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I am working on updating the blog...design, colors, layout, gadgets and more. Please bear with me as I do this. Check often to see the updates! Thanks, Jen :)

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

March for Babies

As you may have notice there is a new item in the right hand column. Some of you may have received an email from me regarding March for Babies. For all the visitors that have not heard yet, I have decided to participate in the March for Babies that the March of Dimes organizes. I am participating in the walk at the end of April. As long as the weather cooperates, the kids and Jeremy will be joining me. The walk is to help raise money for the March of Dimes, whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. As you all know, our kiddos were born at 30 weeks gestation. I feel this organization is near and dear to our hearts.
I know and understand that today’s economy is not great. We are all feeling the effects of these tough times. I ask do what you can. We will walk no matter how much or how little we raise. It would feel great to meet my goal/the team’s goal and to know that we are helping other babies that enter the world too soon.
Here are three ways you can help me:
1) Sponsor me for the walk
2) Join me on the walk – I have made a team up in honor of the kids.
3) Spread the word to people you know
Click on this link or the item in the column to help me reach my goal or to join the team:
http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?w=141011987&u=Nerfer
Click on this link to view the team page:
http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?SeId=631059&si=
I would like to thank all of you for reading this and helping me. Now let’s hope for good weather!
Thanks again,
Jen

Monday, January 26, 2009

Christmas is FINALLY over!

We had our final 2 Christmas related events this weekend. I must say I am glad Chirstmas is finally over in the Lenzendorf household...seemed like it dragged on forever!
The first event was Jeremy's work Christmas Party (oops, I am sure I am suppose to call it a holiday party to be PC...oh well). Our babysitters for the night were grandma and grandpa. Grandpa distracted the kids so there were no tears when we left...in fact mom later told me they did not notice we were gone for quite awhile. Mom also used my camera to catch some great moment of the kids with grandpa playing blocks. I love the pictures as it reminds me of being little and playing with him. Here are just a few...
Grandpa explaining what needs to be done...
Alex admiring his work...
Team work is what it is about...notice the "supervisor"
Zach clarifying the instructions
Grandpa giving a helping hand...
Wow grandpa is pretty awesome...look at the tower he built!!!
Grandpa after a night with the kids...
We had a good night out and stayed out longer than we expected. Once we arrived home, we found out grandma was not having a good night. With the kids being sick they are a little out of sorts. We found grandma upstairs in the hallway on probably one of the most uncomfortable chairs we own rocking Zach and Liz. Apparently by the time we got home she had been at it for over an hour. I felt awful! Jeremy took her home while I took over trying to settle the kids back in...no such luck. Saturday night was probably the roughest night we have had in a VERY LONG time. But we made it thru and were ready for our second event Sunday morning.
We hosted Christmas for the Lenzendorfs. It had been scheduled, reschedule and rescheduled...third time has to be the charm! There were some gifts already opened prior to Sunday so it was just a quick get together to watch all the kids open some their gifts. Sunday morning Papa, Nana, Brent, Jeanne and girls made the trek across the state. They got here a couple hours before the kids nap time so after a little bit of playing we got to opening the presents.
As you can see Roxy found a perfect patch of sun and cuddled into the stack of chairs. She did not move much from that spot as she does most days...the dog LOVES sunbathing!
Just as with the Turner Christmas, Aunt Jeanne's gifts rocked! It is hard to say for certain which was the best, but they have been playing with them since. They got a vacuum which is getting a workout (hmmm...to bad it does not actually pick up stuff...that could be a time saver for me...lol). We have read the new Elmo books many times already. The boys are pretty good at playing their harmonicas. I took a bunch of pictures (like that's a surprise) so here are just a few.
Alex is saying "Elmo" in this picture...can you figure out what it is...
...it is Elmo Live! Here the boys introduce themselves to him...and I guess it does look like they may be positioning themselves for a tug-of-war contest...
Liz like Elmo's nose...honk, honk...
The kids also got a special gift...Great Grandma Dorothy had her Christmas shopping done prior to her passing away...they each got a very fuzzy, warm pair of jammies. Here is Liz opening hers...
and the boys opening theirs. Something so simple, but means SO much!
The kids were once again very concerned about the wrapping paper getting picked up and put in the right place. Here Liz and Zach help Nana put it where it needs to be...the garbage.
Unfortunately, Zach and Liz were not up from their nap yet when everyone left. Alex got to say goodbye on their behalf. After the kids ate lunch it was back to playing. Elmo was a big attraction (ah, their birthdya is going to be so much fun!). He Liz is putting him on the table...
Alex showing his blocks to Elmo...
and Zach trying to hold Elmo's mouth shut...go figure!
Here Liz is trying out the new vacuum. She had to wait until Zach was done...he is my clean freak...
yup, seems to work nicely...
did you know that you can ride the vacuum?!?!?
Apparently it is the newest way to clean.
So that was our weekend. We are still fighting colds. Alex is almost all the way better. Unfotunately we think Liz and Zach caught another cold just as they stqarted getting better from the last one, so they have had a rough few days/nights. We do not think it is anything but a cold, just seems to have hit them hard. The last week has been hard for everyone. Our naps are anything but normal. Most mornings we were upstairs prior to nap time. Here is what I saw most mornings after breakfast but before nap time...
Wanted to include this picture from right before bath time on Friday night. On bath nights after supper, the kids get their teeth brushed and stripped down to diapers. They then climb the stair and make a dash to the bathroom. Friday night I got them stripped down but needed to get stuff ready (like get jammies out and get their lovies) so they had some extra "run" time. As I was picking up their lovies Jeremy calls to me from the dining room telling me to get the camera. Here the kids had sat down nicely on the bench...full bellies, full diapers and ready for a bath...they are too cute!
Hope you enjoyed the pictures and reading about our happenings. We are hoping for a much better week this week. Hope you all have a great week.
Love, Jen

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

23 months, Christmas and Croup

Ok so I am few days late with the weekly update, but I do have a good excuse...3 sick, clingy, moody children. My to-do lists is not getting any shorter...lol!
Let see what has happened in the last week...not a whole lot early in the week. It was so darn cold couldn't do much. Tuesday night I got out to have dinner with a friend and daddy got some alone time with the kids. They also went to playgroup again Tuesday morning. Zach found a little girl, Olivia, that he followed around for the whole time. She is 2 1/2, so an older gal...lol! This time they did participate in craft and snack this time and did ok. Like I said temperatures were awful so taking them out was not really an option so we were homebound for the rest of the week.

The end of the week and weekend seem to be more exciting. The kids turned 23 months old on Friday, so only a month away from the big 2! They are all working on getting the rest of their teeth...Liz has 15 thru and #16 on the way, Zach has 14 with #15 on the way and Alex has 12. They continue to get taller and taller and put on some weight but I swear they burn off all they eat and they eat like horses...lol! Unfortunately Liz and Zach came down with a cold, so the day was not all that great.

Saturday was yet another Christmas celebration (Christmas will FINALLY be over this coming weekend...I just don't think it is normal to have Christmas go on this long...lol). This one was for my mom's side of the family...the Kedingers. We have normally have been out of town when it has been so this was the first time we could attend. It was also the first time most of my family has spent time with the kids. Unfortunately by then all three of them had the cold and were not very social. We were able to see Great Grandma Kedinger open her gift, which was a photobook of the kids.

Sunday seemed like a good lounge around day esp. since the kids were sick and we were also coming down with the cold. Alex had a cough that was sounding slightly different than the other two but we were not worried as he was still plenty active. After putting the kid to bed Alex started coughing even worse, we were up to check on him numerous times. By the time we headed to bed we made the decision to get the guest bedroom ready incase we needed to have him sleep upright on one of us. Needless to say Jeremy ended up downstairs with him all night...little sleep for both of them. I stayed upstairs and tended to Zach who was have troubles sleeping due to congestion. At 3:30am Alex's breathing was awful and he spiked a high fever. After debating about going to the ER, I settled our minds by looking up some info online and waited it out until I could get into the pediatrician. Jeremy stayed home with us on Monday. I took Alex in and he was officially diagnosed with Croup. He had the seal-like cough and trouble breathing. He was put on steriods and antibiotics. It is very contagious and Jeremy and I could end up with laryngitis so we are keeping our fingers crossed that Alex is the only one that gets it. That also means no playgroup this week. Sleeping is improving but we still are getting less then we'd like. It also seems like the other two will get by with just the cold as will Jeremy and I.

So that is what new with us from last week and half of this week. Here are some pictures taken during that time. Enjoy!

Jen

As the oldest you get the right to sit on your younger siblings...or at least that is what Alex thinks!

Daddy has some big slippers to fill...

Future Pioneers (mascot for University of Platteville...that is where Jeremy and I met)...

Alex hiding amongst the pillows...

Zach new way of being naughty...standing on the back of the couch and swinging from the curtains...

Liz and Zach worked very hard to get the stuff animals o the end table without any falling off...

Mommy makes a good horsey too...not the best thing (50+ lbs) on a bad back...

Alex

Liz

Zach (he did not want his picture taken)

23 months old...and challenging mommy and daddy daily...
Liz made sure daddy had his slippers the other night, tonight they will be warmed for him...



Sunday, January 11, 2009

First week of the new year...

Back to weekly posts I go...unless of course there are a lot of interesting things going on around here. I must apologize right now for any grammatical errors I may make. With usually typing these up as fast as I can; I do not always catch all the mistakes (and there are lots, I know). Once I hire myself a proofreader which is right after I hire a maid, things will be perfectly written. Now we all know there ain't no maid being hired here...lol! Why hire one when you have one working for free...lol! Ok joking aside here is what our first full week of the new year look like.
This week I was able to watch Alexis alot since Jean had a few more hours to work. It is nice when I do get to watch her as she loves playing with the kids and it adds something new to the day. Not only did we get to spend a lot of time with Alexis but I found a playgroup that meets twice a week that we will be attending on a regular basis...nice for the kids but nice for me too. I am very excited about it. It also is part of my one of my resolutions for the year. Friday Zach got his stitches out. He was not a happy camper about the whole thing and we are both happy to have them out! Saturday we had my work Christmas party. We took the kids with us. Another uncharted territory. This was also the first time for many of my co-workers to meet the kids. So I was pretty excited to show them off. The kids did great! They were very well behaved. We messed with their bedtime, but things still went smoothly, which is great. Sunday they hung out with daddy a lot while mommy got some things done. Here are some pictures from the week.
Alex styling the inside of one of the hard hats and a purse while working on his Magna Doodle...
Zach working on his Magna Doodle in the tunnel...
The monsters after tipping the tent over and laying on it...
Liz relaxing on the Spiderman car...right after a tantrum (notice the splotchy face)...
Alex goofing around in his chair before lunch...
Snack time with Alexis...a new club secret hand shake...everyone put your sippy to your forehead...
Zach may be Mr. Tough Guy but he is a big teddy bear inside...just ask the baby...
Liz...do I need to say anymore...
The kids watching daddy take down the last of the Christmas lights...
Liz giving Roxy a much needed massage...Roxy is actually thinking "get out of my sun spot"
The kids sporting new outfits from Nana and Papa...
Liz resting with Roxy...notice Roxy is in her sun spot...
Daddy and his boys...boys are where shirt that say Like Father, Like Son...
Zach finishing his nap on daddy...
Brotherly love...