So Thankful....

for our local YMCA!! Trey Jacob absolutely loves going over to Y when his Daddy is lifting and participating in whatever they have to offer. Today, sadly, marked the last day of his Gym & Swim class...a little chilly winter weather buster! I know most of you are getting as sick of the snow as we are and this little class lets Trey burn off a bunch of energy in the gym area and then go straight over to the pool for a little swimming action. There aren't too many kids (usually under 5), so that allows for a lot of time for mass play!! Trey does love it and I thought I'd capture a few pics to say good-bye to his latest session....

A little out of order, but I had to start with this shot...it's my FAV of the morning! Trey smiling for me after he just got done swimming the length of the pool...he's loving it!!

Trey J and his buddy Jordan ready to burn off some energy!! (They are only about 3 weeks apart....)

Making a scooter train....and Tylee got to join in the fun!! Choo-Choo!!

Messing around on the scooters...having a ball!

It's a Bird....It's a Plane....It's Trey Jacob!!!

Racing the other kids....feet first!

Look out below....

Finished up gym time...waiting for their turn in pool...

Trey waiting for his turn to jump in...wearing the safety belt while the instructor is down at the other end of the pool with another kid...so patient...and definitely excited!!

Belly board...working on the kicks!!

Swimming on his back...he's so funny....NEVER opens his eyes when he's doing this!!

The black & white version of my FAVORITE!! Love you Trey Man!!! Keep enjoying all those activities...being a kid is So.Much.Fun.

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Thought I'd take this opportunity to do a little mini flashback of some of the other Y sessions Trey has enjoyed over the past couple years....

Loving his 1st T-ball fun...despite the HEAT!

Ready to SMACK the ball...

Trey shootin some hoops...get low, get low!!

His first soccer action....

End of the season medal...and, posing by his favorite position...GOALIE!!

Stoppin' the ball...no matter what!!!

THANK YOU OTTUMWA YMCA!!

All this EXCITING baby news.....

has me even MORE excited about welcoming this little bambino or bambina into the world in a few weeks. Congrats to Adie Viefhaus Smith, who just welcomed little baby Cooper into the world this morning at 8 am. I was originally due about 10 days after her, but she's one of the lucky ones that gets to meet her babies a little earlier than expected. My babies, on the other hand, like to make me wait, in full anticipation, up until the due date. Trey Jacob joined us ON his due date and Tylee Jean joined us about 3 HOURS before her due date. All I have to say is that it must be comfy in there!!!

Anyway...hearing about and seeing baby Cooper's picture TOTALLY made me flashback to the deliveries of both of my babies. Talk about the MOST exciting  and emotional experiences of my life!! Pregnancy was a hoot, but it was NOTHING like seeing each one of them for the first time. My eyes were so filled with tears of joy that things were a little blurry from the birthing bed...THANK GOODNESS for great camera action by my wonderful birthing coach...AKA, Jason Michael Weite!!

I've been wanting to do a little flashback blog considering I started the blogging after they came into this world, so I figured today, with all the baby news, would be the perfect time!!!

Below are a few shots of Trey J and Tylee Jean....getting their first taste of this amazing world!!

Trey Jacob-9 lbs. 14 oz-May 21, 2006

Welcome to the World, Baby Boy!!!

Tylee Jean-9 lbs. 8 oz.-October 19, 2008

Obviously Tylee wasn't seeing much....just squeezing those eyes shut and wailing to be back inside where it was warm, comfy, and cozy!!! Welcome to the world, Baby Girl!!!

One of my all time favorites....Trey meeting his little Sis for the first time!!! Oh, how I can't wait to see Trey & Tylee meeting their new little bro or sis!!!

And, a little squeeze to grow on!!!

So, as my half day off of work (thanks to the Dr. appointment this morning, where the baby's heartbeat was 145 and the head was down) draws to an end....all I can say is that I can't wait to meet the new addition to our family!!! It won't be long.....

Here's to a smooth delivery and a healthy baby Weite entering this world in the next few weeks!!! I am absolutely PUMPED!!!

I can't believe it....

my BABY GIRL is growing up WAY TOO fast!!

It seems as though Little Miss Tylee is turning into a big girl way too quickly. We now call her Miss Independent--she won't let us help her with ANYTHING!! I really think the second we took that Binky away over Christmas Break, she became a new Little Lady. She wants to pick out her own clothes, brush her own teeth, dress herself....down to the underwear and socks, and has the nerve to tell us what matches and doesn't. She also told me today that she needs more "make-up!!" It's so stinkin' cute, but at the same time, she's definitely not my little "baby" anymore...I mean, she doesn't even want to rock like we used to do every night!! (TEAR.)

Part of her V-Day goodie bag from Grandma Marcia was a Dora make-up set, complete with finger nail polish, lip gloss, a make-up bag, and press-on nails....YES, I said PRESS-ON NAILS!!!

For two whole days after she opened them, she asked me to "help" her with nails. Finally, a few nights ago..we sat down and put them on. (First of all, they were a little big for her little nails, but she insisted I put them on...so I did. Second of all, she told me all about how she was going to sleep with them on. But, realizing what a choking hazard they might be, I told her she, under NO circumstances was wearing them to bed. After a few "you're not nice, Mommy" comments, she gave in and we proceeded through the bedtime routine.)

You should have seen her trying to brush her teeth...she must have knocked each nail off at least ten times. It was hilarious!! While putting on her jammies...she lost two of them inside her sleeve and one we still can't find. She did have a blast with them though.

As of now, they are stacked up in a nice neat pile on top of her dresser waiting to make another appearance in maybe, say, TEN YEARS!! She's definitely growing up so stinkin' fast!!! Isn't she hilarious?!?!

Showing off her new Dora nails....SO.EXCITED.

A better view...PLEASE notice her left ringer finger....a little crooked after having to replaced TEN times!! But she was still proud of them!!!

Being a goofball...as always!!!

Dear Tylee Jean,

You are SUCH a big girl and are getting to be so independent. You've mastered the items on our 2011 to-do list and are well on your way to accomplishing everything else on your 2-year-old agenda. Keep up the great work, Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you!! But, don't forget, I will ALWAYS be here to help when you need it!! Love you BUNCHES & BUNCHES, baby big girl!

~Mommy



Early Valentine's Day FUN....

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons....

ONE, I get an excuse to buy "corny" love cards for Jason...(not that I need one, but they do have better cards out this time of year :)

TWO, I love going through all my old cards from Jason....totally reminds me of just how sweet he is!!

THREE, I get to see Trey & Tylee enjoying the LOVE that this special day brings.....

This year, the kiddos have been absolutely spoiled and it's not even February 14th yet! Thanks to Maw-Maw Cindy, Grandma Marcia, and Aunt Lyn (Jason's sister from Louisiana who we don't get to see nearly enough) Trey & Tylee have had a blast opening bags and boxes filled with goodies!!

Having fun opening up Maw-Maw Cindy's package that came in the mail a couple weeks ago! SO.MUCH.FUN.

Trey totally thought this was cool..."Funky Monkey" has been a big hit around our house ever since Trey fell off the monkey bars two years ago and broke his little leg. All smiles now!!!

Peek-A-Boo presents and he obviously couldn't wait any longer to open up that sucker!!

Tylee LOVES her puppy and purse....THANKS, Maw-Maw Cindy!!! Tylee has slept with this for the past two weeks....I've had to take it off from around her arm many, many nights! This new puppy is friends with her brown puppy she got from Grandma Jean last year. She totes them both around in their little bags on a regular basis!! Too funny!!! 

V-day fun up at Grandma Marcia's last weekend....

Tylee with her new Fashion Fairytale Barbie....what will they come up with next?!?!

New JAMMIES! Thanks, Grandma Marcia!!!

Anxiously awaiting the OKAY from Mom & Dad to open Aunt Lyn's package that arrived this afternoon....(Trey & Tylee absolutely LOVE getting mail of any sorts and Aunt Lyn has shown them a glimpse of package HEAVEN over the past 5 or 6 months!!! I told them to wait until they start getting bills...Trey told me he'd like those too...yeah right!!)

Reading Aunt Lyn's card...with a little bit of, "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it!!" I see a mini dance-off in our near future!! 

Doing a little posing for the camera.....

Can you tell he gets excited about CANDY??

Last shot of the night...a little sibling LOVE to celebrate HEART DAY!!! THANKS, Aunt Lyn!!

So, here's to a fun-filled, with LOTS of LOVE, Valentine's Day for you and those you love to celebrate with!!!

XXX's & OOO's.....



A Little Weekend Fun....

The past few days have been crazy around the Weite House, with parent/teacher conferences for the Ottumwa School District and all. I had them scheduled all last night over at the middle school and Jason's up at the high school tonight. (Then we both have them Thursday night...fun, fun!!) Needless to say, we've both gotten a chance to play the single parent role and it's times like these that one realizes how much we do appreciate the other!! (It's amazing how far emptying the dishwasher, throwing in a load of laundry, and wiping down the kitchen counters really can go!!) I'm lucky that my partner in crime pitches in around the house and helps with the "little things!" You are much appreciated, honey!!

But, leading up to this new week, we got a chance to spend a little time up in West Des Moines with Jason's parents. Trey & Tylee absolutely LOVE visiting family and always have a great time at Grandma Marcia and Papa Ken's house. It was great to see them...it's been a while since we celebrated Christmas and it was nice to be able to relax without all the Holiday Hoopla! Below is a little re-cap of the fun (and one NOT-so-fun) time....

Tylee giving Grandma Marcia big hugs when we arrived!!

Cheese, Please!!

Trey getting a little trim (okay, a BIG trim)...his hair was outta control!!!

Goofball...but cooperative!!!

The after shot...with a little gel action!!!

Tylee being silly while waiting for her "haircut"....she really wanted one, so we pretended to cut it. BUT, there was no way I was letting her get a cut-those bangs have some growing to do!!

Kids watching "How to Train Your Dragon" and heading to bed. They were all geared up for Saturday and a little Chuck E. Cheese action!!! (SUPER CUTE movie!!!!)

((Before I go any further, I would like to share with you the SCARIEST moment of my life, which just happened to occur on Saturday afternoon....

After nap, Jason, Marcia, Trey, Tylee and I all headed to Hu-Hot to celebrate Marcia's birthday. Oh, so I thought...

While in the car on the way there, Trey stuck his finger up his nose (to find the SNAIL that his father told him was up there...thanks to a "Where the Sidewalk Ends" poem) Well...his finger sticking incident resulted in a little blood and I didn't have any tissues....

We pulled into the parking space at Hu-Hot and as we are parking Jason proceeds to tell Trey that his nose was bleeding because he poked a hole in his brain. (In good father humor, of course!) Who hasn't told their kid that?? We all walk into Hu-Hot, where there is a 30 minute wait (at 2:00 in the afternoon...weird!) and I take Trey back to the bathroom to wash up. While in there, he washes his hands and I wipe his VERY SMALL amount of blood off the edge of his nostril....

The WHOLE time he is asking me if he really has a hole in his brain. I proceed to tell him at least 10 times that Daddy was just kidding and that can't really happen. We grab a paper towel to dry our hands off and Trey then looks at me, turns white, and tells me he's going to PUKE. I quickly usher him into the first stall where his legs give out from under him and his face falls onto the public toilet seat......germs were the least of my worries at that point!!

I try to lift his head up and see that his eyes are rolled back...I give him a couple nice slaps on the cheek and tell him to talk to me...he's grunting and mumbling the whole time about how he wants to go to sleep.....

At this exact moment, Jason's Mom comes into the bathroom with Miss Tylee (who's doing a great job with her big girl undies, by the way) to go pee-pee. I tell her she needs to go get Jason and that something is not right with Trey. She says she will after she takes Tylee potty and proceeds to take her into the stall next to us. (Marcia didn't realize how serious I was, but when a newly potty trained two year old has to go potty, she has to go potty!!)

I hoist Trey up over my big belly and shoulder and quickly carry him out to find Jason....Trey's still white as a ghost and his lips have NO color...but, his eyes are slightly open. I tell Jason something is wrong and IMMEDIATELY start crying. Jason takes Trey from me tries to talk to him outside. I am crying and saying that we need to call an ambulance. Trey's shoe falls off and he doesn't say a word about it....which is not like him.

People are coming in and out of Hu-Hot watching me cry and hearing Jason tell me to CALM DOWN. (I was NOT calm at this point...there was not a CALM bone in my body!) Some random lady even tries to give him glucose tablets.....

Before I can dial 9-1-1, Jason's mom come out with Tylee and I am like "Something is wrong, we need to call the ambulance!" Trey is still white and Marcia says we can get him to the Urgent Care Center FASTER than the ambulance can come get him. I agree and we all pile into Jason's car. I'm in the front holding Trey, trying to control my own shaking, and trying to keep him alert. Marcia is in the back with Tylee sitting on top of the seat because she didn't have a chance to push the seat down and Jason is trying to drive (with all the TRAFFIC) about 1 mile to the Urgent Care Center!!! It was AWFUL!

I'm asking Trey if he needs a drink and how he feels...he's not really saying anything and his lips are still white. All I'm thinking is blood sugar issues...pulse felt fine, but I didn't know what else to check. I asked him if he wanted something to eat....all I had in my purse was a little bag of trail mix from a work meeting weeks before (of course, I had eaten all the chocoolate pieces out of it...those are the best part) but it would have to do. He chewed up three raisins and then I hear in a soft, little Trey voice, "Mommy, can I have a peanut?"...

You don't know how sweet those few little words sounded. I gave him a peanut and we pulled into the Urgent Care Center. Jason carried him in and I filled out paper work. They actually got us in pretty quick...thanks Marcia...

Jason and I went back with Trey and the Doc and, 10 minutes later, we were walking out. Apparently it was a reaction to nose bleed...the doctor had some fancy name for it and told me to just give him a few pinches if it ever happened again and that everything was fine. There were no blood sugar or other issues to worry about....

At this point, I'm still getting all emotional, Trey is smiling, and the doctor is patting me on the shoulder telling me to "call him if I NEED anything." He even told us to still go to Chuck E Cheese and that everything was perfect!!!

WOW...what an emotional roller coaster!!! So, lesson learned...no picking noses and no poking holes in the brain!!!))

Now on with the picture fun....

Jason and Marcia at Texas Road House...where we ended up going because there was NO WAY we were headed back to Hu-Hot!!! (And, I'll probably never go there again, anyway!!)

Trey on Marcia's birthday saddle...less than an hour after the Urgent Care visit!! Marcia was a trooper and got on while everyone did the birthday song for her. I have a picture of her on it, but that's for her. She wasn't too thrilled with Jason for telling them it was her birthday in the first place!!!

Chuck E. Cheese time....(the next day) because Saturday evening just happened to be when EVERY kid in Des Moines had planned a birthday party and we couldn' t even get in without a 45 minute wait. Note to the rest of you....Sunday at 9 AM is the PERFECT time to make a Chuck E. Cheese run. No lines, no waiting and easy access to all games!! In and out in less than 2 hours!!

Tylee being silly...haivng a ball, as usual!!

Firegirl to the rescue!!

Tylee and Barney....Cheesin' it up!!!

Resting Up....Leapster Time before we headed back to Ottuwma to watch the Packers win the Super Bowl!!

THANKS, PaPa Ken & Grandma Marcia, for letting us come up and take over the house for 2 1/2 days! We had a blast, loved spending time with you guys, and can't wait until we get to do it again. (Just think...there will soon be another grandkid added to the mix-even that much more fun, fun!!!) Love you guys!!!

PS...I have TOTALLY learned that I'm NOT good in SCARY situations...thanks, Jason, for staying so calm and, Trey, I am so glad you are okay!! No more fingers up the nose, got-it? Your momma doesn't need anymore scares like that!! LOVE YOU!!!



Shoveling the Morning Away....

This pic just begins to sum up the amount of shoveling Jason has been doing for about the last hour or so. We actually do have a snow blower, but thanks to the large of amount snow that was dumped & the snow drifts that piled everything up so high, the snow blower just wasn't cut out for this job....or maybe he just enjoys the "workout" part of shoveling by hand-especially knowing he's not making his daily trip to the YMCA today. Either way....we APPRECIATE it!!

But. I would like to draw your attention to the type of shovel Jason is using...it's definitely not meant for the snow but it is obviously getting the job done. See, I went out and got a really nice snow shovel last year...one of those "bent" ones that are supposed to be so great for one's back. Well, Jason was shoveling one blistery morning before we headed off to school, making the sidewalks & driveway a little more user friendly. After he finished, he set the shovel down by the driveway (which just happened to be next to the trashcans b/c it was "trash day" on our side of the street) and came inside to grab the keys to start the cars. Next thing you know, the trash cans were emptied and thrown back on our sidewalk and the shovel was GONE! So, needless to say, the garbage man either got a nice, new, "easy on back" snow shovel OR the dump gained an extra and unnecessary piece of trash that day. We haven't bought another one and probably won't considering the "barn shovel" is having no problems taking care of the job.....

So Jason, THANKS for shoveling for us and making it a little safer for my almost 9 month preggo self when we finally get the chance to venture off our property!! I appreciate it and know you have about 1,000 other things you'd rather be doing with your snow day!!

Break Time!!! (And, for the record, that is his THUMB he's holding up:)

On that note, Old Man Winter....we DO NOT need any more snow! We are perfectly content with what you have given us and the four snow days we have to make up so far. Please share the wealth and give to those who haven't gotten the snow they have been asking for... We'll seee you again in 2012!!