling much better with regards to my hip. Sunday night I had the early signs of a sinus infection and by Monday morning I was feeling pretty crappy with a terrible pounding headache. Of course I'm not to 12 weeks yet so I can't take sudafed or anything like that. I was limited to Tylenol which didn't do much for me. This morning I again was feeling pretty crappy but had to come to work. Morning sickness hit me hard this morning and I didn't keep my breakfast down. Boy can anything else happen to me this week? I'm actually glad I have a sinus infection as opposed to a cold so Isaac doesn't get sick. He's been having trouble with being stuffed up at night and he has another clogged tear duct, but other than that he's doing well. He seems to love daycare which makes me happy. Friday he gets his shots and I am not looking forward to that at all. I have infant Tylenol on hand!

Well that's our update for now.

OB Check up

Tonight we had another OB check up. Based on my last cycle we figured I was 12 weeks or so. Dr. Springer could not find the heartbeat with the Doppler. I won't lie, I was getting pretty nervous. He assured me sometimes it's hard to find at just 12 weeks. He decided to send me down for an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok. I was so happy we got to have an ultrasound. The tech found the baby right away and he/she was jumping around like crazy. It was the neatest thing I have ever seen. We could see the heartbeat moving but we didn't get to hear it. According to the measurements of baby, I am only 10 weeks 4 days, so basically I am 2 weeks less than we thought. That's ok though, this way Isaac will be closer to 9 months when baby gets here. My new due date has been set for July 9th.

Termination Hearing/ First Week of Work

Today we received an email from our social worker stating that the Hearing for Termination of Parental Rights was held this morning. Everything went fine and the Judge signed the Order. Now we just wait until the end of April when we can begin the finalization paperwork.
This week was my first week back to work full time. Monday was a little hard leaving Isaac at Kids Club but each day has gotten better. I know he is taken care of and I know I can go visit him on my lunch break anytime so that is nice. These last couple nights he hasn't been sleeping the best and we think he might be sleeping too much at daycare. I talked to one of the caregivers and they are going to try to keep him awake a little more. We'll see how next week goes.

The Healty Families nurse said once he hits 11 pounds he might start sleeping through the night or close to it. We're still getting up twice with an occasional 3 times a night. Isaac is only 9 lbs 10 ounces so he still has a little ways to go to get to 11 pounds.
Yesterday was Ross' birthday and Isaac had his first date night with us. He slept the entire meal so that was nice.

I'm looking forward to this weekend and spending some more time with Isaac.

6 week baby well check

Isaac went to the doctor last week. I was very impressed. He is now up to 9 lbs 10 ounces and is 21 inches long. He sure has grown considering he started out at 6 lbs 2 ounces and 18 3/4 inches long. He did real good at the doctor and didn't fuss much at all which was a big help for me. Isaac doesn't need to go back until he is 4 months. Unfortunately he needs to get his shots in 2 weeks. I am not looking forward to that at all. Isaac is sleeping much better, he goes about 4 1/2 hours each time so I am getting sleep. I started back to work full time yesterday so Isaac had his first day at Kids Club. He did really well. I think it was harder on me then him.

Isaac had his one and only baby shower last Saturday. Of all weekends for a snow storm it had to be his shower weekend. Isaac and I drove to Milford the night before so we were glad about that. Even with the terrible weather we still had about 15-20 people show up and Isaac got a lot of nice gifts. We really had a nice day. I'll try and post some pictures from the shower soon.

June (or July) will be a good month

I am telling myself everyday that June or maybe July will be a good month. Isaac will be about 8 months old and will become a BIG BROTHER! Yes you read that right, I AM PREGNANT!! Isaac was just 6 days old the day we found out. I remember when the second line immediately came up. I couldn't believe my eyes. I've taken hundreds of tests over the past 3 years so I was just waiting for the one line. I freaked out when they both came up, I ran out to Ross and kept saying "oh no, oh no, oh no"! I know things are going to be very busy but I also know things happen for a reason. There's a reason we didn't find out about the pregnancy until after we brought Isaac home. God has truly blessed us more than we could imagine!!!

Right now I'm feeling "ok". I do have nausea in the morning and my hip is out of place (not sure if that is pregnancy related). I can't eat pork, found that out at my family Thanksgiving. I'm craving popsicles for some reason, but that's about it. I have a feeling I'll be one to show fairly early so I guess I should be looking for maternity clothes soon.

1 month photos

Ross' cousin Melia came over and took some pictures of Isaac and the family. I think she did an amazing job. Here are some of our favorites. There are so many favorites!!!!!!

Happiest Baby on the Block

Isaac turned 1 month old today. Here are some fun shots.



We have a nurse from Healthy Families (free county program) come out once a week and she loaned us this video and book and I do believe it is a life saver. They really show how to swaddle a baby nice and tight so the arms are tucked in. We tried it with Isaac and he never fussed last night at all. He usually fusses for about 1-2 hours at 10:00 or 11:00 but he didn't last night and he slept in his own bed the entire night. He is now going between 3 1/2 and 4 hour stretches so we are finally getting much needed sleep. This will be really nice when I go back to work December 3rd. We celebrated our family Thanksgiving last weekend. I didn't get a lot of pictures but I did get a few. Norah absolutely loves her baby cousin. She is so fun to watch!

A little better every day!

Last night was a much better night. Isaac only had to come to bed with us one time. The rest of the time he slept soundly in his safe and secure sleeper. He wakes about every 3 hours so I would say he's doing good. I hope it continues. I am just realizing I go back to work in less than 3 weeks. Today I'm going into work for a couple hours to catch up so I'll get used to being away from Isaac for a while. Here are a few pictures. Having a baby sure makes it difficult to keep updated!!!!

Sleep...What's that?

Isaac is now 16 days old. He is the light of our lives. Overall he is a good baby and doesn't fuss a lot. He does have his nights and days mixed up though which is pretty hard for Mom and Dad (especially Mom). He tends to sleep in the early evening and by 10 or 11 pm at night he's wide awake and does not want to go to sleep at all. In fact he totally fights it. Last night we were desperate and Ross took him for a car ride which was good because he fell asleep but by the time we got back to the bedroom he was awake again. Once he does fall asleep the rest of the night is okay as he goes 3 hours at at a time. It's just that first time trying to get him to sleep. We try bathing him prior to bed to calm him down but that just seems to make him more alert. It's times like these I really wish we had a bouncer or swing. He constantly wants to be held, but I really don't like going to bed with him as I don't feel like it's very safe for him. Once Ross is done with fieldwork he will be able to help at night. I really need the help because I am very sleep deprived and it's a little frustrating. I am so thankful for Isaac. He is a true blessing to our family and I wouldn't want it any other way, but right now Mom is a little irritable and exhausted.

I'll try posting some new pictures soon.