Yuck :(

On Friday night, Calla got the flu. Today we are still battling it and will be going to the Dr. in a while to see if there is anything else going on or just a combo of the flu and a cold. :( So far Chad and I are in the clear and we hope to stay that way.
She was still a pretty happy baby with just a few uncomfortable moments, so that we are thankful for! Enjoy her new pics!

Getting some fresh air on Saturday afternoon!

Resting on her zebra pillow!

This is what she looks like when ill!

Cheese!! If you click to make this pic larger, you can see her 5th tooth that poked through this weekend!!

11 months old

I just wanted to do a mini update on Calla's 11 month birthday. She is fighting her first cold of her life, so we are considering ourselves VERY fortunate for this! She has still been a very happy, fun baby even though she is not 100%. I will try to post more this weekend with some new pics!

Growing Calla

I have not posted for quite some time! I guess I have been busy playing with Calla and her hundreds of toys that are all over my living room! :)
We had some friends over several weeks ago that have a 3 month old and they walked in the door and looked at all of her toys and said "These are all of Calla's toys?" We nicely told them that she has more her bedroom and also in the basement. The just looked at us like we were crazy, but I think in no time their home will look similar to ours!! She really does play with all of them or else we would put some away!
Calla has been busy learning how to walk even faster around the furniture and other objects in the house. She loves to drink real milk from her sippy cup and even told me "No, no, no, no, no!" one morning when I was putting her gloves on! It is hard to believe that at the end of next week she will be 11 months old! My mom, Shane, and Burlynn came out last Saturday to spend some time and Burlynn loved playing with Calla and all of her toys. Enjoy the new pics!

An updated family picture

This is where Calla LOVES to play!!

She is also an up and coming musician!! Look at her stand on her tippy toes to reach it!

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream!!

She really likes her zebra after Burlynn showed her how to ride it!

Happy New Year!

So far 2008 has treated us well! Calla spent the night with my parents on New Year's Eve while Chad and I came back to Kearney to hang with a bunch of our friends. Burlynn also stayed with Grandma and Grandpa and they had a good night. We met them and picked her up on Tuesday in Aurora and saw a fabulous Bald Eagle flying over the truck stop...not something you see everyday living in town!
I really have nothing else to report on so I will just post the pictures!

Calla checking out the refrigerator

Here is the freezing fog on our fence the morning of Dec 27th! It was beautiful and Chad (before work) got the camera out and took some pics...I thought this one was the best that you could actually see the detail of the ice crystals.

Calla's First Christmas!

My baby girl is now 10 months old and has celebrated her first Christmas! We have truly been blessed this year and got to spend lots of time with our family and friends during the holidays! Next weekend we still have 2 Christmas parties to celebrate...then we will be finished!
On Christmas Eve we celebrated with just the 3 of us and then went to late church. Then on Christmas Day my parents came out to spend the day and then in the evening we went to Chad's parents house.
Calla was really, really, really spoiled by everyone and we think that we are really blessed to have such a wonderful family and great friends who cherish our Calla as much as we do! We know that each one of you had a very Merry Christmas and remembered the love that He has for us!

Before Church on Sunday

Showing off her snowman hat from Uncle Chris

Reading a book from Mommy and Daddy

Checking out her Ark from Santa

Playing with her Singing Sound Stage from Grandma and Grandpa Ripp

Away in a Manger

We have started our Holiday gatherings! Over the weekend we were with my parents and brothers, and of course Burlynn! Calla had a blast following Little B around and just exploring Grandma and Grandpa's house. Santa was in town on Saturday so we took the girls for a visit. Calla loved him andBurlynn not so much!
Calla got SPOILED by Grandma, Grandpa, Shane and B, and Uncle Jed! Our living room continues to grow smaller due to the large quantity of toys she has! On thing is for sure...she has no excuse to be bored at home!
This weekend we will just be at home and then my parents will be out here on Christmas Day to hang out and then we celebrate with Chad's family that evening!
We will not update again until after Christmas so we want to thank all of you for following our family this year! We wish you all to have a great Christmas and never stop Believing!!

The girls looking out Grandma's window!

The Big, Jolly, SCARY man!!

Little B with her new slippers riding on her new horse!!

Calla on her new Dora couch, checking out Grandma's tree!!

The girl's in their Christmas dresses before church!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

Calla has had a busy week, learning lots of new things! She can now sit from crawling and pull herself to her feet. I went in yesterday morning while trying to get her down for a nap and she was standing in her crib smiling at me! She now likes eggs and crackers. And...she has slept through the night for 4 nights in a row!!!!!! God does love us and wants us to have more children someday! LOL!!! She loves our Christmas tree so much that we bought her a small one that she can actually play with and she LOVES it!
Chad and I went to GI yesterday for his Company Christmas party and Calla spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa Ripp. We had a great time and Calla did too!

Standing in her crib...yikes!

Another tree picture...this time with her 1st Christmas hat!

She got into the wrapping/tissue paper and had a BLAST!!!

Mommy thought she needed a mohawk!

She pulled herself to her feet and then was waving at me!

Calla with her very own Christmas Tree!

Mommy and Daddy before the party!

Who's got a beard that's long and white?

Santa's got a beard that's long and white!!!

That's right...it is time for the Big Jolly Man to make his appearance. Calla got to meet him for the first time last week. She really enjoyed sitting on his lap and just smiled her cute Calla smile! We think that we are lucky that both Grandpa's have a beard...so hopefully she will never be afraid of him!

This last week she has really started to show us that she is growing up too fast. She pulls herself up to about anything now...most of the time, just to her knees, but occasionally to her feet!! Yikes...I want my baby back. :'(

In all seriousness though...Pastor Dave told of an experience he once had. A woman was telling about the Christmas program her children had taken part in at their elementary school. The woman was telling how cute they looked and all the fun songs they had done. Then she said...for some reason they had to bring Jesus into it and then they had to sing some religious songs. I don't know why they would bring him into it!
Jesus is the REASON for the season. Without his birth we would not have Christmas! Take the time this season to remember the real reason we celebrate and give thanks to Him and all that He has given for us!

Hanging out by the tree!

For some reason she was trying to crawl over the box!!

Wearing Little B's reindeer outfit from last year!!!

Mommy and Calla!

Calla and the big man...look at her arm propped up on his belly!

Where has time gone?

Calla celebrated her 9 month birthday yesterday! We had a good day just hanging out as a family. I have taken soooo many pictures this weekend b/c Calla has been doing so many fun things! She helped me decorate the Christmas tree on Friday and otherwise has been exploring every inch of the house. She has discovered that the fish tank motor vibrates and that vibration feels great on her teething gums. I bought her a vibrating teether, but she prefers the fish motor.
She has also found out that it is great fun to crawl under the coffee table and end tables. Occasionally she gets hung up on the shelf, but for the most part she maneuvers over them quite well!! It is also very fun to crawl under the end table and then under the piano bench and play with the pedals along the way! She also loves to play with all the CDs and DVDs on the shelf. Thanks for checking in on us and we hope that you enjoy this holiday season!

Calla and Mommy before hockey!

Helping Mommy decorate the tree!

Sitting pretty!

Under the coffee table!

Standing up!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wanted to wish you a Happy Day! We found many things to be thankful for this year and pray that we have even more next year! Take time to be thankful today.

As promised...

We had a fabulous weekend spending time with my family! Calla really had a good time playing with Burlynn and I think that the fun will only explode from here! We are looking forward to Christmas when we will have two times the fun we did last year. Enjoy these new pictures!

Calla posing before church

Should I knock it over?!?

We loved the weather this weekend and could not wait to go on a wagon ride!

Calla showing off her new jammies!

Burlynn wearing my shoes around the house!

9 month stats

Calla had her 9 month check up today! She won't be 9 months until next weekend, but we went in a bit early. She weighed in at 16 lbs 2 oz and is 26 3/4 inches long. Dr. said she looks great!! We are spending time with my family this weekend so we will have some pics to update early next week! Have a fabulous weekend!

Here is a picture of Calla and Charli from last weekend!