The Olsen Haus

A year ago today...

2010-05-23T22:06:00.002-05:00

We were awaiting Max's arrival, impatiently. I was due the 23rd and went on time with Fox, so I figured I'd do the same :) or was just hoping! We had our favorite Cedar Rapids pizza Tomaso's with the Rabes on Friday night. Sat came and seemed like he was going to come, so we went back to their house to take Fox in case we ended up at the hospital...but ended up doing a lot of walking with lots of contracting..but no Max. Went home that evening, had my mom come down and then starting regular contractions about 4:30am. Called L&D and drove to Iowa City, to the U of I Hospital. Was checked and said 5-6cm. We started walking and walked for a long time! Got in the tub for a while, then on the birthing ball. Finally he was ready and I had two long pushes and he was out in less than two min. I was able to help pull him out and up onto my chest myself..was a really special experience! My sweet Max was here and safe and healthy, 7lbs 15oz. We had a great experience at the hospital and were blessed to have my mom come and stay with us and keep Fox. It was special to have time with just Max. Also to have the Rabes visit us and kindly bring us Chipotle :) Great friends!

Tonight we celebrated Max and his first year of life! Mom is here visiting and the Johnson's came over as well. We couldn't have a party for Max without his fan club (Caleb and Cooper). Grilled, homemade strawberry cupcakes, big boys playing in the little pool and enjoying the beautiful weather in the backyard. Loved seeing Max so happy sitting with Daddy, Grammie and Emy! What a blessing he is to us. Can't believe he's a year old already. Thank you Lord for this precious gift! We give him back to you and pray he would know you and follow after you! I love you Maxy...my sweet Max Millard!

Max is 8 months old...how did that happen?

2010-02-02T15:31:00.002-06:00

Wow, my little baby Max is already 8mos old! Time has flown by with him, like many probably experience with their second child. He's a really sweet boy. I was just looking at him today as I was feeding him some sweet potatoes and thinking of what kind of person he's going to be. He seems like he'll be a funny guy...and a snuggly one! I think it's a product of number two...I snuggled and held him more than I did with Fox, seems like with Max it was more laid back. With Fox I think I was just trying to keep him alive! ha

Max and Fox both got whatever respiratory bug that was floating around here about a wk after we got here and since then he's been pretty whiny. He has his two front bottom teeth and seems like he's getting a few more...hopefully why he's so cranky! Instead of a cry when he is fussy he kind of growls... :) sounds funny, but that's the best description I can think of! I'll have to get a video of it.

Max is pretty trim compared to Fox...the brut! He nurses four times a day and just started liking solid foods and has a jar at lunch time and dinner time. He takes two naps and sleeps wonderfully at night! He sits up great and rolls around but isn't crawling or moving much more than that. He really likes his brothers toys and things that aren't really toys at all!

My parents (Grammy and Farmer Papa) came to see us during their vacation, which happened to be the second wk we were here. Fox was super excited to spend time with them and have them stay at his "Texas house." It was great to have them come down! The weather was really nice and they drove down to Galveston for a few days. Think they enjoyed their time..and especially getting to see the boys!

Excuses...but no real good ones!

2010-02-02T15:08:00.002-06:00

So I haven't updated the blog in...forever! Since October it's been a bit busy. Between learning how to do life with two boys, one of them being in the Very curious, implusive 2 1/2 yr old mode and Mike being very busy at work I didn't have much extra time to sit and think of something to write. Hopefully now after we've moved...yes we moved since my last post, I'll start blogging again! Stay tuned!

We're havin' a party!

2009-10-09T23:11:00.006-05:00

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

2009-10-08T08:57:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-28T00:42:00.003-05:00

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?!

2009-09-24T16:41:00.007-05:00

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...

2009-09-21T15:08:00.003-05:00

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

2009-05-27T11:47:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-05-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

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

2009-05-19T14:12:00.001-05:00

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

2009-05-19T14:12:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-05-18T14:12:00.018-05:00

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

Perfect Vacation!

2009-05-18T14:12:00.017-05:00

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...

2009-05-18T14:11:00.009-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:11:00.008-05:00

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!!

2009-05-18T14:10:00.011-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:10:00.010-05:00

Boone Hall Plantation Strawberry Festival

Fort Sumter

2009-05-18T14:10:00.008-05:00

Fort Sumter visit

Dinner after the beach

2009-05-18T14:09:00.010-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:09:00.007-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:07:00.002-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:03:00.014-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:03:00.012-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:03:00.007-05:00

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

2009-05-18T14:02:00.003-05:00

Special times with Daddy

Lunch at the beach

2009-05-18T13:24:00.012-05:00

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"

2009-05-18T13:24:00.011-05:00

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

2009-05-18T13:24:00.006-05:00

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

2009-05-18T13:23:00.007-05:00

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

2009-05-18T13:23:00.005-05:00

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

2009-05-18T13:22:00.006-05:00

He gets older with every haircut!

Beach Bound

2009-05-18T13:22:00.004-05:00

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

2009-05-18T13:21:00.003-05:00

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

Morning Storytime

2009-05-18T13:20:00.003-05:00

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

2009-05-18T13:20:00.002-05:00

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 :)

2009-04-02T16:28:00.002-05:00

Fun filled weekend with the Rabe's

2009-04-02T15:46:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-02T15:32:00.005-05:00

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

2009-04-02T15:27:00.005-05:00

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

2009-04-02T15:11:00.009-05:00

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

2009-04-02T14:59:00.004-05:00

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

2009-03-30T15:54:00.003-05:00

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?!

2009-03-30T15:48:00.004-05:00

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

3/3/09

Naptime

2009-03-10T23:40:00.002-05:00

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

Enjoying the Texas weather

2009-03-10T23:36:00.002-05:00

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

2009-03-10T22:50:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-10T20:48:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-10T16:33:00.003-05:00

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

2009-03-09T15:50:00.004-05:00

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 :)

My little cleaner

2009-03-09T15:48:00.004-05:00

February 3, 2009

Fox has taken interest in the Swifter Sweeper! Hopefully he'll be my little cleaning buddy :) Look how happy he is in this picture!

New Baby Name Poll

2009-03-09T15:24:00.005-05:00

Please Vote!!! Leave me a comment and tell me which you voted for!

I am adding a name to the poll. Mike keeps saying he thinks we should name the baby Wolf. Not sure why he likes it so much! But the neighbor boy just happened to tell me that we should name the baby Wolf..."because they're the best animal ever." So now I'm going to amuse Mike and put it on the poll. I have said whatever name Fox can say (out of the ones we've chosen) by the time the baby comes is the name we'll use. Today he was pretty close to say Gunnar and Wolf :) so we'll see! Here is a recent pic of the prego belly...just to give you a glimpse of how much bigger I am with this one compared to Fox!
February 19, 2009

Such a Big Boy

2009-03-09T14:35:00.003-05:00

February 1, 2009

Foxy is getting to be such a big boy! Having lunch after church sitting next to "Dawddy" in the booster seat.

Baby Name Poll

2009-02-02T19:13:00.006-06:00

We are trying to decide on a name for the baby...we still have some time, but we're curious what others opinions are! I like Max, Gunnar and Otto...probably Otto the best. Mike likes Anders..and the other names. I have a feeling I'll be waiting until we see this baby in person to decide on a name, but let us know what you like! Please take the poll on the right side of the page. Please add a comment so we know who voted for what! The poll does not show it.

Little Climber

2009-01-25T00:04:00.002-06:00

We finally got the step stool from Ikea that I

knew we were going to need. With Fox AND I
getting bigger, I wanted one for him to stand

on to wash his hands since I can't hold him very
well anymore, with a growing belly and all!

Today he did what I was knew was going to

happen sooner or later! He pushed the stool

over and climbed up on the table, there just

happened to be a bag of yogurt melts out as well.

He poured them out and had a little snack! I'm

not sure if he saw them before he climbed up and

that was his motivation, or if it was just a bonus

for him once he got up there!

At 1 1/2 the climbing has just begun!!

Chair Makeover!

2009-01-24T23:34:00.000-06:00

What do ya think?! I've been wanting to recover these chairs
for a while now...my mom helped me do the first chair, and I
did a few tonight! They definitely give the chairs more personality.
Amazing what a cloth napkin and and a staple gun can do! While
taking my before and after pictures, Fox decided to get his two
cents in :) He was mostly interested in the staple gun!

Fox's new friend...or what's left of him!

2009-01-24T23:10:00.000-06:00

While at my appointment on Friday, Fox found a new friend.
He wasn't too interested in Fox, but Fox sure was interested
in him! He thought it was great! He was poking his eye sockets,
playing with his arms, trying to give him five and best of all
hugs and kisses! It was pretty funny to watch...a little creepy,
yes, but funny too!

Off to the pool

2009-01-24T23:00:00.000-06:00

Mike had to go on travel to Minneapolis, so we joined him.
Fox doesn't have too much appreciation for getting to stay
in a hotel yet, but he did enjoy getting to go to the pool!
So funny to see this little man in his swim trunks :) So cute!

Fun in the snow

2009-01-23T21:46:00.000-06:00

After getting about 9 inches of snow we took Fox out for
his first sledding experience. The snow was too soft and deep
to be able to do too much. Mike took him for a little walk,
but even he got pretty tired trying to pull the sled in the snow!
After a few face plants in the snow Foxy was done and we came
inside and watched my blow out the driveway. Our super
gracious neighbors let us use their snowblower...good thing
for Mike!!

Foggy Fox

2009-01-23T18:01:00.001-06:00

This is Fox and his animal noises. He had a little
stage fright at the beginning :) He then got a little
close to the camera and fogged up the lens!

SnowFox

2009-01-07T14:45:00.006-06:00

I decided it was time to get outside! Not the warmest day...15 and feels like -1, but we needed some fresh air! So I got Foxy all bundled up in hat,mittens,jacket,snowpants and boots! So much for such a little guy :) He had a hard time pushing himself up in all that, but didn't mind it too much. He had a great time outside and was already trying to eat the snow! We came back inside and had a little treat...hot chocolate for mama and warm chocolate milk for the boy, we shared some cheddar bunnies and watched "Postman Pat" on Public TV, he drank every last drop of the choc. milk :)

Foxcam

2009-01-07T13:41:00.004-06:00

Fox giving a little tour

First visitors to the new place

2009-01-02T14:01:00.007-06:00

Arik, Henry,Grace,Emma,Sue,Oliver and Jack

We had our first visitors! Since it's a lot closer...Minnesota to Iowa, Arik and Sue and the kids were able to make the trip much sooner than they would've if we were still in Texas :) They came for New Year's Eve. The visit consisted of the kids playing Wii a lot! Going to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner...kids eat for $.99!! Watching a Charlie Brown movie and watching a few episodes of the Office with Arik and Sue. Playing the Wii some more, board games and enchiladas and rootbeer floats for eight!! We had a great time and hope they come to visit again soon! I'm sure we'll be making our way there a few times as well.

Christmas Eve Gift....

2009-01-02T13:59:00.004-06:00

We had an ultrasound of the baby on Dec. 11, before we left TX and had them put the picture in an envelope so we could open it on Christmas Eve to find out if we were having a boy or a girl! So Christmas Eve-12am we opened it before we went to bed. We had two pictures and opened them at the same time...they both said BOY! So Fox has a baby brother coming in May!! May 23rd to be exact...I am currently 20+wks. Now we are trying to decide on a name!

A sweet surprise...

2009-01-02T13:54:00.005-06:00

While at Walmart Mike found his favorite
ice cream. This was a special moment for
Mike because...while we were in TX they
stopped selling this ice cream, we couldn't
find it anywhere! Many nights at the Johnson's
house, Mike and Cole would eat a lot of it...
it was a pretty serious loss when they stopped
selling it, so it was a pretty special night when
we found it! Mike texted Cole this picture
and said "so there's one good thing about
Iowa...they've got the ice cream."

Our Tree

2009-01-02T13:54:00.003-06:00

I really wanted to get a little tree, but by the time we were even sleeping in the house we only had a few days til we went to MN, so Mike said no :) So I made a tree from the packing paper! I cut out a big tree out of paper that was around some large frames, Fox had a great time coloring on it! We surprised Mike with it when he came home from work. We drew ornaments on it and got a few snacks to have a tree trimming party! It was great...the cheapest and most memorable tree we'll probably ever have!

Flying to Iowa...our new home

2009-01-02T13:52:00.010-06:00

On the plane leaving Dallas for Cedar Rapids. Fox did great!He got some chocolate milk as a treat, he drank it in about three minutes :) It took us about 2 hrs but poor Mike drovethe car with Maggie as his co-pilot..which took about 13!

Our new place

2009-01-02T13:52:00.006-06:00

God blessed us with a great house to rent, it fits our needs perfectly! 3BR/2B split level house, fenced in yard-perfect for Maggie! It has big trees in front and back and a large deck on the back. I love being able to wake up and open the blinds and have some scenery...our old house had a fence. Only down side is it has a single car garage...bad for Mike, he parks in the street and the mornings are pretty cold! He is seriously considering a remote start for the car :) The movers brought our stuff on 12/15 and that was wonderful having them bring it all in! We unpacked the kitchen while they unloaded and it only took like four hours! We had lots of boxes...everything is unpacked, but doesn't necessarily have a place to go, good thing for guest rooms and a large storage room! Now I just have a list of things to hang on the wall...I'm not so good at visualizing where pictures and things should go, so it may be a while before things get up on the walls :)

Buca Birthday with the Betron's!

2009-01-02T13:46:00.010-06:00

This was the third year in a row to go to Buca Di Beppo with Mandie and Jeremiah for my birthday! The first year they were dating...second year engaged...third year married! Would a fourth year bring parents to be?! :) Unless they move to a surrounding state, sadly I don't think we'll be celebrating together. We always share their super yummy chocolate cake with skim milks all around, except Mike...he's driving :) Thanks for the great memories guys!!

Last Sunday at Denton Bible

2009-01-02T13:45:00.014-06:00

We loved our time at Denton Bible Church! We feel so blessed to have God put us at that church. We loved hearing Tommy and will still listen to him and maybe we'll go back someday! We made some great friends there. Mike was able to take part in Authentic Manhood(Men's Fraternity) under the leadership of the late Carl Henry, who impacted him so much! I started going to the ROOST under Nancy Gibson's leadership...what a wonderful group of women!! We led in CollegeLife last year, which we loved and resulted in having a bunch of college"kids"in our lives that we deeply care about! So many blessings and so much opportunities to serve Christ came from going to this church. We will miss it so much. We took a couple pictures our last Sunday!

Baby #2 in 3D

2009-01-02T13:45:00.012-06:00

I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Dallas Pregnancy Resource and had a 3D ultrasound! It was so cool to see the baby in such detail! I was only a little over 4months(16wks4days). The actual size of the baby at that time was only about an avocado.

Last trip to Uncle Julio's

2009-01-02T13:45:00.011-06:00

poor Abby girl is behind the card!

Mike had to get in a last meal at Uncle Julio's (his favorite fajita/mexican place)! We met the Conine's and had a good time...keeping the kiddos from doing too much damage :) We got a surprise visit from Aunt Jenny that afternoon too, so she joined us! Abby and Fox are only three wks apart and they are expecting another baby girl in March, we will be sad to miss seeing the next babies together :(

Yummy Birthday Cupcakes

2009-01-02T13:45:00.009-06:00

After the parade we went to Sprinkles to get cupcakes for my birthday...they have Thee best cupcakes Ever!! We got strawberry, black and white, coconut and red velvet!! I even shared my cupcake with Fox, but as you can see in the picture he is not so happy :( I thought maybe he was crying for me...getting older and all, but it was only because he was scolded for trying to touch the flame on the candle! He loved the cupcake though :)
http://www.sprinklescupcakes.com/index.html

Dallas Children's Parade

2009-01-02T12:59:00.003-06:00

We met up with the Stewart's for the Neiman Marcus Adolphus Children's Parade(a mouthful) in downtown Dallas, which was our last trip into the Big-D. It was great, Fox and Luke liked the balloons and walking around in the street :) It was chilly...the coldest birthday I'd had in TX so far! I think the first and only time we had to bundle up Foxy. It was a lot of fun getting to hang out with them before we left...great people! We will miss them...especially Andrea and my lunch/play dates at Willowbend, we always had a great time!

Safe and Cold in Iowa!!

2008-12-15T23:41:00.002-06:00

We have arrived in Iowa...and it is FREEZING! It's currently -1 and going to snow like 5in tomorrow. Just giving a quick update that we made it safely, thanks for the prayers and well wishes! We will miss Texas so much...we already do, we did the second we got here :) But we are looking forward to finding out what God's plan is for us here! Stay posted-no pun intended-I'll hopefully be putting up a lot of new posts by the end of the week! Hope you're warmer than I am right now!

Good Times

2008-12-03T22:46:00.007-06:00

Mike was working in Cedar Rapids this week so Fox and I spent the night at the Johnson's and had a great time! The boys played, we made yummy treats and played a little ourselves! Mike's parents were so kind to give us a Wii (the new nintendo system) for Christmas and we LOVE it!!

Yummy Peanut Butter Balls that we made!

Olsen Baby #2

2008-12-03T20:46:00.002-06:00

Here is the baby's debut! What a great profile shot! We're going for another ultrasound next Thursday...so we'll have more pictures then! The baby was about 14wks 2days here.

Update

2008-11-29T15:08:00.003-06:00

I haven't blogged in forever it seems...
Hopefully I can keep this a little more up to date!

The House...
God has blessed us with a buyer, and it is in the process. We are currently waiting for the inspection and appraisal to happen, so it can be officially SOLD! Mike's company is going to be moving us and that includes packing as well! How great is that?! They are planning(unless something changes with the house) to pack the house on 12/10 and load up 12/11. Mike will start his drive on Friday 12/12, Fox and I will fly to Cedar Rapids 12/13. So...two weeks from today we will no longer being living in the house we've called home for two years! CRAZY...it's overwhelming thinking about all the things that have happened in this house...from bringing Fox home from the hospital to his first Christmas to walking and talking...it will be sad to leave all those memories here, but we hope the next family will enjoy it as much as we have. What a great first house...one we didn't deserve. God has given us more than we'll ever deserve and we are so grateful.

The Fox...
He's walkin' and talkin' like crazy! He jibber jabbers all the time and it is soooo cute! He's starting to run a bit as well...which is interesting :) His current words are...Daddy(Mike) Dada(Me) :) he only calls me mama when he's tired or it involves food! Ball, baby, birdie, bob, bib, dog and OK. On occasion he'll say Maggie and he said good boy today...so Mike says :) He got a haircut a while back and he looks like a little boy now and not a baby. He is just so sweet. He gives kisses, hugs, five, shares his food and laughs a lot...but mostly makes us laugh a lot!! He is the best.

The Big News...
Fox is going to be a Big Brother! (well, he already is) We're expecting baby number two on May 12th. We're really excited! Excited to find out if it'll be a baby brother or sister and to see what Fox will be like as a big brother. We're leaning toward finding out but not totally decided. If we find out we are going to have them put a labelled sonogram picture in an envelope and open it on Christmas to find out...but we're not sure.

Chilly Fox

2008-11-28T13:10:00.000-06:00

While in Minnesota for Thanksgiving Fox got to experience a few things...

Bundling up...which he does not like! It was cold..only a glimpse of what is to come in Iowa!

Tractor ride with Grandpa...he Loved it, very bumpy which he liked!

Putting up some Christmas decorations with grandma...mainly watching but he was very curious!

Along with yummy Thanksgiving food he got to have Jake's pizza....YUM!!

Needless to say it was a good trip :)

Fox's First Hair Cut

2008-11-08T15:37:00.000-06:00

I think the pictures speak for themselves on Fox's reaction :)

Yummy Dirt

2008-10-28T15:45:00.002-05:00

I guess they all give it a try...although it just looks like he was eating an oreo :)

The Fox Trott

2008-10-28T15:26:00.002-05:00

Last week Fox decided to start walking! Sunday night before Mike went to Cedar Rapids for three days we had him walking back and forth between us, he'd take about ten steps and go down. He was very excited and just screamed and laughed while he walked...so cute! So at 15 months 1 week Foxy started walking!! Hopefully this will help him slim down a bit..that boy is heavy! We just saw Dr. Eastman for his 15 month appt. and he was 27lbs and 33 inches long. His current list of words is Dada, Mama, Ball, Bye-Bye and had on occasion said Button, Maggie, Baby. He's getting louder and definitely becoming a toddler!

Boys and remotes...

2008-10-26T12:13:00.000-05:00

Dada and Fox hanging out on a lazy afternoon!

Fall Festival

2008-10-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

This was great...Fox got to sit on a "Bee-daa" aka
motorcycle :) He tried cotton candy...definitely did
not like it! And also a pony ride...what a day!

2008-10-16T15:15:00.002-05:00

2008-10-16T15:15:00.001-05:00

2008-10-16T15:13:00.000-05:00

Boston Fox Sox

2008-10-16T13:42:00.009-05:00

September 30-October 3, 2008

Mike had to travel to Boston for some meetings and we decided to make a family trip out of it!

It was a lot of fun. Fox did great on the plane, then we got there and took a tour of Fenway Park. It was really neat to see, especially because it's the oldest ballpark in the U.S. Foxy got a Red Sox sweatshirt...as a fan and it was a little chilly! We drove toSalem to explore because it was rainy and cold outside, it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. The next day it was a beautiful fall day and we drove up to Ipswich, MA. It's the first period town still standing and it was really neat. We went to an orchard that had animals and ducks and tractors to climb on, Fox loved it! It was a gorgeous place, but unfortunately we didn't bring any pumpkins or apples home...don't think security would've like that. Then Fox and I went a few miles further and went to the beach...it was so great! He loved playing in the sand and we met a nice guy with his dog Chase...who Fox loved. He took some pics for us and got Fox's buddy Chase in one too :) It was a sweet time with the boy.

The last day we walked across a scary bridge that you could see through to downtown Boston. I hate bridges...especially those. We went to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Quincy Market has been selling goods to the people of Boston since the beginning so that was neat to see. We then walked on park of the Freedom Trail and went to the the Old State House where the Declaration of Independence was first read...it was exciting to be there. Kinda interesting though...the basement is now a subway station. It was a great trip and lots of fun memories!

Click here to see more Boston pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/eltzaolsen/Fall0802?authkey=taseWwZLQl8#

Here are some links to the places I mentioned:
http://www.ipswichma.com/directory/castle.asp
http://www.russellorchardsma.com/
http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/index.html

2008-10-06T17:45:00.001-05:00

September 27, 2008

We went to a little festival in Prosper, TX and Fox got
to ride a real pony and pet the bunny and goats :)

I look away for one second...

2008-10-06T12:03:00.003-05:00

September 26, 2008

We were hangin out at the Johnson's house and

apparently not paying attention to Fox... I turned

around and saw him up on the stool, reaching for the knife! I didn't think he could even climb that thing. Boy oh boy, it seems you can't look away for a second! Life is never dull :)

Round and round

2008-10-06T11:53:00.002-05:00

September 21, 2008

We went to the mall after church and Fox was excited about
the carousel, so we went for a ride! He wasn't so sure at first,
but then really enjoyed it, especially going up and down!

Feeding myself like a big boy!

2008-10-06T11:26:00.003-05:00

September 21, 2008

This is Fox after feeding himself his oatmeal :)

Balloon Festival

2008-10-04T16:24:00.021-05:00

Fox loved the Balloon Festival! The weather was perfect and it was a great night just enjoying being a family. He pointed at the balloons and said "oooohhh" a lot and was dancing like crazy to the music! It was really fun watching him and were amazed at how big he is getting and what a little person he is becoming. God has given us an amazing gift in him. We grow so much learning to be parents, practically as fast as he grows physically. We've seen we can either grow with God's grace or try to do it on our own. We've given Fox back to the Lord and know that he has everything in his control, all the time!

Fox and his Lightsaber!
Since he had his
StarWars shirt on
it was only fitting
for him to get a
lightsaber, and boy
did he LOVE it!

Playtime

2008-10-04T15:45:00.006-05:00

We went to the mall to meet up with the Stewart's to let the boys "play" :) Luke is walking and Fox likes to stare at the other kids while they walk so they didn't really play, but it was fun to see them interact! We met the Stewart's through our birthclass last year, Fox is about five weeks older than Luke.

September 17, 2008

Games with Grandpa

2008-09-24T14:43:00.005-05:00

September 2, 2008

Fox was having fun with Grandpa passing the hotel
room key back and forth between their teeth :)

Off to the fair...

2008-09-24T13:16:00.006-05:00

August 31,2008

Dada and Fox headed to the fair!

Foxy as Goldy..(just for Mandie)

Dad in line for some yummy cheese curds!

Mike not feeling so well..maybe one too many fried things

While we were in MN we got to got to one of our favorite places...The Minnesota State Fair! We got to take Fox and it was a lot of fun. Grandpa and Grandma were along as well. Fox got a turkey sandwich, we saw tons of animals, ate lots of yummy things. Fox got to sit on some tractors and Mike got sick :) Probably the plate of cheese curds and milkshake, ya think?

Foxy Phelps

2008-09-24T13:04:00.002-05:00

September 1, 2008

Farm fresh corn on the cob!

2008-09-24T12:33:00.004-05:00

August 29th, 2008

While in Minnesota at Grandpa and Grandma's house Fox got his first experience of eating corn right off the the cob..compliments of grandma. He loved it! Wasn't real interested in holding it at first, that was grandma's job. Great memory enjoying fresh Minnesota corn on the cob!

2 mamas, 3 boys, PB&J, the park - Priceless

2008-09-24T09:29:00.002-05:00

My friend Emy and I took the boys..
Caleb, Fox and Cooper to the park
last week while we were husband-less
for the the evening. The weather was perfect!
So we packed PB&J's and met at the park.
We had a great time. Caleb(2 1/2) went
all over doing his own thing and Foxy(14mo) was
trying to climb into the tunnels and loved trying
to play with the big kids! Cooper(6mo) just enjoyed
the scenery and being held by mom :)

"If we move, I'll start a blog..."

2008-09-22T15:00:00.003-05:00

That's what I said about a month and a half ago, so here it is...I am starting this to keep in touch! We have yet to actually move, but as soon as the house sells we'll be on our way...to Iowa. Mike got a new job within his company (Rockwell Collins) and we will be moving to Cedar Rapids, IA where the HQ is located. Closer to my family and Friends :) in Minnesota , but far from the comforts of Texas(friends,church and weather). After living here for over three years, we've become accustomed to the weather and Iowa will be cold. We are looking forward to a new adventure together though!

August 24, 2008