Carousel

So this is a carousel that is here in Las Vegas that Kari fell in love with. Our friends', the Howells, little girl had her first birthday and I had the day off as a holiday so we took the kiddos to ride on the carousel. It was really cold that day and as you can see Kaleb was not too sure what he was supposed to be doing. I think that this will be a fun place for us to go back to as Kaleb gets older.

BathTime

Last Sunday we noticed that Kaleb had something that looked like a blister on his bum. We were concerned about how rosy his cheeks get and also the runny nose that he has been having. So we set up an appointment for the doctor. Well, by Monday the blister had started to bleed and was really making us nervous. Come to find out that it was a staph infection.

Pretty scary stuff it turns out. However, the doctor said that it was in the very early stages and that we caught it early enough that it is not going to be a major problem. We got some antibiotics for Kaleb, both oral and topical so that we can help him heal faster. He really hasn’t been bothered by it that we can see. And it turns out that he has sensitive skin and that is why he has really rosy cheeks. The doctor recommended aquaphor for his skin and it really has helped a lot with the irritation.

So Tuesday Kari and I decided to take the day off and to be at home with Kaleb as he was a little fussy and could use some tender lovin care from his mommy and daddy. As we were both home we decided to give Kaleb a bath in the big bathtub. He loves it!!! I don’t think that we will be going back to any other way to bathe him. You’ll see what I mean.



Also as I had the day off I had some time to play with the video software that came with our video camera so please excuse the cheesy tiles.

DADA

Kaleb has continued to be a blessing in our lives each and everyday. We recently took him to the doctor and found out that he is 29 ½ inches long and 21 ½ lbs! He is huge!!! But a very healthy baby boy who doesn’t like to miss a meal. He is in the 97th percentile for both height and weight. It doesn’t really surprise me that his is as long as is his because both Kari and I are pretty tall. Guess he inherited the tall gene!

Lately he has been so active it has really been fun to get up and play with him more and
more as he is becoming aware of his surroundings and is able to make noises and “talk” with us. The other morning Kari laid Kaleb in bed with me and he just started jabbering away. And I know this may just be an anxious parent saying it but I think that you’ll agree that he is saying “dada” in this video.

Catch up!

Once again we welcome you to join in our celebration of life!!

So I know that we have been kind of lax on our blog work, but life is what it is and I am not going to make excuses any longer so just deal with it!! =)

However I do want to share some of the goings on that have been happening in our lives lately.

So I am not sure how many people we told about a change that I had in my job back around the time Kaleb was born, but I did receive a promotion at work and am now what is called an account manager, so when you get really mad at your credit card you ask to speak to me…..That has been really fun lately as Citi has been taking some steps to make changes that are not really popular with many consumers right now. Especially if you watch CNN or Fox News you probably have seen that Citi is “the spawn of the devil” as one elderly lady told me the other day. All in all though I am thankful that I still have a job and its in a department that is thriving and growing. Lately they have had more overtime than we have been able to fulfill, a good sign I am sure.

School is wrapping up soon for me this semester and as Kari puts it “here comes stressed out Matt” as finals approach. Although I think it shouldn’t be that bad this semester. That also means that I am one semester closer to the end. As I met with my advisor earlier this semester she told me that I am on course to graduate this time next winter so heres hoping that I don’t screw that up between now and then. That also means that I should be looking more closely at grad schools and programs for the next stage of my career. I am looking at going into Marriage and Family Therapy, so if anyone knows of any good grad programs I am all ears at this point.

Kari has been super busy this last week as report cards were due last Monday and signifies the end of her first trimester at school. She has been taking a really active role in school as she is the math specialist for her school and they have been working on implementing some new ideas and skills into the teaching of math. Also to add to her plate she is tutoring 2 times a week, which has been a huge blessing as those funds help to off set the cost of daycare for kiddo.

I do have to say that I am constantly amazed by Kari and how she is able to do so many things. With Thanksgiving this week she did an awesome job of cooking and even tried some new things, such as a really good sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie. Additionally she found recipes online for homemade baby food and Kaleb is loving it. I personally am not a big fan of the squash but that’s for other reasons. This year we wanted to try deep frying our turkey and I do have to say that everyone is right that the turkey was juicy and really good and didn’t take that long to cook. I think it may become a tradition.

More on Kaleb will follow!!

I am getting bigger everyday!!

Sp each and every day Kaleb seems to get just that much bigger. Today we experimented with him sitting on his own. This is the result. I think that as long as we spread his legs out enough to balance out the weight of his head we are going good.

Music of my soul

I am so humbled by those people that are able to produce amazing music and express the awesome sounds that we have inside of us.

The Lord has said that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto ME. That is the ultimate approval for the use of music in our lives. I have really been trying to focus my listening and what influence I am putting upon my life as well as those around me. I dont get how some people can subject their children to un-wholesome music before they have a choice.

with that I just wanted to share with everyone this amazing video. Without a fail it will lift my soul each time I hear it.



I hope it helps you on your way today.

Tag....

Ok Matt your turn!! All day long we have been playing tag with eachother by poking on facebook....I believe I am winning....plus with this I am a shoe in to be the winner!

Veteran's Day

Busy busy busy!!! I can't believe how much was needing to get done today! I had a "Piggies and Paws" party today. Let me tell you too cute! I think I could do it myself if I had more time and energy....not to mention more creativity. I think that only comes during the summer when I have nothing else on my plate. he he he Every June Matt wonders who I am and what I did with his uncreative wife. But I have an idea for Christmas....we are already doing family photos, but I am thinking of layering our hand prints on top of each other starting with matt, and finishing with dooda....and doing some kind of layout with both picture and hand prints....wish me luck!

This is our FHE!!

This is a picture from when the temperature dropped in Vegas and we dressed Kaleb up. We have gotten mixed reviews, Kari's class said he looked like a cholo. Shows the level of education that there is in her class.

Promise of a new day!

Ok we are horrible....we are going to be better....Tomorrow for FHE we are going to do pictures for the BRAHK calendar, and update our blog! I've got tons of pictures to show everyone. So look forward to a new day tomorrow...well to be honest for most of you it won't be up there til Tuesday your time...:) Love ya!!!!!

Kaleb eats solid food

Ok so I just realized that is has been over a month since we posted on here and I was feeling guilty especially when my sister in law is such a faithful blogger. Sets a high standard for the rest of us!

But Kaleb has been knocking back the food in ever increasing amounts so we started giving him some solid foods in the attempt that it will keep him satisfied for longer periods of time. Because we were in the doctors office like every week for a while there we got to see how quickly he has been putting on weight and is now tipping the scales at a very healthy 17 pounds. Pretty amazing for a four month old. He is in the 95% of both height and weight so its not like it is all condensed around his middle like his daddy.

But here is a video for you all to enjoy!

IS TODAY OVER YET?!?!?!

So today was my first day back to work. And let me tell ya...it was full! First dooda had to go to daycare, but did he sleep through the night?!?! NOPE Momma had to get up with him a couple of times. Finally got daddy and mommy lunches, baby fed, and diaper bag filled and we got out the door on time! Good thing we had breakfast at work today or else I'd have starved.

Work was full of meetings and I ended up having to rearrange my room about three times! Still up in the air if this one will stick and work! I am getting some fun new toys though!!! One is an ELMO (a really cool thing that can project books and papers onto the wall), two an new LCD Projector, and three a Smart board (this is a white board that is connected to my computer and I can write on it and save it to my computer!!! TOO COOL!!) Shoot any technology I can get I will use! :O)

Finally I left my room...a little messy, but still was out of there by 3:30! For those of you that don't know this...that is a HUGE accomplishment for me!! I went scrambling on errands...got some new black pants, nylons, and school stuff.

Then headed over to Kathy's to help her with some stuff and to pick up my little dooda. We didn't get home until 9...poor little guy only slept 75 min at daycare...he was too pooped to pop!

Now I am up with Rocky the spastic dog waiting on Matt to finally get home. He stayed with his mom figuring out some stuff while I took dooda home.

WAITING...WAITING....WAITING...

TWINS

So anyone that doubts that Matt is the daddy...not that anyone does. This is further proof that Kaleb is totally his daddy's boy!

BABY MATT



BABY KALEB

Play time

So Kari took this video of Kaleb on the floor playing by himself as he watches his Baby Einstein movies. Its pretty fun to hear him coo and make fun baby noises and not the screams of "I have to go to sleep!"

Hope you enjoy!

He really is a good baby and the screaming is not all that often!

Screaming....screaming and more screaming

Ok so I hate days that we have to get back on schedule! Sundays he gets all happy cause mommy rocks him to sleep at church cause there isn't anywhere to put him. Then we go to grandma's and are all out of whack there too. So normally Matt is home on Monday and we are out and about running errands. Kaleb sleeps great in the car...but when Mommy puts him back into his bed to sleep on the day after routine is messed up...all there is is screaming....

We are meeting his teacher at the daycare tomorrow. I am a little nervous and really need to sit down and make a list of things I want to go over with her. I can't believe I have to leave my baby!!! We are going to try there and see how things work out...if it doesn't work we'll go to someone else...

Ok well I guess I'll try to give him his binky and comfort the screamer!

Squeaker

Ok so this is our little squeaker. Sorry that the video is so long I didnt realize that I could edit it for length until after I posted it to you tube so what can you do? I think we are just lucky that we got it posted at all!!

Lil Superstar

This is the superstar avoiding the paparatzi. "No more pictures please!"

Video Chat with Daddy

So Kari and Kaleb have been in Minnesnowta all week with out me so we finally got connected for a video chat and the images of Kaleb were too cute to not post.

Kindred Spirits

Ok so this picture was too cute not to post. This is Rocky the big brother looking out for the new addition to the family.

Rocky just wants to be near Kaleb as much as possible.

For Gramma

Ok so Gramma Carol wanted a picture sans binkie so it just so happens that Kaleb spit it out right after she said that and so we snapped a picture for her.

Hope you all enjoy!

Mohawk X 2

OK so this is for Gramma Carol. This is the picture we took while on the phone with you.

This is a better mohawk than the first one. Kaleb has more hair now. He is getting so big.

Kaleb

So I was told that we needed to do an announcement about Kaleb with the vital stats. So Kaleb Don Nelson was born 5-21-09 at 4:55 PM he was 8 pounds 4 ounces and 20 inches at birth.

This is a favorite picture of mine. The little plumber butt was too much.

Baby Mohawk

Too cute not to post. After Kaleb's bath we gave him a little mohawk.

Kaleb meets Jacob

So here is some video from when Jacob met Kaleb for the first time. Jacob and Ben were confused about baby Kaleb. They didnt understand that he came out of Kari's belly.

Hearing Test

Ok so here is a video from Kaleb's first day. This is part of the hearing test that they gave him at the hospital. I like it cause he looks like a little snowboarder listening to music.

Happy Easter!

We wish the best for all!

Love

Matt and Kari

Baby Update....

So went to the doctor this morning....Kaleb is good and strong. HIs little heart was going all fast and steady. He actually stayed in one place this time and didn't move to get away from the doctor. Usually the doctor has a hard time keeping the heartbeat going for very long because Kaleb is on the move. I think he is running out of places to go though...getting too big. His head has dropped...and boy do I feel it! It's the worst when you run to the bathroom and go only a little bit...I always want to say ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! All that running for this little bit!!!

So somehow on Saturday I woke up with a throbbing heel. I think I bruised it somehow. Anyway now when I have to go to the bathroom I look like an injured duck...because I waddle and limp. I guess it is a funny sight. My kids tend to get a kick out of it.

Life is good thus far. We are in the house and slowly unpacking everything. We actually have pictures on the wall now. I didn't realize how many pictures we have accumulated over the past two years..ok year and a half....But now we have more wall space!!! We can now space things out and not cram everything on one or two walls...We had a ton of pictures in a box from our previous move too. Lots to choose from.

The baby room is still full of stuff that isn't baby related...like old clothes, and bags of blankets...etc. We have a few of the big things...We now have a pack n play (aka play pen), three car seat anchors, a high chair...we have a carseat to take him home in, but no stroller. Still need lots of stuff...and we are just realizing how much we still need to prepare for Kaleb. The hardest part is that I have so much to prepare for school before he comes too. I guess it is a blessing that we can't go to Cancun with my family. I'll have a week to work on preparing school stuff and work on Kaleb's room. I'd like to get a set of drawers or something for his room....lots to do.

Road

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Watch Dog

So we have the DISH guy here this morning to set up our satelite. Rocky won't let the guy out of his sight. It's funny that such a little dog thinks he's big and bad and that he can protect me. The guy will head upstairs and Rocky is at his heals, then back down...Rocky will race down to beat him so he can make sure to claim his territory before the guy gets downstairs. Once the guy goes outside to work, Rocky sits on the floor inbetween every door in the house. He is there perched with his fox like ears pointing straight up in the air. We still don't have much out of boxes, or else I'd put a picture up here of it. It's hilarious!

BIG DAY!!

Here it is the first day of our house!!

Houses...

We went on our final walk through of the house...Everything is done and ready for us to move in. The underwriter now has our fate in his hands. THis is a fun time trying to figure out what is going to happen.

Lisa, Josh, Sarah, and all the kids are out here now. I love it! I took today off so that I could spend more time with them. They are throwing me a baby shower tonight. I can't wait. FInally we will have something for this little munchin growing inside me. He will soon have a room too. Everything is falling into place...now its just up to us to keep up with normal life expectations...like right now I really shouldn't be blogging I should be doing homework for this class I have to take to renew my teaching license. blah blah blah....It is so boring. School laws are really long and boring. But if you think about it really needed. I could also be actually be doing report card comments too...arg...being a teacher is a lot of work. LONG LONG hours.

Way too much

Ok so I know that I am kind of asking for it being a communication major taking a class about close relationships that one day we would talk about sex and communication. Well that day was today. I feel that I know way too much about my fellow classmates and am glad that at the very least that I am married this time around.

I am amazed at the lack of value that people have on that aspect of relationships and how they treat it.

Still no news

We still have no news on the house we put an offer on. But I should be more patient....after all this is all happeneing really really fast.

Lisa and Saha are coming this week! I cannot wait! I am so excited that I get to spend the entire day with them on Friday!

Life is going well...we are having fun feeling Kaleb jump, kick, push, shove....or whatever it is that he is doing every 5 minutes!! I was looking at that belly cam...and can't believe how big he is getting. I have to go get that wonderful glucose test this week...last time I took it I was miserable...I hope that it isn't that bad this time. The nice thing is that pregos only have to take an hour long test...the one before took three hours and I got blood drawn 7 times. My doctor said that if I fail this one I have to take the three hour one....I hope that my sugar is ok. I never want to go through that torture again! Odds are that I am ok since I have the hypoglyciemia tendencies which is the complete opposite to diabetic tendencies.

School is getting full of stress like always around this time of the year. We have our huge CRT tests in a week. Which is rediculous if you ask me...since I apparently am supposed to teach the entire 4th grade curriculum by March...when the school year continues on through June. WHere is the logic in this? The nice thing is that the kids get to have life long learning after the tests. Where they can enjoy themselves and I can enjoy the teaching. HOpefully they do well and learn from all the cramming I put them through. Report cards are of course due in the middle of this testing....so I have lots and lots to catch up on...plus the whole uncertainty of houses (yes plural...)

Well i'm off to eat breakfast....

Random Fun

Ok so as I was leaving my close relationship communication class this morning I stopped to talk to the professor because I was late for a number of reasons (not important here) So I was asking him about the assignments that we had due next week and he made and interesting comment about class he thanked me for standing up for marriage. Our class had been about the turning points in a realtionship and the class discussion had drifted to the question about "starter marriages" I had to say something and basically said that we should value marrige more because it should be a bigger commitment that it is today.
So as I was trying to explain to the professor why I felt that way after class I told him that I am LDS and started to explain that a little and he goes, yeah me too. I knew I liked this guy for a reason. Anyways just a little random fact this morning.

My Turn

I guess it is my turn to actually contribute to this....

Lately Rocky has been preparing us for Kaleb to come. Each and every night at around 1:30ish he decides it is time to play and bark. We will let him out to go to the bathroom, and he runs circles and jumps and licks everything. The one and only thing that keeps him ok is if one of us goes and sleeps on the couch. Sunday morning I woke up to this sight...







Apparently the blanket on the back of the couch is a great tent!

Mess up....

Ok so I am still trying to figure this out...

tests

Testing out something

Comments

Ok so here I am testing a couple of things I am bound and determined to figure all the Blogness out and put it to good use especially with our little one on the way

Thanks to those of you that have posted comments sorry that we have not responded to them as I just discovered them yesterday. If anyone knows how to respond to them please feel free to let us know!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

So I think I did this right we are just going to test this out. Ultrasound video number 2

Its time to find out if we need to buy pink or blue

Ok so I know that we have been bad about posting this little tidbit of news. Last Tuesday we went to the doctor for the all important ultrasound to find out if it is a little McKenna or a little Kaleb that we have been waiting for.


So with that being said here is the video of the ultra sound and you can decide for yourselves.
Sorry its a bit long still havent figured out the whole editing thing yet with the new camera.

Happy New Year!