Play ball!

It's our year!!!!!!!!!!

Go Cubbies!!!!!!!!!!!

For the love of laundry

I hate laundry, yes I do!

I hate laundry, how 'bout you?

I couldn't help but to adapt one of my grade school cheerleading chants to convey my love of laundry today.

For some reason we just can't seem to get into the habit of doing a load or 2 every night. Therefore, once the weekend arrives we seem to spend 75% of the time doing, folding and putting away laundry. I mean I know we have 2 kids now and all, but you would think we were housing a small army if you saw the volume of laundry we have on a weekly basis!

Anyway, thanks for listening. Now it's off to fold more laundry :)!

The Energizer Baby

A not so rested (or very smiley) Daddy this morning

A peacefully sleeping Peyton...finally at 8am this morning!

So I think I've mentioned just a few times how alert and active Peyton is. That being said, the Dr. said she should absolutely sleep through the night no problem at this point (except for the small fact she is constantly hungry). He couldn't believe how she didn't stop moving for a second for the 10 minutes he was seeing her at her 4 month check up. Between rolling over and over and "shimmying" her way across the exam table and back, he couldn't believe his eyes! She really is on the verge of crawling already!

We're not quite sure where her never ending supply of energy comes from. Daddy was really wondering that last night. Here's a play by play by Pete of how he spent Saturday night/EARLY Sunday morning with his little angel!


10:30pm- Peyton drinks what should be her "last" bottle of the day

11:00pm- Peyton falls fast asleep

11:15pm- Peyton is wide awake

12:00am- Peyton goes back to sleep after hanging out with Daddy for 45 minutes

12:00-3:00am- Daddy puts pacifier in 20+ times to try to keep Peyton asleep while he's trying to get some laundry folded as it is engulfing our home (another post to follow on that one)

3:00am- Peyton is wide awake again; Daddy feeds her another bottle

4:00am- Peyton drifts off into a semi-state of sleep but again needs the pacifier every 15 minutes

6:00am- Unfortunately nature strikes and Daddy smells a huge present waiting for him leaving Peyton wide awake for the day after her diaper was changed


How quickly the sun goes down and comes right back up when you have a newborn in the house!

(Should I feel guilty for getting 10 hours of sleep while all of this was going on? Nah- because it's my turn to more than likely go through the same thing tonight!)

In addition to all of her bottles, we have started Peyton on a serious regimen of rice cereal and stage 1 fruits and veggies twice a day. She seems to enjoy the increase in variety of food but it still doesn't seem to be doing the trick as far as making her belly fuller. We'll keep trying- wish us luck AND sweet dreams!

Another haircut!

So much for trying to grow Kylie's hair out again :(

We've attempted many times over the past 4 years to have her grow long, blonde locks only to end up with her little bob cut again after 6 months or so. It helps that the style totally fits her silly personality and looks so cute on her. But look out Peyton- you're going to live in pigtails as soon as there is enough hair for me to fit a rubberband around!

Maybe someday Kylie will succumb to ribbons and bows in her pretty blonde hair but for now the sheer thought of someone even putting a comb through it is enough to throw her into a fit. So if cutting her hair the shortest length possible for now is what makes our lives a little bit calmer, so be it!

Off the charts!

As a biased mom I will be the first to tell you that Peyton's little personality is off the charts in so many ways- her smiles that bring light to anyone's day, her sounds (aka screeches, aka yelling at us) that change by the week and provide us with hours of laughter, I could go on and on...but enough of my oozing :). This post is 100% fact based. I thought I'd share Peyton's stats from her 4 month Dr.'s appt on Tuesday.

• Weight: 14 lbs, 6 ozs (compared to 11 lbs 14 ozs in Jan, still 75th percentile for weight)


• Head: 16 1/4" (compared to 16" in Jan)


• Height: 26 3/4" (compared to 24 3/4" in Jan, off the charts for the 4th month in a row! Might we have a WNBA potential on our hands?)

Since we still hang out together 1-2 times during the night I thought I'd grab the chance to capture how long she really is for you (photo taken about 2AM). The Dr. advised us to keep feedings during the night very "uneventful", "quiet" & "dark". I guess these photo sessions don't qualify so if I have any hope of sleeping a full night ever again, I guess I'll tuck my camera away as I'm tucking everyone else in tonight!

First of many fevers to come :(...

Well, today around 11:30 I received the first call for Peyton from the daycare that she had a 101.3 degree fever and needed to be picked up. Since the girls have only been at this new center since the beginning of February, I'm not familiar with all of the phone numbers that can cause me immediate panic when they come across my caller id at work! The good thing is that little Peyton seems to be in good spirits, just a little extra sleepy and warm so hopefully it's just a little bug or more teeth coming. We're off to her 4 month check up tomorrow night so we will see.

Kylie's first year of constant fevers, cold/flu bugs, pink eye and awful diaper rash due to her sensitive skin broke us in well as far as receiving the "your child is sick and needs to be be picked up" phone calls from the daycare. So we know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, you do get through it and you even come out of it still employed! Having gone through most things already with Kylie I feel like I actually may have this Mommy thing down- at least as far as these first stages. And I actually even look forward to what other things Peyton may have up her sleeve for us :).

Feel better soon little one!

Happy Easter!

We hope everyone had a great Easter today! We had a fun and busy day of Easter baskets, an Easter egg hunt, church, brunch and an afternoon of hanging out together and enjoying the goodies the Easter Bunny brought us. Above are some photos from the day!

Easter Eve

Grandma and Papa Buczkowski arrived to spend Easter weekend with us on Saturday. We had a fun filled agenda at home planned for the day which included coloring Easter eggs and making an Easter lamb cake. An added bonus was being able to spend a bit of the afternoon outside which we all enjoyed- Kylie riding her bike, Spike going for a walk and Peyton dozing off in her stroller shortly after we started off in the fresh air. Once the little ones were finally down for the night it was time to put my Easter Bunny hat on - I must say I enjoyed the Christmas cookies and chocolate milk in my role as Santa a bit more than the baby carrots, milk and colored egg Kylie left for the Easter Bunny!

Happy Spring...or is it?!

So I missed wishing everyone a Happy First Day of Spring yesterday and I think I missed my window to do so. Here's what's happening outside in our neck of the woods right now! The photo doesn't do the current blizzard conditions justice but it gets the point across. Looks like we're going to have lots more white stuff than just the bunny this Easter!

Innocence of babes...

So a friend sent me this joke today and it's good for a laugh if you have a minute to read it. It made me think of how innocent and unquestioning Kylie used to be and how Peyton still is. Not that I want it any other way because I love that Kylie is so observant and inquisitive about things but we always need to be on our toes for whatever questions she throws our way! I remember hearing from different friends that around 3 or 4 years old some of "the questions" start- and they were right. And it's not just the questions- it's that one answer is never enough. Each answer is followed by the "but why??". Those of you with kids, young or old, know exactly what I'm talking about :)!

Enjoy!

6th Grade Question
The 6th grade science teacher, Mrs. Parks, asked her class, 'Which human body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?'
No one answered until little Mary stood up, angry, and said, 'You should not be asking 6th graders a question like that! I'm going to tell my parents, and they will go and tell the principal, who will then fire you!'
With a sneer on her face, she then sat back down.
Mrs. Parks ignored her and asked the question again, 'Which body part increases to 10 times its size when stimulated?'
Little Mary's mouth fell open; then she said to those around her, 'Boy, is she gonna get in big trouble!' The teacher continued to ignore her and said to the class,' Anybody?'
Finally, Billy stood up, looked around nervously, and said, 'The body part that increases 10 times its size when stimulated is the pupil of the eye.'
Mrs. Parks said, 'Very good, Billy,' then turned to Mary and continued, 'As for you, young lady, I have three things to say
(1) you have a dirty mind,
(2) you didn't read your homework, and
(3) one day, when you're older, you are going to be very, very disappointed.'

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here's an Irish blessing and a joke for you to end St. Patty's Day 2008 with!

May the best day of your past

Be the worst day of your future.

A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink."Why of course," comes the reply.The first man then asks: "Where are you from?" "I'm from Ireland," replies the second man. The first man responds: "You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland." "Of Course," replies the second man. Curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?" "Dublin," comes the reply. "I can't believe it," says the first man. "I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin.""Of course," replies the second man. Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks: "What school did you go to?" "Saint Mary's," replies the second man. "I graduated in '62." "This is unbelievable!" the first man says. "I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!"About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar. "What's been going on?" he asks the bartender. "Nothing much," replies the bartender. "The O'Malley twins are drunk again."

Luck o' the Irish to ya!

Does this wish carry more weight since I'm really part Irish?!? Not sure, but we'll pretend it does :)!

Happy 4 Month Birthday Peyton!

Today was Peyton's 4 month birthday. So much has happened already in the first few months since her arrival to us! She has celebrated many first holidays- Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day and tomorrow will be her first St. Patty's Day (of course I have her outfit laid out and all ready to go for tomorrow morning, a green "Kiss me I'm Irish" onesie complements of Grandma B.- thanks Grandma!). And then there's Easter right around the corner...WHEW!...that's a lot of celebrating for such a little gal!

Along with all of the special memories that come with her first holidays, Peyton has already experienced so many more exciting firsts- first smiles, first time rolling over, first tooth, first time touching her toes, first time eating rice cereal, first time "playing" with toys...it really is unbelievable at only 4 months today! All signs point to an early walker too as she couldn't be more happy than when she is being held standing up on our laps- she stands so straight and steady as if she really would start walking if we took our hands away. That and I think she's already anxious to keep up with Kylie who NEVER stops moving!

Grandma and Papa Buczkowski spent the weekend with us so Peyton had an even bigger audience on this special day to perform all of her latest tricks- rolling over and back over and over again, talking (more like screeching) up a storm at her Rainforest animal mobile while swinging and doing her what we thought a week ago or so to be blowing raspberries but it's definitely more along the lines of beatboxing (Blake Lewis style for all of you American Idol fans) or just spitting at us to put it bluntly :).

Peyton had a great day making her first trip to visit the Easter Bunny at the mall, watching tv and chewing her toys as we all had lunch at Boston Blackie's, meeting some of our neighbors for the first time as everyone was outside today enjoying the sunshine and fairly "warm" temps and wrapping up the afternoon with a kiss on the forehead from Grandma B. before she and Papa headed home when dozing off in Mommy's arms after returning home from her fun filled day.

Happy 4 month birthday Peyton- we can't wait to watch you learn and grow so much more in the months to come!

Happy Birthday Oma Zerbes!

We love you and hope you had a very happy birthday!

33 years young

As most of you know, yesterday was my 33rd birthday. Thanks so much to all that sent me birthday wishes! Turning 33 felt ok, so did 32. But my 31st birthday was a different story. I clearly remember having a bad case of the "I'm not so young anymore" blues after that one. For a lot of folks turning 30 is one of those points in life to reflect on where you're at, where you've been and maybe where the heck you should be if you don't like what the answers are to the 2 former questions. But I didn't experience any of that until March 14, 2006 - when I had reached the top of the 30 hill and teetered over to the other side that leads to 40, 50, 60, 70...

But 33 is good. Really can't complain. My life feels pretty full at this point - not exactly complete, but full. Not sure what's missing- maybe something having to do with what I want to do when I grow up or maybe it's that I haven't left my mark in all the ways that I eventually hope to...

It's funny the paths our lives take. I was always the one "never having kids". Who would've guessed that by age 33, I would have 2 little peanuts, have been married for going on 7 years, have an actual career and house in the burbs complete with dog- but I stop at the white picket fence! I guess I am starting to feel grown up and I'm really ok when the "I'm not so young anymore" feeling hits now. Instead of thinking how fast time has passed it's time to cherish the present and focus on what the next exciting chapters have in store. And with that, these 33 year old eyes need some sleep...I have 364 more days until I need to evaluate this birthday thing again!

Let the good times roll...

Today is the annual Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon that BP always participates in.

Pros: We only work 1/2 day and then it's off to a local bowling alley for an afternoon of beer and pizza and the event raises money for a great organization

Cons: I stink at bowling, will probably break off all my nails and am now the team captain as half of the office is out sick today (or are they?!)

Maybe I should've gotten some pointers from Kylie last night. Photos are from last fall when we took Kylie and cousin Connor on their first bowling outing when we were all in Michigan City for the weekend. Fueled up on McDonald's happy meals they were ready to roll! They loved it and caught on so quick, well to the actual bowling itself that is. It took a little longer to catch on to the concept of rolling 2 balls and then it being the next person's turn - that one will take some time I think! Since that initial bowling outing, Kylie has spent several afternoons "in training" at the alleys having a blast with Daddy and learning the ropes to follow in his footsteps of 300 scores! Hopefully these sessions will help her to avoid future embarassment such as the kind I will be experiencing this afternoon among my colleagues!

It's bowlers like me that understand the true value of having a bar in a bowling alley...wish me luck- I need it!

It's a Sunshine Day!

Here's hoping this post sends a little sunshine your way today!

Now normally I'm not one to really talk about the weather in conversation, but c'mon the SUN is out today!!!! I can't help but think of the song "It's a Sunshine Day" by The Brady Bunch. You know the one- "I think I'll go for a walk outside now..."- the cheesy melody and vision of the 6 Brady kids doing their groovy dance moves can't help but bring a smile to anyone's face!

The high of 48 degrees and sunshine predicted for today seemed unlikely at best as it was 27 degrees and gloomy on my way into the office this morning- for what seemed like the millionth day in a row. But as the day has progressed...could it be true..what is that peeking from behind those clouds...it IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is currently 45 degrees and SUNNY here in Chicagoland...things are looking up...maybe this winter will come to an end afterall?!?!

Welcome to the Zerbes Family blog!

So I've officially entered the world of blogging- I think. I've set up the site, I've got the time after these 3AM feedings when even Comcast turns to paid programming and I have the sincere hope of bringing friends and family near and far a little closer to our day to day lives. Debuting here of course are those referenced in my profile- our 2 amazing little girls, Kylie (almost 4 years) & Peyton (almost 4 months) and Spike, our 1.5 year old son that drools (don't let that face fool you, he really is happy!)

Visit as often as you'd like to see what we're up to and keep in touch by submitting your comments to us!

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