September

Oh where to start...it's been an eventful month for the Bartel household. I am going to try to sum it up in this post with a synopsis of the months happenings.

We traveled to Nana & Papa's house in Stevens Point so the kids could go to the carnival. (Pacelli Panacea). McKenna just loved it, while Z was "scared" (as he says lately around crowds). She even went on this dragon roller coaster & squealed in delight at all of the whips & turns, with her arms in the air! ( I just screamed with no delight...I know I'm getting old when kiddie rides make me squeamish)

"GG" (Great Grandma, aka Jason's Grandma) was re-married on September 7th. (Grandpa Bartel passed away 4 years ago) Congrats "GG" & Ken! We also had our 1st picture taken as a family of 5.

McKenna apparently married "Ba". This love affair has been going on since they laid eyes on eachother when Kenna was 2 mos old.

Great Grandma Lepak (aka my Grandma) celebrated her 96th B-Day on September 10th. She also met Gage for the 1st time. It was a wonderful visit & I wish we lived closer so I could see her more. Papa also celebrated his B-Day on September 11th. Happy B-Day to you!


McKenna & Lucy are officially declared best friends. (Ok, so what if the declaration was made by their mom's. Afterall, we've been best friends since Day Care. Zander & Brecken have been chumming it up a bit lately as well. (what gorgeous little men!)

Kenna & Z continue to imitate their Mommy...(what else is new) They will make wonderful parents someday.

I've been experimenting with some neat effects I've discovered on my camera. I'm also dabbling with the idea of photography. I've been getting some insight from my best friend Sarah Gwidt (aka Lucy's Mommy) Check out her photography blog in the column to the right.

We said goodbye to our beloved Chevy Avalanche which we purchased in Arizona, & welcomed a brand new Town & Country Van for our expanding family. We are officially "not cool"....I'm still teary eyed over this trade. (it's a whole other post)

Welcome to the World Karlee Kay Meyer! Our 4th niece was born at 1:58 p.m. on Saturday Sept 20th. Weighing in at 6lbs and 5 oz. 18 1/2 " long. Congratulations Chad, Tania & BIG Brother Brecken!

We are continuing to enjoy every moment with our fun & crazy life. I'm making sure to take time to "smell the flowers" this time around, knowing they grow up all too fast. Our little pumpkin is already turning over to his left side from his back, smiling, cooing, & he's even batting at his dangling toy from his carseat. We go in for his 2 month appt tomorrow (yucky, shots!). I will post his stats later.

Where did the summer go?

Real Smiles

September 11th was a day to remember what we, as a nation, have been through in the past seven years (it was also my dad's b-day)....on a less somber note, it was also the day my precious baby Gage gave me his First Gummy smiles and I LOVED it! All opened-mouthed, gummy, dimply & absolutely ADORABLE!

(below: "Hey mom, just press the button like this!)

(below: "I love being a photo Ham!)

(below: "Alrighty, this photo session is making me tired.")

(below: "Um, alright mom, I've had enough of that thing in my face.")

(I couldn't resist)

Happy Anniversary 9/05/04

Happy Anniversary!
I cannot believe it has been 4 years already!
Didn’t we just graduate from college & move across the country to do something adventurous & start a new life for ourselves?

Didn’t we just get engaged & married?

Didn’t we just have a baby girl & were crazy, sleep deprived, nervous & excited 1st time parents?

Didn’t we just move back from across the country to do something adventurous & start another new life for ourselves?

Didn’t we just have a baby boy & were crazy, sleep deprived, nervous & excited 2nd time parents?..& another baby boy to make us 3rd time parents?

Somewhere in the mix there was a wedding, 3 Anniversary’s, 3 of the most beautiful miracles I’ve ever seen, our 1st new house, many ups, many downs, & now, our 4th Wedding Anniversary! It just amazes me how in God’s grand design, what we have accomplished together.

I thought I would share some things about us….
How long have we been together:
We have been together for 7 and a 1/2 years! It doesn’t even seem that long!

How long did we date:
We dated about 4 years before we married. We broke it off 2 or 3 times,…basically every time we went to Vegas. You know the saying, “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”. (Nothing happened, we were just sleep deprived from having too much fun, & I let my emotions get the best of me) We were engaged 2 of those years.

How old is Jason:
Oh my goodness. . . he is the BIG 30!. . . . He is very secure for his age, because just last week he was sporting a slight Mohawk with the middle bleached platinum blond. I will be the BIG 30 this year. (yikes)

Who eats more:
If this was July, probably me. What can I say? A pregnant woman needs to eat!
More ice cream: Probably Jason.
Pizza: Probably Jason
Sweets: Hands down, me.

Who said I love you first:
Jason said it first. It was 2 days before Valentines Day 2001. But he said it in a safe way. He said, "I think I am falling in love with you." Just knowing that he thought he was falling in love was good enough for me. After all, I went head over heals for him after our first time meeting. I replied, "I think I love you too".

Who is taller:
Jason, by about 7 inches. I am 5’7”, Jason is 6’3”. According to the child height predictor, Zander will be 6’2” & poor McKenna will end up at 5’11” by age 18.

Who is smarter:
When it comes to what? Jason is definitely smarter in math, electronics & numbers. I am definitely smarter with a camera and babies.

Who does the laundry:
98% me. 2% him. I am good at getting it washed; he's good at putting it in the dryer because I’ve forgotten about it. (my momnesia) I do the follow up and get it put away.

Who does the dishes:
I'd say 95% me, 5% him. It depends on the week, my emotions, his work load, my sleep deprivation & crying babies.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed:
If you are looking at the bed, me. It's closer to the changing table so I can get up at night & change Gage. The co-sleeper is also on that side of the bed. The alarm is on the left side of the bed, where Jason sleeps….seeing that he uses it. (my alarm is a crying baby).

Who pays the bills:
Hands down Jason! I wouldn’t mind it, but I barely have enough time to get the things I do in a day done, so that is not a task I want at the moment.
Who mows the lawn:
I actually LOVE mowing the lawn; however; I haven’t mowed a lawn since high-school! Jason mows, or his dad comes over with the riding lawn mower to speed things up. Shoveling the snow is the same story. Jason does it all. Last time I tried to help out, I ended up straining my neck so bad I was off work for 2 days & ended up at the chiropractor.

Who cooks dinner:
I would say it’s been Jason. .. . . unless we want cereal for dinner. I am getting better though.

Who is more stubborn:
I would say we’re equally stubborn. Jason insists that I always get my way. I make it a point to show him when I don't.

Who kissed who first:
Jason kissed me first. Such soft lips he has. ;0)

Who asked who out:
Nobody really asked anybody out. A mutual friend introduced us at a college party, only after I inquired about him. I had noticed him 3 weeks prior, playing basketball. Girls Intramural’s played 1st, & the Guys Intramural’s would play after us. He was so good on the court I couldn’t help but notice him. Oh yes, he also had platinum blond hair too. (Some things never change) His friend's started referring to me as "The Wife" only a few short weeks later. (little did they know!)

How he proposed:
After a wonderful Christmas Eve, we went back to our college apartment. Within minutes of opening the door, he just asked me if I would marry him. I thought he was joking, so I started laughing. He pulled the ring out of his pocket & I think I practically jumped into his arms saying "YES!" He told me he was going to propose the next day at a scenic overlook, but just couldn’t wait. When I called my family to tell them, little did I know that they all already saw the ring & knew the proposal was coming.

Who is more sensitive:
Do you know me? I cry at everything lately, & Jason barely talks. Jason and I are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum on this one. (or at least he hides his emotions all too well)

Who has more friends:
Used to be both. Now, he does. My life has been put on pause in the “get out & make friends” dept; seeing that I’ve had 3 kids in the past 3 years, & nursed them all as well. It only leaves me a couple hour block, at best, to get out & do something for myself or with others.

Who has more siblings:
I have 2 older brothers, Kevin (lives in AZ) & Brian. Jason has 1 older sister Tania.

Who wears the pants in the relationship:
Uh....we share a really large pair. He walks in one leg, I walk in the other.
Things are so hectic now with a new baby & 2 toddlers. It’s funny, because Jason will “ask” if he can go out with the guys or go golfing, but he already knows the answer. I don’t even have to ask,…remember, I gave up my life when I had 3 kids in the past 3 years.

Jason is more than my other half; sometimes I feel that he's my other whole. I feel as if we have meshed together to become one person. Without him, I think I would cease to be. He has loved me so much & has given me so much. He works so hard which allows me to be able to stay home with our 3 beautiful children, whom are all spitting images of him. We’ve had many struggles & times have been tough, but we get through it together. We’ve laughed, loved, lived & learned…..learned so much. We’ve learned that when life gives us something unexpected, we make the best of it. We’ve learned to be patient. We’ve learned to put our own needs aside. We’ve learned that we are a team. We’ve learned that when sleep deprived, some things are just funnier (OR NOT). We’ve learned that no matter what happens, we have each other, & that is a blessing.
I am looking forward to the day when we can get away (kid-free) & take that tropical vacation we’ve always been talking about. Jason, thank you for being the wonderful person that you are. Thank you for being an amazing father. Thank you for being a true friend. Just thank you…for everything words cannot express. Happy 4th Anniversary!

(2000, the month we met at college. Nice hair Vanilla Ice.)

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

(I'm waiting to lose the pregnancy weight before I take an 08' pic)

"Momnesia"

Ah ha!! Finally a diagnosis, from a Real Dr!,....Dr. Phil of course. Between picking up the house, trying to eat some lunch lunch before Gage wakes up (& wants his lunch, aka "me"!), & walking my little sleeping man in my arms, I was listening to the Dr. Phil Show. It was a variety of topics, but one stuck out. It was regarding new moms,..."Hey, this could pertain to me!", I thought. Little did I know, I found the diagnosis I've been looking for, & it's real! When I was pregnant, I'd always joke that I had CRC Syndrome (can't remember crap), or Placenta Brain, or Pregnancy Brain,..you get the picture. Well, I never had a name for my forgetfulness after I had the baby,.. that is until now! "Momnesia"! (You know, like amnesia) Apparently this occurs from the stress of having the baby, the wacky hormones screwing with my brain, oh, I can't forget the Sleep Deprivation (or can I?) & a couple of other things that I would love to share with you, but seriously, I already forgot. This can last from 6 mos to a whole year!! I must have an extreme case, as I've had "Momnesia" going on 3 years now. I can't wait to tell Jason that there really is an explanation for my actions! Next time I do something stupid or forgetful, I am so pulling out the Momnesia card. ;0)

Visine anyone?

Apparently I forgot (now I know it was the "Momnesia") that I am allergic to the "Country" when looking for houses to buy. Good thing we just bought a house in the country!! I could barely sleep last night because my eyes itched like crazy! When I woke up they were bright red. I had to practically peel them open, it wasn't pretty. This picture was taken about an hr after I awoke. (they were actually worse!)I even thought I had pink eye, but that theory was shot down when I couldn't stop sneezing & couldn't breath out of my drippy nose. I guess Good Ol' Country Living comes with a price. Seeing that I've rarely left my air-conditioned house, I'm sure it didn't help that we spent the entire evening at Jason's parents house, outside, in the country. It was nice getting out though.

(Jason with his Godson Brecken having some fun yesterday evening)