Teeth!!!

I forgot to mention that Izzy has TWO TEETH!!! She was having a hard time falling asleep Saturday night...irritable and restless. My sister, being the baby expert that she is, said she must be teething. We gave her a healthy dose of Tylenol and she was out for the night. Sunday at the pool, Izzy was playing with/chewing on the clear plastic lid for her bottle...and I saw two white nubbs through the lid while it was in her mouth. I was so excited - I immediately lowered her jaw & lip to view the tops of two teeth peeking through her lower gums!!! It was monumental for no one except me. Fellow pool patrons probably thought I was crazy. Such is the life of a mom...the daily discovery of new tricks & traits.

It feels like she has been teething for weeks; thank goodness they are finally here! I cannot wait until they are fully in and shine through her big smile :) Pics to come soon.

Memorial Day Weekend...

Sandi & Ellana, Kel & Iz, Jaime & Luke

Rockin' her new Colts hat
Izzy was rarely out of Aunt Kim's arms
I love these tooters
Not so sure about the cold water...

Yep, she hated it
But looooovvvved playing poolside
Who is that under those sunglasses?
Taylor, Kim & Dylan

Check out the chubby cheeks!!

Ahhh, what a long, three day weekend will do to rejunevate a person! This last weekend was so very relaxing for me and FUN! My sister and her kids came to town on Friday afternoon & stayed until Monday morning. Having the extra hands around the house and help with Izzy was so welcoming. We shopped, we played dominos, we hung out at the pool...was so much fun.

Mike, on the other hand, celebrated the weekend Indy 500 style. Every year he and buddies go to the track on Friday for Carb Day, golf on Saturday, BBQ Saturday night, and the race all day Sunday. Usually, I partake in the latter events; however, this year I opted to spend that time with Izzalicious and my sister instead. Actually, I didn't miss the race one ounce this year...my priorities have changed drastically :)

Saturday night we hosted the race weekend BBQ and had about 20 people over for cornhole and YUMMY food. Thanks to all who helped pitch in to make such a wonderful meal.

Sunday we headed to the pool - Carmel has a new outdoor water park right on the Monon Trail - which the kids LOVED. Water slides, diving well, lazy river, two zero-depth pool/playgrounds for infants...it is a kid's dream. Izzy wasn't such a big fan of the water, which surprised us, as she splashes and plays in the bath every night. I think the water was just a tad too cold for her liking. Daddy usually makes the bath water nice and warm :) We start our AquaBabes classes in a few weeks....where there is a heated pool. Hopefully that will help :)

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend

Izzy's kind of a big deal...

Our daughter is famous. Well, maybe not FAMOUS famous. But she was on t.v. tonight. Ok, maybe it was just the local news. But t.v. nonetheless!!!

This weekend is the Indianapolis 500 race...if you live anywhere near Indiana, you'd know it's kind of a big deal. So today Izzy's daycare held a race honoring the event: the annual "Kindy 500." Today was a beautiful day to host this outdoor event - 70 degrees and sunny! All the (able) kids decorated a cardboard box (some were quite elaborate) and raced by foot to the finish line wearing their "race cars." The teachers didn't want to leave the infants out of this activity (as they are not quite up to the running, or walking, caliber yet), so they loaded the infants by twos into cribs and raced the cribs. I know what you are thinking, "That couldn't be safe!?" I thought the same thing, initially. The teachers are older, so I doubt they were being thrown about...or going at a fast enough pace to cause any harm. My worries quickly subsided when I saw it ON THE LOCAL EVENING NEWS!!! Plain as day, Izzy is sitting up in the crib being pushed by her beloved teachers (sporting her NUK and sitting in the middle of a Boppy pillow for support, of course)!! She even had a close-up!!! Thank goodness for a good hair day and cute outfit :) Of course, only we could recognize her. But we FO SHO dvr'd the entire hour of news tonight to document it. It was such a small segment (they also showed about 30 seconds of the kids wearing their cars while racing - and crashing) that I couldn't even find it on the news' website. But if I DO find it, you better believe I'll post it :) In the meantime, if you want to see her 5 seconds of fame...swing on by and we'll be happy to share it.

Autographs are $1.00. And you might not be able to get one from her for a few years. Girl is just learning to wave...

Save a life...

Did you know you can save up to 3 people's lives by donating blood just one time?

Last week I donated blood for the first time (voluntarily) in many years.

During the initial screening, they took my vitals and reviewed my health history. There was a moment when they didn't think I would be able to donate, as I was 1 pound away from their cut-off. The volunteer had to ask his supervisor if they could go ahead with my blood draw...I was instantly nervous and saddened that I may not be able to save lives. However, they decided not to turn me away...but to simply draw significantly less blood from me.

I used to donate every other month when I lived in Minneapolis, as Target had blood drives all the time & it was a way to get out of working for an hour. This time I donated for reasons far more important than skipping out on work.

First, a young pregnant woman got shot during a bank robbery very near my office last month and lost both of her babies. My girlfriend, Karen Zurcher (who donates blood on a regular basis), told me when she donated a few weeks ago she learned this young woman's story through others donating. This gal went through fertility to get pregnant with these twins. She wanted these babies so much that she used the miracle of science to help make them. Devastating that the lives of her twins were taken from her unexpectedly. This mother needed several blood transfusions to survive.

Secondly, we have several friends whose sisters have given birth very prematurely to their babies in the last few months. Long hospital stays. Intensive critical care. One mother unexpectedly lost her baby shortly before she was to be discharged. Devastating.

Finally, through the miracle of cyberspace, I have discovered many stories of premature births & rare genetic disorders (see my sidebar for blogs that tug at my heart). Several of these babies have survived and several have not. I follow these stories on a daily basis, as I now feel like they are a part of my life. I cry reading these stories & often wonder how I could help. Last week I found out how I could...

While my blood was pumping into this small bag, the nurse asked if I was ok...I must have been wearing my disappointment on my sleeve, literally. I told her I was sad I wasn't going to save 3 people's lives today b/c of my smaller donation. She smiled and said, "No honey, but you will be saving a baby's life today." Instant tears flowed. I couldn't stop them from coming. All I could think about were the twins. My girlfriend's sisters. The blogger babies.

I helped save a baby.

My cup runneth over.

Meg's graduation party...

The doctor :)
Oscar - he gets more handsome each time I see him!

The budding artist
Debbie & Max
Mike & Matthew...and their plaid shorts! These two guys went to high school together, so it was neat to see them with their babies - who are only 3 days apart!

Mom & Iz
Fin & Ali
This weekend we celebrated Megan's graduation/completion of her PhD!!! She has been working towards this goal for many years & can now call herself DOCTOR!!! Woo hoo!! We are all very proud of Meg and her accomplishment. She is currently a Professor at IUPUI and pregnant with her 2nd child (a GIRL!). So lots of fun things happening in the Moosbrugger house.



I'm sorry that I didn't take any group pics, family pics, or simply MORE pics...as there were lots of fun people in attendance. It was so much fun to catch up with everyone...and the most beautiful day to celebrate Meg. We love you!

No, no, no...

Today we took Izzy to the pediatrician...and it was confirmed that she has yet another ear infection. This being said, Izzy has been a little fussy lately around bedtime. She has needed some extra TLC and snuggling, so I didn't want to let her "cry it out" like we used to for bedtime (she hasn't fought nighttime sleep in months). Anyway, tonight I went to her in her crib and simply brought her back down to calm her (similar to what we did on Mother's Day). It was an hour past her bedtime and she decided to show off her new trick: shaking her head back and forth. We were laughing so hard...and finally decided to get the camera. I think she made herself dizzy, as she ends up spitting up at the end of this clip. She's too stinking cute!

Izzy's first boat ride...

Playing with her toys
Checking out the water
Parking the boat is fun
Hanging out on the deck
Found the tag on the toy, of course

She loved the bath in the sink

Looking at the lake with Grandma

Eating a pretzel rod (her new fave) along with cheerios and strawberries. Like the towel we used as a bib? Forgot the bibs at home - whoops!

We spent this last weekend at Mike's mom's lake in northern Indiana. It was one of the most relaxing trips there I've ever had. Something about adding a happy baby to the mix really makes everyday life and trips so much fun!

Izzy had her first boat ride & I don't really think she even noticed we weren't on land anymore. She continued to play with her toys (grandma brought the exersaucer on the boat!!) like normal. We even showed her the water over the side of the boat and she still didn't register than anything was out of the ordinary. Maybe she's just really comfortable with the water like her daddy!

We spent most of the day on Saturday outside (with the exception of the 3 hour nap!) in the sun. That evening Izzy girl took a bath in the sink, sans baby tub, & Iz thought it was so much fun. Either that, or she was just excited to have all eyes on her.

Izzy has taken to enjoying gnawing on pretzel rods the past few weeks. Still no teeth, but loves to gum pretty much anything. Grandma had some cheerios, so we offered those to her as well. She was able to get them in her hands and then in her mouth, but even after sucking on them, she didn't swallow any. She did, however, love the strawberries daddy gave her. So much fun to watch her experience new foods & textures.

Looking forward to the next trip to the lake in June!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

My very first Mother's Day was so much fun! Mike, Izzy & I spent the weekend at the lake relaxing (pictures to come soon). My very first gift from Izzy: a framed finger painting. I literally cried my eyes out when I unwrapped it. Her daycare does some special things for us - this one took the cake. It is going on my desk and I will look at if for days/weeks/years to come! Mike gave me a gift certificate for an hour-long massage...perfect!

After a long weekend up north, we came home around Izzy's bedtime (6pm) and immediately fed her and put her to bed. She talked for a long time in her crib (usually she goes right to sleep) and we ended up getting her back up. Turns out she was extra hungry (growth spurt?) for another bottle. From 8 to 9 tonight we snuggled with our very cuddly daughter. She did lots of smiling, snuggling & talking; her new words (and only words) are "ma ma" and "ba ba." Izzy has also started waving and shaking her head back and forth (it's cute now, but once she knows what "no" means, it won't be so cute anymore). Lots of laughing and loving. Maybe Izzy knew I wanted more time with her tonight. The sweetest way to end Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day to all our moms: Linda, Cathy, Anna & Laura. Also, happy Mother's Day to my sister, Kim. And finally, happy Mother's Day to all my girlfriends. I have learned from all of you and am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to have you moms out there to draw knowledge from. Here's to motherhood & all the joy it brings us! Love you!!

Tag, I'm it...

My girlfriend "tagged" me via bloggerspace. So I'm sharing several random things about myself:

What I was doing 10 yrs ago: early May 1998...I KNOW I had just finished my Junior year at IU and moved to Minneapolis for the summer for my internship at Target HQ. One of my roommates from that summer is still one of my best friends - Krazy Karen Kay. That was one crazy summer...partying in Madison!!! It's also the summer I met Deanna Murphy for the first time partying in Chicago one night (but I didn't remember meeting her-go figure- and we didn't become friends until a few years ago reconnecting at Banana Republic)!!!

Five things on my to do list for today: It's the end of the day. But I still have some things to do. 1. Real estate work to get done - counter offers and such. 2. Clean Izzy's bottles. 3. Clean the kitchen. 4. Pack for the weekend at the lake. 5. Clean carrot stain out of Izzy's outfit.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Pay off mortgage. Buy my mom a house. Quit all jobs. Travel. Have more bambinos...those petri dish kids are expensive!

Five places I have lived: Flint, MI. Hammond, LA. Hoffman Estates, IL. Bloomington, IN. Minneapolis, MN.

Five jobs I have had: Cashier @ Garibaldi's. Cashier @ Menards. Lifeguard. Cheerleading camp instructor. Clothes folder @ Banana Republic :)

I now tag Courtney, Katie, and Kristina. Have fun!!!

Indianapolis Zoo...

Ready to rock the zoo
Giraffes
Baby Elephant w/ daddy
Privacy please?
Monkey business
Still going strong
Zebra butts

Mike petting sharks

Just chillin

Tuckered out after a long day in the sun!

After our cousin Steve & Nikki left this morning, Mike had the great idea to head downtown to the Indianapolis Zoo! I was chomping at the bit to see the baby elephant...I had a sneek peek yesterday during the Mini Marathon (we run past the zoo and each year the elephants head to the top of their hill to get an up-close and personal view of the runners).

So we packed up and headed down...the weather was sunny and 65, perfect day to go to the zoo! We saw all of the animals (except the dolphin show) enjoying the spring weather. The giraffes even had spring fever (Mike made me take pics but I refused to post them - too graphic)! My favorite were the elephants & Mike loved the monkeys and seals. He even got to pet some small sharks. No thank you. Izzy was able to see most of the animals from her stroller. It seemed that she enjoyed watching the other kids more than the animals at time. Too cute.

We may have to head back in a few months when the koala exhibit opens!

Another 1/2 Marathon...

It's official...we have completed yet another Mini Marathon (13.1 miles)!!! This was Mike's 10th year running and Kelly's 7th. Mike's cousin, Steve Jennings, made the trip down from Wisconsin to run with us this year. He's a marathon runner, so this 1/2 marathon was a piece of cake for him. Our good friends, Katie & Rick, also joined us....which they have for the past 3 years.

Mike ran in 1:59, Steve in 1:56, Kelly in 2:09, Rick in 2:04 and Katie in 2:22. The surprising fact was that Katie was supposed to WALK the race and she ended up RUNNING the race. Hadn't trained to run it...and check out her time. Incredible.

I opted to run alone this year...something I haven't done in quite a while (last year I was pregnant and walked with Katie, the year before I ran with Sandi, and the year prior I walked with Becki). A very good friend of mine (Molly) made me 5 hours of a music medley on her iPod for me to run to. The music made the time go faster and helped me pick up the pace (I sprinted across the finish line to BIG PIMPIN'). I stopped once to potty on the race track and a few times at water stations. And I was just diagnosed with a SINUS INFECTION that I've been battling for 5 weeks...so that made my run that much harder. My goal was to break 2 hours...but it looks like I'll have to train harder next year!

After crossing the finish line, we proceeded directly to the beer tent where we all double fisted some Michelob Ultra to ease the pain. I believe we are all limping a bit today...but how fast we forget, as we are all running again next year :)

Here's a link to a photo of me running: http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=32421&PWD=&ID=49535396&FROM=photos&BIB=7515