Grabski's

GO PACK GO!

2011-02-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

Loving my life

2011-02-04T07:23:00.001-08:00

So I am starting to get a little sad as I am due to go back to work here at the end of February. The 23rd to be exact, I just think how much I am going to miss being at home with my two wonderful children. I am going to miss moments like this...
And this...And this...Evelynn is already sleeping in pretty long stretches for me at night. She will go for 4-5 hours and then another 4-5 hours which is letting me catch up on my sleep and feel very refreshed in the morning. Oh I forgot to mention that she is sleeping in her crib too! That did take about a week or so of screaming fits. We would let her cry in her crib at night for anywhere from 5 minuets to 15 minuets depending on how hard she was crying and how much crying we could listen to that night. Then Dan finally figured out how she liked to be "wrapped up" and that was that she has been sleeping wonderfully for us. That is until she goes through her next growth spurt, then she will be up every couple of hours again.

Darren is taking after Dan's love of Star Wars, and of course Dan is loving every minute of it. Pretty sure Dan is reliving his childhood through Darren. We will be out and he will see something and he'll say lets get this for Darren, in his head I hear him say "that way I can play with it too". I don't mind though it is pretty cool to watch Dan and Darren bond even if it is over Star Wars.As for Dan and I, we are struggling to find a balance between taking care of the kids and having time together. We will have been married for 5 years already with our anniversary in May. I can't believe it has been 5 years already, time has gone by so fast! We do have plans to put a play room in the basement to make more room for the kids. As they are slowly taking over the house. I am really looking forward to having this finished so we can have our living room back again. Dan has big plans to possible have it finished by March. But I do know that things like this can take a lot longer then planned. So I am just hoping it is done for summer because it will be cooler down there to play.

Evy's baptism is going to be February 20th, and you are all invited to come and share this day with us. We will be having a brunch at our house around 12:00 that Sunday. Come and meet Evelynn and share this day with us.

Six weeks already?!?

2011-01-20T10:43:00.001-08:00

Our little Angel.
Evy will be six weeks old on Sunday already and I am not sure where the time has gone. I can tell she is getting bigger she stays awake more and has chubby cheeks. She is looking more like Darren did when he was a baby.

I wanted to post a few cute pictures that I took of Evy the other day. I received this awesome blanket from my Uncle and Aunt. So I have to use it in a mini photo shoot with her. I also used these pictures to make birth announcements. We had professional pictures done but it was kind of expensive to have them make the announcements for us, so I thought that I would just use pictures that we took, and these turned out to be perfect.

We also have a baptism planned for her on February 20th. Then our whole family will have been baptized at the same church here in Stevens Point. Which I thought was kind of crazy, considering I am not from Stevens Point.

I have time with her at home until February 28th, but it still doesn't seem like it will be long enough... So until then I am just enjoying the time that I have at home with both my kiddos.

Christmas

2010-12-19T05:52:00.000-08:00

Evelynn and I have been home from the hospital since December 15th. Time has gone too fast and she is already growing like a weed. I wanted her to stay little for well at least a little longer. She already has such a cute little personality. She has actually been sleeping very well for us, and is actually a pretty easy baby(so far).

Christmas was great! Darren got so many cool toys, and our families spoiled our kids not that we didn't. Darren's two favorite toys, Whack-A-Mole and Uno Moo. At least those are ones that he plays with the most. He also got a new favorite sweat shirt, its a black Star Wars one, and it is funny watching my husband turn back into a little boy again now that Darren loves Star Wars too.

Hope that you all had a great Christmas and New Year and may the New Year be a great one for you!

Evelynn Leigh

2010-12-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

Evelynn Leigh was born Dec 12 at 10:21am. We left the house early Sunday morning on the tail end of our first major snow storm. We got about 16" best I can figure. She was 7lbs and 18.5" long. Everything during delivery went perfectly and both mommy and baby have been doing great ever since. Evy (pronounced ee-vee) has been both a natural feeder and pooper and mommy is ahead of her healing schedule. Everyone will be heading home on Wednesday and we look forward to sleeping in our own beds. Hopefully Evy will allow us to do that. She has already gone 5+ hours during the night without waking up so hopefully that develops into a trend!

Darren was excited to see her when he came to visit and we think he will be a great helper around the house once we return home.

Stay tuned for further updates as I'm sure Darc will be updating again in the near future.

5 Days (not that I'm counting)

2010-12-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

So here we are 5 days away from my scheduled c-section date. Getting nervous and excited all at the same time. I guess I was expecting to have her arrive early, just as her big brother did. I have actually been sleeping OK. Although my need to pee ALL the time is starting to get really annoying. The closer the scheduled day gets the more nervous I get. All the planning and everything is coming together. Which is something that I didn't have last time. So again a mix of so many emotions and questions all at the same time. Will I be in as much pain as I was last time? How will Darren react to her coming home? We have talked about it so much but does he really get it? Christmas, what on earth are we going to do for that this year? So much to think about but yet I don't really want to think about it, when it comes up I'll deal with it then.

However as the time grows closer to our family of three growing to a family of 4 I am starting to feel the need to spend more time with Darren, as soon my focus will be moved to her. I was actually lucky enough to spend the day with him and my niece Ella yesterday. We had a lot of fun! The kids were both very well behaved and took really good naps for me in the afternoon. Funny thing is I realized what it was like to have a little one around again and how much time mommy doesn't have for herself. It was good to get back to that mind set again, because I am pretty sure that I was in my Utopia that the transition would go perfect and smooth. HA reality check! But I have also come to the conclusion that it is what I make of it. If I think that things will go smooth don't stress about that small stuff than I think I will be able to hang on to my sanity. I also know that my house will not be perfectly clean, and its fine if it is a mess, because I know that it is only temporary(a year or so).
Anyway, yesterday when Ella left us for the day at about 3:30 Darren was playing some wii we decided to get bundled up and go play outside for a while. By that time we got outside it was about 4 and we decided to play outside until our Christmas lights came on. We were outside for almost an hour. But all the fresh air did all of us some good. I am sure you are all shocked to see that we played baseball outside in December, that is how much this kid loves that game. We also took his scooter around the neighborhood and looked at the Christmas lights. And there are not many up so we didn't see a lot. I took some pictures with my Christmas present, my awesome new camera. So Enjoy!

We are looking forward to sharing pictures of the new little one in the next week!

Official Word from the Doc

2010-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Well it is official, I am now on house rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. The doc said that it isn't "bed rest" but they just want me to take it easy and the big one no work.

We are excited that we had been fortunate enough to make it this far so we are celebrating. I am looking forward to enjoying the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy with as little stress as possible.

So I have a plan to just do a few things around the house. Getting the final preps done in baby's room, packing bags for the hospital, and doing lots of yummy cooking for the holidays!

The last part is the part that I think I am most looking forward to. I have always enjoyed cooking, and actually find it very relaxing. So I have plans to make cookie dough, and decorate slowly of course. I am not sure if this rest thing is what is making me so excited for the holidays, or if it is just the fact that Thanks Giving is already next week, and just a little over two weeks after that we are going to add a new addition to our family!

However I have not done any Christmas shopping yet. So family reading this I need lists, as soon as possible please. I have a feeling that I might be running short on time here. And well lest face it, I am not sure I am willing to send my husband out to do all the Christmas shopping, unless you all want Best Buy gift cards.

Looking forward to the holidays and so excited for the arrival of our little girl :)

Bed Rest for Mommy

2010-11-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

Well I went into the hospital Monday evening for dehydration, vomiting, and contractions that were 2-3 minutes apart. When Dan brought me to the hospital I hadn't kept any food down all day and was throwing up/dry heaving... YUCK!!!

So they gave me a shot to stop the contraction, thank goodness I wasn't starting to dilate. I spiked a fever in the middle of the night so in addition to the I.V. fluids they started me on antibiotics. When they ran some blood tests they were showing signs of infections.

It took the nurses three tries to hit a vein when they were trying to start the I.V. and finally got it on the third try. I was so dehydrated that the first two veins "blew".

By Tuesday I wasn't showing anymore signs of dehydration or signs of infection. But I was still on fluids, and the I.V. antibiotics. They were not letting my go home because of a elevated heart rate. So Tuesday evening they did a EKG and hooked me up to a heart monitor, which made for great sleeping. They did non-stress tests on the baby through out the day/night. Wednesday morning they did a echo-cardiogram on my heart, looking for a explanation as to why my heart rate was elevated.

Dan, my mom and I sat in the hospital all day on Wednesday waiting for the doctor to come in, and give us the results of the echo. The doc finally came to see my around 430pm on Wednesday evening and said I am going to send you home but you are going to be on bed rest.

So here I am at home just trying to take it easy. I have a follow-up appointment on Tuesday afternoon at 2pm. But until then I have orders for no work, no stress, not doing much of anything...

Happy Halloween

2010-11-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

This year was the first year that we actually got to take Darren trick-or-treating. He didn't really want to go at first. He didn't want to put on his costume or go to get candy, as we called it. We finally talked him into putting his costume on, and at least going to see Grandma and Grandpa in Plover. In the end he trick-or-treated for about 2 hours. I was dead tired, and had to pee so bad I ended up cutting it short. Dan continued to go from house to house with Darren. He did get a lot of compliments on how cute his costume was.I also wanted to throw in a picture of my belly. This little girl is growing very well, and I am feeling great! We are excited for her arrival on December 15th, which is when my c-section is scheduled for. We are all set up with her room, and will be posting pictures of her when she gets here. Until then have a great Thanks Giving!

Darren Turns 3!

2010-10-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Darren turned 3 September 17th. I can't believe that it has been three years already. He is smart, fun and funny. Of course there are times that I don't feel like a good parent but then don't we all have those moments.

For his birthday we took him to Quarry Quest over in Neenha. He had a blast and he tired him self right out. He got to ride in a crane, and "drive" a excavator. We through rocks in the big lake, and learned a lot about the Quarry. We had just a small birthday party for him at my parents house over in Appleton but all in all it was a great weekend.Thanks everyone for all the wonderful birthday gifts that Darren got! He loves them all!

good weekend

2010-07-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. It stared on Friday night with a grill out at our friends grandparents house in Plover. They are moving back to the Midwest from New York and it was great to see them. Darren had a great time playing with a new friend that he met, they played with the water hose and as always played A LOT of baseball. A couple of people that were at the grill out had gone fishing earlier that day, and so they cleaned them while we were there. Darren was very interested in this process.
Then on Saturday I had to work in the morning, then we took Darren to see all the fire trucks down at river front. He really liked looking at all the firetrucks. One crew had a game with the water hose, which Dan and Darren(mostly Dan) tried. Then we headed over to the Grabski's house to swim and grill out. The pool was at a warm 86 degrees so it was great to swim in.
Sunday I got to go see a movie while Dan took Darren to the parade. Eclipse was awesome! Then we had a few friends over to eat dinner before walking down to the river to watch the fireworks. Well it pretty much rained from about 6pm for the rest of the night. So fireworks got postponed until tonight, but it has been raining all day so not sure if they will happen tonight or not.

On a side note had a doctors appointment today for my 16 week check-up. Mom and baby are both healthy, I actually lost weight from my previous check-up, and Baby's heart rate was about 165bpm. I started getting my weekly shot which I get once a week from now until 36 weeks. I also had a ton of blood drawn for various tests. That made me pretty tired this afternoon, so I took a nap. Ultrasound is scheduled and I have my twenty week check up August 2nd. Things are moving along very well, and I have no complaints.

Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful 4th weekend too!

our "water rat"

2010-06-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Darren has been loving swimming this summer. Which really isn't much of a surprise because he has always been a water baby. This summer he has discovered his love of the floaties. He was in the pool once with them. Dan and him were swimming, got out to jump back in. Dan jumped and before any of us could react he was in the pool right after Dan. He went under, Dan was able to grab him right away, Darren said "Don't help me Daddy" so Dan stopped. Darren then doggy paddled over to the ladder climbed out and did it all over again. It was like a switch went on in him and he just figured out how to swim on his own. For a moment I was sad because it made me realize just how fast he is growing up. But then again it is a lot of fun to swim with him! Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to the pool.
After all that swimming the boys were tired! It was such a great day! We have renamed Darren our little "water rat". Dan asked him if he was a water rat. Darren said "Nope, my name Darren." Kids can say the funniest things.

its all about Me

2010-06-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well this week I remembered what it is like to just be myself again. Yes I am still a mom and a wife, but this week I had time for me. To do what I wanted to eat what I wanted and to be lazy when I wanted.

As most of you know Dan is working out of town. Yes we are doing that again. This job will not take nearly as long, but still being pregnant and taking care of a 2 1/2 year old all by myself is madness. But we get through knowing the light is at the end of the tunnel. This week was different. Uncle Randy and Aunt Amanda took Darren and their niece Kaitlynn for the whole week. And Dan is working out of town. That means I got to just be me this week.

Monday was a little weird not having anyone but me to get ready for the day. I ordered pizza and bread sticks from Pizza Hut, which I only ate one piece of pizza and two bread sticks but I was able to order the toppings I wanted. Then Tuesday I had a half day, and cleaned like a mad lady. Then I warmed up some left over pizza and fell asleep on the couch watching Twilight, a movie I wanted to watch. Then Wednesday night I didn't feel guilty about hanging out with the volleyball team for a little too long after the game was over. Tonight a friend and I went for the longest walk in history, and it felt great! It took us over an hour. But it was great to catch up and vent and laugh. I didn't have to worry about Darren being antsy in his stroller or it being past his bed time.

So here's to a week of being me!

New Addition

2010-06-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

Dan, Darren and I are excited to announce that we are adding another little bundle of joy into the family! My due date is December 22nd. However my C-Section will be scheduled for the second week in December.

I am very excited to be pregnant again. After all the crazyness that happened when I was pregnant with Darren, I am just hoping for a happy and healthy 9 months. And So far so good, not a signal complaint. Other than the fact that nothing ever sounds good to eat. I have so many aversions this time around, and even one day I couldn't keep anything down. That really sucked.

Just recently had my 12 week check up, Dan was able to make it to hear the heart beat for the first time and his mom joined us too. She was super excited to come with me since I didn't think Dan would make it home on time. The doc started to listen to the heartbeat he goes, so you hear two heartbeats and we all just about passed out. The doc then went on to explain that the slow beat is mommy and the fast one is baby. Dan said, " Ok doc there is just one baby right?" He laughed and said yes just one baby. We all let out a slow sigh of re-leaf. Baby was at a healthy rate of 165 beats per minute.

Darren was really excited at first, he would come up and rub my belly and say,"Baby in mommy's tummy." He is really excited to be a big brother, we would ask if he wanted a brother or sister, and without hesitation he would say sister. Then last Friday when I picked him up from daycare, Sue was asking how I was feeling and we had a small chat about the new little one and how Darren was feeling about it. So I asked him if he wanted a brother of sister he said, "Ummm, no thanks." So that has been his answer lately. I think he is starting to realize he won't have mom and dad all to himself anymore. So I am glad we started the preparations early.

Any advice on preparing Darren for his new sibling is welcome!

Most Likely Moving

2010-04-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well the referendum didn't pass. Where are we going to move? Most likely over to Appleton. Yes I know that they have made cuts too but at least there is more than just ONE high school.
Easter was good, but the weekend was busy and it went really fast. Darren loved hunting for Easter eggs. He also loves the new basketball hoop that was given to him. Loves it!Here are some pictures from Easter.

coming home

2010-01-30T19:34:00.001-08:00

I know this is said, but every time I come home for a visit it just isn't enought time. I have so many people I want to see and places that I want to go because Point have nothing. I am completely exhausted, and still didn't do much of what I wanted to do.

Most of you know that I was born and raised in booming metropolis of Appleton WI. There is just so much more to do in this town, well at least in comparison to Stevens Point. First and most important in my book the mall! Shopping, especially for someone who dresses in the same dress cloths week in and week out. Stevens Point in the past couple of years just got a Kohl's, which don't get me wrong is pretty awesome. But I wouldn't plan on finding much there since it is one of the only places to shop in town it is usually VERY picked over. Then there two other stores in which I like to shop at, which again are always so picked over! I can never find my size or anything professional enough for my profession. Grrr

Second, things to do with Darren. In Appleton there is a building downtown dedicated to kids and learning. Also this place called Monkey Joe's, which is all giant blow-up mazes and jumps and slides. This is where we took Darren today and he is completely worn out tonight. Stevens Point has a over priced and crappy Children's Museum. In the winter there are not many places to take kids to let them burn off constructive energy. And thanks to the full moon this week(at least that is what I am blaming it on) Darren has more then enough!

Third, my family. I don't feel like I need to elaborate on that.

some cute-ness

2010-01-26T19:50:00.001-08:00

Darren is much like his father in that he is just plan funny. He makes me laugh everyday. Dan and Darren have come to enjoy a piece of pecan pie together almost ever night. Dan has become the expert on Pecan pie, he pretty much has to have one on hand at all times. Darren gets so over the top excited, I tried to catch him on camera doing his pecan song.
He also has other quirks like when he gets up on the changing table he just kicks back to relax. Like this...
Every time he puts these glasses on he makes us take a picture of him.

And his smile is so bright, just seeing that when I get home from work everyday makes even the worst of days that much better! He isn't the greatest at the fake smiling yet but I think you get the picture.

From here...

2010-01-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like I have no idea where to go from here. I have a good job, a nice house(small but nice) and a wonderful family. I am truly happy in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. I just sometimes wonder what else is out there for me and my family. Maybe it is just a little cabin fever, being stuck in the house since the end of October. I try to get out and go work out at the YMCA, Darren always loves going to play with his friends there. But it just isn't the same as getting out and going for a run in the summer.

Now that I think about this a little more I start to feel like this ever winter about this time. I think about the awesome farmers market downtown on Saturday mornings. Feeding the ducks down by the river, listening to the city band play as we do it. Chasing Darren around the most fun park I have seen. Swimming at the pool at Jan and Dave's house.

OK well for now I will chalk it up as cabin fever. But I will say summer could come early, and it wouldn't hurt mother nature too terribly.

Where is the time going!

2010-01-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

We are well past Christmas at this point, and I have not updated this thing since Darren turned two. Talk about where is the time going. So many things have been going on in our lives that I don't even know where to start. I will start with the holidays.

Christmas was wonderful this year. Dan and I got a new garage door, not super exciting but none the less pretty awesome. It has been something we needed to do since we got the house, and when it came down to our old one just didn't work anymore, we decided to get a new one. Santa brought Darren a train set, he loves it! It was a very nice Christmas and quiet at the same time. Here is Darren seeing his train set Christmas morning.

We also took Darren sledding for the first time this winter. He has a blast and didn't want to stop. Although after walking up the hill himself a couple of times he realized that wasn't really fun and made us carry him. Wow what a workout!

Darren is just about talking in sentences. Or at least enough that I can get his story and what he is trying to tell me. He is just growing up so fast, and we are having so much fun with him.

He is TWO!

2009-09-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Wow how fast time has flown. We are coming to the end of September and I haven't let everyone know how much of a wonderful birthday Darren had! Thank you all so much for being such great friends and family and loving Darren so much. We love you all. I am getting ready for bed and thought that I would jump on here and share a few pictures from his birthday. I'll write more later to fill you in on Dan and I. But right now I am sure you all want to see how much Darren is growing.

This post is not going well. To sum up a small part of the weekend, Nanna and I took Darren to Quarry Quest. He loved seeing all the big trucks and they had sand piles everywhere for the kids to play in. He got to ride in a backhoe and his eyes were as big as basketballs. I will post more later but in all honesty blogger isn't working well for me right now. So enjoy these few know more are coming!

July Already...

2009-07-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Wow where is the time going. I cannot believe that we are into July, we have done some fun thing as a family this summer, which mostly involves taking Darren to the park across the river. He loves playing in the sand box there, and swinging on the swings.

Our most exciting news of the summer is that we are going to be and Aunt and Uncle! I am very much looking forward to having another little one in the family. The proud parents to be are Dan's brother and his wife. So congrats Brandon and Traci we love you and are so excited!

Dan and I have had a lot of very relaxing weekends. We took a trip up to Eagle River where Dan's parents have a time share. This is where they took their family vacations every summer, so it was really cook to be able to go up there for the weekend. It rained A LOT but B and T had a lot of fun games and the WII so it was still a lot of fun. Dan has been working on a lot of side jobs this summer, so he has been working on the weekends a lot. As have I been working almost every Saturday. So my parents have been wonderful and taking Darren on the weekends for us so we can get some sleep, and get somethings done around the house.

This is one of his projects the deck turned out just beautiful! The first is the before picture.

Next weekend we are looking forward to going to the dells with my brother and his wife. I haven't seen either one of them since we left for NY. I miss them a lot so it will be great to spend the weekend with them and have some fun too. But anyone have any suggestions for nap time at the Noah's Ark? I am just wondering how that is going to work. . .

Helping Grandpa and Daddy

2009-05-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Darren got to ride in a skid steer today with Dan. Dan was helping his parents dig up some grass so they can put in a fire pit. So Dan borrowed his bosses bobcat, i will let pictures tell you the rest.

This one is just funny to me because Dave is trying to move the concrete that was the basketball hoop. He didn't get very far.

Darren actually was very intent on watching what was going on. How Dad was doing it and Dan even taught Darren how to drive it a little. I am sure he won't remember but it is still fun to watch the wheels in his head turn. I wish I knew what he was thinking sometimes and tonight was one of those times.

Finally We Have Some Nice Weather

2009-05-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

The weather here is finally starting to get nice outside. We have been able to play with Darren outside, but not a lot. It seems like the weather is super nice during the weeks, then the weekend comes and it is either rainy or windy.

Mothers Day weekend was nice. We didn't really do much which is nice for a change we worked out in the yard and helped the neighbors dig up their flag pole. We liked this or I should say Darren liked this he got to play in the dirt and get dirty.

We have also discovered this great park just across the river. So Dan and I like to take Darren there either in the evenings after dinner. Or on the weekends. We really like to take him because it is just a short bike ride away and keeps Dan and I pretty active too. As if Big D isn't enough to keep us active.

Work has been pretty crazy for Dan he is putting in a lot of hours so please keep us in your prayers that this keeps up. Other wise I am afraid it is bye-bye Stevens Point.

As for this coming weekend, again we don't really have much planned probably a nice BBQ with friends. Dan is working on a side job again, and those too can keep coming! So we are staying in Point for the weekend. I am looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with D and I pray the weather is nice!

Just a Plug for Dan... Give him a call if you or any one you know needs a Handy Man to do some work around the house for you! I just put this "card" together for him. I am a little out of practice in the designing area so be patient I will get better as I get back into the swing of things.

Our Crazy Life

2009-05-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

I apologize to all that look at and read this blog on a regular basis. Here is a quick run down of our life since Christmas.

Me, I got offered a new position with M&I on Christmas Eve which I gladly accepted. It was a wonderful present to our family for Christmas, because not only was it a pay increase it was a increase to full time hours as well. It was great getting this position for my career within M&I and for our family. I am very pleased with the position, and everyone seems to like me so far too.

Dan, had a rough winter with work. They didn't really have that many hours this winter he averaged about 20 hours a week, so it was truly a blessing that I got a full time position. He has been getting more hours as the summer months are approaching so that is really great! We feel like we are finally on the up.

Darren, where to start with Darren...

This little man is huge! Growing leaps and bounds it is incredible. Doctors tell us that he is catching up well, tall for his weight. He only weighs about 25 pounds, but he keeps Dan and I on our toes! He is a fast little booger.

Wanted to keep this short and sweet so more to come about our crazy life, our trip to New York and more. I promise not to keep you all waiting anymore!

Camera number 2 - Broken

2008-12-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

Not sure how many of you know that story about our point and shoot camera. So here it is.

After Dan and I were married we went to Aruba for our honeymoon, which was fabulous! Thanks Jan and Dave for the time share. So our big present to ourselves with some wedding money was a new digital camera, which we bought in Aruba. We loved it! However when we got home we realized that we over paid for the darn thing by about $100. So I came to hate this camera because of that.

Dan and I were still finishing up college and during homecoming weekend here in Stevens Point. Dan drops the camera, to no repair! So we got the same camera again. Then last night as we had friends over hanging out on our porch, Dan was taking pictures and drops the camera. And it is broken again! Now I am kicking my self because I was going to get a really nice SLR for Christmas from everyone but I said no lets wait, till Dan and I can afford a nicer one. Why did I say that!?! Now I have NO camera, and a little boy who is growing leaps and bounds, and I have nothing to capture the moments with!

One cute one to tell you about was he got his hands on a roll of paper towel today. Well that roll is not usable any more but was so funny watching him play with it. No pictures to share though. I will have some soon, to post, some family pictures for Christmas.

Through and Through

2008-12-14T18:55:00.001-08:00

I love all sides of my little guy! I love his giggles and cries, I love his hair and eyes. I love him laughing and talking, and especially silent and napping! I love him through and through, today and tomorrow too!

Let it Snow

2008-12-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

I am sure that most of you have experienced a Wisconsin winter if not, well here is what it is like.

Today we got our first really big snow storm of the year. I would have loved to have been at home playing all day with my little munchkin. But I had to trudge to work this morning and that is what I did! It isn't that far for me to walk to work, only about three blocks, small ones at that. In that three blocks though i was walking in snow up to my knees! People couldn't make it in to work because they were plowed in. Needless to say it was a pretty crazy day. Walking home the sidewalks were all cleared but, the snow banks are already almost up to my hips. I am 5' 6" so that isn't very short!

Now this is just the first storm of the year. We are going to get many more and it probably won't stop until April. On the up side we got to bundle up Darren to see how he likes the snow!

He really wasn't a fan of the snow yet. But he will be soon, or we are going to have a problem!

Updates

2008-11-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving, except that I got the flu on Friday morning! That was not fun. I am sad because I will probably never be able to eat my favorite turkey day foods again. And the left overs in the fridge I am not sure how long it will stay there because I can't even look in the fridge right now.

So far the travels didn't really get off to a good start! Friday I was sick, and we were supposed to leave on Saturday. We did still leave on Saturday, but while Dan was trying to get the electronics in order our iPod froze up our desktop. He was none to thrilled about that. Then while we were getting ready to leave on Saturday he realizes that he can't find his wallet! It looked like a tornado had gone through our house. It stayed that way because we didn't have time to clean it up before we left. The really sad part is that we still haven't found the wallet. So here we are on our trip and no wallet for Dan.

Next my father's cousin had passed away so our travel plans changed to Madison Indiana to see family there. Which in some ways is good because Darren barely handled this trip down here. But sad at the same time as we didn't get to see some family as long as we would have liked.

I have some cute pictures to share of Thanksgiving day. As soon as we have a desktop to put them on i will get them on here for you all to see.

GROSS, eww, ick, and yuck

2008-11-24T17:52:00.000-08:00

If you have at all a weak stomach I advise you to stop reading now.

OK I gave you fair warning. Now you get to hear about my child's poop!

He has been having some runny ones lately, he is teething so it is totally normal. I got home from work tonight, and he seemed to be fine. No poop for me! I was kind of glad that Gigi got to clean them all today. I heard they were really nice and smelly. So we played for a while and then it was bath time and our normal bed time routine. Can you guess what happened?!? YES he pooped in the tub! Gross, eww, ick and yuck!

So I grabbed him and rinsed him off in the sink and gave him another small bath, and drained the tub. Darren got into bed, and the clean up began. Thankfully I didn't have many toys in the tub with him tonight, which means less to bleach. So I bleach the toys and scrub the tub with gloves on of course. But I hope this is something that most of you won't have to go through! As a mom I know I have put up with a lot. But this I think is a mom's ultimate fear, cleaning poop out of the bath tub.

GROSS!

Christmas here we come...

2008-11-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know why but for some reason this year I am in the christmas mood very early. I am getting very excited for the amazing food, and the great times with family and friends.

I am not sure what is putting me in the mood so early this year, maybe because I am excited for Darren to open his presents. I know that he was around for Christmas last year but lets be honest with ourselves, he had no idea what was going on. Or maybe I am excited to spend some time with my parents at their amazing new house! Or maybe it is that when my alarm went off the other day I heard two Christmas songs in a row. Which there is this station in point that is playing all Christmas music out there already. How cool is that?!? Today at work too we were kind of slow so we decided to decorate for Christmas. We made 16 paper snow flakes, I felt like I was in kindergarten again.

I might be taking Darren to our Christmas parade here is Stevens Point. If so look for pictures as the parade is tomorrow already!

So Look out Christmas here come the Grabski's!

Are you a scrapbooker?

2008-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

I got into a discussion with a co-worker today about pictures being in print verses just on a computer. I had said I don't get a lot of pictures printed. I only tend to get pictures printed that I want around the house, and of course those are usually updated once a month or so. Or maybe with a season change. So I have the pictures that I take out of the frames but come to think of it I don't really do anything with those. I guess I am just not a scrapbooker.

I have been thinking about this for the rest of the day. Is Darren going to be mad that I don't have all kinds of pictures printed of his childhood? I have a lot (and I mean A LOT) on our computer, with a external hard drive for back-up as well. I mean everything these days is all digital, plus photo albums just take up so much room.

Then tonight as I am checking the usual blogs for updates, I realize that this is my scrapbook. This is my journal for all of you to see. It may not be in print, but I hope that it will always be here for him to look at when he gets older. He will know how just about every holiday, birthday, and get together goes. And of course there will always be the cute embarrassing things he does. Cute now embarrassing when he's older.

So here's to all you blogger's out there! Who needs a scrapbook when you can blog!

Happy Monday...

Something Funny

2008-11-05T18:58:00.001-08:00

And something not

So the other morning we noticed that Darren was awake a lot earlier then he normally is. We wondered what was going on, but didn't want him to make a habit of getting up that early. So we left him until he went back to sleep. Then he woke up around his normal time, when we went to get him up for the day this is what we find...

And we wondered why he woke up early? I can't imagine that was comfortable to sleep like that. I am still pondering how he did it. Needless to say he didn't stay in his Pj's for long that day.

Now for the something not funny...

We worked outside this afternoon, which it was perfect weather for yard work. Darren was having fun eating the dirt, I guess I think eating a little dirt never hurt anyone! So we were playing and working, when I went to do something on the front steps. Little did I know D was following me up the steps, Dan was trimming the evergreens. I thought he was watching Darren and he thought I was watching Darren. He went up a step and tumbled back down to the cement! Yes there was blood and screaming. I feel awful for letting him get hurt! So here are some of the battle wounds. The cement did win this one!

As you can see he has a nice scrap on his nose and a big ole goose egg on his forehead. I think that I have come to terms with he is a boy and will most likely get hurt a lot worse then this.

He was having a blast playing "help mommy fold cloths". When I say fold, he is so helpful to unfold them for me. He will also pull the burp cloths and sheets out of the draws of his crib. It is harmless not like he can hurt himself. It is cute and annoying all at the same time!

Poor kitty, Darren beats the crap out of that cat! She keeps getting in his way too, you think she would learn.

Trick-or-Treat (but mostly treats)

2008-11-02T08:16:00.000-08:00

Darren got to go trick-or-treating for the first time this year! He was the cutest, bear or was it a mouse, or maybe a Monkey? Well he was supposed to be a monkey, but none the less he was cute no matter what people thought. The day leading up to trick-or-treating, was a beautiful day! So we took Darren for a wagon ride to a school that is near our house to play for a while. He loves riding in his wagon! He went down the slide, and swung on a swing with mom. It was a good day. When we went pumpkin picking it was our goal to find a pumpkin that was just about as big as Darren. Well it at least weighed just as much. He is also starting to walk. So things around the house are starting to get really crazy.

When we did go trick-or-treating we got to see Uncle Brandon and Aunt Traci! They gave mom and dad, I mean Darren lots of candy. He did have to munch on a gram cracker before we went.

We tried to make the tail visible but it didn't always work.

This was a cool house that we came across while out and about.

Uncle Randy came to visit while he was in town for a conference. So Darren and Uncle Randy had some good male bonding time.

Needing to pick...

2008-10-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

From far away this picture doesn't look terrible. If you can look past the giant zits on my forehead. Darren isn't really sure what is going on, but he has a big stream of snot running down his lip. Plus I was trying to take a picture of us, and it never works out the way I plan it too.

Now for the cute ones of Darren in his Halloween costume. He is a Monkey, can you tell?

It is hard taking pictures of your own children. Getting them to look at you and smile at the same time is almost impossible. You just have to keep shooting and keep shooting and before you know it you have about 50 pictures taken for the one shot you really wanted. These are the best I could do, and I think I didn't do too bad. Happy fall! I will be putting up a new banner too, so keep looking for that!

Yet another ear infection!

2008-10-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

We made it a full year before Darren got sick for the first time. It was a cold, but along with that there was an ear infection. Now a little over a month later there is another ear infection. I felt so bad for him, he had to get his 12 month shots today and he isn't feeling good. My poor little boy. He is growing fast and starting to walk. At the doctor today he weight in at 19.2lbs between 5th-10th%, and was 29" long 25th%, I can't remember what his head measured at but that was on the charts as well. So I am pretty excited that he is on the charts for where a normal 12month old should be. Even though he will be 13 months next week, but who's counting.

The New Mr. and Mrs.

2008-10-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Bride was beautiful, the Groom was dashing, and the wedding it self was amazing. We had so much fun. I will let the picture tell you just how awesome the day really was.

I did take most of the pictures, except for the group pictures(because I am in that one). Wasn't it all just beautiful?

The Weekend Ahead

2008-09-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that B and T's wedding is this weekend. It will be such a nice weekend, with a ton of family, friends, and great times. I am really excited not only for the wedding, but I was asked to snap some shots of the day, you know the cute behind the scenes photos that the photographer might miss or ones that I just think are cute. So I am super excited to just get creative. Traci and I worked together to design the programs for the wedding, and here is how the first page turned out.

Advice for the soon to be newlyweds.

Brandon - Listen when she talks. Don't take after Dan! Always tell her you love her no matter how intense the games get! And remember the 1st year is always the hardest.

Traci - I am just glad you are still around! We are so excited you are joining the family. You make such a perfect couple. And don't let B win at games too much!

I hope to have tons of awesome pictures to share with you all after the weekend.

What is a birthday?

2008-09-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we had Darren's first birthday party. Although we didn't do much other than have family and friends over for lunch and cake. But it was amazing to see all the family and friends that love us, more so I am sure love Darren. He is the best of Dan and I put together.

It was tough planning a first birthday party, he is only one. To me it is a big deal! I got the occasional comments about how he isn't going to remember it, but who are they to judge. They haven't been through what I have in the last year. They have no idea what Darren has over come to still be here today!

So to me a birthday is family celebrating there first son, grandson, nephew and godson turning one. It doesn't matter that he won't remember that his little play mates played pin the tale on the donkey. Or that Buckeye helped himself to the cake before the party started (I almost cried!) Or that he got this toy from that person or that toy from this person. But we will be able to some day tell him about it, and the funny things that happened. Plus not to mention that a picture is worth a million words!

Happy First Birthday Darren! Mommy and Daddy love you so much...

Family

2008-08-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

We just had some pictures taken, by a friend of mine here is town. She did a great job and wanted to share a few of my fav's here with you! So enjoy!

Sorry... It's been a while

2008-08-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Where to start with this post.

I feel like a new person, after having spent some quality time with my family. This chapter in my life comes to a close, and I hope that no one will ever have to go through what Dan and I did. Most of you will never know how hard it was on our marriage. It was the hardest thing we will ever have to go through, and we made it! So I know that we can make it through anything. Not that we have had a easy first two years of marriage by any means. Let me tell you how our first two years went.

We start off in May for our wedding day, and amazing honey moon in Aruba. With a great first summer as newly weds I am thinking that married life is going to be great. Then comes the back pain which starts in about October, and then goes as far as back surgery in January. Also in January, we have a miscarriage and I feel like this is as bad as it can get. We soon get pregnant again, and Dan recovers from his surgery. This pregnancy has many complications, a rough summer which ends in a baby being born 3 months early! Darren thrives in the NICU, and comes home a month early. We have a rocky Christmas trying to travel with a preemie baby. Then my husband tells me that he is going to be working out of town during the weeks and won't be home but only on the weekends. I am stuck at home all winter with a preemie baby that can't really go anywhere. I start to go stir crazy. But soon the summer comes, and I can get outside but am still depressed that I have a "weekend husband". Which brings us to mid July of 2008, and we can be a family again. So needless to say we have not had a perfect marriage by any means. We have gone through a lot, and now I know we can get through anything.

We did some really fun things together as a family. Well OK we just made a trip down to the Milwaukee Zoo. To me this is what being a family is all about! It was a really hot day so the animals were not really active.

Darren was a tired little man at the end of our trip!

Our other big news, is Darren has his first tooth! And it took me forever to get a picture of it! Its really blurry, but it is in there! See...

I cannot believe how fast time goes. My little man will soon be the big 1, which means one hell of a party. Yes because he is one and that in itself is a big deal, but mainly because we survived this first year, all three of us.

I grew something...

2008-07-08T18:36:00.001-07:00

Finally something in my "garden" is growing. I put that in quotations because I don't really have much in the garden, it is more like a rock bed. We were given a rose stick this year, so I planted it expecting it to die like everything else I planted. But to my surprise it started getting leaves, and then yesterday I noticed a bud on it. I am really proud of my self that I managed to actually grow something other than a weed. I hope you all enjoy my rose bud as much as I do!

The 4th and what not

2008-07-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

We didn't really do much on the actually 4th this year. Which is fine, I got to see some fireworks and that always makes me happy. We were over in Appleton and my parents live close to lake Winnebago so we went by the lake and could see 5 different towns having fireworks displays all at the same time. It was pretty cool to watch them all from a far.

Then on Saturday we went boating with a couple of friends in Oshkosh. We had a blast! I didn't get sun burn but Dan did a little. Even though he put sunscreen on several times. The day was absolutely perfect to be out on the water. Not a cloud in the sky and the river/lake was pretty calm considering how many people were out.

Then of course there is Darren, who is growing leaps and bounds now. Crawling so fast that I can't keep up with him. We got out is walking toy but he isn't really sure how it works yet. I love the jabbering too. It doesn't make sense right now but it will soon.

weekend events...

2008-07-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

Darren went to his first ladies event with my on Saturday. He was loving the attention, even thought the attention was to be on his Aunt Traci. After Traci's bridal shower was over we went swimming. My baby is a little fish. He loves the water and swimming at Grampa and GiGi's house. He has been over there a few times since the weather has gotten nice. Every time we swim he gets braver about the water. I think that I get tired, before he does of being in the pool.

We took a group picture of all the cousins that were there. It was fun having other babies around Darren. He was very curious about them as you can see he is watching them in this picture. I also wanted to put a picture up of Dan and Darren so you can see how much Darren looks like his Daddy.

Dan also had a baseball thing this past weekend. Last year the team that he coached won state and went to a national regional tournament in Minnesota. They had a ceremony on Friday for his team. They got state championship rings and the whole nine yards. So here is a few pictures from that.

We found a jersey for Darren with Dan's number on it so of course we had to buy it...

Dan tipping his hat to the crowd as the coaches were called.

Plover Legion Black Sox Post 543 State Championship ring.

So much to Share

2008-06-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

So many things to tell you about and no idea where to start. Well I have told you that Darren is starting to crawl around. With that I have been propping him up on chairs and what not to let him stand on his own.

Next fun thing is that he is starting to hold his "banana" in the mornings. I have one for breakfast everyday. So I always give him a little in this handy contraption that we have(no idea what to call it). I think it is cute yet sad, my little boy is getting to be such a little man.

It seems like I hardly take pictures of my child while he is just playing. Its either eating or in the bath tub. He is loving his baths these days, which makes it hard to actually give him a bath. Splish-splash goes the water and I get a shower while Darren gets his bath. It is a win-win in the end really.

Now that the weather is getting nice(about time at the end of June!) I am going to start taking Darren to Grampa and GiGi's house to swim. So today was our first time swimming, he actually liked it. He then proceeded to pass out and nap, which was nice of him to give Mommy some relaxing time by the pool.

This is a lot to take in I know. But it is hard to keep up with this child as he is growing leaps and bounds. We have his 9 month check up in the morning which means shoots! It is hard to believe that in three months he will be 1 year old. Where is the time going!?!

Lesson Learned

2008-06-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well as a Mom, I am constantly learning. A few days ago I learned a lesson about food and the high chair.

I set down the spoon and bowl of cereal on the highchair tray, stood up opened the fridge to get out the apple juice and this is what happened. I literally too my eyes off of him for about 2 seconds and a mess is made! Of course I had to grab the camera. No mess is complete with out a few pictures.

Look at Me!

2008-06-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

I know that I have told you that Big D is starting to crawl. It is really more of a frog like motion, but none the less I am pretty excited. I got some of the action on film today so I thought that I would share. Enjoy!

Dan and I are very excited about D's new found movements. However, now I realize that it is time to baby proof. I feel like our house is a trap, for D to get hurt just about anywhere. The coffee table, the sofa, the chair, the recliner, the bookshelf, this list goes on and on! I am also sad now because I don't feel like I can have all my cute decorations out anymore. At least not where he can reach them. We could add more shelves to the walls, but Dan wouldn't be to excited about putting more holes in the wall! We have a start as my parents did inform me that they did find their baby gate, it is a extra wide one to fit in our arch way, so I can try and keep D contained, baby proof and still have nice stuff. Wish me luck as I have quite an adventure ahead!

B and T

2008-06-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

B and T stands for Brandon and Traci. They were so nice to let me take some pictures of them. I am hoping to start some photography classes soon, and I needed some practice and pictures to show off.

I lent them Darren for some cute pictures! I think that they will make great parents some day.
And then on a note that isn't really about B and T at all. DARREN IS CRAWLING! I am so nervous now that he is getting around by himself so well. I guess next up for me is to grow those eyes in the back of my head. I am trying hard to take some video of him in action but it isn't the easiest thing to do. So I as soon as I get it I will post it, I promise.

Just Pictures

2008-06-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

I know, I know it has been forever since I have posted cute new pictures for you all to look at. A lot has been going on for us lately. Here are some things that have been going on in our lives lately.

Amanda's graduation from med school. We went down to Milwaukee 2 weekends ago for that and had a great time. We had a nice dinner at the Water Street Brewery, and then went on a booze cruise along the River and out along the lake shore. I got to take some neat pictures of downtown Milwaukee at night. Then came Darren's first time in a pool/swimming and he is going to be a natural swimmer. Here are some highlights of some of my favorite photos.

This is where Dan proposed to me 3 years ago! It is a rotating restaurant that sits on top of the Hyatt as you can see. The Polaris has great food and was the perfect romantic atmosphere for Dan to propose in. We could see it from our hotel room and I thought that was pretty neat.

Darren's hair is looking more red to me every day. So last night after we gave him a bath we gave him a Mohawk!

And then here is just a cute one of him in a baseball outfit complete with hat and all.Other than these I don't really have much to report. Life will take a turn here in the next few weekends. I hope to be telling you all soon that Darren is crawling but he isn't there yet. He will be with in the next week or so I am sure. My little boy is growing up so fast!

You can click on the pictures to make them larger!

Scary Homecoming

2008-05-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

From Friday to Saturday the family was down in Milwaukee for a family gathering. We came home somewhat late last night, and when I say late I mean 8:30pm. But by this point we were all completely exhausted! Just had to share a few cool pictures as we came into Stevens Point last night.

Sorry they are blurry but I was taking them while we were driving about 70 mph on the highway. As you can see there was a huge storm front coming in. It looked like a very impressive storm. In the last picture you can see what is called a hook cloud, known for producing tornadoes. But sadly it wasn't a nice big storm, it just rained for a while. No thunder, or lightning, so Dan was disappointed because he loves thunder storms.

Anyways, more to come about the weekend later, just had to get these up for you to see!

Staying at Home

2008-05-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love staying at home with my little one and not really ever having a set plan. There is Nap time at 1pm and bed time at about 7:30pm, but other than that not much else. The days seem to just fly by while staying at home. Now that it is getting nice out we can go outside to play and take walks. I still feel like I don't get much accomplished during the day! So here is my day in a nutshell.

Darren up around 7:30am to eat. At this point he is up for the day so we play for a little while, he then takes a small cat nap for energy. Which is my time to shower, if I choose to do that or chores. By this time it is about 10:30am and he is getting hungry again or will be soon so I can't really go anywhere or for a walk. He then eats again, and then it is lunch time for me. We go for a walk, and he goes down for his long nap. Which sometimes allows me to get things done around the house but most of the time I just want to sit on my butt! Then when he wakes up from his long nap he is super happy and I just want to play with him while he is in such a good mood, that again I am not productive around the house. Next he gets his veggies, and cereal then I fight to keep him awake till about 7:30 give him a bottle and he is out for the night. From this point on I fly around the house as quietly as possible to pick up toys that I forgot to turn off, (Ooops!) and wash bottles as well as dishes. At this point I get myself ready for bed and sleep. Then this routine starts all over again.

I know that as a stay at home mom your job is to take care of the child, help them learn and grow. But I feel like my house should be spotless and dinner on the table as Dan gets home from work. Like something out of a '60's TV show. Wow reality is nothing like TV!

Why do I feel like I don't accomplish anything during the day? Or that I should always be doing something else if I am taking a break? My focus should be on Darren, right? The house can and will wait?

Starbucks

2008-05-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

There are some mornings that I wake up and all I want is a white chocolate mocha from Starbucks. It is by far my favorite and the most fattening for me too. So it makes life hard, do I want to exercise extra hard or do I want to do my normal routine and not have my coffee? Most days I am good, but every now and then I have to splurge for that white chocolaty goodness.

So this past weekend I had one of my cravings, so Dan goes to get us both coffee at about 8:30am on a Saturday morning. You may ask yourself who in their right mind is up that early on a Saturday? He goes in his comfy cloths, a graphic shirt and sweat pants. When he comes home he said the guy at the window was a "Chatty Cathy". Asked him about his shirt and where it was from and if you have ever gone back. I thought it was funny that someone was trying to actually have a conversation with him as he is getting our morning coffee! I don't think that Dan was actually awake until he had his first sip.

Darren was then sitting on Dan's lap while he was drinking his coffee, and tried to take the cup from him. It was pretty cute he is already taking after his Mom, and Dad.

Green Beans? Not so much...

2008-05-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

Once Darren was awake from his nap on mothers day I took him by my mothers day gifts and took some pictures. This one turned out pretty cute of him grabbing at the flowers. He then proceeded to try and eat them. Dan and I scared him when we both said NO. Then I felt bad because he cried.
To be fair to the kitty's I had to post this picture of Millie. She looks kind of weird in this picture, but she really is a cute cat.

One picture can say it all so this is what we have to say about green beans...

I know it is gross but Dan told me people would think it is funny.

This next weekend Dan and I are making our big trip down to Milwaukee. Amanda is graduating from Medical school, which is an awesome accomplishment and we are so proud of her. We are taking a baby sitter with us so as we and everyone else can enjoy ourselves. And not have to be occupied with Big D the whole time. We are going to dinner and then we are going on a booze cruise with all you can eat Nacho bar, and I think beer too. So I am hoping to take some cool shots this next weekend so be looking for them! I know it is only Monday and I am already thinking about Friday, but weeks just fly by these days.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well today we celebrated my first mother's day. Dan and Darren got me a bird feeder and hanging plant to put in the yard. They looked so nice that I had to take some pictures and share with you.

So our first mother's day is a success. Dan is being wonderful and letting me pretty much do whatever I want! He is doing laundry while I am sitting here tell all of you how wonderful he is. We have plans to go for a walk a little later, I am just sad it is not a nicer day outside. It is pretty windy and cloudy.

I hope all the mother's out there are having just as great of a day as I am, and Happy Mother's Day to you!

Lazy Days

2008-05-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

So this week has been a fairly nice week to speak of. I am just glad that we didn't start it out with snow! So the nice weather has meant walks and playing on a blanket in the yard. Which leads us to some cute pictures. The tulips I just thought were really pretty.

Dan took this picture of the cat this afternoon. She was sun bathing in our living room, and the light hits her fur in such a way that she looks all fuzzy(I mean fur is fuzzy but you know what I mean).

Darren is starting to sit up all on his own! He is just looking like such a big boy now. I sometimes can't help but to just stare at him in amazement. Just such a miracle that he is doing so well, and I am so thankful that this little boy is in our lives.

He liked sitting outside on a blanket with me. He would just watch the cars pass. So calm and content.

On the funny side of Big D, his nick-name is The Big Squirm, so I was so happy that I got this one on camera. We put Darren to bed in the middle of his crib, which is pretty standard as far as I know. He will then squirm all night long not constantly but enough to end up like this.

I know it is a big SIDS no-no for blankets, but this kid loves to snuggle with them. So as you can see he is no where near the blankets we laid him down with and shoves himself way up in the end of the crib. I tell him every morning when he wakes up that he might sleep better and longer if he didn't wedge himself at the end of his crib like that. Such a silly little man.

Not Much to Report/ I Guess More Then I Thought

2008-05-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been a few days since my last post. We just didn't really have much going on lately. We had a great weekend, hung out with some fun friend on Friday night and then we came home early to play drinking games on our front porch. I know it sound like something an eighteen year old would do but trust me it was tons of fun! We then played poker on Saturday night, and did some yard work on Sunday. Darren and I have been enjoying spending a lot of time with Dan.

Most of you will know how much my husband LOVES Star Wars. So you will get a kick out of what Darren did! He and I were playing on the floor, when he started to play with his feet. He then rolled over on his side and was looking at the DVDs we have sitting on a shelf. He look right at the Star Wars Trilogy and started grabbing for it! I just thought to myself, aw great here we go!

Then for the grandpa's we have put Darren in his first Harley Davidson piece of clothing so of course I had to take pictures of it for you two! He will be ready for a bike ride in no time. But my question to the grandpa's is who is going to buy the child size helmet? My son will not be riding without one! But I think we have some time to talk about that later.

The latest vegetable that we have been trying is sweet potatoes. I think the picture speaks for itself!

Getting Artsy

2008-04-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom, and getting to stay home with my son. We have days filled with playing and learning, at least I think he is learning. But sometimes we need to pass the time. So I grab my camera and start snapping pictures. I have always liked taking pictures and from time to time really get a good one. Now even an OK picture can turn into a really cute picture using photo shop, which I am still learning to use. Today I tried my hand at taking some "Artsy" pictures and here are some of the ones that I really liked.

Here we have Darren with one of his favorite toys. I tried focusing on Blue (that is the toys name) with Darren in the back ground.

This is a peace Lilly that I have in my living room that is blooming for spring. It has one bloom and I tried some different angles, and got up really close to the bloom. I also thought that the lighting was pretty neat coming in the window through the curtain. I thought the plant and the shadows were really cool.

At the top of our page is the Lilly on my plant again. I really love how that picture turned out. Please let me know what you think or if you have any pointers on how to get other really neat photos.

Feet

2008-04-30T08:02:00.001-07:00

It has been really cute lately that Darren has found his feet. He discovered that he can bring them up to his mouth and grab them. It is pretty cute to leave his pants off and watch him play with his feet. So here are some cute pictures of Darren playing with his feet.

He is such a happy baby, and I love him to death!

A Case of the Monday's

2008-04-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

I have a very bad case of the Monday's today. Mainly because I woke up and our yard is covered in snow. Here look for your self!

Yes today is April 28Th and as far as I am concerned it should be done snowing and it isn't supposed to be cold anymore. I want warm weather, that I don't have to bundle up in. Not to mention that you can't really take a baby for a walk in this stuff. As I am looking out the window it seems to be getting heavier every minuet that passes. In this picture you can even see the snow flakes falling.

And just because I need to cheer myself up, here is a cute one of Darren. There is no denying that he has some pretty cute RED hair.

Stuff

2008-04-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Just as I am complaining that I can never catch a smile on camera, I am getting them left and right now. It is just like going to the doctor and you say no he isn't talking much yet, you get home and what happens? He is talking up a storm. For those of you who haven't seen Dan in a while this is what he looks like. I feel bad because I haven't put up a picture of him in a while. He got new glasses and they look very nice on him. Other than needing a hair cut he doesn't look much different.

Darren got a hat to shade his face when we go for walks. Isn't it adorable?

Then we went to a friends house the other night to play Texas Holdem, so I decided to make deviled eggs as a snack to share. Dan was tired so I relieved him from baby duty but still had work to do. I put Darren in my handy dandy sling, and away I went to make the deviled eggs. Darren of course was more then helpful, plus it was just too cute. When Dan saw what was going on he had to take some pictures.

Little did I know that when my husband got the camera he was going to take these pictures.

T and A is always on a mans mind! Nothing but class babe thanks!

And lastly I have to tell you all that while we were playing cards the other night I took 1st place! I was so proud of myself, I haven't played in so long that I basically went into playing with the mind set that I was just donating my $5. Oh no, I was a dangerous card player! OK maybe not but I am still in shock. So I was pretty excited and wanted to share.

Gettin' Messy

2008-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

So I decided to get brave the other day and let Darren play with his cereal for a little bit. I want to be a fun mom that is not afraid to clean up a mess. Plus I need to keep you all entertained with cute and fun new pictures. Here is what happened!

Look at this face! So mischievous.

In the end he didn't really get all too messy but it was still fun to just let him play. In some of the pictures you can see cereal on the left of the highchair. Other than that he mainly got it on him self. I was once told to enjoy this time because babies at this age are "portable and washable". Needless to say he did get a bath after this little adventure. The carrots and cereal that was caked on his hands was kind of nasty and took a little soaking to get it to come off.

Got One!

2008-04-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well I got a smile on camera. It took me taking a lot of pictures and saying the word "poop" but I finally got one. So here are some of the misses and the actual catch. Not to mention that the onesie he is wearing is super cute. And it has a baseball on the butt. Plus there is one thrown in there for our friends out in Hawaii, because they sent us the sleeper and it finally fits him. So thanks!

Smile

2008-04-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard to catch a smile on camera? I look at my own blog and think to myself, my child won't smile for the camera. Not sure how I am feeling about this. I love to take pictures and I like it when Darren smiles for me but I never seem fast enough to actually catch one.

I feel that he is a typical male at times, he laughs when I say "poop" and "fart". Only a man or little boy could think words like that are something to laugh at.

So my goal for this week and weekend is to catch a few smiles in some photographs. So I can prove to you that he does in fact smile. He is cute when he doesn't but is cuter when he does! Keep looking for some cute smiley pictures.

Remember to SMILE!

The Weekend

2008-04-20T16:37:00.001-07:00

This Friday I had a lot of things to do, or that I wanted to get done. Darren didn't want to be in his jumper, or on his play mat, he was just wanting to be held. So I was holding and trying to clean, well that wasn't working. So I got out my trusty sling, a big thanks to the Khun's for giving us that! I tried a couple of new ways to use it and I fell in love with the side sling! Keeps him close and yet I don't have to actually hold him. I got things done and he got to be with me, it was the best of a mom and baby world.

We also went to a wedding over in Appleton this weekend. It was very nice but we didn't get too many pictures. But here is a cute one of Grandma and Grandpa Reed with Darren. OK so you can't really see Grandpa but he is back there.

The weather was just beautiful outside today. So Dan and I took Darren for a nice long walk down by the river. We put a cute little baseball hat on him. It didn't really keep the sun out of his face but it was cute none the less. Plus he slept for the entire walk anyways. So it wasn't like he was really looking at anything.

Just Cute

2008-04-17T12:55:00.001-07:00

I just had to post some cute pictures that I took today because well they are just too cute to not share. A few are from us trying the peas again, which today he didn't seem to mind. He ate them and made just a couple of funny faces. He really likes taking the spoon from me and trying to feed himself. That is how he got peas all the way up by his eye! I promise it wasn't my aiming. He is also working very hard on sitting up and crawling. I just can't believe how fast my little munchkin is growing! He changes every day and looks more like his dad every day too. And at this point there is no denying that he has a reddish tint to his hair. Enjoy these not so blurry pictures.

Peas

2008-04-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

So we tried peas. He didn't really have any initial reaction. He didn't really start to not like them after several bites. So then I tried to trick him into eating them by putting half peas and half cereal. I am know I am a mean Mommy. So during his first experience with peas he would go from happy, when he was getting his cereal, to not swallowing the peas. But I will not give up. Sorry the pictures are all so blurry! He was very squirmy during this adventure.

Eating Carrots

2008-04-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

As we made our way over to Appleton this past weekend. I decided to bring along some pureed carrots for Darren to try. He didn't know what was going on at first but didn't reject the carrots all together. For having tried carrots for the first time he did really well and ate the whole container. I was so proud of him. Today I gave him more carrots and it was like I couldn't feed him fast enough. I would get the spoon back to get more and his mouth was already open again for more! Such a big boy now. Plus he was being really cute while he was eating. My mom was feeding him from one side and I was snapping pictures from the other. He would take a bite from Grandma and then pose for a picture for me. The last picture I had to put up because he is just too adorable in that picture. So that was our weekend in a nutshell. And I am just going to say that I want warm weather to stay not come and go!

Oh What a Morning!

2008-04-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today was a rough morning. Darren actually slept in for a while this morning which was good because then I got to sleep in too. This equals happy Mommy :) When he did get up it was our normal weekday routine. Diaper change which was a small disaster in itself. I will spare you the details but to sum it up in two words, leakage and messy. After we get that out of the way, then it is feeding time which went well. Then we played for a little while and he was happy like he normally is. I needed to run into the kitchen so I picked him up and he decided to throw up on me which is OK at this point because I am still in my PJ's. So I go and change just into some other comfy cloths because it was too early to think about anything else really. As Darren is playing on the floor I make myself a bowl of cereal and sit on the floor by him to eat it. Then a small little foot comes up to kick my bowl and spill my cereal all over me. There goes comfy cloths I guess I will just get in the shower now.

My attempt to take a picture of Darren and I didn't turn out too bad. I am usually the one taking the pictures so I tend not to be in many of them. YEAH!!

Would You Vote for Me?

2008-04-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

A recent gift to Darren gave him the edge in the election coming up this year. I know that he is small and doesn't talk much but boy is he cute. I think he has what it takes to win the hearts or America!

A Family Affair

2008-04-08T18:31:00.001-07:00

Well this past weekend I (Darcy) was Baptised. It was a very nice day in Point. The weather was beautiful and the people that are most important to me in my life were there to take part and help celebrate. I have known that all my life this was what I believed I just never took the plunge into my faith. I am hoping that this opens a new chapter in my life.

Anyways I'll give a quick update on Darren. He is so close to crawling I think that any day now he is going to be cruising around the house. I cannot believe how fast he is growing right before my eyes. Couldn't resist putting this first picture up it is just so cute!

My Sponsor's AKA Mom and Dad

Go Brewers

2008-03-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

So today was opening day for Baseball season. So wasn't it nice that it rained all day so that Dan didn't have to work! So he got to come home at about 11 and watch baseball for the rest of the day. While I went to work out he stayed home and tried to enjoy the Brewer game. They were getting rain in Chicago so the game was delayed, then started and then delayed again. All in all it was a good game. The best part is the Brewers won!

So far this week is going to be pretty uneventful. We don't have much going on, hanging out with some friends, volleyball, and then the weekend. I am hoping that it starts to warm up soon though, so I can start taking Darren out side again. Running in the rain isn't much fun for me or him!

Think Spring

2008-03-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of fun thing going on lately. Darren started eating cereal this last week. He had a doctors appointment and is getting big so fast. We are pretty sure that he is starting to teethe which makes nights fun as he is up often. Darren had been sleeping on his own in his crib through the night for a while. But with the teeth coming in he isn't sleeping very well. We have some cute Easter pictures, some of Darren eating cereal for the first time and some just plain cute pictures.

Easter Basket

What are you going to make me eat?

Happy

Interesting...

Getting better...

I can do it myself!

Randomness

2008-03-12T07:06:00.001-07:00

Like father like son, all in Wisconsin apparel except Dan's hat. He has a Wisconsin hat, but it fell behind our dresser and he couldn't get to it. But cute none the less.
Here Darren and I are workin' the Bjorn. He actually really likes it, plus it is great for getting cleaning and what not done at the house he just hangs out with me :)
This is our new coat rack that Dan made. He got to use a lot of the new tools that he got for Christmas/birthday. His router, palm sander and so on. It looks great by the front door.

Feeling a Change

2008-03-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

So here I am sitting on the computer while my husband and I are supposed to be watching a movie and enjoying some time before he goes back up north for yet another week. So I was feeling the need to change things this weekend. I revamped the hair, and got some new cloths and updated the blog. I am not sure why this is all coming on so sudden but I think it might have something to do with the unbelievably annoying thing called "Cabin Fever" that I have right now. Being couped up with a new born all winter and the winter to top all winters this was. A record amount of snow, and super cold temperatures made it almost unbearable to run errands. Temps are to warm up this week, and I might be able to get some walks in because I know for a fact right now that I am vitamin D deficient. Pray for some warmer weather! Oh, and I hope you like the new layout of the blog!

New Hair

2008-03-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

I got my hair cut and highlighted. I love the color as well as the cut. Of course I couldn't resist putting this one of Darren and I, he is growing so fast and pictures don't do him justice.

The Giggles

2008-02-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

Just Pictures

2008-02-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

We recently had a blast down in Milwaukee with my brother and his wife. But we forgot to bring out camera! So all I have is some cute pictures of Darren. You can never have to many cute pictures of your own baby! And I am sorry that I never put up pictures of the shower, but they are still coming.

Look at that Red Hair!

Without Dad

2008-02-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

Well here we are again another week with out Dad. I can tell that Darren misses him. I miss him too. Nights are really scary in this old house with out my big strong man to keep me safe. Here are some things that you are missing while you are gone Daddy.

We are done

2008-02-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Darren's CT scan that he was scheduled for when great! He had to be starving but never got fussy, I was so proud of him. And although I was really glad to hear the Doctor say that everything was normal with the scan part of me just wants to be done. We have searched for an answer and have found nothing. The cause of his high blood pressure may be a mystery. He is now off of his blood pressure meds, and everything is under control. So we asked ourselves, is it possible that doctors may not have all the answers? In our case we think this one is to remain unanswered. Darren is a happy healthy baby with no more high blood pressure! So we are done.

Mommy and Darren

2008-02-06T09:17:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken by my Mom's good friend. She does photography as a hobby. Isn't she great!

Baby Shower

2008-02-01T06:48:00.001-08:00

Well, I don't have any pictures to post today. I Just have an update. Darren got his synagis shot this week to help prevent RSV. He doesn't like getting shots. The nurse told me to be extra careful with him in the next months because they are starting to have people come in that are testing positive for RSV. Next up for Darren on Feburary 7th he gets a CT scan. I am not looking forward to that day because he has to be out for it. He can't eat for a certain amount of time before hand and he gets cranky when he doesn't get his food! Won't that be a fun day. The CT scan is looking at his adrenial gland to see if there is a blockage in there. If they do find something chances are he will have to have surgery to remove it.

On a lighter note, I am looking forward to a baby shower for Darren tomorrow. My wonderful Mother, Sister-in-law and Sherry are throwing it for Darren and I. They always do such a great job. Don't worry I'll take lots of pictures and post them next week.

Gizmo Playing with Darren

2008-01-24T18:22:00.001-08:00

Not sure if Gizmo thought that Darren was trying to play with her or what. But this is a pretty cute series of pictures. Dan was sitting on the couch feeding Darren and gizmo was playing with his feet as he kept kicking her with them. It was really very cute, and I think these pictures capture the moment well.

My Life

2008-01-24T17:57:00.001-08:00

Chicken on My Feet!

2008-01-18T07:52:00.001-08:00

Today I have chicken on my feet. I am not sure what they are yet, but I think that they are funny. Especially when they are on my feet. My name is Darren and today I have chicken on my feet.

Darren's Baptism

2008-01-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

This was a interesting weekend to say the least! We had my brother and Amanda come to town from Milwaukee on Friday, we went to The Final Score for fish on Friday night. Had a couple of drinks for Dan's Birthday and went home. About an hour after we got home I started getting a headache and feeling sick at my stomach. Now I know what you all are thinking, and NO I was not drunk at all. I wound up getting the flu, it was horrible. I was sick and had a million things that I wanted to get done before Sunday. Instead I spent my entire Saturday quarantine, in my bedroom(which is also Dan's bedroom for those of you wondering). But thankfully we have a great family everyone jumped to my rescue and did the work I wanted to get done. So I am really tired from being sick in these but you will get the idea of how the day went. Thanks to all who came to support Dan, Darren and I. We love you all very much!! And if anyone needs a sitter, it turns out my brothers dog is great!

The Reed side.
The Grabski side.
The Sponsers.
Cake, even though he can't eat it. Does that make me a mean Mom?

Christmas 2007

2008-01-07T19:06:00.000-08:00

The first smile caught on camera! All in all we had a really fun Christmas. We got to see a lot of family and friends. The little one was very well behaved and liked meeting Santa for the first time. I went over to Appleton early to see my Mom and Dad for few days while Dan went up north for work. He then joined me and we stayed in Appleton until Christmas. We then spent the evening of the 26Th with Dan's Mom, Dad, brother Brandon and Traci. Darren of course got a lot of fun toys and cloths. We are looking forward to him running around next Christmas!

Our Crazy Cat

2007-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

We need you opinion on this video! Funny or not as funny as you think?

Proud Uncles and Aunts

2007-12-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

Here we have Uncle Randy, he is my brother and lives with his wife in Milwakee. His wife, AKA Aunt Amanda is below.

And next is Dan's brother, Uncle Brandon. His future wife, Aunt Traci is loving having Darren around. We are looking forward to their wedding next fall.

Thanksgiving

2007-12-01T16:49:00.001-08:00

Looking cute and wide awake. This is a hat given to Darren from his great Uncle Darrell. The "A" by the way is for Alabama. Dan says he would have like "W" for Wisconsin better, but I still think Darren looks cute in it either way.

WOW that is a lot of snow!
As some of you know my due date was December 1st. Those of you who live in Wisconsin know that Today is December 1st and we are getting our first BIG snow storm of the year. So I guess Darren is really going to know everything because if he really would have came today that would have been miserable getting to the hospital. The plows haven't even been on our street yet today. It starting snowing at about 11am, and it is now 7pm!
And of course cutest and best present ever! He spit up on my tree skirt not long after I took this picture. Oops!

Home at Last

2007-11-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

November 1st was a great day. We finally got to bring our little boy home from the hospital. At 4lbs 8oz and 17 inches long. It was a long night of getting use to his little grunts and groans. It has been just a few days now, but things are going really great. We have given him a bath at home, but mainly he eats and sleeps.

Dan and I are doing good, he still has class and work. I just get to stay home and take care of the little guy. Which in its self is completely exhausting. I am tired but he is totally and completely worth every second I get to spend with him. Even if that means changing a poopy diaper.

Teddy Bears

2007-10-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Just some cute pictures for your enjoyment.

Bath Time

2007-10-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Darren getting his first bath. He was a very good sport about it too. I still handle him very carefully. I still feel like I am going to break him. Yes I did get to practice a little too.
This is my favorit picture of his first bath. He just looks very content. His hair is looking very red in this picture, and I am liking it.
This is the end of bath time he was getting a little cold but still very content with me as I am going a little slow because I had no clue what I was doing.
The most recent up dates are that Darren is (as always) doing great. He is taking nothing but bottles at this point. So they were able to take the tube out of his nose. We are also hoping that he will be able to come home within the next couple of weeks here. He is getting big, at 4lbs 5oz.

Almost 4 Pounds

2007-10-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Darren is doing really great, he is almost 4lbs which is just about double his birth weight. He is starting to learn how to suck, swallow and breath which is what he has to be able to do to come home. He took his first bottle on Friday October 19th! I was glad that I was able to give him his first bottle too. It was just a little over 1 ounce.
We get to snuggle with the little one about once a day. So this is a cute one of Dad and Darren. Dan is kissing his nose but Darren is so little that you can't really see it.
This is just one of my favorit pictures of Darren. His face is so precious.
Snuggle time with Mommy. The club hand is because the doctors thought he had an infection and needed to give him meds through the IV. But it is out now and Darren is doing really well.
Well just thought that I would give a little update on how we are all doing. Dan is starting to get caught up with school. He is really looking forward to graduating in December. I am looking forward to bringing Darren home, and the holidays with family. Keep praying for the three of us!

Darren Reed Grabski

2007-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I have writen on here. A lot has happened since I got my job at Sentry. The most exciting however is Dan and I had our first child.

Darren Reed Grabski was born by emergency c-section on September 17, 2007 at 0601. He weighed 2lbs 3.4oz, 14 inches long and is the most beautiful baby.

Now at two weeks old, he is 2lbs 7.8oz and is doing well. He continues to have apnea(forgetting to breath). But other than that doing very well.

We ask that you keep Darren as well as Dan and I in your thoughts and prayers. As we have a long road ahead of us before we will be able to bring Darren home.

Job at Sentry Insurance

2006-12-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Holy cow, I was talking to a friend the other day about everything going on in our lives. I am graduating from college, expecting a baby, job searching. So many things going on in life but I am proud to be able to announce that I have a full time job starting December 29Th!! I just got a phone call from Sentry Insurance today offering me a job in their customer service department. I gladly excepted and am very excited about joining the Sentry team.

Graduation

2006-12-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

I am graduating from college after 4 and 1/2 years, we are having a party on December 16th 2006 starting at 8pm. We are going to start at our house, and then maybe go downtown later. Finger foods will be provided, and feel free but not obligated to bring a drink to share. We would love to see you!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

Dan and I are having our first Thanksgiving at our new home. Next week, we will be sharing our first big holiday with family. I am so excited to be able to cook for the wonderful family members, I love to cook and will cook the second turkey in my life. If you have any suggestions for me or recipes that you like please share. If you are interested in joining us please let me know and we I am sure can accommodate our friends as well.

Welcome

2006-11-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, welcome to our Blog. This is new to both of us so check often for updates!!