Let the Countdown Begin

Well, we are down to our final weeks, what a quick pregnancy this has been.  I remember waiting and waiting for Izze even though she was almost 3 weeks early, but this time I am just trying to enjoy my final weeks of being pregnant.  I really can't complain much, I never had morning sickness, haven't had too many completely sleepless nights, haven't put on as much weight as I did with Iz, and my hubby has been pretty good to me.  Besides the fluctuating blood pressure, all seems to be well with the world.

Isabel has been an amazing little girl, she always wants to help mommy out.  She has become such a little person with her own personality and I love every conversation we have.  Tonight we were making foam snowmen (craft of the day) and Izze said to me "mom, when I grow up I want to be just like you".  Maybe it's the pregnancy, but I was quite emotional : )  Either I have a super brown noser for a child, or she is very sweet and appreciates her mommy.

Well, as I begin week 33 of my pregnancy and my countdown to Christmas vacation (7 more teaching days to be exact), all seems right with the world.  Merry Christmas : )

Holidays

This is my absolute FAVORITE time of year! I just love the glistening Christmas lights, the smell of cookies in the oven, the adorable knit hats for little ones, the chill in the air, and just the mood of those you are around. Our house welcomed our "Elf on the Shelf" on Thanksgiving morning. Isabel was shaking with excitement! This year Santa sent her a girl elf which Izze named Snow. Snow watches Izze over the next month taking note of the good and bad things she does. Snow then "magically" reports to Santa each night. Drew and I LOVE our little elf Snow, she brings out the best in Izze.

This Wednesday we start our Advent calendar countdown. Stay tuned, more excitement to come....

One of those days!

Have you ever had one of those days where you forget to actually sit down? Today was one of those days. I am 7 months pregnant and worked my buns off from 7am until 5pm. It actually hurts to sit down if you can believe that. My doctor appointment went well despite my high blood pressure (go figure).

The Halbesma's are looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving this Thursday for 22 people (the last time I counted). It should be a nice event and despite the work, I do enjoy having family to our home.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! Please know that I am thankful for you!

Fast Lane

At times I wonder when life will slow down. Time continues to fly for me, we already have 2 months of school under our belts, I visited DC with my 8th graders, and meetings are in full swing. To top it all off in around 3 months my life will again change and our family of three will become the perfect 4. I pray things will slow down by then so I can enjoy every minute of it.

Lovin Fall

There's something about fall that I just love! Maybe it's because the weather is changing, maybe it's because we are back in the school routine, maybe it's because we celebrate my birthday, or maybe it's a little bit of everything. There is nothing like a chilly fall day when you can snuggle up with a cup of warm carmel apple cider and a good book (currently I am reading Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert). The Halbesma's have been enjoying the change in weather. You can still occasionally find us playing baseball in the yard or racing bicycles up and down the driveway, but it sure is fun doing some cooking, reading and snuggling.

This weekend we celebrated my birthday with some nice dinners, family an

d rest. Today we supported our parish and attended the Fall Festival. Drew and I enjoy the chicken dinner, while Izze enjoyed the kids games and painting a pumpkin. Isabel was our lucky charm today. She won so many tickets from the games (mostly by luck) and tripled her money in a betting game (shh I know she is only 3 years old). Finally, Auntie Stephanie had her peel a special matching game ticket and won her $25. I think she needs to go to Vegas when she is older : )

Happy Fall Everyone!

Let the Sickness Begin!

Well it looks like Izze and I have had the our first bout of the stomach flu. Luckily Drew is still holding strong (which is amazing to me). We did end up getting to go to another doctor appointment yesterday (before I crashed hard), where we had another ultrasound. Last week our little one wasn't cooperating as well as she should have so we got to go back for another round. The baby was doing exactly what the doctor wanted and we were able to get some amazing pictures! The doctor let us see the baby in 4D, which we didn't get to do with Isabel. I couldn't believe all of the tiny features and how amazing it was to see how she will look. Modern technology still amazes me each day!

It's A Girl!

Today we had our ultrasound appointment, we brought Isabel along to get her first glimpse of her new baby. It took a while to get the baby to cooperate, but once she did we were 100% sure it was a girl. We spent 45 wonderful minutes as a whole family looking at our new addition and it was amazing watching her wave her little arms and kick her little feet. The doctor showed us that everything looks WONDERFUL and we even got a little picture of her smiling : )

Tonight Izze had to be sure to kiss her baby sister goodnight and give her a big hug before going to sleep. I know she will be an amazing big sister, she is so gentle with babies and just loves them to pieces.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband who was just as excited about having a girl as he would be if he were having a boy. Drew is an amazing dad and I know both Izze and her baby sister will always be daddy's little girls.

I am a lucky woman!

My Niece's First Day of School

Well, as promised here are pictures of Izze taking her cousin Paige to her first day of first grade. You can tell Iz looks up to Paige : )

Back to School

Going back to school can be so bittersweet for me. I always enjoy getting back into a routine, but miss the lazy summer days with Izze and Drew. We officially have 2 days of school under our belts, which means come Tuesday it's go time!!! I am blessed yet again this year to Drew's parents and my parents helping out by watching Izze during the week. Izze loves to be home and this is such a nice way for her to play with her own toys, sleep in, and take great naps.

I wanted to post some pictures of Izze taking her cousin Paige to her first day of 1st grade, but my sister is still getting them to me, so stay tuned.

Also the 13th of Sept. we find out what baby Halbesma is, any guesses??????

I Can't Believe....

I can't believe Izze is 3 years old.

I can't believe they don't make all pink Starburst bags.

I can't believe I have already been married for over 8 years.

I can't believe my husband is still my best friend in the whole wide world.

I can't believe how much I miss Izze when I am away from her.

I can't believe I now find myself watching American Pickers or Pawn Stars when Drew is not even around.

I can't believe how much I love the smell of freshly washed babies.

I can't believe how well the Glowinski's/Halbesma's all get along : )

I can't believe how happy I am when my floors are freshly washed.

I can't believe how quickly time flies when you don't want it to.

I can't believe I am in my 30's, I still feel like I am 21.

I can't believe I will be a mother of 2 in a little over 5 months.

I can't believe summer is almost over for me : (

I think I could keep going on forever, feel free to leave your own

Laubers

So, many people who read my blog do not actually live in East Troy, but maybe you have heard or even been to Lauber's Ice Cream Shop. Once you step inside you feel as if you have gone back in time. I have been going there since I was a wee little lady, and I remember my parents giving me $.50 to buy a ton of penny candy. It was such a special treat to have ice cream sundaes and candy too (especially in my house where my mom NEVER gave us sweets). Well, we have begun the same tradition with Izze, she gets so excited to have her kiddie cone "Banilla" (or vanilla for everyone else), and she ALWAYS picks out a candy lipstick as we are leaving.

Right next to Lauber's is the trolley, and Isabel is obsessed with the trolley. She always has to check out where the trolley's are and if anyone is onboard. Sometimes I take for granted all the cute little things we have for kids right in our own home town.

Anyways, if you are ever in the area and want some great ice cream, feel free to give us a call we can't pass it up : )

Izze on the trolley last October

I Love My Bug!

So yesterday I decided to tackle Izze's clothes and move her into her new closet. I am so jealous of the space she now has. I have to share a closet with Drew and as many of you already know, he sure has a lot of clothes for a man. It was great going through stuff that didn't fit her anymore and separating Goodwill piles and keep piles. As we were going through clothes Izze came across this:

Mind you this adorable costume is a size 18months and Izze is in a 3T. She wore it proud and danced around for a good hour in it.

Here is a glimpse of the new closet, I told her she must ALWAYS keep it clean even when she is 16 years old. She said "ok mommy". Note to self, show Izze this blog in 13 years : )

Movin On Up...

Well, Izze has officially moved into her new room. We thought now would be a good time seeing she is having a baby brother or sister in early February. I wanted it to be a special thing for her and really didn't want it associated with the baby quite yet. Isabel helped pick out her bedding and paint. I am quite happy with the results and so is Isabel. Thank God for Drew, he has been a saint throughout all of this! Here are a few before/after pictures.

Please note: I actually did the taping and part of the trimming, so Drew did have help.

I had to put this picture in because Drew is vacuuming : )

Well worth the time and effort!

If Izze Had it Her Way

If Izze had it her way she would:

-Take 3 hour showers

-Wear pj's all day

-Eat goldfish crackers in bed

-Play outside naked

-Never wash her favorite blanket

-Be 5 years old and in Kindergarten

-Have tumbling class everyday

-Have a baby sister

-Name her baby sister Izze

- Have crazy hair like this...

Summer So Far!

Enjoying the goodies from the picnic

Izze has a new chore, she can set the table. It's cute because she puts things

wherever she wants.

Paige, Grace and Izze playing in the kiddie pool.

Izze and Nana

Well, it has been a busy few weeks so far. I am amazed at how jam packed a summer day can get. The good thing is that I am trying to enjoy every moment, and I think Isabel is as well. I have Izze on a great schedule, she naps at least 2 hours a day and sleeps from around 7:30/8pm until 7:30am. She is so much happier when she gets her rest, and Drew and I enjoy playing with her when she is not crabby : )

This weekend we are heading up to Princeton to spend some relaxing time with Aunt Bev and Uncle Jim. We always enjoy going up there, doing a little kayaking, shopping and sightseeing. I am sure I will have more to report when I return.

"The Piper is down, I repeat the Piper is down"

Okay, so maybe you don't get the title of my post, it's from So I Married An Axe Murderer (a classic to Drew and I).
Well, our piper (Izze) seems to have caught a bug of some sort. It started yesterday, she was quite clingy and I knew something was up. Our wake-up call (or shall I say my wake up call) was at 11:50pm, she was burning up. She was so tired she just wanted me to hold her. I brought her into our bed (which NEVER happens in the Halbesma house) because I was exhausted and we laid there for a good hour and a half. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and asked her if she was ready to try her bed again, thank God she agreed. After finally trying to get to sleep, but worrying like any mother does if their baby is okay, I finally dozed off around 3am.

Morning came early, as another fever broke out at 6:00am. Again Iz was in our bed, but this time Drew put on a princess movie so she was quite happy. Drew and I got another hour of shut eye and then the credits began to roll and we were up and going. Izze was pretty lazy all day, taking a 3 1/2 hour nap and quietly playing with her Legos. The fevers continue to come and go, which is so strange. She asked to go to bed at 8am and I am not one to argue that. I once heard (I think from my mom) that when your child is sick, you feel the pain too. I completely agree, my day was not the same. I miss my ballerina : )

Summer Time!

I think stay at home moms are the luckiest people in the world, which makes me the second luckiest in the world. Being a teacher sure has it's perks, I just love the time I am able to spend at home with Izze. Each summer I have lists of things I want to get to, for instance clean all the closets, re-file all past bills, scrub all the woodwork, wash all windows, go through the playroom toys (again), I think you get the picture. I am sure I will be able to check a few of those items off my list, but I am not rushing to get all of them done.

I think often times we worry too much about how our homes look, how our appearance is and we forget the little things that flash before our eyes, like childhood. Just yesterday I remember holding Isabel in my arms anxiously awaiting the days for her to say "mommy" or kiss me goodnight. Those days have flown by and she is already 3 years old, she knows her phone number, where she lives, the alphabet, about 800 songs, and so much more. I have yet to regret spending an afternoon playing grocery store or finger painting when I know I should be scrubbing my floors. This is the time to enjoy each moment I have with Izze before she grows up and wants to spend time with everyone but mom and dad.

So I guess those of you who will be paying me a summer visit will have to understand why I may not have dusted for a couple days, or why my windows have little tiny hand prints all over them, it's because I am enjoying my daughter and thanking God each day for the best gift in the world!

Almost Summer!

Well, things have been a bit crazy at the Halbesma home. Having 2 teachers in the house creates a lot of year-end chaos. Today I graduated my 8th grade class of 2010. It is a lot of work preparing meals for over 100 people. I think I need a weekend from my weekend : )

We are down to our final days of school. I cannot wait to spend some quality time with Izze this summer, we have been counting down for weeks now. We don't have any huge plans this summer, just some tumbling classes and princess ballet camp.

Happy Mommy's Day

I had a wonderful mother's day. We started off by going to church bright and early, and then we were off to brunch at Grist Mill. Isabel was a patient angel, and enjoyed her time with her cousins Paige and Gavin : )

Following brunch we had the fam come back to our house for a few photos (see below) and then it was off to Illinois to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We spent a few hours catching up and our daughter finally hit a wall so we were back in the car and on our way home. The poor thing was so exhausted, you would have thought it was Izze day, not mother's day. Isabel finally passed out at 6:30pm and I am finally sitting down and relaxing. Hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day. I know I have 2 amazing mom's in my life, my mom (MaryAnn) and my mother-in-law (Linda). I am blessed to have you in my life.

It's All In A Day....

8am- "Mommy, I up!" This is the cute little voice of Izze. The day begins...

8:30- Cheerios for Izze, coffee for mommy.

9am- Washing the car with daddy.

9:30am- Time to bring Honey Bunny out for some fresh air.

10:30am- Snack

11am- Time to play in homemade puddles

12pm- Lunch

12:15 to 3pm- NAP

3:00pm- Clean up and dress-up time!

3:20pm- Time to paint our nails

3:30pm- Waiting ........still waiting........these darn nails take a long time to dry.

4pm- We play a game of Red Light/Green Light over and over and over........

5pm- Waiting for my cousins to come and play

5:15pm- Coloring and craft time

5:30pm-Still waiting for those cousins......

Just Another Tuesday

Well, it was a nice day (not a warm day), so Izze and I decided to do a little drawing outside with the chalk. Izze was enjoying putting her hands and feet in the chalk so she could make hand prints on the bricks. I decided it was about time to get a bucket of water to wash her hands and feet before we came in and as I was grabbing a towel this is what I came back to. What a goofy daughter I have, I love her to pieces!!!!!

Vacation

I guess it has been a while since I had posted. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We traveled to Florida to spend Easter with Grandma and Grandpa Halbesma. The weather was absolutely beautiful the entire time! We enjoyed our time in the sun as you can see in the photos below. Be sure to check out the large sand castle that mommy and Izze made : ). Isabel says that her favorite part of the trip was going to the beach to pick seashells and she wants to go back to find more. Well enjoy the pictures and hope you are all enjoying the beautiful signs of spring.

Sorry!

Okay, so I guess I have been a bit too busy to blog lately. School has been occupying a lot of my time, we have the end of the quarter grades due, forensics night tomorrow, holy week next week, and to top it off I volunteered to run the book fair. I know I am a bit extreme, but it sure makes the weeks fly. Drew, Izze and I are looking forward to Easter vacation. We are heading to Naples Florida to spend some good ole family time together. If you ask Izze she plans to be in the pool or at the beach the entire time. I tell you, that little girl is a fish, she loves her baths and will stay in until the water is freezing cold and we have to beg her to get out.

Here is Izze's top 10 favorites:

1. Swinging on her swing set, you could push her til your arms fall off and she still won't want to go inside.

2. Laundry, I know doesn't sound fun huh? Well, Izze and I make it so much fun and she loves pressing start and putting the detergent in.

3. Baking and Cooking, she pulls up the kitchen chair and hops up to help me stir anything. The only problem is she also likes to sneak a taste, even if it's just raw eggs (ick).

4. Dressing up like a princess. If you ask Izze she thinks we are going to Disney World and meeting Cinderella and having lunch with her. I hate to break it to her, but mommy and daddy have to save our pennies first.

5. Reading books, her favorite at the moment is Going On a Bear Hunt.

6. Barbie movies. Ugh! These movies are starting to drive me nuts, but she loves them and can quote them after only watching them once.

7. Grapes, only the green ones, the other ones are "yucky".

8. Babies, she seems so obsessed and always has to check them out even if they are strangers. She always says "Awe, mommy isn't the baby cute?". : )

9. Ladybugs, but only if they are dead. It is hilarious because she talks to them, picks them up and places them in certain spots around the house. I guess I only have myself to blame for this obsession.

10. Singing, I think Izze has a passion for singing, even if they are the wrong words (just like Nana). At night after we put her to bed most children would cry, but not Izze, she sings. I just love listening to her and man she has talent.

Stay tuned...