Oh how we love fall!

I know I have said this before, but I could never live anywhere that does not experience the changing of seasons and all the wonderful things that go with each season.  This is especially true for Fall.  If I could freeze time in one season, it would definitely be fall.  The weather is perfect, the world around us is beautiful, and it is harvest time to some of my favorite treats.  So, it is no doubt that every year, I try to squeeze every little bit out of this beautiful season.  This year, I feel especially blessed, as I am on maternity leave, and get to enjoy it that much more.

This weekend, as a family of four, we took in one of my favorite fall activities...APPLE PICKING.  There are many great orchards in and around the Twin Cities, but we wanted to pick our own, which required us to travel to Wyoming, MN, about 30 minutes from our house.  We made an afternoon of it; stopping for lunch at a great Sub shop (Stewie's - delicious) in Forest Lake on our way to the orchard.  It is the perfect time for picking our favorite, Honey Crisp, so we ventured out into the orchard and began walking through the trees, in search of the perfect apples.  There we many to be found, and we enjoyed snacking on a few as we wandered.  It was wonderful.  After we gathered our apples, we took time to enjoy a little hay bale climbing and jumping and a petting zoo that the orchard offered.  It was a perfect fall afternoon!  Jon and Vinnie went to work today making a delicious Apple Crisp with our harvest, which will pair nicely with our delicious Navy Bean Soup for our second Soup Sunday of the year.

I am sure there are many more fun fall adventures on our horizon!  With the amazing weather and beautiful scenery that Minnesota is providing this year, we can't get enough!  Enjoy the pictures from our adventures this weekend.

The second time around...

As I write this, I am hiding across the room from Thompson, frantically scrambling to do about 100 things at once because he has finally given me a gift.  Time.  The last two weeks have been slightly difficult in our house.  As Thompson came out of his shock from birth, he went from being a completely content, totally chill baby, to a very unhappy baby.  I feel like I have spent every waking moment (there are a lot of those these days) trying to figure out what is wrong and how I can fix it.  In the process we have determined several culprits.  The first is his little digestive system.  I have been told these really start kicking into gear at about 2 and 1/2 to 3 weeks (right about when we saw problems), and it seems Thompson's little digestive system and some of the foods I have been eating aren't quite getting along.  Determining just what foods don't agree is a bit of a challenge, but we have started with Dairy, as that is the most common culprit.  I have completely wiped dairy out of my diet, which wasn't entirely hard as I didn't have a whole lot to start...but I am currently mourning the loss of chocolate, ice cream, and cheese.  On the bright side, this shift in diet may help me lose some of the baby weight a little faster.  It takes a while for dairy to completely exit my system and my milk, so now we wait to see if that is the solution.  Another problem came to my attention just about a week ago, when I noticed white spots on Thompson's tongue.  This, paired with the fact that I was still experiencing quite a bit of pain from nursing, and we were headed into the pediatrician where my suspicions were confirmed.  Thrush.  This can cause quite a bit of pain for baby in the mouth and all through their system.  So, we started an antibiotic and are on our way to recovery.  Problems arise, and I am desperately trying to fix them and find solutions, but not always lucking out.

The second time around was supposed to be easier.  Been there, done that, I got this.  This is the case in a lot of things.  Despite constantly saying, "I really don't remember this with Vinnie," its like riding a bike...you just pick it up and know what to do.  This little man, however is different when it comes to his demeanor.  I pick him up, do what I know to do, and he is still fussy.  We really didn't know how good we had it with Vin...even though everyone told us, "this one is easy, just wait until the next one."  At the time, I was confident in the choices I was making as a parent, sure that our successes were not ENTIRELY because of Vinnie's disposition, but also because of us.  HA!  2nd kid, same parents, same choices, but unfortunately entirely different turnout.  Its still the early days, and it will get easier, I know.  The lack of sleep, or ability to get ANYTHING accomplished because this little man needs to be held to be happy...well its tough.

Despite the tears and all the fussing, we are up to good things.  Thompson is growing like a weed...and is on track to surpass his brother by about age 3, or even before.  When visiting the pediatrician last week he was up to 8lbs 12oz...thats a gain of 12oz in just one week!  Nursing is really going so well.  The boys continue their "bromance" with each other.  Vinnie is enamored with anything and everything Thompson does and continues to want to help and care for him.  Thompson knows where Vinnie is at all times and is constantly turning toward his voice...and we all know that voice of Vinnie's, its hard to miss when it never stops!!!

Yesterday Thompson had his first trip to Minneapolis, with a visit to Jon's work, and today he and I are heading into my work.  We are not letting his fussiness slow us down...just this last weekend we kicked off fall with a trip to the 101 Market in Otsego with the Gibas family and had great fun.  While those things are not always smooth with Thompson, Vinnie needs the entertainment and Jon and I need the chances to get out of the house.  So, we go and we do, and we tough out any fussiness.


Well, can't have too much time to myself now...the little man has awoken and is demanding my attention!  Until next time!

The boys!

It has been a big week in our house!  On Tuesday, Vinnie headed back to Jack and Jill for his second year of Pre-School.  While I am on maternity leave, he will be attending 2 days a week (Tuesday/Thursdays).  With the school curriculum kicking off in the fall, we were worried about him missing out on learning opportunities, being at home until mid-October. This provides a great chance for him to have some socialization within his week, and also for Thompson and I to have a bit of the one-on-one time that Vinnie and I had on my first maternity leave.  Its a win-win for everyone!  He was anxious to jump into routine and see his friends and teachers that he had missed and talked about all summer.  I am shocked at how quickly the day flies by when he is at school.  I have all these grandiose ideas about what I'm going to accomplish, just Thompson and I and the next thing I know I've been feeding and oodling all day and it is already almost 4:00pm, and time to go get Vin!

Yesterday Thompson was 2 weeks old.  He is constantly growing and changing.  While his "big" brother has always been destined to be our family Horse Jockey, Thompson shows he may be able to take other paths.  In at the doctor today for his 2 week check, he weighed in at 8lbs and 1 oz, putting him in the 50th percentile...WHAT?!?  He also measured in at about 21 inches, which put him in the 50th percentile as well.  I don't even think big brother Vinnie has made it out of the 30th percentile with his stats.  Thompson is a good eater, nursing about every 2 hours during the day and going anywhere from 3-5 hours at night (what a delight that 5 hour stretch was!).  He is showing us his eyes more and more each day, with more glimmers of awake time between eating, diapers, and sleep.

Despite having to miss the beginning of a school year, I am loving this fall maternity leave.  This week has provided us with some beautiful weather.  Today is crisp and sunny, signs that fall is on its way, and I am dreaming up all the wonderful ways my boys and I can enjoy my favorite season on my time off...

Farewell Summertime!

It is hard to believe that we have already passed Labor Day, the official endmark of summer!  As usual, Vinnie and I made the most out of our precious time together this summer.  Knowing that another little one would be joining the ranks to steal some energy and attention, I wanted to make sure that we squeezed a lot of fun out of the time we had.  This was also our first summer to really enjoy our new home, town, and all that it had to offer.  And so, in the Keimig Family Blog tradition, I offer you Summer 2015 Top 10.

#10 - Games:
As we leave the toddler phase and approach the "big boy" phase with Vinnie, we have found the things he enjoys has entered phases as well.  Gone are the days when he was perfectly content sliding a care down a ramp time after time after time.  This fact provided me with quite the challenge this summer, as it became much harder to keep Vinnie entertained.  Until, however, we pulled out games.  From "Zingo" to "Shoots and Ladders" to his own version of chest, many mornings/afternoons/evenings were spent at the coffee table in the living room playing round after round of Vinnie's favorite game of the moment.  Now, if he could only get better at loosing...

#9 - Bike Rides on the "new road":
This past spring we lost the beautiful field and wild life behind our house.  It was devastating for all of us, especially Vinnie, wondering where the deer that once occupied the field were now going to live.  Vinnie's devastation, however was short-lived, as with the building of a new housing development in our once wild life sanctuary, came a new perfectly paved road.  This road brought so many possibilities to this child: alternate routes to and from our daily travels, but mostly, bike rides.  I'm not sure his bike can drive on any other part of our neighborhood...

#8 - The Library:

It isn't summer without regular trips to the library.  This is something I try every year to be better about during the school year, but fail miserably.  In any case, we really live it up at the library in the summer by visiting story time, finding a plethora of new books, and even this year enjoying a DVD or two.

#7 - Swimming:
Vinnie loved baths from day one.  He was in the water for swimming lessons before he turned one.  At one time we thought he was a little fish.  Then, last summer, something switched.  Fear set in, and suddenly Vinnie wasn't such a fan of the water.  Swimming lessons were torture, and time in a pool had Vinnie clinging to Jon or my neck, hanging on for dear life.  So, this summer, I decided we were going to focus on building up Vinnie's confidence and show him how much fun swimming can be.  We bought him special floaties, and just relaxed about swimming, no pushing, no lessons, just fun.  Over the 4th of July, a visit from a very special Auntie from Colorado, and just enough coaxing, and everything changed.  Vinnie went from hanging on for dear life, and crabby, to swimming on his own and giggling in the pool.  From that point on, he has once again loved the water, and eagerly jumps at any chance he gets to take a dip!

#6 - Travel:
Knowing that we had to stay close to home anticipating the arrival of baby #2 in late summertime, we crammed all our summer travel very early on, in the month of June.  In fact, just days after school let out we were headed to Grand Rapids, to enjoy a weekend at the cabin.  While there, we enjoyed beautiful weather, fishing, and great family company.  A little bit later in June, we headed to Nebraska for our last little vacation as a family of three.  We enjoyed time by the lake and swimming with extended family, visited Betty and Vic's beautiful new home, and squeezed in a trip to the zoo.  So much fun!

#5 - Berry Picking:
Having heard that this years weather would provide some of the best berry crops in years, we decided to take full advantage.  In early July, we enjoyed Strawberry picking, and all the delicious treats we were able to make with our pickings: strawberry pies and strawberry sauce.  Then, later in July, we ventured out to pick some blueberries, and enjoyed all the special treats we were able to make with those.  We even froze some berries, so we will be able to enjoy them well after summer has gone.

#4 - Music:
All of our summer adventures and travels meant we spent a lot of time in the car getting from one place to another.  Over time, I noticed Vinnie started taking an interest in what music was playing.  In time, he developed quite the opinion on what tunes we should be listening too, and even found a few favorites.  These favorites may or may not be deeply influenced by the music mom and dad enjoy as well...hey, all ears in the car must be happy, right?!?  Some favorites include: Raffi, O.A.R, "Super Hero", and "Shut Up and Dance."

#3 - Cinnamon Rolls:

Vinnie, like most children, has a very narrow view on what foods are enjoyable.  His list includes: macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and...Cinnamon Rolls.  In the midst of all our summer adventures, we always squeezed in some quiet, lazy days at home, usually when the weather didn't allow for much else, and on those days, Vinnie and I would make and enjoy Cinnamon Rolls.  It was always a good way to start the day!

#2 -  T-Ball:

Days after Vinnie was born, I remember Jon and I passing time, watching baseball, with our new baby boy propped up in our arms, taking it all in.  As he grew older, he attended Kernels and now Twins games, and played baseball in the yard.  This summer, Vinnie got to live his dream.  With his very own jersey and hat, Vinnie was a member of the Lacrosse Loggers T-Ball team through Blaine Parks and Recreation.  Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the help of dad, Vinnie took to the field to swing the bat and field the ball.  He had the time of his life, and isn't too bad of a ball player too.

#1 - Thompson Patrick Keimig:
Seems kind of funny that the number one thing from our summer didn't even join us until the very end.  We did spend all summer preparing for him and anticipating him, often times becoming quite "frustrated" at the fact that he had not joined us yet.  Thompson is so loved by all of us, especially Vinnie, and his arrival has meant so much to us and filled all our hearts with love and joy.  I remember after Vinnie was born being so overwhelmed with love, thinking there was no way I could ever love anything more than this little human.  Well now I know that the love can be shared.  I feel love for Vinnie watching him be such helpful and caring big brother; hearing the sweet sing-song voice he uses when ever he talks to his "Thomps."  And I am utterly obsessed with a teeny-tiny little human once again, and don't even mind that he's taking all my sleep and has me busy and utterly exhausted in caring for him.

And there it is.  Another Summer Top 10.  Another summer over.  Now onto the crisp beauty that is fall!  I, for one, cannot wait!!!!