I am so sorry it has been almost a month since our last post. With our very slow internet out here, I am not able to publish any posts on Blogger. I can type them up and save them, but can't get them published. And uploading photos takes a LONG time too! I have a couple hours until I'm going to bed tonight, so I'll try to get some uploaded and have Tim publish the post from work tomorrow. :) Here's what we've been up to the last month or so.
Aaron has become VERY attached to "Puppy." We also introduced him to a nuk before surgery since he wasn't able to nurse for 7 hours before. He didn't really take it until a couple days later. He still only gets it very rarely.
We bought and Tim put together the girls' bedroom furniture. It's really cute looking, but one hassle after another. Right now we only have one of the dressers (other one not in stock), the mirror is in their closet because the hardware was missing, and we're waiting on a replacement for the dresser we do have since it came damaged and couldn't be repaired by the tech we had to wait 2 weeks to show up. The bed frames are 6 inches longer than a standard twin mattress, but they say that's just the way they are. And nobody was polite or helpful on the phone. Let's just say we won't be dealing with HOM furniture for any future needs. (Note: this photo shows Tim when he was putting together the bedframe upside down the first time! HA!)
24 quarts of pickles, all different cuts. YUM!
My parents brought their tiller for us. Tim spent a couple afternoons this week getting our garden all ready for some fertilizing and mulching before it gets too cold. We have big plans for next year, but I don't think we'll use ALL this space! The girls are excited to grow, pick, and eat all the veggies we plant.
My little girlies have a new hobby - digging in the dirt of the flowerbed out front. Most of the time I don't mind. It keeps them busy and Norah loves to use the push broom to sweep up the dirt they spill.
Awww... aren't they sweet? Thanks to Aaron's god-mother Jami for these cute matchy matchy outfits. Good thing I spent all day trying to get pictures of them together (and succeeded, a little) because later that day Maggie snuck into the office and discovered the permanent markers...
Aaron had his umbilical hernia repair surgery. Thi was right after the dressing could come off. The swelling has gone done more since then and his incision has healed up really well. There is a mysterious suture sticking through the skin. I didn't think they had used any disolvable ones, but they did use some permanent ones so we'll have to see what the deal is at his next follow up appointment.
We are all excited that it's Packer season! Don't worry MN people - we have Viking stuff too. I will let them wear it, as long as the Packers aren't playing!
Aaron still loves to be swaddled at night. He sleeps really well anyway, but this does help in case he's having trouble falling asleep. He's growing out of this one quickly. We don't have another, but do have some great fleece sleepsacks from Cousins Andy and Matt. Aaron has also been sleeping through the night for about 2 or 3 weeks consistently from 10 or 11 until 6 or 7! YAY!
My little sweeties have been all about the books lately. We just can't get enough Bearenstein Bears these days! (Though the book he's reading here is about sharing and taking turns - thanks Thrivent, we need that too!)
Aaron has been smiling, giggling, and cooing away quite a bit more the last two weeks or so. Mommy can really get him going!
We picked apples (post coming soon on that!) on Monday. Tim and I spent Tuesday evening making applesauce and pies. This was the fruit (HAHA!) of our labor from a half bushel and a couple extra. We did lose one jar. The entire bottom fell out of it, again! So we processed these 7 jars in applesauce water. They were a sticky mess!
"Mom, if we don't get out of here in TWO minutes, I'm gonna get real cranky!"
Pizza Hut in Ida Grove (25 minute drive) is sort of surrounded by this little lake. We fed the ducks, geese, and swans all the leftover crusts from our pizza and some freezer burned old hamburger buns. Even the fish were working to get some! Norah cried when we left. We'll be back.
Yesterday we discovered that the corn field behind our house, just beyond our fence, was being harvested... FINALLY! We've bee waiting.
When they started on the field at the side of our house (even closer!), I woke Norah up early from her nap to watch.
Our neighbor, Mark, stopped his combine a second time to offer the girls' rides. Norah accepted eagerly!
She actually got to ride with Mark (and Daddy) while they combined the entire rest of that field, about 30 minutes.
It was a little dusty, but Maggie and I (and eventually Aaron) sat and watched the whole time. Maggie was patiently waiting for her turn, but unfortunately didn't get a chance to ride along.
This morning Tim called a couple people to try to arrange a ride for Maggie. Maggie got to ride with Jason, a member at church. Jason is a Hammann, and our girls are big fans of anyone whose last name is Hammann. Maggie also got to see the Hammann's cows as they drove past. She was one happy girl.
Maggie's ride was about an hour long. Norah sat and watched for quite a while, but she also colored and played in the van. (We had driven over to the field they were working in.)
One of the neatest things to see was the corn being transferred from the combine to the grain cart and then to the truck (above) so that it can be taken to storage. This was pretty close to us, and the lady driving the tractor is Jason's wife. She also happens to be an occasional organist at our church.
Look at that face! Maggie was beyond thrilled to finally have her turn in the "tombine."
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