At Long Last

The hectic and unstructured Kellen household is finally coming into a routine, which Joel and I are both happy about. Who knew that almost 5 years of having a set routine to my day, would make me want to have that structure again... even when I don't have to?! All the boxes have been dug through and thrown away, and every item has once again found itself a home. With the project of moving out of the way I can now devote more time for blogging, scrap booking, reading, biking, swimming, and homework again. It feels great, I'm not going to lie. My past Mexican Train Dominoe games have carried over to my cousin Sarah and her hubby Travis, my family, and Joel's family. Once again I have my Domino fix! ;-) We still search for a lovely couple to play Euchre with us, and miss our dear friends Meeghan and Raymond very much!

The weather has been near perfect here in Overland Park, and Wal-Mart finally has their beautiful Petunia hanging baskets out. I bought 4! They are so full and pretty, and add more character to our patio then anyone else's.



Easter came and went in a flash. We spent the morning with Joel's family, and the afternoon with my family. We attempted to have Samuel participate in the long anticipated Easter egg hunt, but he passed it off as boring, while he threw his lone egg as far as he could. Oh well! The Easter bunny left some goodies for both of my men. Samuel got Fox and the Hound Dog DVD and some huge legos to enjoy.

Joel is enjoying his new grill, Nerf shot gun (I swear...), and some PB eggs.

Samuel is daring to stand by himself for seconds at a time, and has even taken 3 falling steps towards me! He will be off one day, and that is when my exercise program really starts. Yesterday we had our first big bump on our head, the picture doesn't do it justice, but he hardly cried just as a tough guy should.

He is extremely proud about giving hi-fives, drinking from a straw, and walking alone with his walker. I can hardly believe that my once helpless baby is turning 1 year old next month. May 18th passed and has come around again so fast I feel I have barely had enough time to breath. Hopefully his 1st birthday party will be a hit, just like his first year of life. I think I might be getting another baby itch here soon...we'll see I guess.

Joel found a job at Lansing Trade Group and is excited about where the company is going. His title is a merchandising trade assistant, where he does all the accounting work for the traders in cotton. Hopefully our future is promising, and we can continue basking in the goodness of life.

As some have pointed out to me my beloved Jayhawks didn't make it to the final 4, but just remember (you people who should not be named) next year a butt kicking is in order. BRING ON THE BRACKETS!

Here is our new place with the newest member of the family - GUS -(4 mo. yorkipoo

I Promise

OK folks, I promise that more pictures are to come today or tomorrow. We finally aren't so busy and school for me has slowed down. My routine of my day will now consist of better blogging.

Happy days are ahead!

Click your heels 3 Times

Wow. A week has gone by already being here in Kansas. Our new place is starting to feel like a home and there are only a few more straggling boxes lying around. One big box in particular in Sam's room.

The weather here is about 10 degrees better than it is in Chicago, and believe me, I don't miss the weather in Chicago. Our place is actually on ground level where as before we could peer out across the pond and the parking lot in our old place. See, even Melvyn and Sam are wondering what's going on.

Our town home is in a great location. We have plenty of restaurants to choose from, Town Center Plaza (like the Old Orchard shopping center), and grocery stores. I never thought that it would feel so weird to be back. I guess after living up there and seeing the same people everyday, everything really grows on you. I miss it. Well, let me rephrase that, I miss the people. I miss Dominoes with my wacky IH friends, and seeing all their friendly smiling faces, and I miss the few Navy people I talked to often. Joel and I weren't as lucky to keep in good contact with old high school friends, but I'm sure that I have made some life long ones in the Navy, whether them being Navy or IH. Don't worry Meeghan and Raymond I haven't forgotten about you either! We will truly miss our card and upside down margarita nights! Can't wait til you come and visit. For the ones that know who you are...you are my dear lifelong friends.

I'll post pictures of our new place once it isn't so messy. Check back in a couple days. For now check out our daring, assisted walking/standing, man!

Anchors Away

THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME....30 DAYS AND I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO THE NAVY!!!

More to come if I have time.

Diggen for Eggs

Hmmmm.....


What do we have here?



Is this an Easter egg?



YES, YES, it is an Easter egg! I sure hope the Easter Bunny doesn't pass me by!


I guess if I don't want to get in trouble I better just spend some more time in my toy basket. Yup, I can't even get out of here to cause problems. I can't wait for my Grandmas and Grandpas to come visit, I have lots of new tricks to show off. I hope they can catch me!

Christmas Stockings

Here is the picture I wanted to show everyone. I have been working on this before Sam was born; little by little I cross-stitch away so that my son and my husband will have their very own stockings, made from scratch, from the woman they love so dearly. Sam's stocking is hardly perfect, actually there are many mistakes, but to the onlooker that hasn't studied the pattern no one would ever know. I've pricked my finger and cursed this very involved stocking, but, picking it back up none the less because I am so proud that I'm doing this with my own two hands.

THIS IS WHAT IT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE:


THIS IS WHAT I HAVE SO FAR:


THIS IS JOEL'S WHICH WILL BE DONE AFTER SAM'S:


My Mom worked many years to give her family a stocking of their own, which she allows us kids to take with us when we move on. I too wanted her to teach me her art, so the tradition can continue; and maybe if we are blessed enough to have a daughter, she will also want her mother to teach her how to cross-stitch. My Christmas stocking however is not the only thing I treasure that my Mom has made for me. She made me a great quilt, made with great love, and I will continue to use it with great pride so that I can feel her embrace wrapped around my family.

It's funny how receiving homemade gifts as a child can almost make you feel embarrassed; after all it would be a disaster to wear something that wasn't brand name! (Kidding of course, but that is how it is going these days.) As we age we hold close and treasure the homemade gifts. I will always feel my mother in my quilt and in my stocking, as Sam will feel me. Sam will remember his Grandma K. by the softest blue bear security blanky, and Joel will feel his mother in the jean quilt that she made for him. Some people ask, "Why use the quilts and not keep them put up in a box?" Well, how can anyone enjoy something that is kept out of sight and not used for the sole purpose of why it was made?

Each child makes treasure that last a lifetime for their parents. I see the Santa of clay (or what ever material it was) I made for my Mom every Christmas carefully tucked away under a glass dome, a picture of hand prints myself and my brothers made for her hanging in the laundry room, etc. Soon I'll have the chance to receive the treasures of a child, and will hold on to them tightly.

NEWS FLASH: Samuel crawled across the living room twice last Sunday and it was a mighty cute waddle.

Not Happy

Woe is I. Right now the military systems are absolutely driving me batty! I now know why the acronyme NAVY is what it is (Never Again Volunteer Yourself)and it's because even the higher ranking advisers can't get truthful and honest answers from personnel at the hospital. I have been in the process of waiting for a response telling me to separate early from the military, and was told that my memo had been sent out to BUPERS aka the big dogs of sailor's destinies; to find out this week my HM1 had been blatantly lied to. My papers are still some where in the hospital, which translates to me not knowing by the end of this month what our plans are. ERRRRR. I can't even express my distaste right now of the whole matter, and the sad thing is is that I'm not surprised either. Unless you plan to stay in the military the whole darn thing is just ridiculous! I'm glad I had the opportunity for the experience and all the things I have learned; but frankly I'm ready to move on and to enjoy my child, my husband, and life to its fullest. For all you people thinking to yourself, things can come up even if you're not in the military, and sometimes you need to do things on a moments notice, I know that and don't really need to hear it from anyone else. I may sound like a smarty pants but take it as you wish, there are some things that don't need commenting on. In most cases I can see both sides of a situation and do not need reminding of them. Enough of that.

Samuel is getting ready to go through another illness, hopefully only being a cold, and I really feel for the kid. Damn that incubator of illnesses daycare. I guess if it weren't now it would be in grade school, etc. He is becoming quite the prodigy if I say so myself ;-)I have taught him to push the button on his "ball shooter" toy, working with him on putting the right shapes into the right holes on his little pot, and I am trying to teach him some sign language; however he just sits and smiles at me when I'm signing. He's probably thinking, "What the heck is Mommy trying to do? Does she need to work on her muscle development so that her arm and hands are spazing out? I guess I'll impress her with a smile and pretend that I know what she is trying to do."



In the mean time when I'm done with school work and Sam is napping, I have been reading the book Angels and Demons, and working on the never ending Christmas stocking for Samuel. I guess I really know how to pick out the good ones. The Christmas tree alone has about 6-7 different shades of green in it. And once that is complete I start right away on Joel's. I did want to post a picture of it but I'll do that Tuesday. The weather is beautiful right now 42 degrees and I'm loving it. I'm beyond ready to wash my car and to start grilling again, not to mention get my lovely petunia hanging baskets. I'm ready to breath in some fresh air and get the family outside walking the little neighborhoods that surround our complex. Ahhh, a beautiful dream that is maybe a month away. Anyway the grumbles of my stomach are telling me it's time for lunch and to start preparing dinner in the crock pot. Speciality pork chops tonight, and I can't wait!

A little bit of everything

Well Samuel got his first tooth and is working on his second. I was able to get a picture of his tooth from him smiling big for the camera. Sam is also working on waving bye-bye and has started pulling himself up to certain objects in the apartment. He has taken two crawling steps, but has yet to do it again. I think he figures army crawling is a safer way to get around. He is now enjoying Gerber's Puff cereal where he can practice chewing like a big boy, which he loves doing! He looks so proud while he's chomping away. Yesterday I found the guts to go for a major hair change. I had not cut it short in almost 5 years and decided that it was time for a change. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but it is much too late to change my mind.
The weather up here is bitter cold, and while I'm at the computer typing I'm staring at a thick layer of frost around out bedroom window. It is a whopping -4 degrees right now and it is almost 11 o'clock in the morning. Geesh! Some pictures below are of Sam getting ready for a bath, acting silly, and showing off his preppy outfit. Damn cute, and there isn't another way to put it.

Good but not Great

It took Sam about one week to recoup from Croup, at least to the point where he would not be wheezing, and then it was back to day care for him since mommy and daddy could not keep taking off work if he wasn't really struggling. Unfortunately part of day care is getting sick and my child still is not well. See how disgusted he is! Sam had a fever 95% of the days that he was home sick and when he was a day care. When I noticed that his fever would spike, unless we gave him Tylenol or Motrin around the clock, I knew it was time to take the kid back into the doctor's office again. Sam and I spent 4 and a half hours at the hospital last Friday while I had to watch my son in misery through his chest x-rays, blood draw, and examination. He did not feel good and it was easy to tell. His eyes weren't filled with happiness, but a look of grogginess and sheer sickness. His eyes are red and watery, his nose a leaky faucet or stopped up to the point where he would be forced to breath out of his mouth, and a cough so bad it gags him from time to time. Being that Sam is my first child I am dealing quite well, but have times of feeling helpless to my son and having minor breakdowns because I would gladly go through the sickness for him if I could. Day care is not a place for the weak, and after this roller coaster of sickness Samuel will be strong. Building up immunities is something we all must go through, but it is much easier when your child can speak to you telling you what ales them. Sam is getting better but far from great.



On a much lighter note Samuel crawled his first two steps a couple of days ago, but has concluded for the time being that "army crawling" gets him around just fine. He is also pulling himself up to his knees from the ground, and will soon be trying to escape the confines of his crib when he isn't sleepy. Needless to say, tonight a disassembling of his crib will be taking place to lower his mattress so we don't find our son on the floor in the morning. As suggested by Baby Center (wonderful web site) once a baby starts to pull himself up bumpers must be removed to not aide in a boost over the crib side. With each passing day I can tell that he really knows who is mama and daddy are. This is a feeling that brings me much happiness to know that when Sam wants me, he will army crawl over to me, or he wants Joel the same. He is so ecstatic when I pick him up from day care he immediately starts to fuss and reach for me, and when he is in the comfort of Mommy's arms, all is well in the world again. I'm not sure of a more greater feeling in the world. It almost seems impossible that my time in the Navy is coming to a quick end and I will be able to have our baby all to myself all day, to learn and grow together. I look forward to what the future might bring, and hopefully we will be blessed with happier moments then sad; but when the difficult times arrive, at least we will have the company of our newly beginning family.

"Croup"ed Out

Yes it is true. Our little man has Croup for the past 4 days, and I would not wish that on any body's child! Samuel could barely breath and would panic many times throughout the day to send him sobbing for some sort of reassurance that he would be okay. I give all the credit to his Montessori school. Our pediatrician said that Croup is usually passed through other children and due to the lack of him being around other children until now, that is my hypothesis. Our bed has been the recliner in order to keep Sam in a reclined position to make breathing for him easier, giving him his medication around the clock, and closely listening for any change in his struggle for breaths. This all started out as an innocent cold just after his counterpart Norman had the sniffles; and concluded that it was mere coincidence that Sam was sick days after Normy was, considering he hadn't been around him for a week after I read the report on Becca's blog. Not much later I knew that he was much sicker than anticipated.

His poor little voice is barely noticeable with weak interrupted "crying" sounds, fever,
and labored breaths are all apart of this dreadful experience. Until now I have been blessed to not know the toll Sam being sick would take on me. Hours at a time in the wee hours of the night, I would watch him sleep and closely listen for any signs of respiratory distress, so I could react in a timely manner to get him to the emergency room. With the medications we have to give Sam it was also recommended to us that we let him breath in the cold air outside,
which is supposed to sooth his vocal cords; and then do a steam shower at night to help break up the gunk in his chest. With everything going on I am emotionally drained, although I have tried extremely hard to keep composure, and physically drained from my sleepless night and short sobbing moments of feeling absolutely helpless to my son. The important thing is my baby is taken care of. I took Tuesday and Wednesday off of work and Daddy assumed duty Thursday, and I will again assume duty for Friday. With any luck Samuel will be doing much better by the weekend and we can get some much needed R&R in! Although Sam is down for the count, he certainly isn't out! Here you might be able to see some of his discomfort and because he is such a good boy he even stopped to smile for me later that day.



I also will now put more emphasis on cleanliness with our son. Toys will be sprayed with Lysol on a nightly basis and there is no playing with noticeable soiled objects (which I tried very hard to avoid in the first place) but I will be even better than before. Shoes will be removed EVERY TIME we come in the house so that the chemicals from the road, and just the nasty stuff in general we walk on, will not be tracked onto the carpet our son loves rolling around on. Hopefully his immune system will be hard charging for the next time an invasive virus chooses to use our son as its host.