Thanks For Being Patient

We've been very busy lately trying to get back into a routine after the holidays.

With so many people on vacation at work and a major snow storm, it was a very busy time for me.

I was hoping things would go back to normal a bit after the first of the year, but then we switched day cares, the kids each got sick and the house building process has become very demanding of our time and decisions... so things just haven't slowed down. There just aren't enough hours in the day... I'm posting this at midnight... I can't wait until life is boring again!.

But I'm doing my best to try to get caught up on posts. They're woven into past updates, so once the links below highlight blue, that means they're ready for you. Enjoy!

House: Week 8
House: Week 9
Christmas Morning
Leesch Family Christmas
Christmas Snowstorm
Christmas With Busha & Dzia Dzia
New Years Eve
Remembering Grandma Wittrock
Noah: 3 Months!

UPDATE: Done! They're all there now!

Noah: 3 Months!

Now three months old, Noah is making leaps and bounds. We had him weighed when he went in recently for a health checkup for a cough and runny nose, and he was 12 lbs. 14 oz. I don't like to compare, but Alexis didn't reach more than 12 pounds until she was 5 months old. It's just interesting to see how he's developing differently. After all, this little guy is ALL boy!
He's really started cooing and talking back. He smiles a lot when I talk to him and he knows when he's been left alone in a room. He doesn't mind hanging out on his sister's pink play mat, though, we've swapped out some of the toys.

Remembering Grandma Wittrock

Bill's Grandma Wittrock died this week. As sad as we are in her passing, we are grateful for the time we got to spend with her and that she got to meet Alexis and Noah.

Grandma & Alexis

Grandma & Noah

A loving wife, mother and grandmother, Myrtis Blanche (McIntire) Wittrock was born on May 5, 1926 to Della (Demaray) and Curtis McIntire at her grandmother’s house on a farm near Winfred, SD.

She attended grade school at Garfield in Madison, SD and graduated from Egan High School in 1945.

She met her husband of over 61 years and the love of her life, Leonard, at the Arkota Ballroom and they married on September 18, 1948. Their first born child Kathleen was born with Spina Bifida and was only on this earth for 16 days. Together, the couple opened a campground on their property from 1967-1986. She worked hard to keep the grounds spotless and the camper’s were always pleased with their stay. A leftie bowler, she had a heck of a curve, which worked to her advantage at the bowling alley and in Wii Bowling matches against Leonard.

As warm-hearted as the pies she baked, she became known as Apple Pie grandma to her grandchildren. She’ll be remembered for her dedication to her daughter and grandchildren by never missing a concert, sporting event or special occasion, having a sweet tooth, the excitement that came over her when opening presents, and singing a few phrases from her favorite song, “That’s My Baby”.

She’ll forever be waving from the house window as we pull from the driveway. “Mother, Grandma, love you lots”

New Year's Eve

So in an attempt to shake things up for New Year's Eve, we asked Bella to bring her parents over to the apartment and hang out. It had been a while since Alexis & Bella had gotten to hang out so it was fun to see them play together again.

Alexis didn't quite make it until Midnight... Bella didn't have a problem (although her dad was struggling a little after working the morning show & only taking a half-hour nap). Noah was up for the party too! So after a few rounds of Guitar Hero & missing the ball drop at 11pm, we counted down to Midnight as best as we could and had a great night in our tiny apartment.
Hey Dunsmoors: Next year's party won't be as lame... promise!
Alexis has also decided she likes to share her toys with Noah, like her cell phone and her maracas. She also really likes the tunnel she got for Christmas (Bill's not trying to shoot her with his finger, he's holding the tunnel from rolling... he noticed his hand, not me.).

Potty Training

Uncle Brent got Alexis a potty chair for Christmas!

It may be a little early, but Alexis has really taken an interest in using the big girl potty. She never actually did anything once we put her up there, but I figured it was probably because she was trying to not fall in.

Bill stayed home with the kids Monday and pulled the new shiny potty out of the box, sat her on it, and what do you know... it did the trick!

The one he got her is a 3-in-1 so it can be used on the floor or on the big toilet and is also a step stool. Well, she spent the rest of the day using the step stool, carrying it around the house and climbing up on things.

We've been successful in keeping the potty in the bathroom ever since and she's asked to use it at least a couple times a day. I figure if it helps save a couple diapers here and there for now... I'll take it!

Christmas With Busha & Dzia Dzia

Our thoughts and prayers were with Brent and Chris in Iraq as we celebrated Christmas with the Thesenvitz' on Sunday after Christmas. Chris' fiance, Laura, was able to join us, as well as Carissa's boyfriend, Kris.
Alexis got to play Santa Claus in her pretty red dress and Santa hat. She did very well passing out presents.
Uncle Brent got her (and Noah in the future) a potty training potty chair and she's loving it!
Laura made this beautiful fleece blanket for Noah. It's going to look great in his blue room!
Alexis did pretty well opening presents too... she just needed to take a break here and there from what she was doing and then would get interested in unwrapping them again. In true kid fashion, in many cases, she enjoyed the box or wrapping just as much, if not more, than what was inside.
I wasn't surprised after having Noah when he got a few "Noah's Ark" gifts. And he got a couple more for Christmas: a few ornaments and Mom and Dad found him a puzzle that is an arc with wooden animal. Super cute!

I had to get a picture of the two of them together in their Christmas outfits for Dad and Maria, but Noah wasn't exactly cooperative. Alexis is usually very interested in holding her little brother, and also wasn't interested the slightest bit. Kids!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Holidays special for our family.

Christmas Weekend Snowstorm

Christmas not only delivered goodies and time with family, it also brought about 20 inches of snow to Sioux Falls.

I worked Monday through Thursday leading up to the storm and was on the assignment desk. The brunt of the storm really hit Christmas Day.

You know it's really bad when churches cancel Christmas Eve Night and Christmas Day masses! The wind really blew things around, creating drifts 5-10 feet high in places. The roads didn't stay open in many open areas too as the winds drifted them shut again. The state closed the Interstates and warned people not to travel. For many, Christmas was going to have to wait.

The city didn't really start cleaning things up until Saturday so we spent the day indoors. Noah stayed cuddly in his jammies. (He doesn't like the red focus beam on my camera so his eyes get real big like this when I take pictures of him)
But since the winds died down, we bundled Alexis up in her snow suit and boots and threw her out on the deck. I had to clear away some of the snow because when I set her in it, she was so light, she didn't go all the way through it to the ground... but she couldn't move in what she did sink into.
The snow was pretty dry so it wasn't sticky enough for us to make a snowman. Snow balls were pretty much out of the question too. Still, Dad & Noah watched us play from inside through the sliding glass door for the whopping 10 minutes we spent outside. I think it took longer to get her dressed and undressed than we spent in the snow.

This is a look at the parking lot of our complex. We are really sheltered back here from the wind and you can see the snow that still accumulated. The cars there in the front row had to be shoveled out... but many of them didn't even try to do that for days.