NEW BLOG

HELLO!
I have finally created the new blog....

http://kkdieringer4.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

3 months!

I promise to make  my new blog with pictures soon...like next week maybe!

Brooke is 3 months and still super sweet!

• She is wearing 3 months clothing - I love that my babies were exactly the size they are...it helps with organization and I love it.
• She has found her hands and plays with them and sticks them in her mouth all the time.
• Still eating every 3 hours and lots to eat. She now stops in the  middle of eating and looks up at me with a big smile before heading back for more...sooo cute!
• She is a very smiley girl.
• I think her love language is physical contact. She loves to rock or just be held. 
• She LOVES her brother. She could watch his craziness for hours.
• She was very spoiled at the babysitters...I am so thankful they love my kids so much...now I am working on some good sleep habits.
• I am now on my family leave time - until Christmas. Me and the babes until Christmas...woohoo! Lots of fun in store. 
• She has spent the last 3 weeks sleeping in a little chair from her stuffy nose. This must stop.
• She is starting to drool more.
• She is finding her voice...she coos and chats and coos and chats. She likes to respond to me and is a good listener. 
• We have had fun going to the apple orchard, pumpkin patch, on many walks, on a few rides down the slide, and a Homecoming parade. 

2 Months!

Baby Girl is 2 months! See her 2 month picture on Facebook as I have not gotten to making a new blog yet...I am thinking October when I am on maternity leave. Brooke is just a great baby! Here are the stats:

• Brooke weighs 10lbs 14 oz. She is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. 74th percentile for head. I mean that is normal for my kids. :)
• She is wearing 3 month clothing.
• At 5 weeks I let Brooke sleep in her room for the first time since I had the pack n play at my parents house. She started sleeping through the night then. I wish it had continued... :)
• She wakes up at about 1 and 5ish. I think it is because she was adjusting to me being back at work or being more aware of her surroundings in her big crib. I just let her do some cry it out...it was probably the first time she cried that hard. Poor girl. It took about 30 minutes and then I calmed her down and she was out. And now I feel really guilty. :)
• She is a smiler. I love it sooo much...I can't wait to see her personality.
• During her awake time she loves to be sitting straight up and watching what is going on. Mostly watching Cole be his crazy self.
• She enjoys bath time!
• She has started to coo and make cute little noises.
• She is drinking 4 oz every 3 hours and then not at all during the night.
• She loves to hold hands and is a big cuddler. She loves to be rocked as well...that is why she was so mad about being in her crib before she was asleep. HA!

Baby Brooke, we love you so much! Cole even tells us that he loves you. We are so thankful that God gave you to us. :)

1 Month!

Brooke is 1 month and we are so happy to have her around! She is such a little blessing. She is content and very relaxed...I think she must know that we have our hands full with big brother! :) Here is her update...

• She weighs 9.6 pounds...that was determined by the very accurate weigh myself and then add her method! :) 
• She is on the same routine as Cole was...my mom said it must be me! :) She eats every 3 hours and is sleeping 5 hour stretches at night. Having a baby full term really helps with that sleep stuff! 
• She is awake quite a bit in the morning and then takes a pretty good nap. 
• We have been laying her down in her crib for 1-2 naps a day...she does really well with this. 
• She is still sleeping in our room
• She doesn't really cry in the middle of the night...she grunts. HA!
• She has been a busy girl in this first month of life...weddings, parks, walks, pools, beach, etc. She sleeps through most of it. 
• She loves bath time...it is almost like she gets excited about it.
• I think she might smile soon as a reaction...I think! 
• I love when she smiles in her sleep...so cute!
• She loves her nuk. 
• Cole and her are getting along well...he doesn't want me to take her back to the hospital yet. We have a few moments where he wants all my attention but we are working on it. 
• She is almost done with her newborn clothing...good thing cause I am excited for the 3 month stash...super cute stuff!
• Dressing a girl is very fun!
• We walk every morning...Brooke in the baby bjorn and Cole in the stroller. That is another thing that Cole is getting used to sharing...the stroller. Sometimes he has to be a big boy and walk...poor guy!
• Everything about her is more girly...even her squeaks and coos sound like a girl! :) 

We are having fun and adjusting to having 2 kids. It is going really well I think. I am lucky to have this time and more coming that I won't be working. Even though I did enjoy going to my training this week. Brooke really is a doll and we thank God for giving us this gift! She was meant for us and it is amazing how God plans that out!  I will make sure to post some more pictures of her when I figure out how to add more photo storage...I AM OUT! OH NO! :) Either I will be starting a second edition blog or buying more space...Guess which option Kyle is going for? I suppose after 4 years it was bound to fill up. 

Brooke Elizabeth

I am about 2 weeks overdue but better late than never! Brooke Elizabeth has arrived! She was born on June 28th at 1:06pm weighing 7 lbs 14 oz. She was 20 inches long. She has a nice head of hair and is a lovely little baby! I can't get enough of her! :) Her arrival was forced as Kyle had to go out of town and we needed to be at Emily's wedding! She was ready and the labor went really well. I arrived at the hospital at 6 am, was induced around 7, water broke around 7:30 and baby was born at 1:06pm. Ever since then it has been a whirlwind with family events, healing, and now getting back to our "routine." We will see how that goes. 

Pretty girl looked almost identical to Cole. 

When Cole arrived I bawled my eyes out! 

Family of 4!

As Cole would say, "Two Babies"

My mom was a huge help for the past 2 weeks. 

You can never start too early! :) 

Cole suddenly is HUGE! He LOVES his sister...he is as gentle as a 22 month old can be! 

And now that I can't watch Cole every second...he puts lip stain all over his face and it won't come off for 3 days!

She has lots of pretty dresses!

Strong girl already! 

Cole was showing Brooke what Diaper Head was all about. 

Sleepy smiles...love them!

I can't believe I am taking pictures of 2 kids taking baths together and those kids are both mine! :) 

Today Brooke had her 2 week appointment. She weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz and grew 1/2 an inch! Our little lady is getting some rolls...super cute! We love her so much and are so glad that God blessed us with her! We are now back at home after being at my parents for a week and celebrating Emily and Tony's wedding. I am so lucky to have my parents to help me out any time I need. Kyle missed us on his work trip but we are all back and enjoying being home. Next week I am going to try this 2 kids thing out on my own...we will go to the park and to target to start...I know I can do it! :)

38 Weeks and Ready to Go...

Well this baby experience is completely opposite of the last. With Cole I was completely focused on school and getting to conferences! I was so focused on everything else that I never had anything prepared for this his arrival...I had 4 weeks still...and I could get ready in a weekend! :)

Well.......I am beyond prepared this time. The room is complete. The diapers are bought. The bags are packed. AND NOTHING IS HAPPENING! I am a whole stinkin 1 cm! I cry after every weekly appointment and then go do something fun with Cole to get over myself. I am blessed to have this time with him and I really am enjoying it. I feel pretty good! I rest when I am tired and work and play when I am not!
I am hoping for next week but who knows...right! I think it is funny how even my doctor totally expected my "short and small" body to not have enough room for a baby after 37 weeks. HA! Well, obviously I am not that short and small! I am carrying this baby completely differently....mostly belly and not swollen like an elephant...Thank the good Lord! ;)

I  needed to update since it has been over a month. The next update will be her arrival...however long or short we have to wait! Is that a contraction I feel?!?! HA!

Breaking News...

Cole went potty on the potty! I bought 2 training seats yesterday to start exploring the idea because he is ready for that. Well, that was an OBSESSION last night and I had to put the potty up high to stop the madness. This afternoon I was laying down and Kyle was playing with Cole...this is how the conversation went.
Cole: "Potty"
Kyle: "You want to go potty on the big toilet?"
Cole: "Ya"
Kyle: "Ok, lets go."
Cole: "Diapy off."
Kyle takes diaper off and Cole sat down by himself. Kyle heard a stream...and was shocked! LOL He thought it was a joke.
Kyle: "Let's go show Mama"
Cole jumps into bed with me with no diaper on, "Potty!"
And then he had 2 M & M's.

Then Kyle and I were like....what do we do with the pee? LOL
I know this is a fluke but it was fun to experience it and start the exploring of the potty!

Here is a link to Cole doing Pat a Cake...he always says he will share with Josh! Makes us laugh.
http://youtu.be/A14qeZ-kQ40

30 Weeks

Here I am at 30 weeks! If this baby is like Cole, I only have 6 1/2 weeks left....OMG! I will take that extra 1/2 week for sure! :) We are working on preparing baby girls room. My mom, sister, and I made a pillow, curtains, and a wall hanging for her room. We are still working on painting a dresser and another wall hanging. I am feeling fine. You know, sore and tired. The doctor said that she stills has a good amount of room left in there. That's about enough for a pregnant update. 

Cole likes taking pictures of himself...and his newest development is he likes to SHOWER. By. Himself. LOL He will close the shower curtain on me when I peek at him. He loves the bath too but the shower is a new adventure!

Exciting!

In the midst of busy season we realized with all this warm weather we needed a lawnmower and FAST! Kyle even made the comment that we were going to get fined for the length of our grass. Of course, I was ready to borrow a lawnmower from someone but we really needed to get one. So, I searched the ads, Kyle searched craigslist and WA-LA, Kyle found a great deal on a pretty brand new lawn mower. He is REALLY excited! Cole loves it too!

Next up for the Exciting! post is Cole's weight update for 18 months. He is a whoppin 32 inches, in the 43% for height. He is STILL 21 pounds, in the 6 % for weight. Geez Louise! He is highly active so I am just assuming that he has the Dieringer skinny in him. Baby girl was in the 70% during her ultrasound and Cole was in the 50% during his so I am guessing she has the opposite. Poor girl! :) 

Finally, Cole has now learned "No!" He has been saying no to Nala for awhile but never no to a question when I ask. It is great when I ask if he is done and he says no and takes a bite to eat. Today he started the naughty no. I was telling him to sit down at the restaurant and he said "NO!" I totally laughed before I realized that he isn't supposed to be saying NO to me! LOL So, now we are working on being respectful! It is still kind of funny though....

SPRING BREAK for Cole and I starts in 5 days! I. CAN'T. WAIT! 

18 Month Baby Boy and 24 week Baby Girl

Cole is 1 1/2 years old next week! Where has the time gone? He is SO fun! I think this is my favorite age so far! He understands me and I understand him. He is starting to put phrases together. He LOVES to play outside. I think we have been outside every night this week from the moment we get home to the moment he goes to bed. He loves the girls at babysitting. They call him their little brother. He follows them around and they protect him. We took him to a park the other day and he was up and down and up and down the slide over and over again. He is a handful for sure! He is still a little peanut wearing 12 month pants and we finally moved him to 18 months shirts. We have some 18 month pants too but they just drag a bit too much. He eats everything. Ice cream and Mexican food seem to be his favorite. He sleeps a good 12 hours and naps 2 1/2 every day. Cole is such a blessing and he loves his baby sister already. He points to my belly and says baby and smiles when I talk about buying stuff for baby girl. 

The leprechaun's brought Cole some gold coins and turned his milk green! 

Bossing Nala around....

                                                              


  BABY GIRL - 24 Weeks

I am about 6 months pregnant. I feel good, lots of energy until about 8:30pm and then I crash. This good weather has been good for my weight gain. At the last appt I had gained 4 pounds and before that it was 1 or 2 each time. I am running after Cole and taking walks daily. We are slowly picking up outfits for baby girl with all my 30% at Kohls. Her due date is still July 4th but I am hoping for June 15ish.... HAHA! My doctor expects me to be early again...but you never know! I just can't have her from July 3-6. :) This past week I have had the first signs of swollen ankles! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?! How depressing! I was hoping to skip that part this time because elephant legs aren't very cute on me. 

I have been posting on pinterest lots of ideas for baby girls room. I really had lots of ideas going and I had a color scheme in my mind but I needed to get fabric so we could start creating. This morning I went to Joann's and below is what I found. I AM THRILLED! It isn't too pink...it is actually more melon colored. It is bright and fun without being babyish. We are going to make a rag quilt, curtains, pillows, bed skirt, and whatever else we can think of. I am going to stay at my mom's for a few days during my spring break when Kyle will be slaving away at work and we will create. I have needed to get the fabric so I could start thinking about wall colors and I might whip up some paint in the coming weeks as well. We do a project a month so it looks like March will be baby girl...I hope she doesn't turn out to be a boy! :) 

Saturday's

As we all know, I am a do-er. I like to be doing things when I have the chance. So, with the 3-day weekend approaching I was slightly bugged that I didn't have any plans and Kyle had to work and my parents were going to Stout, etc, etc. I most often need one day to feel like my life is back in order around the house, so that is what Friday was spent doing. With Saturday approaching, I knew Cole and I needed a plan so we wouldn't get bored at home. We ran to Walmart in the morning and picked up some finger paints and a big coloring pad. I got some chocolate chips and some play-do. Our day of fun was about to begin! :)
This was Cole's first experience finger-painting and it was fun and messy! We were straight into the bath after which was perfect. We then made cookies....Cole LOVES to be in the kitchen pouring things in (eating the chocolate chips)! Cole had lunch, read some books, and is now napping. It was so cute, he found his nuk, grabbed his blankie, and came to hug my leg. I said, "Are you ready for your nap?" And he nods his head! I love that he can communicate so well now. Enjoy the pictures!

Baby Girl

We are having a girl! I am still in shock! HaHa We have lots to do to get ready for a girl. We are very excited. We are pretty sure on her first name and the middle name is between 3 names. It may be after one of you reading this! Hint, Hint! I am so excited to decorate her room...I have had this vision for a LONG time. She was very healthy and everything looked good. She was in the 74th percentile. But Cole was in the 50th and is now is the 11th so we will see how big she is. My adjusted due date is July 2nd instead of 4th. Enjoy the pics! PS: I think she looks just like me! haha Actually, she looked very similar to Cole in the 4d pictures!

Cole Chatting

New House = Never Ending Projects

New bathroom - Color - Liberty Gray. New light fixtures

Old Bathroom. Color - Camel - looked terrible on my skin!

I will be the first to say that we are totally blessed that we don't have huge projects to do but MAN, we always have something to fix up. Right now we only turn on the water for the kitchen sink when we need it because we have a major leak. Unfortunately, we can't get that fixed in a weekend time so it has been about 2 weeks. Ridiculous! So we have a little list going of things to keep up on but with Tax Season underway we have to be patient. Also, we will be doing one fun project a month. Aka Painting/New light fixtures in the bathroom. This was about a 6 hour project for us. I had to finish my report cards last weekend and Kyle had to work.
When I was done with my report cards, Cole was done napping and Kyle got home, we ran to Home Depot and picked out the paint and light fixtures. Then we went to Chili's for dinner with our gift card. We came home, played with Cole and put him to bed around 7:45. The painting and removing of wall fixtures began. I started the painting by lantern light. Kyle had to run to Kmart because it was the only store open and get some spackle because one of the walls needed to be fixed. After church and grocery shopping the next day we finished it up while Cole slept. I LOVE IT! LOVE IT! It is so crisp, clean and spa like. Refreshing! We still need to clean up the trim...not our best skill. Kyle is pretty happy with it too! He didn't really want to do it that weekend but it was my reward for finishing report cards and it was worth it! :) Anyways...since Kyle said I can do 1 room a month I have to determine my action plan. Here are the rooms that need to be completed:

• Master Bedroom - Painted, Create headboard, Paint dresser, Decide on bedding, Accessories. (This may be a 2-3 monther for budget purposes)
• Guest/Kids Bath - Paint, remove rest of wall paper border, create wall art, decide if I want it kid-themed or not. (1 monther)
• Baby Room - Paint and etc...crib, bedding, and so on. If it is a girl I will be painting the top half of the wall yellow and putting white wainscoating along the bottom. (A dream bedroom of mine come true) If it is a boy...who knows! Maybe use Cole's stuff and then update cole's room to the sports theme that goes with his sign. (1 monther or 2 to get bedding)
• Basement - Carpet, Paint - this won't happen until next year. 

Those are the biggest things right now but lots of little projects too like leaky sinks and a weird mold stain on the wall. We will also be pulling lots of weeds and plants out this summer because the previous owner planted too close to the house. 

By the way, not having grad school is a HUGE relief off my shoulders. I feel like I have a moment to think(nap) on the weekends and that is a huge blessing! 

Spaghetti and Boo

Cole loves spaghetti night! I give him two spoons to encourage spoon use but he just can't get it in his mouth fast enough and decides to use his fists! I kind of understand! 

 Cole has started scaring us. It must stem from playing hide and seek in the dark with my family. Here he is in some positions. I should have taken a video but Cole broke that feature of my camera.

Cole is 16 months! I have been meaning to do a 16 month post. He is quite the guy. I love watching his personality emerge! He has a sassy side. Don't know who he got that from! ;) He loves to read. He loves to play outside. LOVES IT! He definitely lets us know when something is against his approval. He loves the pantry and grabbing his snacks out. He loves to be in the kitchen helping me cook. He has his own cupboard with his cooking tools so he can work too. He is sleeping really well.. 7:30/8pm to 7:15 am. He takes a 2 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon every day. He LOVES his "sisters" at the babysitters. They get home from school and run to him and play play play. Sarah said, " Mrs. D. you really need to have a baby boy cause Cole has enough sisters right now." Love her! Cole loves berries. He has a growing vocabulary. He can say most animals and can point to all body parts. He says Mony for Mommy and Daddy very clearly. We practice all the family members names when looking at pictures. He gives everyones name a try. I think he had Carol and Caden and Papa best from Dieringers. Bumpa and Ashley from my side best. He uses his manners for please. He acts like he is a starved child with how often her rubs his belly for please in sign language. Cole loves Nala, Remi, Scout, and Buddy...Tilly too. All dogs he spends lots of time with. Really any animal catches his attention. He is so active. When it is time to crash, he crashes hard. He saves his crabbiness for me when I go pick him up after school. I am glad he is so polite for his babysitters. I am starting to learn how to redirect his behaviors when they are not positive...how is that for a politically correct comment! HA!  He is just so fun! I love being with him. We live for the weekends when we can play and be together. I am so thankful God blessed us with him! I know he is going to be a great big brother.