kristensenkid

2011 HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!

2011-01-19T14:06:00.001-08:00

Hi family and friends. What a fun time we are having with our two little girls. As I approach my graduation date and my career paths are being presented, I am so grateful to have the love and support of my girls. I am somewhat sad to see an era of my life end where there were lots of fun time spent with my children during all hours of the days. Now that I am moving to the more steady daily grind of a career vs school, The last 3 years are sure to go down as some of the best times of my life.

AVA LOLABELLE

Ava is learning so much and is such a good big sister. Stella thinks she is the greatest and does not mind taking a bit of a beating if it means she gets some of Ava's attention. She loves to paint and color, have tea parties, and kick soccer balls. (All of which are indoor activities during the winter)

She has most of her letters with sounds down and is starting to count pretty good too. As a gigantic engineering nerd, I wonder how early is to early to teach her the basic quadratic equation solution.

STELLA JANE

Stella is HUGE!! She is barely 6 months and is already wearing 9-12 month clothes, weighing in at a 21 pounds. She has 4 teeth (2 on top and 2 on bottom) and hair is already in her eyes and cowlicks allow for perfect bangs. (According to KK)

Stella is a genuine happy girl and always greets people with a big, open-mouthed, slobbery smile. Her favorite things to do are jump in the door jam jumper, sit in her wee-go-round (dubbed poop-n-go-round because of the magical ability to induce diaper blow-outs), and chew on anything she can get her hand around.

As Stella has started to sit up and really interact with Ava, I've noticed this super cute bond start to form. Ava really cares for the wellbeing of her sister and always includes Stella in her activities when she can. (dress-up sessions, tea parties, spoon-feeding, bathing, trike/stroller pushing, hair styling) I hope they will be best friends forever.

Dum-Dum Sucka!!!

2010-09-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

We are learning to go pee in the potty; that now said Ava is getting a lot of candy right now! A quick a favorite treat for a successful potty time is a sucker. Ava previously only knew them as "sucker" or "lollipop," but now she knows them as "dum-dum sucka." Although primarily used as a statement to obtain the glorious treat is now being used as a name-calling tool as well; i.e "give me that dum-dum sucka!!," "no dum-dum sucka." and my favorite "FINE dum-dum sucka!" Damn dum-dum suckers!!

Ava is big into pretend play. Upon leaving Lagoon last weekend PK and I overheard this conversation between Ava and her newly acquired Carebear: "I said no, you take my dum-dum sucka, you in time out, FINE I go time out, you no take my dum-dum sucka!! OKAY FINE!" I said Paul....do I talk like that to her??? He said...apparently. (Maybe it is not so much pretend play as it is verbatim play)

Ava is a great big sister and has even given Stella a few dum-dum suckers...the ones she hates "mystery flavor" & apricot. I found a few in her bouncer yesterday and Ava said; "Mom....Stella no like that dum-dum sucka!"

Have a great day...dum-dum suckers!!!!

Love Kristin

Just the Four of Us..Part1!!!

2010-08-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Sooo I have decided that two kids are definitely twice as much work as one..and since I have fallen so far behind in my blog posting I decided to do two posts for the price of one. Stella Jane is a little angel who, even though many think she looks very similar, is SOOO different from her sister. Ava was such a serious baby, never really sad or happy. Stella is very emotional, she will cry and cry, but is already flashing all sorts of smiles. I think Ava was almost 6 months before she gave us a sincere smile and even to this day it takes something special. S.J.'s loves to fall asleep either back down snuggled in her mothers arms or face down laying on my chest. Ava thinks her sister is in dire need of her assistance and when she hears her crying, (especially early morning) she comes running from what ever she is doing yelling, "I'm coming Tella, I'm coming.... OK... OK." (meaning It's OK).

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Her first hand-me-down.
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Here is Ava with her new sister at the hospital, she had no idea how much her life was going to change.
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We had 4 days at the hospital before Mom/S.J. were discharged so....
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Ava's visits were short but sweet and full of picture taking.
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Luckily Mom had someone to keep her company while she spent time in the hospital.
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Stella, (like her sister) was coombs positive so she had light treatment to keep her bilirubin count down. Here she is sitting in the sun working on her tan lines.
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See ya Later!!!

A Star is Born...STELLA!!!!!!!

2010-07-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

SHE'S HERE!!!! Kristin has once again givin me a beautiful little girl named Stella.(not sure on middle name yet) We arrived at the hospital at 6:00 A.M. and officially delivered at 8:08 of 7/07/2010. She was 22 inches and 8 pounds 9 ounces. Kristin underwent a C-section and this time we knew it was coming. Evering thing went great and Ava is glad to finnally meet her little sister. WATCH OUT STELLA!!

Here are a few pics..
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Put me back in, put me back in now!!
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We were guessing much more;
kk--> 9 lb 3 oz
pk--> 10 lb 1 oz
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Chillin under the heat lamps for a few tests..passed them all like her parents.
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Ava finally meet Stella. I guess I'm destined to be surrounded by beautiful women the rest of my life...Woe is me.
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First bubble bath..no crying at all.
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First of many "Juice Baba's" administered by Ava Lolabelle.
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. Come and see me..I've a my eye on you.

EGGS, NINE, TEN, ELEBIN.....

2010-05-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ava has started to count....my favorite is when she counts past seven and yells "eggs, nine, ten, elebin!" She is talking up a storm & is learning new words everyday! Last week...the last week in May...it snowed!!! I went to the kitchen window and said "Holy Crap!!!" (We had just planted our garden a few days before) Ava ran to the back door..opened the shutters and yelled "Holy CAT!!!" I could not stop smiling, but asked what was wrong...she yelled "it noing Mom!!" I laughed all day & now say "holy cat" all the time!

Ava loves to sing! Her all time favorite is "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie. She sings it loud & proud...surprisingly she knows all the words & corrects us if we sing it wrong. I love the part when she yells "stick your chin.... a grin.... a say!!!!! I realize Annie is a funny choice of a movie for a 2 year old..but she loves it!! She also sings (on key..I might add): row-row-row your boat, freight train, say-say ole playmate, B-I-N-G-O and baby bubble-bee! Speaking of bees...many of you know Paul has a mortal fear of bees..he thinks it is allergic! Now Ava runs around yelling "a Bee, a Bee, a Bee!" Its does not matter if it is a fly...she thinks it is a bee & wants us to kill it!

Ava is always asking us "what are you doing?" We tell her & then ask her "what are you doing Ava?" She says.."GOOD!" I love it! If she is upset or did something wrong she puts her hand to her forehead, shakes her head & yells "Oh man!"

Ava is very in-tune with her body...she tells us when she is hungry, tired, thirsty or has a wound. She asks for specific snacks (crackers, cheese, hot dogs), drinks (milk, water, juice pop) and lately she will hold her leg/knee/foot and say "sssssseee, ssssssseee, oh my knee." Man she is funny! Her dad always complains about his wounds like that...like father...like daughter!!

Ava loves to draw..she calls any writing instrument (pen, crayon, marker etc) a "B. I. G." Not really sure how she came to use this phrase but it makes me smile every time! She is proficient at drawing faces...two big eyes, a nose (right in the middle of the eyes) and a mouth! She may have her aunt Anna's artistic skills!

Everyday Ava asks: "we go wimming now?" She is a water baby for sure...she brings out every swimming suits she owns and has to deliberate over which is the best for the outing. We take her to the city in-door pool & they have a kid slide, "pickles the duck." Ava loves it!! Her all-time record of going down the slide...in a row......27! I am not kidding...she loves that guy!

Ava already loves her baby sister! She hugs my belly all the time and tries to give her toys & drinks via my belly button! She thinks there is a baby in her tummy & when we touch her belly she arches it out and yells "she kick you!" Very funny!

We think the new baby's name is "Stella!" (Of course everyone know the movie "Street Car named Desire" and the famous scene when Brando yells "STELLA" and raises his hands to the sky.) Last week, my mom , Ava and I went to Heber to decorate graves for Memorial day. My mom asked Ava; "what is your baby sister's name?" Ava raised her hand to the sky & yelled "TELLA!" I laughed so hard...my mom assumed we had taught her that...oh no! She obviously has seen us do that..but she repeated it on her own!!

Although the baby is due July 11th...we are having a repeat C/S on July 7th.....in the morning. This time..I will be.... well rested, not puffy, hair done, make-up on, and ready to take pictures! Her nursery is almost done...thanks to Paul & my Dad! We will keep everybody informed & let you know when "STELLA!" has arrived!

Have a great day! Find something to "holy cat" about...it will make you smile all day!!!
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Here's Ava at the indoor swimming pool with her friend pickles the duck.
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Hot tubin' in the back is awesome!!!
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Ava, like most girls likes princesses.
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CHEESE!!!
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Ava in her ballerina dress with her Lego friend.
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You want some of what I'm cookin'?
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I love this picture..she looks like her mom for sure. See ya next time.
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It's a GIRL!!!!!

2010-03-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

(Since Paul is very busy with school and our lives are changing so fast....I thought I would give blogging a re-try! Here goes.)

Since our last post we found out we are having another girl....I am so excited for Ava to have a sister! Not just for the super cute "hand-me-downs" and hair bows...but to have someone to confide in, fight with , and be friends with! When I told Ava we are going to have a baby girl she said...."baby girl YEAH!!" (with her tiny fist pumped in the air...pretty sure she does not know the baby will be staying with us...forever!) I asked her what we should name the baby & she said "HUMMMMM....LOLA!" All of Ava's dolls are named Lola! I think that is the same way my mom got her name...my aunt Sherrol's doll was named Susan.

Richard my father-in-law...guess that Ava was a girl with red hair...pretty right if you ask me! This time he said a boy with blond hair...maybe the blond hair but it is definitely a GIRL! The crazy thing about this girl is she will be one of five great-granddaughters for my Grandma Ruth...all to be born within 5 months of each other....please keep in mind out of 26 grandchildren only 9 were girl...now we will have 16!!!! We are making a come back...watch out boys!!

Crazy Ava Lolabelle turned 2 and it funny as ever!!! She talk in full sentences...starting with "I" want.....usually candy! She loves to ride her bike, color, play outside, wash her hands (800 times day..she might be OCD??) and loves spending time with her family!

My Dad is recently retired and now the official family baby sitter for during the week...for daytime events! I love it because Ava is getting to know her grandpa so well and he loves it because...well who wouldn't!!! Every time we pull up to his house she yells....Grandpa B & his cookies...very funny! One day I came in & they were giving her barbie a "bubble bath" per Ava's request. I said what did you & Grandpa do today? She said "Grandpa boomed me" my Dad said... "I did boom her we tripped over the swing and we went boom!" Ava...big tattle-tale!!! She has lots of fun at Grandpa B's house!

We just bought Ava a "big girl" bed...I am sad and a little afraid to use it! She is getting so big!

Sorry no pics today...just a quick update!

Love, Kristin

Post Something Already!!!!

2009-12-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

Hello again family and friends. I'm sorry that it has been three months since I posted last. The holidays were SOOO much fun for us this year. We enjoyed our little daughter and the way she learned for the first time what it is to trick or treat, and what to ask Santa for Christmas. KK has been working very hard and I pulled off a 3.7 GPA on my most challenging semester to date. We are also please to announce that we are expecting another baby due on July 11!!!! We are so exited to have another child and AVA is already somewhat aware of the little one that is growing inside of KK as you read this. I ask, "Ava, where's Mommy's baby?" She answers by pointing to KK's stomach. Next I ask, "Where's Ava's baby?" She answers by pointing to her own stomach. Finally I ask, "Where's Daddy's Baby?" She answers by pointing to KK's belly again. She's too smart for a 22 month old.

Here Ava's sporting a Halloween sweater from Aunt Stormy. She's signing for candy in the second picture so.........................

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I gave her a chocolate pretzel stick that KK made.
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Here is our costumes. In the first picture I like how Ava's look says, "I don't know these people."
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Ava has spent alot of quality time with her cousins and loves all of them. Here she is crawling with Jake whom she has a major connection with.
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This is Ava with her cousin Calvin. They finally signed the peace treaty and decided they can be friends.
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Here she is with her cousin Dayton. They were watching Little Mermaid and Ava is a snuggle bum.
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We think that Ava is going to be a great big sister.
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It might take a while for her to get use to sharing the spotlight though.
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Here is Ava and G-ma Susie going down a slide.
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Here is Ava's reaction to going down the slide with G-ma Susie.
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Here is a picture of what Ava can do if you get too close to her teeth. Just one of the many joys of parenting right?
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We have alot of pictures of her during the Christmas season. So keep an eye out cause I'll see you soon.

SUMMER VACATION!!!!!!

2009-09-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Our first big family vacation was a trip to sunny San Diego!!!! We booked a hotel right in the middle of all the action and invited KK's sister Kellie to join the fun. We purchased 3-in-1 passes that let us have unlimited visits to SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, and the Zoo's Wild Adventure. Of course we enjoyed Sea World, but Ava's Favorite was of course the Zoo. We were gone six days and took over 500 pictures.
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.Our trip started on an airplane. Ava was a little nervous during take off, shown here, but she was a doll the rest of the time. She even made a couple of new friends.
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Ava LOVED the beach. She started each beach day by dumping a load of sand in her hair. We absorbed a lot of rays, Ava's hair is practically blonde.
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I wish they all could be Californian Girls...
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At Sea World, there is a Sesame Street themed area just for kids. Ava has this new look she uses when she is surprised. The cutest part with this expression is that it is preceded with a fast head twitch, very funny.

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Here Ava and the lion were staring at each other. Probably checking out each others impressive manes of hair.
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The lion's roar on the way out gave us another surprised look.
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CHEESE!!!!
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Ava's favorite animal by far was the hippo. She has a book called "kiss kiss hippopotamus" so of course she needed an up close encounter.
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Our visit to the Zoo's Wild Adventure Park proved to be pretty miserable. It was about 45 minutes inland and about 125 degree's!!! We just took a train tour and found this water park on our way out.
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Another day at the beach, playing in the sand, with her Ariel and ducky.
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Hydration always important when enjoying time in the sun.
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Well, we all had lots of fun and with enough baths, maybe we will get all the sand out of her hair.

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See ya next time.

FIRECRACKER BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!

2009-07-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

This year for the fourth I picked up a firework set from Costco ($50 not $180 like I wanted) and thought that Ava was going to be amazed. After lighting the first fountain, She gripped up to her mom as hard as she can and started crying, but at the same time couldn't look away. After a minute of loud pops, colorful flashes and screaming, she cried to her mom, "Mo Mo, pease." Loosely translated this meant,"Can I please see some more of what ever that was, even though it scared the S&%T out of me." She is a brave little patriot and enjoys her independence as much as we do.
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We have taught Ava how to say flag by pointing them out as we drive by them. She saw this dress in the store and said "WOW FLAG!!"
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We are enjoying the summer sun with plenty of bike rides. Ava's tolerance to her trailer is up to about an hour or so.
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Ava is obsessed with cars and trucks. She calls this her truck and she thinks the door opening action is pretty cool.
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AVA attended her cousin Sophie's Princess Party dressed as a Punk Rock Princess. I thinks she makes a good Dragon too.
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Today is KK's 22nd birthday (wink wink) So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!
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Thanks for the visit. See ya next time.
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PICTURE TIME!!!

2009-06-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

Finally Ava had her 1 year pictures. She actually is 15 months but always had some bruise or scratch on her face thanks to her almost perfected walking/running/climbing skills. Our little girl is growing so fast and is starting to use words like: up, off, click, truck, tractor, Lola, flag, and WOW. She likes to dance to songs like 'Ring Around the Rosies' and 'If Your Happy and You Know It', spinning around and stomping her feet. Her first sentence was "LOOK AT THAT!!!!" We say that all the time trying to get her to stop crying in the back seat, I guess it's true what they say about their mind being a sponge.
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Her first outfit was a gift from her Aunt Kellie. She hadn't quite warmed up to the situation yet.
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Her second outfit was handmade by my Aunt Gay on my Mom's side. The knitting is amazing and she looks like a doll. No spaghetti or ravioli consumption in this cute outfit.
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This cute outfit is from KK's friend Kelly O. You can tell she's warmed up and in the moment.
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This opened mouth look we get ALL THE TIME!! It's almost like she just cracked a joke and is pausing for the audience to laugh, she gets this from her mom FOR SURE.
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By the end of the shoot she was saying "CHEEEEEESE." You can tell from this picture that she gets her looks from her mom too.

See ya later.

Sweet Summertime

2009-05-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ava is 15 months now and more sassy than ever. She acts like she can do everything herself including get dressed. Her skills are not quite developed enough to get both legs in the pants but she's working on it. She has started to really enjoy outdoor activities and sometimes helps us with our yard work. She is really starting to use words but still prefers to use signs for important words like "cookie" and "please" and "more". We can't wait to go on bike rides and trips to the park all summer long.

Ava has almost a full set of teeth to help her eat but WATCH OUT!!!!

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She has been known to BITE!!!!!
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Here is a picture of her in Sophie's old cowboy boots. They should fit her by now but she has the world's smallest feet.

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I love this picture of her first thing in the morning. Ava's hair is still very red, look out boys.

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At Grandma Ruth's, Ava was a duck.

SEE YOU LATER.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

2009-03-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Actually Ava is more like 13 months now. We have had a lot of fun celebrating with family. I am sad that my girl is growing up so fast but also exited because she is so much fun with all her one year old attitude. Ava Lolabelle likes to thrash wildly back and forth when she is taken from an activity she really wants to be doing, and sometimes throws a open hand slap to the face, especially when we try to take something out of her hand. (SO CUTE) I figure this will translate to a killer serve when she picks up a tennis racket. She signs for all kinds of things like: baby, ball, please, more, milk, bird, all done. Her first word (besides mama, dada, bram-pa, and bram-ma) is BALLOON thanks to the three birthday parties we threw her!!! I think every one year old should get a birthday celebration that last a week.
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Thanks to her Aunt Anna, she had a wonderful cake that she ate, well sort of ate.
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For spring break we spent a week at Betty's cabin in Dutch John. Ava filled her pockets with rocks. She is starting a collection early.
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Here Ava got her first taste of swinging solo. She didn't know what to think at first.
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Soon she decided it was fun and even laughed a little.
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She has taken her first few steps by herself but still prefers to cover long distances on the ground. I say whats the rush, she has the rest of her life to be upright.
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Here's one of my most favorite pictures so far. She was in the best mood this day and thanks to her mom, had a very cute pair of ponytails. This is her "I can get away with anything" look.

ALMOST ONE!!!

2009-01-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

Our cute little daughter is quickly aproaching her first birthday and what a pleasure it is to be her father. She is so independent!!! She likes to play by herself and barely lets us spoon feed her anymore... I expect her to start changing her own diaper in the next few months or so. This last week Ava had spiked some high fevers and kept KK and I up at night tring to comfort her. She seemed to sleep the best while holding her in our arms. Holding her close I could feel her little heart beating away and was reminded what a miracle new life is. I thank god every day for blessing my family with such a beautiful spirit named Ava Lolabelle.

We have dragged Ava around for 11 months in this rear facing carseat. We all will be glad next month to employ a front facing seat.
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Obviously some of the food made it to her stomach, little miss 21 pounder.
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Even 11 month old redheads can have a bad hair day.
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Wintertime--> Hot Tub
Next summer--> Waterslides
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She knows she's about to get some food.

See ya next time!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-12-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

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Ava has a present for everone this season. A fat smile and a flower. She will not be asking Santa for her two front teeth this year, she already has three.
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Ava had her 9 month pictures taken and she was a handfull. Pictures were much easier when she would just sit there. She thinks she is already a grown up and likes to walk around our furniture. Every once in a while she'll let go and stand for a few seconds. Look out, here she comes.
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We can't wait to see everyone this holiday!!

Where Have You Been!!!

2008-11-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

It is unbelievable how fast 2 1/2 months can go by. I finally dumped all of the pictures from my cameras and there was over 600 pictures!! Of course most of them were of my red hair growin', attitude developin', mobility inceasin', vocabulary expandin', dietary habit experimentn', curiously just about killin', ALMOST 9 MONTH OLD BABY GIRL. Thats right, she'll be 9 months old in a couple of weeks and next thing you know, we'll be lighting a candle on her first birthday cake giving Ava her first real sugar rush. She is already wearing 12 month old clothing and she cut her first tooth just this week. She can crawl backwards but prefers to just roll to her destination. She is showing signs of sitting up but gives up when she realizes how much effort is going to be required. I blame myself for this because we've been known to sleep in till 9:30 next to each other on Sunday mornings while mom's at work.
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KK and I enjoyed tropical paradise for 2 weeks in Hawaii. Even though we brought home plenty of souvenirs, Ava was still upset we didn't bring her with us.

While we were gone, G-Ma Susan and Aunt Kellie enjoy countless hours of quality time with Ava. Maybe Susan remembered the mid-seventies again when KK was still just a bundle of joy.

Yep, a whole lotta hair is going on. A question I have asked KK several times now is when do we make the mistake of cutting her first bangs.

As long as we can keep her occupied while we tie her hair up, maybe we'll just start in with the french braids before we bust out the scissors.

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I know what your thinking. How did we get her to stand still while we plastered on all that white face cream. Well, there is no face creme, she is just that fair skinned.

6 Month Picture Time!!!!!!

2008-08-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

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That's right, she is 6 months old!!! It is hard to believe that a half a year had gone by already. Everything is going great with our family. Ava had her check up and she is 28 inches long and weighs in at 17 pounds 12 ounces. She is a bit bigger than average but at least she is still on the charts. Her new favorite things to do are; sit up for long periods of time, stare down daddy, mimic her parents when we shake our head no, eat her vegetables and fruit,(sweet potatoes especially), play with her toys, clap her feet, and role off her blanket. Her hair is still very red and is curly when wet.
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We were so happy with this sitting because Ava had a smile for every pose.

Here is KK's favorite picture. She looks beautiful in her blessing dress.

She is big enough now to sit in little chairs. in her 3 month pictures she would tip over.

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Well she smiled for most of the pictures. This is more like my daughter. She is the most calm, relaxed, non-fussy baby I have ever meet. Emotionally, she never gets to hot or cold. It hasn't been to just recently that Ava Lolabelle started to laugh out loud. I don't know how she came to be so serious. She is the perfect fit for my little family.

Sweet Summertime!!!

2008-08-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

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Wow what a big month. Ava has had a lot of family in town. We've had two family reunions and Ava has now meet most of her cousins. She is rolling over both ways and is sitting up by herself. She fits in to most of her 6 month clothing and LOVES any time spent outdoors. We blessed our baby on the 28th and I would like to thank all the family who came out to make it a special day for us.
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Finally, a picture with her Grandpa B. Ava Lolabelle has a lot of Bradbury in her.
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I had set Ava down to play under her jungle gym. A few moment's later I turned around to see her chillin' on her belly with a very calm look on her face.
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So I decided to snap a few pictures.
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Yea!! Aunt Kellie. Thank you so much for Ava's beautiful blessing dress and shoes. They fit perfectly and look elegant with ivory lace. Kellie knows exactly how to find all the cute outfits.
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Ava loves her cute grandma Ruth.
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Mom picked out her hair bow. Nice hair styling going on in this one.
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My little family picture.
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Ava is kissing her cousin Calvin in the duck pool at liberty park. Later I'm sure they will cause all sorts of trouble together when they are not so easily contained.
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Lots of Love from my family to yours.
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Hiding Out!!!

2008-07-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

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YES!!! WE'RE STILL HERE. The last month or so, we have been very busy. Kristin has returned to work after a wonderful 3 1/2 month maternity leave. I am so glad that I could only take one class this summer. It gave KK and I a lot of time together with our little Ava. (Not so little anymore) She had her 4 month checkup and is 97th percentile in length and 83rd in weight. We started her on the gloppy baby rice cereal and she is so fun to play with. We had my first Fathers Day and KK gave me U of U Football season tickets. GO UTES!!!!!! Being a new father, everything has more meaning and I hope every one's Father's Day was as special as mine.
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Here's my little family on Father's Day. I have by far, the two cutest girls to hold and make me a proud father.
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My dad Richard, just turned 70. He loves his 14 grandchildren, especially Ava.
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For my dad's birthday, the whole family was in town for the 4th of July. We through a huge party where 100 of my dad's family and friends came. Ava was a big hit.
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MMMM!!! Ava loves rice. Open wide.
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Maybe love isn't the word for it. "Dad, what else ya got for me." She always makes a big sticky mess.
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A quick bath in the sink and she is ready for more fun.
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See ya later!!

MY FIRST LITTLE PONY!!!!!

2008-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our little girl has a big girl hair style here thanks to her mom. Along with the rest of her body, the red hair seems to be growing at an alarming rate. Ava is starting to act older to. She likes to grab at things and guide them to her mouth. She enjoys time by herself under a jungle gym with dolls and toys hanging down to hit. She loves to make funny sounds and is starting to understand a few gestures when it comes to feeding time. She likes to try and roll over and got her first major battle scare. The more she starts to show her own look, Kristin and I have debates on what features came from which parent.
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Looking at this picture, you can see my eyes are hazel and her blue eyes are not from me.
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Moms eyes are brown but her nose and lips are most definitely a match.
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She leans her head, lifts her arm, kicks her leg, and with a couple of grunts....
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TA DA!!! Role over. and for my next trick...somersaults.
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These pictures show her first real "OUWEEE". Puppy Philly just wanted to play. Luckily she healed up just fine.

3 Month Picture Time!!!!

2008-05-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

Ava Lolabelle is 3 months (12 weeks) now and we had her pictures taken again. She was so good the last time we were sure this time would be the same. Well, it wasn't. She was so funny!!!! Lola was more fascinated by what was going on around her and didn't give the photographer any attention. Even though she smiles all the time at home, she didn't have one for us this day. We did however get a lot of "Personality" pictures that we love none the less.

This look says "Lady, if you make that beeping sound one more time!!!"

Kristin and I picked out this outfit specifically for this shoot. She needs to work on her tan line.

This picture is our favorite of the bunch. For this pose I got her attention behind whatever the photographer was doing.

TWO MONTHS+ 12 POUNDS+ AND STILL GROWING!!!

2008-05-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

Our little girl Ava isn't so little anymore. The last check-up she was doing great at about 75th percentile in weight and head size, and she was 93rd percentile in length. She is a great sleeper and loves any attention she can get from her mom and dad. We packed up half of her nursery and went to Las Vegas this month. We spent time with her cousins Maxwell and Sophia. Ava traveled well and we only had to pull over on the freeway once for emergency blow-out.(not of the tire kind!!)

After her trip to and from Vegas, Ava Lolabelle started to tolerate her carseat. Before we couldn't get more than 10 minutes or so.

Here is Ava wishing me a happy 30th Birthday. I was felling pretty old and she cheered me up!

Here's a good example of how big my girl is getting. She still loves bathtime!!

Her cousin Max was really excited to see Baby Ava again. The first time they meet she was only minutes old and they had to go.

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Sophie was really cute in here with her cousin.

She called her "BABY AVA, BABY LOLA"

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Peace out!!!

GETTIN STRONGER!!!!

2008-04-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

No it's not just lyrics from the popular work out scenes in Rocky movies anymore. It's Ava Lolabelle theme song since the last posting. She is doing SO MUCH BETTER now that she has KO'ed the RSV in the 12th round. Sure RSV put up a good fight but it was no match for Lola's fierce lung strength and her high endurance for that nose bulb sucking thingy. Now that her professional illness fighting record is 2-0 (counting the first round tko with johndus) her training regiment has increased to ready her for the next bout.

As you can see from this picture she needed a lot of support to hold her head up.

A few hundred pull-ups with mom.

BLAM!!! Look out runny nose!!!!

Here you can see the weight of her giant cheeks are holding the corners of her mouth down..

A funny sound from mom......

A lot of cute pink outfits...............

BIFFF!!!!! We'll give colick something to cry about.

We are even working on deepening her blue eyes for the stare down at the beginning of the fight......

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT HUH"

This look says"You better run" diarrhea.

I know all you blog viewers are thinking to yourself that this is to much training for a 6 week old. Before you call DCFS on us don't worry, she still has PLENTY of time to rest.

Quarantined!!!!!!

2008-03-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sad Ava with red eyes, cough, and tons of secretions!

Mom dressed me up for a photo shot!

Daddy dressed me up & feeling better today!

Last week Ava was diagnosied with RSV........ an acronym for an Adult cold in a baby. Of course I have spent the last week suctioning, giving breathing treatments, counting respirations, giving chest physiotherapy...and crying. I am sure that we have spent the last 4 weeks indoors, washing hands with saintizer and sick vistiors wearing masks...and still Ava & I get sick. She is doing much better this week but still has a man-sized cough in her tiny body :( My PED said Ava could not ask for a better mom to take care of her right now....I said I do not want to be that kind of mom!
She is still happy as ever with a new trick of smiling when she is talked to & a big frown when she is sad! Thanks for all the calls of concern...it seems when Ava does have a visitor about 3 days later they are sick too.....Ava "vector" Kristensen. We miss seeing all the grandparents! My mom came by last Friday...not as a Grandma but a serious medical visit (G-Ma is a PED nurse practitioner) to assess Ava's clinical status...by sunday my mom has the same cough as Ava...watch out!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!

2008-03-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ava Lolabelle's first holiday. The last few weeks we have enjoyed visits from friends and family from near and far. We made our first of probably thousands of trips to the Uinta Basin to see KK's family. To date this is the farthest away from home Lola has been. We have enjoyed the four B's of parenthood: breastfeeding, burping, bathing, and butt-wiping. Who would have thought these simple human functions would be so satisfying. Lola was so happy to see everyone and we really appreciate those who traveled so far to enjoy time with our little family.

Here Ava is enjoying a swaddle bath. This is a technique KK showed me from work. You use a blanket to keep her warm while washing portions of her body at a time. SHE LOVES IT!!!

"MOMMY!!! I just finished with my facial and you are greasing me up with your lip gloss again!!!!"

Here's Ava with her Grandma Ruth. We stayed with her in Roosevelt for a few days before Easter. Ruth got a lot of quality snugglin/nappin time with her great granddaughter.
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It is easy to see that Aunt Marie is much more exited about birth of her niece than she was with me. She was trying to smile but I was the 7th boy and she still didn't have a little sister.

"See you guys next time"

WE'RE HOME!!!!!!

2008-03-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today Ava Lolabelle is two weeks old. Looking at her earlier pictures, she has changed but not too much. Kristin is doing as well as could be expected after the surgery. She spends her days with the new one and is a great mother. She has been around newborns for the majority of her nursing career which gave her a head start on the feeding and diaper changing skills. It has not taken very long for me to catch up with her even though Lola usually waits until I am changing her to do her business. Lola really loves her mother, she calms down with the sound of her voice and usually falls right to sleep in her arms. My favorite thing to observe is the way she kisses her daughter all the time. KK cannot do this at work even if she becomes attached to some of the patients she has taken care of. This is good because parents probably do not want the lip gloss residue that I have to constantly wipe off.

I've notice lately that when I log on at school to see my baby, my pictures do not always line up with explanation text. So I decided to place all pictures to one side to see if that helps.

Yep, we couldn't be happier with our little redheaded angel. It feels great to be home.

We had pictures taken at Kiddie Kandids. Ava Lolabelle posed like she has a future in front of the camera. Here she is in her Cinderella Princess Dress.

Here she is in her second wardrobe change. Kristin wanted to wet down and curl her hair but I thought it would be cute up.

Here she is later in the shoot. She did so good but as you can see, she was needing a little help from her friend. (and KK hand holding up the bear behind the rug) We all need somebody to lean on.

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Of course I saved the best for last!!!!! We love this picture. Photographer placed her arms crossed and set Ava's chin on top. As soon as she started making her look at me noises, Ava lifted her head up long enough to snap a few shots. At eight days old, I think she is just showing off.

AVA LOLABELLE KRISTENSEN!!!!!

2008-02-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

The Silent Redhead.
In the operating room I was sitting at the top of the bed holding Kristin's hand and trying to help her keep calm when I heard our doctor say,"Look at those cheeks!!" I looked up to see them pull out Lola and pass her to the N.I.C.U. nurses to resuscitate. She made a couple of cute squeaky crys while being wiped down and poked with needles. I was so overwhelmed with the situation that I couldn't do anything but marvel in the majesty that was my first born. Lola remained silent through the rest of the surgery while I held her and prayed for my wife to be OK. My girls and I returned to our room where we had many family members waiting in the sitting area just next to us. I asked KK if I could show everyone our baby and she said with one eye open, "What are you waiting for daddy."
After a brief visit with family and a room change, I found myself with alone with Ava Lollabelle, staring into each others eyes. I told myself that this is the most perfect baby ever and her cutie-pie face was second to none. Of course this is something every dad feels about there own but something tells me this was different.

Here she is in her first dress up outfit. KK has been looking forward to this for months..

Lola with a fresh bow provided by the nursery.

Hopefully Ava Lolabelle got most of her features from her mom but she definitely has my feet.

Her is our O.B. Lisa Gravelle, She was awesome and also thought Lola was one of the cutest.

Here is the other redhead in my family. My sister Anna has the same beautiful red/copper tint to her hair.

Kristin kept saying that with all of here experience with babies at work, she would be the first to admit if her baby was a F.L.K. (funny looking kid) but you can see here this isn't the case.

This picture is a lure to any family members that still need to come see me.

KK MY HERO!!!!!!

2008-02-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

My lovely wife Kristin suffered a great deal to bring the greatest gift that a husband could ever ask for. My cutie-pie _____ Lolabelle Kristensen. (We still have no first name yet) She is a 8 pound 10 ounce, 22.5 inch, redhead that has stolen my heart since she was born at 6:42 A.M. I swear she is the most perfect baby I have ever seen.

Here's lola only about 45 mins old. Grandma Susan helped her get her first taste of formula.

Sorry lack of comments due to lack of sleep in last 48 hours....

ALMOST THERE!!!!!

2008-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

Any Time Now Baby.
Sorry We did not post last month. It was a busy month for KK and I. Kristin is tring to cram all of her shifts at work so she can get an extra 2 weeks of leave when Lola comes. I have been getting back into the swing of things in school and finishing the nursery. Now that my first test is out of the way and KK only has a few shifts left, we are really anxious for this baby to come. We also had three baby showers since I last posted. I cannot believe how much generosity we received from our family and friends. Lola allready has over 100 outfits, more than 20 blankets, and several hundred diapers. Since this is my first child, I am guessing that will keep her looking cute and warm with a fresh change for at least a month or so. I know KK expressed her appreciation during the showers, I would also like to say thanks. It really helps when the parents are not the only ones spoiling the baby.

This is a picture or the nursery. Initially I was going to carve the crib out of a solid piece of wood with my own two hands. Then when we found out it was a girl, I figured might as well get use to buying her what she wants instead.

This is another picture without out the lighting effects from the chandeleir. KK picked out the fabric for her crib set and the colors were matched. The armoire is the changing station and the wall quilt is from aunt Becky.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

2007-12-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Left: KK doesn't look very happy, "Cheer up KK Santa is almost here."

Above: PK is not sure what this man wants from him. I better be on the 'Nice' list.

Holy Cow Look at Those Cheeks.

Less than two months left and Lolabelle is doing great. We had a doctors appointment and an another ultra sound this week. The ultrasound technician was really impressed with the size of Lola's cheeks at 32 weeks. She took some amazing pictures and let us watch our daughter in 4d video for about 5 minutes. It was really cute because we could see her eyes open and close, her eyebrow lift up, and her hands move toward and away from her big lips. It's hard to believe she already has so much personality. We had a lot of fun this month. I survived my semester finals and we had a chance to visit some family in Texas. On the plane ride home, we realized that this was the last time we would be in an airplane without Lolabelle on our laps or making babysitting arrangements. Our unexpected upgrade to first class helped us with this daunting realization.

This is a still shot of the 4d video we watched. Black and white blotchy areas are spots where the computer program didn't quite know how to process. But you can see she has big cheeks and cutie pie lips.

Here's Lola with her left hand next to her cheek. She like her hands up by her face in the on guard position. Probably so she can defend herself from her cousins.

27 DOWN,13 WEEKS TO GO

2007-11-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

She's movin' around.

Since the last posting Kristin and I have been considering names for our little girl. Initially we stayed behind after movies and looked through the credits for cool names. Although very effective, we moved on to looking through baby name books and websites. One day we happened upon a random name generator online that would produce a first and middle name with entered last name. One of the first few names shown was "Charlotte Lolabelle Kristensen." This name really stood out because Lolabelle is a family name we were already considering. The name comes from Kristin's Mother's, Mother's, Fathers, Mother's Daughter.(OR KK's GREAT,GREAT, AUNT!!!!) Kristin also likes the names "Ava" and "Caitlin." If it was up to me, her name would be "Charlotte." But for now the her name is "_______ Lolabelle Kristensen." (I'm sure the blank will be filled in ultimately by KK)

This is a picture of me back in 78. My hair was red for a little while before it turned blonde. Nice Cowlick.

Even at an early age, KK was a page turner. I hope Lolabelle get her looks mostly from her mom.

ITS A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

20 weeks or half way

That's right its a girl. Kristin and I found out on Friday the 29th. Our 20 week ultrasound was delayed for a few weeks due to school scheduling and I couldn't wait any longer. I dragged Kristin to the mall and got the news from Fetal Photography. When she told us it was a girl, Kristin yelled,"Shut up!!! Are You kidding me!!!" My father was sure it was a girl from the first day we told him we were pregnant. So KK was sure it was a boy (probably just to disagree with a different Kristensen male for a change). I guess she's only right 99.9% of the time. I thought it would be cute to post a few pictures of us when we were kids so you can get an idea of what this creation will turn out like.

Here is a picture of KK. Notice the cutie-pie cheeks and not so blonde hair. I guess that sleeping on your stomach was more acceptable in 1975.

This is PK with older brother Rick. Notice the pudgy nose and dark hair. I was the 7th of 9 children and the youngest boy out of 6.

More pictures to come.

4 Months!

2007-09-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

We are now 4 months or 16 3/7 weeks along. We when to the doctor on Friday......we heard the heartbeat....155 bpm. Paul was very excited....I hear neonates heartbeats all the time...I was just excited to know I only gained 1 pound...just kidding! In the next 4 weeks we will obtain the in depth ultrasound to see what sex this fetus is....Paul thinks it is a girl..I know it is a boy. He says I am unadventurous & go with the easy odds. I guess we will see!
Other exciting news: we finished our kitchen remodel..finally & Paul is in full-time school & doing great.

Love, Kristin

2007-08-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

First blog posting!

We are going to be parents!

Yikes!