The Oberle Telegraph

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to All!!! Its been a long time since our last post but here are the hightlights of December, with more to come!

Emerson turned 3 years old on December 6th. It is hard to believe that she is that old already!! We had the most fun at her birthday party!

Friday night we had the Oberle family Christmas in Claflin. It was great to see everyone and we got some great family time together. Short but fun!!! Both of the kids racked in a ton of cool stuff for Christmas and birthday's. The reason we exchange gifts was evident when Emerson opened her gifts this year. It was super cool to see her so excited. Grandma Ann- The tutu dress was a GREAT idea!!!

We got back to Overland Park in time for Church so we made the mad dash to get the kids ready and get to Mass. Isaac is generally an angel in church...he picked Christmas Eve as the one day to make church difficult. By difficult, we still got compliments on how good both of them were in church so I guess it couldn't have been that bad!

Last night we set out the cookies and "juice" (propel water) for Santa and carrots for Rudolf and the reindeer. Emerson thought Santa would prefer juice over milk. This morning the kids had their way with the toys and we now need to add on another wing to the house for all it! Isaac and Emerson were thrilled with their gifts. Isaac thought his Thomas the train was pretty awesome.

Its hard to believe that Emerson is 3 but its equally hard to believe that Isaac will turn 1 next week!! The time is going fast and he is growing big and smart! He is so much fun and we couldn't imagine our lives without either one of them. They certainly made this Christmas amazing. Isaac will get to enjoy 3 first birthday parties this year since his birthday is so close to Christmas. The first was at Oberle Christmas where he had a cake. He wasn't sure about that but I am sure that by the time he gets to the 3rd party at the Kehrt family Christmas, he will have it Mastered. His actual birthday may be far less excitements for him since it will just be the 4 of us.

Getting Closer!

2011-11-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

We haven't been up to much the last two weekends there are no pictures this post. Sorry....

We did have our friends Andrea and Jason Kidd come into town to have some fun this weekened. They have two small children of their own and the kids all had a BLAST. It was a ton of fun!!! The kids played well together. Isaac has a new best buddy in Sam. Friday night Bruce grilled and we caught up with conversation while Em, Isaac, Sam, & Caitlyn played hard! Saturday morning we joined some other couples to watch the Nebraska game (they are alums). We later headed out to the Legends. The guys watched the K-State game while the girls and kids did some shopping, which was essentially the trainwreck of public outings! We finished up the night by taking Sam to the T-Rex restaraunt out there. The kids thought it was pretty awesome and they had some fun adult beverages for us parents so all were happy!

We have been working on making kid milestones the last two weeks!

Isaac is getting closer to crawling and finally shows bits of interest. I understand his logic completely...."why do I need to learn to walk or crawl when these 3 people that in live in my house do it all for me. Mom and Dad will put things out of my reach just to mess with me...but if a make cool noises, my sister just hands them to me! It works out very well in my favor". He is getting up on all 4's now and several times has looked like he is just going to do it...but so far...just living the dream of having us be at his beck and call.

Emerson has made leaps and bounds at potty training. Very few accidents this week!! WHOO HOO (knock on wood) we aren't there completely but we can see the diaper expense line in our family budget already improving :) We are not opposed to bribery so she is reaping the benefits in stickers and M&M's. She filled up her 2 potty cards in the last two weeks which has earned her "big" rewards which she is quite proud of.

Its been a while!!!

2011-11-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

Wow I didn't realize Its been that long since I posted! October went too fast!! We had a pretty low key month which was nice change from a crazy September. I will try to relay the highlights!

Isaac received a clean bill of health at his 9 month appt. He is 19# and thinning out significantly from his prior stout little self. He is not crawling or walking. He rolls if he needs to get somewhere but really there is little motivation to learn to be mobile. I mean really, if he has a sister at his beck and call what more does he need?!?! He is also so laid back that if he has his bink, he is pretty content doing --well nothing! But he is happy and healthy and that's all we care about! The mobility will come when he is damn good and ready!

Emerson is still working on potty training. We are starting to make some headway this week which I am scared to say because September and October were met with much resistance so we didn't push it. She has a little girl at daycare that she is really good friends with that is potty training which is really helping and then she spent some time with Iowa friends and cousins that use the big potty...so we are using that motivation as leverage :) Again, it will come when she is damn good and ready!

Grandma and Papa Oberle came to visit for the NASCAR race in October and as usual it was super fun having them come to stay. They stayed with us one night so they did get some good 1-1 time with the kids.

Last weekend we took a trip to Iowa to Celebrate our friends Brice and Sarah's wedding. Yes, Sarah and Brice have been married for a few years now but we have never had a chance to celebrate their wedding. So what better way to celebrate than a Halloween party!!! It was an absolute blast! We were able to see a lot of my Des Moines friends as well as quality time with Grandma and Papa Kehrt and Uncle Noel, Aunt Stacey, Mara, & Ellen.

Halloween is starting to get to be a lot of fun at our house. This year we were able to take Emerson around and she is really getting into the fun of Halloween and trick or treating. She was a cute pink cowgirl and Isaac was Yoda! It was a lot fun! After getting Emerson her stash of candy she had fun helping me hand out candy to the other kids too!

Here a some good pictures!

Uncle Noel- Need a buddy to watch the big game with? Call me!!

Howdy Pardner!

Time to get candy it is! Saddle up Pardners let's hit the trail!

How often do you get a deceased Osama Bin Laden, Flashdance, A drunk monk, a slutty nun, and Princess Kate and Prince William in a room together??

Little Princess and Congratulations to the King & Queen!!

2011-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

This was a big weekend for the Oberle family! One we have been waiting in great anticipation for! Our little princess was a flower girl for Uncle Mike & Aunt Angela's wedding!!! It was a beautiful weekend. The weather could not have cooperated any better. We had both sets of grandparents on deck to assist with kid duty which was a huge help. Bruce had Best Man duties and Emerson had flower girl duties. They both did a wonderful job!

Getting ready for our big role!!!

Isn't she the cutest flower girl you've ever seen???

Isaac with the grandparents-- all looking very sharp!!

Grandma Judy did Emerson's hair for the big event and it turned out adorable to say the least. The dress was perfect. We didn't even need to get it altered and her little gold shoes set it off! She walked down the aisle and back with no issues! Mike's Niece, Brooke was another flower girl and she helped/led Emerson very well. Emerson also sat with her for the first 3/4 of the service and Emerson was quiet as a mouse. I have no idea what they did but when she came back to sit with me, she was a little chatter box!! I told Brooke that we owed her big!!! And we still do! Emerson danced her little buns off at the reception and Isaac was picking up chics left and right with his little brown suit! We owe Grandma's and Papa's Linda, Judy, Dick, & Leon because they took the kids home around 10:15 and Bruce and I got to stay up with the big kids and play for a while! Among all the other tasks they did this weekend!! There were so many of our close friends there! It was a great party!!

Grandma's & Papa's I think had a pretty good time watching the kids too ;)

Uncle Mike and Isaac-- The two most handsome men at the party!

Mike and Angela looked stunning to say the least! They are a georgous and amazing couple! The wedding was fabulous and we were so happy to be a part of their big day! Congratulations to King and Queen of the day!!

Grandma and Emerson waiting for pictures

This might be the best we've dress for a long time and a long time to come.

2011-09-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

For fear of getting of getting in trouble for not updating the blog. I thought I would get ahead of you all!

There isn't much to report the last few weeks. We haven't done much. We are excited that football season is upon us so that will now consume most of our weekends.

We were able to get to a K-State football game for their opening game. We got some tickets from friends that were going to be out of town. We even had an offer to babysit....can't pass on that. Bruce and I had fun it was a quicker trip that Bruce would have liked but it was fun none- the- less. Labor day weekend was low key besides that. So lowkey I can't remember what we did!

Last Saturday we went to our friends John & Heidi Ernst's to watch the Iowa/Iowa State game. Since, K-State was off a week- Iowa State had both kids full attention. For the record, I try to be fair to both teams equally (even against my instinct to make it all ISU) but this week-- nope full speed ahead for ISU! John is an Iowa Hawkeye fan and Heidi is an ISU grad so we were in good company... the game ended with the good guys winning but not easily. Heidi and I were jumping up and down screaming, John was pacing the floor, and Bruce was laughing his head off at all 3 of us. In the end it was a great fun day!

I gotta run...Emerson just pulled a fast one on me

Emerson- Hi Mommy, can I have a hug?

Me- Yes honey of course as I give/get a big hug

Emerson- Mommy can I have a kiss too?

Me- Absolutely as I give/get a kiss

Emerson- I love you Mommy, now can I have a cookie?

....I feel so used!!!!....but after that much effort....yep she got a cookie. Mission Accomplished Emerson!

Great Summer

2011-08-27T07:28:00.001-07:00

Summer is drawing to an end and we have had a great season with the kids. We didn't "do" a lot but it seems likes we were/are always busy! Some of the cool things... we spent time in Claflin at the all school reunion, we went to Illinois to see Grandma Marion and The Kehrt side of the family, we traveled to Iowa for the 4th and had a lot of fun on the lake, and there were several days by the pool and in the backyard.

This is not a posed picture. They are watching Mickey Mouse together...this pic will prove as visual documentation in 5 years that there was a time that they actually liked each other!

Emerson is doing very well. She loves to "read" and color. Those are really two of her favorite activities. Outside is always fun and she recently got a new soccer ball which is getting good use. She is still a string bean weighing in at appx 24 pounds and she stretched out a little this summer. But just like her mommy, don't let her size fool you-- she has a very strong personality and has no fear telling you her opinion. From what I am told her verbal skills are excellent and some of her comments will make you first wonder how the heck a 2.5 year old thinks that crap up and then second laugh your head off. She ADORES her little brother and remains his chief protector. We have initiated the potty training, but it is a slow process for her- we are in no hurry so it is coming along slowly but surely.

Our Summertime Princess!

Isaac is growing like crazy he has gone through 2 growth spurts this summer alone. He now has 3 teeth and hopefully 2 more will come through this week. His teeth have been giving him fits lately so we know they are hiding in there. Outside of teeth pain, I think we may have the most laid back kid in history. Now, I know I said that about Emerson, but she doesn't hold a candle to this kid...keep his bink in his mouth and his belly full and he is good to just let the world turn. He will quickly surpass his sister in size. Right now he is appx 17-18 pounds but is in the middle of that second growth spurt!

We didn't know that Accounting could be so funny!!!

Are you ready for some Football??

Great Concert, Great Weekend!

2011-07-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

We get the excitement this summer of seeing all 3 of our favorite "Bands" this summer. Jimmy Buffet kicked off our summer. Kenny Chesney/Zac Brown Band was this weekend. It was a lot of fun!!! My parents drove down to watch the kids while Chad/Roxanne, Jill/Nick, and Mike/Angela all went to the concert. Bruce's brother Troy, his wife Robin, and daughter Abby also went with a group of their friends. It was more sun and beer than I needed to intake in one day but a great concert!!! Bruce is not a fan of country music but he even enjoyed watching Zac Brown Band. I am a big Kenny Chesney fan, but I am not sure who was the better band last night. Both were good!!! We didn't make it into the stadium in time to see Uncle Kracker. Billy Currington was good eye candy and performer! The Foo Fighters is in September. That is Emerson's favorite band so we haven't told her that we are going but she has to stay home yet...That may not go well :)

My brother Chad & I.

The Girls!

Proof that Bruce voluntarily attended a country concert (And he liked it)!!

Fun in the Sun

2011-07-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since our last post. The summer is getting away from us. We spent the 4th of July in Iowa this year. It was a great time. We had good weather, good boating, and a lot of fun. Bruce somehow managed to get out of another parade. I will say he finds creative ways of "missing" parades!

Last weekend Bruce hosted Mike Wondra's Bachelor party at our house. The kids and I packed up and stayed at Uncle Mike's while all the guys were here. We had a lot of fun hanging out with Angela and Lucy (the dog) and the guys didn't destroy our house so a good time was had by all!

This weekend we vowed to PLAN nothing...whatever we do is on the fly this weekend. The next several weekends will be packed with activities so its rest and relaxation this weekend.

Bruce and the kiddos

We're getting excited for football season-- assuming there is one!

Emerson and Sophie Towns taking in the sun!

Taking a ride on Papa's new raft

Isaac enjoying the evening in his bumbo.

Family Vacation to Illinois

2011-06-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

We took a family vacation this week to Bourbonnais, Illinois. All week Emerson was yelling "we are going to ILLINOIS!!!" We went to see my dad's side of the family and spend some time with my Grandma Marion. We got to Gram's on Thursday, met Mom and Dad, and spent some time with Grandma. Bruce and I then went into Chicago for a day to see the sites. It was COLD! We weren't anticipating the temp to be 54 degrees so we ended up doing some shopping on Michigan Ave for long sleeves! We went to one of Bruce's favorite restaurants - Gino's East for deep dish pizza. Having both been there before, we knew that the after meal walk would be slower and need to be longer because you are so full you don't want to move let alone walk! We did consider going to bed at 8:00pm for a full night of uninterrupted sleep with no child waking us up at 6:30am. BUT we decided to keep at it and froze some more by walking down to Navy Pier. Which had all of 7 people on it, but was only 2 blocks from our hotel. We walked and shopped a bit, which was fun. We had a beer a Harry Carey's and were still asleep by 10pm! (I know wild and crazy are we?!?) Friday we went to Shedd Aquarium before heading back to Gram's. I will say this. Omaha Zoo will give it a good (if not better) run for the $$ and I do remember Bruce saying at one point...."with all the kids here, I really hope that I like our own when I get home!"

Gram only lives about 1 hour from downtown Chicago so we were able to make it back and enjoy some time with Aunt Sandy and Uncle G at their place for dinner. Uncle Schnooks/G and Emerson got along REALLY well. I think we can mark off one more finger that she has a male family member wrapped around!!! We all had a great time playing with the kids and catching up. Its been a long time since I had been back there but it was fun so see the area and all that has and has not changed! Saturday, Bruce, Dad, and Uncle G golfed while Mom, the kids, and I went to the mall and restocked on University of Illinois, Chicago Bears , & Blackhawks gear. We did pretty good!! We let Gram rest for the morning and all got together that night at Anita & Tim's (my cousin) for Makenzie's high school graduation party. It was a really good time and I really enjoyed seeing a lot of people that I spent a lot time with as a child but haven't seen in so many years! Emerson found a friend in Autumn's daughter Lea and the two played and played. We do need to work on Em's hide and seek skills-- to say the least, she is a really good seeker....not a good hider! ;) We got to spend the evening catching up with Grandma Marion and family!

We had intentions of staying until Monday but decided to head all the way back to KC on Sunday. We stayed to see Grandma in the morning and then took off back to Kansas. It was a great time and I missed everyone so much. It was hard to leave but we won't wait so long to go back I promise!

Our Kehrt 4th Generation picture!!

Emerson & Gram smiling for Mommy (who can't put the camera down!)

Grandma Linda- your nose isn't as easy to grab as Papa Dick's is!!!

Dad & Uncle G (Uncle Schnooks)

Our little princess is ready to go to the Graduation party!

Claflin All-School Reunion

2011-06-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

We headed back to Claflin over Memorial Day weekend to join the town in the All school class reunion. Claflin is consolidating with a couple other nearby towns to form a new district Called the Central Plans Oilers. They held a festival if you will over the holiday to celebrate school. It was a fun weekend full of fun, sun, and lot (and lots) of wind.

Most of Bruce's brothers and sister's were able to come back for the celebration. Scott and Arlene were late because Chelsea qualified for state in the triple jump and the 4x1 relay. CONGRATULATIONS Chelsea on your 3rd place finish in the triple jump!!!! The 4x1 placed 6th so they still scored points for the team!!!!

Sunday they held a parade which Bruce conveniently managed to "miss" because the golf tournement he was playing in "ran behind". Papa Leon led the parade in the military color guard.. Emerson like seeing him walk with the American flag! She thougth the parade was pretty cool EXCEPT for the big trucks and stock cars revving their engines. Isaac really didn't get into it either since it was 95 degrees we kept him in the stroller out of the sun. After the parade, we went swimming and walked around the games in the park. We ended the night with a street dance and beer garden. We were able to see a lot of our friends that we do and don't get to see a lot of. Isaac took a personal liking to Nicki Jeffrey! I think our little guy has a preference for brunettes!! He couldn't take his eyes off of her, he smiled, and flirted with her!!!

Sunday we attended a memorial in the cemetary for one of Bruce's relatives and a memorial day celebration. It was good that we went so we could see Grandma Ann at the memorial. On our way out of town we stopped in Lyons to see Grandma Florentine and have her meet Isaac. She had a fall a few weeks ago so she wasn't feeling herself that day but we hope her a speedy recovery and back to her usual self soon!!!

We don't have any pictures because I forgot the camera and haven't moved the pics from my phone yet. Hopefully next time!!!

Quiet Mom's Day & Happy Birthday Bruce!

2011-05-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty quiet Mother's day this year. Mainly because the week before was more excitement than we really needed.

You see, for the last year and a half, I have been doing allergy shots to help me build an immunity to all that I am allergic to (which is just about everything outside). I have been on allergy medication since I was a child. It takes 3 shots for me since I am so allergic. So every week I trounce off to the allergist's office, let them stick me in the arm 3 times, wait 20 minutes and trounce off back to work. Tuesday the 3rd was anything but normal. Shortly after my shots were administered, I have an allergic reaction to them which sent me into Anaphlyactic shock. I had excellent medical providers in the office that provided immediate attention. 3 epi-pens, a LOT of prednisone and Benedryl, and an ambulance ride later I was stable in the ER where they were able to keep it all under control. I was kept in the ICU overnight for monitoring as there is generally a 2nd reaction that follows 4-8 hours after the initial reaction. There is a good reason that they don't allow you to self administer these shots. My reaction occured so fast that I would not have had enough time to call 911 or enough epi-pens to save myself had I been alone. It was very scary and I can't thank my medical providers enough for their quick response and care. I am back to doing the shots because they have literally changed my life for the better. My treatment plan has changed however, to avoid another occurance and my face from looking like an over inflate beach ball! (Insert the visual of Will Smith in the movie Hitch after he eats the shell fish here!!)

The rest of the week was really spent trying to recover and regain my strength. Coming off the prednisone was not easy. For this reason, Bruce's birthday was a bust. Luckily we had Uncle Mike and Aunt Angela to come to the rescue! Angela made Bruce dinner and brownies and Mike brought him beer! We did make up for it a little by going to a Brazilian steakhouse last night for date night.

Mother's day was spent hanging out with the kids and a walk in the Country Club Plaza because the weather was amazing! I have two wonderful children and a saint for a husband!!! We also wouldn't be where we are without the love and support of our own Mother's and Grandmothers!

This kid is RARELY in a bad mood! He's awesome!

She is a caring, happy, playful little Bugaboo or Hotrod!!

Our sweet little Angels

Fin Land 2010!

2011-05-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend was adults only weekend! Bruce and I and a large group of friends went to the Jimmy Buffet concert. He finally came back to KC so we didn't have the long drive to and from Dallas this year!

For those of you that don't know, Bruce is a parrothead. Has been since long before I met him and now I am a parrothead by marriage. We have devoted our basement, the name of this blog, and a lot of money to supporting JB's retirement (as if he needs our help)! And times like this weekend make it all worth it. This is by far the best party I have ever been too. That guy has an amazing talent of marketing fun!

Saturday morning was spent getting the house ready for a group of friends to come over for the pre-party festivities...yep, we had a party before the party! Once our very cool and ever so awesome babysitter got there, we made our way down to power and light district to get into the mood with thousands of our closest parrothead friends. We had a great time. Of course Jimmy was amazing as usual and he sang a lot of our favorite songs! It was a beautiful afternoon! I mention our very amazing babysitter because mid-party Bruce asked her if she would stay all night, she agreed. Sunday morning Bruce and I were in no mood to get up at 6:00 so she got up fed the kids and stayed until 8:00 am! No, I won't share her!!!

Easter in IOWA-WA-WA-WA

2011-04-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter this year in Iowa. This was Isaac's first road trip and lets just say the car seat is his kryponite. The little guy slept all the way there and all the way back. We were able to make good time this way! It was great!

Since Uncle Chad and Uncle Noel and their respective fams were spending Easter with other family members it was just the 6 of us. We did get to see Grandma and Grandpa Thompson, Uncle Buck, Aunt Gayle, Whitney, Brandon, & Zach which was a lot of fun! Saturday morning Emerson and Grandma had "spa day" where Emerson "cleaned out" Grandma's bathroom cabinets and then Grandma painted Emerson's fingernails. They both had a blast! Saturday night the Thompson side joined us for dinner and company. We painted Easter eggs and I am not sure who had more fun Whitney or Emerson! We had some great looking eggs! Bruce was being a buzz-kill and didn't want to participate but Whitney made him a K-State egg anyway. We didn't get a game of chicken-foot in like we wanted but it was a great time! Its been too long since we have been able just to sit around and catch up.

We did have some exciting news! Isaac rolled over all on his own for the first time on Saturday morning!!!

Sunday we got up and Emerson found half of the Easter bunnys stash of eggs before church. I don't think the Easter bunny anticipated that she is quite as observant as she is!! After church we finished the egg hunt and found the kids easter baskets. WOW did the Easter bunny go a little (No a lot) overboard this year! Isaacs basket was pouring over with candy and goodies and he doesn't even have teeth! The easter bunny is very nice and we thank him/her VERY much! We got some great pics of the weekend! We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe Easter!!

Em must have found another Egg before we could get this picture taken!

Great Grandma & Great Papa with the kids!

Our happy little man!

Emerson and her Easter goods

Coloring Easter Eggs!

Isaac's Baptism

2011-04-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

We welcomed Isaac into the Catholic faith this weekend. It was a great weekend full of family, friends, and fun! Thanks to everyone that attended the event and those that couldn't make it but sent love with cards and gifts!!

My oldest brother Chad and his fiance Roxanne graciously agreed to be Isaac's Godparents. We turned the weekend into a family get together since everyone gets the joy of traveling to come see us (yep, I really did say JOY=) Chad, Roxanne, Mom and Dad Kehrt came on Friday night. We spent the evening catching up. Emerson and Uncle Chad spent much of that time running around the house with her popper toy. Saturday the guys went golfing while us ladies went shopping. Isaac got the short end of the stick and had to go shopping with the girls...he's not quite strong enough to swing the club yet! That's Papa Kehrt's next project =) We grilled out Saturday night after Mom & Dad Oberle, Grandma Ann, Troy, Robin & the girls came into town. Emerson had an absolute blast racing Uncle Chad and Uncle Troy across the backyard-- without shoes! She had one of those very rare nights that when Grandma Kehrt took her up to bed, she went without complaint.

Sunday was a great day! Isaac did very well at the Baptism. He only cried when they put the oil on his head. There were 3 other little boys getting Baptized the same time. They do things a little differently here in Overland Park. Father Cullen surprised Chad and Rox when he informed them that the Godparents also have the responsibility to pay for Isaac's college! I promised him we wouldn't send Isaac to the U of Iowa or Kansas....if he wants to be a Dr, we'll send him to Penn State or maybe UCLA! Uncle Mike and Aunt Amy told Chad & Rox that they decided Emerson gets to go to Johnson County Community College....humm....we need to look at a plan B to pay for the rest!

It was a great weekend and we thank Chad and Rox for being a part of Isaac's special day and this aspect of his life!

Hurry up Uncle Chad....this popper doesn't pop itself!!

Uncle Troy's gaining on you Em!!!

Emerson & Isaac with the Easter bunny!!!

Emerson & Mickey were worn out after everyone left on Sunday!!

Happy Baptism Isaac!

Isaac getting the holy water poured over his head. He didn't even cry!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2011-03-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone is back to work and at daycare now. All is well, I am actually glad to be back among adults on a daily basis! I think I have always been pretty honest that I love my children very much and cherish every minute I get to spend with them. BUT, I am a much better Mommy, Wife, and person if I go to work. And since Bruce doesn't make endless amounts of money- I don't have a choice :)

Emerson is loving having "Her Isaac" at daycare with her. She is his protector so I know exactly what happens every day. She loves daycare and now that Isaac's newness has worn off for her, coming home from daycare is once again a struggle. That is a good problem to have I know. She is still a nightowl and hates getting up in the morning. I have used some of the unfair tactics my dad used on me as a teenager. Turing on the light, pulling the covers off the bed, jumping on the end of the bed all while yelling "Good Morning! Its a beautiful day outside, its time to get up!" And for the record, NO I have not turned into a morning person, it is just as painful for me as it is for her.

Isaac is growing! He had his 2 month appt this week. He is a little over 12# and 22.25" long. Stocky little man! He isn't as long as Emerson but he is almost 3# heavier than she was at 2 months. He still has some acid reflux so they are keeping on the medications for a little longer. He is a very happy laid back baby. He loves to laugh and smile. He is still sleeping good getting up usually only 1 time at night but he is an earlier riser which is different from Emerson.

Since the kids and I can honestly say there is Irish in us. We all hope everyone has a very Happy St. Patrick's day!!!

Story time with Mommy! Isaac's bandaid on his head is a lesson that he isnt quite ready to play yet!

Our happy little man!

A future soccer star maybe??

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!

Getting Healthy

2011-02-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

The kids have had a rough couple of weeks. Emerson got sick with a fever we were unable to keep down. We thought we had it beat but didn't so after a trip to the ER we found out she had a virus and bronchitis. She is on the mend and the cough is getting better. Since she is such a loving and sharing big sister, Isaac also came down with a cough. No fever for him which is good but A LOT of projectile vomiting and some constipation! His distance with vomit is quite impressive!! There were a few trips to the Dr's office and several loads of laundry. We even had one day that I couldn't leave the house because ALL of my pants were in the wash from the day before!! Somehow through it all he has continued to gain weight which is good. The vomiting episodes are reducing so I think he is on the mend now.

Bruce was ecstatic about the beating that K State gave Kansas just hours after receiving their #1 ranking in basketball. Today we are hoping ISU can pull out a win against Mizzou and Kstate can get another good win against Oklahoma. Emerson is all about ISU and KSU winning their games but thanks to Uncle Mike's fiance, Angela, has formed an affection for Notre Dame too! Its a good thing Mommy and Daddy like the Irish too or that would be a hard habit to break. Emerson is working on quitting her thumb sucking habit- which is not as easy as we or she would like it to be. Isaac is getting more alert everyday. He is sleeping well at night getting up usually once during the night and then again early morning. We are lucky there again (for now:). He did keep Mommy and Daddy up a lot last night and apparently thought it was pretty funny. He vomited all over Daddy, smiled, and laughed the rest of the night!

We don't have any new pictures but will soon! Happy President's day everyone!

Winter Fun!

2011-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

We all got some quality time together last week as we had what the news stations titled "Blizzard 2011" Overland Park got 12 inches of snow in a 20 hour period. We are on busy streets so we fortunately were plowed out early. Bruce got the joy of shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. For the record, I would have helped but we had both kids home and he broke the good shovel so we only had one. So much for the lifetime warranty! We were actually home the second day because Opa and Tanta's street were not so fortunate as ours. The cons of living on a cul-de-sac I suppose--last to get plowed out.

We played in the snow a little bit though this weekend. I bought Em a new pair of snowboots this winter and wanted to make sure we got some use. We don't get as much snow as you Iowa peeps so getting our money's worth is not as easy as one would think. Em and I made a minature snowman in the front yard using sweet gumballs as eyes- who knew those stupid things could serve a purpose!

Isaac had his 1 month check up last week. He is growing like a weed. He is over the 9# mark and in the 30th percentile for weight and 20th for height. I think he is going to have Bruce's build and my families looks. Interestingly, Emerson has my build and Bruce's families looks. Thank heaven's that Emerson did not get Bruce's thighs!!! On men, it is an excellent trait...on women it is years of body image issues!

Emerson's minature "Frosty"!

Yes, it is easy being this cute!

Emerson and Isaac ready for the KSU vs ISU Basketball game. Emersons team won this round
:( Isaac isn't all that excited about it in this picture either!!

2011-01-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

I was informed in a not so subtle manner that I don't update this blog enough. I can say 1) I will try to do better and 2) Sorry, my/our life is not that exciting or at least I don't think shopping trips to Target and then watching football all day is note worthy. But at any rate, I will try to do better to update more on the kids. I am not crazy enough to think that anyone reads this because they are interested in Bruce and I -- you're all in it for the kids-- we know that :)

We had the pleasure of having Grandma and Papa Kehrt here last week to play with the kids. Emerson was very excited to be able to spend time with them. We did take her to daycare one morning to get her friends fix but she had Grandma and Papa's attention for the majority of the week which was perfect for her. I could not keep Papa from getting bored- I think his A.D.D. kicked in by Wednesday and I couldn't give Grandma enough to do either... I think they got pretty bored. But I don't think they realized how helpful they really were. Grandma took the 6am Isaac feeding every day which allowed Mommy to sleep in-- that extra sleep is priceless!!

Isaac is changing FAST!! When he was born, he looked just like Emerson, but now he looks nothing like her. I can't really look at him and say "you look like..." but I do think his looks favor my side of the family-- The Thompson side if I had to narrow. His eyes are a little lighter blue this week but I don't think they will stay blue. I do think they will turn Brown in the end to match Sister and Daddy's. He is more awake this week and getting more aware of his surroundings. He does great at night usually sleeping 3-4 hours at a time...so far our luck continues...for now....

We had the Kehrt family Christmas this weekend and everyone was able to make it. This was very important to me because my nephew Josh will be leaving to work in Brazil for 2 years in the next couple of months. I am so excited for him to have this opportunity but will miss him very much. It is hard to believe that Isaac will be Emerson's age when he moves back!!

Emerson checking the stock markets on her Leaptop and Blackberry!!

Dick & Linda Kehrt's entire Posse!

Emerson was able to suck Nick into reading a large # of books to her. He enjoyed it as much as she did

Isaac chilling out between naps

Christmas 2010 & Isaac Anton Oberle

2011-01-05T11:48:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas a few weeks late! We have had a very exciting Christmas season! Emerson enjoyed her christmas very much. She has mastered the art of opening gifts. She loves opening gifts- even if the gift isn't hers! She must have been very good because Santa brought her a ton of gifts this year. She has no lack of things to keep her busy. Our living room has been renamed to Emerson's play room- where Mom & Dad keep the tv and couches! We got up bright and early on Christmas day for Emerson to find her stash of new toys & clothes. We then ate breakfast and got ready for the day. We spent some well deserved just us family time which was fun to watch her get into all of her new stuff. Later in the afternoon we headed off to Troy & Robins where the rest of the family was driving in from various parts of Kansas. Emerson is a huge fan of her Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandma, Papa, and of course Ace Uncle Troy's dog. She scored big there with presents as well on Sunday! Of course the gift giving isn't over yet. We have the Kehrt family Christmas later in January!

Things started to get back to normal until Wednesday. The three of us headed off to one of my Dr' appts to see when we may get the arrival of 2.0. Dr. said it could be today, it could by 2 weeks but not over 2 weeks or we will induce. So back to work I went. A few hours later, we were in the hospital working on getting 2.0 here just in time to claim that tax deduction for Daddy. He joined us late that night and is a beautiful little boy!!!!

Isaac Anton Oberle
Born 12.30.10 at 1:00 am

6 pound 3.4 oz

18 inches long

There is none more proud than his big sister Emerson! She is very protective of her "Buddy" or "little Bro" as she calls him. There was even an episode when we brought him home where he started crying, so she started crying, and then Mommy started crying because they were both crying!!! She loves to give him kisses on the head and rub his back. She is a very good big sister!!

Sorry for the long post.....a lot of news! Here are the pictures!

Isaac Anton doing tummy time-he's doesn't seem to mind it :)

Isaac and his "protector" Emerson

First family photo- not Mommy's best!

Emerson with some of her christmas goodies- and some of Daddy's stocking candy!

Christmas 2010

Happy 2nd Birthday Emerson!!!!

2010-12-06T11:55:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to our little girl!!!!

It is hard to believe that Emerson is 2 years old already! She is getting to be so big and smart! She has had kind of an extended birthday. Grandma Judy, Aunt Bev, and Anna came from Claflin last weekend to see Emerson and do some Christmas shopping. So she received presents last weekend. This weekend, she received birthday packages from Grandma Linda & Papa Dick so she got more gifts on Saturday!!! Sunday, Uncle Mike, Angela, and Cub came over to celebrate her birthday some more with cake and ice cream. Em LOVES Ice Cream!!! She was able to open a few of her presents from Mom and Dad at that miniture birthday party too. Today, she has a birthday party at daycare and then dinner and more presents with Mom and Dad tonight!

Our lives have been flipped turned upside down the last 2 years but we wouldn't change a thing!!!

We love you Emerson and Happy Birthday!!!!

Our little sweetheart on her 2nd birthday!
Celebrating her birthday with some Cake and Ice Cream!!!

Graduated!!

2010-11-14T16:24:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weekends have been very exciting for Emerson! Here are her updates!

Emerson went as a bumble bee for Halloween. She was very excited about this and we have enough candy to get us through next year! Friday afternoon Bruce's office had a party for all of the employee's kids. She had a blast walking around the office saying "buzz, buzz" and "trick or treat!" Sunday night was trick or treating in OP so we dressed her up again, took her to daycare so Opa and Tanta could see her in her costume and then to a few of our neighbors homes so they could see her too. For the few places she went to, she raked in a good load!!

Last weekend, we had a wedding to go to in Nebraska. Emerson got to spend the weekend with Uncle Chad and Aunt Roxanne and WOW did she have fun! When we left for the wedding on Saturday they were eating a kitkat and drinking caprice sun! She had so much fun with Uncle Chad and Aunt Rox that I am not sure that she noticed we were missing!! I am really not sure who had more fun, Chad or Emerson :) They told us that she was an absolute angel and was perfect. I am not sure that they got the "true" Emerson but I am glad she was good for them :)

This weekend Emerson graduated to her big girl room!! We planned on her moving to the loft bedroom and 2.0 to assume the bedroom on our level. We painted it in green and pink and put her toys up there so she has been getting used to playing up there for a while. We took the next big girl step and moved her bed up there this weekend. She has done pretty well both nights. She has woken up and called for Mom & Dad but has been able to go right back to sleep once she was joined for a bit. She has done great! 2.0's room is ready to go and Emerson is getting used to her big girl room so the house is almost ready for our new arrival!

Emerson saying Hi to her brother/sister at 30 weeks

Playing in the leaves... Lord knows we have plenty!!

Our little Bumble Bee!!!

Fall Fun!

2010-10-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we posted and that is mainly because I have been lazy. No good excuse besides that (oh and we are raising one and growing another if that counts)!!!

We have had some events lately....We took a family outing to Deanna Rose's Farmstead a few weekends ago. It is basically a small farmstead in the middle of Overland Park. For you Iowa folks, it is a miniture version of living history farms. We had a good time. Emerson loved the pigs, horses, cows, and fishing pond. She did NOT love the goats- they were a little aggressive for her liking. We walked around most of the farm but is does warrant a trip back. We did a hayride which took us to the halloween and pumpkin exhibit. Emerson had a blast on the haybale slide and the corn pit (a hog trough filled with feed corn). We each picked out our favorite choice of pumpkin! We will definitely make another trip to the "farm" next year.

Emerson had to have tubes put in her ears a few weeks ago as well. We have had a rash of ear infections since late August/September and none of the antibiotics were working so after having 7 infections within the last year (3 in the last 2 months) the ENT thought it was time. She did really well and hasn't had any problems since! It is a little scarey knowing that they are going to put your child under anesthetic to do the procedure but it was only about 15 minutes and she had great doctors so we are happy with her care!

Little O 2.0 is growing perfectly and can put his/her big sister to shame with the amount of movement this little one can do! He/she moves constantly!! It is a good sign but I can only wonder how what my 8 and 9th month will be if it is this "busy" now! We are seeing the Dr every two weeks now since we are into the 3rd trimester and Dr. Heit is cutting us off travel outside the metro after the 25th of October. I did get clearance to go to Omaha/Lincoln for a wedding the first week of November but after that no travel more than 1 hour away. This is standard protocol for their practice and all of their patients. Dr. Smith did the same thing with Emerson. I recently failed my glucose test but do have to complete a 3 hour test this weekend to confirm if I do in fact have Gestational Diabetes which is likely. I had it with Emerson and expected it again. It is a bummer but a small sacrifice for a healthy baby!!

Football Season is here!!!

2010-09-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Football Season is here!!! This time of year makes everyone in the Oberle household happy!

Last weekend we had the Kehrt Clan in Kansas City for the Iowa State Vs Kansas State football game at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a great weekend we had a lot of fun! Noel and his family were able to join us this year which was even more fun! It was very hot in our seats, but fun all the same. We did miss Jake and Nick this year~ someone had to stay home and work! We had a good tailgate party and were joined by several of our KC friends both wearing Red and Purple. Emerson has also learned that she can't get in any trouble when cheering on a football team if she yells "Go STATE!" It is pretty cute to hear her say and it works for both teams! She has also learned to cheer on the Chiefs and the Bears so we have our NFL teams covered too!

This weekend was a nice quiet weekend at home. I had a wedding shower for a friend this weekend and that was about it! Little O 2.0 is doing great. I recheck next month and will do my glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes again or not. We are praying not!!! But for now, I am going to go grab a regular pepsi as those days may be numbered! Have a great week everyone!!!

Dad Kehrt, Angela (or Gla if you are Emerson), and Mike

Josh, Jill, Dad, & Mom Kehrt- Ellen's hat looks great on Papa!!!!

The Purple Side!!!

The Red side!!!

Neutral Territory!

Lil O 2.0 update

2010-08-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

We are now 18 weeks along and all is doing well. We had another appointment today and Emerson got to see her little sister or brother up close on the sonogram! She wasn't all that interested though, as expected :)

Dr. Heit said that the baby is doing great. We were able to see 10 fingers and 10 toes! We watched him/her swallow too. We do have another active little one in there! I am feeling a lot more movement in the last two weeks. Just like her/his big sister! 2.0's heartrate today was 155 so doing well and growth is right on target!

We won't know if I have gestational diabetes for another couple of months. I do try to watch my carb intake a little bit at least. I don't deprive myself of guilty pleasures at this point. I have to have some enjoyment! I feel great and have a lot more energy than I did last month!

It is always a good to hear that things are looking good. All we care about it a perfectly healthy little one to match the one we have!

Weeks Vacation!

2010-08-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

We spent the week vacationing in Clear Lake with Mom & Dad Kehrt. My brother and his family joined us as well. Saturday we headed north and made a pit-stop in Des Moines/Ankeny for my old-roomate Tanya's baby shower. She is due at the end of August to have a little girl. We were also able to see The Towns family as well.

From there we made our way to Clear Lake. We had a very relaxing week of family, sun, sand, and the lake. Emerson is a little waterbug and LOVED the pool and lake! She had a blast with her cousins. Ellen and Emerson played very well together and had a lot of fun in the pool. Of course she was given plenty of opportunity to be spoiled by Papa and Grandma Kehrt! We also enjoyed some of the local tourist attractions including the flower gardens in Clear Lake and Lime Creek Nature Preserve in Mason City.

Bruce did ride a little of RAGBRAI. It was fun but really not his deal in the end. He enjoyed biking with Dad, Noel, and Jack but probably wouldn't choose to spend an entire week of vacation on his bike.

We came home on Friday so we could get some of the stuff on our long need-to-get-done list. Emerson's big girl room is painted and ready to go! She actually did so good in a big-girl bed at Grandma and Papa Kehrts house that we (by we I mean Bruce) put together her big girl bed and she slept in it for the first time last night! She did great!!! She slept all night without any issues. She did wake up on Sunday morning, grab her pool floaty and walk over to me and said "Pool...swimming...." I told her that the pool was closed right now but maybe later. She looked at me very confused as to say "Hey Mom, that's crap, Grandma Kehrt's pool/lake NEVER closes!" We did take her to the pool later in the day and she kept asking where Noel was. As if he is suppose to be there with us! She had a great time with everyone and is ready to go back to the lake to swim and spend more time with family!

Emerson swimming in the lake off the boat for the first time!

The 3 little girls in their Matching "Clear Lake" dresses- Em REALLY likes hers!

The boys after the ride!

I bet Emerson & Grandma walked 3 miles in this little stretch of beach! Papa got to join too!

Emerson & Ellen in the pool! Yes, they have the same swimsuit!!!

Family Weekend

2010-07-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

We headed back to central Kansas this weekend to spend some much needed time with Bruce's family. Everyone but Bruce's Brother-in-law Nick was able to make it back. It is getting much harder to get everyone together with all the nieces and nephews involved in activies. We went up Friday night. Emerson practiced learning everyone's name and we reviewed on the way back. She has gotten all of them now except for the word Grandma (that's a hard one!) but she can say Judy and Linda so we aren't leaving two very important people out!!!

Saturday we hung out and played outside in the morning. With the blazing heat it was too much to be out for long. In the afternoon, half the group went to Great Bend on a shopping trip while the rest of us hit the pool! I love the small town pool. Entry fee $1 per person!!!! Emerson is a little waterbug and LOVES The water. She had a blast while we were there. The evening was spent with great family conversation and fun.

It was fun to see everyone. For some reason, I missed a golden opportunity to take some good family pictures. So I have none to share. There were a few, Papa Leon and Emerson sneaking brownies before church and Emerson giving baby Javan kisses. Javan is the newest addition to the Oberle clan and is going on 5 months old. And boy is he a cutie! Emerson thought he was pretty cool. So we are quite confident that she will be an amazing big sister!

Little O 2.0!!!!

2010-07-04T11:09:00.001-07:00

Emerson is going to be a big Sister!!! Little O 2.0 is due January 16, 2011!! I am now 12 weeks along and my belly has already popped to the point where it is no longer possible to hide the baby bump to everyday friends and family!

Emerson has always been an awesome kid and we have prepared ourselves that we could not get that lucky again! Little O 2.0 is turning that out to be accurate. The mornining sickness is much worse and for longer periods of time. With Emerson it would come on for 15 minutes and then be gone....this one, not so much. Other than that, it is really just being tired and my toothbrush eliciting a negative response, much the same as with Emerson.

We are not going to find out the sex again this time. It was a ton of fun not knowing with Emerson and we are equally excited to have #2 come in as a big surprise! We are very blessed to have this opportunity again to have another little one join our family. We only pray for a happy and healthy little one!

Have a very happy and safe 4th of July Everyone!

Busy Busy Busy

2010-06-20T19:15:00.001-07:00

We have had a couple of exciting weeks lately!

Two weeks ago we were back in Iowa for Mom and Dad Kehrt's 40th wedding anniversary. It was a great weekend. My cousin Laura and her family were able to join us. Mom and Dad hosted a great party at PM park with another couple celebrating their 20th Anniversary. Emerson danced her little bum off, fell asleep at the party, got back up and rallied for dancing to the end of the party. It was a great time!

Friday night Emerson got to stay home with babysitter Sydney and have fun without Mom and Dad, while we had date night with Mike and Angela. We were able to score box tickets at the Sprint Center for the Sugarland Concert. It was a very good concert. Bruce didn't know any of their songs (they are country) but he said that they were a good band and he enjoyed the concert anyway. After the concert we walked over to Howl at the Moon to help my friend/co-worker Kim celebrate her 40th birthday. This bar is fun!!! It is a dualing piano bar. There are several singers that clearly have a lot of musical talent. The best, was a quiet guy that played the guitar most of the night. Late in the night he took his turn at the piano and did the absolute best rendition of the Miami Vice theme song we had ever heard. He even did the sound effects by voice only!!!

Saturday night we had the joy of babysitting BJ & Kelly Buehler's 3 kids (Brooklyn 6, Bailey 4, and Kelby 1) while they attended a wedding. Bruce was at a golf tournement for half the day so Mike and Angela came over to assist in coralling all of the children. We played cards, building blocks, and played in the back yard. The fun really got going when Bruce got home and he and Mike set up the slip and slide! I am not sure who had more fun going down the slide, the kids or Mike and Bruce!!! Emerson was so cold by the end that she was shivering and her lips were blue but there was nothing that was getting her out of the water without a fight. Once it got dark, Bruce and the girls had some good old fashion fun catching fire flies! It was a great night and we had so much fun spending time with the kids!

The Kehrt Family!

Emerson & Kelby Playing with the Dominos!

Mike, Angela, Kelby, & Emerson watching the girls catch the fireflies!

Weekend in Iowa

2010-05-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Clear Lake this weekend to spend a weekend with the Kehrt/Thompson family. We all invaded my parents home for another fun-packed weekend. We did miss Josh and Jake as they weren't able to make it. My cousin Brandon graduated from high school and Grandma Jean underwent open heart surgery last week. Great reasons to go home and see everyone!

Grandma is doing great and went home on Sunday. We did get to go see her on Saturday. She is looking great and we continue to wish her a very speedy recovery! Love you Gram!!!

Saturday night we headed to Belmond to Brandon's graduation party. It was a great time! There was a lot of family that we don't get to see often enough and I was able to briefly reconnect with some high school friends. It is crazy to believe that he is old enough to graduate high school already! Congratulations Brandon!!! I have a hard time calling him Brandon as he has had a certain nickname since he was just little guy. I know I have clearance to call him that, just not sure I have clearance to post it!!! Love you Brandon! Emerson did get to see a real life cow for the first time! Although she and Daddy weren't so excited about the smell that follows the cows. We didn't let her get too close as they kept looking at her as if she was lunch!

Sunday we were able to get on Mom & Dad's new boat before we left. It is a huge upgrade from the last boat. They have given up horsepower for comfort, which I am completely ok with! It is a great boat and we can't wait to spend more time on it this summer. We will be back in Clear Lake in just a couple weeks so hopefully it will be warm enough to get out on the water!!!

Emerson visiting the cows!

Grandpa and some of his grandkids that were able to make the party. How did I get stuck with the short genes?!?

Lunch on the new boat!

Emerson & Aunt Stacey on the boat! She hates the life vest -- too bad

Emerson and the Graduate!!

The balloons were a hit with the kids!!!

Busy Couple of Weeks

2010-05-09T06:01:00.001-07:00

We have been on the go the last few weeks. We would like to congratulate Bret & Julee Koncak on their wedding we attended on May 1st. It was a beautiful wedding and reception and we had a lot of fun. Emerson joined us only for the wedding and a few minutes of the reception before heading back to Grandma & Grandpas to spend the evening with Aunt Bev and family. Grandma and Grandpa were actually visiting Kansas City for the races so unfortunately they didn't get to see her.

From there I jumped on a plane to Vegas for my company's leadership meetings. I went out on Sunday and spent that day with some work friends enjoying Vegas. The rest of the week was insurance packed with a little fun intermixed!

Once I got back from Vegas, Bruce is off this weekend on a golf trip with the boys. I woke up to a wonderful daughter who got to sleep with me last night, kicking me in the face and asking where Daddy was! Bruce assures me that upon his return this afternoon, that the rest of the day is mine in respect of Mother's day...a weekend of golf and beer with the boys to return late Sunday afternoon...hummm let's see how willing his is after the lack of sleep and hang over kick in!!! :) :) :)

Here are some pictures from the wedding and Flamingo's in Vegas! Happy Mothers Day everyone!!!! Have a great day!

2010-04-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here! Emerson has been spending a lot of time outside which is her favorite place to be. Again this post, we seem to always be busy but not up to anything in particular. Emerson is learning more new words and just about running speed.

Bruce has been spending a lot of time in the yard the last couple of weeks. I was able to get some things planted as well. We don't have a garden yet because we can't decide what area of the yard one would look and perform best in so, for now, we are going with a pot garden on the deck. It worked pretty well last year so we are trying a few more things this year. With pollen counts the highest on record, I have spent the last week inside. This is not out of desire, but completely out of necessity. I did go to the allergist who again did skin testing and confirmed that I am in fact allergic to everything except horses, rabbits, and a few other small pet animals. All of which we do not have and likely never will. They led me on my way with a bag full of samples which so far have been working pretty well! We were able to get outside yesterday for quite a bit and hope to again today.

Not much else going on in the Oberle household! Have a great week everyone! Here are some random Easter weekend pictures!

All the Oberle kids swinging at the park.

Emerson in on her way back from Kara & Charlie's wedding

Swinging with Papa Oberle on Easter
The Oberle's Easter 2010

Go AWAY snow!

2010-03-20T13:45:00.001-07:00

We don't have much to post this week. Today is a pretty boring day since it is cold and crappy outside. We were excited about spring earlier this week. It was 65 degrees on Wednesday so we took Emerson to the park after work to enjoy the playground and beautiful weather. Today we get the joy of 4-8 inches of snow and 30 degrees of cold :(

This is a big couple of weeks for Emerson. Her daycare providers are going on a vacation. Grandma and Grandpa Oberle will be here to watch her this week and Grandpa Kehrt will be here next week to watch her!! It will be a lot of fun!!! We miss that Grandma Kehrt will not be here to visit.

Here is a picture of our afternoon at the park

15 months already!!!

2010-03-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe but Emerson is already 15 months old!!! She had her 15 month Dr's appt this week and is doing "perfect" according to the Dr. She is 19 lb 14 oz and 30.5 inches long/tall. She had 3 more shots at this appointment. Emerson let the nurse know that she was very upset at getting the shots. After the nurse let her go, I picked her up and gave her a hug...she pushed me away and gave the nurse a look that could kill! The nurse even said she is not sure she has ever gotten a look quite like that before! Emerson stop glaring at the nurse until she was gone...JUST to make sure she didn't give her another shot. She took them like a champ but was not happy about it :) She is walking short distances and getting better and longer by the day. She is very proud of herself when she makes a new distance! She is learning new words every day and knows where her belly is!

This week is the Big 12 tournaments in KC and we did get tickets to the Men's tournament this year again so Bruce has been partaking in a lot of basketball! I have been to a couple of sessions to watch Iowa State and K-State play. Emerson got to go to one session too! What a deprived child huh?! Em and I wanted to go to the ISU women's game tonight as a friend had extra tickets for us but we weren't able to make it downtown in time. So we watched and cheered from home. Unfortunately, both ISU teams are out of the tournaments now :(

We do have a new Oberle addition to mention! Bruce's Sister-in-law Arlene gave birth to a little boy this week!!! Javin Scott Oberle! We are very happy to have him here and can't wait to meet him!

For Chad, Rox, & Jill :):)

2010-02-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

Apparently my family has been talking bad about me for not updating the blog. So to remedy the bad vibes...here is the updated blog! In their defense, it has been a while!

I would like to say we haven't been up to much but it seems like even if we don't do a lot there is always something going on. We have been without a computer for about 3 weeks. The harddrive blew up in my computer about 3 weeks ago. Luckily we had all of Emerson's first year pictures still on the memory card in the camera. However, we did lose any pictures that friends or family emailed to us. If you gave to us on a disc, we are safe, if not, we lost it. So forgive us if we ask you to send us some in the near future. We will be purchasing an external hard drive for any future picture saving. The only other thing I lost of value was a journal that I kept for Emerson. Which was a bummer.

We stayed home for most of February. We made one day trip to Columbia to watch Logan Schremmer get baptized, that is our Godson, Kaden's little brother and son to James and Janna.

Emerson is not quite walking yet, although still very close. She walks several steps at a time and can balance on her own for several seconds but no running around the house yet. That does not stop her from getting into things she shouldn't.

We hope all is well with everyone! Here are a few updated pics of Emerson. Please bare with us while we figure out the new computer and get our picture saving complete!

Emerson getting some work done on her new computer!

(Maybe she can restore the harddrive!)

Daddy & Emerson cheering on the Cats to beat Missouri!!!

Ok, I know that I didn't use this parenting opportunity correctly but a picture had to be taken! Emerson's favorite place to sneak! She doesn't get that far very often but when she does it is FUN! (For her)

Kehrt Family Christmas

2010-01-21T16:47:00.000-08:00

We made our trek to Iowa last weekend to Celebrate our Kehrt Family Christmas. Bruce and I both took 1/2 day off so we could get there early enough to enjoy the family on Friday night. Everyone was able to make it, which made it so much more fun. We didn't partake in any family outings this time but it was fun to hang out at Mom & Dad's just enjoying the company.

The kids had a blast opening their presents. Emerson isn't really in tune with the whole opening presents thing just quite yet she showed flashes of getting into it and she had fun trying to eat the paper! She hit the mother-load with gifts from everyone as usual. Since we open gifts youngest to oldest Emerson got to go first. Mara & Ellen did well at being patient but very excited to get to their turns. The kids play well together and even got Grandpa Kehrt involved in a very sophisticated tea party with Mara & Ellen's new tea sets!

The adults enjoyed the day and evening with football and basketball on the TV, opening our "L" elephant gift exchange, and a game of Dominos/chicken foot. It was a great weekend and it was good to see everyone. Since Jill, Josh, & Jake are now all out of college, it is harder to round everyone up. Here are some fun weekend pics with the Kehrt Fam!!!

Taking a ride on Grandpa Kehrts shoulders!

All of the girls playing with Em's new toy

Sitting with Cousin Nick...He sucks his thumb too?!?!Emerson & Uncle Noel!Jill & NickThe leaders of this crazy pack!This is one of those Flashes of Em getting into opening gift...this is NOT her gift and we did NOT give dad Diapers for Christmas :)

Brr!!!

2010-01-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

We have had a quite weekend at home. Yesterday, Bruce and I cleaned up the house before we proceeded to our usual Saturday ritual of watching whatever sporting event is on tv. Emerson proceeded to destroy the kitchen by pulling every piece of tupperware and can coozie (which Bruce now refers to as her toys) out of the drawers and string all over the house. That is not without first banging them on any hard surface within her reach.

She did learn some new words this weeks though. She now says Thank-you and Poop! We are very proud parents! She will however, NOT say these on command...in usual Emerson fashion she speaks them on her own terms. She is very close to walking but not quite there yet. The babysitters said they thought she was going to do it a couple of times this week but opted for the crawl instead...should be anyday now!!! Her personality is also getting much stronger. Emerson will not under any circumstances be bullied. Most of the kids her age at daycare are boys. Earlier this week, one of the boys stole her toy and walked off with it into the front room... not standing for that, Emerson quickly crawled behind him into the other room looked up at him, ripped the toy out of his hand and crawled back to her playspot in the living room. That a girl! Way to stick up for yourself!!!

Gotta run-- Em has somehow figured out how to open the dishwasher and is playing with a fork!!! Never a dull moment!!! I LOVE IT!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:57:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

As we jump into the new year I want to take just a second to reflect on the most dramatic year of our lives. This was the first year that we were 3. It was a great year! I say it all the time but Emerson is the best thing to ever happen to us! She is growing and changing so much everyday and looking back at pictures throughout the year, it is really obvious on how happy, laid back, cool little girl she is! We are very lucky and thank God for her everyday!

Ok, enuf sappy....CHRISTMAS was FUN!!! Since Emerson doesn't really understand the idea of Christmas Santa, Mommy, and Daddy took this once in a lifetime opportunity to relax on the toys and major presents (we left that up to Grandparents:) She did get cool stuff from us and Santa but next year will be even bigger! Even with the snow storm we were able to get to Claflin, KS to celebrate Christmas with Bruce's side of the family. We missed the extended Oberle Christmas due to it being on Christmas day and the snow storm. We enjoyed the Leon & Judy Oberle family christmas on Christmas evening which was a lot of fun! Emerson did very well in the present getting! She got some really cute clothes, books, and a rocking horse that Grandpa Oberle made her!!! Super Cool! She received a baby that sucks on a bottle and cries from Great Grandma Schremmer on Saturday at the Schremmer side Christmas. There was a lot of family that she had never met. She did have to leave a little early due to lack of napping and a couple of molar teeth that just want to be difficult and not pop through just yet. But overall the weekend was great fun to see Bruce's side of the family.

It was a great christmas but OH, she is not done yet!!! We are travelling to Iowa next weekend for the Kehrt family christmas! Bruce and I have our "L" gifts this year and we think they are pretty cool....can the rest of you step up to the challenge?!?! :) :)

A YEAR IN REVIEW!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

HAVE A VERY HAPPY & SAFE NEW YEAR!!!!

Happy FIRST Birthday Emerson!!!

2009-12-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

We can hardly believe it! Emerson is 1 year old!!!! We have been reminiscing all weekend about what we were doing a year ago last weekend. Our lives have changed so much but for so much better! It is so much fun to see her change and grow. Happy Birthday to our little girl!!!!

We celebrated Em's birthday with a great birthday bash! Grandma Kehrt had a few vacation days to blow and Aunt Stacey has work to do in town so Grandma K, Aunt Stacey, Mara and Ellen arrived on Wednesday to spend some time in KC and with Emerson. Grandma K stayed home on Thursday and Friday while Bruce, Stacey, and I all worked. I think we can safely say that Grandma K worked too :) although hers was the fun kind! We were joined Friday night by Grandpa Kehrt and Uncle Noel with Uncle Chad and Aunt Rox coming on Saturday!

Saturday we had a great birthday party for Emerson at our home. Most of Emerson's Aunts, Uncles, and cousins were able to make the trip. Special thanks to The Kehrt family, Grandma and Grandpa Oberle, Aunts Bev and Amy, and Cousins Anna, Bailey, and Shyanne for coming a long way to celebrate the day with us!!!! I think we have 20-25 people come and it was GREAT! Emerson was a little hesitant to tear into her cake at first but after a little coaxing she started to get into it! She was promptly taken to the bath after her cake to get the cake out of her hair (what little hair there is:). Babysitter Syd helped with her bath while Mommy changed clothes too...yep, I was covered in cake too :) She received a bunch of new presents and believe me she has enjoyed EVERY one of them!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE who was able to join us for her special day! We truly appreciate all of the love and support!!!

Here are some fun pictures of the day!

In preparation for Thanksgiving and Birthday weekends... Sarg is overseeing my work!

Emerson's first Birthday Cake! Her little one was a single cake with a pink and Brown 1 on it.

Emerson conversing with her fans at the party

Emerson "Cheesing it" before she gets her cake!

Okay, this is getting to be a little fun!

She's going to hate me for this one in 18 years :) But now we're having a lot of fun!

Emerson with her Grandparents (couple #3 are her daycare providers Rick & Marjanne)

Just a cute picture of Em with Uncle Chad on her actual birthday (If you can't read her shirt: it says "If you think I'm cool you should meet my Uncle Chad)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

Emerson and I had vacation last week which was much needed and great! The week started off with a bummer though. Emerson has her first ear infections. We made a trip to the Dr and they were able to give her some antibiotics. We feel pretty lucky to have held off her first real bout of illness and medication until 1 year. She is getting better every day!

Wednesday, Bruce took time off to so we could get some things done around the house before we left for Claflin. We spent Wednesday night through Saturday morning at Bruce's parents. Emerson had a blast as usual with Grandma and Grandpa Oberle and all the Aunts, Uncles, and many cousins. Everyone made it back and it was a lot of fun to see all the family again!

We are back to the grind this week but are gearing up for Emerson's FIRST Birthday party on Saturday. It is hard to believe that it has been 1 year already!!! She is growing so fast and is still so much fun!

The November/December Happy Birthday girls/boy!

Yeah, I don't think Em minds being the center of attention!!

Grandpa Leon & Emerson playing in Grandma Judy's toy basket!

Emerson's First Hallloween

2009-11-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

Emerson dressed up a Belle from Beauty & The Beast for her first Halloween. I found the little dress and thought it the most perfect dress in the world! A lot of Emerson's daycare friends wanted her to be a vampire since her teeth would fit the part, but we thought for our first one, we had to be cute and beautiful! We didn't host to the neighbor kids much as we would like since we had some people to visit. We took her to the neighbors across the street- who absolutely love her! Susan took a bunch of pictures of Em. Then it was off to Rick & Marjanne's (daycare) so they could see her. That was kind of fun because Conner was visiting at the same time. Em doesn't get to see him much because he goes to school now. We also got to see Caleb, Gabriel, and Kalea. Caleb was a little bumble bee and kalea (1 month old) was a little pumpkin. It was good to see them too! After that we headed off to Uncle Mikes so the boys could see their princess before they went out for the night. It was a lot of fun...but since we weren't home to hand out candy, Bruce and I will probably give the dentist a little extra money with all the cavities we are going to get! Today we got the backyard leaves raked and bagged....just the tip of the iceburg on that deal. But we made sure we got Em in the leaves a little bit!

Emerson's new trick is to climb into the laundry basket!

Its hard to get mad at a precious one like that!

Belle is ready for her first Halloween!

Marjanne made her candy bag....now only if she could eat the candy!

Playing in the leaves!

She had fun exploring the leaves!

Just a cool pic of her with the yellow leaves on the tree!

Good Football Weekend!

2009-10-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

We haven't been up to much the last couple weeks. Last weekend was great. We didn't do a dang thing. It was nice!!!

This weekend we took a little road trip on Saturday. Bruce and I went to Manhattan to watch the K-State v. Colorado football game. It has been quite a while since we made it to a game and we had a great time. To top it off, K-State won!!!! The Iowa State game was going on a the same time so I used quite a bit of cell phone time checking the score. After a few nervous minutes and yelling at sprint because I couldn't get my phone to refresh fast enough...I got a text from my friend in Omaha, a Nebraska fan, telling my congratulations!!! YAY ISU wins too!!!!

While we were soaking in a lot of football and revisiting some pre-Emerson hot spots, Emerson got to spend the day with Aunt Amy and her cousins Bailey & Shyanne. She had a blast....although it sounds like she was a little nervous at first without us...we were quickly forgotten! She got to play with the dogs, see the cats (didn't get too close since we don't know if she is allergic yet or not), and have a ton-o-fun with the girls! The horses were not quite as cooperative for her to see but maybe next time. She had a lot of fun and when we picked her up last night she was exhausted!!! She slept all the way home, then slept in until 8:30 am this morning, and took a 3 hour nap this afternoon!

She got some "new" toys from Aunt Amy too and is having a blast today with her new toys! She is pulling herself up to a stand and starting to "explore" more and more every day! She is a blast!

We haven't decided what next weekend will hold but we do have her halloween costume. Our little "Belle" will be cute! Not sure where we will go...Sorry Grandpa O...Mommy will only let me have chocolate in very small quantities....but we will have pictures for sure!

Family Divided!

2009-10-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend this weekend with a lot of fun and a lot of visitors...This afternoon Em took a 3 hour nap just to unwind after all the fun !

First thing first, Welcome to the World Claudia Florence Meng!!!

Born: 10.2.09 at 3:30am

8 pounds 6 oz

20" long

Mommy- Sara and baby are doing fine. Daddy- Justin, and big sister- Claire I am sure can't wait to get her home!
She is beautiful via the picture and we can't wait to meet her. Congratulations!!!

This weekend was a busy weekend for Kansas City!! The American Royal, Nascar race, The Chiefs are all in town this weekend. Of course the game of all games was the Iowa State Cyclones Vs the K-State Wildcats at Arrowhead on Saturday! Mom & Dad Kehrt and my Brother Chad and Sister in law Roxanne came down to watch the game with us. Since Mom & Dad Oberle were in town for the Nascar race, Emerson had a lot of visitors on Friday night!!! It was great to see everyone! Friday night we enjoyed the company at home for a relaxed night before the big game.

Saturday morning we got up and packed up the vehicles for the tailgating party before the game. The weather was not great but luckily there was no rain. Tailgating was pretty chilly but we had a blast with a great mix of Iowa State and K-State fans in our party. Emerson was dressed for the weather paying patronage to both K-State and Iowa State appropriately. Just as the game was starting, the clouds broke and we had beautiful weather for the game!! It was a fun game with positives and negatives for both teams. Unfortunately, K-State came out on top this time. For all you K-Staters out there...if you are a true K-State fan...you will know better than to get too cocky about winning this game ;) Emerson had a great time tailgating and at the game. You know your kid is completely awesome when she can fall sleep through the entire 2nd half of a football game amongst 40,000 screaming fans, bands playing, and the sun shining in her face and not wake up! It was a great weekend spent with family and friends! We can't wait until next year when we can do it all again!!!

Fairness prevails! I cheer for both teams!!!!

Grandma Kehrt & Em enjoying the game

Grandma & Granpa Kehrt after the game...smiling even with a loss :(

Daddy and Em cheering on the cats during the first half

Em needing a little pick-me-up during the game

Uncle Chad & Aunt Rox having fun with Emerson after the game

The Kehrt famlily looks like we just stepped out of an Alumni Association catalog!

Quiet Weekend

2009-09-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

It is pretty quiet around here this weekend. Not much going on but football and laundry... I would be glad to have the laundry fairy come and finish it while I nap with Bruce and Emerson while watching football!!! But I won't hold my breath :)

Emerson is doing great! She has gained 3 new teeth this week. 2 on Thursday and we just found another one today! 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom now! Time to start brushing Em!!!

I am out tonight for an evening out with the girls to celebrate my friend Mindy's bachelorette party and Bruce and Em are going to a house warming party for our friend Julee. Hopefully tomorrow we will accomplish more! Have a great weekend!

Labor Day

2009-09-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that labor day weekend has come and gone...I would like to say I have an excuse for not blogging sooner but I don't.

We spent Labor day weekend in Claflin with Bruce's family. The whole family was able to come except Troy, he had to stay home and work. It was great to see everyone and we had a lot of fun. Emerson had fun with all of her cousin's, aunt's and uncle's. Grandpa Oberle gave her a little piece of chocolate for the first time, she liked it I think, she wore just as much as she ate! We didn't do much in the way of major events but it was great just to get together and enjoy everyone's company. Bruce and I did make it out to the Odin Store (a gas station/bar...yes, it is THAT cool!!) and a concert in the Hoisington baseball fields to watch his friend Kyle sing in a band. That allowed us to catch up with some of his hometown friends too.

This last week our babysitter was on vacation so Bruce stayed home on Tuesday & Wednesday and I worked from home Thursday and Friday. It is hard work trying to keep up with her and work at the same time...We both managed to get it done but it is probably good that Marjanne is back tomorrow. Friday night Bruce and I had date night for our Anniversary and my Birthday. Uncle Mike Wondra babysat Em as we went down to the Power & Light District to eat at Maker's Mark restaurant...it is a kind of expensive so we thought that would be a good way to celebrate both.

Emerson is changing every day. She is now clapping on her own and Grandpa Leon taught her how to wave while we were in Claflin...she has been able to do it off an on but they practiced hard and now she can wave back when you wave to her (and not 5 minutes later either!!). She is SLOWLY growing more hair, which looks right now to be a dirty blonde with a tinge of red. Her eye color changes on a daily basis. some days they are blue, some days brown, some days they look green, my favorite to date is one day they were blue with streaks of brown...they looked really cool!

Bailey, Brooke, and Emerson playing in the living room

Abby & Em

Grandpa Leon & Emerson getting ready to watch the Nascar race

Emerson did her best to cheer on the Cyclones Saturday but it just wasn't enough :(

2009-08-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

We haven't been up to much the last couple of weeks but it seems like we have a lot to report.

Again in this post we need to extend a WELCOME TO THE WORLD wish to Kaylee Elizabeth Wray. Proud parents are Tom & Stacey Wray. She was born early morning on Wednesday. We were able to see her on Wednesday night and she is a beautiful little girl. Mommy & Baby are doing great and so is Daddy!! We hope to see her again soon. Emerson is getting all sorts of little girlfriends to play with!!!

We have been able to see some good friends the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, Sarah and Brice Towns came to town with their daughter Sophia. We had not met Sophia yet so it was fun to see the girls play together. They did pretty well. Sharing is a completely foreign concept for any child so it was not surprising that there were a few tiffs between the two on occasion. Emerson is younger so she did get a taste of what it would be like to have an older sister. It was good for her. She wasn't completely helpless....Sophia only has 1 pound on Emerson so they kept it pretty clean :) It was great to see Sarah & Brice again and we wish we could see them more often.

Last weekend was suppose to be a quiet weekend with no activity. My grad school friend, John Chapman AKA Chappy was in town with a friend on Saturday. I haven't seen Chappy since our wedding and even then we didn't get to talk long. Bruce was able to get tickets to the Royals game on Saturday night. The weather was beautiful and even though the Royals suck as a baseball team, it was a good time. By the 7th inning, Emerson was in such a great mood that most of our section was watching her play instead of the game.

Emerson is scooting/army crawling her way around the house. It won't be too long until it is a true crawl. We have had to invest in babygates and babyproofing supplies. Even though it is an army crawl she gets where she needs to go in a very short amount of time! Emerson also had her first tooth come in on Sunday. We noticed her gums felt "broken apart" on Saturday at the game and then Sunday afternoon, we could feel the actual tooth!!! VERY EXCITING! I can't believe she is growing so fast! Below are some pictures of course!

Sarah, Sophie, Sara, & Emerson

The girls playing with Em's exersaucer

The girls playing nice!

Chappy holds Emerson as she "woo's" the crowd!

Weekend at Home

2009-08-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

We decided to stay at home this weekend. After all the travel we figured it was time to stay in for a weekend. We weren't lazy though!!

We first need to welcome Carlie Elizabeth Ernst to the world!! Proud Parents are John & Heidi Ernst! She decided to join us on the outside Thursday night. Good work Heidi- you did great! You too John!! We went to visit her and Mommy & Daddy in the hospital on Friday night! She has way more hair than Emerson!!! We didn't get to see big brother Joseph as he was at home with Grandma and Grandpa. WELCOME CARLIE!!!

We decided last week that after 2.5 years of living in our house it was time to do something a little different to the inside. The previous owner had the house all freshly painted prior to us moving in (that is the only nice thing I can say about the guy) so we never felt the need to paint or change anything...but the house is all the same color...inside and out. We got the advise of a friend which was a huge help and picked out colors for the livingroom and kitchen. I have to admit I did something I said I would never do. I painted part of the kitchen red! We also fit the livingroom with new curtains which was needed. The spare bathroom is the next painting project. After 4 days of painting, I think I will wait a few days!!!

Painting took up most of our weekend. We did go visit Uncle Mike and the boys a couple of nights. Bruce's friend Chad was in town for a conference so we were able to see him for a bit too. Today, Mom & Dad Kehrt and Uncle Buck were driving throught town on their way home from Missouri so we got to see them for breakfast too! Emerson and her Grandparents were VERY excited to see each other....getting to see Bruce and I is just an added bonus ;)

Trip back to Iowa

2009-08-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

We have been traveling fools the last couple of weeks and it has been great! Last weekend we took a mini-vacation and headed back to Clear Lake, Iowa to Mom and Dad Kehrt's house. We had a blast! It was great to be back in Iowa again :) It is amazing how good home feels....yes, Iowa will always be home to me... We were able to spend 4 days there and it wasn't long enough. Thursday the girls went shopping and Bruce and Dad hit the golf course. Later in the evening we went downtown to a band that was playing on main street. We had a good time listening to the band and watching the kids and one guy, that had partaken in one (or 10) too many adult beverages, dance the night away. Emerson loves music and being outside so she had so much fun!

Friday Mom and Emerson spent some quality time together while Bruce, Dad, and I went golfing. I have golfed since I was a little kid (although after all these years, my score really hasn't changed much ...huh?!?). Bruce golfed in high school but got away from the game in college and beyond. I have tried many times to get him back in the game but with no avail. Now a couple more of his close friends are getting into the game and my dad gave him his old set of clubs. Bruce has again picked it up...which is great! EXCEPT now we have a kid and someone has to stay home with Emerson...getting Bruce back into the game really didn't work quite how I had planned! But I am excited about it all the same. I can't wait to get Emerson her own little set of clubs :) :) Anyway, I digress....after golfing we were able to get onto the lake for a little bit. This was Emerson's FIRST boat ride....she was very intriqued with it all. She had fun looking at all the water and the trees. She didn't mind her lifevest at all...in fact, it also served as her teething ring! My brother and his family joined us that evening. It was good to see them and the girls LOVED playing with Emerson and she had fun with them too. They played hard and had a lot of fun together.

Saturday the girls went down to the Art "Sail" in the park. It was fun and we were able to find a few things that will go well in the Jimmy Buffett Livingroom in our basement. We did some swimming in the pool and just hanging out. We topped off Saturday night by going back downtown to "dixiefest" which is a couple of bands playing music in the park... the kids had fun and the adults had fun watching the kids! It was such a fun weekend to see family and be at the lake. It was a great weekend and I know we wish there were more summer left so we could get back there again...not sure if it will happen. Here are some pics of the weekend.

This is not from the weeked...but it is THAT funny!

Hanging with Grandpa Kehrt

The first of MANY outings on the lake!

Listening to the bands with Grandma Kehrt!

Obviously something was VERY funny :)

The Kehrt entourage ready for the Art Sail!!!

Grandma & Grandpa's little girls!

Grandpa & Emerson after a dip in the pool!

Absolutely Beautiful!

2009-07-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we traveled to Sioux City, Iowa for my niece Jill & Nick's wedding. We left pretty early on Friday so we could make the rehearsal dinner. The weather was great and after 4.5 hours in the carseat, Emerson had no issues being held by everyone. Emerson got to meet her Greatgrandpa and Greatgrandma's, some more Aunt's, Uncle's, and cousin. She did well. Emerson and Cousin Nick came to an agreement this weekend...although under no circumstances will she agree to wear anything that has the University of Iowa on it...she will proudly help him represent Southern Illinois University...even though the Saluki is a little on the creepy side :)

The wedding was perfect! The weather was great. Everything went off as planned. The Bride, Jill, looked gorgeous!!! Nick, the Groom although in the beginning looked a little nervous was handsome! They held the reception next to the hotel which was overlooked the river. The venue couldn't have been better. We had a blast at the reception. Emerson LOVED dancing with everyone. Mommy & Em went to the dance floor shortly after eating to get our groove on...although that ended up with a bit of her dinner coming back up, She laughed and kicked her legs having so much fun. She and Uncle Chad spent some valuable bonding time together as well. It is so much fun to see him dote over her. We had a great time catching up with our family and friends. Emerson hung on for quite a while into the night. She took a small catnap with Uncle Buck but later woke up and was ready to PARTY!!! We let her stay up late to make sure everyone got a chance to spend time with her. When you don't see family very much, it is important to let her see them so we didn't worry about the little things. We worried about having fun and loving up on family! Here are some pictures of the family. Unfortunately, I REALLY SUCK and didn't get ANY pictures of Jill and Nick. I am hoping my sister-in-law, Roxanne can help me with that and send me some ;)

Thompson 4th Generation picture.

Kehrt 4th Generation picture

Grandpa bought her a white sox jersey so she HAD to wear it just for him

What Em is trying to say Uncle G is GO ROYALS!!!

My Brother Chad & I at the reception.

Chad & Emerson at the rehearsal dinner. She LOVES Uncle Chad!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

We stayed in town this year for the 4th of July. Usually, we go back home to Belmond/Clear Lake. Bruce was "distraught" about missing the Belmond parade but we decided it was best to stay home this weekend. For me, it was bittersweet, I had a lot of fun but at the same time, felt like I should have been somewhere else.

The weekend started on Thursday night. Dierks Bentley (country singer) held a free concert downtown at the power and light district. My "surrogate" husband, Mike Wondra was back home in Claflin for harvest so Bruce had to go with me. It was a good time and I quickly learned that when you don't drink for more than a year, you can't do it and feel good the next day. Emerson treated me well on Friday by agreeing to take two naps with Mommy. One of my very favorite things is when Em and I lay on the couch and take a nap together. She won't do that very often anymore so it was really nice!

We went to the "Brome Road Bash" for the actual 4th of July. It was a party on Troy & Robin's street. There were several of Bruce's extended family present since Bruce & Troy's cousin lives on the same street. There didn't seem to be a recession problem with all the fireworks that were bought and shot off throughout the entire day. Emerson had a blast all day. The fireworks and tons of people didn't bother her even a little bit. She jumped a few times when the "boomer" fireworks went off but didn't cry once. We had a lot of fun!

Uncle Jim & Emerson

Look! I can sit up all on my own!!!!

Uncle Jim & Bruce enjoying a beverage.

Emerson had to take a bit of a siesta to gear up for the nighttime fireworks!

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-21T18:11:00.001-07:00

We would like to with everyone a very happy Fathers Day!

Emerson is now 6 months old. She is 14.1 lbs which is the 25%. She is 25.5 inches long (31%) and we are happy to report that her head is growning and she has now reached the 11% for her age group!!!! She is doing great! She is very close to sitting up on her own. She is rolling over all over the place and getting quite vocal! She LOVES prunes!!!

We celebrated Bruce's first Father's Day with a trip to Buffalo Wild Wings and Cold Stone Creamery (ice cream). That is what he wanted and that is what he got! We then took a "vacation" to the "islands"... Where Daddy was able to relax and enjoy the sun & the water! There is nothing better than spending a fathers day listening to Jimmy Buffett, soaking up the rays, cooling off in the pool, and sipping on a margarita! We hope you enjoyed your Fathers Day Daddy!!!!

Summer Starts with Fun!

2009-05-31T16:28:00.001-07:00

We have officially started our summer off with fun! We had Grandma Kehrt here all week to babysit Emerson. They had a blast. Emerson was sad to see Grandma go but according to Grandpa (who wasn't able to make it down here) they will be back soon!! We tried something a little different with her rice cereal and now Emerson can't get enough of it! It was awesome to watch her inhale her food! I was so excited I could barely contain myself!

We bought Emerson a new little baby pool last week so she could play this summer. We put her in it on Friday for a little bit and she had so much fun!!! Grandma Kehrt went home on Saturday and later that day James, Janna, & Kaden came for a visit. We went to the Royals game that night. Kaden loved the game! It was pretty hot in our seats so Emerson wasn't quite as excited about the game until after the sun dropped below the stadium and it got a little more comfortable. Today we went to the newly renovated pool down the street. Kaden & Emerson are quite the little waterbugs!

Loving her new pool!!!

Kaden & James cheering on the Royals!!

Dad bring my sunglasses the glare off Mom's legs is blinding!

Our summer time cutie

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

We wish everyone a Happy & Safe Memorial Day! Thank you to all those that have helped and fought for the red, white, & blue!

Our weekend is fairly uneventful. We have nothing planned but to relax and spend some good quality family time. We are getting very excited for Grandma Kehrt to come on Monday to babysit Emerson for the week. Our daycare provider is taking the week off to spend time with her sisters that are here from Holland. Grandpa Kehrt can only come if it rains....so sorry Iowan's....we hope it rains a lot!!!

Emerson is learning to do all kinds of new things. She is in the VERY FUN stage! We are trying rice cereal but she is really not all that interested in it. We still have plenty of time to introduce it to her so we are having fun with learning what it is. We had her 6 month pictures taken this week. They are quite cute. We can't post them because the photographer has the copyright.

The weather is beautiful this weekend! I planted a few more plants this morning after church and I think the rest of the day will be reading books, playing, and maybe we will take Emerson to the newly renovated pool down the street!!!!

Giving Bear a hug!

Playing with her new Exersaucer!

Happy Birthday to Both!

2009-05-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRUCE!!!

Bruce celebrated his 31st Birthday on Tuesday. Now we are on a level playing field (the same age)....for a few months anyway. Monday night "Uncle" Mike came over to watch Emerson while Bruce and I went to dinner for his birthday date. Bruce chose Fogo De Chao which is a Brazilian steakhouse. There is a fancy saladbar that is actually more like a up scale buffet line. Then when you are done with that they give you a new plate and Gaucho's (the men with the meat!) come around with 15 different kinds of beef, pork, lamb, & chicken. You eat as much as you like! It was very good. We have been to another restaurant like this before so we knew what to expect. We followed dinner with a walk in the plaza. It was really nice to spend some quality time together. Bruce's actual birthday was spent at the bowling alley with a bunch of friends and free bowling. Several of his friends are in a league and they got free bowling that night. Bruce subbed a couple of times so he got the free bowling as well. Emerson and I went to enjoy the company!

We would also like to extend a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to:

Caitlyn Elizabeth Kidd

Daughter to Andrea & Jason Kidd

Little Sister to Sam Kidd

Born: Friday May 8,2009

Weight: 8 pounds 3 oz

Length: 20.5 inches

Mother & Baby are doing great! She is a beautiful little girl! We can't wait to meet her!

Leg #3- Sioux City, IA & March for Babies!

2009-05-03T17:49:00.001-07:00

The last leg of our Tour De Midwest landed in Sioux City, IA for my niece's wedding shower. Last weekend we headed up there to see my side of the family and attend the shower. Emerson of course was very excited to see her Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Chad, Aunt Rox, and cousins! I think they were equally excited to see her! We had a wonderful time and the shower was very nice. Jill got a lot of nice things and we are getting very excited for her and Nick's wedding in July! Hanging out with Uncle Chad!!!

I love my Grandma Kehrt!

Taking a nap with Grandpa Kehrt

Emerson and the Bride to Be Jill!!

This weekend we did the March for Babies. It is not a very long walk as it was only 1 mile long but there were a couple of thousand people there. It was awesome to see all of the people there supporting the cause. Although at the same time very sad to see all the t-shirts that were made in memory of preterm babies that lost their fight. I was able to raise almost $400 for my walk and Bruce and Emerson walked with me for the cause. My "un"shameless plug is that the March of Dimes is a great organization that works for the good of babies that need our help. Being a pre-term baby myself (although I am not sure my parents received help from the March of Dimes) hope that they are able to some day reach the goal of all babies being born full term and healthy... one of the signs that were posted on the streets....got to me and will forever stay with me.

" Imagine....getting ecstatic about your baby reaching 4 pounds, or 3 pounds, or 2...."

Never too young to help another!

A picture of the end of the walk toward the sprint center.

Leg 1 & 2 of Tour De Midwest!

2009-04-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Oberle family has been on the go for the last couple of weeks and we aren't done yet!
Leg #1--Easter-

Easter weekend was spent in Claflin with the Oberle side. Almost everyone was able to make it and it was a lot of fun! The kids had a blast coloring Easter eggs, playing with each other, and Doing the annual Easter Egg hunt. Emerson had several cousins assist her in coloring eggs and hunting for Eggs. She also finally got to meet Great Grandma Oberle too! It was a great weekend and we had a lot of fun.

4 Generations of Oberle's !

4 generations on the Schremmer side!

Super cool picture of Emerson & Grandma Oberle

Grandma Oberle with some of the Grandkids....

Easter Family Picture

LEG #2- Jimmy Buffett Concert, Dallas TX

This guy holds an AWESOME concert!

Even though we are parents now, every married couple needs to have something that is just theirs. A Jimmy Buffett concert is our thing. Bruce has been to 6 Buffett concerts and This was my second. It is some of the best fun we have ever had! Our trip started on Thursday night as we grabbed Mike Wondra and headed to Claflin. Grandma and Grandpa Oberle babysat Emerson for the weekend. Emerson LOVES her Grandparents (ALL of them) and they were excited to see her too. Friday morning we loaded up again and took off to Wichita to pick up the rest of the crew and head to Dallas. Our party consisted of 3 RV's and our Murano. The trek too longer than it should have but we got to the camp site around 10pm on Friday night. Saturday morning, it was shower and off to the concert.

The weather cleared half way through the day and it turned out to be very nice for the tailgating and the concert. We met a lot of cool people in the parking lot and even tailgated next to another group of parrot heads from Kansas. Jimmy was awesome as usual! We all had a blast! Sunday morning we left the concert grounds and made the trip back home. After 13 hours of driving...it was time to be home. Since Bruce and I don't drink much any more it was somewhat painful Sunday morning, but well worth the fun!

Jimmy Buffett Concert 2009!

Mike & Bruce enjoying a "bonding"moment

We DO still know how to drink! Pace yourself!!!

Corey, Sara, & Beiber

No good can come from this :)

LEG # 3.... Sioux City, IA next weekend to visit the Kehrt Family!

Picture Heavy Post

2009-03-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since we updated you all on our completely awesome kid!

Lets start off with the most important piece of information. Emerson is sleeping through the night!!! Her first night was last Tuesday night...St. Paddy's day...no she did not have too much to drink. Bruce was on a business trip boozing it up with my brother Chad and sister-in-law Rox. Emerson was up every three hours the night before. At 4am on St. Paddy's morning she decided we both needed to be up for the day. That evening, just prior to delirium due to sleep deprivation ,she fell asleep at 8:30 and slept until 6:30 the next morning. Now, I have heard that you are supposed to freak out the first night it happens. I never freaked out. I did, however, get up several times thinking she had to be getting hungry anytime...when I went into check on her, she was fast asleep every time...then I spent the next several minutes discussing with myself whether I should go back to bed and get up in 15 minutes when she was hungry or just stay up...I chose to go back to bed.

For the most part, she sleeps on her left side with one hand on the mattress and her left thumb in her mouth. It is absolutely adorable! But, considering she is our kid, so I don't see how she wouldn't be adorable.

Other very awesome notables... She is rolling over from her back to her tummy! Now this is a talent that she has chosen not to show Mommy and Daddy yet, the babysitter has seen it on a few occasions. She has found her voice...again, pretty damn cute. She will sit by herself and coo/talk to herself. She also has found her hands and prefers that they be in her mouth. The funniest may when she sees herself in the mirror...it is a look of "hey there is only room for one dictator in this family...you in front of me...out!"

Bruce and I are both very good! Both busy at work but that is the usual. We did get to enjoy some adult time last weekend when our friends Andrea & Jason Kidd came down from Omaha and went to the NCAA tournament with us. Emerson spent the day with cousin Maggie and Uncle Troy and Aunt Robin. She had a blast and so did we!

Dad- get the camera out of my face, the basketball game is on!

It is hard to catch this smile on camera...but well worth the effort!

Welcome Hudson Daniel Rau!!!

2009-03-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world Hudson Daniel Rau!!!

Kari & Dan Rau added to their family with the arrival of their son

Hudson Daniel Rau

Born : March 17th 2009

Weighing 6 pound 13 ounces

Mommy, Baby, and Daddy are doing well!

We can't wait to meet you Hudson!

3 Months!!

2009-03-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Emerson had her 3 month Birthday last week. She is getting to be so much fun. She is smiling all the time and starting to play a lot more. Bruce and I are back to normal as far as health and Emerson is still kicking her cold. The weather has been up and down here a lot lately. Last Thursday it was 81 degrees! Today it was 50, by the end of the week it will be 30's!

This weekend we enjoyed the weather by taking Emerson to Shawnee Mission Park which is a big park (of course) that has a small lake and a ton of trails for hiking, mountain biking, walking/running, horseback riding, etc. It was a good time, but I did realize how out of shape I really am in. This afternoon, it was back on the treadmill to get back into Pre-Emerson shape! I have a lot of work to do. The rest of our Saturday we spent over at Mike Wondra's to visit the boys and see how Dave Debes was doing after his ACL surgery.

Below are some new pictures of Emerson! Lets not lie to each other....that is really what you read this for...

Emerson & Dave-- Don't worry we let him hold her BEFORE he took his meds!

Ruler of the Kitchen! ....and the livingroom...bedrooms....bathroom....the whole House!!

MOM....MEATLOAF...NOW!!!! (Ever seen Wedding crashers?!?!)

Nothing New...

2009-02-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

I would like to say we have a ton to report since it has been a few weeks since our last post...but I would be lying. Emerson is having a blast at daycare. All of the kids get excited when she gets there in the morning. Marijanne calls her "angelic"...go figure...our kid?!?! But yep that pretty much describes her. She found a buddy in Rick. He could hold her all day and she would let him. But Marijanne makes them take time out for eating, sleeping, playing, and tummy time. She is starting to show off on how well she can hold her head up. She still loses control a little but before we know it she will be holding it up all on her own!

We have been taking it easy the last couple of weeks. We purchased furniture for our basement a couple of weeks ago. Last weekend we set out to enjoy a family rivalry evening while watching K-State Vs. Iowa State Basketball. It didn't turn out quite how we planned. About 1/2 time, I thought I was going to be sick. So I gave Emerson to Bruce and proceeded to use the bathroom for that very purpose. After 3 more trips to the upstairs bathroom to get sick in the next 30 minutes (didn't want to use the basement bathroom and gross out our guest), I decided I better go to bed. My body continued to expel its contents for the next 13 hours and Bruce's followed suit. Sunday morning after I asked God to just let it end (and he said no) Robin came to rescue Emerson and off to the ER we went. After a few bags of saline to rehydrate our bodies and a few doses of antinausea meds, they let us go home to sleep for the next two days. I doubt they gave us the family discount! Thank heavens for The DeSoto Oberle's and Leon & Judy for coming to Emerson's rescue. She luckily did not get the stomach virus and aside from a cold is wonderful. To prove it, here are some pics! Disregard the black mark on her forehead - she is a child of God and it is Ash Wednesday!

Disco Fever- Bring it on John Travolta!!

Our little Angel!

Dancing the night away!

2 month appointment

2009-02-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Emerson had her two month appointment this week. She woke up in a great mood which was bittersweet because Bruce and I both knew that in a matter of hours her day would be ruined by the nurse with the vaccinations. She took it like a champ and actually did really well during the visit. She did cry really hard which in turn made Mommy cry really hard. The nurse did a great job and made it as painless as possible. Her cute little legs were quite sore Tuesday and Wednesday but she is now back to her happy self. She weighed in at 9 pounds 15.1 ounces....growing like a weed!

Not much else to report. I would like to say things are boring, but they are anything but that. We are getting used to being parents and loving every minute of it. However, our lives are not as "exciting" as they once were. Our best days are spent watching our daughter smile, laugh, and discovering the world around her. It is a really cool thing when she hears your voice and reacts, looks up at you and smiles like it is Christmas day. That is the coolest feeling I have ever had.

Baptism

2009-02-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend! we had quite a few people join us for Emerson's baptism She wore the same baptismal gown that I wore. She slept through the entire event. She didn't even flinch when Father Cullen poured the water over her head. We are so proud of her and very happy there were so many people there to share her special day!!!

I also returned to work this Monday and Emerson started daycare. Monday was ugly...I cried like a little girl. Emerson was in a great mood! She smiled & coo'ed all morning. She could tell something was different though.... usually when we put her in the car seat, she falls asleep before we get out of the driveway. Monday morning she stared at her mirror the whole car ride to the babysitters, when we got there, she stared at me the entire time. Her babysitter is awesome! She was very reassuring and told me I could call her whenever I want. Ironically, when we got there, there was one of my soccer athletes from Iowa State. She takes her 4 month old son there too. Small World! Emerson is having a blast at the babysitters and they love her! I am still digging out from under the work pile from the last 8 weeks and I have a feeling that will continue for several more days/weeks. Bruce has an overnight trip this week too for work, so you can bet I will be a tired girl towards the end of this week!!

Smiley!!!

The Oberle family

The Oberle Family-- Sans Bink!

Godmother, Aunt Amy, Father Cullen, and Godfather "Uncle" Mike

Mommy, Emerson, Grandma & Grandpa Kehrt!

Growing up

2009-01-28T11:59:00.000-08:00

Em and I are on our last week home before we head to daycare and back to work. It is hard to believe that we have already gone 8 weeks! We will all have a lot of adjustments next week! Bruce will no longer be able to use work as the excuse for me to take the late night feeding shift so he can go to bed early and I will no longer be able to try to fit in a late morning or early afternoon nap when Em does. All of us have grown up a lot in the last 8 weeks. Here are some examples...

1. We go to bed early

2. We get up early (yes...5:30 am is early to us)

3. Sara talks about poop! I have always said that everybody poops so we don't need to talk about it...I still don't talk about my own...but Em's poop (or lack thereof) seems to be a frequent conversation.

4. Bruce changes smelly diapers.... he still calls in reinforcements when the stench gets too bad but he is slowly improving!

5. vomit/spit up no longer comes from drinking too much the night before. Em unleashed an impressive display of projectile vomit all over Bruce last night. From my vantage point, it was hilarious...from Bruce's not so much.... Em didn't seem to mind at all...in fact he looked down at her and she smiled up at him :)

There are plenty of examples of how we have not grown up too much though! Too many to count!! Sorry, no pictures to post this week. Emerson gets baptized this weekend so we will have plenty more to post next week.

2 weeks left

2009-01-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

Not much to report. I have two weeks before I go back to work and Emerson goes to her babysitter for the first time. Emerson met her babysitters this weekend. She is from Holland and her husband is from England, they came to the United States in 1980 and she opened a daycare shortly after that. He retired from his company a few years ago and got licensed to help with the daycare. She has a lot of experience and he is there to help with the kids as well. They only take 6-8 children in the daycare (they can legally accept 12) so we are comfortable that she will get the attention and care that she needs. We had a really nice visit and I think Em and them will get along great! I will be sad to send her off to daycare but I think it is about time for me to return to work and more adult interaction. Emerson is getting much more interactive now and is getting more fun. We have even noticed some smiles...not followed by the tooting! Here are some cute pics of her.

Big Stretches!!! Daddy's favorite picture

Protecting her prized possession.... keep your hands off her bink!

What the heck are you looking at?!?!

One Month & Kehrt Christmas

2009-01-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Emerson is one month old already. She is growing like a weed. Although many tell us she is "so small", to us she has grown so much! She is now 7 lbs 11 oz and 20.25 inches long. The last month has gone by so fast!!!

We had our Kehrt Family Christmas this weekend. Everyone came down to KC for the weekend and it was a great time. Uncle Chad and Uncle Noel and their families finally got to meet Emerson. They all got here on Friday and we spent the evening passing Emerson around so everyone could hold her, followed by a game of "Chicken Foot"-- a family tradition domino game. Saturday the adults went down to the Power & Light district so we could show them a little piece of KC, while Grandma & Grandpa Kehrt babysat the kids. We had a good time, but I was ready to get back to Emerson. I haven't been away from her very much and although the break was good.... I did start to miss her a bit. Our niece's Mara and Ellen opened a few of their gifts when we got back... we do that in shifts because they get a ton of gifts which leads to "present overload". They are both into babies/dolls and received strollers for their babies (Mara has so lovingly named hers Emerson-how cute). We opened the rest of the gifts after dinner, which was your typical Christmas gift opening experience. The highlight was when Ellen received her princess dress. I only wish I could have caught that on video!! Ellen opened the gift, proceeded to scream and clap her hands followed by tearing her PJ's off so she could put it one immediately. The next morning when she had to take it off was less than fun, as you can imagine. Emerson again did very well for such a new member of the family. Bruce and I received more than we deserved. It was a wonderful weekend. We were sorry to see the family go home and we can't wait to see them again. Below are some cute pictures of Em and the weekend.

Uncle Noel & Emerson

Mara holding Emerson (with a little help from Uncle Noel)

It took Chad a little while but he loved holding her once he got comfortable!

Grandma & Grandpa Kehrt with Em

Getting an eskimo kiss from Daddy

The best Christmas present we have ever gotten!!!

Ellen & her favorite person in the whole world (AKA Uncle Bruce) There is only one person that can make Ellen happy on a bad day...that is Uncle Bruce!

First Christmas!

2008-12-29T18:15:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Christmas in Kansas City this year. Emerson's first christmas has turned out to be very lucrative for her. We had family christmas just the 3 of us on Christmas day and then joined Troy, Robin, Maggie, & Abby along with Robin's parents for Christmas lunch. She hit the motherload on gifts with the Oberle family christmas this weekend and she still has the Kehrt family Christmas yet to go.

She was a very popular little girl with the family and it is a good thing she likes to be held. She was being held by someone all of Friday and Saturday. She was able to see and be seen by a lot of family that we don't get together with very often. All of the other kids took turns holding her and all did very well! Our niece Maggie took over many of our parental duties for the day and took good care of her. I asked her to come live with us for a while...she declined...I can't figure out why a 13 year old wouldn't want to come hang out with us boring people for a while?!?! It was a wonderful weekend and we are so glad that everyone was able to make it here for Christmas. It has been a very special year for us and we were excited to spend time with the Oberle's. We are equally as excited to spend time with the Kehrt family when they all come down in 2 weeks for our Kehrt family Christmas.

We are ready to go meet the entire family at Uncle Troy & Aunt Robins house!

Spending some quality time with Uncle Scott!

Uncle Troy & Emerson bonding... He was teaching her to use more than just her index finger to express herself!!

One Week Old!

2008-12-15T18:43:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe Emerson is already a week old. She is doing great and we are still star struck with her!!

Grandma and Grandpa Kehrt came on the day she was born and stayed until we got home from the hospital. They had to go back to Iowa on Monday and we are excited for them to come back this Thursday to stay for a week! Grandma and Grandpa Oberle came on Saturday to see her too. I think we can safely say that she has 4 Grandparents that are just as smitten as we are withher! Grandma and Grandpa Oberle can't wait to see her again in 2 weeks at Christmas.

She had her first Dr appointment last week. She was at 94% of her birthweight and is in the 10th percentile for her size. She is gaining her birthweight back like a champ and although a little small, she is doing great! She is a great baby. She doesn't fuss a lot (yet)! So far we are pretty lucky! Here are a few more pictures of her!

She is the cutest ever!

Emerson with Grandma & Grandpa Kehrt

Emerson with Grandma & Grandpa Oberle

2008-12-09T14:51:00.001-08:00

We are proud to announce the arrival of

Emerson Christine Oberle

Born: December 6, 2008

10:31 am
Weighing 6 lbs 5 oz

18 inches long

She is the joy of our life and we couldn't be more blessed to have her here and completely healthy! We came home for the hospital on Monday and like most babies she has her days confused with her nights. But she hasn't been a fussy baby and doesn't cry a lot. I could bore you with the details but let's face it, you really just want to see pictures of her!

Our beautiful baby Girl!

Our first family photo

I got a clean bill of health!!

A VERY proud daddy!

Mommy's little Angel!

Baby Watch Dec 2008

2008-12-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

Still here....still pregnant! We are officially on baby watch now. We could see the arrival of Little O at any time. It may be tomorrow, it may be 3 weeks from now...only he/she knows. My stats have not changed since last week. 100% effaced, Little O is in prime birth position (head down and a zero position), and I am dialated to 1. We are ready for Little O to get here and getting very excited. I am having a lot of back pain and still gaining weight so I don't see that improving until he/she gets here, since all of my weight gain is in my belly.

I am continuing to work right up until labor. Frankly, I see no point in sitting home doing nothing when I can sit at my computer at work and make money. Work keeps me busy and my employer is great about letting me get up and move around and pretty much doing whatever I need to keep myself comfortable. Bruce is getting very excited too. He hasn't had to tell his work that he can't travel anymore. They have been able to keep him in the office, which is good.

We will continue to try to keep you all updated on our status and of course we will let everyone know when our addition decides to make his/her grand entrance!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-26T17:02:00.000-08:00

Since we are grounded from going anywhere we are going to make Thanksgiving dinner here for the two of us plus Mike Krier. Bruce has certain requests for his turkey day meal that must be carried out, even though we aren't in Claflin this year. My family doesn't typically get together for Thanksgiving but there is always a lot of phone calls to keep us connected. Mom, Rox, and Jill, I will warn you that when you make your yearly "Black Friday Shopping- wish you were here" call at 7:30am....I won't answer it again this year either :) Have fun on your shopping trip, I am sure you will enjoy it much more without a tired, crabby, b*$U& joining you.

We had more appointments for Little O today. It was a good visit but today's appt made it all come together and both Bruce and I realized that in 4 weeks or less....God is going to actually allow us to be parents!!! Whoa. My blood sugars have been low (almost too low) for the last couple of weeks so they took me off the meds, however, my numbers are up a little today so we may need to go back on the meds but change the dosage. Little O scored a 10/10 as usual on testing today. Let's hope he/she does this well with school work... Dr. Smith said that she typically will induce labor at week 39 with her diabetic patients so it looks like we will have an addition before Christmas....Although Dr. Smith is very conservative, I am not sure so she really wants to work on Christmas so inducing 1 week early will help her vacation plans too :) We are at weekly and more invasive evaluations now (you really don't want the details). While Dr. Smith did say that inducing me is the most likely option, she is not so sure we will not go early on our own as I am completely Effaced now and dialated to a "tight 1". We do have everything ready to go except getting the car seat in the car and check to make sure we have it in correctly. After that we are ready for Little O. Now it is just the mad dash to get everything around the house that we want to get done before he/she arrives.

Have a very Safe and Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We are of course VERY thankful that we have the joy of a little baby on the way and wonderful friends and family!

Mom & Dad Kehrt

2008-11-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

Mom Kehrt has been planning on a trip for quite some time and this weekend was it. We got a surprise from Mother Nature and it rained/snowed in Iowa so Dad Kehrt was able to come too. Mom and I spent Saturday morning shopping for Little O. There is some must haves that we still need before he/she gets here and Bruce, although very excited about the baby's arrival, is not so excited to shop for him/her. It was good to have Mom here to shop for these last must haves. We had a great time and picked up all of the stuff we will need. We met Dad, Bruce, Mike Wondra, and Mike Krier at Buffalo Wild Wings for some lunch and football. We did have to move the party downtown as we wanted to show Mom & Dad the Power & Light district. We made it only as far as the Flying Saucer... which is Bruce's new favorite bar. It has over 200 beers... not your average Bud Light/Miller Lite variety. We were joined by several more of our friends and to our surprise, Troy and Robin dropped in while celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. They all had a great time trying all the different kinds of beer. I can't say I had quite as much fun as they all did but I did enjoy the time spent with Mom & Dad and friends.

Little O is doing good. Mom and Dad were excited to see that I actually look pregnant now... from the front and side anyway :) Here are some updated pictures of us and little O. No, worries Noel-- the belly pictures are not that bad.... I think you can handle these :) :)

32 weeks

2008-10-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

We are 32 weeks along and doing well. I thought I would post another update since we are now into our two week appointments with Dr. Smith. I have been doing very well on my diet and I must say that it really sucks...this is no fun. I have done everything to the letter and still my morning fasting numbers are high. The result is medication. The perinatologist said my numbers look really good during the day so I am doing everything I absolutely can and my body still can't keep my fasting levels down at night. No insulin shots, so I can live with that. But when he started going through my diet, I fully admitted that for my nightime snack I do include a sugar free ice cream bar... he scolded me for that because it has no nutritional value. I must say, it takes a lot of guts to sit across from a 7 month pregnant woman, whom you have put on a diet which consists of absolutely nothing fun and then scold her for partaking in a sugar free ice cream bar. For the record...sugar free ice cream bars aren't that good but are the one free treat that I look forward to. Dr. Smith now has us going in weekly for non-stress tests and sonograms to make sure little O grows appropriately. This is a change since they put me on medication. I told the receptionist that I was going to get a tent and camp out since I will be in their office so much for the next 8 weeks.

Bruce and I have both been busy at work lately. I am learning a lot in my new position and things are starting to come together. I have been putting in some longer hours but I can see as I get into a groove those should decrease a little bit....maybe. Bruce was in Atlanta for training all last week and his traveling has decreased a little too which is nice. His project here at home has been the master shower. He and Mike have been working on it quite a bit lately and with Mike's help it looks really good. Bruce's home improvement skills are much better than he believes they are. His confidence is building the more he does. He is at the tiling stage and it looks pretty good! Here are some pictures of the boys working...They call it work but for some reason, a few beer cans usually end up on the bathroom vanity at the end of the day too. I suppose they deserve it :)

Taking after Dad

2008-10-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

It feels like all we have done all week is baby appointments. Tuesday I had my first Perinatal appointment for my GD (gestational Diabetes). The doctor told me that my levels look really good and he can tell by looking at them that I am abiding by my diet very well. I don't have to take any medications or insulin if this keeps up. He even let me reduce the number of times I test my blood from 7 to 4!!! For anyone that has to test their blood regularly...that is AWESOME!! Some jerk at work filled the candy bowl yesterday with mini Snickers bars...which was just plain mean!

We met with the physicians of the pediatrician group that we have choosen as Little O's doctor. We are really comfortable with all of the doctors in the group. We had to do this before we met with the hospital to pre-register. This was a meeting to get everything in order so all we need to do on the big day is walk into the hospital and tell them we are ready for Little O to join us on the outside! Let's just say the pre-registration nurse is excited about her job. After the 45 minute meeting, Bruce and I were worn out and assumed that she must have forgotten to take her ADHD medication.

We met with Dr. Smith today for another appointment and sonogram to check Little O's size. Dr. Smith wants to make sure that the GD does not make the baby grow to big. Little O is in the 51st percentile which is right where he/she needs to be. They estimated him/her to be about 3.3 pounds right now ... they check that by doing circumference checks on the sonogram. The heart rate is steady at 147 beats per minute. Since I was 4 pounds 9 oz when I was born and the baby is already estimated at 3.3, she said that Little O is taking after Daddy when it comes to size but not too big. Hopefully, Little O does Mommy a favor and doesn't let those broad shoulders get too big.... Have you seen Bruce's shoulders?!?!? I love them on Bruce but my one fear of labor and delivery is delivering those!

29 Weeks along & Baby Shower!!!

2008-10-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been a lot of fun! My KC friends held a baby shower for me this weekend and we had our friends Justin, Sara, & their daughter Claire in town for the event. The shower was fun. We received a lot of things we are going to need for Little O's arrival. Thank you for everyone that attended and of course for the hostesses for the work they did to put the shower on. Since I am not a "game player" when it comes to showers, the hostesses did a fun craft project instead. The guests made Little O personalized onsies with fabric paints their own creativity. It was a fun project and Little O now has some pretty cool onsies to wear!!

Justin & Sara's daughter, Claire is 18 months old. She is mobile now so it was a great opportunity for Bruce and I to see what we need to get rid of or at least put out of hands of small children... we actually did pretty good... or Claire kept occupied with enough other stuff that she didn't notice. We spent Saturday night with them and our friend Stacey Wray, catching up and enjoying the wonderful weather. James, Janna, & Kaden stopped by with a gift of necessities for Little O and we got to spend some time with them as well. It is always great to see our out of town friends when we get the chance.

Little O is doing well. His/her kicking/punching is much more defined in the last couple of weeks. Since we are in our 3rd trimester, Dr Smith told us to start counting fetal movements. She wants 10 kicks in 8 hours... Bruce and I looked at her and laughed...we can get that in 5 minutes on most evenings! I saw the dietitian this week for my Gestational Diabetes and starting my blood sugar monitoring and strict diet. This is not your typical diet--it is geared around the when and how much aspect of eating carbohydrates/sugars. The kinds food I can eat is based on the food guide pyramid-- which in my opinion is the best way to "diet". The diet and monitoring is really one of the hardest things I have ever done...it is a lot of discipline and a whole lot of meal planning. We see the parinatologist this week to find out how Little O is progressing and make sure that everything is still going well. We are doing everything we should, so we hope Little O is doing just fine... more precautionary than anything else.

I tried to do a better job of taking pictures this weekend...for those of you that keep telling me to post more pictures...this is the best I can do so get used to it :)

Its been a while

2008-10-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since we last posted. The fact is we have been pretty boring. We have been staying close to home doing a lot of chores around the house. Bruce has been working in the back yard and we are re-doing our master bathroom shower. Bob Villa/Bruce has been learning a lot lately!!! Last weekend Bruce's parents were in town for the NASCAR race. It was good to spend time with them and we enjoyed their company. This weekend we are going to our niece Maggie's cross country meet. We also intend to get in some good football watching as well :)

We had another Dr's appointment today. We are in our 3rd trimester so we go every two weeks from here on out. Crazy that we are getting this close!!! Little O is doing great, he/she has the kicking thing down to a science. She/he generally gets really active around 8-9pm. His/her heartbeat was at 154 today so right on target. I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, so that is not great news for me and my love of pasta. This will require more doctors appointments, tests, and monitoring by a dietitian. Dr. Smith will also now be checking little O's size. One of her main concerns for the baby is that there is a greater chance of Little O getting too big now... who would have thought we would have to worry about my kid getting too big??? Other than, baby should be just fine as long as I monitor it well and listen to the doctors orders. We have a strong family history of diabetes on both sides of my family but with all luck this is limited to pregnancy only and it will go away after the baby is born.

Have a great week everyone! I will try to get some pictures posted soon! I could post pictures of us laying on the couch watching TV but who really cares to see that.

1 year anniversary!!!

2008-09-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

We made it to one year!! Our anniversary as all of you probably know was Monday September 8th. We celebrated the day with dinner a Lidia's italian restaurant. It was a great meal. Bruce even surprised me with flowers, which were dual purpose for my birthday too!!! A year ago I had invisioned us at dinner and then coming home to further celebrate with a bottle of wine from our wedding day. Since we both had to work the next day AND little O isn't old enough to drink yet :) Bruce had a glass with his dinner and I celebrated with a Sprite! Oh how a year changes things :) We had a wonderful anniversary and are still as happy today as we were then. although our celebratory activities have changed dramatically in the last 6 months :) :)

We had another appointment this week. Little O is measuring exactly on where he/she needs to be. We saw Cindy the nurse practitioner at this appointment. We really like her because she is very laid back and we can depend on her to answer all of our questions honestly. She does not hold back in anyway. We get to see Dr. Smith again at next month's appointment. We are very fortunate to have a doctor and nurse practitioner that we really like. Cindy said that Little O is progressing perfectly! That is always a relief. I was given another 4 weeks of travel because everything is going so well. However, in 4 weeks, we are done going anywhere for a while. These appointments are pretty quick, so there is more waiting around then there is appointment. We have been making a lot of meetings lately for daycare interviews, pediatrician interviews, and birth preparation classes. It is getting exciting the closer we get to Little O's arrival!!

If feels like we have been busy the last couple of weeks but we haven't been up to much. Both Bruce and I have been busy at work. Bruce is traveling a little bit here and there but home much more than he used to be. Which is really nice! I have been busy at work as well. I was promoted to a Claims Manager as of September 1st, which means I will no longer be adjusting work comp claims but instead will be the manager of a team of adjusters. I am officially and unofficially in my new position. My title has changed but they have not found a replacement for my adjuster duties. So in the meantime, I and doing 100% of my adjusting duties and everyday I seem to get more team manager duties... hopefully we will find a replacement soon and I can get onto my management duties. One of my first events as a manager is to attend our Team Manager meetings in Las Vegas September 15-17th. So it is a good thing I was given 4 more weeks of travel :)

There is not a lot to report after that. We are going to Claflin to a wedding this weekend for one of Bruce's friends. This will also give us one more chance to get there and spend time at Bruce's parent's home before little O gets here.

Kehrt Family Weekend

2008-08-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Des Moines to stay with my family and have a baby shower put on by my sister-in-laws, niece, and one of my mom's best friends Kim. It was a great weekend. Since we all come from different sides of the state and Illinois, it has become common practice to spend a lot of our holidays and special moments in hotels. Friday night was pretty low key with dinner and good company. Saturday Dad Kehrt, Chad, Bruce, and Nick went golfing. This was quite an adventure for Nick as it was his first golf experience. He did pretty well so we hear...considering he is a lefty playing with right handed clubs!

Saturday afternoon we had the baby shower and the girls did a great job of putting it on. It was great to see everyone and Little O received lots of toys and must haves. We had a lot of fun and I couldn't have asked for anything better. THANK YOU LADIES!!! We spent the remainder of the day swimming with my cousin Laura's daughter Aly, who is quite the waterbug and my nieces Mara & Ellen. They were content sitting on the steps in the beginning but with a little coxing and the element of time, They were jumping in and having fun!

Sunday before heading home to KC we went to my sister-in-law Stacey's parents home for a birthday party for Mara and Ellen. Mara turned 3 on Aug 21 and Ellen will turn 2 on Sept 15th. They also got lots of goodies to play with! Ellen may have had more fun with the tissue paper than her toys. It is hard to leave everyone and come home to Kansas but it was a great weekend and we had a lot of fun. It was our last trip to Iowa before Little O arrives so I am sure the next trip home will be equally eventful. Here are some pictures of our weekend!

Great Grandma's Kehrt & Thompson, Grandma Kehrt, & Mom Oberle

I had an excellent helper opening the gifts from Aly!

Kim, Roxanne, Jill, & Stacey- Thanks so much for the shower!!!

My friends were all able to make this great day!
Happy Birthday Mara & Ellen! Ellen has no problems digging into her cake. Mara likes to make sure she knows what she is eating :)

Although the rest of the family is making up ground. There is still an extra place in Ellen's heart for Uncle Bruce.

Little O Update

2008-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 week appointment yesterday with the doctor. We first did our 20 week sonogram. Since we are not finding out what the sex of the baby is until he/she arrives the tech avoided certain areas of the baby. She told us, she didn't even go down there because boys are so obnoxious, they will show you if you want to know or not :). It was quite amazing to both Bruce and I although we did need some help telling what everything is. She tried to get us a good look at the baby's face because apparently, I am harboring a future Gold Medalist in Gymnastics or a Martial Arts expert because Little O would not sit still long enough to get a good clear picture. She told us that the baby wouldn't sit still (which I can clearly feel) and Bruce laughed and said "Yep that sounds like my kid....already being difficult!" It is also much like his kid to avoid pictures at all costs :) The baby is measuring at 21 weeks so Little O is right where she/he needs to be. I have gained the weight that the doctor wants me to gain and everything is on track!!

Have a good week!

New Adventure!

2008-08-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

We have hit August and that means travel, travel, travel.... We are trying to get it all in before the doctor confines us to the city limits.

August 2nd, I made a quick trip to Des Moines for Sarah Towns' baby shower. We were able to catch up with her and get some good girl time in before baby Towns arrives in September. The shower was very nice and it was good to see a lot of girls that I haven't seen for a long time, some that I haven't seen since I left Des Moines. Bruce headed to Claflin for a family gathering at the Oberle household. They spent a lot of time in Great Bend at his sisters home. It was a great weekend and everyone had a good time catching up. I was sad to miss the weekend as the kids all went to the pool to swim and that is just as much fun for me as it is for the kids! My wonderful mother-in-law and father-in-law didn't hold my absence against me and did send some canned pickles home with Bruce! THANKS! Little O and I both thank you!!!!

Last weekend, we were pretty busy with a lot of odds and ends... We are getting back into the home improvements again, trying to get a lot done before Little O arrives-- yes we are only half way to Little O arrival... but it is a big list :) Bruce somehow talked me out of painting the nursery but we did a fair share of painting this weekend in places we have talked about doing since we moved in. The previous owner's painting skills were less than stellar.... one coat and call it good apparently was his motto. We got a lot of things done, most of which nobody else will ever notice is changed, but Bruce and I feel much better about it.

Bruce and Mike did embark on a new adventure they have never found themselves in this weekend too. The crib and dresser/changing table came in so we picked it up and the boys assembled the crib. It was not nearly as difficult as we anticipated. There was a Kodak moment where both of the boys were looking at each other in the "how the hell does this work" look... I actually was able to catch it with the digital camera....unfortunately to my dismay, I had the memory card door open on the camera and lost the picture... but here are the boys afterward rewarding themselves for their achievement. Nice job guys!!! Thanks for your help "Uncle" Mike!!

The Foo are Amazing!!!

2008-07-26T15:59:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we attended the Foo Fighters concert. I have been to several concerts and honestly, it was one of the best concerts we both have ever been too. You cannot compete with Jimmy Buffett's atmosphere but the Foo rocked them all musically. Our seats were really good so we had a good view of the band the entire time. They did an excellent set of "unplugged" songs which was my favorite. As the only sober one in the group by the end of the night, watching our group trying to get themselves out of the arena was another great show for me!!!

Below are pictures we took at Mike's party a couple of weeks ago!

Congrats to the newly engaged couple! We are excited for you Rupe & Christy!!!

Bruce & Julee, enjoying the party!!!

Highly talented (& intoxicated) Mike proves he can pat my head and rub the baby belly -- at the same time!!!! Yes, he is wearing my jacket as a Superman cape :) :)

Little O Update -Dr appt #3

2008-07-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

We had our 3rd Dr's appt for Little O on Monday. Bruce has been putting brutal hours at work and was not able to attend. Dr. Smith said everything is going along as planned. The baby's heartbeat was in the 140's at this appointment which is where he/she needs to be. My blood pressure and vitals are excellent. I haven't gained a lot of weight this month but Dr. Smith said overall I am where I need to be in weight gain. Our next appointment with the Dr is in August and that will include our ultrasound!!! The second trimester is awesome compared to the first...not that I had a whole heck of a lot to complain about in the first....it could have been MUCH worse. I feel pretty "normal" again...with the exception of the baby bump. It was kind of like a switch went off about 2 weeks into the second trimester, I started feeling better and now I can even use my electric toothbrush again (instead of a regular toothbrush:) Below are some 16 week belly pictures.

Have a great week!

Relaxing 4th !!

2008-07-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing 4th of July. We took a few extra days and went up to Clear Lake to spend some much needed time at the lake with Mom and Dad Kehrt. We did a little bit of everything....Bruce and Dad took to the links for a couple of days on the small par 3 golfcourse near their house. Bruce lost by a few strokes on the first match and demanded a rematch...He was VERY excited when he won the second round. While they were competing for bragging rights, Mom and I went to the Craft show downtown. Although the craftshow had little to be desired, we did manage to get some shopping done. I am not much of a shopper but they have this GREAT little store called "The Red Geranium" that I can always find something in! We found the perfect 1st addition for the baby's room. It is a nightlight that matches the nursery theme we have picked out. It will be fun once we get it all together.

We also spent time with the Thompson family. All of my mom's brothers and sisters were in town for the weekend. As is tradition on the 4th, we went to Belmond's parade and watched it from Grandpa & Grandma Thompson's front yard. Now, this is Bruce's "favorite" part of the weekend.... Bruce is not fan of parades...any parade... but Mom again worked her magic and got him to go... This is an opportunity to see family and Bruce likes that part. However, he does not see the point of parades. Although the Belmond parade is generally the same parade year after year it is fun for us to see people we haven't seen in quite some time. But I do have to agree, how much farm equipment and firetrucks can you put in one parade... and let's not forget the area car dealerships that feel the need to put as many 2008 Chevy Impala's as they can in the parade...as if we don't see them every day on the road... this year, I counted 3. We had a great time with all but one of my aunts and uncles (hope you are feeling better Aunt Cindy), most of my cousins and two of my cousins, little boys.

Bruce and I had a great time swimming with Donovan (my cousin Angie's son) in Clear Lake and Trenton (My cousin Missy's son), Bruce, and I walked around the farm looking at the cows, barns, and tractors. Trenton and I ended one night staying inside while the rest of the family watched my uncle's shoot off some fireworks. Trenton didn't care for the noise and I hate fireworks up close... I prefer to leave it to the professionals, and I like to watch those kind but hate being near them. Fireworks are much more dangerous then people realize-- yes I sound like a Nervous Nancy but its true. A Co-worker of mine, who is a trained fireworks tech found that out this weekend as well. After he was released from the KU burn unit he is doing well and back to work already. That is my soapbox for now... I have only one picture of the whole weekend... and it isn't great quality. Have a great week everyone!!

Need a vacation

2008-06-25T17:09:00.001-07:00

I need a vacation! It is summer, the weather is nice, and it has been a while since we have taken a vacation. Therefore, I think I need one :) We will be in Clear Lake for the 4th so our vacation time is coming at a perfect time!

We are all doing well. Bruce had to travel this week for a training session to Dallas. He doesn't mind the travel and I don't mind if it is kept at a minimum. He hasn't done a lot of traveling lately so I can't complain about a few days here and there. And...it is part of his job so we have to be ok with it.

Little O is doing well. We are moving into the 2nd trimester and The Blah is wearing off. There are a few remnants here and there but overall much improved. We are about 14 weeks along. Most baby books give you a unique description of how big the baby is...Bruce prefers these descriptions to technical terms. Little O is about the size of a peach now. We have started some initial nursery planning and made our first baby purchase.... the glider/rocker. We thought it was funny how you walk into a furniture store and the nursery section has "baby gliders" for a crazy amount of money...but then you walk over the glider/rocker section and you can find the same glider for 1/2 the price. When we got it home Bruce thought we need to break it so it is ready for the baby and now it has taken up temporary residence in the living room.

A weekend Outside!

2008-06-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a busy weekend. Saturday we spent the day at the Clinton Lake on our friends John & Heidi Ernst's boat. It was a windy day so we anchored off in a cove and enjoyed the day. Later that evening we went to Rockfest which is a rock concert in Kansas City with 15 bands on 2 different stages. It is a huge crowd of about 50,000 people. Since we didn't go all day, we saw only 2 bands. Shinedown was a band I had high hopes for but I have to say I was disappointed at the performance. The main band we wanted to see was Stone Temple Pilots who put on an AMAZING show. It was a great concert and we had a blast. Here our some pictures of the weekend. I didn't take my camera into the concert so the pictures are courtesy Stacey & Tom Wray :)

John & Bruce, Joseph (John & Heidi little guy) & Jill & Heidi, Joe, & Miles

ROCKFEST

NEW ADDITION!

2008-06-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon... and additional member of the Oberle Family! Bruce and I are having a baby! Little O's Estimated date of arrival is December 27, 2008. We are very excited and although the pregnancy has had its challenges, Little O is growing very nicely.

The doctor has estimated our conception date to be approximately April 5th. Which would have been our trip to Las Vegas... lets just say that trip turned out to be much more lucrative and yet at the same time more expensive then we originally thought!! That makes us about 11 weeks along and doing very well. We have had 2 doctors appointments. The first was on Bruce's Birthday and he says it was the best birthday present he has ever gotten...ask him that again when Little O is 16 :) The second visit was today. Dr. Smith says that everything is going along just fine and there are no concerns at all. She does want to run an extra test since all three of us Kehrt kids were premature but she doesn't think that is cause for concern. We were able to hear the heartbeat at today's appointment. And that was by far the BEST sound I have ever heard. Little O's heartbeat was cranking at about 165-168 beats per minute and doing great! We were anticipating a much more complex form of finding the heartbeat but it was relatively routine to Dr. Smith and yet for Bruce and I, it was simply amazing. She did not have to search for it at all. She was able to find it immediately. It was beautiful and something that is difficult to explain until you hear your own child's heart beating for the first time!

Weeks 6-8 taught us that Morning Sickness is a myth... it does not only occur in the morning... It can come and go all day long. We have conveniently labeled this symptom "The Blah" I have a much better understanding on what increases the likelihood of me getting the Blah and how to avoid it. It can't be completely be avoided. I am the cracker queen!! By looking in my purse at any given time, you will surely find snack bags of crackers and fruit loops! I have also been a little more tired but I am able to do pretty much everything I want which is important to me. I was much more tired in the beginning and now really just notice it after a later than usual night.

I haven't had any "cravings" yet. I have noticed that Oreo cookies elicit the Blah so those are out of the rotation for a while. I do eat more tortilla chips and cheese/nachos than I used to. I have always had an addictions to pickles particularly my mother-in-laws canned pickles. They are by far the best ever! I generally make a rule to ration these out so the jars last until our next trip to Claflin or when Leon & Judy come to visit. I now eat these about 1/2 jar at a time. Again, pickles have always been a favorite food (I used to get them as a Christmas gift) so I am not sure you can call this a craving....

A few answers to many general questions...

1. We are not planning on finding out if it is a boy or girl until he/she arrives.
2. We have 10 nieces and 1 nephew but we really don't care which one we get.... However, for those of you that want a boy...if it is a girl... It's Bruce's Fault! :)

3. We haven't started any major changes from the spare bedroom to the nursery yet...but we will be soon.

4. I am showing much faster than I though I would... I have gained 5 pounds so far...Bruce and I were very surprised that I started showing so fast (we noticed at 7 weeks) but since I am so slender, it is normal....and we did only hear one heartbeat today!

We hope you are all doing well and we will try to keep you all posted on the growing of Little O as well as the rest of our lives!!

The losing streak ends!!!

2008-06-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, When it comes to professional sports, my & most Kehrt family members heart lies with the team that lives in Chicago... Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs (Sorry Dad & Uncle G), Chicago Bulls, etc.... But now that I live in KC, I find myself getting more involved in the Chiefs and The Royals every year. Neither team has given me reason to completely turn on my Chicago teams.... they aren't that good. The Chiefs also let my favorite player, Boomer Grigsby go this last year...he is now a Dolphin...I am still a fan Boomer!!!

The Royals are going through a major stadium renovation and it isn't without its growing pains for the team and fans. But it will be well worth it in the end. After 12 game loosing streak the Royals have started to redeem themselves...they still have a long ways to go but they are trying. We attended the game this weekend with Mike Wondra and it was a great day! It was hot and the zoo was giving a way stuffed Otters for the kids... so it was a family friendly day...hot screaming children everywhere...It was a ton of fun to see all the little Royals fans! My favorite Royal David DeJesus (#9) also dropped a little farther down on Bruce's shit-list after hitting a home run...Bruce is not willing to remove him completely off the list yet though...

Here are some pictures of the game!! The Royals play the White Sox tonight...Since I am a cubs fan and a Royals fan, I will have to say GO ROYALS! Hopefully dad will talk to me tomorrow

2008-05-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Memorial day was a quiet one this year. We didn't do much this long weekend. Our house was a little more active this weekend as our friends James, Janna, and their son (Our Godson) Kaden stayed with us while they were in town for a family event. It was fun to have them around.

Saturday night we went to a party at our friends Maggie & Michael's. They have a nice home and it was a lot of fun to hang out with friends. We did have a cut-throat tournament of the Bean Bag game....somewhere in the late of the night, it was renamed to a title that isn't fit for the blog but it was a lot of fun!!! Needless to say I really don't know who won but I can safely say it was not Bruce and I!

Sunday morning we got the most wonderful Memorial Day gift. One of Bruce's very best friends, BJ Buehler, has been serving in Iraq since last June. He called Bruce on Sunday morning from Atlanta!!! He was on his way home and was calling while on a lay-over at the airport. All of the men in his unit came home safe! I am sure that there is nothing better than being home with his wife and two little girls! We are so happy to have him home!!! WELCOME HOME BJ!!!!

Spring is here!

2008-05-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

Finally some warm weather!! We had a great weekend of weather and it looks like it may stick around for a few more days. There hasn't been much new in the Oberle household the last couple of weekends. We continue the yard work which both of us really actually enjoy. We have the flower beds done (we think) and the yard is looking 100x better then it did last summer. I had only two requirements for the landscaping... a liliac bush and daiseys.

"Sara's spot" is growing in nicely!! that is what Bruce calls a small (ok medium sized) spot that I maybe... I could have... ok I definitely did kill all the grass last summer. I was trying to kill the massive weed problem....and ended up sacrificing some grass too. BUT, I did my job....the weeds died too!!!

Last weekend Bruce took out a few more tree stumps. He is coming along pretty well. He has just the big ones left and he did it this weekend without breaking another shovel!! It is really crappy work and he is working hard... The trees were pretty good sized and the roots go down quite a ways. Keep up the good work Bruce! Hercules, Hercules!!

We also went to our nieces' soccer games. Abby and Maggie both were playing on adjacent fields so we could watch both games at once. Bruce was not going to be happy until he watched Abby tackle at least 3 girls. Our niece Abby is what I would like to call competitive and aggressive. It is not that she is intentionally going after the other girls...they have the ball and she wants it... pretty simply concept. I think she got 4 nice tackles so Bruce was happy. Maggie is not quite as aggressive but her skill level is definitely a benefit to her team. Maggie is also quite the track star so running on a soccer field is no problem for her. She ran the mile in track this year and I have to think pretty hard to remember my track 1 mile and 2 miles times but I am pretty confident she is pretty close to beating my high school times as an 8th grader if she hasn't already. If she is a future Cross Country star, I may cry in tears of pride!! Both of the girls are very good at sports and it was fun to watch them play. We wish we could see all of our other nieces and nephew play their sports more often.

We also need to give a shout out to our other niece Ashlin who had her first communion this weekend in Greensburg, KS. We didn't get to go see her but we want to congratulate her!! Hopefully we will get to Greensburg sometime soon to see the new house too!!!

Happy Birthday Bruce!!!

2008-05-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

We have been pretty busy lately! Between the yard work and the fun...there hasn't been much time for rest.

Last weekend, 4.26.08- Bruce's parents were in town for the races. We were able to spend some quality time with his family on Friday night. Bruce's brother, Troy lives in DeSoto and his cousin Teresa lives just down the street from Troy's house. We had a good time catching up with the Oberle's. Sunday we were able to attend the Indy Car race at the Kansas Speedway thanks to Bruce's Aunt & Uncle giving us their tickets. Bruce's dad is a HUGE race fan!!! It is not really something that we get into but it was a great opportunity to spend some time with them. I of course was cheering for Danika Patrick...who doesn't love a chic that can race an Indy car....and WIN! She unfortunately had poor results that day. Her car had some tire trouble and they had to shut her down with only a few laps left in the race.

This past weekend,5.2.08 My parents came into town for Bruce's Luau birthday party... and I will admit now, I suck as a picture taker because the only pic we have of the entire party is me holding Kaden and adoring him!! Bruce hates having his picture taken so he isn't too upset about it. We had a good crowd and a ton of fun. Most of Bruce's great friends were able to make it so we had a awesome time. My parents came into town on Friday and we went for sushi. Dad has a new love for sushi and Bruce is an experienced sushi eater. He orders and dad eats it! It works good for both!!! Mom is still too scared to even try it.... raw fish isn't her deal, in some of the stuff, I can see her point. Saturday we prepared for the party and took them to eat at Arthur Bryant's BBQ joint. It is excellent food! We want to thank all of our friends for coming and making Bruce's party a huge success. We have enough Gin to last us two years!!! Thanks again for all who joined us and for those that were had other commitments, hopefully we will see you soon!!!

Have a VERY happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!

2008-04-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Welcome to our blog!! Since I moved from Iowa, I have apparently done a crappy job of staying up to date with my friends and extended family because I have heard from a lot of people that I need to join Facebook or My Space. Well, that isn’t going to happen so this is the next best thing I can offer. You see, I work at a desk all day long, looking at a computer and talking on the phone-often at the same time. There lies the dilemma, when I get home the last thing I want to do is… talk on the phone or be in front of the computer. Now I say that with an open invitation that I will answer the phone if you call me… so that doesn’t mean that I won’t do it….I am just not good a volunteering for it. And I can safely say that Bruce just isn’t into the posting blog thing. This is our opportunity to update mass parties of the minor...and I suppose major (although there isn’t many) happenings of our lives. Since September of 2007, we really haven’t had a lot of major happenings. Some of the minor ones though have been a lot of fun! Hopefully this blog will help us do a better job of keeping you all update on the exciting and unexciting parts of our lives.

Some of the big ones….

Kaden Schremmer- Son of James and Janna Schremmer. We were blessed with the opportunity to be his Godparents. He was baptized on February 3, 2008 and he did so well and we can’t be more proud to be his Godparents.

Vegas!!!- We took a trip to Las Vegas at the beginning of April for a mini vacation. We went with our great friends, Tom & Stacey Wray and Mike Wondra. We had a blast! With the exception of the sunburns Mike and I got from sitting by the pool for 1 ½ hours! We didn’t count how much we lost but it wasn’t much at all. I think we broke even when you include the $40 that Bruce won at roulette!! We saw Wayne Brady in his live show and he is a funny guy. If in fact his show is as impromptu as he advertises it is…he is a genius!! And of course, no trip would be complete without a trip to Margarittaville!!

Iowa State Vs. Kansas State Men’s Basketball Game- In March we joined the Kehrt family for a weekend of Fun and Basketball. The Kehrt family did allow Bruce to bring reinforcements for the KSU cheering section. Mike Wondra joined us for the family fun and apparently has becomes a surrogate son to my Mom & Dad! They love him!!! It turned out the Bruce didn’t need any reinforcements of fans. Hilton Magic was on vacation and Michael Beasley took care of things just fine. Good thing is…Beasley is on to the NBA and there is two more games next year! I stole this picture from Noels Blog... thanks Noel!

In February I took a trip to Cedar Rapids to see my brother Noel, his wife Stacey and their daughters Mara & Ellen. Stacey and I went out for some girl time on Friday night and we spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with the girls. Mara is a smart little thing and we had a lot of fun playing. She is learning new words and I was impressed with her memory- like an elephant! Ellen did the best she has ever done around me. When I first got there, she ran right up to me and gave me a hug. I would love to believe that this is because she missed me and loves her Aunt Sara more than any one else…but I know the truth… Uncle Bruce was gone so that is the closest she is getting to him that weekend. You see, I have to watch my back around her… She loves Bruce and I sometimes wonder if she won’t lock me in a closet sometime so she can have Bruce to herself!

Our calendar is filling up fast with fun weekend activities and we are gearing up for summer. I am sick of winter and ready for warm weather. Bruce has vowed to make the backyard our major updating project on the house. The people that lived there before us got really excited to start big projects and apparently lost steam and took the easy way out… which leads me to another invitation…. If any of you are interested in any river rock or lava rock…let us know… we have plenty of BOTH!!! Heck, we will even give it to you for FREE!!!