We're havin' a party!

So...since we went to Texas in August, Fox has been pretty interested in trying to go poo poo on the potty. We stayed at our friends house while we were there and their 3 1/2 yr old Caleb uses the potty...so Fox got in on the excitement and was pretty interested in doing the same when we got home. We've been asking him if he wants to sit on the potty and he does, and tries to go but had yet to accomplish anything...until tonight! Just before bed he kept telling Mike "I go poo poo on the potty" so he took him over and tried to go, then got off and repeated the process. Third times a charm cuz then I hear (while I'm sitting and feeding Max) "mommy..." which I replied "he did not!". Sure enough he went! Boy did he try too :) He was very excited. Ever since he started to try we've told him we'd have a party when he went on the potty.
Many times during the week he'll randomly say "I go sit on potty, go poo poo and have a party!". Heard through Dr. Phil's method of potty training to have them get a phone call from or call their favorite character/hero when they go...well since we were at the Johnson's, Fox has been a big fan of Mickey Mouse (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to be exact). So Mike told him that he could call Mickey when he went on the potty. It was so funny...he was so excited! So Mike did what any great dad would do...did his best Mickey impersonation and called my phone to talk to Fox. We changed the ringer since Fox knows the ring when "daddy" calls, also Mike was in the basement so Fox would be ruined for life :) Fox was so happy and loved getting a phone call from Mickey! Someday he'll be crushed to find out his own dad called instead of Mickey. It was so sweet, he also got a special treat since we wouldn't be having a party at bedtime. Mike got him a little bowl of ice cream with sprinkles on it! As a side note...I read that if you put cinnamon on your child's ice cream that it helps suppress the blood-sugar spike they get after a sweet dessert!
So I guess we'll be having a little party tomorrow...which to Fox just means singing and a cake :) My little guy is turning into such a big boy! He's so sweet and helpful but has way too many of my sayings right now :) I mean really...what 2yr old says "no, no, not today" and he's started calling us mom and dad a lot instead of mommy and daddy, Mike doesn't like it too much :)

Putting on the down comforter

So, for us you know it's cold when the down comforter comes out! I would probably sleep with it all year, but Mike gets too hot with it on, so I wait as long as possible to bring it out! It's only October 7th but it is officially cold here because we got the down out last night! Brrrrrrrr! It'll probably be out for quite a while too. I don't think Mike let me put it on until January when we were in TX :) Highs in the mid 50's and lows in the 30's, it's a little below avg for October.

I'm going to play catch up with the blog...so keep looking and going down on the page. I have 5months worth of info and stories to share about!

Last wk both boys got sick. Max first, we went to the doctor for his 4mo checkup (weighing in at 16#3oz btw) and he was congested and drooling a lot, he checked out ok but by that afternoon he started with a cough only when he cried so I gave it some time. We went back into the doctor Thursday and he had croup and an ear infection on top of that. Poor little buddy. He was still pretty happy and sleeping at night. He recovered well and seems to be back to himself!
On Friday we went to Minneapolis to meet my parents for the wknd and go the the Twins vs. Royals game..the last series in the Metrodome. My brother Arik and his oldest son Oliver came up to join us, we had a great time at the game! Friday night however Fox started up with the terrible sounding cough that Max had a few days before. Plus he had a fever. It was a very long night...up pretty much every hr with Fox and all in the same hotel room(mom,dad and the four of us!) not sure if anyone got much sleep! By 3am I took Fox into the bathroom to read books and have the steamy shower on to help his cough. I was pretty sleepy at the game that afternoon! Saturday night we had separate rooms...good thing for mom and dad! It was pretty much a repeat of Friday night, except Maxy slept all night! Which was pretty amazing considering Fox was crying so much. We drove home on Sunday after lunch and Fox was still pretty sick so I took him to the doctor on Monday and he had the same thing as Max...croup and an ear infection...same ear even! So with antibiotics in both little guys we are on our way to better health...for now :) Fox is still coughing runny nose so that limits doing much at church which is pretty much our outlet of socialization these days! But it is fall and cold/flu season around here so I think many people are the same. I think God was just wanting me to work on my patience and compassion this wk :) I'm wondering what he has in store next wk?!?

Love my little family

Just putting up a note of how grateful and blessed I am with my sweet boys and selfless husband! I am amazed at the blessings God has given me and the grace that he extends everyday..so undeserved. Max is just a happy little guy with the brightest smile it often brings tears to my eyes just seeing him smile and happy! Foxy is a ball of energy :) he is definitely 2! He's generally a happy guy himself...loves to help, sing and play with trucks and trains. Mike...well, he's great and doesn't get as much attention as he should around here :) He's my best friend and often under appreciated and probably taken advantage of by work and me. I just wanted to take the opportunity to write how much I love him and how much I appreciate and recognize all that he does for me and how much he helps and loves me and the boys! Thank you so much for striving to be better, you inspire me to do the same. We had a missionary speak in church today and he really helped remind us what it's all about...(paraphrasing)

1)First priority in life...to know Jesus(not just about him). Without the person(of Christ) behind the doctrine it becomes lifeless. Not to have a commitment to a set of unshakable truths(which are important) but to the person of Christ. He also challenged us to be mentored by Jesus. I never really thought about that, but that's what we should be doing when we read the word. Getting so close to Christ that we know him and can think of his words and thoughts to help us get through things and make choices. It was encouraging and exciting to think of it that way and helpful.
2)Sent into the world as his representatives...how well are we going to do that if we don't know him? The "world" is out our "world", our life...neighbors/kids/co-workers. Anyone God has placed you around.

Just some things to ask yourself...Do you know him, or even want to know him? or do you just know about him? I want to know him and have him transform my life. Only there can I experience true joy and peace and in turn have those things transform my family! Exciting stuff :)

How could he be 4 months old already?!

Max is 4months old now...time definitely goes faster the more children you have! My sweet little boy is certainly getting bigger. He rolled over for the first time yesterday too, but have to say it probably helped that he was on the soft mattress of our bed. He is a very sweet and happy little guy! Smiles and laughs all the time and doesn't get bothered by too much. He likes to have people around and facing out so he can see what's happening! I think he's starting to teeth a bit, because he is chomping away on everything and drooling like a madman!

Long time, no entry...

It's been pretty much four months since my last entry...shame on me, but when you add a baby into the mix of a 2yr old it gets a little busy! Funny things keep happening so I felt I should restart the blog now...lets just say I took 16wks maternity leave! ha Posts to follow!

Max Anders Olsen

He has arrived! I'll give the short version....
Sunday morning we went to the hospital at 5:15am, progressed pretty well and pushed for a whole three minutes! Max was born at 2:08pm on May 24, 2009. We are doing great and are home now. We came home yesterday around 6pm. Fox is doing great with his new little brother! He's always saying hi and goodbye whenever he goes in and out of the room Max is in :) He has been having a great time with Grammie! Here is a link to see the pictures we've taken so far...so fun collages yet! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers awaiting his arrival, it has all gone so well!
http://picasaweb.google.com/eltzaolsen/0905MaxAndersOlsen#

Check back for updates on how everyone is doing!

Waiting for baby #2...

Just to give an update on baby #2...we are awaiting his arrival, trying to be patient! I'm due on Saturday (23rd). My mom's birthday is tomorrow, so hopefully my birthday present to her is a grandbaby on her birthday! I started having some contractions last night for about four hrs then went to sleep and they stopped and today I haven't had very many more. I feel good so that is helpful! Fox seems to understand some of what is going on. He has a big brother book that we've been reading to him and he loves it! He gives my belly kisses and says hi to the baby, and he knows the carseat is for brother and his bed and a few toys. It'll be an interesting adjustment, everyone seems to agree that going from one to two is the hardest...so we'll see! We are excited to meet this little man and see how Fox is with him. Pray for safe and healthy delivery! We'll keep the blog updated when he gets here! Thanks for keeping up.

Wagon Ride

I found a wagon at a garage sale and Fox loves it! We babysat Kaden and took them on a little ride to the Hy-Vee Drugstore on the corner. They were so cute...in their jammies and everything! It was a pretty exciting trip, the ladies working there loved them and they each got a new matchbox car...a bus for Fox and a jeep for Kaden! Something tells me that wagon will have a lot of miles put on it before long.

The New Sandbox

Mike and a friend put this box together for Foxy so he could have a sandbox in the backyard! It's so great...seats and everything! So after about 700lbs of sand it was ready to go! The neighbor girls came over too...they love just as much as Fox, if not more! Thanks Daddy!!

Happy Birthday Caleb!

A little video for Caleb on his 3rd Birthday.
We wish we could've been there to celebrate with you guys!

Perfect Vacation!

We had the best vacation! We wanted to take a vacation and a little break from Mike's work before baby #2 came along. It was so great, we got to spend all of our time together and just relax. We had breakfast lunch and dinner together everyday and had so much fun with Fox. He's getting so big and smart so fast! We wanted to have a nice vacation memory with just him before life changes dramatically for him and us! We are so blessed to have had that time together.

Fox and the guys...

Fox and Daddy being funny with Mr. Derek!

Fox also had a great time hanging out with Daddy
and Derek watching Royals baseball on the computer!

Last Night on Vacation

Our last night on vacation we went to a little italian place for dinner...it was really good! This trip Fox learned how to give bunny kisses, so that is what we are doing in many of these pictures!

Choo-Choo!!

We went to a strawberry festival and they had a little carnival for kids and they had a Thomas the Train ride...Fox LOVES trains, so this was a big hit! We put him and and it seemed a little fast and jerky for him, but he loved it! He sat there and held on the whole ride...it was probably the highlight of the trip for him :)

Strawberry Festival

Boone Hall Plantation Strawberry Festival

Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter visit

Dinner after the beach

After the beach we went to dinner a little mexican food place...could have been because we were starving after being at the beach, but it was delicious! The video below is Fox saying some of the ABC's!

Beach Fun

Fox loved playing in the sand and was throwing it everywhere! Mike had a great time trying to bury Fox in sand as well! We had a great afternoon at the beach and really enjoyed watching Fox discover new things. He loved collecting shells in his bucket and trying to eat them every now and then...it was definitely a highlight of the trip!

Isle of Palms

We went to the Isle of Palms to do our beach day. It was great! Fox didn't love the sand at first but then really started to enjoy it...as you can see!

Downtown Charleston Farmer's Market

The farmer's market started the week before we got there and it was so fun to be able to go! Everyone seemed to have their dogs there which Fox loved! I got a really neat necklace and pair of earrings while we were there, drank some tasty lemonade and samples some really yummy pickles! It was a really fun morning.

Trip to Savannah, GA

We went on a day trip to Savannah, GA to go sightseeing and to have lunch at Paula Deen's Restaurant! We had a great time. It was a 2 1/2 hr drive. We got there at 10:30am and put in our reservation...first available was 2:15pm for lunch :) It's a pretty popular place! It was really yummy though. Fox and I took a picture by a poster of her and he held up the Fox to give her a kiss! After we ate we went to a candy shop and got some freshly made pralines....wow were they good! We thought we had them before but nothing that we had ever tasted that good! We also went out to a beach nearby but it was pretty cool and windy that day...as you can see by the pictures. Our rental car had Texas plates so we were pretty excited to be Texans again for the week!

Children's Museum Fun

One of our mornings we took Fox to the Children's Museum in Charleston, he had a great time! I packed us a lunch for that day and we at it while sitting by a fountain outside.

Hangin' with Daddy

Special times with Daddy

Lunch at the beach

We had a great lunch at the beach, Mike got fish tacos and loved them! Afterward we went down to the beach and walked around...Fox was not so sure about the waves at first but loved trying to feed the birds, Daddy on the other hand was not a big fan of the birds!


Feeding the birds!

Our "vacation home"

Our friends...the Becks graciously let us stay at their house while we were on vacation...that was the reason we chose to visit Charleston. Their house was great, we really felt like we were renting a beautiful beach house or something! It was a huge blessing, they had toys there for Fox and he had his own room to sleep in. We had the best time! Thanks guys!

Flying to Charleston, SC

We had a connecting flight to Charleston and had a long evening...starting at 5pm ending at 12am. Fox did pretty well...but decided not to sleep until the last 15 min of the flight! Thankfully we had empty seats around us for all but one flight for the whole trip! That was a lifesaver! Once again the key to happiness...food!

Sluggerrrrrrrrrr

Mike had been talking to Fox about Sluggerrrrr...the Royals mascot, so he knew who he was before we went to the game. Before the game while we were walking around we saw him and got to take some pictures! Fox saw him and was so excited...he said his name and everything, he was excited until as you can see the last picture...he was a little concerned when Daddy walked a little too far away :)

Royals Game

Over Easter weekend we drove down to Kansas City and met Mike's dad to go to a Royals game in the newly renovated stadium! It was a lot of fun. It was a pretty proud day for Daddy to take his little boy to the game! It was the first real baseball game for Fox and he did great! It was a little chilly toward the end of the game but not too bad. The key to a 21month old staying happy during a long baseball game....food! He pretty much had something to eat at all times :)

Haircut

He gets older with every haircut!

Beach Bound

Getting ready to go to the beach!
We got a couple pairs of shorts and
a hat for the boy, he looks so grown
up in his little hat! He doesn't know
it, but he's excited to go on vacation!

Toolman Fox

Fox playing with his new toolbench! He loves trying to put the screws in with the screwdriver.

Morning Storytime

Since I've gotten further along in the pregnancy I've been pretty tired in the mornings when I get Fox out of his crib. So I usually get him out change his diaper then we sit on the floor by the heating vent with a blanket or as Fox says "cubbers"(covers) and read books for a while. After breakfast in the morning I've noticed him going back to his room and getting his "cubbers" and reading books! It's so sweet, it melts my heart to think he thinks of doing that. I've been trying to enjoy everyday with just Fox at home before baby number two comes and this is one of my favorite things we do! He loves to sit and read books and that it so exciting!

Springtime

Nothing like a little boy and his snack and truck! It was a beautiful day out and Fox just sat on the step of the deck and ate his "fishies" with Maggie looking on...hoping he'd share! I got this Hummer truck for $2 at Good Will and it's his favorite toy! What a boy!

Mike's Golden Birthday :)

Fun filled weekend with the Rabe's

Our friends the Rabes invited us to come the a marriage conference through their church for Friday and Saturday. While Grandma Rabe and Jason's sisters Julie and Jessica stayed at their house and babysat Fox and their son Kaden...free babysitting...overnight, how could we refuse! The conference was in Des Moines, so we went there for the night and had a great time. We met Jason's other sister Jen and her husband Jordan...yes that is a lot of J's in one family :) we went to their house for dessert and she made some really yummy pies! It was a lot of fun to get to know the Rabe's more and have an adventurous drive back home in a snow storm! There were at least 15 cars in the ditch but our trusty driver Jason got us home.
I had the Rabe ladies...as I like to call them :) pick up a Dairy Queen ice cream cake for Mike and we surprised him when we got back to their house! It was a lot of fun. Thanks so much to Grandma Rabe and Julie and Jessica for watching Fox!! We know he had lots of fun with you guys and it was really nice to have a special time away!

Sleeping Foxy

Fox had a cold for about three wks and was pretty congested.
I peeked into his room and heard him snoring...poor guy!
The video is a little dark but you can hear him snoring :)
Fox and all his buddies!
Two foxes, a bear and
a zebra!
















3/25/09

Lunch on the deck

It was the most beautiful day, so we had lunch out on the deck! Mike came home for lunch and we all enjoyed the wonderful weather. 75 and sunny on St. Patrick's Day. It was great to have some warm weather...even though it has gone away and it's snowing today. It was wonderful while it lasted!
3/17/09

Reading with Daddy

We usually read to Fox every night before he goes to bed and lately we've been reading the Easter story. It's very sweet because now he's started to say "Gigi" for Jesus! He points to him on all the different pages, even in other books. It brings joy to our hearts to hear him start to recognize Jesus. He always sleeps with his fox...or two. Lately he's been wanting to bring "blue bear" to bed as well :) So that night we practiced swaddling blue bear like baby brother and Fox held him while Mike read! It was a really sweet moment.

3/16/09

Quick visit to Fairmont

Mike had to travel to Minneapolis so we went to Mom and Dad's on the way home and stayed over for a visit! We had a great visit which involved going to Shopko with Mom, Taco John's for lunch and we got to go to a movie while Grammie babysat Fox :) Also went to Jake's for pizza, made a trip to Walmart and watched Australia on the big screen in Dad's media room! Sunday we went to Grandma Tharp's church and Foxy wore a tie that Papa loved! We had lunch at home and then headed home. Grandma Tharp had hemmed some curtains for me so we stopped there on our way out and met her sweet (very big) cat! It was a fun weekend.

Shopping Trip

My friend Julia and I went on a little shopping trip to the outlet mall in Williamsburg with Fox and Kaden in tow. It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time! We found some great deals and enjoyed the weather before they left on their trip to Texas. It was naptime...of course, and on the way home the boys were out light lights! All the more reason to treat ourselves with the best treat...Dairy Queen :) Julia ran in and got our order and got me the biggest grape Freeze ever and it was delicious! I'm sure this is the first of many shopping trips for us.

3/5/09

What's better than getting to lick the beaters?!

I made a cake and Foxy got to help me...by licking the beaters! He loved it!

3/3/09

Naptime

Caleb helping get Fox from his nap, he always wanted Caleb to get him out!

Enjoying the Texas weather

It was so great to be able to have Foxy play outside in the middle of February, seeing how last Feb. he was only seven months old..we didn't play outside much! He loved Caleb's car and Caleb pretty much stuck to playing in the dirt!

Boys, boys, boys

February 9, 2009
Who knew playing with baby powder bottles and butt paste would be so fun!

It was great having Fox reunite with Caleb..and Coops :)They loved playing! Fox instantly went to play with Caleb and all his trucks and toys! He especially loves Caleb's double decker bus for some reason :) We spent the night a few days so they had fun seeing eachother right away in the morning. Caleb always came with me to get Fox up from his nap. Emy later said Caleb would say things about "our room" after we had left. It was so sweet seeing them together. They seemed so old for some reason. Since that trip Fox started saying "Emy" it also sounds much like "Amen", but there's definitely a difference :)

Flying to Dallas

February 7, 2009

Fox and Daddy taking a snooze on our flight to Dallas

Mike had to go back down to Dallas for work so we joined him! It was so great to go back to warm weather :) But more importantly that we got to spend some time with friends again! We ate at a few of our favorite places, went to Denton Bible, took Fox to Dr. Eastman for a checkup and to visit :)

New Friends

February 6, 2009



We've been able to go to a few story times at the library here in Cedar Rapids, which is at the mall on the SW side. The mall has like 10 stores and the businesses that used to be downtown before the flood last summer. The only things keeping it alive seems to be JCPenney and the Chick-fil-A :) So a few different Fridays we've been in town we've met up with Julia and Kaden and one of the boys she watches Landon. They love playing on the toys in the middle of the mall...especially the ice cream truck!

Fox's New Chair

February 5, 2009

Who knew a cheap plastic patio chair would be Fox's favorite thing! He loves this chair...he carries it around everywhere! Climbs into it sits there for about five seconds then gets down and repeats the process. It's so funny to watch. As you can see even the stuffed fox got to sit in it for a while :)