The Hardin's

Video message from Santa

2011-12-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Koen was thrilled to find out that Santa sent him a "bery pecial" (very special) video this year. He was very excited to be on the nice list and is sure that he'll get "wots and wots" of presents this year :) He was a bit confused about the picture of him at swimming lessons and wanted to know where Santa was hiding when he took the picture. After much deliberation he decided that he must have been on the diving board... If you want to watch the video - copy and paste the link below into a browser:

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/g7u_MAHk2Ji96w2iCUr72Aw

Fall/Winter 2011

2011-12-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

October: Koen was Mader for Halloween and Sage was an adorable little flower. Koen really got into the spirit of things this year and chased Cooper Willoughby all over the neighborhood in search of KitKats, M and M's and suckers. He doesn't really like any other candy so Kenn and I helped him finish off the rest :)

Sage began crawling this month (at 8 months) and got her first tooth! She's still not sleeping through the night thanks to constant fluid behind her eardrums or an ear infection :( Otherwise she's doing well and is happy to be on the move so she can (try to) keep up with Koen. She has been signing "more" for awhile but recently said her first word "bah, bah" (bye bye). Is it a bad sign that her first word is "bye bye"? ;)

November: We made our annual visit to the Festival of Trees with my mom, aunt, grandma, Cousin Molly, Jill and Luke. Koen was excited to see Santa but wouldn't you know it, he was taking a lunch break the whole time we were there! We tried to see Santa again at the mall later that week but he was gone to dinner. Koen's beginning to think all Santa does is eat! :) Koen also started a 6 week indoor soccer class which is a hoot! Koen's not very coordinated and he was a bit hesitant to join in at first but he ended up really enjoying it and we'll do it again in January.

Sage got her second tooth this month and within a week fell on the tile knocking it loose. It bled all over the place and we had to push it back into place but a dentist friend assured us that it happens all the time. It may turn grey and ruin her pretty looks till her permanent tooth comes in but it's apparently no big deal (phew!).

December: Koen had his first trip to the dentist and was cavity free! He loved the whole experience and keeps asking when we get to go back. He's also really excited for Christmas and asks every day when Santa is coming. He's full of questions about the logistics of Santa - is there enough room in the sleigh for all his toys, what do the flying reindeer eat, will Santa need to stop for a snack/nap before he makes it to our house, etc. His questions certainly keep us on our toes because he's got a great memory so I have to keep my story straight or he'll call me on it!

Sage finally had tubes put in and we're hoping for an improvement in her sleeping habits. Right now she goes down at 730, is up again at 230 and then again at 630 before waking for good at 8. As soon as she's fully healed from surgery we're going to work on phasing out the 230 waking. I'm not looking forward to it because I'm not great at letting her cry, but I'm worse at living without sleep so I'll be strong ;) Sage is now walking along furniture and will take a few steps if you're holding her hand. She's eating table food now and enjoys being a part of the family at meal times. She recently added the signs "all done" and "please" to her vocabulary and randomly says "mama" and "dada" but we're not sure if they're intentional or just babbling. Sage is very vocal and active and her feisty personality is still going strong. Her new thing is to yell, glare at you and then try to bite if she's upset! Her two little teeth don't hurt and the fierce look on her face is actually comical but I don't really want a biter. Hopefully it's just a phase....

Fall Fun

2011-10-15T14:54:00.001-07:00

Koen's really into tractors now so last weekend we took a trip to my aunt and uncle's farm to watch the potato harvest. He was too scared to ride in the harvester but he had a great time digging potatoes out of the field and picking some from the cellar to take home. Then we went to Linder Farms this morning to take a tractor ride to the "big punkin patch". It's been quite an exciting week for Koen!

Koen was scared to death of the big harvester and was only willing to sit in it for a second if Kenn held him. Maybe next year...

Searching for the biggest potatoes in the field

This little tractor was more up Koen's alley!
Doug helping Koen pick the perfect potatoes to take home

Too busy looking for pumpkins to look at the camera

Sage is trying hard to crawl and is dying to be able to move so she can get into all of Koen's stuff. I have a feeling we're going to have our hands full with her! She's much more assertive and active then Koen was at 8 months :)

Summer 2011

2011-09-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

This summer has been crazy! We sold out house in July, packed all our worldly goods into Storage Cubbies, and packed ourselves off to my dads while we house hunted. We finally found the perfect place for our little foursome in the Tuscany neighborhood in late August. We moved all our stuff in on a Friday and then I started back to work at school on Monday! It has been a busy few weeks but we're finally settled in and back to "normal".

If you are thinking - wait, didn't they just move? Yep, we sure did - two years ago exactly. We moved from "suburbia-land" (Kenn's words) to the charming North End. And the North End truly is very charming, but our tiny, aging house on a busy street was anything but. We initially thought we could put up with an older, smaller home and a very busy street for the ambiance and experiences of the North End but two kids, too much stuff and too many projects later we threw in the towel. So, we're back in the burbs but only a short car ride away from a visit the North End :)

At 7 months Sage is still a tiny thing but is very active and social. She's rolling everywhere and almost sitting independently. She loves to blow raspberries and stick her tongue out for a laugh. Koen just turned three - yikes, where has the time gone?! He is especially enjoying our new house because of his "very own big toy room" (aka bonus room) and the neighborhood pools.

Koen had his tonsils and adnoids taken out Friday due to sleep apnea and we've had a rough few days but he's on the mend now... Watching your kid hurt really hurts :( The upside is knowing that he'll sleep better without them and will have more energy! The downside is hearing that he may give up naps now that he'll be sleeping better at night - I sure do enjoy those 2 hours of quiet time with Sage ;)

Naptime fun with dad

Sage and cousin Luke (9 months)

Koen and Marnie Smith
Feeding the farm animals at the zoo

Sage loves to eat!

Jerri Woodworth, Lukas Watterson and Koen
Jerri Woodworth and the cousins Koen, Sage, Sean, Luke and Megan
Sweeping the bugs off Papa's patio

Swimming with Megan and Sean Woodworth

Christmas jammies in July

Father's Day Photo Shoot

2011-06-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

I tried to take a picture of the kids together for Kenn for Father's Day, but as you can see it wasn't exactly a successful photo shoot. Sage kept falling over and Koen couldn't time his smiles with her looking at the camera. Oh well, it may not be perfect but it's a realistic portrait of life in the Hardin home :)

Koen's first professional haircut

2011-06-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Kenn's been cutting Koen's hair at home and I've been taking snips at it when I see stragglers and between the two of us his hair was getting a little shaggy. Well, to be honest - Kenn's haircuts always start out good but then I destroy them by hacking away at pieces I deem to be unruly. So, I decided that if I had actually paid for a haircut I'd be less likely to mess it up by sniping bits and pieces off later. Koen looks a bit nervous in the pictures but he had a great time and did great! He was very motivated by the promise of a sucker if he sat still :)

Koen's first swimming lessons

2011-05-29T10:00:00.001-07:00

Koen just finished his first swimming lessons and he did great! He loved being in the inflatable pirate boats, playing with the noodles, going down the slide and playing with the watertoys. He did NOT like floating on his back and having to stop playing with toys to participate in structured activities. Oh well...you win some, you lose some :)

April 2011

2011-05-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

I returned to work part time the last two weeks of April and it was both easier and harder then I had thought. I enjoyed getting back to being "me" as an adult/SLP, not just a mom -- getting dressed up and putting on makeup everyday, having adult conversations, solving problems and helping kids... However, I didn't enjoy saying good-bye to Koen and Sage every morning and missing them during the day. Luckily, my in-laws watch my kids so I know they are surrounded by love and lots of attention all day. I don't worry about them being in a big daycare and they are lucky to have a bond with their grandparents that most kids don't. Having in-laws as care providers has been even more important these first few days away from Sage because she wouldn't take a bottle and it was stressful for all involved. Thankfully, she's starting to get the hang of it now and hopefully it'll make days more enjoyable for everyone!

Sage is 3 months now and is sleeping 5-6 hours, smiling and cooing more and starting to interact with her toys. She loves being in her bouncer watching the animals and waterfall move and is beginning to tolerate tummy time for longer periods. She hasn't lost any of her hair and it's beginning to show a copper/auburn tint. I'd love to have a little redhead as long as she doesn't have the temper that typically accompanies it :)

Koen's favorite things right now are construction vehicles and Sage. He is a wonderful big brother and likes to tell everyone, "I a good helper for mommy and grandma". We've been going to music and movement at the library while I was on maternity leave and will continue that in the summer because he really enjoys it. We're also going to start swimming lessons soon so we can be ready when Papa (my dad) opens his pool in June.

March 2011

2011-03-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

March has been a fun but exhausting month and I'm really enjoying being able to stay home on maternity leave. Learning how to be a mother to a newborn again has been surprisingly painless and Koen has been a great help. He hasn't shown any signs of jealously yet and I'm loving being able to spend more time with him. He's such a sweet, funny boy and is growing up way to quickly!

Sage is proving to be a bit more spirited than Koen was at this age. She has very particular preferences for how she likes to be held and is quick to let you know if you're doing it wrong! She was sleeping well at night (3-5 hours) until just recently when she got her first ear infection. She's pretty grumpy right now but we started antibiotics two days ago so hopefully she'll be better soon! Sage is cooing and smiling regularly now and especially enjoys being sang to ("You are my sunshine" is her favorite) and watching Koen act goofy for her benefit.

Koen enjoying his big brother presents (cars)
Nap time
Sage at seven weeks

Sage has arrived!

2011-02-11T10:51:00.001-08:00

She's finally here! Monday, Feb 7th at 12:33 Sage Marie Hardin was rudely yanked from her warm, cozy home via c-section and welcomed to her new home with us :) She's tiny at 6 lbs, 11.5 ounces and 18 1/2 inches and has a full head of light brown hair. She's healthy and has all her little bits and pieces in all the right places :) Koen is enjoying all the attention (and candy/presents) that have come to him as the "big brother" and likes to take his turn "holding" and kissing Sage. We're enjoying settling into our new family of four and look forward to watching her grow!

Holidays 2010

2011-01-02T14:55:00.001-08:00

Christmas tree cutting

Making Gingerbread trains with the Woodworth's

Christmas presents

Lukas William Watterson

2010-11-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

My sister Jill and her husband Joe welcomed Luke to the world on Wednesday around 10:40 pm. He is a little guy at 6 pounds 9 ounces and 20 1/2 inches and everyone is doing well!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

Halloween is so much more fun when you get to enjoy it through the eyes of a 2 year old :) We started the night off with a Halloween party at the Willoughby's and then trick or treated in their neighborhood. Thomas (aka Koen) really got into Halloween this year and ran around yelling "Hallo?! Tick Teat! Tanks guys!" and between houses he kept saying, "Mo candy!! Yeah!". Then we swung by Kenn's parents to say hi and finished up at my sister's house where my dad and his wife were visiting with baby Luke. It was a great night of friends and family and of course, lots of candy!

Welcome...

2010-10-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

We just found out that Feb 7th we'll be welcoming a baby girl to the Hardin household! Phew...I won't be outnumbered! ;)

Congratulations Adam and Abby Way!

2010-09-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

We just got back from celebrating the marriage of one of Kenn's best friends, Adam Way, to a great lady, Abby Dils, in San Diego. Kenn was the best man and many of his high school friends were able to make it so it was a ton of fun. We even managed to squeeze in some beach time, outlet mall shopping and of course, the BSU game.

Pacific City, OR

2010-08-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

We spent a week in August with Kenn's family on the coast and had a great time! We went berry picking, clamming, crabbing, flew kites, visited the aquarium, surfed, boogie boarded, hit the outlet malls, played in the sand and ate, ate, ate! Koen had fun trying to keep up with his cousins Emily and Ryker and even found a girlfriend on the trip. Our good friends, Sena and Dieu Dihn, came down from Portland for a few days with their little girl Aria and she and Koen experienced first love ;) We were lucky to enjoy good weather (for the coast...no rain) and Kenn's already suffering from fresh seafood withdrawls. Next year...

Whale slide at the Newport Aquarium with Emily and Ryker

Petting starfish

Watching sea otters

Kenn crabbing

Holding hands with Aria under her father's watchful eye

Picking marionberries

More berries made it in Koen's stomach than the bucket

Koen's 2nd birthday

2010-07-19T08:09:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Koen's 2nd birthday with a party in the park and lots of fun with family and friends. Thanks to everyone who braved the heat to come celebrate!

Relaxing at home with his favorite toy (remote controlled Thomas) after all the fun is over!

McCall in June

2010-06-27T14:18:00.001-07:00

I attended a literacy conference with my principal, Val Berg, in McCall earlier this month and our families came along as well to make it a mini-vacation. The weather was fantastic and the kids had a great time playing on the beach. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end but I'm looking forward to going back soon!

Rainy day

2010-06-04T17:08:00.001-07:00

Today was my first day of summer break and it rained all day :( I was initially bummed out because Koen and I had big plans to play outdoors then spend some time with the Murgoitio clan at the Greek food festival. Luckily, Shanon did some quick thinking and we ended up meeting Shannon, JD and Mara at Rafiki for an exciting/exhausting indoor play date followed my nap time and Thai food. Koen was thrilled to hang out with the his idol JD ("Day Dee") and he had a great time with the "choo choo" and "babies"!

Stylin

2010-06-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

We got Koen these "chick magnet" (accd to Kenn) sunglasses at Old Navy and he loves them! He's modeling them with the perfect accessory that's sure to draw in the ladies...a velour Puma sweat suit :)

Why I love being a mom...

2010-05-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

What a difference a year makes....last year Koen was only 9 months old and had no concept of Easter. He just sat on a blanket and looked cute while he gnawed and drooled on the eggs we tossed his way, but this year (at 21 months) he was finally ready to participate in all the Easter fun! We started the day out at my Grandma and Grandpa Coles's house in Parma and finished with dinner with Kenn's family in Boise. It was a long day (as our family holidays typically are with two families to visit), but we had a great time and are thankful to have such fantastic families so close.

Last year...

This year...

The Zoo!

2010-03-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

We bought our first ever family pass to the zoo today!! The zoo is so much more interesting than it was when I was young and I'm excited to not be working this summer (for the first time in forever) so Koen and I can spend a lot of time exploring the exhibits. The zoo is never boring and you never know what will happen! On his first visit to the zoo, Koen was a favorite of the lions (good thing there is safety glass) and today we ran into our friend Laura Bettis and her children, Clyde and Alice. They are zoo regulars and know everything there is to know so they were fantastic tour-guides.

Early 2010

2010-03-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

The first few months of 2010 have been very busy and we've taken advantage of the recent warmer weather by going to the parks and the zoo and taking lots of walks around the North End. Koen has also enjoyed naps in the sun, hanging out in the space between the den window and the storm windows, and eating a lot of black beans. He LOVES black beans!! Koen's also been experimenting with the nudist lifestyle but his mean parents aren't supporting this lifestyle choice until he's potty trained. We sure learned that the hard way! ;)

Camel's Back Park

2010-02-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

What better way to enjoy a beautiful February afternoon than a walk up Camel's Back?

Fun local blogs

2010-01-29T20:01:00.001-08:00

As Kenn will attest to, I spend way too much time perusing my favorite sites on the Internet; Pioneer Woman, Facebook, Hotmail, Craigslist, friends' blogs, etc... I'll admit that there are a million other things I could be doing (working out for example), but they are just not as tempting or amusing! And just on the off chance that you find yourself with some time to kill and a computer handy, I thought I'd pass on a few of my favorite local blogs for your viewing pleasure.

Treasured Valley - "In the morning you’ll find a round-up of links from various new outlets around the Valley, you’ll also find a host of links relating to Idaho politics in the morning. In the afternoon you can catch a round-up of links from area blogs and in the afternoon a collection of food & drink links from around the Valley." This site is my one stop shopping for local news and interesting info from locals.

Boise Style - "Boise Style is photographed and produced by Boise photographer Thomas Lea. It is about fashion style in Boise as defined by photos of people on the street. It is about the fashion of people who get up in the morning, look in their closets and put together something interesting and stylish." I love to see the interesting people/ensembles that pop up on the streets of Boise.

If you've got any suggestions of "must see" sites for me - please share...but don't tell Kenn ;)

The Compact

2010-01-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

My first step toward my attempts at change (see previous post) is to commit to The Compact for one year. There is one simple (or not so) rule of The Compact: buy nothing new for a year. The Compact is an idea that started with a group of people in San Francisco. The group has several stated aims:
1) To go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc.
2) To reduce clutter and waste in our homes
3) To simplify our lives

There are two main principles of The Compact:
1) Don't buy new products of any kind (with some exceptions like food, toiletries, and underwear!).
2) Borrow, barter or buy used

This new way of looking at purchasing will also help Kenn and I stay on track financially (with the help of Dave Ramsey). The bummer is...no more things from Costco that I don't really need but are such good deals that I can't say no! ;)

One Little Word

2009-12-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

I recently ran across a blog where the author encouraged everyone "to choose one word (or let it choose you) that has the potential to make an impact on your life" and let this word guide your choices throughout the year rather than make a bunch of resolutions you forget about in a few weeks. I loved this idea and my word for 2010 is change.

This year I'd like to make some major changes in a number of areas of my life (physically and mentally) and look forward to seeing what the new year will bring as I focus on change. What's your word going to be?

(To read the post that inspired this tanget click on the highlighted words in the first sentence)

Holiday Season 2009

2009-12-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

A wonderful and exhausting holiday season is once again over :( With all of our family and friends in town, the holiday engagements can become overwhelming but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We are very blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people and cherish every moment. We love having four work parties, cookie exchanges, and five Christmases!! Well I should probably clarify that and say that I enjoy all this holiday hoopla, Kenn may have a different view -- but he's not blogging, so too bad for him! ;) I also wanted to thank everyone again for the wonderful presents and fun holiday letters/cards. I know that many have opted to do an online Christmas card to be green and save money, but I'm just not ready to jump on that bandwagon yet. I love plastering my walls with my friends and family and hearing about everyone's year. Hopefully you all had a wonderful holiday season too and have a Happy (and safe) New Years!

Formal Family Pics

2009-12-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

We recently had Nikki Hoover take our yearly family pics and it was a great experience. Koen hadn't napped so he was a bit grumpy and he was distracted by all the planes flying overhead (as you can see by all the pics where he's pointing to the sky) but we ended up with some great pictures. A few of my favorites are below and for those of you that want to see all the pics you can sit through the slideshow ;)

BSU vs U of I Rivalry

2009-11-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again -- the BSU vs U of I football game rivalry! Poor Koen is going to end up with a split personality since Kenn insists that he wear Bronco gear and I insist on some Vandal attire. We compromised on a Bronco shirt and Vandal sweatshirt. Unfortunately for Kenn, that meant that when I took pictures of our darling on game day -- it's the Vandal colors that show! :) In the interest of being fair I also added a picture of Koen last September sporting the orange and blue. Wasn't he a cute little peanut?

Hardin Fall Family Pictures

2009-11-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

The Hardin family hasn't had a family picture in decades so we all went to the river and had an informal photo shoot. It was a hoot as the kids did their own thing and the adults tried frantically to work around them! The results aren't half bad for a bunch of amateurs...

October 09

2009-11-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

This month we enjoyed more visits to the park, playing in the leaves, BSU games (Kenn only of course as I am a VANDAL fan --- GO VANDALS) and Halloween. On Halloween Kenn went to the BSU game and Koen and I went to a party at my friend Laura's. Laura's son Cooper is 6 weeks older than Koen so they are a good pair. There were a ton of kids and fun games but most were for older kids so Koen entertained himself by crawling around stealing candy from everyone's abandoned bags! ;) To bad...so sad...You snooze...you lose!

And the biggest event of the month -- KOEN IS FINALLY WALKING!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

Kenn and I watched Sean and Megan Woodworth while Mike and Jerri went out to celebrate Jerri's birthday last night. Happy Birthday Jerri!! We ended up with a crazy pumpkin (Megan) and a happy vampire (Sean), some carefully squeezed pumpkin juice that only Kenn would try (Megan's project) and a LOT of pumpkin seeds (Sean's project). The pumpkin carving was followed by a leaf hunt for the biggest leaf in the NorthEnd and lots of giggles during Madegascar 2. It was a fun and eventful evening in the usually quiet Hardin household...

Sept 09

2009-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Koen has at last become brave enough to try to walk and will occasionally take a few hesitant steps. He finally discovered that being upright is much faster than crawling and loves to push around anything that moves...his walker, toy piano, the highchair, etc....to get to where he wants to go. He's very proud of himself and laughs the whole time -- it's great to watch :)

Growing more teeth (he's up to 7) has been a bit rough this go round and Koen's recently started grinding his teeth which is driving everyone CRAZY!!! Anyone have any advice on how to stop it??

Koen's favorite fall activity is walking down to the park to climb on the play equipment and eat the bark. I fell into the classic mom mistake and made a big deal out of saying "no" when he started eating bark and now it's a game. He loves it when he's told "no" and it just eggs him on - as you can see in the pics below....

August 09

2009-09-05T19:35:00.001-07:00

This month passed in a whirlwind! We've been incredibly busy since we moved into our house doing little things to make it "ours"...painting, ripping out walls and doors, installing closet organizers, putting up a fence, discovering hardwood under the kitchen linoleum, etc, etc. All very exhausting, but fun!

We've also found time to enjoy living in this wonderful location and have enjoyed long walks to explore the neighborhood, meeting the neighbors (and their dogs), visiting my sister Jill (who lives only a few blocks away) and taking advantage of the proximity to the Greenbelt and lots of parks! But my favorite part of it all is sitting on the front porch in the evening and watching Koen's face light up as he calls out to every car, bike, dog or squirrel that wanders by.

Koen is now crawling like a speed-demon and walking around furniture, but he has yet to take his first unassisted step. He's such a cautious little man :). He makes up for his lack of motor skills by being a chatterbox - he never stops talking (wonder who he got that from?). Right now his favorite things to do are to dance, play with very loud and obnoxious toys (thanks everyone for the birthday presents!) and chase the cats and dogs. He's got five teeth and puts them to good use as he eats all the time! He still doesn't like bananas, and olives aren't a favorite, but he'll eat everything else you put in front of him. And if he's not eating, he's begging food from anyone else who is eating. I don't know where it's all going though because he's still a little guy. He was in the 20th percentile for heighth/weight at his one year check up but he's got a big noggin (90th percentile).

I went back to work at the end of August with mixed emotions. I was excited to be back to doing what I love, but it meant giving up precious time with Koen after a summer of enjoying being home him. I am greatly reassured that Koen is in good hands with his grandmas and I count my blessings he's surrounded by love every day. Every day with him is a joy and it's going so fast...

July 09

2009-07-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

We had a busy but rewarding month! We finally found a house and are in the process of moving in. It's 2223 Ellis Boise, Idaho 83702 for anyone who wants to visit...

At the beginning of the month, our good friends the Dihn's visited from Portland and we had a bbq to celebrate. Things have sure changed since a few years ago when a friend bbq meant throwing hay-bales and consuming copious amounts of alcohol while playing games and telling stories of the good old days in high school. Now it's all about keeping babies happy and older children out of mischief while drinking a whole lot less alcohol...the story telling hasn't changed though!

Koen's third tooth finally broke through the upper gums so he's a snaggle tooth now. This month he's been very busy swimming, helping his Aunt Jill with her pedicures and rocking a mowhawk while his hair tries to figure out what it wants to do when it grows up....

Koen is 1!!

2009-07-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Koen turned 1 on July 3rd and we celebrated with a family party in the park. Thank you to everyone who came and made it a memorable experience!!

May and June 2009

2009-06-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been CRAZY!! We sold our house and packed everything into Storage Cubbies and then crammed ourselves into my mom's house while we househunt. We thought it'd be a quick process as it's supposed to be a "buyer's market", but no such luck. We've put in five offers and somethings gone wrong with all of them -- either we were outbid or the house turned out to have something wrong with it so we had to withdraw our bid. But we're still optimistic that the perfect house is out there waiting for us :) Keep your fingers crossed that a house comes along soon!

Koen's changed a ton in the last few months -- he's now crawling everywhere and pulling himself up on furniture. He loves to swim, go for walks, play in the dishwasher and wreak havoc by getting into everything he's not supposed to. We think he now says "dog" (but it sounds like "dot") and he signs "more" and "eat". His favorite song is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and his favorite toys are balls and blocks. Koen loves being in the water but hates being in the grass. He's a good eater and will eat almost anything but bananas...they are GROSS! Cheerios are his favorite food and he loves to share them with anyone who's willing to eat one from his grubby and slimy little hand. Koen is LOVING being at Nana's house where he is the prince of the castle! It's going to be a rude awakening when we move out and he won't have her attention 24/7!!

Milestones the last few months: first move, first time swimming, learning to crawl and pull up on furniture, first word approximation "dog", and learning to sign "eat".

April 09

2009-05-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

Koen turned 9 months old April 3rd and at his check-up he weighed 18 lbs, 6 ounces and was 27 1/4 inches long (20th %ile). While we were at the doctors office, Dr. Lee also discovered double ear infections which was a surprise to me because Koen hadn't been fussing or anything! The little monkey's got quite the pain tolerance. Now that he's on antibiotics and on the mend, he's sleeping about 9 hours a night and finally napping well during the day. Yipee -- it only took 9 months for him to start sleeping! :)

Hmm....what else happened this month? This month I left my little man for the first time when I traveled to CDA for 2 days for a work conference. I was afraid he'd cry all the time because he missed me and I'd be sad all the time missing him - but we both did fine! :) Koen's also cut his 3rd tooth and is signing "more". As an SLP, it's especially fun to see his first attempts at communication! Kenn's convinced that Koen says "Hi dad" when he gets him up in the morning, but he's the only one whose heard it so I'm thinking it might just be wishful thinking! :)

Firsts this month: first sign ("more") and first ear infections

March 2009

2009-03-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Spring break! I worked two days at the hospital, but the rest of the time was spent getting the house ready for sale and enjoying Mommy-n-Me time with Koen. I feel like I never get enough time just playing with him so it was wonderful to have a few days off work just to play! Kenn spent a lot of time this month doing projects around the house and the biggest was tiling the bathroom floors. It was a lot of work, but it looks wonderful. He's quite the handyman! While Kenn was working on the floors the bathroom was out of comission so Koen got to take baths in the kitchen. He was so adorable squished in the sink :)

What's Koen been up to? Well, he's very busy learning how to crawl and growing teeth. He's got two little nubs poking out of his bottom gums and loves sticking his tongue in and out of his mouth to scratch it on them. He looks like a little frog searching for flies! His new favorite activity is screetching at the top of his lungs and then smiling around to make sure no one missed his performance. He's also decided that the cats tail is a fascinating toy and lunges for it everytime she ventures nearby. Luckily, Fatty hasn't been too bothered the few times he's actually managed to grab hold - she just sniffs at him, pulls her tail out of his grubby hands and saunters away. It's fun to watch Koen interact with the animals - they are very tolerant of his drooly kisses and energetic pats. Who needs siblings when you've got four furry friends to entertain you?!

Firsts this month: First two lower teeth break through and first attempts at crawling

February 2009

2009-03-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Koen is sitting up without assistance now and starting to creep around on his tummy. It's pretty silly looking really - he digs his head into the carpet, sticks his butt in the air and then gives a big push with his legs to try and move. Hopefully this will not quickly lead to crawling as I'm not quite ready to babyproof the house and have to deal with the thought of chasing him around. Right now our system is working great - I put him down and he's still there when I come back! Guess that won't last forever...

This month Kenn did some big game surveys for Avimor in a helicopter and loved it. I've just been busy playing mom and working. We're also busy with all the little odd jobs that need to be done around the house before we put it on the market. Anyone wanna buy a house?! :)

January 2009

2009-02-07T10:38:00.000-08:00

This month, Koen had his 6 month check up and he was 15 lbs 8 oz and 26 inches long (less than the 25th percentile for both). He's doing well in PT (the flat spot's almost gone) and is beginning to sit up without support. No teeth yet, but he's drooling a lot and has intermittent bouts of grumpiness where he rubs his gums and whines -so I think teeth are on their way!

Other events this month: our trip to Chicago (see post below)was the biggest event this month. We also enjoyed a few birthday celebrations - first my Grandma Jerri turned 80 and we went to Brick 29 in Nampa to celebrate. I'm not usually a big breakfast eater, but, wow - what a feast! If you haven't been there yet, you should give it a try; it's well worth the drive to Nampa!!! We also celebrated our niece Emily's 7th birthday and Koen's favorite part of the party was the balloons. The month ended with Kenn's backcountry skiing trip in the Pioneer Mountains with his friend Jade.

Firsts this month: first plane ride, first trip back east, and first attempts at sitting up without support.

Tag

2009-01-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

I recently checked my friend Amy's blog and realized that I've been "tagged". Apparently, there is an epidemic of Blog-Tag going around in which bloggers are sharing a few things about themselves, and then tagging five or so other bloggers to be "it." So, here are some things you may not have known about me:

1. I (like Amy) research everything. I like to feel like the decisions I make are informed, so if I can, I research whatever I'm going to do/buy before the fact. This may drive some people crazy (especially those who are more spontaneous and like to throw caution to the wind - like my sweet husband), but what can I say, it's just who I am!

2. I love to get things on sale. Those who buy things full price may call me cheap but those other bargain hunters out there will call me financially savvy and smart :) I love the thrill of getting a great deal on something because it means that I've saved enough money to buy two things instead of just one!

3. I am addicted to reality TV. I know, I know..too much TV rots your brain..but I just can't help it! I'm addicted to watching others make fools of themselves on live tv. My favorites are the really horrible MTV shows in which people humiliate themselves to win the heart of some loser. Watching their train-wreck of a life both horrifies and amuses me - what are these people thinking? And what would their grandma say?

4. People seem to think I'm a great housekeeper just because the house is clean when I know guests are coming over. Little do they know that this is the only time it's clean... I am a horrible housekeeper and am just not really motivated to change. I do like things picked up, so there is usually not much clutter around, but I HATE to actually clean. I have managed to perfect the art of ignoring the dust on the tables and overlooking the scattering of pet hair on the floor. Oh, I wish we were rich enough to hire a cleaning lady...

5. I have decided to become more green/natural this year and I'm starting by making my own baby food. I decided to try this for a number of reasons: to save money, I can make sure I know what is going into Koen's food and I'm doing my small part to save the environment because there will be less glass/plastic baby food containers out there. It's been really fun and easy so far. Next I'm going to branch out into making my own green cleaning products. I've been told that it's really easy to do, affordable, and that they're very effective! I'll let you know how it goes...

Now, "Tag - You're it!" --
Val Berg http://patandvalberg.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Hilty-Jones http://hiltysprouts.blogspot.com/
Laura Bettis http://clydeharry.blogspot.com/
Deena Starkel http://starkels.blogspot.com/
Tammie Morin http://chaosmom4.blogspot.com/

Chicago

2009-01-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a 5-day trip to Highwood, Illinois (just outside of Chicago) visiting Kenn's mom's family. We stayed in Kathy's childhood home and were lucky enough to be visited by almost all of the Chicago Ronzani's. The weather was mild for winter in Chicago (20ish degrees, very little wind and no snow storms) so we were able to do some exploring. Kenn and I took the train into Chicago to visit Millenium Park and the Field Museum and met up with his cousin Dominic for dinner downtown. I even talked Kenn into a quick trip the the outlet mall :) Koen traveled like a champ on the plane and loved being spoiled rotten by all the aunties! It was a great vacation and hopefully it won't be another two years before we can go back...

December 08

2008-12-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone had a joyous Christmas season and is looking forward to a wonderful New Year!

Thank you to everyone who helped spoil Koen with presents this year. He was a very lucky little boy and got a ton of great toys and clothes. It was especially fun to enjoy Koen's facial expressions while the presents were being opened. He wasn't too impressed with what was inside, but the wrapping paper was fabulous!

Just after Christmas we had a chance to sneak away to Cascade with Jill and her boyfriend Joe for some skiing and snowshoeing at Tamarack. I wanted to make sure that Koen didn't get too cold snowshoeing so I put him in a LOT of clothes and, sure enough - mission accomplished - he wasn't cold at all. Instead he overheated and we had to strip him down as we went! Someday I'll figure this all out...

Now that the holidays are over, I'm left with a sense of relief and sadness. Relief that we can settle back into our normal routine and hopefully this will convince Koen to start sleeping again. The many events of the holidays have wreaked havoc with Koen's sleeping schedule and he's back to waking up every 3 1/2 hours at night. Sadness because the joy of picking out and giving gifts and the excitement of Christmas parties with families are over. Oh yeah, and we have to go back to work again :(

This month brought many memorable firsts for Koen - first Christmas tree, first snow, first Christmas, and first winter adventure (snowshoeing at Tamarack).

First formal pictures

2008-11-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

Like every other first time mom, I was excited to get Koen's first formal pictures taken because my baby is the cutest baby in the world - sorry everyone, but it's true! :) Everyone suggested Kiddie Kandids, but oh no, I couldn't imagine paying that much for pictures so I decided to try the more affordable Target. I guess that the old saying is true..."you get what you pay for!"

The day we went to Target they were short staffed, frantic and rushed which must have rubbed Koen the wrong way because he wouldn't really smile and overall, the experience wasn't great. It wasn't a total loss though -- we did get two or three good pictures out of the experience.

November 08

2008-11-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

The month started out with a bang when Kenn left for Florida for 5 days and I got to experience being a single parent. And wonder of all wonders -- I survived!! Actually the idea of it was much worse than the reality - my mom stayed two nights to help out, Koen slept well and we got lots of Mommy-Baby time!

On November 3rd, Koen turned 4 months and weighed in at 13 1/2 lbs and 24 1/2 inches. He's still a little guy (20%ile for weight and 50% percentile for height), but according to the PT and pediatrician he's very strong for his age. He loves tummy-time and is working hard on his rolling skills. No more leaving him on the bed or couch alone!

We introduced rice cereal this month with much anticipation of an exciting memory to be made, but it was pretty anti-climactic. Koen tasted it, made a horrible face, shook his head in disgust and spit it out. Oh well, our PT later told us that everyone starts cereal too early and that babies shouldn't be eating cereal till 6 months since their "systems" aren't ready for it till then. So, I guess we try again in two months!

Other events this month were a Coles family party for my Aunt Teresa's birthday, Thanksgiving, Festival of Trees and a Holiday Dinner with friends.

Firsts this month: first rice cereal, first professional photo shoot, first Thanksgiving, and first Festival of Trees.

October 08

2008-11-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this month, Koen decided that he wanted to spend more quality time with us so he started waking up every hour at night to make sure he got to see us a lot! We finally convinced him that well-rested parents are much better than grumpy, sleep deprived parents and now he's back to a normal baby sleeping schedule. Amen!!

Koen has started rolling from his stomach to his back and has also learned that he can stand with support. He loves to be held in a standing position and as soon as you lift him up he begins to bobble, smile and jabber! Another favorite activity is playing peek-a-boo and Kenn got the joy of hearing Koen's first laugh as they were playing peek-a-boo with a blanket.

Halloween night we dressed Koen up in his giraffe outfit, which only lasted about 2 minutes before he overheated and started screaming. We had to take him outside until he cooled down and calmed down. Our little man is one hot body! Once that crisis was solved, we took a million pictures (of course) and then Kenn and I left him with Papa and Susan while we had a date night. It's wonderful having family around that is willing to babysit so Kenn and I are able to get in couple time. As much as we love our little monster, sometimes we just need a few hours of adult discussion and some quiet time.

Firsts this month: rolling over, first vacation and visit to the beach (see Portland post below), first laugh, and first Halloween.

MyPersonality.info Badge

2008-10-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

My friend Jennifer recently shared the results of an online personality profile test she took and I thought it looked fun so I took it myself. In case you are curious, my results are below. Interestingly, it said a good career for me would be a Speech Pathologist! Kenn took it too and his results were almost exactly the opposite of mine -- I guess that it's true, opposites attract :) Try the test if you've got some time -- a little insight into the psyche never hurt anyone....

Portland

2008-10-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a 4-day weekend to Portland and the Oregon Coast to visit our friends, Dieu and Sena Dinh and their little girl, Aria Lane, who was born 2 days after Koen. It was our first big road trip with Koen and I was nervous about the long car ride - but he did wonderful!!

As is typical with the coast, it rained most of the trip, but luckily it cleared up just as we got to the beach. The coast is Kenn's favorite place to be and he was in heaven walking on the beach and looking at the ocean - I think he must have been a pirate in his other life. We also had a wonderful seafood feast at Sharks in Newport. It's a little hole in the wall but the owners are unique and enthusiastic and the food was fabulous (or so say the three seafood fanatics - I hate seafood and ate vegetarian pasta).

Our last night, Sena and I couldn't resist celebrating Halloween a little early and dressed the babies up in Aria's Halloween costumes. The guys thought it was mean to subject them to such torture, but they looked so cute we couldn't resist! :)

Although it was a lot of driving for a quick 4-day trip, it was well worth it and Koen traveled like a champ. It must have worn him out because he slept 5 1/2 hours last night - that's a first for him!! We should travel more often...

September 08

2008-09-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much Koen has grown! He's finally in 0-3 month clothes and weighs in at approximately 11 lbs. He's a little squirt - 25th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for heighth - but he's developing a big personality! He loves cooing with anyone who'll talk to him, is the most smiley in the morning, and loves looking at himself in the mirror. I am back to work full time and now Koen's spending two days each week with each grandma and Kenn has him on Friday.

At his 2 month checkup, his pediatrician was concerned about his tendency to always look to one side and sent us to a physical therapist to make sure that he's not going to develop a flat head or torticollis. The PT, Pat, decided that he's got a mild case of torticollis and recommended a few sessions of physical therapy to improve the range of motion in his neck and mouth. He's not a big fan of his exercises, so we keep telling him that it's better than a helmet, but I don't think he cares! :)

Firsts this month: first hike (to Blue Lake in Cascade), first cold, first physical therapy appointment.

August 08

2008-09-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Koen's staying awake longer during the day and enjoys watching his mobile, marveling over the toys on the rainforest bouncer and relaxing in the swing. He's still waking every 2-3 hours at night, but feedings only take 30 min (rather than 1 hour), so we're getting a little more sleep! We've also discovered that Koen's a great traveler and is easy to take out so we haven't felt the cabin fever many new parents complain of.

I had to return to work part time August 19th (when Koen was almost 7 weeks). It's wasn't easy to return to work, but it's a relief knowing that he's being cared for by family. He's watched one day by Grandma Kathy, another by Nana Mary and Kenn gets him on Fridays. He took quickly to the bottle so the transition was seamless. He now is bottle fed during the day and breastfeeds in the evening.

Firsts this month: First night sleeping in crib, first smile, first pool party, first bottle, and first trip to the lake.

July 08

2008-09-25T18:16:00.001-07:00

What a life! Koen eats every two hours - day or night. In between feedings, I rest to recover from the C-section and Kenn tries to catch up on sleep. Thank goodness for family coming over to feed us and clean the house! Koen is proving to be a wonderful baby and only cries when hungry. We've been told that we're lucky to have such a happy baby and we agree!

A busy summer

2008-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

This summer passed in a blur after we welcomed Koen Anthony Hardin on July 3rd at 10:38 pm. Koen weighed in at 6 lbs, 5 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long. He was born two weeks early via emergency C-section because the doctor didn't like how his heartbeat was responding to Jaime's Braxton-Hicks contractions. Overall, it was an amazing experience and we're thrilled to finally meet the little man!