Maternity Photo Shoot - Baby #2

Thanks to a brand new camera, a husband photographer, and Grandma Jan and Grandpa Steve's photography and location to take some pictures, we have some maternity pictures for Baby #2.

Pregnancy is going well besides the typical ailments of backaches and now restless sleeping. We are now just under 2 months to go until the due date! You can make guesses anytime on the gender and the birth date. Eric is convinced it's a boy and Kate has no feeling one way or another this time around. We aren't sharing names but we have narrowed it down to a few favorites for a girl and a boy! We can't wait to meet a healthy baby at the end of all of this!

Oh and the theme for Maeve's classroom last week was 'family' so here is a thumbprint drawing of her family. She's starting to pick up on the fact that things are changing soon. She now says 'baby in mommy's tummy coming soon.' She will be a great big sister!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from our little Valentine, Maeve! This was the first year that she handed out Valentine's cards to her friends at school. She brought Minnie Mouse cards, of course, and some stickers for the 12 other kids in her classroom. She really loved making the cards last weekend and spelling out her name. She received some cute cards, stickers, candy, bubbles, and even sunglasses from her friends at school. Most of the cards had tattoos with them too (but we threw those away for this year). I guess we'll have to step up our game next year!

We enjoyed a party at her school on Friday afternoon where she decorated a sugar cookie with frosting. Guess who didn't even eat a bite? Maeve (and Mom, too - guess we know where she gets her dislike for cupcakes and sugar cookies :) )

We hope everyone has a wonderful day celebrating with loved ones!

Grandma Brigid's visit

In preparation for Baby #2 and because Eric was on a ski trip, Grandma Brigid came to town. We had a great time entertaining Maeve at the Zoo, at the Ice Castle and at gymnastics. We also went out to eat with Uncle Scott, Aunt Laura and Grandma Jan and Maeve got a compliment because she was so good (and they told me she could make loud noises since she was squealing with delight because the food was delicious!) The new Eric Carle exhibit was fantastic and a big hit with Maeve and Grandma Brigid and Grandma Jan.

Maeve is talking so much, she has the memory of her father (ie remembers everything!), and is now counting. Check out this video from 2 weeks ago at Grandma Jan and Grandpa Steve's house.

We did do some prep work to get prepared for Baby #2. We washed and organized bottles and we cleaned the "gender neutral" clothes and organized them in the nursery. Only major thing left to do is get the car seat back in the car and set up the pack 'n play and we still have (hopefully) 2 months to go!

Happy Mardi Gras

Happy Mardi Gras!

Even though we don't have parades and it's 15 degrees outside, we are still practicing our bead throwing and catching. Maeve hasn't mastered the catching part yet but hopefully we'll get to go down there in a few years and she'll be a pro!

We're taking the day off from work and school to spend time with Grandma Brigid before she leaves tonight (and Eric comes home from his ski trip tomorrow). I never had to go to work or school while living in New Orleans so seemed like the perfect day to take off and enjoy the last few pieces of King Cake.

Family Yearbook 2015

We finished our 2nd Family Yearbook and since most of our blog readers live out of town I thought I'd post a link to it here so you can see it. It highlights so many things that we did throughout the year. Maeve loves looking through them which makes Eric a little nervous because we only have 1 copy of the book and unfortunately we can't save it electronically. She loves looking at pictures as much as her mom does!!

Link to Family Yearbook

Enjoy :)

Memories of Sadie

1 week ago we lost Sadie and after Dad/Ed wrote such a nice eulogy, we thought we better compile some of our fondest memories before we forgot about them!

Here's some things she loved and we loved about her:

• Coaxing her to eat by rewarding her with a "w" or walk


• Loved belly rubs and running off the deck


• Pawing everyone for attention


• Loved her first toy from Aunt Anne - a duck


• Galloping around the house when she knew she was going for a walk - she looked like a puppy again


• Treats from Maeve - check out this video here 


• Loved sitting behind Maeve's nursery chair - so protective!


• The winter booties that we made her try on and she walked like a horse and they fell off right away after taking 20 min to put them on - check out this video here 

Some typical (or maybe not so typical) dog pleasures:

• Eating the whole package of cooked bacon at Thanksgiving when Eric was busy preparing the other food


• Eating the ham at the cabin and leaving the wrapper


• Sitting on the red couch and snoring loudly - check out the video.


• Licking the deck near the grill


• Didn't bark that much - only when the gate or a door moved that she didn't like


• Eating Kate's warm gloves at the cabin - that's the only thing she every destroyed besides her first stuffed animal that she eventually got the stuffing out of


• Getting food off the baby's tray - check out these videos here  Sadie licking food tray and Maeve feeding Sadie.

Things she hated:

• Hated football and loud yelling


• Not taking pictures very well - only for Aunt Anne


• Wouldn't fetch


• Didn't like the water


• Hated thunderstorms - hid under and behind the bed


• Scared of the toaster

Some things that scared us:

• She ran away when Eric had a lot of people over working on the house. Our neighbors found her but she was probably missing for 30 minutes


• Getting her face caught in the window on the first day we got her - we rolled down the window too much and thought she was going to jump out so we rolled it back up and scared her. She wasn't a very good rider in the car 

Ragom, Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, the rescue organization where we got Sadie posted a tribute of her on their website. Here is background information about their Rainbow Bridge memorials.

"Just this side of Heaven is a place called the Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing: they miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to break away from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. YOU have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together. . ."

Here is Sadie's specific memorial (Sadie's Rainbow Bridge Memorial) where you'll see the posts from pre-adoption and then the write-up that Eric submitted along with pictures. The first person that fostered Sadie was actually our grad school friend Stephanie's mother-in-law. When we adopted Sadie it was funny to put it together that our friends had already met Sadie. Unfortunately Sadie didn't get along well enough with the resident Basset Hound and puppy so another foster mom took her in and that's where we went to meet Sadie in June of 2012.

We will miss her dearly!

Sadie K - our dog angel

Yesterday we had to say goodbye suddenly to our 11 1/2 year old Golden Retriever, Sadie. Sadie ended up developing bloat last night (literally came on last night after work), essentially a twisting of the stomach.  Given her age, we did not feel the emergency surgery was appropriate given the potential risks.  It is always tough, but extra tough when it happens so suddenly.

She lived a great dog life over the past 3 1/2 years since we've rescued her. She loved sleeping on our red couch, playing outside, going for walks, and eating ice cream. She was such a wonderful pet and brought so much joy to our lives. When we welcomed Maeve to our family a little over 2 years ago, we couldn't have been more pleased with how Sadie treated her. She was always gentle even as Maeve grew into the toddler years.

Trying to explain to a 2 year old that Sadie is gone is hard. She's asked about her all day and thinks she is outside (since that's the last place that she saw her last night) but we told her that she died and isn't coming back but that we will always be able to see her in pictures. Our pictures are our memories and even though Maeve won't remember Sadie when she's older, Eric and I will always remember the special bond that we shared with Sadie and that Sadie had with Maeve.

Sadie Kirchner

8-20-04 to 1-8-16

"Love is being owned by a Golden Retriever"