whoa.

I (gasp) made (gasp) it to (gasp) 3 sets of ten (gasp gasp deep sigh).

 I never thought I could ever be so out of shape.

I'm actually glad I am making myself do this.  I don't even want to imagine what I would look like on the slopes without some kind of endurance exercise before going.

Shoot.  I don't think I want to imagine what I'm going to look like WITH some endurance training!

:) Day 2/19.

It's about that time...

To GET INTO SHAPE!  Greg and I are leaving for Colorado in a mere 3 weeks to SKI and I am slightly completely out of shape!  Its at the point where I can almost feel it in my legs all. the. time.  ew.  Not necessarily extra fatty, but just not toned.  ew.  So today I decided that I was going to run some stairs.  I mean, I have free access in my house 24/7.  I planned on doing 3 sets of 15.  ha.  By round 6 of set one I was winded, so I did 2 sets of 10.  I figure if I can do this every day and work up to 3 sets of 15, by week 3 I will be SOOOO ready to ski.  Right?!  RIGHT?!

The trick now is to do it every day.

So here is the countdown.  Day 1/19.

It's OVER

The Christmas marathon that is.  :)  Until Thursday!

Thank. goodness.  :) :)

Christmas: Berger Style

Welp.   Christmas was eventful.  We woke up to a very hungry baby (well Greg did, he let me sleep in), and then came down for some coffee, cookies and present opening.  Greg and I had told each other that we were not going to get each other gifts because we just couldn't really afford it.  Well, I am me, so I of course had to get him a little something.  I went out and bought him boxers.  He was in desperate need.  I was feeling pretty good about myself!  Greg on the other hand, had already bought me a gift knowing that I would say no gifts.  I have been wanting a new Coach purse since I was preggers with Sam.  In fact, I wanted it to be my "push present".  Although that's not what I got then, its what I received yesterday!  Isn't she a beaut?!

he then decided to spoil me further with this!

I'd say I'm a lucky girl.  A thankful girl.  :)

We then headed off to see Greg's parents.  On the way we didn't realize how icy it had gotten.  We were just so excited that we were actually ON TIME! (A trait that is not common with us!)  I was busy switching over my purses, Sam was in the back with her giraffe, and Finnegan was in the very back watching the cars go by. Greg hit a patch of ice and slowed down (thank goodness).  Not 30 seconds later he hit another patch.  He tried to save it but it was lost.  We slid sideways one way and then he turned it so we slid the other.  Luckily he was able to control it enough not to hit the median head on, so it hit the front left bumper, sending Greg's air bag out, and then bounced off and hit the back left bumper.  We were able to make it to the shoulder and thankful that no one was around us to T-bone us or for us to hit.  The drivers that were well behind us made sure we were okay.  We were.  Thankfully.  Sam was shaken up, but she fell asleep shortly after.  Poor Finnegan was shaking so badly.  I went back with him and consoled him.  He continued to shake until we got to Greg's parent's house.  Greg's dad came out and picked us up and we are pretty sure we are going to have to say our goodbyes to our Pathfinder.  What a great car though.  We hit that median pretty gosh darn hard and it saved our lives.

We called the cops, but with 2 people struck on the highways, TONS of accidents involving injuries and one delivery!!!  they never made it to us. (after an hour of waiting!)


I do have to say that I am so thankful for our families.  Greg's parents just handed us the keys to the Sequoia, and for now, that's what we will be driving.

We called the insurance company and had the car towed and in the next couple of days we will know the damage.

We finished the evening at my parents house with some nummy pork tenderloin, green beans, a YUMMY pie that Jake(Jennie's bf) and his sister made from scratch and some pretty thankful parents/grandparents!!

My mommy received a Wii and Wii fit, so you'll know where to find me when I'm never at home!


It was one emotional, exhausting and eventful Christmas!

We hope that you had a blessed Christmas and that you took a moment to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Love to you all!!!

We're MOBILE!

Yup. That's right.  Sam is moving.

Is she walking you ask? Nope.

Well, crawling then? Nope.

How about scooting? Nope.

Sliding??  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

Its a good thing we have hardwood floors.  She slides all over the place, turning herself in circles.  She can only slide backwards so we are happy that the circle turning is a mastered skill.

She absolutely loves it!  She has been a sliding machine.  Super proud of her!  :)

Top 10 Tuesday: Christmas Edition

In no particular order (of course!):

10. baking Christmas cookies

9. eating Christmas cookies

8. just the THOUGHT of playing Santa for Samantha for many years to come.

7. Christmas trees.  Real or fake, they make me smile!  (And smiling's my favorite!)

6. Christmas movies. :)

5. Family time.  Lots of it!

4. Yummy food!

3. Gonna be superficial and say PRESENTS!  :)

2. SNOW! (Eh, well one can only hope for a white Christmas in St. Louis.)

1. Samantha's first Christmas.  We will never have another one like it!!!  :)

Christmas Marathon

It is definitely the most wonderful time of the year.  With Greg's ENTIRE family living in St. Louis, Christmas brings on many get togethers from every extension of his family.

How our next 2 weeks look:

Just this past Saturday we had the Fleischmann extended cousin Christmas
Thursday: Mass and extended Berger Christmas
Friday:  immediate Berger Christmas breakfast/Levine Christmas dinner
Saturday: Fleischmann grandparent Christmas
Sunday: ANOTHER Berger extended get together (Greg's aunt, uncle and SEVEN cousins will be in from KC!)
Thursday-Sunday: Bryant Christmas in Ohio.

Busy Busy but LOOOOOVE it!  :)

Ahhh...

Greg was out of town for the past 3 days and it is so nice to finally have him home!

Its been a lonely 3 days (minus the fact that our mothers both came over this week.)

Adult interaction had been basically non-existent (minus the fact that I had dinner at my parents house, our mothers came over, Lizzy came over and I had RCIA.).  

Having Samantha for 3 days by myself was hard work (minus the fact that our mothers came over this week, she goes down at 6:30 and she's a really easy baby).

Could I be a little melodramatic? Possibly.  But I'll never admit it!

None the less, I am glad to have my husband back...even if he is headed out of town again in 3 weeks.  *sigh*

Sam Update

I know I haven't really written about Sam lately.  There just isn't much to say.  She's adorable as always.  Eager to move but hasn't figured it out yet.  Loving every child and baby that she can see or play with.  Speaks her mind really well without even speaking!  Has a temper like nobody's business.  Loves goofy noises and loves to repeat them.  Loves her Momma a little too much (If that's possible).  Is loved by more people than I can count on 2 hands.  Is my joy each and every day.  So glad I get to spend my days with her.

:)

Random

Random thoughts for today:


I was just looking at our family calendar on Google, and I am SOOO looking forward to February.  It just has Greg's daily work stuff and that's IT!  We are SOOO busy up until then with traveling and the like that it will be nice to have a quiet life again~  :)


I am totally looking forward to Sam and Ben getting older so we can go out and about and not have to worry about naps and bottles and carrying babies and such.  Ohhhh that will be the day!


One week until a few days of freedom!  YES!!!!!!!!!!


I just want to sit home and do nothing tonight.  But, alas, I have responsibilities!  :)


There are days that I regret not keeping in touch with some friends, or not mending broken friendships.  And then I remember why.  *sigh*


I would like to hire someone to clean my house.  I mean DEEP clean my house.  Do you want to do it?!  I can pay you in brownies!  :)


Thats all.  Randomness over!

Top 10 Tuesday

Its that time of the week again!!

In no particular order:

10.  Snow.  When will you get to St. Louis?!  I can't wait to introduce Sam to snow.  My guess is she won't like it!

9. The Holidays.  From Thanksgiving through New Years...I just LOVE this time of year!  Its a crazy busy time, but I can't complain!

8.  Allison.  She supplied the first of our very few Christmas presents under the tree.  They look BEAUTIFUL!  Can't wait to open them on Christmas day!

7.  Owen Louis Bartmess.  Cutest little boy I know.  I truly enjoyed taking care of him this past weekend so Mom and Dad could attempt to get back to normal!

6. My parents.  Without them, we wouldn't have been able to take care of Owen.  They went back to St. Louis with Sam and took WONDERFUL care of her while we were in Columbia.

5. My job.  Still so very thankful for it.  With a couple of days away from Samantha, I truly love the fact that I get to be home with her every day.

4.  Vacuuming.  I hate to do it, but once it is done, the house looks SOOO good!

3.  Finnegan.  He wears me out, but I love him.

2.  An empty bed.  Never thought I'd say this, but I look forward to tonight when I get the whole bed to myself (well, minus the fact that I will probably have to share with Finnegan for a while...).

1.  Christmas lights.  They always bring a smile to my face.  I LOVE them!  :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!!!

To My Daddy

I have to thank the internet for existing.  Without it, I don't think my parents would know what was going on in my life and everything that I was thinking at every waking moment.  Is this a good thing?  One would think to say, "no".  Who truly wants their parents to know everything about their life; especially since I am in my late 20's (Oh Dear GOD! I can't believe I just said that!), married, and have the cutest baby girl on the face of the Earth.  But the latter is EXACTLY why I am glad that my parents are so involved.  They are life savers.  They basically are our on call babysitters.  They want to know everything about Samantha.  They are amazing grandparents.  :)

With all of that said, Thank You Daddy for reading my blog and calling/emailing me when you have something to say about it.  Thank you also for keeping up with Facebook and commenting when you see appropriate.  Thanks for having the Berger clan over for dinner twice a month.  Thanks for loving me unconditional (Because we all KNOW that sometimes, that can be really hard to do!). And most of all, thanks for being YOU!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Top 10 Tuesday...

This is something I wanted to start this week, but with the babies being on different schedules yesterday, my need to run around the entire city and county of St. Louis in the evening and going to bed at 9, it just didn't happen!

I will attempt to do it every Tuesday, and its a list of my Top 10's for the week.  (Probably in no particular order, but just as they come to mind.)

So here it is, a day late:

10. Morning walks with Amy and Oliver.  Finnegan just loves it and it is a motivation for me to get my tushy out of bed and walk!

9. A clean house.  I don't think that's going to happen until after Christmas.  For some reason, the Christmas Tree seems to clutter our house this year.  Oh, that is probably all the baby stuff.  haha.

8. Burlington Coat Factory.  LIFE. SAVER.  Baby shoes for $6.99 that she will probably only wear once or twice (Christmas eve and Christmas!), and tights for $1.98.  WOO!

7. Big! Lots.  Granted, not always the best quality.  But, they had garland for the outside of our house for $5.  Can't beat that!

6. My husband.  It's been a rough few months for us, but we are making it through and he has picked up a Saturday job to make that happen.

5. Coffee.  Its always on my Top lists.  I can't help it.  I love it. Just black.  :)

4. Crackers.  Currently, its the one thing that I can hand to Samantha as I do whatever I need to do, and she is content.

3. Heat.  It would be SOOOO cold with out it.

2. Humidifiers.  It has worked WONDERS for Sam's cold.  Granted, she still has her cough, but she isn't waking up in the middle of the night anymore...

1. Friends.  A phone call to/from a friend can make my day SOO much better.  :)

There you have it.  In no particular order, my Top 10 Tuesday(Wednesday)

Lots of "Dears" today

Dear Children's Shoes,

You're too expensive.  My daughter will grow out of you by next month.  Please be cheaper.  Specifically, you.  I only want you for Christmas. Can I return you when we are through?

Love,
Katie

Dear Winter,

Welcome!  I thought I was looking forward to you.  I was wrong.  Please go away.  Unless you are going to bring buckets and buckets of snow.  Then you can stay.

Love,
Katie


Dear Ski Trip,

You can't come soon enough.

Love,
Katie

Dear Readers,

Thanks for putting up with my stupid posts.

Love,
Katie

Thoughtful Thursday

*Disclaimer: I haven't fully thought this blog through, so its just going to come out.  Enjoy, or don't.  Whatev!


I have been attending Catechism classes since September and they will continue until Easter Vigil where, if I decide that Catholicism is the right path for me, I will be Baptized (have yet to be) and Confirmed.  I have truly enjoyed these classes.  Peter and Paul are members of the church and are teaching the class.  (Don't worry, Dad, I've already made the joke about Peter, Paul and Mary.)  They are very knowledgeable men, the are strong Christians and know the Bible back and forth like no one I've ever known.  What I truly like about the class is that they encourage us to ask the questions that many do about Catholicism.  Crazy Catholic Questions, if you will!   (So if you ever have one, I shall ask it!)

Last night one of the girls asked "If God is a good God, then why does he give us free will?".  Great question! Paul had a very insightful answer.  To sum it up, he said that God does give us the choice.  Of COURSE He wants us to follow him and make the right choice, but when we put ourselves before Him, we are more than likely going to choose the path that seems to make it better for us.  When we truly put God in our hearts, and think about what He would want us to do, we are going to make the right choice because we are then Men (Women) after God's own heart.  One thing that Paul did say is that sometimes when we make the wrong choice it can later become beneficial and the right choice after all.  Its all in His plan.  Pretty awesome.

We also talked about the New Calendar Year.  So happy New Year as of November 30th.  :)  We are now in the month of Advent.  During this month I am challenging myself to remember the coming of Christ and prepare myself for his next coming.  Even during all the "hub bub" of Samantha's first Christmas (yay!) and the excitement of Family and Friends!  I truly want to remember what Christmas stands for.

What would have been...

I had this great post for today.  Rather thoughtful actually...What was going to be titled "Thoughtful Thursday".  But, alas, I'm too tired.  Up at 3:30 in the am with a sick baby has postponed this post.  So...until I can think straight!  :)

Happy December!!!

Wow!  I can't believe that its December already!  So much has happened in the past year and I am truly thankful for it all!  Especially our little bundle of joy!!!

Yesterday I went grocery shopping.  As much as I hate to plan out dinners and make a list, once I get into the store I am at ease.  Maybe its because its one of my only chances away from the babe.  I love her dearly, but Mommy needs some space!  Sometimes... :)

Aldi's is my favorite.  Growing up in West County, it wasn't really heard of to go there.  I think I went there when I would need lots of canned goods for fundraisers, but thats about it.  I never really appreciated it like I do now.  I swear, I bought a bulk of my grocery list there ( 6 dinners worth plus extras like Salmon, sweets for Greg, and breakfast and lunch stuff).  50 bucks.  Thats it!

I then ventured to Schnucks for alcohol (I should really go to Shop N Save) and the veggies Aldi's didn't have and a few other things and I spent $114.  WHAT?!  That was outrageous to me!  Granted now that Thanksgiving is over the GOOD alcohol sales have dwindled but still.  I was dumbfounded.

So here is my shout out to Aldi's.

You never disappoint.  Sure there are things I may never purchase from you, but I love you none the less.  Thanks for being cheap and for the most part, pretty good quality!!
(now if you would only sell the booze, my life would be complete!!!)

Oh!  I almost forgot.  Friday we went over to the Siegel household and I was bombarded with 3 ADORABLE children!  :)  I love that family.  Karen gave me TONS of clothes, some for now, and LOTS for later.  I also inherited ooodles of new toys!  :)  I don't see them enough, but when I do, I'm blessed with hand-me-downs. Something I am definitely thankful for!

Our Extended Weekend

This weekend was wonderful.  It was so nice to spend 4 days with both Sam and Greg.  I think Samantha truly enjoyed that much Daddy time as well.

Thursday was a busy busy day, as is every holiday now that we are married!  Okay, since we have been dating!  :)  Its so nice to have both families in town so that we don't have to travel for every holiday.  We slept in a little and then went over to my parents house to help cook and prepare for linner.  No, I didn't spell that incorrectly.  We went to my parents house for lunch, but let's be honest, Thanksgiving is a dinner meal, so we had linner.  :)  My parents bought a new kitchen table so Greg and my little sister's bf, Jake, put it together.  Its really pretty.  My parents kitchen is slowly but surely getting a HUGE makeover.  I can't wait for the next step, whatever that may be!
So anyway, Thanksgiving. Can I say that it is my FAVORITE holiday?  There is not a single food that I don't love.  :)  We had mashers, peas mushrooms and rosemary, turkey, canberries, a new sweet potato dish and of course, pumpkin and apple pie!  :)

After spending time with my family we headed over to Greg's parents house for the Flieschmann family dinner.  Lots of people and of course, as always, yummy yummy drinks!  Cosmos are my favorite there!  :)  We had the same dishes plus green bean casserole made by yours truly and minus the pea dish!  Greg's aunt also made a DELICIOUS chocolate chip pie.  Mmmm...
We also had our friends Justin and Katie join us for the second half of the day.  It was good to have friends with us for the holiday.  :)  Both of their families live out of town so we adopted them for the day.

Needless to say, we were all exhausted after the days end!  Sam never went down because, let's face it, with 4 young boys running around, there was NOT a chance that was going to happen!  That's okay though.  she was a trooper as always!

Friday we had eye doctor appts and then Sam and I ran errands and Greg went into Breadsmith.

Saturday we cleaned cleaned CLEANED!  Oh its so nice to have a clean house!  I pick up during the week, but the deep cleaning was SOOOO nice!  Then we watched Greg wash the cars and Amy came over to keep us company.

Sunday was our typical Sunday.  Nothing to report!  :)

Sure it may seem boring to some, but for us it was quality family time.  We did a whole lot of everything and a whole lot of NOTHING all at the same time!  :)  Good weekend.  Can't wait to repeat it in a few weeks!!!

Thankful

Today I am thankful for:

• My wonderful husband.  
• My adorably beautiful daughter.
• My obnoxiously amusing puppy.
• My job.
• My husband's job.
• Having family in town.
• My friends. Near and far.
• Our life.

God has blessed us with some pretty great things!  

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  

January

Yes, January.  That is the month I am looking forward too.  Why?  Because we get to see these people!

And THIS dog:

And we get to do THIS activity:

It will be my first time skiing, ever.  But, I am so excited to learn.  I can't wait to get away, enjoy the snow, our friends, and my hubby!  All the while being baby free!  A long weekend of just the two of us!  :)  The countdown begins:  LESS THAN 2 MONTHS!  :)

Geoffrey

Meet Geoffrey.  The giraffe.  The blanket.  The lifesaver.  Sam's buddy.  Sam's favorite.  Sam's comfort.

Weekend Update

We had a great weekend of family and friends!  :)

Friday night a group of us girls got together to discuss a way to enjoy a night away from babies, responsibilities and boys!  :)  Granted, there are many of "us" (myself not included!) that are pregnant and will have to bring the babies along.  I'm more than happy to go 'gaga' over someone else's baby while hanging out, but will be grateful to hand him/her back when they start to cry!!!  :)  It looks as though we are going to do a themed dinner night.  I'm all for food, so I'm totally game for that!

Saturday was Nancy's (MIL) birthday so Angela and I went horseback riding with her.  It was such a gorgeous day and we were able to ride around Pevely Farms.  So beautiful!!!  Greg was at Breadsmith figuring out what his role there will be on Saturdays and Samantha was at home with Uncle Carl.  Poor Carl.  She cried basically the entire time Greg was gone.  :(  She's a stubborn cookie, that Samantha Berger!


Saturday evening we went over to Grandpa Berger's house and had the Berger Family Thanksgiving.  It was our first taste of turkey, stuffing, mashed taters and PIE!!  Samantha had her first taste of turkey and LOVED it!!  We had a great time and Samantha was the entertainment for all!  :)  The poor baby didn't have a place to fall asleep once it was time for her to go to bed, so she stayed up 2 1/2 hours after her bedtime and did splendidly!  We are such lucky parents!

On Sunday we slept in a little bit and then we watched The Ugly Truth and had french toast for breakfast!  The recipe that we have is my favorite!  :)  Sunday evening we went over to Greg's parents house to celebrate Nancy's birthday with stuffed peppers and pineapple upside down cake.  Very delicious.  Before dinner, we went out to the barn, brought the horses in, had wine and sausage, cheese and crackers.  It was Samantha's first time meeting the horses, and currently, not her favorite.  But she did well!  :)  Pictures to come soon!

We are really excited to have a short work week and spend time with family on Thanksgiving.  :)

Predicament

Have you ever thought you knew someone, maybe not 100%, but pretty well, and you grew to like them and then all of a sudden their true colors came out and you realize you honestly and truly don't?!

Yup.  Me too.

Productive.

It is so easy to be lazy working at home all day.  With the babies sleeping, its much easier to sit down and play on the computer than clean, do laundry, eat (I didn't eat lunch until 1:45 because I just didn't feel like making it.), organize, whatever.

But today, today I was productive.  I cleaned the kitchen, the downstairs bathroom, swept, did the dishes, organized under the upstairs bathroom sink (TOTALLY overdue), brought up my sweaters from 2 years ago (silly pregnancy prevented them being worn last year!), picked up Sam's room and put non fitting clothes downstairs in storage.

I still need to dust, clean the upstairs bathroom, put clothes away, stuff diapers, vacuum (UGH!), and pick up the  living room.  There's always a to-do list!  :)

Maybe tomorrow before my uuber busy weekend!  :)

Easily pleased.

Things that make my morning:

Morning walk with the pup and babe.

Fruit and yogurt.

Coffee, black.

Two totally adorable babies!

Happy Hump Day!  :)

Puff Cereal

I decided to start Sam on puff bites today.  I bought banana flavored because she LOVES bananas.  The first time I gave it to her she was sitting in her Bumbo while I made Greg lunch.  I went ahead and just fed them to her.
Then, while feeding her real bananas, I thought I would try it again but let her do it.  I feel like sometimes she needs a challenge.  She has yet to move off her rump (besides the falling to the stomach when reaching for a toy), so I thought I would give the challenge with fine motor skills.  She did pretty well!  :)

Things that make me feel old...*

• Going to Target in my slippers when I specifically told myself to change out of them into real shoes after Ben left
• Having to pause for a moment to remember my age
• Not being able to remember a conversation that I had with my husband just 10 minutes ago

I know there are more.  I just can't think of them.  Shoot.  Add that to the list!

*Disclaimer:  I have yet to decide if these things are happening because of my current age (pause...26.), or if its because I am a Mom.

Owen Louis

My best friend, Amanda, was induced yesterday morning due to high blood pressure.  At 12:25 in the afternoon, her beautiful baby boy was born.  He was 7 lbs 10 oz.  I am not sure on how long he was, but he was born with a head full of hair.  :)

I am so excited for her.  I can only imagine how excited her husband, Justin, is.  He absolutely LOVES kids and is so good with them.

I can't wait to go to Columbia to meet this little man.

Welcome to the world, Owen Louis!  :)  You are VERY loved already!!!

Melt Down

Took Sam to the grocery store last night.  I thought it was going to be a quick in and out.  She was fed right before we went, and it was the first time I actually put her in the cart (easy entertainment).  She did AMAZING for 3/4 of the trip.  By the time I was in the dairy, she was whining and sorta screaming.  I had no toy that would entertain her and she was unhappy.  So, the ultimate question is, what's a mother to do.  I grabbed my phone, called the hubby and BEGGED him to come to the grocery instead of heading home.  He so graciously obliged.

The trick until he could get there was how to entertain Samantha until then.  Well, I am going to be honest.  Mom's are amazing beings.  Tasks that seem so ridiculous and actually difficult are just the opposite when in desperate situations.  I grabbed Samantha out of the seat, held her on my hip and pushed my fully loaded cart around the freezer section one handed.  I quickly learned last night that carts are designed to be pushed/steered with 2 hands.  Luckily for me, people kindly moved out of my way when I was swerving down the aisle.  Don't worry, I definitely said my 'excuse mes' and 'thank yous' plenty of times!  I even had a kind woman ask me if she could push my cart or hold Sam for me while I finished shopping.  I thanked her and told her my husband was on his way :)  I love when people offer random acts of kindness.  It's a refreshing reminder that the world hasn't gone completely out of whack.

Lo and behold, 20 minutes later my dear sweet husband rushed into the grocery store, saved me from my probably already developing carpal tunnel, and helped me pick out wines.

My knight in shining armor saved me from my grocery store night mare!  :)

What?!

What did I do while the kids took a 2 1/2 hour nap today?!

• Facebooked (duh)
• Blogged (bigger Duh)
• watched my G-mail account hoping for an email. Any email
• Wrote my own emails
• Talked on the phone

Did I clean?  Ha.

Did I do laundry? Bigger Ha.

I did, however, empty and refill the dishwasher.

Happy Monday!  :)

My child must concentrate on pooping so hard that it wakes her up from sleep.  Which is why she woke up at 4:45 this morning, and 5:30 the past 2 mornings.  Does anyone know how to change a child's poop schedule? :)

In reference to the previous post..

Obviously Sam does not understand what she is saying yet, it is just a lot of fun to hear her say new sounds.  Its about as exciting for us as Christmas morning would be for a 5 year old!

Its been said.

She did it.  She said "dada".  Okay it was in her crib and it was more like "dadadadadadadadaaaa", but it was said!  Samantha has been saying "maaaamaaa" for a while now.  She usually says it when she's sad, tired, hungry or all 3.  But with dada, its pure excitement. Go figure!  :)

Pebbles

Our little Pebbles

Sad Pebbles

Family photo

We didn't take Samantha trick or treating this year.  We spent all afternoon outside with our photographer and she only got an hours nap.  She was super crabby during all of these pictures, but I'm glad that we were able to snap some good ones!

After Grandma and Grandpa came over, we went to our friends' house for a little Halloween party.  Samantha stayed up for a little while to play with Ben and say hi to friends and then she passed out.

Overall, it was a great first Halloween for all of us!!!

hahah...SNORT!

Sam laughs like Mommy. There's nothing we can do about it now, but it is soo adorable!  :)   (I am pretty sure that mine isn't quite as adorable as hers...)

And here are some pictures to keep you happy!!

A picture Greg took last night

Foot Monster

haha. I love Samantha's face!

Someone likes acorn squash!

 Happy Halloween!!!

Besties

I miss them.  If I could have Allison and Amanda live in Saint Louis, my life would be complete!  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like either will live here.  Possibly never live here, and that makes me sad! :(

Mizzou-WOW!

My Grandpa, Uncle, Father, whomEVER always used the saying "back in my day...".  After going to Mizzou for the weekend, I can now officially say the same saying...

Back in my day when I attended Mizzou:

• You did not have to pay to park 
• There WERE free tailgating spots
• General admission tickets were $10, maybe $20 for Homecoming (now $69)
• The general admission sat on the hill.  There were no bleachers
• The student section did not have silly wristbands and you did not have to show your ID to get in, you already paid for the tickets...who cared!
• You used to be able to bring friends in easily.
• Televised games were basically once in a blue moon
• Mizzou was worth watching...

We did have a blast, however!  We tailgated before hand ($15 to park). We left before half time because, well, if anyone was watching, you KNOW it was not worth staying ($140 down the drain...).  We finished the night off at a house party on East Campus...wow did that bring back memories!!!  I would love to share what happened, but many may not believe that I ever left the college world. So I am going to leave it to your imagination.  :)

I do have to say that I am rather proud of myself.  I jumped right back into the whole partying before and after a game...maybe it was the atmosphere...

FOUND!

Everyone has heard that dryers eat socks, yes?!  Well, yesterday I was walking into the kitchen, past the washer and dryer, and saw a missing sock.  How long has it been missing you ask?  BEFORE Samantha was born!  It was one of her socks that I washed prior to her birth and it just NOW reappeared.  5+ months later.  Apparently it did not sit well with the dryer.  :)  At least I have the pair back...

Faceplant

While Samantha has mastered sitting up, she has also begun mastering face plants!  She is beginning to reach for things that are out of grasping range and after a few tries ends up falling flat on her face!  She doesn't seem to mind it and she is a good sport.  Sometimes she'll just stay on her stomach and play, and sometimes, if that toy is still out of reach she might fuss.  But she never acts as though she is hurt. I think most of her cries are frustration based.

In other news, Samantha is not really eating bottles.  She would rather eat her solids. I'm honestly considering putting a couple of scoops of formula in her food so that I know she is getting enough caloric intake in a day.

Other than that, there is nothing new to report.  She's a happy camper.  That tooth doesn't seem to be bothering her at the moment.  Either she is getting use to the pain, or its just not moving at the moment.  Either way, she's happy and therefore, I am happy!  :)

Caillou

How do you occupy a teething baby even when Mom's comfort doesn't work?

A little Caillou.  That's how!  She is currently kicking her feet and smiling and laughing as she watches...

Other "Tricks" I've tried:

• Tylenol
• Baby Orajel
• Mommy time
• Ben distraction (works for about 5 minutes)
• Time in her crib (she LOVES her space; just like her Momma)

I know there aren't many who follow this blog, but for those who do, any other ideas?!

Tooth Be Told...

I am not crazy.  Sam is not crabby for no reason.  Baby Orajel is a lifesaver...

Sam is cutting her first tooth.  I went digging in her mouth trying to find it; trying to find a little resolution to her insane behavior.  I'm at ease knowing that this truly is the cause.  Now, little tooth, please cut quickly!

4 pounds until I am at pre baby weight.  9 pounds until I am at my goal weight!  :)  I love Tuesdays!!!

Big Girl

Sam has no interest in being fed like a baby anymore.  I feel as though she is about 1 year ahead of herself in her mind.  She will take it that way when she is ravenous, but other than that, she MUST be sitting up.  What a silly baby.  Other than that silliness, nothing new on our end.  She has been a little crabby, and when not demanding being sat up to be fed, she is refusing the bottle, whining while awake, and actually cries herself to sleep.  :(  I feel so bad for her!!!  I'm not sure if its teething.  She does have other symptoms, such as chewing on EVERYTHING, drooling and the like.  But, it could be months before that little sucker pops through.  It is rather uneventful in the Berger household.  We like it that way!

Competitive

I am a very competitive person. Sometimes its a good thing, and sometimes not so much. My friend, Lizzy, came by today to hang with Sam and I and I was telling her a story. She asked if I was being competitive with Sam. Of course, not being able to lie about it, I admitted to it. I try so hard not to be. Its hard. I want her to be the best she can be, but my goodness, she's only 5 months old. I hide most of it inside of me. I am so proud of her. She is sitting up on her own now, and is getting better and better at controlling her hands. We are going to work on sippy cups so that she can get the idea, and she is right at, if not ahead of where she needs to be.

So, why am I competitive you ask?!

*I blame my mother. ;0) (because OBVIOUSLY its not my fault!)

*As a side note, I want everyone to know that I don't really blame my mother. There is a history between us that is such a learning experience and let's just say its a 'game' we play. :)

She is the best Mom a girl could ask for!!!

Oh, and the best GRANDMA a baby girl could ask for!

Disappointment

Cardinals=Loss

Blues=Loss

Tigers=Loss

What is a girl to do?! I was so stoked about all of the sports last night and was totally disappointed.

The only thing that got me excited last night...Bailey is leaving Grey's and going to Private Practice! WOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Avocados over sweet potatoes?! HUH?!

Babies are funny little beings. Take mine for example. She could jump in her jumperoo for hours. That is unless she is hungry or tired...

Update

Sweet Potatoes = About $1.00/lb

Time alloted to make sweet potatoes = 1 hour 15 minutes

Capturing your baby's first thoughts on sweet potatoes = priceless!

I have found that Sam doesn't like the texture of the sweet potatoes. Its not quite as liquidy as her favorite, the banana. I went ahead and mixed the two, and she didn't seem to notice!! :)

I just made avocado and apples. Later this evening I will be making peaches and peas. She is going to be set on food for quite some time!

This past weekend was an eventful one for us. Friday I went shopping with my Mom for my friend Amanda's baby shower. Who knew how expensive it could be to throw one of those! Phew!

Saturday we went to the First Annual Morgan Ford Street and Music Festival. It wasn't quite like I'd expected, and it wasn't that crowded, but I am thinking thats a good thing, at least for this year! We were able to see Steve Ewing (former lead singer of The Urge). He was pretty amazing. We ended up having a little BBQ and chimenia party afterwards. That was a good time. Greg probably will hate me for posting this but it was so funny! He was out by the barbecuer and said "Ah, this is the American dream..."

Sunday I had the baby shower and Greg and Sam had some bonding time. Then we went out to my parents for dinner.

Over all, a good weekend. Not ready for Monday, but honestly, who ever really is?!

Solid foods

Sam is eating her solids like a champ. It takes her about 2 spoonfuls to get the real taste, but when she does, she gobbles it up! She has had bananas and apples. At each spoonful she says "num num num mmm". Its pretty hilarious. She's pretty hilarious. And great. And sweet. And ADORABLE! :) I'm in love!

With solid foods brings a tinge of sadness for me too. This may be a little TMI for some, but today she had a REAL solid poop. WHAAAAAAT?! When did she get so big???

It makes me sad, and I usually say right then and there that I want another right now. And then I come to my senses. :)

Someday. In a couple of years!!!

Both Babies Are Down = Procrastination Time :)

♥ What are your middle names?
Bryant and Keith

♥How long have you been together?
Dated Almost 5 (EEK!) married almost 2

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We knew each other for 2 years before dating. We've known each other since High School.

♥ Who asked who out?
Well, our first "date" was at Steak 'N Shake. I don't think it was really either of us asking, it was a mutual meeting to catch up on each other's lives. By the end of the night we had figured out how we each felt for the other. Greg swears that I lunged myself to kiss him at the end of the night. I don't remember it quite that way. But, my husband is always right! ;0)

♥ Who made the first move?
See above comment. :)

♥ How old are each of you?
I'm 26 and he is 25. I'm a craddle robber! haha.

♥ Did you go to the same school?
Nope, I'm a Tiger and he is an Ass...oh I mean a Mule. (Mizzou and CMSU)

♥ Are you from the same home town?
Yup! Both from St. Louie!

♥ Who is the smartest?
Oh, man. Greg knows a lot of random crap...and he is actually business savvy, so I will say him :)

♥ Who majored in what?
Greg in Business management and marketing (double major; over achiever! ;0) ) and me in Human Development and Family Studies

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
me, for shizzle.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We don't really. We don't have the money.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Holden Beach, NC

♥ Who has the worst temper?
Me for sure. Although I seem to push those buttons for Greg. But, still me.

♥ How many children do you want?
Greg wants 3, I want 4. (I don't like odd numbers)

♥ Who does the cooking?
Me, unless its grilling.

♥ Who is more social?
Greg is a social butterfly. I enjoy group settings as well, but I don't start up conversations like he does.

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Well, I would say both and neither at the same time. I will be fine until the mess hits me one day and then I have to clean. Greg likes to reorganize as he "cleans", so its like a 2 day process for him. he always finds a project!

♥ Who is the most stubborn?
Me.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Me. Greg's alarm goes off probably for 45 minutes before he gets up.

♥ Where was your first date?
Besides Steak N Shake, Ricardo's and Beauty and the Beast at the Fox. My favorite disney movie! :)

♥ Who has the bigger family?
Immediate-Me. Extended- him for sure!

♥ Do you get flowers often?
Yup! And I LOOOOVE it! :)

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
We split the days up.

♥ Who is more jealous?
I don't feel like either of us really is.

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
2.2 seconds.

♥ Who eats more?
I can out eat Greg. I think its because he is a slow eater he actually feels himself getting full :)

♥ What do you do for a living?
Greg is in financial research and I am a SAHM.

♥ Who does/did the laundry?
Me. If I left it up to Greg it would stay in the dryer for EVER!

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Greg. But it doesn't bother me.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Greg. I hate to drive.

♥ What is "your" song?
The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice

Old Wives' Tale?

I have been done breastfeeding for about 3 weeks now and the weight is melting off a LOT faster now than it did while breastfeeding. Okay, maybe that isn't true. I did lose 30 pounds right away. But was that attributed to the breastfeeding or because thats just what happens after you have a baby?! The world may never now.

So, the question is, when you breastfeed, do you REALLY lose the weight faster? Or is that just an old wives tale??? Because I have to tell ya, if it is true, it didn't work for me!!!

Princess...

I think we might spoil Sam a little too much. We spoil her with clothes, toys and ridiculous things like taking up our bed...

And then sometimes she doesn't get what she wants...and she gets mad...

But we love her all the same. One thing that we do know: we can NEVER spoil her with attention. That is one thing she is not short-changed on! :)

4 Month Check Up

At 4 Months our baby girl:

• Is 14 pounds 4 ounces
• Is 25 1/2 inches long
• Can roll over
• Grabs and eats her toes
• Can hold her own bottle (when interested)
• Helps Mommy spoon feed
• Babbles like crazy
• Loves her giraffe blanket
• Giggles ALL of the time
• Blows raspberries
• Attempts to sit up while laying down (some day Sam, some day!)

There is more, I just can't think this early in the morning. One thing is for sure, Greg and I are definitely PROUD parents. It is so much fun to watch her grow everyday. We can't believe she is 4 months. We are not sure where that time went!!! But we do know we are crazy in love with her! :)

9-11

Its easy to forget this day. I do it on a daily basis. But, once a year, I am brought back to the reality. The reality of thousands of innocent people that were killed and thousands of people that were heroes.

How amazing is our country?!

Pretty gosh darn amazing.

I remember exactly where I was when my high school principal came over the PA to tell us what had happened. By the time she came on, we had heard through the grapevine that something had happened. I was in Doc Page's class (crazy man), and he was bound and determined that it was all a hoax and staged. He wouldn't let us go watch the news because he was pretty damn sure that it was all going to blow over. Ha. I wonder if he could take back those words, now that he knows the truth? What would he say now? He probably wouldn't. He is such a nut that he probably thinks its all STILL a hoax. Well, anyway, the rest of the day we watched the news in EVERY class. How extremely heartbreaking. It still brings tears to my eyes and chills to my body when I see footage from that day.

This day for me, is like the day President Kennedy was shot for my parents. A day I will never forget where I was and what I was doing. A day of disbelief. A day of horror. A day of grief.

My heart goes out to all of the families that were affected by this tragedy. God Bless you. May He bring you strength through this day of remembrance and may He make every day a little easier for you.

Baby Updates!

Did you know that by Spring of 2010, Samantha will be outnumbered?! There will be 3 BOYS hanging around this joint! Oh, MY! :)

Also, our friends, Melinda and Justin are expecting! WOO!

Babies, babies everywhere!!! :) :)

Perspective

Greg is always telling me that I need to keep our lives in perspective. There are many days when he drives me up the wall. I have to constantly ask him to do things, and after a while, I just don't want to ask anymore. He continually tells me that asking is what I need to do because he is a guy, and they just don't think like we (women) do.

Complaint: Sure, Greg is not perfect. He doesn't always do the dishes after I cook, he doesn't always change the baby, and sometimes he doesn't get all of my frustrations.

Perspective: He is supportive. He WILL do something if I ASK him to do so. He has always stayed by my side, in good and bad. And let me tell you, in these short 2 years together, there have been some bad times.

We went out with a couple of friends on Saturday night and it dawned on me that even with all of his flaws, Greg is, as humanly and as manly possible, perfect.

Complaint: It frustrates me that Greg is at a job that doesn't pay well and doesn't recognize his talents. On a daily basis, I ask him if he is looking for a job...

Perspective: (background) I joined this mommy forum and am amazed at what others can not afford. One woman wasn't willing to buy a baby gate for $20. She said that was more than she was willing to pay for her child's safety. Of course, she didn't say the last part, but it seems to be what she was implying.

So, sure, we aren't rolling in the dough, but we can afford the things that are nessecary. If we can't, we figure out a way to do so. We knew that having a baby meant that we would have to make sacrifices, but we are lucky that Greg has a steady, stable job so that we can afford what we need. And maybe, sometimes, a little of what we want.

I need to remember that life really isn't bad. I have a job (a pretty good one!!!), Greg has a job, and in a few short months, mine will be bringing in a steady increase. It will be hard, challenging and exhausting, but once again, Greg has stepped up and said that if we need to hire someone to help me out, we can. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs.........

Sometimes, I need to remember to look at my life in perspective.

boo.

Everytime I try to post something, I become unhappy with my writing. Maybe someday I will get back into the swing of things.

here is a list to sum up what is happening in the Berger Household:

• Naps (AGAIN! WOO!)
• Rice Cereal
• weekends
• baby updates!

Nap??!! "yes, please" "no, thank you"

Sam is refusing to nap. She is clingy. She is fussy. She is driving me bonkers!!!

Do I love her?! More than ever. :) We will figure it out. After talking to a few Moms, I have found out that this is completely normal. Its a phase that she should grow out of in a couple of weeks. I'm sure I will make it, but until then, I am with my daughter all day. No breaks. Its okay. She is well worth all of the exhaustion!!!

Just don't expect long, lengthy, in depth posts. (like I do that anway?!)

This weekend is Labor Day. We are celebrating it by doing nothing, nada, zip, zilch! I am one excited Mama! :)

Everyone enjoy your long weekend!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

10. Sweets, specifically brownies and ice cream

9. Dressing up for a night on the town

8. books

7. Naps

6. Coffee

5. Cosmopolitans

4. A good workout

3. Date nights

2. Friends

1. My Family

HELP!

I think its officially time I went on a diet. Anyone have a good one?! I have to figure out how many pounds to lose...I guess I should buy a scale, but I'm thinking about 15. Ugh.

Mothers Milk

I have been trying everything...EVERYTHING to get my milk supply up. I've had water until I'm peeing every 3 minutes, had a beer or two, ate like crazy, and I don't even know what else. You know, now that I think about it, I'm sure the problem is the calorie count. But do you know how hard it is to eat for 2 when the second is no longer in your body eating everything you've got?! Plus, it was SO easy to eat that much after Sam was born when others were at your house, cooking you lunch and dinner. Now, its up to me, and well, I hate to cook. I'll be honest. It BORES me. I find no gratification out of it other than it is food in the stomach. The truth comes out!

So anyway, I'm on to the next thing. I've honestly thought about giving up. I mean, I don't think it would be that hard to wean now; especially since I only pump about an ounce every time. But the thought actually saddens me, so I'm not ready yet. I've come to those terms. Now I'm determined again to make this work. So, Mother's Milk Plus it is. It tastes awful. No, I mean it. AWFUL! I have never had anything taste that bad. AND I have to take it 4 times a day. Ew. But, I gues I'll do anything for my little girl. :) It has the herb, Fenugreek which is supposed to increase milk supply. It also has other herbs and such in it to make these puppies produce milk like crazy. The woman at Cotton Babies said that I should start seeing results in a mere 48 hours. YAY! She also said that I would have to continue to use it (like, for months) to continue to see results. boo.

In other news...Sam rolled over for the first time on Tuesday!! :) I was playing with her and showing her the moves and she just did it on her own! :) Front to back like 4 times in a row! So proud of her :P

ugh

Last night, I was tossing and turning...all.night.long. Not fun. Why you ask? Welp, I have a UTI. So not fun and actually, so VERY painful. I have never had one before, but I can tell you now, I am NOT a big fan. They hurt and they are irritating. Up every 5 minutes to go to the bathroom just to be in pain and not successful at what you got up to to do in the first place. TMI? Oh, well. Deal. Luckily, I called my doc this morning and she prescribed me some druggies. Phew. :)

This weekend we are headed to Columbia, MO to visit our friends Amanda and Justin. Amanda is in her 3rd trimester. :) We are so excited to visit and have a good time. The WHOLE family is going. Finnegan and all! What a lucky pooch. Pictures will be posted when we return.

There really isn't much to update on. Ben is doing well. Sam is agreeing to the formula she is now on. Life is great. :)

Dr. Brown

We went over to Willie and Steph's yesterday for a burger/pie cookoff (so DELICIOUS!) and they have a baby scale. I went ahead and weighed Sam, and she is 12 pds 13 1/2 ounces! :) She is right on track.

On another note, Greg is CONVINCED that we need to start using Dr. Brown bottles. The formula that Sam WAS on gave her major gas. There have been a couple of times with the new formula that she has still had gas. (Although I'm pretty sure its more along the lines of didn't get all her burps out.) I mean, we have some downstairs, I just don't want to add MORE bottles to the bottle bin. So, does anyone out there have any recommendations. Greg also heard that if we switch to that, Samantha will be eating more. Has anyone had that experience? I just don't know what to do. I think she is pretty happy on this new formula (even though it hasn't been a full week yet, and it took the other formula 2 weeks to develop problems), so I don't know if all the changes are worth it. Could it be that I might be a little lazy?? Possibly, but I'm not convinced! :)

No good title...

WHAT?! I'm 3 months already?!

Oh, my! Well, I have survived my first week with Ben. Its been an experience. I have enjoyed it and not enjoyed it at the same time. You hear that you love your children unconditionally. This, my friends, is true. After a week with Ben, I value and appreciate Sam SOOO much more than I already did. And my love for her, WOW!!!Its not that being with Ben has been hard; more like an adjustment. We had some rough spots through the week, but we had a talk, and I think we are on the same page. (yes, I had a conversation with an 8 month old; and yes, I believe that he DID understand me.) He is such an adorable boy though! At 19 pounds he is a lot to carry around. He has, however, helped me to get back in shape. He does squats with me and sit ups. What a good boy! He is such an eater too! H

e is on vegetables, rice cereal and fruits. He prefers those over his botttles every time. I try to get him to drink at least 4 ounces though. I do really enjoy him!

Sam and Ben together are absolutely adorable. They get along splendidly! If they are upset, or even if just one of them is upset, I put them in the pack n play together or on the playmat together and they just stare and talk to each other. So cute! :) I think this is going to be a great experience!

Some of you may be curious of how Finnegan is taking the new baby in the house. He is so into Ben its unreal! Ben is already part of the family. They enjoy hanging out together and Ben laughs everytime Finnegan comes near! :) SOO happy this is the case!

I have also been on the prowl for a good St. Louis Mom's website where I can talk to Moms and possibly have play groups with others in my area. I have found www.StLouisMommies.com. I absolutely LOVE it! They have great forums with great discussions and you can join a forum that has people close to your area. I am still trying to get the hang of it, but I already truly enjoy it!

Shout Out

My old roommate from college, Laurel, is an impecable writer. She is an editor for Redbook and lives in New York. She is currently working on 2 blogs. My favorite is the first one. She writes it with her current roommate and long time friend, Lacey. I wanted to share these amazing blogs, because really, they keep me entertained and I wanted you all to enjoy and be entertained as well!

:)

http://boyfriend-free.tumblr.com/

http://midwesternerinmanhattan.tumblr.com/

Beach, Ben and Bottles

We are back from the beach and oh, what a trip it was! We left on a Friday to split up our 16 (well, 18) hour drive down. Sam did amazingly! We were so impressed and SO lucky! We arrived in Holden Beach, NC around 7 on Saturday evening and ate some burgers and relaxed! The next day, we took Sam to the beach. She loved the waves and really enjoyed the sensation of the sand underneath her feet. She splashed in the waves with her feet for a little while, and then got cranky. The wind was unbelievable and she didn't know how to handle it. After a while, it would get to her! She was rather loved by cousin Sean and enjoyed her playmat, bumbo chair, great grandpa and grandma Bryant, and the rest of the crew. Great Uncle Bob was a wiz at dancing her to sleep. :)

Greg and I got some beach time too! We truly enjoyed our time there and relaxed as much as possible! We went for runs and bike rides and just enjoyed our time together as a family.

The ride home we did in one day. Sam was so GREAT! 16 hours and only fussed the last 1/2 hour of the trip!!! We are so lucky to have such a wonderful baby. :)

I will post pictures eventually. We took over 500 pictures so it will take me a while to go through them. I promise to post this week though!

Today is my first day with Ben. What has happened since he has been here...for an hour?! He has introduced himself to Sam, Finnegan and slobbered on some toys. He is currently passed out in the pack n play, Sam is passed out in the swing and Finnegan is passed out in the dining room! What a morning! :) So far, so good.

Just last week, Sam has figured out how to grasp onto toys and bring them to her mouth to "chew" on. And just last night, she began to hold her own bottle!!! She has been grasping it for the past week, just like her toys, but last night was the first time I didn't have to hold on to the bottle to help her. What a smart girl! We will continue to encourage this so that soon she will be doing it on her own ALL the time! Hopefully this will be in the next few weeks!

She has also begun to sit up on her own, as long as she is propped up. Just this morning she was in her bouncer and held on to the sides and pulled up. Can you say smart girl?! I can just see her in a few months pulling up on things to stand up...oh boy!!! :) I'll enjoy what I have while I have it!