The Nikkel Family

the joys of being the younger brother...

2011-06-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

arianna makes neal place dress up regularly.

Max and Great Grandma

2011-04-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

i took max to meet my grandma this past weekend. she's 96 years old. it's such a blessing to me that she's been able to meet all my children. such joy.

Easter

2011-04-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

neal didn't want his pictures taken. other than that, we had a very blessed Easter.

meet Max

2011-04-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Max Steven Nikkel born March 31, 2011. 6 pounds 11 ounces and 19 inches long.

He is perfect in every way and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. All are adjusting well.

pictures

2011-03-30T19:56:00.001-07:00

enjoying the playroom at the hospital

taking a rest....

watching a movie. soemthing we did A LOT of

he LOVED the train set. it was kind of hard for him since his IV was in his right hand, but it didn't seem to stop him

he is crying in this picture because he was frustrated that the trains wouldn't stay together. that's when we knew he was starting to feel better

once again, thanks for all the prayers. we are all doing MUCH better!!!!

miracle

2011-03-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

This could be a bit random and mis-matched, but I promise, I’ll try to have it make sense.
This last week was one of the longest of my life. It started normally and I was doing fine. Until Wednesday. On Tuesday, I had an ultra sound to measure the size of this 3rd baby. Totally normal procedure for someone with gestational diabetes. On Wednesday at about 2:30, I finally checked my cell phone and saw that I had missed 4 phone calls…all from my doctor. When I called back she said that there was some abnormalities with the baby’s heart and I needed to see a specialist. The next day. The same day that Neal was schedule for surgery. In fact, the two appointments were at the same time. I asked my doctor if there was any way to move it and she said no, you can’t miss this appointment. There was a sense of urgency. I went into panic mode. I was terrified. I was terrified for my son – about to have surgery without his mommy there. I was terrified for my unborn child. The ‘what ifs’ terrifying.
That night, I went on facebook and sent messages to my friends. Pleading for prayers. Begging.
I tried to sleep on Wednesday night but it was fleeting. It was hopeless. Instead, I went downstairs and took out my Bible. I prayed, I begged, I pleaded. I sobbed the tears only a mother could cry. My heart was in a million pieces. My brain was running with all the possibilities…the darkest of possibilities. I was literally in my knees in prayer.
The next morning at 5am before we loaded Neal into the car, Jason and I prayed. As we loaded Neal into the car I felt a sense of peace. An indescribable peace. A peace that can only come from God.
Neal handled the morning well. He charmed the nurses and doctors…as I knew he would do. My parents came and sat with us as I watched the clock. As each minute passed, I knew I was one minute closer to having to cross the street to the fetal heart specialist (her office is across the street from the hospital). I had to leave before Neal was taken away…it was the hardest thing I could ever do. I made Jason stay with him. I didn’t want Neal to be scared. I didn’t want him to feel left.
I walked into the fetal heart office and once again, peace. I walked back to the room to get the ultra sound done and there was peace. Calm.
After about 15 minutes, Jason came racing in. Neal was in surgery and he was now with me. My parents were in the waiting room…just in case.
Our ultra sound lasted about 35 minutes. They took picture after picture of our sweet baby’s heart. We could hear it beating. Such a sweet sound. Still, peace.
A few minutes after the ultra sound tech was done, the heart doctor walked in the room. She looked at us and said the most amazing words, ‘looks good’. When Jason pressed her and asked why the heart looked so enlarged on Tuesday’s ultra sound why was it so different today? The doctor responded…’I’m not sure’.
I know why. It was a miracle. The heart was enlarged on Tuesday. I begged with God, pleaded with Him. There were people storming the gates of Heaven for us. There were so many people praying for us.
God performed a miracle. Why He picked us to heal our child, I don’t know. What I do know is I am forever grateful. I am humbled. I am blessed.
Thank you to all the people who prayed for us.

special persons..

2011-02-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

arianna is special persons at preschool this week. these are the pictures she picked to share with her class.

these have all been posted before, i just wanted to remember what pictures she picked. she is so excited. i'll be sure to post how it went. she's most excited because she gets to be first in line at school. so funny.

random

2011-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

i saw this on a different blog and thought it was fun. i really want to be a better 'blogger' this year. here's hoping...

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
I don’t think anything…that leads me to believe that I live a very safe, sheltered life. I should branch out in 2011…

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't set any, because I knew I wouldn't keep them. However, I always say this is the year I will become more organized and keep my house clean and cook for my family at least 5 nights a week and lose weight. None of those things really ever happen.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No…but I’m pregnant. Again.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My uncle.

5. What countries did you visit?
None

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
More patience. More time. More empathy.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 20 – positive pregnancy test. Nov. 21 – day my dad told me he had cancer. December 27 – Arianna turned 4..when did she get so old? December 30 – my baby turned 2.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know. Making it through another year with my sanity in tack?!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I wanted to spend more personal time with God. I didn’t do that.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
not anything major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
a TV for my bedroom. Don’t tell my husband.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
a family from the school district I teach in. They came to our school on Veterans Day to talk about the son they lost in Iraq. What that sacrifice meant and what it means to honor a veteran. Beyond moving.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mean people. People who are ignorant.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Monthly bills and shopping.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
positive pregnancy test

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
I have no idea. Probably something from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat since it was the show I directed this fall.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier, fatter (due to pregnancy…I’m blaming it all on the baby), richer (at least less in debt)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Exercise

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasted time

20. How did you spend Christmas?
with family, eating…a lot

21. Did you fall in love with 2010?
only more in love with the people around me

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Probably Greys Anatomy or Private Practice or Glee

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don't hate anyone. There are plenty of people who annoy me – like people who go under the speed limit in the left lane – but those people will always annoy me. I guess no one annoyed more in 2010 than what they normally do.

24. What was the best book you read?
Same Kind of Different As Me

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Glee

26. What did you want and get?
A nook

27. What did you want and not get?
I don’t really know. A new camera lens?

28. What was your favorite film of 2010?
This is really embarrassing to admit, but I don’t think I saw any films in 2010 that were worth remembering…

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31. I have no idea what I did, but I know I worked.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Less stress and less worry.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?
Leggings and tunics

32. What kept you sane?
My family (most of the time, sometimes they were what made me insane though) otherwise my good girlfriends

33. Who did you miss?
my girlfriends. I don’t see them often enough

34. Who was the best new person you met?
I don’t know. Probably people from my church.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Your house will always be dirty, your children won’t always be little.

The Month of December

2010-12-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

we've been really busy over the last few months. with musical and basketball it seems as though we're never home. everyone is doing really well. the kids are doing great and growing like crazy. we are really looking forward to the Christmas holiday!

The Month of October...

2010-12-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

sorry it's been so long. we've been busy :)

family pictures

2010-10-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

here are just a few of the pictures we had taken last weekend.

first day of school

2010-09-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Arianna started preschool this fall. She LOVES going. It helps a lot that one of her favorite buddies next door is also in her class. I love that she is learning social skills and some educational stuff too :)

sorry I've been so slacking in blogging lately. Things are crazy with school starting. And for those of you who didn't know, I'm pregnant with our 3rd, due in April. SO, I've been tired and sick. I promise, as soon as I start feeling better blogging will resume in full force.

daddy's biggest buddy...

2010-08-26T11:37:00.001-07:00

this boy adores his daddy. he loves being with him and especially loves riding the lawn mower with his daddy. this melts my heart...

hair cuts...

2010-08-04T04:47:00.001-07:00

neal wasn't sure about this whole hair cutting thing. he sat really well for about 5 minutes and then starting screaming, 'down!' i guess for an 19 month old, that's pretty normal. and, as you can see..i wasn't above bribery. a sucker goes a long ways...

this one is the finished product (above)

arianna on the other hand sat as still as i've ever seen her. she loved all the attention and though the gown looked a bit like a princess dress. hey, whatever it takes.

little bit of random...

2010-07-25T20:00:00.001-07:00

these pictures were taken before the 'fall of 2010'. Arianna's face is doing much better. i'm keeping lots of neosporin on in to make sure it doesn't scar but keeping her from picking at it seems to be a full time job.

things are going well for us this summer. i'm loving being home with the kids and we take adventures daily. we love going to parks, splash pads, the beach and our own backyard. we are having a blast.

on a random side note...i can't get blogger to let me change colors for some of the stuff on the blog. so, until that happens it's going to be funny looking.

hello cement...meet face

2010-07-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

this is what happens when you chase boys while wearing flip-flops.

splash park

2010-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

SCORE!

2010-07-14T14:20:00.001-07:00

makes daddy proud...

why my tupperware drawer is so unorganinzed...

2010-07-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

neal does this almost every day. he loves it. i really don't even have to buy him toys, just tupperware. i've given up trying to re-organize the drawer (which, for those of you who know me well know how difficult that is for me!) every day, he fully empties out my drawer. good thing he's cute.

a day at the beach

2010-07-09T05:41:00.001-07:00

sorry no major pictures of arianna. it was so windy and her hair...well, let's just say it was out of control. there is not one picture i have of her where she isn't pushing her hair out of her eyes or it's just a face of hair. next time.

let us never forget....

2010-06-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

with the 4th of july approaching i have been thinking a lot of what price our Independence came. i would like to take this time to thank the many men and women who have fought for our freedom. the men and women who risk it all so that i can have a bbq on july 4 and set off sparklers with my children. the men and women who give up time with their families so i can enjoy time with mine. the words thank you are not enough but it's all i have to offer

summer pictures

2010-06-17T11:46:00.001-07:00

trying to get pictures of 2 crazy kids...almost lost my mind. here are a few of my favorites

safety girl

2010-06-17T05:03:00.001-07:00

arianna insisted in wearing her lifejacket while running through the sprinklers in our backyard. better safe than sorry...

fun with photoshop...

2010-06-16T18:39:00.001-07:00

who doesn't love a picnic...

2010-06-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

enjoying summer...

2010-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

sneak peak....

2010-04-24T18:57:00.001-07:00

we had a blast and wish i could go back. there are only 295 more to edit...

spring break

2010-04-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

this will just be a written update as i have not had time to upload and edit the 300 pictures i took over spring break week (no, that is not an exaggeration, i took about 300 pictures).
overall, we had a blast. here is a quick list of our vacation memories:

Florida was beautiful and the weather was perfect. there was not an ounce of rain or clouds.
both arianna and neal loved swimming and being outside. i found that neal, like his mother, has an aversion to shoes and much prefers going barefoot.
we got to meet mickey mouse at a character breakfast. neal was terrified of the giant creatures and arianna thought they were wonderful.
arianna thought she was in a rocket ship the entire time we flew and kept shouting, 'blast off' and waving her arms in the air. neal on the other hand, didn't enjoy flying as much. he kept shouting, 'down! down!' and was really ticked off at me for not letting him down.
arianna got to pick one thing from the disney store. she picked out a princess pouch full or markers and crayons and a minnie mouse purse. neal grabbed the biggest goofy that he could find and walked around saying 'goo-goo'
neal took a massive header while running away from me in a crowded area and managed to scrap a chunk of skin off his forehead and nose.
we took the kids to eat at the t-rex restaurant for a treat and arainna screamed, 'i wanna get out of here!' the entire time. i guess huge disney characters are not as scary as moving dinosaurs. neal however, loved them.
neal probably put on 100 miles in the stroller as he loved to go for walks. he learned that if he pushed the stroller to 'papa' (my dad) he would for sure get a walk because my dad is a total sucker for his grandkids
arianna got ice cream on three different occasions from papa. she too learned quickly that by saying 'strawberry ice cream is my favorite' that it would result in her getting said strawberry ice cream

we had a blast and are so thankful that we were able to go and spend this time with our kids. it made me very excited for summer vacation and spending every day with my babies. i promise, pictures are coming.

all aboard...

2010-03-31T19:13:00.001-07:00

I helped direct "School House Rocks LIVE!" at my school and these hats are from 'Conjunction Junction' The kids love playing with them and I think they look pretty cute as my little conductors...

fun times with daddy

2010-03-01T18:38:00.001-08:00

fishing. both kids love playing this game. it's so fun watching their eyes light up when they 'catch one!'

we had some major snow a few days ago. arianna decided she needed to help daddy clear the driveway. She loves being with her daddy.

what to do when it's too cold to go outside...

2010-02-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

bring the snow inside...

this is one of the many reasons we LOVE Miss Anna. She rocks our world.

the life of neal...

2010-02-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

neal -- this is how he usually is...happy and smiling. such a sweet boy.

until...there's something that he wants

then, he pouts and cries....and gives THIS look, the one that says, 'can you really resist this super cute face?'
'ahhh, thank you. this is just what I needed'

best friends...

2010-02-03T15:54:00.001-08:00

ariannaisms

2010-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Arianna has been saying the funniest stuff lately and I felt that I should get it down. She is really developing a personality of her own. She is very determined, kind of bossy, dramatic but on the other hand she is loving, sweet, kind, polite, and girly. She cracks me up daily and I am so blessed to be able to call her my daughter. Here is what she's been saying lately:

The other night she asked me to call her Belle. When I asked her why she said 'well because mommy, I'm Belle. From Beauty and the Beast...didn't you know that?'
As I was tucking her into bed I kissed her cheek and she said 'ah shucks, that was nice'
Every time I enter a room she says, 'hello gorgeous' she does wonders for my self-esteem
If I'm wearing a dress she tells me I look like a princess
Jason ordered a new Iowa t-shirt and she looked at it and said, 'wow daddy that is some shirt. Go Hawks!'
We went to Jason's game the other night. After the game the pep band played some tunes and she was dancing away. The next morning Jason asked her if she had fun at his basketball game. She look right at him and said, 'daddy, I didn't go to a basketball game. I went to hear the band!' A girl after my own heart
Last night I was drinking pop. She asked me for a sip. I told her that she didn't like pop. She begged and begged assuring me she did like pop. So, I told her she could have a very little sip. After the sip she looked at me and said, 'hm...you were right. I don't like pop. It's fuzzy in my mouth'

ahh, out of the mouths of babes. She continually makes me laugh.

fun in the snow

2010-01-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

having our cake...

2010-01-11T17:47:00.001-08:00

this past weekend we celebrated the kids birthdays with my family. We waited until after the holidays because otherwise it's just too hectic. We did a breakfast (with cake) and had all the kids wear their PJ's (adults were welcome to as well!). It was so much fun. I think the best part was the cake...

Arianna enjoying some cake with my mom

The kids eating breakfast-- aren't they all cute in their PJ's?! Neal was a bit unsure to being with...

then...he realized that this was some gooooooood stuffand he loved every bite
completely...

Happy Birthday Little Dude...

2009-12-31T18:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy

(actually, his birthday is December 30, I'm a day late)

One year ago, you came into our lives and changed our family. You melted my heart from the moment that I laid eyes on you. By FAR the most handsome boy ever. You are so sweet and affectionate. We love you buddy!

Right now: You are walking very well (you started walking around 9 months), you love only table foods, are very attached to your paci, you love balls, you smile all the time and have a very infectious giggle, and you love your milk
Your favorites: mac-n-cheese, hotdogs, milk, balls, chasing your sister, your blue doggie and blanket, your paci, and your mommy (HUGE mommy's boy, but that's okay!)

we love you sweet boy. I cannot wait to see what your future holds!

Happy Birthday

2009-12-27T06:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl.

3 years ago you came into our lives and changed it forever. You are so sweet and bring joy to my life, daily.

Right now: you are totally potty trained (and have been for about 4 months), are a very picky eater, love playing pretend, pick out your own clothes in the morning, love animals, adore singing and dancing, are not afraid of being in front of crowds...in fact, you enjoy it, can count to 20, able to sing you ABC's, hate showers but love bathtime, can be so sweet and yet so not-sweet to your baby brother, and love being outside.
Your favorites are: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jesus Loves Me, spiral mac-n-cheese, Beauty and the Beast, fishing, playing in the sand, sledding, green peppers, Dora, Little Einsteins, and chocolate milk

photos that did not make the Christmas card...

2009-12-07T18:40:00.000-08:00

enough said.

Beauty and the Beast

2009-12-04T04:47:00.001-08:00

Our performances this year were Nov. 18-21. We sold out every show. It was amazing. The kids were beyond talented and it was a dream come true to direct this show. Here are a few of the shots from our dress rehearsal:

Gaston getting the Beast

The Mob Song
Lefou being chased by the enchanted objects

Belle and Maurice

Cogsworth

Beauty and the Beast

Lumiere, Beast and Cogsworth waiting for Belle

D'Arque plotting to take Maurice away

Beauty and the Beast

Mrs. Potts backstage reviewing her lines

If I Can't Love Her

Belle

Every night we had Arianna come on stage with us, dressed as Belle, to show the audience how to use the enchanted roses we sold. It was so much fun having her on stage with us. She LOVED the spotlight and never wanted to leave the stage...maybe a bit of her mother in her!

if you want to see more photos: justalexphotogrpahy.com and click on BB2009. They are amazing.

someday...

2009-12-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

someday i will post again. when my computer gets fixed and i can get all 200 pictures off my camera. i won't post all of those pictures, that would be crazy, but someday..i'll post again.

a nice dressed man...

2009-11-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

seriously, could eat him with a spoon. so darn cute.

I know...two posts in one day?! crazy.

Breakfast with Belle

2009-11-15T17:42:00.001-08:00

This year, the musical cast did "Breakfast with Belle" which was a chance for all the little kids to come and meet the characters, eat breakfast, sing some songs and get autographs. It was so much fun. Although it really doesn't look like it, Arianna had a blast. She LOVES Beauty and the Beast and loved seeing everyone...except the Beast. Wasn't a fan of the beast.

Arianna and Lumiere

Arianna and Cogsworth
Arianna, Gaston, Lefou and the Silly Girls

Arianna and Belle -- her favorite!!

This is before we went...all dressed up. She loves being a princess

great hayride of october...

2009-11-03T17:57:00.000-08:00

our neighbor have a tractor trailer that they filled with hay this past weekend. they then took the trailer in the field behind our house. the kids loved it and had so much fun. these are the pictures that our neighbor, Alex, took. he's amazing with a camera!

maybe not the best idea to take the trailer out in the field after 7 days of straight rain...

Arianna had a blast!

fall happenings...

2009-10-30T18:04:00.001-07:00

I've been insane busy lately with teaching and musical so the blog has taken a back seat! So, today I decided to take a 'mental health' day and enjoy my kids! I had an impromptu photo shoot...

Arianna in her boo-tiful shirt

Neal in his glow-in-the-dark skull shirt

such a cute boy

I also had Arianna dressed as Belle today. She let me curl her hair. She kept saying it was beautiful and she was a princess

Her is her dress. She LOVES wearing it. While wearing it, she usually has to dance around the room, singing a song from 'Beauty and the Beast.' Too funny!

One of the nice fall afternoons the kids were playing on the deck together

a prince and a princess...

2009-10-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

what a stud...our little diva...

a true princess. she won't ever look at the camera so this is all I could get, but she LOVES dressing up as a princess -- with wings.

Arianna LOVES her bunny coat. She cracks me up!

Blessed...

2009-10-08T18:01:00.001-07:00

I am no professional photographer, but I love taking pictures of my kids. They are my blessing in life. They drive me crazy but can melt my heart all in the same day. They complete who I am as a person and make me want to be a better person -- someone they can look up to in life. They are my blessings...

beautiful, sweeet baby boy. Not so much a baby anymore. Where does the time go?

TRYING to get a 'group' shot. This was it...

this ones for Grandma and Grandpa Nikkel (and daddy too!)

couldn't you just eat his sweet chubby cheeks? Have you SEEN anything cuter?!

she gets more beautiful with every passing day...

this is the typical Arianna shot. She's always looking at me with a 'what' look...

this was my cue that our photo shoot was over...walking away.

a few new pictures...

2009-10-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've been messing around with photoshop and my new camera. here are just a FEW of the shots I've taken recently. I have so many more...just need more time ;)

My BEAUTIFUL girl. She's growing before my very eyes. She talks non-stop and can tell me stories of the day. She is (almost always) going potty on the big girl potty. She LOVES Beauty and the Beast and playing dress-up. She is such a joy and a fun 2 1/2 year old.

Here is my handsome boy. He is growing daily! He is crawling all over the place and is going to be walking any day now. He is always smiling and loves to cuddle. He is starting to sleep through the night (kind of). It rocks! He is such a wonderful baby.

I promise to post more pictures as soon as I can. Life is very busy right now with work, 2 kids, musical...the list just goes on and on.

updates

2009-09-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

sorry it's been so long, here are just a few updates. I'll post pictures soon!

Neal Updates:
still not sleeping the best. We're getting there. He finally popped his top two teeth, so that makes 4!!! He LOVES crawling around and pulling himself up to the standing position. We've been working on 'so big' and waving bye-bye. He is always happy during the day and adores his big sister.

Arianna Updates:
She is getting more and more grown up by the minute! She seems so old to me! She talks non-stop and it amazes me what she can comprehend. She loves to color, play outside and read books. She also loves singing!! Her current favorites are Twinkle Twinkle, Jesus Loves Me, Itsy-Bitsy Spider, The Tree Song, Belle, and the Iowa Fight Song ;) We are trying (desperately) to potty train. She loves to sit on the potty and she says that she's going, but...not yet. We're hoping someday soon!!

Family Updates:
Jason and I are back to work. School is going well for the both of us. I think we're finally getting back to the fall schedule. I'm doing the musical again this year; we just finished up with auditions last week. This year's show is Beauty and the Beast which is why one of Arianna's favorite songs is Belle. She loves dressing up as Belle and dancing -- it's very cute. We have a new nanny this year and it's going amazing. It's SO NICE not to have to get the kids up in the morning and Arianna loves having Miss Anna to her house. It's wonderful and a true blessing.

That's about it. I promise...pictures soon!

The Fair and a Beach Day

2009-08-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Every year we have a local fair. Arianna LOVES going to see the animals and riding the rides. She has NO fear of any rides and wants to keep going. I didn't get too many pictures because it was dark and the rides move pretty quickly.

Daddy and Arianna going down the big slide

Arianna like sitting by all the big tractors on display as well. Daddy made her sit on the CASE one...

This is Arianna and Madison (family friend) on the train. These two girls elbowed their way in to get the best seat.

Towards the end of the night, we had a few ride tickets left. Loralee (Madison's mom) and I decided that we would use them. We went on this ride, The Orbit. Seriously...what were we thinking? It was spinning like crazy and we were screaming like fools. It was so much fun. However, it did remind me that I'm not 15 anymore...

We also been enjoying some really fun time at my parents beach lately. I've been trying SO hard to get some cute pictures of Arianna and she is a stinker. This is the best I could do.

By the slide

Neal peeking over the boat...of course, smiling.

Neal crawling away from Arianna and into the lake...

the summer is coming to a close and I start school next year. I'm going to miss my babies so much...

(I know...2 posts in one day!!)

a very fun visit

2009-08-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

Jason's parents came for another visit a few weekends ago. Arianna LOVES having her grandma and papa visit...they bring very special cookies from the bakery ;) Of course, Arianna just loves having them in her house and all the playtime she gets as well.

Arianna and Papa in the morning

Arianna and grandma watching cartoons

Neal and grandma. She has to take off her glasses when she holds him or they are flung across the room

Uncle Joel and Neal

Neal...just being cute.

nothing much...

2009-08-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

we haven't been doing much lately. Neal is doing a little better with his sleeping and I'm hoping we're reaching the end of the no sleeping tunnel.

a few weeks ago, we went to visit Jason's college friends up north. Sally took these fantastic pictures for me ;)

Arianna playing

So cute!

Daddy and Arianna swinging

Daddy and Arianna waiting for the pizza

Mommy and Neal

perspective...

2009-07-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

today, i was going to write about how tired i am. how neal is still not sleeping. how he's up over half the night screaming his bloody head off. how i have no idea how to fix it, or how to get him to sleep. i've tried every trick i know, i've talked to every person i know, i've tried doctors and chiropractic therapy...i've tried it all. i was going to complain about how tired i am. i was going to whine about my life, again. then, i was given some perspective. i know i've written before how i read blogs. i'm addicted. lately, these blogs have given me some perspective. if you get a chance, please read them. read stellan's story and noah's road. it will give you some perspective too. so, last night, after reading those blogs, from 12:30am-3:30am when neal was crying in my arms, i held him tightly, gave him kisses and thought about my blessings rather than how much i wanted to sleep.

PLEASE PRAY!

2009-07-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

I don't know who reads my blog and I don't know how often people check it, but PLEASE, I'm asking anyone who is out there to please pray for this sweet baby. Stellan is back in the hospital and it's not going well. Please pray for him. Click on the sidebar to the right...please.

no clever title...sorry.

2009-07-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

Arianna loves riding her 'princess scooter' that daddy bought her. She's pretty good at it!

Neal has started eating cereal and baby food. He really enjoys it. He also enjoys his toes. ;)

My dad and Arianna enjoying a stroll at the beach.

This is what happens when daddy does your hair. I don't know if you can see them all, but she have 4 bows in her hair...all different ones too.

Posing in front of our pretty bush. Just because I thought it was pretty ;)

My two babes.

Arianna MUST wear her 'kitty' boots wherever she goes. Too funny!

Bouncy Boy Video -- he loves to bounce. It's short and the dog's tail is in the ending, but still cute. Enjoy. (to get the full effect, you should turn off the music!)

this video is for Grandpa and Grandma Nikkel -- enjoy. She really knows the entire song, but she refuses to sing it for me on video. She gets two lines out and then says 'I wanna see it' meaning she wants to see the camera. This is the best I could do...you'll just have to come and visit to hear her sing the rest ;)

that's about it. Just loving summer.

So sleepy, a princess and the 4th...

2009-07-08T17:59:00.001-07:00

I have more pictures, but for some reason blogger is being really slow tonight, so I'll have to update more later! Anyway, this is what we've been up to:

Neal is still being a real stinker when he sleeps. However, when he does, he's soooo cute. Here he is taking a snooze on the couch.

Slowly waking...

wondering why mommy has that camera in his face AGAIN!

Arianna has really been into being a princess lately. She loves wearing skirts and my high heels and calling herself a princess. I found this tu-tu on clearance at a local store and just had to have it. She loves it and loves being a princess. ;)

The 4th of July: this year we went to my parents house. It was a bit rainy and cold in the morning, but it eventually warmed up. My mom's side of the family came over for some BBQ in the back yard. Once again, we were blessed that my grandma was able to come...94 years young.

Arianna and daddy waiting to see the fireworks. My brother-in-law lights off HUGE fireworks in my parents back yard. It's like our very own show. This was the first year that Arianna was able to stay awake. She really loved the glow sticks that Aunt Arika brought!

Arianna and Uncle Drew with some sparklers. So fun!

We had a great 4th and hope you all did too!

a plethora of random thoughts...

2009-06-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

plethora...it's really one of my most favorite words. As I stated earlier, I've been stressed. Yup, stressed. I was so looking forward to summer vacation and really, it hasn't been much of a vacation. The very first week was Arianna's surgery, then we started recovery, then Jason went out of town for a few days on a golf trip and this happened:

Our brand-new beautiful basement flooded. There was the "100 year rain" and boy oh boy, did it rain. Thankfully my dad came over to help, but it was a little too late. The basement had water. We have lived here for 5 years with no water. We finish our basement and 6 months later, it floods. Typical. So, we've pulled out all the carpet, laid it out to dry and are waiting on estimates of putting the carpet back and getting new padding. I know...it could have been worse! It was just stressful because Jason was gone, two rather unhappy children who didn't like the storm, moving into my parents (because of no power)...you getting the idea?

On to better things. The following picture is one that I was SO excited to take. It is Arianna throwing away her antibiotics following the surgery. I am praying that this will be the last antibiotic that she needs to take!!! Very monumental!

and this is just a very pleasant sleep for our baby girl. For so long she struggled with sleeping. With her tonsils being so large, they impeded her sleep. No more! She sleeps soundly now...

Every morning, Arianna tells me how many "ponies" she wants in her hair. Sometimes, it's just one. Most of the time it's two, however, yesterday she asked for 4. Ask and ye shall receive...

I try to get creative with just one...Jason said she looked a little like "Bam-Bam" from the Flinestones. I thought more like Cindy-Lo-Who from The Grinch...

This is her with two -- once again, being creative.

This past week the weather has been so hot so my sister-in-law Arika invited us over for a playdate. Arianna loves going there because Claire is only 6 months older and they love playing together. She also loves playing with Lauren who a bit older. Lauren takes such good care of her! Here are her and Lauren sitting on the blanket enjoying a snack.

Big New for the boy: guess who's starting to sit on his own?! Seriously, I thought I was going to get a laid back child...looks like I'm in for some trouble just like his sister. Arianna was sitting by 6 months, crawling by 7 and walking by 9.5, I was so hoping that Neal would be a little more relaxed, but it doesn't look like he will. But, man he's cute, isn't he?

As I said: T-R-O-U-B-L-E...starting to think about crawling. sigh. My baby. (but honestly, aren't his buns the cutes with that whale on them?!) All he needs to do is figure out his arms and he'll be off. I'm giving him 3.5 weeks before he'll be crawling...but, I'm praying I'm wrong.

As I wrote last time, Neal had a double ear infection. You have no idea how sad this made me. I have been praying that Neal's health will be better than what Arianna's was. These early ear infection bring back horrible memories of long crying nights, lots of medicines and doctor visits...and eventually 2 surgeries. I am going to continue to pray that his ears/nose/throat will be better than hers...

that's about all! Whew, I'm tired.

what's a 6-letter word for why I haven't posted in a while?

2009-06-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

stress. yup -- lots of stress over here. I have tons of pictures to upload, but haven't the time. Things have been crazy. Two major things:

Our beautiful, brand new basement flooded with some major storms this past weekend. Jason was out of town so I was managing on my own.
Our beautiful baby boy STILL WON'T SLEEP (which, really is the cause of most of my stress. Because, as you moms all know, when baby doesn't sleep...mommy doesn't sleep)I've been doing everything I know and today, I finally took him in to the doctor and both ears are infected. Darn.

so, I'm stressed. I'll post more later I promise. But now...I'm going to attempt to get some sleep.

a week in review -- in pictures

2009-06-13T03:24:00.000-07:00

Monday -- I cleaned out my closets. Sorry, there are no pictures. No one should have to see that.

Tuesday -- I took pictures of this deliciously, cute boy. Have you ever seen a cuter baby? I think not.

He even smiles when his big sister INSISTS on him having his pacifier

Wednesday -- I asked Arianna what she wanted to do and she said, 'see animals at zoo'. I have no idea where that idea came from, but it was the perfect day for the zoo. So, I called my mom and asked her if she felt adventurous. She said 'yup' (after hearing my idea, of course) and off to the zoo we went.

My mom trying to get Arianna to see the big birdies...

Arianna loved the penguins. She really wanted to go swimming with them.

The bears were a huge hit. She kept saying she wanted to touch them ;)

Neal enjoyed some time in the stroller. Happy and content as always.

Arianna loved all the fun things they have sitting around. She liked sitting in the saddle,

but her favorite of the day was the wooden train.

Thursday -- we left our house at 5:45am. When we got there, they took Arianna's blood pressure,

and pulse-ox levels.

We put her new PJ's on.

Including some cute new slippers :)

Then, we waited. She looked so tiny in that bed!

We watched some TV

Her baby got a bracelet just like her

At about 8:20am, they took her in for surgery. It was over in about 20 minutes and they let us see her about 25 minutes after she was done. This is her, just waking up.

The recovery went okay. She woke up quite quickly and I thought this was going to be a walk in the park. But, at about 12:00 she got sick and it went downhill from there. She was exhausted, confused, in pain and was just wanted to go home. Finally, at about 3:00pm, I got her to fall asleep. Sorry the picture is so dark, I took it without a flash.

When she woke up, I asked if they could call the doctor to have us released from the hospital early. We were supposed to spend the night, but I felt that going home was the best place for Arianna to recover. He said as long as she was drinking on her own (which she was) we could leave. We left the hospital at 5:30pm.

Friday -- Arianna woke up at 6:45am saying her throat hurt. We gave her some pain meds and she perked right up. Jason went to work, and Arianna wanted to help mommy in the kitchen. I title this picture:

"I don't care if you had surgery yesterday, you still need to do your chores little lady!"

Smiling? She is amazing!

This is a reminder of why we had this surgery! Hopefully we won't have any antibiotics in our house again for a very long time. I figured that Arianna has been on something for every month since she was 5 months old. I'm praying that we're done with that!

Finally, she crashed. At about 4pm, she wanted to lay on the couch and watch 'Boots'. She had an ice cream sandwich for dinner and she just laid around. We thought she felt really warm, so I took her temp and it was 101.7...so I called the doctor. He said if it got above 102 we would have to come back in. Thankfully, it didn't.

and this boy...still smiling. After a week of being bounced around, 2 nights at Grandma's (which he was spoiled, I'm sure), and his normal routine being totally changed. He is such a happy boy. He still doesn't sleep, but he's happy.

Now, it's Saturday. Day 2 of recovery. Monday will mark my first full week off of school. Wow, we've accomplished a lot in just a week. Thank you all for your prayers and concerns. It looks like we're all going to be just fine ;)

over and done with...

2009-06-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

The surgery this morning went fantastic. Arianna was a huge trooper this morning not being able to have her milk (which if you know her, you know that is HUGE). We got to the hospital early and had to play the game of 'hurry up and wait'. I was able to take her back and help get her to sleep. I asked her to put the mask on and she did and she took a few deep breaths and was out cold, in my arms. The most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life was hand her over at that moment. She was lifeless at that point. I had major guilt. She totally trusted me, put the mask on and took big deep breaths like a big girl (which I asked her to do) and I had to leave her. I just sat there for a second and they said, 'okay, mom...it's time to go.' I kissed her little head, told her mommy loved her more than anything and walked away, fighting back my tears.
The surgery took less time than anticipated and the doctor said that it was a good thing. Her tonsils and adenoids were very large and both were infected. She woke up pretty well and we thought we were in the clear...until about 12:00.
She started throwing up at noon and wailing around. It was so scary seeing her like that. She didn't know what she wanted, she thought she wanted to eat, but every time she did she would throw up. Finally, I got her just to drink some water and eat some plain bread. That went, and stayed down. We moved on to pudding. Then ice cream -- by that time she was in heaven. She loves ice cream. By around 3:30 I finally got her to go to sleep. And, call me crazy, I asked to be released from the hospital. We are in a shared room, she just hates being there, asks to go to her bed, asks to see Neal, and I think she will do so much better at home. So, when she wakes, we're headed home. Thank you so much for all your prayers. They were felt.

PS. I have tons of pictures...I'll post them when we get home! ;)

it's go time....tomorrow

2009-06-10T17:34:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning at 8:08am Arianna will have surgery. Please pray for a successful surgery. Pray that she will have a quick recovery. Pray that mom ~~won't have a nervous breakdown~~ will be calm. Thanks so much. We'll keep you all posted.

A little remiss...

2009-06-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

sorry I've been so slacking in blogging but with the end of the school year things have been crazy. Neal had his 4 month check up and he's doing great. He was in the 50th percent for everything -- so I guess he's pretty 'average'. The doctor said he was picture perfect. His newest trick is rolling. This is how it looks:

Step 1 -- grab toes

Step 2 -- fling leg over body

Step 3 -- hold on to toe and pull leg

Step 4 -- get big belly out of the way and start rolling..

Step 5 -- pop up head

Step 6 -- look at mom, very proud

Step 7 -- rest...rolling is tough work

Arianna is doing wonderfully. She's turning into such a little character and says the funniest things! She loves looking like a princess and at the same times loves playing in the mud. She is just so fun. We're gearing up for her surgery on Thursday. Although we both know it's what is needed, it's still a little nerve-wracking. Here she is with her piggies in...

These are a few pictures of our Memorial Day fun. We started the day at a parade and then went to the playground for some fun. Neal enjoyed the morning in his stroller, napping. Ah, the life.

Arianna LOVES swinging

At the parade. It was so cute. She really just wanted to sit by daddy. She's really turned into a daddy's girl.

This is what I've been doing with my 'free time'. Since Arianna has enjoyed having her hair done, I decided to start making bows for her hair. They are so expensive to buy and I enjoy making them. Here are just a few of the ones I have made...

Last summer we were given a swing set by some friends. Just recently Jason and my dad fixed it up and added a few things. Arianna loves having her new swing set and it's really nice having it in the backyard.

Look-A-Like...

2009-05-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

Do you think that these two look alike? The picture on the bottom is Arianna eating at 5 months and the top picture is Neal eating at 4 1/2 months. The older they get the more I think they look alike...

Health Update

2009-05-22T08:36:00.001-07:00

Last week we went back to the ENT for Arianna's appointment. She had been sick that entire week so I was really glad that we were headed to the doctor. Turns out she had tonsillitis and was put on some antibiotics. The ENT also made the decision that her tonsils and anoids had to come out. The ENT said that they were both too large and that they were blocking her airway and draingage. He also said that they probably always had some infection which always made Arianna feel ~~crappy~~ sick. This surgery is a little more intense than tubes and she will have to spend the night at the Children's Hospital. Originally her surgery date was July 9. I was really bummed because it was so far away and I knew that she never felt good. But, we were put on a waiting list and the doctor called the next day bumping us up to June 11. PTL! That means her surgery is coming quickly (it also means that I don't have as much time to dwell on it!). The doctor felt that this was very needed and would help with many of Arianna's health issues. He said it would clear up her gagging, vomiting, refusal to eat, nasal voice (which I took some mild offense to, I think her voice is super cute!), her ear infections and obviously her tonsils always being infected.We know this is what is needed, but obviously we ~~I, being a mom~~ are worried about her having surgery again. I am very thankful that it's going to take place in a VERY good hospital and that we are spending the night. After tubes, she did not wake up well so it will be nice to have some nurse back-up! So, thank you for all your prayers. We will keep you posted!

Oh what fun...

2009-05-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

Jason got me the most amazing Mother's Day present (well, besides the children, of course!). He ~~allowed me to go to the store and pick out~~ purchased this super high-tech camera. I can't wait until this summer until I have all the free time I can muster with two small children and I have more time to figure this camera out! Seriously though, this camera has all the bells and whistles and I love the pictures it takes...it also helps to have the cutest models EVER! Here are a few of the shots I took this past week (sorry so many of them are of Neal, trust me..he's an easier model to catch right now!)

How do you know your normally spunky 2-year old isn't feeling well? She says, 'momma, I just lay here with my pillow and watch Mickey Mouse' breaks my heart. We're going to the ENT tomorrow and we're praying for some answers!

mmmm, food. Neal has been enjoying his nightly rice cereal. The doctor thinks it should help with his acid reflux because it 'helps keep things down' in very doctor words.

Trying to get a creative shot of the two of them. Neal ALWAYS has his hands in his mouth. It's never just one hand either..it's always both of them.

I think he looks like a great thinker here; or maybe he's just looking for his other hand.

My mom and Neal enjoying a quiet moment on the deck. I can't wait for this summer when I can be there ALL THE TIME. I'm sure my mom is looking forward to that too... ;)

OH MY WORD, can he get any cuter?

So stinkin' cute. Seriously, I am totally smitten by this boy. Look at those eyes!

and if I do say so myself...she's pretty darn cute too!

This one I tried some editing with the color. The picture itself though, I think it looks like Neal is saying his nightly prayers. He's probably praying that his crazy big sister isn't going to jump around him again!

Neal Update

2009-05-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

I finally took Neal into the pediatricain yesterday and he was 'diagnosed' with severe acid reflux. He's always been a spitter, but the doctor thinks that he has major heart burn while sleeping...hence, the not sleeping. Anyway, he gave me some ideas of how to get Neal to sleep and last night Neal ate at 7:15pm, 1am and then 6am. It is a HUGE improvement. We're hoping and praying this continues. Thanks for all the advice and help! I'll keep you posted!

another prayer request...

2009-05-07T08:22:00.001-07:00

this one's for me. the last few nights Neal has been up...all night. Since last Saturday I've not received more than two hours of straight sleep. With working full time and being home with the kids in the evenings, I'm about ready to ~~run away~~ lose my mind. I've talked with the pediatrician and he's not sure what would be causing this. They upped his reflux medication, but it doesn't seem to be working. I'm beyond exhausted. My body is literally starting to fail. I have been getting migraines, achy, sore throat...you name it. I can't let him 'cry it out' as he's screaming at the top of his lungs, has huge tears and sounds like he's in pain. If anyone has any ideas of what we could try PLEASE let me know. Please pray that Neal starts to sleep soon...and that my little man will start to feel better. Thanks so much.

What we've been doing...

2009-05-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

Not much new going on in the Nikkel household. Jason has been very busy with some spring painting jobs and I've been busy being the mom of two! ;) Things are going well. Neal has suddenly stopped sleeping which has been really hard on me but last night I finally gave him some Tylenol because his gums are pure white and swollen...and it dawned on me, TEETH! He slept much better after the ora-gel and Tylenol. My sweet happy baby is back! Here are a few pictures of our happenings lately.

I've been experimenting with my camera lately. I REALLY want to get a newer, better camera to play with. But, I thought this one was cute with Neal smiling in the background and his cute little pudgy hand!

Tub Time -- Arianna and Neal love taking baths together. It's so much fun!

After tub time -- smiling at the super cute baby in the mirror.

I really just thought this outfit looked cute on her which is why I took the picture. ;)

This is my pure joy...

8 things...

2009-04-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

8 Things...

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To
1. Summer vacation. Can't wait to spend every day with my babies in the sunshine!
2. Neal sleeping through the night...consistently. Sleep is a wonderful thing and I miss it.
3. Starting my new "craft" project. I love being mysterious ;)
4. Saturday. I just like Saturdays in general.
5. Getting a pedicure. I love getting them, but I'm not sure when I'll actually get around to getting one, but I can't wait. That doesn't make sense, but...I'm sleep depraved, give me a break.

6. Going to target. Really for no reason, I just like going to Target.
7. Reading a book. Not a Junior High Fiction book either (which is all I read so I can give recommendations to my students) but I want to read an adult book. That sounds naughty, but it's not.
8. Watching my kids grow into wonderful, amazing people. They already are, so I'm assuming they'll stay that way.

8 Things I Did Yesterday (Wednesday)
1. Prayed for poop. Yes, Neal hasn't pooped since Sunday and is getting a little crabby. Hoping God answers that prayer while he's at daycare...hehe
2. Tried, desperately, to teach 127 8th graders how to create/write an outline...didn't go well. sigh.
3. Tried to get a video of Neal laughing because it's so cute, but all I could get was Arianna screaming in the background "I wanna watch Mickey Mouse!"...and yes, Neal was laughing at her, but he couldn't be heard over her screams.
4. Talked on the phone with: my mom, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, one of my bestie friends, Kate...and the insurance company. Can't believe I just used the word, bestie. Seriously.
5. Gave both children a bath. Together. Got really wet.
6. Yelled at our dog who thinks it's a good idea to bark...all the time.
7. Watched my two Soaps after the kids went to bed. I can just turn my brain off and watch other people's drama unfold.
8. Ate a bowl of ice cream. Peanut Butter if you must know, with chocolate syrup. And, if you really must know, I might have another bowl tonight.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do
1. Stay home full time with my babies
2. Go back to school. Yes, I would LOVE to get another Master degree, I even know what I would get it in...that still might happen, who knows ;)
3. Become a runner: That’s not really true. I just want to say I’m a runner so people would be all impressed with me like I am with people who say they are runners. Really, I just want a runner’s body without all the work and sweating.
4. Sleep for 12 hours straight
5.Eat an entire dinner without anyone eating off my plate or crying. That would be amazing.
6. Play the piano like my mom. I can pluck out some basic tunes, but she's amazing.
7. Speak another language.
8. sleep...did I already say that? Too bad, it's worth two spots because I really want to sleep.

8 Shows I Watch -- please don't judge me by the mindless drama I watch. I know it's crap, but I watch it nonetheless...
Grey’s Anatomy
Private Practice
The Hills
All My Children
One Life to Live
Jon and Kate + 8
America's Next Top Model
Sportscenter (but against my will and better judgment)

another prayer request...

2009-04-22T10:53:00.001-07:00

Over the last few weeks Arianna has not been acting herself. She's been waking up throughout the night, snoring, acting really sleepy throughout the day, hitting, temper tantrums, not eating and just being difficult. In fact, I actually considered selling her on Ebay ;) However, I felt that something was just "off" with her so I decided to take her in to see her pediatrician. I thought for sure it would be her ears again, but it wasn't. He did a full exam and found lots of fluid in her ears, but no infection. Her ears are still not draining normally and after further examination he found that her tonsils are "quite large". He actually gave them a 4+ rating which is the "worse" rating tonsils can have. He says that he feels this is the cause of many of her behavioral issues because she is so lacking in sleep. He says that the size of her tonsils are actually blocking her airway making it difficult for her to get and stay in REM sleep. So, we received a referral to the ENT for a possible Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy. We're going in on May 14 and hopefully scheduling the surgery for early June. He said it is a two week recovery rate. Please pray for us as we have the exams and (hopefully) surgery. Obviously, I don't want her to have to have surgery, but if it will help her physically I know it's what is best. I totally trust my doctor, in fact he said that most ENTs don't like taking tonsils out before the age of 3, but that she really needed it. So, as I said earlier, please pray for wisdom for the doctors and peace of mind for mommy :)

Vacation and Easter...

2009-04-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

Warning -- this post is LOADED with pictures. As I said earlier we had a fantastic vacation and we loved our time as a family.

Arianna and Neal. I had to help hold Neal which is the random arm in the picture!

This is Arianna and her "big" cousin Claire. These two are going to be trouble someday!

One morning it was a little chilly so we went to Disney Village and just walked around. We had so much fun and Arianna loved seeing Pooh Bear.

This was also at Disney Village. We could not get her to keep her "ears" on...

Jason thought that Neal looked a little like this mouse in the window. Such a sad face! He was exhausted!!

Arianna was allowed to pick out one toy. She picked out the Pluto. She now sleeps with him every night -- it's too cute!

All the kids loved looking for "lizards" and Arianna loved following the big kids. This is Lauren and Jackson allowing her to help find a lizard. Arianna usually just scared them away by shouting "there's one!"

One day, the resort put rubber ducks in the kiddie pool. Arianna loved playing with them. You can see Lauren in the background and my mom is holding Neal.

Neal relaxing in his sunseat. He loved sleeping outside with the warm breeze.

Typical Arianna -- a little overly dramatic. Wonder where she gets that from...

Super sweet smiling boy

All the grandkids. From left to right: Arianna, Will being held by Lauren, Jackson holding Neal, Claire, Natalie and Micah. What a fun group. The love playing together and all get along so well. It's so fun to watch them play!

This was Arianna doing her favorite thing -- swimming. We learned she is quite the little fish. She loved the water!

Daddy and Neal enjoying a nice, relaxing afternoon nap.

Arianna has a buckle obsession. She loves snapping things together. This is her playing with Claire's life jacket.

Arianna was exhausted on the way home. She slept the entire plane ride home...with her Pluto of course!

These are our Easter pictures. I didn't get a cute picture of Neal in his super cute Easter outfit, but I did get him sporting my favorite shirt ;)

Here is Arianna and mommy -- showing off our Easter outfits

Here is the complete outfit of Arianna's. I swear, she gets cuter by the day!

I hope you all had a very blessed Easter and enjoy the upcoming spring weather!

We're home...

2009-04-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

just wanted to let you all know that we're home and thanks for the prayers. People must have been praying hard because both flights went amazing! It was a wonderful, relaxing vacation which I will post pictures soon. However...right now, I'm exhausted. I hope and pray that everyone has a very blessed Easter.

prayers needed...

2009-03-31T04:40:00.000-07:00

so, please pray for my family. seriously. Jason has pink eye and both kids have DOUBLE ear infections. We're flying THIS Friday. I'm a little nervous for the whole flying with ear infections. Not going to be super fun. Thankfully they'll both be on meds before the flight, but I'm still nervous. Please pray that their ears heal quickly and the flying will go smoothly...if not...I'm thankful that I will only see those people on the plane for the 2.5 hours of the flight! ;)

Slapped in the face...

2009-03-29T17:53:00.001-07:00

have you ever had the feeling that you've been slapped in the face by God? This past week, God slapped me in the face. Those of you who know me know that I'm not usually an overly emotional person, but I've been rather "poor me" lately. I've been complaining that things never go "my way" and why things "keep happening to me". We've had issues with our insurance company after Neals birth, I had to go back to work earlier than I wanted, and Neal stopped sleeping through the night. Honestly, that's what I have been complaining about...

Sidebar: I'm an avid blog reader. I love reading blogs. I read random blogs about people that I don't know. People that I think are funny. I just enjoy reading blogs. When I was pregnant with Neal, I stumbled across this blog, My Charming Kids. She was pregnant at the time too and her baby had a heart condition while in the womb. She was told her baby would not survive. I feel as though I've walked this journey with her as I read her blog. I read about her fears and her peace with God. This woman has been a testimony to me about letting God take control and trusting in him. Then, a miracle happened. Her baby was born, perfect. It was amazing. He has been perfect for the last 5 months. Now, suddenly, his heart condition is back. He's not doing well. They don't know if he will survive. They can't get his heart to slow down, and it's starting to wear out. They are running out of options. Yet, this mother...trusts in God. Me? I haven't been able to trust in God for a simple insurance claim.

God slapped me in the face. It was as if He was saying "you're worried about this? Your little boy is perfect. He's healthy...he's the same age as this little boy in the hospital with a heart that beats too fast. His mother is worried if he'll live or not and yet, she trusts me." It was a brutal slap. One that brought me to my knees the other night, holding Neal crying. I deserved that slap. I needed it.

The story of this little boy, so close to Neal in age has really pulled at my heartstrings. If you are so inclined (and I have no idea who reads my blog) please pass the message along. Please pray with me.

I've been slapped and I'm good now. Thank you God for the slap. I deserved it. I've been reminded to be thankful for all the gifts I have been given.

Please pray for this family...

2009-03-23T11:13:00.001-07:00

I don't normally do this, but this is a blog that I love to read. The story is a true miracle. This woman was told that her baby would not survive birth and he did. She was told her baby would surely die and he didn't. Now, he's very sick. They need some prayers right now. This is the link to her blog. Please read it and please pray that God will heal this sweet baby boy... thank you.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/

Babies don't keep...

2009-03-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

today I had a realization as a mother. As I was trying to get all my stuff done around the house, I was running around thinking of all the things I had to do and I was so thankful that Arianna was sitting peacefully coloring. I was just about to go and clean the bathrooms when Arianna proudly called out "look momma, my picture is booful!" without even looking I said, "yup babe, it's pretty" and I went on my way. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and thought to myself, my daughter was just snubbed by her own mother! I turned to look at her concentrating on her sweet picture and I dropped everything in my hands, went and sat by her. She looked at me with her big blue eyes and said, "momma, I lub you, kiss!" (in Arianna language, I love you and I want a kiss). If I had kept doing what I was doing, I would have missed this sweet moment with my baby girl. Clean bathrooms aren't worth it to me...I would have missed out on this...

so, today I leave you with this poem that I read off another blog. There is nothing more rewarding than being a mom...especially when we take the time to enjoy it.

Song for a Fifth Child

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth

empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

hang out the washing and butter the bread,

sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Oh what a weekend...

2009-03-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

Jason had Friday off from school so we decided to head out and feed the ducks (and I got to do some shopping). Arianna loves feeding the ducks and loves spending time with her daddy even more, so it was the perfect day for her. It was beautiful out and we had so much fun. And yes, she's on a leash. :) She refuses to ride in a stroller anymore and when we're near water, she needs to be tied to us (mommy's rules)...so we bought her a leash. She LOVES it. She thinks she's big stuff being able to walk all by herself and we have the peace of mind that she really can't go anywhere. We just call it her backpack and she thinks she Dora. It's great.

On Sunday, Neal was baptized. It was such a wonderful day. Jason's family all came from out of town and for some of them it was their first time meeting Neal. Arianna put on quite a show in front of church. There were "rocks" out for our Easter scene and she kept trying to pick them up, shouting "daddy, look, rocks!" At least the people in the congregation thought it was funny! Neal did great. He was just perfect. It was such a blessing to welcome him into the family of God.

Neal with his biggest cousin on my side, Jackson. This "little" boy is such an amazing kid. He is so patient with all his baby cousins and he just LOVES Arianna and Neal. I can't wait until he gets to teach Neal all sorts of things. He's such a great kid.

My parents with Neal.

The ENTIRE Nikkel clan. By this time of the day Arianna had pulled her hair out of her pony and taken her tights off, but nevertheless, it's a great family photo. At least you can see all of us!

Neal with Uncle Joel -- first time meeting!

All the Nikkel grandchildren. Poor Jocelyn got the raw end of the deal on this one, trying to keep Arianna sitting still for a photo. Jordan had the easy job! :)

Neal with Uncle Joel, Jocelyn and Grandpa Nikkel

Here are Jason, myself and Neal with my grandma. It's so amazing to have her be a part of everything. She's 93 years young and it's so fun having her around.

Some of you don't know this, but Neal was named after my grandpa (the man married to the woman in the photo above). He was a great man and he passed away 5 years ago. My grandma gave me some of his possessions to give to Neal when he's older. The note in the box says, "Neal, these were my husbands, your great-grandfathers, and I thought you should have them. God bless, great-grandma." The item on the left is my grandpa's initial ring. There is a N in the center of the ring. The item on the right is his tie clip with a N. Such great gifts. We will cherish these forever!!!!

This last photo is just us getting ready for spring. Arianna is wearing her beach hat....we are all wishing for some warm weather soon!

We hope you are all doing well!

Neal's 2 month check up...

2009-03-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

Neal had his 2 month check-up today and all was perfect! He weighs 12 pounds and is 22 inches long. The really odd thing is...so was Arianna. Their weights and heights were/are EXACTLY the same! Isn't that crazy? Neal had to get 5 shots today which was sad, but all in all a good appointment. I'll post more pictures soon. We've been busy!

Baby laughs...

2009-03-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here is Neal with his sweet baby laugh... (make sure you turn off the music at the bottom of the screen to hear him!)

Nothing new...

2009-02-19T08:12:00.000-08:00

nothing new is going on here. Jason's mom came to visit last week and Arianna loved her grandma time. Grandma loved being with Neal and Arianna. It was nice having an extra pair of hands around!! Jason is still busy with coaching and school and the weather here is still freezing! We had a brief warm up which was just a tease for all of us, but now it's cold again. Neal is doing great. He's sleeping pretty well and is a very happy baby. He's just started to smile and coo at us which is so much fun. Here are some updated pictures:

I don't know why this picture is turned funny, but it's still cute!

Arianna got a Dora backpack from Grandma for Valentine's Day. Needless to say, she loves her backpack!

Jason got this cute sweatshirt for Neal from his basketball team. If you look closely you can see Nikkel on the hood...

Cheesy grin for mom

Arianna is reading her favorite book to her baby brother...just moments after this shot was taken Neal received a header from the book...oops. Maybe mom should be paying attention rather than taking pictures!

Silly Girl and One Darn Cute Baby...

2009-02-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

So, we're experiencing a warm up, hence the new blog background. I've got spring on my mind. I know it's wishful thinking, but a girl can dream, right? Things have slowly been getting back to "normal" around here. Neal was diagnosed with acid reflux and the doctor put him on some medication. After a week of being on the meds with no change I started to research. I found some all-natural stuff called ColiCure at the local health foods store and thought I would give it a shot. It's been working wonders! The boy is MUCH happier while and after he eats. He still has his cranky time at night, but overall he's doing great. He's getting HUGE. He's almost 10 pounds already. Arianna's been doing great as well. I think she's enjoying her time with mommy, but misses her friends from daycare. We've been trying to keep busy with crafts and playtime downstairs...we have our own little dance parties. It's super fun. Other than that, nothing really new. Here are the latest photos:

Neal, enjoying nap time...

Arianna's new thing is to pretend she's Lacy (our dog) and carry her babies around in her mouth...silly girl

This one just cracked me up! My mom bought her new shoes and Arianna HATES shoes. So, to get her to wear them I have to make a big deal out of them and say how cute they are. On this particular morning I had her try them on with her jammies on. Then, she decided they were cute and wouldn't take them off, or put her jammies back on. This is how she walked around our house all morning.

Once again, Neal enjoying the good life.

We went and visited my grandma the other day. It's so special that Arianna gets to meet her great-grandma. She's 93!! Pretty cool!

Two posts in one day?!

2009-01-26T10:36:00.001-08:00

Two posts in one day...hopefully that will make up for my slacker blogging. We've been doing well. Things are slowly adjusting to two...thanks for all the prayers and cards. Hope you're all doing well...

Here is Neal enjoying the good life of napping

Arianna LOVES her baby brother, Nee (that's what she calls him)

Beautiful Boy

Ah, the breakfast of Champions. The other day, Neal did NOT sleep AT ALL. So, when Arianna begged for ritos (doritos) for breakfast, I caved. It saved me from a meltdown. All she needs is my can of diet coke and I would be mother of the year for sure!

This was a gift from a friend and Arianna loves wearing it around the house, all the time. Oh, and those of you who noticed, she's not in those jammies all the time, it was just a coincidence. I swear.

the basement...

2009-01-26T10:30:00.001-08:00

We finally finished our basement. We love it. It's been a great place to hang out as a family and let Arianna play and run.

This is the total view:

The bathroom (it has a shower in the corner, but I couldn't get it all on the picture)

This is the desk area under the stairs.

This is the play area...look at all the toys already!!

The fireplace

more pictures

2009-01-12T17:32:00.001-08:00

Neal has a new favorite spot. Jason bought me this super cool wrap for Christmas. It's called a Sleepy Wrap and Neal LOVES being carried around in it. It's great because it gives me both my hands to chase after Arianna ;) This is what I look like wearing it. Yes, Neal is all snuggled in there!!

Nice and cozy in there...trust me, he can breath.

I finally decided that Arianna needed a new hair cut. It was sad for me because it brought me the realization of how big she is getting. She is so old! After I cut it, she said, "that's cute momma." Oh my goodness. I think sassy is a better word for her.

The side view...

This is Jason teaching him young...

Daddy showing off his pride and joy.

Arianna and her baby brother

Arianna just being silly. The other night she insisted on wearing her crocs around the house, not wearing pants and sitting in her baby's stroller. It was so funny I had to take a picture of it.

so that's been our life lately. Enjoy the new pictures.

Updated Pictures

2009-01-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our updated pictures of Arianna and Neal. I have a few more that I need to get downloaded, but the time in the day just isn't enough. Things are going well. Arianna is sort-of adjusting...we're working on it :) Neal is a good baby. He is starting to get his nights and days figured out (which is a good thing for mom!!!) Hope you're all doing well.

You Decide...

2009-01-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

So many people think that Neal looks just like Arianna when she was born...you decide. Compare their birth photos.

Arianna -- 1 day

Neal -- 1 day

Let me know what you think!

Merry UPS Christmas

2009-01-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

As I said earlier, we had to cancel our Christmas party with Jason's family due to weather. We just couldn't travel and his parents couldn't make the trip in the snow storm either, so we ended up UPSing all of our gifts to each other. Yesterday we opened up our gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Nikkel. I promised them I would take pictures and a short video. So, this post is for them. Merry UPS Christmas!!

Here is a short video of Arianna playing with her new little people's bus (which has become a fast favorite toy!). If you listen VERY carefully you can hear her say thank you to Grandma and Papa...THANK YOU!

A Little Video

2008-12-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

Enjoy a short video of the newest additon to the Nikkel clan.

A couple more

2008-12-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

A couple more of Neal

2008-12-31T10:36:00.000-08:00

What a Cutie. I don't mean Jason.

Our New Addition

2008-12-31T10:30:00.000-08:00

Here is our newest addition to the Nikkel family--Neal Jason Nikkel. Neal was born December 30, 2008 @ 5:44 pm. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20 inches. We think he looks like Arianna at times, but you can be the judge. We hope everyone has a blessed New Year.

Sorry it's been so long...

2008-12-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

First off, I would like to say sorry for being a blogger slacker lately! For those of you who don't know, I've been on bedrest for a while and it's driving me NUTS. However, the good news is tomorrow we go in for an amnio and if all goes well Baby Boy Nikkel will be born tomorrow, December 30th. We are very excited.

The past few weeks have been hectic blurs of parties and gifts and Arianna LOVED every minute of it. She really loved opening her presents. She did struggle with the concept of leaving it in the box until we got home. Everything needed to be taken out right away so she could play with it. Unfortunately, because of the crazy weather we were unable to see Jason's family this Christmas. There were too many blizzards for us to all find a place to meet! However, here are some pictures of our Christmas parties...

Arianna with all her cousins. Left to right: Micah, Jackson, Arianna, Lauren, Claire and Natalie (we are missing baby Will...)

Here are all the grandkids with my parents. My mom is holding the newest addition, Baby Will

She still preferred the boxes...

With her new toothbrush. She LOVES brushing her teeth.

We've also enjoyed the massive amounts of snow this year. Jason took Arianna sledding for the first time and she really loved it. She jumped right into the sled.

Finally, here is Arianna with one of her favorite Christmas gifts. A baby from Mrs. Kathy and a bottle from Santa. She loves feeding her baby!

and this one, she's just saying "cheese!" I thought it was cute.

just wanted to let you know...

2008-12-10T05:48:00.001-08:00

I hate snow. I really, really, really hate snow. I hate driving in snow. I hate walking in snow. I hate wearing boots. I hate hats. I hate mittens.
Just thought I would let you all know.
Oh, just so you know, my blood pressure has been pretty good. Sometimes it starts to creep up, but if I lay down and relax it usually goes back down pretty quickly. I only have 7 days of school left so I'm hoping to get through these days, then I'm on break so I'll have plenty of time to relax! Thanks for all the prayers.
Also, we still really don't have a baby name picked out..is that bad?

prayer request...

2008-12-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

So, I went to the doctor on Friday afternoon and she said my blood pressure is getting high and that I needed to take it easy. I have to go back in soon for some blood work and they want to do an ultra-sound on the baby to see how he's tolerating all of this. My pressure is not NEARLY as high as what it was with Arianna, but I have a new doctor and she's much more cautious. Anyway, what I'm asking for is prayers. I really want to be able to teach the next two weeks and make it to Christmas break. However, if my pressure continues to rise, my doctor said bed rest is in the cards. Those of you who know me well know that would drive me nuts...obviously for the health of my child I would, but would rather not be on bed rest. Also, please pray that this little guy isn't experiencing any stress because of this higher blood pressure. Thanks so much and I'll keep you all posted.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend...

2008-12-02T18:15:00.001-08:00

We had quite the weekend. Jason started painting the basement so I had to "move out". I packed up Arianna and myself and moved into my parents basement while Jason sprayed our basement. We were at my folks house from Thanksgiving day to that Sunday. It was kind of like a mini-vacation! Arianan loved being around Grandma and Papa and had a really good time playing at their house. Jason finished the spraying and now we're getting ready to add the colors to the walls. Very exciting. My mom and I did our annual shopping day. I didn't know if I would make it this year considering my leg, but a deals a deal...and being dutch prevails. Pain over spending more money, right?! So, off we went at 5am and I lasted until about 12:30. We got lots of great things and I'm (almost) done Christmas shopping ~sigh~ now I must wrap.

We also got our Christmas tree. Another annual event. We head out with my family to cut down our tree. This year we decided on a tall but skinny tree. After getting it home, it looks a little like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but we love it all the same. Arianna LOVES playing with all the "nomen" (snowmen) and I have to keep reminding her that they are pretties and we don't touch. She's also quite fascinated with the large socks that are hanging from our wall and keeps trying to tickle the feet. Oh to be two again. This is her first Christmas that she is realizing what's going on and it is so much fun to watch her excitement and joy. Hope you all had a blessed holiday weekend!

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:

This is Arianna and Grandma when she was visiting.

We've been working on the whole potty thing. This is what Arianna would rather do with her potty seat...play peek-a-boo. Maybe someday...

Helping daddy cut down our tree

Dragging the tree back to the road so we could be picked up by the tractor

Arianna with two of her female cousins (Natalie and Lauren)...aren't they all so cute?!

Papa and Grandma with some of the girls. Arianna, Lauren and Claire (held by my mom).

Posing in front of our tree with the big socks in the background! ;)

and, for those of you wondering why I am not in any pictures, the rule around our house right now is no pictures of the fat lady. Ah yes, I know...pregnancy is beautiful. I totally agree. I agree that when I see other people pregnant I think they are beautiful. I know that it's God's miracle and that there is an actual person inside of me (which is why my belly is large and round) but the human side of me sees the scale and those three little numbers getting bigger and bigger and I suddenly am gripped with the terror that I might soon outweigh my husband. So, until my weight does not challenge his...no pictures of the fat lady. Sorry people, no belly pictures. That's just how it is :)

2008-11-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas Quiz

I found this on my friends blog and she said I was "tagged"...you're it!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper!
2. Real tree or Artificial? real, they smell so good!
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the day after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually the day after Christmas
5. Do you like eggnog? NO
6. Favorite gift received as a child? a "working" kitchen set, or my Cabbage Patch Doll
7. Hardest person to buy for? MY DAD!!!!!!!!!!
8. Easiest person to buy for? Jason or Arianna
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, Willow Tree
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, the annual Nikkel letter! :)
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? oven mitts...thanks honey
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story or Christmas Vacation
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Thanksgiving
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes...
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? pie
16. Lights on the tree? yes, white
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? depends on the year...
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Nope
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? the snow
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Silver
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A healthy baby boy, and maybe a vacation :)

the last two weeks...

2008-11-24T04:39:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have been total chaos for our family. I've been having tech rehearsals for the musical I was directing and Jason had basketball try-outs. Thankfully, his mom flew in to help us out. It was a HUGE blessing to have her at our house taking care of Arianna. Obviously, Arianna LOVED the grandma (spoil) time and it was really nice not to have to take Arianna to a sitter all the time.

This year our musical was Guys and Dolls and I'm finally done with my performances. We had three amazing performances...to sold out crowds. It was great. The kids did an awesome job and I know it sounds crazy, but I'll miss it. Here are a few pictures of what I've been working on...

The Crapshooters

Take Back Your Mink

Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat

I got the horse right here...

Mom guilt...

2008-11-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

anyone else ever have immense "mom guilt"? It's the feeling that you're just not doing this whole mom thing right. As many of you have gathered my schedule lately has been a bit crazy with teaching, musical etc. and I have not been able to spend a ton of time with Arianna lately. Yesterday, I dropped her off at daycare, she screamed as I left, "momma!! hugs!"...total mom guilt moment. Then, I worked all day. I picked her up, woke her up from her peaceful nap because I had to get going...mom guilt. I dropped her off with her daddy and as they were driving away, she was screaming "mommy!!" and pointing to me through the window...mom guilt. When I FINALLY got home at 6:45, she ran up to me, huge smile on her face and said "momma, boots! (which for those of you who do not know Arianna language means, Dora the Explorer)...we snuggled on the couch and she held my hand and gave me kisses. I asked her if she missed mommy today and she said yes...mom guilt. I put her to bed and she wanted me to lay by her and sing, so I did. Even though I hadn't eaten dinner yet and I was so beyond tired, I couldn't take one more event of mom guilt. As I dragged myself downstairs at 7:40pm to eat dinner, I could hear her cry out for mom and I went back to her for just one more kiss...mom guilt. Then, last night at 1am as she cried out for momma, I went in her room to lay next to her. Something I normally never would do. But, I have mom guilt. Now, it's brought to a whole new level...my breakfast this morning? A milky way dark candy bar and a diet coke. Serious mom guilt. Little one inside did enjoy all the sugar though, he's doing flips. This leads me to wondering, anyone else ever experience this mom guilt? Anyone else grateful that our children love us unconditionally (at least when they're 2) and that they have very short memories? I am.

and the gems keep coming...

2008-11-05T10:26:00.001-08:00

Seriously people, I know that I'm huge (honestly, I think it's funny the horrible things people say to me which is why I share. I'm not usually offended, I just think "oh my word, people are so dumb.") So, these are the latest tidbits of pregnancy comments:

Are you sure it's not twins?
Really...9 more weeks to go? That seems like a really long time considering your size (yes, someone actually said that to me)
Well, that's not just a cute little baby bump anymore is it?
Even your maternity shirts are getting a little tight around the belly...could you try a larger size?
So, is it a boy or a girl? (I respond, boy). That's what I would have guessed, mothers always are so much rounder when carrying boys

AND, PLEASE PEOPLE, unless you want your fingers broken...hands off the belly. Why do people think they can just reach out and touch my belly. Last night, a lady actually touched my belly and said, "don't feel much movement going on in there...must be running out of room."

I almost broke her hand.

must admit...

2008-11-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have to admit these two things. First, I didn't take many pictures this weekend of our trick-or-treating. Jason was gone and I totally forgot. Thanks goodness for friends who took pictures and I'll try and get them posted soon.
Secondly, we have two local stations who are playing solid Christmas music already. I listened on my way to work. I sang the entire way. I LOVE Christmas music. I'm a total dork, I must admit.