The Sivik Family

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

This Halloween we were to go to my sister-in-laws house for our traditional trick-or-treating and then dinner, but their house has been attacked by the flu, so we had last minute change of plans to stay at home, pass out candy, hit a few houses up in the neighborhood for candy and then venture across the street to our neighbor Dave's house for his annual party. Last year Josh was the cutest, chunkiest bat and since he isn't into too many characters yet, I picked out his costume this year and made him the cutest, most handsome MD! Here he is, I can't believe he actually kept the scrub cap on. It's almost as if he didn't realize it was there.
The stethoscope was the issue and the picture above is not because Josh isn't diggin' his skittles bc he is, this face is bc he has a mean mommy that kept trying to force the stethoscope on his neck. Eventually he won and mommy just carried the stethoscope door to door.

Loving those skittles

and suckers too!

This might be a result of sugar overload, not quite sure why he all of the sudden decided to lay down in the middle of the dining room.

3D ultrasound

2009-10-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

So I have been a very bad blogger to say the least. When I was around 20wks pregnant, which would have been at the end of July, I had my normal ultrasound to check out everything to make sure all was ok and also to determine the gender of the baby. I don't think that I announced it in my blog, but announced it just about everywhere else (email, facebook, etc) that we are having a baby GIRL!!!!!!! We are very excited and couldn't be happier that she is a healthy little peanut. A few doctors visits ago I had inquired about getting a 3D ultrasound done. They are elective and you pay out of pocked (but they aren't too expensive) and we did it with Josh and it was really neat, so we wanted to do it again. Well, I was informed that the ultrasound company that my OB uses is in the middle of moving and getting new equipment, so they aren't offering them right now. I was bummed, but what can you do. Then around Sept 23 I received a call that the ultrasound company is trying to train on their new high-tech equip and if I was willing to be a guinea pig, they would give me a free 3D ultrasound. Such a great offer that of course I couldn't pass it up. So on Friday Sept 25th, after a playdate with my dear friend Trisha, I left Josh with her and I headed to Barrington to have my free ultrasound. The pics below were the best shots that they got (they were still having a lot of difficulty getting used to the new equip/settings/etc. and they got a money shot to definitely confirm that we are expecting a baby girl. face shots
face shots

looks kind of like Josh in this one

look at those cheekers!

arm with a fist, she's a feisty little one!

So, because I don't think that I announced it earlier....we are scheduled to have our csection on November 24th, 2days before turkey day. Looks like I will be celebrating in the hospital.

Mom's 60th

2009-10-02T11:59:00.001-07:00

The first weekend in August my mom turned the big 6-0, so my brother and sisters and I threw a big surprise party at my parents house. My aunts took her out for the day and she came back for the surprise, I think we surprised her, what do you think?

Josh and Frankie playing in the yard

Josh

My sister Maggie, my cousin Laura and her husband Lance

A small portion of the party, we had around 50 people I think

My cousin John holding Josh and his daughter Jocelyn. Josh and Jocelyn are 3wks apart and both of our babies on the way will be a month apart

My mom's cake

Just some cute shots of my guy!

2009-10-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Trip to Indy

2009-10-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

At the end of July Jeff had a business trip, so Josh and I took the opportunity to go and visit my friend Erica from nursing school. Erica, her husband Jeff and their daughter Hayden live in the burbs of Indy, so it was a nice little mother/son road trip. We did a bunch of fun things for the kids like going to the splash park, the zoo, taking walks, etc. and it was nice for Erica and I to catch up to and do our normal things like go to lunch and shop!:) Erica and Hayden at the dolphin show
Erica and Hayden looking at Ostriches I think

Very cool, at the Indy zoo you can feed the giraffes, and as everyone knows giraffes are my favorite animal, so I thought this was pretty cool. The line was way to long for us to stand though with the kids, so maybe next time.

Look how close up they are, aren't they cute?

Me, Josh and the elephants

The goats, oh the goats!

Hayden was fearless with the goats and was chasing them all around, after awhile I eased up a bit and so did Josh and he ended up really liking the goats as you can see from the pictures below.

Josh and Hayden, aren't they cute!?

Trip to the Shedd Aquarium

2009-08-25T05:22:00.001-07:00

The same week as Lambs Farm I was feeling daring and decided to take Josh and my niece Luz to the aquarium. I was actually pretty excited for Josh to see everything bc this was a very big "Finding Nemo" period in Josh's life. It was the only thing that he wanted to watch and he loved it so much, granted we never let him sit through the whole thing, so he kept seeing like the first 30min or so over and over. Excitement???
Enthralled in the coral fish tank

Luz had a pretty good time too.

Checking things out

When we went into the new coral reef exhibit and came across the huge shark tank Josh got so excited. We sat there for a good 10mins watching the sharks.

Nemo's or mo as Joshua calls them. We took a lot of pics of Nemo, but I will spare you from all of them. This one turned out the best.

Cool Jellyfish

Luz and a huge stingray

Trip to Lambs Farm

2009-08-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

Lambs Farm is a cute little place to bring the kiddos. It has a petting zoo, a carousel, bounce house, train and a bakery! It's actually only 15min from my house but I have never been there before. The week after the 4th of July my sister, who at the time was Josh's babysitter while Jeff and I were at work, took a weeks vacation so.....I decided that since I had the opportunity to be home the whole week with Josh that we would do fun things that we have never done before. Lambs Farm made the list and I am glad that it did bc it was actually a lot of fun and it was cheap which is always a nice plus. Josh waiting to board his first train ride.
On the train, not quite so sure about the ride.

Extreme close up

Joshua's first carousel ride, I think he liked it

I don't really know what is up with the "Flock of Seagulls" hairdo here.

Hanging on

A cow, duh

Watching the goats

Enjoying some rainbow sherbert at the end of our trip at the farm. It was a really great day together and I am glad that I finally got to check out Lambs Farm

4th of July, Better late than never!!!!

2009-08-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

The last couple of years it has sort of become a tradition for us to host a 4th of July party at our house. Usual suspects at the party are my siblings and cousins and this year we had some great family friends and neighbors join in as well. Lots of good food combined with a bunch of pyromaniac guys= a lot of fun!!! I think the kids had fun too!!!! Josh, Gabriel and Frankie
Josh, Jocelyn, Gabriel and then Frankie and Jordan in the back.

My little cutie pie!

Josh and Uncle Isaam

The kids took turns riding in the wagon

Josh and Jocelyn got a really big kick out of playing in the rocks

Pyromania at it's finest

The guys were starting to get a little out of control and started to get a little to close to the girls comfort zone in the garage

One thing that is not too smart is a bunch of pyros that love to do practical jokes. Here is Jeff frantically dodging a lovely firecracker of some sort that was mysteriously thrown by Isaam!

10 Year Ripon Reunion

2009-07-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe that it has been 10 years since I graduated from Ripon College, seriously where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I was walking around campus with my girlfriends, or hanging out at the frat houses. Scary. But it is true, I graduated in 1999, so that does mean that this summer is my 10 year reunion, so the last weekend of June I headed up to good ol Wisconsin for alumni weekend. A lot of changes have been made to campus, all for the better of course, but it's not how I remember Ripon being so to me it was somewhat of a shock. The turn out for our class was, once again, poor, but at least we had a good turn out for our core group, although a lot didn't make it and were missed.
Here we are partying in the dorms before heading out to the bar--just like old times.

Me and Ami

Erin and Ryan

Amanda and I were fortunately preggers together, so we indulged in O'Douls throughout the night, while everyone else kicked back with the real stuff.

All in all, it was nice to get together with my girlfriends but I am not seeing myself in attendance for my 15yr reunion. So much has changed with the campus and barely anyone from our class even shows up to the reunion, so I am thinking that just an organized vacay with our core group of friends would be far more enjoyable, but we'll see.

Playdate with Morgan and Allison

2009-07-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago Josh and I headed to my girlfriend Trisha's house for a playdate with her daughter Morgan and this was also a very special occasion bc this was the first time that I was to meet her newest addition to the family, baby Allison. Well, we had a great time. Josh loved chasing around the house with Morgan and he fell in love with her chair and now I am going to have to suck it up and buy him the same one from good ol Pottery Barn. Anyhoo, a fun time was had by all, but I did forget one important thing...I did not take even one picture of new baby Allison (I am a bad Auntie). I am making a promise now that next time we get together Trisha I will photograph baby Alli.

Just my boys hamming around

2009-07-09T18:58:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend in Colorado

2009-07-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

This past Memorial Day weekend we took a family trip to Denver. As many of you know, I have a couple of girlfriends from college that live in the Denver area, so I have been many times, but Jeff had never been and that was something that he wanted to change (being the mountain climber that he is, how could he never go to CO?) So we made the trek out West and Josh did great on the flight. I came prepared with the portable DVD player and only needed it for take off bc Josh fell asleep right after both on the flight there and back. We stayed in a super nice Marriott (thanks to Jeff's Marriott Reward Points) in a very posh suburb of Denver. Our first day in CO we checked into our hotel then headed south to Colorado Springs--Garden of the Gods. At the Garden of the Gods
Was very gloomy and we could hear these large booms of thunder, but no lightning in sight.

Jeff using his bouldering skills.

Jeff keeping tabs on Josh who since learning to walk LOVES to be let loose, but we

are hesitant to let him run wild. Using my new photography skills with the new and awesome camera!

Josh loves to play in dirt and rocks, a boy thing I guess.

It was near 3pm while at the Garden of the Gods that our trip took a turn for the worst. Jeff started to feel really ill, something that he was attributing to his lunch of sushi and an undercooked burger at a very nice well known restaurant (not naming names but it rhymes with hona kill). He proceeded to become violently ill on our very long drive back to our hotel, making pit stops along the way and continued to get sick throughout the evening and night and then still in the AM. This was when I insisted that we go to the ER to get him some antiemetics and hydration. 2 bags of saline and some phenergan later, Jeff was taking uninterrupted snoozes in the ER while I had to keep a 16mo entertained in a very small and boring hospital. Needless to say all the plans that we had made for the weekend went out the window and new plans had to be made. Jeff spent the rest of Saturday in bed at the hotel and Josh and I headed up to Fort Collins to my girlfriend Ami's house for dinner. On Sunday Jeff was feeling a little more up for things so we met up for a nice dinner with my girlfriend Ami, her husband Chad and their two kids Noah and Ava and also my girlfriend Julie and her husband Marc. The following picture is kind of crappy cause the hotel guy didn't know how to work my camera, but it is the only pic I have for the rest of the vacation so so be it.

Even with Jeff's trip to the ER the trip wasn't a total bust bc we made the most of it and managed to have some decent moments. Note to self: Never eat sushi (not that I ever do).

Tulips--Now and Then

2009-06-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Every May we get to enjoy the beautiful tulips that were planted in our front flower bed long before we ever lived here. For the past two months of May I have kind of made it a tradition to get a pic of Josh in front of those tulips. So below you will find our little guy Now and then further below you will find a few pics of him Then last year when he was still an immobile little peanut! Too cute, I can't believe how big my baby actually is until I pull up old pics of him when he really was a baby.

Playing with bubbles

2009-06-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

The Easter bunny brought Josh this cute little doggie bubble blower, so on a nice day last month we decided to try it out. Josh preferred to just carry around a bottle of bubbles
Loving being outside

Josh trying to get it to work

After a lot of unsuccessful tries with the stinkin' bubble blowing dog, we called it a day. It worked for like two seconds and then Josh lost interest and I was frustrated and ticked bc the Easter bunny spent good money on that thing and it totally sucked! We will be trying to find a better way to blow bubbles this summer, maybe the old fashioned way with the bottle and wand is the best afterall.

Can you guess????

2009-06-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

These pics were taken on April 15th, yes still catching up sorry. Can you guess where we were and what we were up to? Do you know?
Still clueless?

Still haven't figured it out?????

Okay, well I won't keep you in suspense any longer. On April 15th we headed to Dr Calvello's office to confirm......the presence of baby number 2!!!!!!!! Yep, we are expecting baby #2 December 2, 2009!!!!! Since I am now presently as I write this post 14wks along, I am no longer in shock about this news, but at the time it didn't really sink in. For those that know our full history, you know that we had a very tough time conceiving. We tried for 2yrs for a baby before seeing a specialist only to find out that we had unexplained infertility and then after 2 rounds of clomid and IUI, we had Joshua. So, when Josh turned 1yr we knew that if we wanted to have another baby soon we should start trying cause it might take awhile. Our MD's actually said try for 6mos and if nothing come back for more clomid treatments, etc. So we decided that we would try in March and voile that's when it happened. I didn't think that I would ever be able to conceive like everyone else! Such a relief, but at the same time kind of scary bc of all the unknowns. With Josh our infertility MD's monitored us weekly for the first 3mos of pregnancy with ultrasounds and blood work. This pregnancy is rolling along, but I never know what is going on in there and I am not used to that even though that's how it is for the majority of the population. But things are great, the nausea has finally calmed a little and in July we will find out what we are having!!!!

Easter 2009 (I told you I was backtracking)

2009-06-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

So here are a few pics from this past Easter, I actually took a ton and had to limit my selections for this post. You see, Jeff gave me an awesome early mothers day present, a Canon Rebel XL and I love it!!! I have been wanting a camera upgrade for awhile now and have finally had it with my old kodak easyshare. It served me well, but quite frankly it wasn't making the cut anymore. Anyway, so here are a select few from Easter morning when Josh found his basket and then at Easter Brunch!

We actually only had empty plastic eggs in his basket bc that's all he likes to play with and he doesn't eat candy yet, so it all worked out!!!

All dressed for brunch.

With the easter bunny, not a big fan. This year he cried.

Cousins!

Cousin Nick being a big helper and cutting up some carrots for Josh

Josh and Dad, full after Easter brunch.

Spring has sprung, and summer is almost here!!!

2009-06-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for my lack of posts, it's not that I don't have a lot to talk about, I have just been a very bad blogger. I am going to be backtracking with these pics which are from the beginning of April when we had our first thaw here in Chicago. Joshua loves playing outside and gets pissssssed when you take him back in. Sticks seem to be his toy of choice. Enjoy!

Water Park Bday Party

2009-04-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am a little late in posting these pics. The end of March we went to Jeff's cousins birthday party at CoCo Key in Rockford. I was not feeling swimsuit ready, so I sat on the sidelines and drank a cocktail and took pics. It was a really fun day, but long and unfortunately on a Sunday, so that meant work the next morning. Josh wasn't a big fan of the water that day, which is surprising bc he is normally pretty laid back with baths, swimming, etc. I think that the place was just a little too crowded and loud for him. Jeff said that right when we walked through the doors to the water park Josh turned and pointed to walk back out. The start was rough, but he had fun in the end. Not digging the water.
Hanging on the sidelines with Mom.

Tough guy pose! What a cute little man!

With his big cousins Jake and Zack.

With his big cousin Alex.

With Dad in the arcade riding an ATV. That was pretty cool, after the swimming portion of the party we all got cards with money loaded on them so that we could go to the arcade and play whatever we wanted. Great party and a lot of fun, but we were totally wiped out on the ride home, thank god Jeff was driving so I could get a nap in.:)

Winter Thaw/Dog Park

2009-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

So back in March, once we started the winter thaw, we made our trek back to Bruisers favorite dog park. One nice thing about living in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago (as opposed to the Western Suburbs where I grew up) is that they really do try to preserve the land for dog parks, people parks, forest preserves, etc. Our county really does have a lot to choose from in that area. Anyway, so we loaded up the car and headed out. It actually was a pretty nice day. Bruiser and Jeff enjoyed the two laps around the large lake, Josh enjoyed 4-wheeling in his stroller and I enjoyed playing around with the camera a little bit.

Practice lunch at Chili's

2009-04-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

So, Jeff has had this challenge for many years that he has never accomplished, actually he made the goal but up until now has never tried. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself. We have been watching a lot of man vs food lately (great show if you don't watch it) and it has resparked in Jeff's brain a challenge that we learned of at Max and Erma's years ago---The Garbage Burger Challenge. This burger is 1lb of beef and every topping you can think of. If he eats it, actually I think he might have to eat two, anyway he wins a Tshirt. So on an occasional Saturday he invites Josh and myself to Chili's or Red Robin and he practices eating their version of a big burger. Here are some pics from practice a couple of weeks ago. Josh being healthy and eating chicken and broccoli.

Josh trying his very first french fry (I have been avoiding this moment bc anyone who knows me knows that fries are my weakness, I didn't want my son to become a victim to them as well). But Jeff said "what can it hurt?"

First taste

Oh no, he likes it! They have roped in another sucker!

Jeff finishing up his 2nd, yes 2nd Old Timer burger at Chili's. He ate them in about 10minutes. The waitress even gave Jeff a high5!

Funny Story

2009-04-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

At work yesterday I was taking care of this patient who had a ton of family hanging around, but it was okay bc they were actually fun, nice family, not crazy overbearing family. Anyway, they wanted to venture away from the hospital for dinner and were asking me if certain places were good. I suggested that if they go a little further west of the hospital there is a great Tapas restaurant. One of the wives of the family member whispered to someone else "did she just suggest to us a topless restaurant?". I thought that was pretty hilarious, bc I of all people would NEVER suggest anything of the sort. Just thought it was a funny story that had to be shared. I also included a cute pic of Joshua being a ham, enjoy!

Play Date with Miss Morgan

2009-04-02T09:36:00.001-07:00

At the end of February Josh and I got together with my girlfriend Trisha and her daughter Morgan. We had a great day at the mall and a really good lunch at Ruby Tuesday. To let the kids blow off some steam, so that we could actually shop, we let them loose in the play area and they had a great time! Josh in the tunnel
Josh and Morgan driving

again

They are so cute!!!!! I can't wait to meet Morgans new baby sister next month!!!

A few more firsts!!!!

2009-04-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

Still catching up! In mid-February we had a few more firsts for Josh. He got his first new pair of shoes since he was really starting to walk well and his first ear infection. We actually went to the doctor for other concerns about Josh and walked away with an ear infection and a prescription for antibiotics. Poor little guy didn't even show signs of an ear infection. We got through the 10 days of amoxicillin and wouldn't you know it 2 days after he completed the prescribed amount he broke out in full body hives. Back to the doctor we went. They weren't completely sure if it was a reaction to the amoxicillin bc it happened after he finished it or if it was a virus. So, to home we went with an order for benadryl which did the trick! His right ear---the culprit of the infection.
His new shoes from Stride Rite thanks to a gift card from his first birthday party. These were the cutest to choose from, must say that after this stage in shoe Stride Rite doesn't have many cute options (sorry, not to offend any Stride Rite lovers out there).

Joshua's First Birthday!!!!! January 23, 2009

2009-02-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that a year ago from this date I had been in the hospital, in labor for 22hrs and was finally about to become a mother. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I can't believe that this little peanut.......
has become this big guy!!!!!! I have loved this past year. Josh has been so much fun and such a blessing to our family. We love whenever he hits a new milestone, the pride glows not only from his face, but from both of ours.
Joshua's birthday was on a Friday this year and we were having his big birthday celebration on Saturday the 24th, so Friday was all about party prep (Josh won't remember right?). Anyway, we were expecting about 50 adults and 25 kids, and our house is not a mansion. I was really worried about how crowded the house would be with no where for people to go in the middle of January, but things turned out well. The house wasn't as crowded as I expected, but it sure was loud. So loud in fact that it totally spooked Joshua. He was a tad overwhelmed to say the least. Poor little guy. I was so busy being a hostess that the only time that I pulled out my camera to make a memory of the event was for the cake.

Joshua liked the candles, but as soon as everyone started to sing, he burst into tears.

He was so tuckered out from his big day, that he went to bed at 7pm and the party still continued on without him. Thanks to everyone that was part of his big day, we hope that you had a good time, we know we did.

Big Boy

2009-02-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

Josh is so much fun lately. He is pretty much fully mobile. He crawls like a made man and walks with furniture, walking will be very soon. He now has 4 teeth and knows how to use them, ask Jeff to show you the permanent marks on his finger!

Christmas Eve

2009-02-09T20:16:00.000-08:00

We did a tour of houses this past holiday. First stop on Christmas Eve was my Uncle Ed's house, which was so much fun bc we were able to see all of my aunt's and uncles and first cousins. With all the fun, I didn't really take to many pics. Here is one of my mom and Josh. After my Uncle's house we headed over to Jeff's cousin Erika's new house. Josh was a big hit with all of the other kids. They all wanted to just entertain him. AND Joshua loved it!!!!!

Waiting for dinner!

Joshua's first Christmas present!

Nick helping Josh figure out his new toy.

Josh in his Christmas pajamas, ready for the evening to wide down and go to sleep. It was a very busy night, but always a good time.

Christmas Morning

2009-02-09T20:05:00.001-08:00

Our Tree
Bruiser waiting for his presents on Christmas morning.

Bruiser playing with a toy from Santa.

We had to actual wake Josh up on Christmas morning and this is how we found the little guy.

Just a tad tired from his crazy Christmas eve the night before!

Ooooh, another Baby Einstein DVD!

Josh jamming on his new piano.

Brunch at Auntie Tara's house and opening more presents.

Taking it all in.

Aunt Tara with her morning cup of Joe

Ella and Josh

Pisghetti Dinner

2009-02-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti is probably Joshua's favorite meal. He can devour a plate of it like no other.

It's a good thing that bathtime is also his favorite time of day!!!!

Cousin Jake's Chuck E Cheese Bday

2009-02-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

Still catching up here. Our nephews birthday was Dec. 12th and he wanted a party at Chuck E Cheese. We had a lot of fun with everyone, although Josh wasn't to keen on all of the chaos. Our table was near this one gun game and everytime the kids would play it it had this music that would make Josh cry. Every time. Josh and Oma
Jake the Birthday Boy

Miss Ella playing some riding game

Alex shooting hoops

Zack and Jake feeding the ticket cruncher.

Josh-not sure what to make of his evening with a giant mouse.

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2009-01-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

I decided that I was just going to do my own pics for Christmas cards this year. I spent a good half hour with Josh trying to get the right shot, but it was more difficult than planned. Josh is very mobile these days and doesn't enjoy sitting in one spot and he was especially distracted by all of the shiny ornaments on the tree. But after awhile I decided to just settle with the ones that I could get and it turned out to be better than expected. The winning picture, as most of you know since you received it in the mail.
Bruiser wanted in on the action as well and it turns out that this is one of my favorites, they both look so stinking cute!

Loves the ornaments

Playing catch up

2009-01-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I have been absent from blogging the past couple of months. Things at the hospital have really picked up and I have been working more than I ever wanted to, but it is necessary for the good old bank account. Anyhoo, here are some pics from our Thanksgiving (yes, I know that it is now January, but like I said, I am playing catch up). Josh in his new outfit playing around before our busy day began.
Joshua's favorite toys for months now have been these letter links, he's obsessed!

Tired of posing

With Opa

Wearing his cousins laser tag glasses.

Posing with cousin Ella

More posing with cousin Ella

Tired from a very long day of festivities

10 Months Old

2008-11-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Joshua is already 10 months old, I can't even believe it! He has picked up on so much in the past month. He is now crawling everywhere, and even starting to pull himself up into a standing position. He claps, waves, plays peek a boo and loves to give kisses! We are also working on giving five. He loves food, and feeds himself pretty well. He still has only the two teeth, but he is definitely working on more. He is a lot of fun and has a great personality, but he is also a definite stinker at times. Lately when we are holding him he loves to touch our face, although the delivery of the touch is with a smack to the face, so we are working with him on how to touch gently.

I love this picture, I don't know if it's the angle of him looking up at the camera or what, he looks so darn cute!

Cousins!

2008-11-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, my mom had surgery last week. She is doing well and still recovering at home. So this past Thursday I was cancelled from work and so Josh and I decided to go make a visit to see how Gramma was doing. Low and Behold, cousin Frankie and Aunt Liz were there, so we had to have another cousin photo op. Frankie and Joshua
Now that Josh is fully mobile (and I have such a slow camera) it is so difficult to get good shots. In this one Josh is ready to leap off the couch and Frankie isn't even paying attention. How do professional photographers do it?

Hair cut and Voting Day

2008-11-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it 9 months and finally had to break down and give Josh a proper haircut. As most of you know, and can see from previous pics, Joshua has always had somewhat crazy, but cute, hair. I have been sortof trimming it the past few months to keep if from going over his eyes and ears. Well, let's just say that Josh was looking a little bit scraggly due to my lack of hair cutting skills. Sooo, Jeff took things into his own hands and buzzed down Josh's hair. It was hard to get used to at first, but it is growing on me now.

Along with the new do, Joshua joined mom and dad at the voting booths last week. Everyone thought he was so adorable and gave him "Proud to Vote" stickers too.

Halloween

2008-11-09T13:20:00.001-08:00

Here is Joshua the Bat!!!! He was a very good baby and didn't mind being in his costume at all, it was almost as if he didn't notice it was even on. The next few pics are on our front porch. Josh seems more interested in the hay from our scarecrow more than anything else.

First stop for the day was my parents house so that everyone could see how cute Josh looked in his costume. He was pretty frickin' adorable if I do say so myself. Anyway...

Josh and Aunt LizJosh and cousin Frankie, oops I mean Spiderman.

Next stop was Aunt Tara and Uncle Alans house to do some trick or treating and have dinner.

Josh with his cousins Jake, Zack, Ella and Nick

Josh with his cousins Jake, Nick, Alex (holding Josh), Zack and Ella

Josh trick or treating on Daddy's shoulders

We really did have a great day. The weather was perfect. Josh was so good, no fussing at all. And Alan, as always, made a delicious dinner for everyone.

Neighborhood Halloween Party

2008-11-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Our very nice, across the street neighbor, Dave threw a huge Halloween Bash the week before Halloween (and our neighborhood trick or treat was actually the next day, always the Sunday before Halloween). Costumes were optional, so Jeff and I opted not, but we had to dress up Josh. We were saving his Bat costume for actual Halloween, but we had this cute skeleton hand me down from my sister, so that was Joshua's costume for the party. Posing for a few shots before we left for the party. Doesn't this costume remind you of the movie Karate Kid? This is what the bad kids wore on Halloween.

Instead of him scaring others, he looks pretty scared himself!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-31T07:36:00.001-07:00

Last week we made a family trip to the pumpkin patch. We went on a Tuesday, so it wasn't crazy crowded and had a lot of fun. Fall is our favorite season at the Sivik household, so this trip was right up our alley. We picked the Sivik Family Pumpkin, picked some apples and even fed some goats (well, Jeff did, Josh and I just watched.
Josh with the Sivik Family Pumpkin
Josh eating hay.

Still eating hay.

Jeff feeding the nasty goats.

Mesmorized by the goats!

Josh and Daddy goofing around

Mom and Josh

Random Pics

2008-10-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few random shots from the past couple of weeks, there are more, of course, but I don't want to get too carried away. Enjoy! With Dad hanging out at Chili's!

Ready for his photoshoot to be the next top baby model. Doesn't he look so cute?

Josh in the laundry basket.

This was a crabby night and the laundry basket provided a new source of entertainment for Josh.

Joshua still supporting the team before they lost (like usual).

8months old

2008-10-28T10:01:00.001-07:00

This pic is from a month ago when Josh turned 8 months!!! I have been a great picture taker but a bad blogger lately. Enjoy 1 month late:) 8 months old, so big!!

Random pics

2008-10-28T09:59:00.001-07:00

Joshua's New Ride

2008-10-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

These pics are from about a month ago when we switched out Josh's carrier seat for the convertible car seat. He loves his new ride and lounges in it like he is a king (see pics below).

My Birthday Dinner

2008-09-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

My Birthday was the day after Labor Day (the 2nd to be exact) and for a great treat Jeff surprised me with dinner at Bob Chin's!!! For those that don't live in the Chicagoland area, Bob Chins is a crab house famous for all of their fresh seafood that is flown in daily. It's delicious!!! I posted these pics from our dinner in reverse order though. Sorry.

He did some playing too.

Josh had a good time too. He did a lot of people watching and ate some delicious Gerber puffs.

The waiter made me wear this bib. I protested saying that I have had crab here before and didn't have to wear a bib, but he insisted. So I made Jeff take a picture.

I love crab legs and have been craving them pretty much since Josh was born and haven't had a chance to eat them, so I was so excited to spend a night out with my boys eating crab legs and drinking a Bob Chin's Mai Tai (also famous).

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, things have been a little crazy since starting my new job. Okay, so here are some pics from labor day weekend. It was a jam-packed weekend. We had 3 bbq's in 3 days. Here are some pics that I managed to take. Jeff and Josh in Auntie Tara and Uncle Alan's pool

Chillin' in the water

Super cool Joshua with Dad's shades on.

Joshua looking super cute in his polo shirt. Totally teething, as you can see his tongue is rubbing on those bottom gums.

So handsome!!!

What a little ham!

7 months old

2008-08-25T20:52:00.001-07:00

Josh turned seven months old 2 days ago. I can't even believe it. He is now closer to 1yr old than he is newborn. It's bittersweet because I do miss that little newborn stage, but he is so much fun now and learning more and more each day. It's amazing.

I did happen to take him to the doctor right around his 7month birthday for a checkup on his eczema (which is doing really well, by the way) and he weighed in at 19lbs and 12oz. They didn't do a length on him because it wasn't one of his normally scheduled routine visits, so we will have to wait until October when he is 9 months to find out how long he is.
Here is the little chunker on his seven month bday. He is almost grown out of this carseat too. I don't think he will even be in it by his next MD visit in October. I am going to have to start saving my money for a convertible car seat because they are expensive (well, at least the one that I want is expensive).:)

Pacifiers

2008-08-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Josh loves his pacifiers. But he tends to take them out of his mouth and fling them out of his crib. So occasionally in the middle of the night he will start to cry and I will go in to pop in a Paci and I can't find it because he has seriously chucked it across the room. Now that I am on to his little ways I prepare ahead of time. I load up the crib with a bunch of Paci's for future use.

Wisconsin Dells Trip

2008-08-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

I apologize, I have been slacking off with the blogging. But in my defense, we have had a lot going on with the family lately regarding relocation, job changes, etc. Anyway, at the beginning of the month (Aug 4-7 to be exact) my family went on a vacation up to the Dells. It was so much fun. We rented out a 4 bedroom condo that had plenty of space for 9 adults and 3 kids. We started out the trip on my mom's birthday, so the first few pics are from her bday dinner out. Enjoy!!!!! My cute little nephew Frankie waiting to be seated for Grandma's dinner.
My sister Maggie, Joshua, and my sister Liz.

My mom and dad at the bday dinner.

My sister Liz and brother in law Frank

My sister Maggie and brother in law Kevin

The girls outside of the restaurant (Liz, my niece Luz, me, Maggie)

Josh at the condo playing with his spatula, which he tends to gag himself with. Gotta keep a close eye on him lately.

Josh holding his sippy cup, but not really sipping yet, just gnaws on it cause it feels good on his teething gums.

Out to lunch one day at a restaurant that gave all the kids antlers. Doesn't he look so darn cute?

My niece in the downtown of the dells, riding the Flintstones car.

My sister Liz wanted to ride too.

Jeff using his rock climbing skills to scale this HUGE wall at The Wilderness Resort. He is such a daredevil. :)

Jeff using his skills again to climb the wall of one of the buildings at the resort.

Josh and Daddy right after a few laps on the lazy river.

Josh in his life vest that was just about as big as he is.

Josh in the water swing.

He loves the water and pretty much has since he was born. There wasn't a ton of things for little ones his age, but what they had was enough. Josh pretty much got tired out after about 45 minutes. It was a great trip that we were all really sad to see end. We are already thinking about planning next years adventure.

ADPI Playdate---Surf and Turf

2008-07-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Josh and I hosted the ADPI playdate which is made up of college girlfriends in the area and their kids. We had yummy food and a cool blowup pool, what more could you ask for? The cool blowup pool attracted many little swimmers, but there were still a few who chose to stay on dry land. Josh laying out
Braxton Brusky hanging out on shore

Wynn Wollerman digging in the fire pit with Bruiser

The swimmers of the group included Aidan and Olivia Mayrand and Corra and Carter Zirbel

Bruiser enjoyed the cool blow up pools water spout too!!!

Sooooo Big

2008-07-30T07:24:00.001-07:00

Wow, Josh is starting to pick up new things everyday now. He is sitting on his own, with a few tips here and there, and he is babbling bababababa and blowing raspberries all the time!!!!! Here are some pics of his first time sitting up for a long stretch of time.......

before falling over.

I even included a video of the big occasion!!!

Brookfield Zoo

2008-07-30T07:12:00.001-07:00

Last week Josh and I went to the Brookfield Zoo with my sisters, Aunt Maggie and Aunt Liz, Uncle Frank and Frankie and Luzzy. It was fun, but it was very hot and the kids reached their limit pretty early into the day. Luzzy and her friend Rebecca walking with Mr Independent (aka Frankie)
Uncle Frank and Josh

Frankie

Frankie in a gorilla shirt

Rebecca in a gorilla shirt

Josh as a fish

Luzzy and Rebecca as fish

Josh and mom at the dolphin show

again

what is going on here?

Luzzy and Rebecca at the dolphin show

Josh

Happy Baby

2008-07-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to wait until 6am to go and get Josh out of his crib (from this book that I'm reading). Anyway, most of the time this is fine because Josh gets up early and plays and babbles to himself until I come and get him. He is so happy in the morning when I go to pick him up that I wanted everyone else to see what I see first thing everyday. What a good boy!

MD appointment

2008-07-16T21:27:00.001-07:00

So this morning I took Josh for his 6mo checkup. Things went really well. He weighed in at a whopping 18lbs and 13oz which is the 75th percentile, his length is 28 inches which is 90th percentile and his head has been consistently in the 50th percentile.

I also finally got to ask the doctor about the dry skin/rash that has been on his legs and elbows since he was a couple of months old. The bumps were actually very small and unnoticeable except by touch up until recently, which is why I never really mentioned it to the MD. But when they started to become red and inflammed the last month or two I started to worry. Turns out my little guy has eczema (basically genetic dry skin that irritates easily). Not really a big deal I guess, just a little steroid cream twice a day for 2wks. But, the doctor was saying how eczema a lot of times is tied in with asthma and or allergies. Let's hope that it's just a light case of eczema, and that we won't have to worry about asthma or allergies for now. Josh also had to get shots this appointment, but only 3 this time and he really handled them like a champ. I was so relieved. He didn't cry after the first one, only after the second and third. But he really calmed down a lot faster than he normally does.

After Joshua's appointment we headed down to Auntie Tara's house to swim in her pool. Josh just loves the water. He basically just lounged in his little floating car with the canopy for about an hour and a half straight. He always has so much fun watching his big cousins. Below are a few pics of Josh and his cousin Alex from today.

Uncle Steven

2008-07-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

So this week Jeff's brother Steve flew in from AZ to visit with the family for a week. Jeff, Josh and myself picked Steve up from the airport on Saturday and he spent a couple of days with us before he headed down to Jeff's parents house (oma and opa). This visit was the first time that Steve got to meet Josh. For a bachelor that states he doesn't really need to have kids, Steve was kind of crazy about Josh. He would do all sorts of things to make Josh laugh. Here are a few snapshots of the two of them after Steve fed Josh his bottle. What a good uncle! Joshua and Uncle Steven

6 month flashback

2008-07-15T08:29:00.001-07:00

I can't even believe that my baby is now 6mos old. It seems like we were at the hospital just yesterday, although the weather is much better now than it was then. Josh has been great! We are going to the doctor tomorrow morning for his check up, so I will post his new ht and wt then, but my guess is that he is at least 20lbs. He is so much fun and has such a personality. I am loving every minute of it. 6 months old
5 months old

4 months old

3 months old

2 months old

1 month old

Birth- January 23, 2008

ADPI Playdate

2008-06-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

On Friday a bunch of my girlfriends and I got together for a playdate at our friend Sara's house in WI. It was so much fun to see my old college girlfriends and also to meet all of the new babies. Here is a group shot of all the kiddos. From Left: Addison (in bouncer), Wynn, Paiton holding Josh, Corra holding Maryssa and Carter
It was really hard to coordinate these group shots, but worth it. Aren't they all so cute?!

Paiton semi-holding Josh

Joshua's new girlfriend Maryssa.

Josh tuckered out from his first ADPI playdate and ready to nap in the car on the way home.

Group shot of mom's and babies: Myself and Josh, Leanne and Carter, Sam and Maryssa, Katie and Wynn. Thanks Saree for taking the picture.

Bruiser/Trip to Dayton, OH

2008-06-29T11:12:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't already know, Jeff has gotten a promotion to District Manager in pharma sales with Abbott and we will be relocating to the Dayton, OH area. Last week Jeff had to be in Dayton for the week, so on Saturday Josh and I traveled to the big OH to check it out for a few days. Here are some pics from our travels: Josh and Daddy at the mall food court. If I am going to be living in the big OH, I have to check out the shopping situation.
Joshua and Mommy taking a self portrait at the hotel.

This is actually a picture of Chicago's skyline as we were driving through it to head down to OH. Yes, I live on the wild side. I was taking the pics while driving. But I swear I was super careful, as careful as you can be while driving on 90/94. Sorry Mom, I swear I won't do it again. :)

Sears tower is straight ahead.

Also, on the way back home from OH Josh and I stopped by my friend Erica's house in Indy. We got to see her new house AND her adorable new baby girl Hayden. Unfortunately, I was a bone head and had my camera with me, but didn't take one pic. Sorry. But I know that Erica got some cute ones, so she said she will post on her blog.

Bruiser the handsome boy.

Here are a few pics of our first baby which I keep unintentionally neglecting from my posts. These shots were taken of him right before I brought him into the vets office for boarding while we were in the big OH. If you haven't already noticed that is now going to be my nickname for Ohio. I'm trying to jazz it up a bit so that it will sound appealing for people to come and visit me once we move down there. :)wink wink

Ladies Man

2008-06-29T11:04:00.001-07:00

About one week ago, I was able to meet a couple of my fellow nursing girlfriends from Evanston Hospital for lunch. It was so good to see them, I miss working at Evanston more than I thought I would. Anyway, they were so excited to get to dine with Josh, because afterall, they knew him inutero. I think that Joshua has added two new members to his fan club. Welcome Jen and Thuan!!!! Joshua the ladies man in his shades.
Joshua and Thuan

Joshua and Jen

Swimming

2008-06-29T10:51:00.001-07:00

A week and a half ago, Josh and I went over to Auntie Tara's house and swam in her awesome in ground pool. This was Joshua's first time ever swimming, but I wasn't worried. He loves bathtime, so this was just like a bigger tub, with clothes on, and mommy in the water too. Okay, so not totally like bathtime, but he really enjoyed himself and so did I. This is Joshua totally passing out after his fun in the water.
Here is the big guy in his little blowup car, steering wheel and all for a whopping $10 at Walgreens. You can't beat that!

Here he is at the beginning of the pool experience, not looking too sure about it.

First Trip to the Zoo

2008-06-20T16:11:00.001-07:00

This past Monday Joshua and I met up at the Milwaukee zoo with my friend Leanne and her two little ones, as well as her mom. It was my first time at the Milwaukee zoo and a good time was had by all. The weather was kind of shady though. One minute it would be so hot with the sun blazing, then it would be so cold and cloudy, as you can see from the background of the next picture. Josh and mommy in front of the Polar bears.
Leanne and Carter feeding the goats.

Leanne measuring Corra to see what type of horse she would be.

Pretty Peacock

Joshua all bundled up in his stroller.

Leanne, Corra and Carter riding the Safari Train.

Fathers Day pics a little late

2008-06-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

For Fathers Day (which was the day after we got home from VT), we went over to my brothers house. It was a nice quiet day with lots of good food. Thanks Bill for being a great host. Josh hanging out on Uncle Bill's floor.
Joshua still looking tired from his recent travels.

Joshua with Grampa.

Jeff unfortunately had to do some work at home on Father's Day due to his recent promotion and also being gone from work for a week due to graduation. So Josh and I hung out with him in the evening and made him dinner, but I didn't get to snap any pics of Josh with Daddy. I know, I am bad.

Plane Ride/Ben & Jerry's/Graduation

2008-06-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Last week Josh and I headed out East to Vermont with Oma, Opa and cousin Alex. We went to see Jeff graduate with his MBA from Norwich University. I have to say that I was quite nervous about taking the baby on the plane, and also being away from home and our routine, but everything went well. We ended up flying to NH to drop off our nephew Alex at his fathers and then from NH drove to VT. Not too much to do in VT, but it was nice to get away. Alex, Josh and myself on the empty flight home. The flight to NH was completely packed making it not so much fun.

Joshua totally passed out on the entire flight home, god love him.

Alex is such a good big cousin. Josh just loves to watch Alex. It doesn't matter what Alex is doing, Josh just stares.

Joshua looking too cool in his big cousin Alex's sunglasses.

First family photo!!! Can you believe it has been 5mos and we haven't all been in a pic until now. I will have to make sure that we all get in front of the camera together a little more, but most of the time it's me taking the pics.

Doesn't Josh look so done here? This was halfway through Jeff's graduation in like 95 degree weather in a field house with no air. Poor kid. I had to keep wetting his head and walk him around in his stroller for most of the graduation.

The graduate. Doesn't he look handsome?

The program from graduation.

Jeff before the graduation ceremony.

Jeff at Ben & Jerry's factory.

Do you think he enjoyed the new flavor that we got to try? He is licking the little paper cup clean. The new flavor that we got to try had graham cracker, coconut, chunks of chocolate, caramel and vanilla ice cream. It comes out in the stores soon. It was pretty good and I don't even like coconut.

Me and Jeff outside of Ben & Jerry's waiting for our tour to start.

Jeff and his mom

The front of the factory.

The scoop van.

Joshua listening to Alex's MP3 player.

Alex listening to his MP3 player before our flight left Chicago.

Smiles

2008-05-29T18:35:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of Josh's latest smiles. He is really at a fun age right now. Most of the time he is laughing and "talking". I am pretty sure he is going to be a social butterfly. Gee, I wonder who he takes after, can you guess? :)

Cereal

2008-05-29T18:29:00.001-07:00

These pics are from 2 wks ago when Josh had his first meal of cereal.
His bib says "I'm the boss" and he pretty much is these days.

At first he wasn't super crazy about the cereal, but as the days went on it became a hit. Now he gets excited when he sees the spoon. In about another month we will get to try some veggies!!!

Breakfast At Wildberry

2008-05-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

This morning Joshua met Aunt Julie and Uncle Marc for the first time. They live out in Colorado, so he was very sad when he had to say goodbye to two of his newest fans. Josh and Uncle Marc
Josh and Auntie Julie

4....

2008-05-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

The number of months Joshua is today!!!!! 4 months old

And the number of shots that the poor little guy got at the doctors office today.

He is doing okay. But he had about an hour this afternoon where I could not console him at all. I had already given him his dose of baby tylenol, so all I could do was rock him and walk all around the house and let him try to quiet himself down. He did do that finally and is actually still napping as I type this entry. I hope that he wakes up as the happy little guy that he normally is because tonight we get to try our first serving of rice cereal:)

Birthday Wishes

2008-05-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to wish my nephew Zachery and my good friend Erin very happy birthdays today. Love you both!!!!!! Erin on the left, Becca on the right and guy from Letcher's 30th birthday above.
My little Zack at one of his baseball games last summer.

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-05-07T14:33:00.001-07:00

Currently I am typing this blog in my office listening to the down pour outside, wondering when nice weather is going to stay. Yesterday was such a beautiful day out. So beautiful in fact that I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful back drop that our front flower bed provided. I guess that I should also thank the previous owners for planting these lovely tulip bulbs that keep coming back spring after spring without needing any intervention from me. Because anyone that really knows me can attest that I am NOT a green thumb.
Joshua's balance in the bumbo is getting so much better!!!!

Love List

2008-05-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

Joshua Loves to:
have someone sing twinkle twinkle or the ABC's to him.
squeal as loud as he can.
suck and gnaw on his chunky little fists.
loves to watch his older cousins run all around.
eat.
have tummy time.
cuddle with mommy and daddy.

Bumbo/Valpo Trip

2008-05-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had Saturday off, so Jeff and I decided to take a road trip back to Valpo to visit our old house/neighborhood and also check out the town and see how much it's grown. We also stopped at Don Pablo's for lunch in Merrilville, very tasty.

Josh wearing Daddy's hat at Don Pablo's.

The next pictures are of Joshua trying out his new bumbo. I know what some of you are thinking, I vowed never to get one because they are slightly weird, but now that we finally got the head control taken care of I wanted him to get some practice sitting up. It was actually a great investment because even when Josh is in your arms he wants to face out and sit up and see everything. He is very curious about what is going on around him.

Three Months Old

2008-05-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I am a little behind in the times with the blogging. These pics were taken almost 3wks ago when Joshua had his 3month birthday. He is just getting so big, I almost can't remember how little he used to be.

So Cute!!!!

Thinking of you....

2008-04-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

Just a short little blog today. Just wanted to let my friend Julie know that we are thinking of her. She happens to be having surgery today to remove her gallbladder. Darn gallbladders always giving people trouble. Anyhoo, we hope that you are feeling okay and that you have a speedy recovery. (Picture: Leanne, Anne and Julie).

More pics

2008-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here are a bunch of random pictures to catch everyone up to speed with my blog. From this point on I will try to post the actual pics with the appropriate blog.

I have had many requests from people who have not yet seen my nursery to post some pictures so here goes. Here is Joshua's crib from Land of Nod. I love, love, love it and I think that he is starting to love it too. Note Bruiser looking very depressed in the lower left corner.

Here is obviously a shelf in his room, but the important things are what is on the shelf. The bear is from Oma (Jeff's mom), the Josh sign is from my dad that he made out of wood at work with a laser thing (it's kind of a tradition, he made them for all of us when we were kids, now his grandkids are getting them) and last but not least some of Josh's first pics from ultrasounds.
This is Noah's ark above Joshua's crib. Story: Jeff would not let me paint the room due to our house being a rainbow of colors when we moved in. He wanted to keep everything neutral for selling reasons and we had repainted the entire house already when we moved in. So, my sister-in-law Tara found these great rub on decals that actually look like someone painted them. So that is what I used around his room to liven it up.

Here is another cute decal on one of Josh's walls. I had to have it because as you all know Giraffes are my favorite animal.

Here is the changing station area. We visit this quite frequently throughout our day.

This is a big open spot in the room that we use as the tummy time play area. Note: Josh is doing his exercises right now on the mat.

This is the reading, feeding and rocking corner of the room. The rocker was handed down to me from my cousin Laura and she used it with her two kids, so it's kind of special. Really nice rocker, in great shape, very comfy. We use it all the time. Thanks Laura!!!!

Okay, as promised in my first day to work blog, here is a pic of Josh in his alligator pjs. Doesn't he look so frickin' cute? Do you see why it was so hard for me to leave him?

Okay, here is another shot of the pjs. But do you notice how Josh is not on his sleep positioner? It's so funny, at bedtime I place him where he should be at the top and when I find him later he is always barely at the bottom if he's on it at all. One am Jeff found him completely off and sideways from the positioner.

Just a really cute sleeping shot that I had to post.

These next few pics are from his first walk outside as mentioned in the earlier blog.

Here we are before we headed out for our walk around the neighborhood. Note: I just got my hair cut short again. It looks good in the pic because it's still the do from the salon. I have since taken over and it hasn't looked the same. Bummer, always happens. I am just not good with hair.

On our walk.

Daddy playing with Josh when he got home from work.

Josh loves holding his chubby little hands together. What a sweetie pie!!!

What a face!!!

This picture of Josh is from when we sang ACDC together, as mentioned in an earlier blog. What a cutie patootie!!!

This is my cousin John's little girl, Jocelyn. Easter was the first time that Josh and Jocelyn met. Jocelyn is three weeks younger than Josh.

Here is our niece Luzzy posing for the camera at Easter.

Here is our nephew Frankie at my parents house for Easter dinner. He loved Luzzy's toy
so much that he barely let her play with it.

Here is Uncle Alan with cousin Alex feeding Josh at brunch. Thanks Uncle Alan!

Here is Joshua with the Easter Bunny.

Catching up on some pics to post. Enjoy!!!!

2008-04-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, well here are a few pics from Joshua's first Easter. We had a great day filled with eating, spending time with family and more eating. This pic is of Joshua and all of Jeff's nephews (from left to right Alex (top), Nick (bottom), Zack (on the bunny) and Jake. Ella was kind of afraid of the bunny, so she did not want to be in the picture.

Okay, I am having some technical difficulties with downloading pics. I don't know what is wrong, but I will have to try again later. I also downloaded a little video of Joshua, I don't know if that works either. Sorry, I am not so super technically savvy and this blogging/uploading picture thing is somewhat new to me. I'll get back to you with more pics.

First day back at work and a few other firsts...

2008-04-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Sunday April 6th. Not only is it my niece's birthday (Happy Birthday Luzzy), but it is my first day back to work from maternity leave :(. It is kind of nice to be back, but I just keep thinking about what is going on at home. (The reason for the present tense is because I am actually at work right now writing this, lots of free time today). When I left this morning I didn't cry, but I did, I admit, get a little teary eyed. Josh just looked so darn cute in his alligator pj's when I had to leave him. But Jeff is being so good and has text messaged me with updates on diaper changes and feedings, God love him. He knows that I am neurotic about leaving the baby for the first time, and he is being a good sport about dealing with my neurotica (my own invented word, isn't it fun?). The good thing is that I don't have to work again until Thursday when my mom will be watching him. Thanks mom!
Along with it being my first day back, there are a few other firsts to talk about.......Josh slept through the night last night (from 8:30PM-6:00AM), that was a nice first. I still didn't get much sleep though because I kept checking on him to make sure that he was breathing.
Also the past couple of days we have been dealing with Josh's first cold. Poor guy. He has been so stuffy and absolutely hates the blue bulb syringe. I used to be terrified about using the bulb syringe, but I have actually become quite good at it lately. Unfortunately, there is really nothing that I can do for him, but to keep suctioning him and use the humidifier in his room.
And another first was yesterday (Saturday) I took Josh out for his first walk around the neighborhood because it was in the 60's. I think he enjoyed it. I took Bruiser along and I know that he enjoyed it because he got to sniff the whole neighborhood (kind of annoying to have to keep stopping, and Bruiser kind of kept pulling the stroller a bit, but oh well he has to get out too so we will learn to adjust). I took some pics of the walk and I will try to post them when I get home. I haven't done pics on a blog yet, hopefully it's not too hard to figure out.

My very first time blogging

2008-04-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone-

Well this is my very first entry to my very first blog. I am very excited about starting this as a way to keep all friends and family near and far informed as to what's going on in our family (thanks to my friend Erica who kick started the idea in my head). Lately there seems to be a lot going on.

I, just this morning accepted a job offer for a weekend position at Lake Forest Hospital, which is only 15min away from home. That is a very huge perk with taking this position, along with only having to work 24hrs a week and the pay. The only not so great thing about the job is that it is a med/surg/oncology floor, not any areas of nursing that I want to be doing for too long. AND it is paper charting. Some of you may not think this is a big deal, but I currently work with one of the easiest electronic systems and going to paper makes me cringe. I really like my current telemetry (cardiac) job at Evanston and would still like to pursue either ICU or Labor and delivery, but right now this is what is best for the family.

Also, we are still kind of in limbo with Jeff's new job opportunities. He has interviewed for a District Manager position both in Dayton, OH and Asheville, NC. He is also pursuing one in Denver, CO but has only phone interviewed for that one. I am actually kind of hoping that if he is going to be getting one of these new positions, that he gets the one in Dayton. It is by far the closest to home (priority no. 1) and seems like a nice place to live and raise kids. He should be finding out about Dayton by the end of this month. Keep your fingers crossed!

You might be asking why I am getting a new job if Jeff might be moving us? Well, according to Jeff we must plan to not count on anything until an offer is put on the table. (We all know how he has gotten jerked around in the past with job offers). So all of this job stuff, both his and mine, and the fact that my maternity leave has reached its end has been clogging my head for the past couple of weeks. But on to better and cuter things.......

Joshua!!!!!!! We have a lot of nicknames for the little guy, but sweet pea, little bubba and bubba spuds seem to come out most often. He is such a doll. He is the best and cutest baby, if I do say so myself. So easy going and never really even cries. He only gets up once in the night (around 3 or 3:30) for a diaper change and bottle and then goes right back to sleep until around 7am. We are pretty much already in both daytime and bedtime routines and he's doing pretty well. At his 2 month appt he weighed in at 13.3lbs and 24inches. It is just amazing how much he has already learned and accomplished in 2 1/2 months of life. As far as milestones, head control is a biggy. He does his tummy time and does pretty well, but when he gets pooped he gets pooped. His little head hits the blanket and he can't lift it up anymore. He then hits the point of frustration, poor little guy. Josh has also found his voice. He loves to talk with you, very interactive little guy. It was so funny, the other day Josh and I were dancing around the house to the ipod music and ACDC Shook me all night came on. I was singing the words to Josh and all of a sudden he started chiming in with his squeals and coos. It was adorable. He is my little miracle!!!