11 months old!

Kezzie turned 11 months old today. I can't believe I am starting to plan her first birthday party! How exciting yet completely strange. It really seems like only yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. What an amazing blessing and gift from God she is! She brings joy to me every day!

Indoor Camping

Yesterday I decided it would be fun to make a tent out of chairs and blankets but then realized all our chairs have wheels so Austin had the thought of getting out his kid tent. We put it up in the living room and threw some blankets in there...the kids had a blast playing in there the whole evening . Kezzie kept throwing herself backward on the blankets trying to act dizzy. It is great to see the kids playing together!

Kezzie's newest!

10/20 This week Kezzie is officially on 4 nursings. We knocked out the 6ish feeding (see 10 1/2 month schedule) and now give her cereal at that time along with a little bit of whatever we are having for dinner. She then nurses at 7:30 before going to bed. She is sleeping wonderful through the night waking only a couple times to search for her paci and still doesn't wake for another feeding until 7/7:30am. She is such a good baby!

10/21 Kezzie got her eighth tooth! I think this is kind of what caused us to ditch the 6ish feeding because she always wants to eat less when her teeth are bothering her. However, she hasn't wanted that feeding back so we will go with it! She has also been doing her 'biting while nursing' thing again which should have been another clue she was getting a tooth. At least I know it will pass!

10/22 Kezzie stood for more than 20 seconds all on her own! It's so cute...she will start to lose her balance and then catch herself and you can tell she is so proud because she gets a big smile on her face! She has also started moving around the furniture and will reach from the coffee table to the couch causing her to take a step or two without anything to hold onto!

"Pappas"

That's Kezzie language for puppies...she absolutely LOVES Bella these days. Not that she hates Bucky, but he is busy elsewhere putting all his efforts toward staying warm these days. Bella always has to be in the middle of Kezzie and I playing on the floor and Kezzie loves it. She gives Bella hugs and 'kisses' all the time. I kind of think Bella enjoys it a bit too! One thing Kezzie does with the dogs is steals their chewing bone away and then graciously tries to give it back as if she is being nice and sharing with them!

Spinning!

Kezzie has a new fasination...she loves to spin things! And after some great thought I am realizing that she isn't trying to be mean by slapping Brian and I in the face (although she does do that too-there is a difference), she is actually trying to get our lips and eye lids to spin. This toy has a new meaning to an almost 11 month old! Instead of just being a colorful rattle, it actually does something (the middle things spin really fast)!

Hunter Martin Linnell

Born on October 18, 2008
Proud parents: Justin and Kristin Linnell in Cedar Rapids
What an adorable baby! Congratulations guys!

Tug Boat!

This is our newest fun thing to do. I was emptying the laundry into the washer and as I set the basket down Kezzie crawled in. I started pulling her around the house and making boat sounds. She just giggles away and the dogs think it's fun to chase her too!

A Different Kind of Stock Market From Greg Stier

A friend of mine shared this message with me... I know it seems a little long, but it is really worth the read!

The situation is serious. Many IRAs are shrinking. People are losing their homes, their jobs...everything. And it could get worse before it gets better. Some people are talking recession. A few are even alluding to the"D" word, the great "D" word. Let's be honest. It is a scary time right now, especially if your used to the American way of $ life.

Okay let me change the subject.

Have you ever met a truly impoverished Christian in a 3rd world country? I have met several from India to El Salvador. It's hard for me to remember one of them that seemed truly sad. There they were in their barely-scrape-by daily lives with huge smiles on their faces. Dirt floors in their one room huts...huge smiles. One or maybe two "meals" per day...smiles. No Wii, cars, designer clothes or thriving 401 Ks...smiles. What in the world were they smiling about? Maybe what many of the Old Testament saints were smiling about, check out Hebrews 11:13-16: "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." If you are a believer in Christ you can smile when this side of eternity falls apart because you are saving up riches in a different country...a heavenly one. And in this heavenly country the stock market can never crash. Here's what Jesus said about it in Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Let's invest our treasure in the stock market that can never crash. Then let's smile, knowing our investment is safe!

Challenges for the Heart

At my church we are currently doing a teaching series where we are being challenged to identify with the under-resourced. Here is a list of the challenges put before our congregation. I encourage you to check them out and maybe pick a challenge for yourself so that you can better connect your heart with the less privileged people of the world. This is something our church is doing the week of Oct. 13-19 but it can definitely be done any time.

Pray For the Poor

Connecting with the Poor at Meal Time
-During this week, we ask you to consider how you and your family might choose to remember and identify with those in need.
-Eat only rice and beans the entire week or part of this week.
-Refrain from spending any discretionary money at restaurants or stores this week.
-You might consider fasting from all food for a given time this week.

Child Sponsorship
-If you already sponsor a child somewhere in the world, we ask that you bring your child’s photo to the counter in the lobby October 12. We will make a copy of the photo and place your sponsored child’s photo on a sponsorship wall.
-We ask that you consider sponsoring a child from Haiti or Mozambique. You may sign up to sponsor a child at the counter in the lobby on October 5, 12, and 19. Our church is really trying to focus on these two areas to try and make the biggest impact possible.
-Write and send a letter to your sponsored child. Remember your sponsored child in your prayers.

Here is the link to my church and a link to the blog concerning the Challenges for the Heart. http://www.orchardhillchurch.org/cfheart.htm

http://challengesfortheheart.blogspot.com/

We're Home!

We are home now. We got home about 5:30 last night. Brian is doing good. He doesn't feel the greatest but that is to be expected for a few days. He is currently drinking whatever appeals to him which seems to be milk, juice and a little water. He has eaten chocolate pudding and even had some creamy soup for lunch today. So far I haven't felt overwhelmed with responsibility and actually have enjoyed being here for him and having his company. Kezzie did wonderful at the hospital and stayed content most of the time. Thanks for all the prayers and for thinking of us during this time!

Prayer Request!

Brian will be going in for surgery tomorrow (the 13th) at 12:30. He has a hiatal hernia so they will go in laparoscopically and tie that part of his stomach off and then also repair the portion of the esophagus that has been stretched from his stomach being up inside it. Please pray that the doctors do well and find the best solution and that Brian will make a full and quick recovery. Also that this surgery will work and nothing further will have to be done. He will be out of work for at least a week and unable to eat anything thicker than mashed potatoes for at least 2 weeks. Looks like we better stock up on baby food! Also pray for me since I will be taking on all the responsibility of the house! Thanks for your prayers!

Sneak Peak!

Happy Halloween to all of you who celebrate! This is just a little preview of what is to arrive at your doorstep in a few weeks! Unfortunately this costume fits just right today and won't fit at all by the time she actually needs to wear it! Hopefully it comes in a size bigger or we will have new pictures to share! I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous she looks (I think she agrees)! Maybe it would be better if they didn't have a bigger size! We thought we would dress her this year and go out as a family with Austin instead of what we did last year...we let Austin roam the city with friends. I didn't like that too well! If nothing else, it makes for some good brother and sister costume photos!

Kezzie's Schedule-10 1/2 months

Wakes at 7:15
Nurses at 7:15
Eats at 8:15. 1/4 C rice cereal mixed with half of a #2 fruit container and 1/4 C water.
Naps at 9
Wakes between 10 and 10:30
Nurses at 10:30
Eats lunch between 11:30 and noon. Usually leftover chicken cut up with diced carrots or peas or she will still eat baby food veggies as long as I give that to her before any finger foods. If we are away from home I take the Gerber Graduates raviolis that have ground chicken and veggies inside. She loves those! She will also bite off pieces from a slice of turkey lunch meat that I roll up. She will drink about 1-2 ounces of juice mixed with water with her lunch from a sippy cup.
Naps at 1 or 1:30
Wakes between 3 and 3:30
Nurses between 3 and 3:30
Nurses at 6:30
Eats at 7:00. 1/4 C rice cereal mixed with half of a #2 fruit container and 1/4 C water.
Bath every other night before bed.
Bed by 7:30 or 8:00
Nurses in her sleep between 9:30 and 10 before I go to bed.

I am considering, at this point, getting rid of her 6:30 feeding and instead giving her cereal when we eat dinner around 6. And then nursing her around 7 before she goes to bed at 7:30. There are some days she doesn't want that feeding anyway. I will let her decide though! I don't think it will be too long from now!

3 years old!

Our puppies turned 3 today. It's not normally that big of a deal in a normal family, but we love our pups like they are two of our kids (maybe not quite that much) plus let's face it, we are far from being a normal family! They didn't get too much royal treatment other than a nice, plump, juicy hot dog to share! It's amazing that even as stubborn and dependent as they continue to be, we still love them just as much as when they were babies!