Friday we spent in Maple Grove with the Lepiens. The first pic is Nora and Addie getting ready for the pool!!
















Saturday morning we headed to Trout Lake Camp for the weekend! Addie was just about perfect all weekend ;) She loved driving "Papa's boat" and we had a very nice relaxing time with family.

My two favorite people in the whole world!!!

Well, today was the last day! Bittersweet... that's what I'll call it. Now I'm relaxing with my hubby, watching So You Think You Can Dance, and NOT grading papers :)
Tomorrow we are hanging out with the Lepiens, and Saturday we head to Trout Lake Camp for the long weekend!!

Not too much going on... I only have four more days of school with kids and about a week and a half of teacher work days... then I'm done. So I'm a little anxious about that. I am looking forward to spending the summer with Addie, and of course awaiting the birth of baby boy, but I still am sad about being completely done with teaching.
On a completely different note, we are beginning to introduce potty training to Miss Addison. She enjoys sitting on the potty, which is a good thing! But she is a little confused about when you are supposed to sit on it. She poops in her diaper, then tells us she pooped, and then wants to sit on the toilet. It's a start, no doubt, but not exactly the right order! I haven't committed myself fully to this task, since I'm still teaching, but in about 2 1/2 weeks, we're going to do it!
Any of you out there have any suggestions or tricks for potty training??

We spent Mother's Day at Como Zoo with the Sorbel clan. Addie absolutely loved it! We had to visit the "kokies" (monkeys) twice- those were her favorite! You can bet we'll be going there a few times this summer!!

We had Ana and Adam over last night for dinner and cards. I finally got to see her preggo belly! It was a wonderful evening :-) So here we are... old roomies, now pregnant friends...and yes, she is 3 weeks ahead of me. Ha!

My students at school are reading Treasure Island right now, so I have a copy at home. This is what I found Addie doing yesterday morning... reading the 8th grade novel! So I followed her around with the camera and then put together a slide show of "motivation" for my 7th and 8th graders. I told them if my almost-two-year-old can read this book, so can all of you!!

Addie and I went with Amber, Liam, and Landon today to see "Thomas and Friends" LIVE at the Target Center. It was a blast! Addie couldn't get enough!! So fun!

Dada... poop... stinky...
Addie's new favorite words, in that order! Don't ask... :)

Well, I have to give credit to my husband for this one... we purchased Addie some new bedroom furniture- table and chairs, toy box, and as you can see, a big girl bed! I've been anxious about switching from crib to bed... worried how she will do, worried none of us will get sleep, just worried... So we weren't going to make the switch for a while. But last night, my mom and I went out on a date, and when I got home, my little girl was sleeping soundly in her big girl bed! She got up once, fussing a bit, but Brandt went down, gave her a hug and a drink of water, and told her to go back to bed. And she did... and we didn't hear a peep from her til this morning! Brandt is an amazing father-- I couldn't be more thankful for him! And way to go, Addie! She was so proud of herself when I went down there this morning. Hopefully tonight will be the same :)

We have been struggling with getting Addie to eat lately. I know I did it wrong from the beginning- when she started eating solids, I should've given her everything we were eating... instead she ate mac and cheese, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza, and lasagna (or spaghetti). Now those foods are ALL she will eat. We serve her what we eat now, but many nights she ends up throwing a temper tantrum, throwing food on the floor, and not even trying the foods in front of her. I'm a softy when it comes to all of this because I don't want her to go hungry, but I've been trying to be consistent with it. Some nights she doesn't eat dinner and goes to be without a snack. Is that ok? I know we're not the only ones who've gone through this. Any suggestions?

23 weeks this weekend! Books say that baby boy is about one pound and also about 8 inches from crown to rump... crazy! And yes, he is a crazy one. Moving around constantly! He was kicking pretty good last night, so I had Addie put her hand on my tummy. He kicked her. I asked Addie, "Did you feel the baby kick?" She said, "No." I said, "Do you want to feel again?" She said, "No," and then pulled my shirt back over my tummy. Ha! And so it begins... ;)

Addie's talking up a storm. Very rarely do I struggle with understanding what she's saying. Her big thing lately is relating everything in life to Dora, backpack, Swiper... (if you're a Dora watcher, you know the characters...) For example, we will drive by a lake and she'll point and say, "River." I'll acknowledge her observation and then she'll say, "Boat. Dora." I'll agree that they do take a boat over the river in Dora. Then she'll say, "Grandpa" because we've told her we will go on Grandpa's boat this summer! I'll remind her that we'll wear lifejackets on the boat this summer, and she'll respond with "Lifejacket. Backpack." Yes, Addie, we get lifejackets from backpack... kinda. Just funny stuff :)

Happy belated Easter!

Photo Shoot with Mom

We had our annual Easter Egg hunt with the Sorbel's today. Eggs are hidden all around Maple Grove and we follow clues from one "traditional spot" to the next. This year's was a bit shorter, which was nice because it was chilly out! Addie loved being outside! It was a fantastic day!














Addie and Dada!

















The girls... and of course my hubby in the back :)

First off, the baby is very healthy and has Steph's chin. Second, riddle me this:

If There Sat A Big Orange Yacht,
Yellow Eagles Always Hot!

Note: Nothing incriminating in this picture.

What's up everybody? It's a big week for the house of Sorbmania... Steph is 20 weeks on Friday which means we get to have the 20 week ultrasound. For the rookies in the bunch, we get to find out the gender of the little one.

I wanted to put a formal poll up, but Steph wants to know who says what. Therefore, please respond with your prediction of boy or girl. We will reveal the answer on Friday!

Brandtis felt the baby kick tonight! YEAH!! I am thrilled!! It's so fun to have these feelings all over again... I always wonder how I will be able to love any other child as much as I do Addie, but I think I'm beginning to see how.
19 weeks on Friday!

I just have to say I love having this 'baby in belly' feeling! It's like this babe and I share a life or a secret that no one else can understand. Maybe it's just the excitement of those first "movements," but I am in love... again! I sit at my desk at school, feeling the baby move, and just smile :) It's the greatest feeling! We scheduled our ultrasound for April 3rd--- looking forward to it!

In Addie news-- The girl is talking up a storm! Here are some of my new favorite words:
whistle
cheerio
Ready, Set, Go!
slinky
egg
marker
pillow
path

B and I are heading up to Trout Lake this weekend to hang out with Aaron and Charlotte! Being there without the little one will mean many hours of cards :) And of course, a visit to Zorbaz Pizza. Have a great rest of the week!

This is for you, Natalie :) I'm a little disgruntled about the fact that in Ana's 20 week pictures, she looks like a twig, and this is me at 17 weeks... WHAT!?

Found a great deal on mega blocks at Once Upon A Child! They came in this wagon, but Addie would rather sit in the wagon than put the blocks in it. First day we had it, she sat in there for 45 minutes!! Crazy girl :)

Last night B and I went with our good friends and took a Salsa dance lesson for an hour! It was hilarious! We (at least I) had a blast! Then we headed to a restaurant downtown for dinner and dancing. Well, dinner and 'observing dancing' for us :)






























It was warm in there :)
On a side note... felt the baby moving this week for the first time. Very exciting!

Our Spring Break trip to the Dells :)

In the words of Addison, "All Done." We are all done with doctors and hospitals, I really hope. We went back to the ER yesterday morning because she was still throwing up everything she ate or drank and acting so lifeless. After a 4 hour wait in the waiting room (AAAHHH!!), we got her in for an iv again. This time her and I stayed overnight. She started doing solids again today, and we checked out around 1:00 this afternoon. I of course was pretty nervous to come home, since we've done this before, but she did pretty well tonight. Ate a few small things, had 2 messy diapers, but no throwing up. That's a relief! We'll take it easy the next couple days as well. But hopefully we are on the up and up. Just asking for prayer for her increased appetite and that she keeps everything down. I guess prayer that Brandt and I don't get it also... even though for the last 5 days I've been telling her to give me her flu instead!!!
Again, just an update and pics from the Dells soon. I'm exhausted.

Hey all--- we still have a pretty sick little girl here. So keep your prayers coming. We appreciate it.

We are home from the hospital!!!!
For those of you that don't know, Addie had the flu and we spent yesterday in the ER. She started throwing up in the middle of the night Monday night (at the Dells) and then couldn't keep anything down for about 36 hours. We went to our pediatrician Tues and then again Wed before they sent us to Children's Hospital for an IV treatment. Addie was a trooper. I was more emotional than she was, I think ;) She only cried a bit when they put the IV in, but then she just laid on my lap all day, sleeping on and off. They transferred us to the short stay wing and told us we'd be there overnight. But, early evening she started to really perk up! She was funny, talkative, restless... so we started introducing solids around dinner time. She kept down a popscicle, some yogurt, and some noodles. So... the doctor signed us out at about 9:30 last night and we came home! So nice to sleep in our own beds (well, Brandt slept on the couch, since Addie and I took up most of the bed!)-- today we'll just take it easy, as far as eating. But we definitely turned a corner for the good :) It's amazing how much you love your child when they're sick!
So thanks for the prayers. We felt them! I will update some pics soon from our short trip to the Dells.

15 weeks and feeling great! Starting to get the "baby bump"--- Brandt is done traveling--- Haven't had to put Addie in a timeout for two days!--- and we're heading to Wisconsin Dells tomorrow afternoon!!!!
Brandt took Monday and Tuesday off this week, since it's my Spring Break, so my parents got us a place in the Dells with their timeshare points. It'll be the first real family vacation we've taken, just the three of us! We've been to this place before, so we know there are some great waterparks. Addie should love it! I'll post pictures when we get back.

Oh... funny story to add... Yesterday Addie was touching the blinds in the family room. She knows she isn't supposed to do it, and Brandt and I are both sitting in the room. So she's touching them and smirking at us while we both say, "No." She continues to play with the blinds, so Brandt walks over, says "No" to her once more, and then slaps her hand. She immediately walked away from the blinds, walked over to me, stuck out her hand, and said, "Mama?" She wanted me to slap her hand too! Brandt and I were both laughing so hard, I had tears! Clearly the hand slap is not working for this child :) More time outs, I guess ;)

Today I turned in my intent to return, or I guess my intent "not" to return to school next year. It was really hard! I had been going back and forth, tossing around the idea of maybe putting "yes" just in case something happened with the baby, or in case my mind changed... But, in the end, I was honest and just said "no" to returning next year. I struggled so much because this is a really big deal! Teaching has been my life for the past 5 years... yes, I'm excited to stay home next fall and I'm sure I'll be busy with two, but it is hard to think about not being in the classroom. No, I'm not giving it up for forever. I know I'll teach again down the road, but it will be a big adjustment for me. And today I kinda felt like I was signing my life away, or giving up something I will really miss. I do feel like I'm doing the right thing, though, and I know I won't regret being able to spend every day with my kids.
I had our dance team banquet tonight, so the season is officially over :( Addie had her second babysitter tonight and she did great! It probably had something to do with the amazing babysitter she had though!
Brandt is in Texas again this week, but is coming home Wednesday. Then not much travel in the near future. We've almost made it!!!

See you soon, Dada!!! We love you!!

We are doing ok this week. Missing Brandt, but surviving and staying busy! He's in LA this week. Addie always asks, "Dada??" And I have to say he's not here right now. Then she asks, "Store?" I try to explain that he's a bit farther away than the store, though I wish he was at the store and coming home! But he calls every night to talk to her. Tonight she talked to him, kissed the phone, and then waved goodbye to the phone as we hung up. Too cute! He'll be home Friday night late, but then leaves Sunday again. After that, no traveling in the near future, so that will be nice!

Well, to be honest, I wasn't at all looking forward to Valentine's Day because my hubby has class all day every Saturday. No date and hardly any time to spend together. But I woke up yesterday morning to a bouquet of roses for me, and a rose, card and little chair for Brandt's other valentine- Miss Addie. It was perfect! Addie LOVED her gifts and I loved him for being so thoughtful. I got to spend the day with my little valentine, and she was wonderful!! We had a great day- hanging out, reading books, running errands, and doing pedicures :) Then Brandt came home and we got Chinese take-out for dinner and ate by candlelight, while Addie was relaxing in her chair watching Dora. It ended up being a perfect Valentine's Day and one that I won't forget. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband!

I'm a little over 12 weeks... this is what they say about the baby--
At 12 weeks pregnant your baby is just about two and a half inches long and weighs up to half an ounce!
Yeah! That's so amazing :) We went in today and heard the heartbeat. It was so good just to have that reassurance again that everything is going ok. Still feels like a long way to go, but I'm feeling much better now, so I can definitely make it!!
Work has slowed for me since dance is over, but has definitely picked up for Brandt. If he's not traveling, he's extremely busy. Such is life, but we could use some prayers from all you prayer warriors out there.
Addie is doing well... starting to really see that she's "almost two" :) Definitely a strong-willed little girl. Very sweet, but very stubborn!
More pictures to come...
Thanks for your prayers!

We miss you, Daddy! See you soon :) Love you!

Things are good... I'm feeling much better this week! I'll be 11 weeks this weekend. Tonight I got to get out and have a girl's night with some dear friends. We had dinner and saw Bride Wars- cute movie! Nice to see a chick flick for once :)
Saturday is the big day for my dance team--sections!! 11 teams compete and the top three in each dance go to State! Crazy, but we actually may have a chance. Keeping my fingers crossed. I'll keep you updated.
Work has been crazy busy for the hubby, but he is loving his job, so that's what's important! He starts traveling next week. Just four days, but he hasn't traveled in over a year, so I'm a little sad. Addie and I will have some good quality time together. And I may rent some more chick flicks for the evenings.
Addie's latest words:
-Dora
-diaper
-gray (without the 'r')
-baby
-please
-cereal
Well, that's life in a nutshell! Have a wonderful weekend :)

Pictures from Grammy's house... my little snow angel :)

Well folks, I've got some good news to report... We ("we" being Steph) are 9 weeks pregnant!!! I'm assuming the picture gave it away. The due date for Numero Dos is August 25, 2009. We are excited and nervous, so your prayers are much appreciated.

The ultrasound above only pictures one baby, but I ("I" being Brandt) have said and will continue to say that there are two in there. I guess we'll find out in August!

Peace.

Sorry... I usually don't let myself go a week without posting, but life has been...we'll just say... crazy! Dance is in full swing for me. Competitions every weekend. We were in Duluth yesterday, and my girls got 2nd place in both high kick and jazz! I just about fainted ;) I was so proud of them! Addie had some good bonding time with Brandt - she really didn't want much to do with me today. I'll get her back tomorrow- an entire day of just the two of us!! I caught her with a cowboy hat on the other day. Once she realized I was taking pictures, though, she wasn't pleased. That's her "look"... the second picture.

Just had to get Brand't mustache pic off the blog page! We're doing well... it's been an adjustment for all of us getting back into the routine again. I definitely look forward to summer after two weeks home for Christmas break. It's hard to be away from her all day.
Addie just has such a funny personality these days. Brandt and I laugh at (with) her all the time! Yesterday, after taking a bite of a Ritz cracker and saying "moon" (cause it did look like a moon), she proceeded to put the cracker on her head and smash it into a million crumbs. Then she said "uh oh" and started to laugh! As did we :) Today at Lynn's house, she took one of those nose bulbs, stuck it in her nose, and held her hands out, showing how it stayed in there by itself. She of course thought it was the funniest trick she'd ever performed! Dorky stories, but she's just so funny!! If you ever need a laugh... feel free to come spend an evening with us :)