Warning, lots of boob talk ahead

This past weekend started what I can only classify as "the end of an era." What era you might ask? Well, I like to call it the "Boob Era." The days of someone else (namely my children) owning my boobs are forever done! My nursing days have come to an end and although I complained while I was doing it, I am now kind of sad that it is FOREVER done - so weird to think about. Ellie put up a good fight and resisted our first attempts to get her to take a bottle, but after a couple of trips to Target to buy different bottles, we finally found the one she liked (okay, maybe "liked" is a strong word. More or less, she just tolerated it because she was hungry). In any case, she is officially off the boob, and on the bottle. This certainly makes life a little easier for me. Feedings are quicker, and anyone (most importantly, not me) can feed her! That means a little freedom for me, and a break in our "best friends for life" relationship that Ellie and I once had. It is just another change in Ellie's life, but it is a huge milestone in my life. My "baby" days are numbered and it is things like this that make me stop and reflect and recognize all the things that will never be again - so sad. Now I'm into the process of getting my boobs to recognize that they no longer need to make milk - let's just say it hasn't been fun. I often tell friends that nursing your baby is great. But I also tell them that they should know there will be two times you really won't enjoy it . . . the beginning (I like to call this the "breaking in" period), and the end (this is the "sit back and suffer" period). Everything in between is great. But with every reward, there is a sacrifice and I'm right in the middle of that final sacrifice. I figure I have another day or two before my body figures out that I am no longer a "24 hour restaurant" open for service at Ellie's beckon call. When that happens, my boobs will return to their normal, shriveled up little selves and I'll be able to get back wearing a sports bra everyday instead of a harness - yay to that!

I just have to put this in because it is truly one of my fondest memories of nursing. I'm not exactly sure when Dad made this comment, I just know he said it when I first starting nursing Ryan. So there I was at Mom and Dad's house and I was talking about how crazy it was that my boobs were getting so full (and I'm not joking here, they were plump full and ready to explode). Having never nursed before, I really didn't know what to expect, but having to pump just to relieve myself was a real surprise. I just figured I'd make enough milk to feed Ryan, I never imagined I would be able to pump so much extra each day. Anyway, after I made these comments, Dad jumps in with his take on the whole situation and says, "back on the farm, it was always the skinny cows that made the most milk." Awe, isn't he just the sweetest Dad around. Only he would compare his own daughter to a cow - at least it was a skinny cow!

Here are a couple of pictures of the "new milk man" in town taking care of business.

Halloween 2010

We had a busy and great Halloween weekend. First up, a Halloween party complete with a magician on Saturday out at the Y. The kids loved all the activities and were very impressed by the magician and all of his "silly" tricks. After the Y, Grandma and Grandpa Loken stopped by for a visit to check out the kids' Halloween costumes. After all the excitement of the day, and the anticipation of the following day, we all headed to bed early. When Sunday finally rolled around, the kids were ready for more fun. We spent the morning puttzing around the house in our jammies before we got ready for the big day. As luck would have it, the weather was beautiful so we took full advantage by spending the day outside tailgating at our neighbor's place. They are apparently much more tech savvy then we are because they had the whole HD tv set-up and a great sound system out in their garage with the Vikes game projecting onto the wall - not too shabby if I say so myself. On top of that, there was great food, beverages, and lots of people to talk to. It was also a perfect place for the kids. They each had a couple of friends to play with and lots of room to run around in the fenced in backyard. This would be the perfect setup to watch all games if the weather always turned out so nice! By the time we wrapped things up at the neighbor's place, we had just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat, put on costumes, and head out for some trick-or-treating. We hit up the usual houses and were back home with enough time to hand out some more candy before we called it a night. Everyone was worn out from the busy day, but by all accounts, the day/weekend was a success!

New fun

A new "inflatable play zone" opened this past week in town so the kids and I decided to check it out today since it is the 3rd straight day of not so nice weather. So after naps this afternoon, we piled into the van and headed downtown (the place is only 5 minutes from home so that is a huge bonus!). Once we got there, Ryan was in heaven. There were multiple bounce houses, a ball pit, and even a huge inflatable obstacle course that ended with a huge slide - not too shabby. Lauren, who usually loves bounce houses, was a little timid at first. It wasn't until Trav joined us after work that she finally let loose and really got into the fun. Ellie also had her fair share of fun. She was all about the ball pit - so many colors, so many balls to try and put in her mouth (gross!). By the end of our two hours, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. This place is a definite on our list of "fun indoor activities" to keep us entertained once the long winter sets in! Check out the fun . . .

One loud baby

Here is a quick video of Ellie. She seriously "talked" for about an hour this day. Of course she managed to tone it down a bit when I got the camera out, but you still get the idea.

Another one bites the dust

It was a rainy, windy and just plain gross day today. To brighten our day and make us smile, the girls and I ventured north to visit Aaron, Ann and Colton this morning while Ryan was at school. It was a quick visit (Ryan is only at school for 3 1/2 hrs) so we had to make the most of our time. I of course spent a good portion holding Colt - he is so cute and so little. It's hard to imagine Ellie was that small just 6 months ago - she looks like a giant compared to him now! Lauren also had her first opportunity to hold her newest cousin and she did great as usual. She once again pointed out what a "good mommy" she is while giving Colt some loving (he slept through it so obviously she is doing something right). After our visit, we headed back home to get Ryan off the bus, have some lunch, and enjoy a nice long rest. After naps Lauren listened to some stories on my computer while Ryan and I worked on his flashcards. It is amazing what a little hard work and practice can do. Two weeks ago he was struggling with his numbers and letters, and had no idea how to read words. Today, he nailed all the numbers, missed just a few letters (he gets his b and d mixed up, and also his g and j), and got all ten of the words we worked on - yeah Ryan! Right at the end of working on his words, Ryan started sticking is finger in his mouth and working on his second loose tooth. He was literally bending it completely flat so he asked me to pull it out for him. Now, I can handle vomit and poop, but ask me to pull a tooth, and I nearly pass out. There is nothing more disgusting to me than ripping a tooth out of my child's mouth. So I told Ryan he would have to wait until Trav came home. Apparently he wasn't in the "waiting mood" because two minutes later he came running out of the bathroom shouting, "look at this Mom, I did it!" Not knowing what he had done, I was a little surprised when he came running to me with his tooth in his hand. He was sooo excited!! We had to call Trav immediately and let him know his "teeth pulling services" weren't needed anymore. Here are a couple of pictures of the new smile, and a couple with the girls.

Colton James Loken

A little boy decided to make an early entrance into the world this weekend. Colton James Loken was born on Saturday, October 23rd (two weeks early!) to his proud parents. He weighed in at 7lbs 11oz and was 21 inches long - a peanut by Loken standards. Because we were out in Springfield visiting friends, I wasn't able to get up to see my newest little nephew until Sunday afternoon, but he was well worth the wait! Colton is the exact opposite of what I thought Aaron and Ann's kids would look like. I always pictured a big baby (at least over 8 pounds), and definitely a blondie - Colt was neither. He is long and lean with dark skin and a head full of dark hair - the only part I got right was the fact that he would be a handsome little guy! I'm so happy for Aaron and Ann. There is seriously nothing better than seeing your big brother (literally and figuratively) holding his tiny new baby boy in his arms - it kind of melts my heart. Who knew it would be so fun to see one of my siblings with their first child - can't wait to see Ash doing the same thing some day soon. Here are the only two pictures I took - I was way too busy holding the babe to take anymore - luckily I know where Colton lives so I'll be sure to get more in the future! The kids and Trav stayed home to catch up on some much needed sleep when I went to the hospital so I guess that gives me a good reason to get back and see Colton - he has three cousins and an uncle who are anxious to meet him! Lauren is already pointing to the pictures and saying, "that's Tolt." Tolt - Colt, whatever works!

MEA fun!!

MEA got off to a rough start for us - Ryan and I both got the flu - but once we got over that, things were great! First up, a visit to the Olson family to hang out and meet their newest member, Weston. It was a great visit. The older kids entertained themselves while Katie and I were able to keep the babies happy and have some much needed adult conversation. After a quick stop at Grandma and Grandpa Loken's house, we headed back home to rest before a weekend full of fun. Trav took a half day on Friday so we headed out early to Gaylord to help Uncle Willie celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately Trav celebrated too much so he ended up spending most of the next two days in bed. While Trav was "resting," the kids and I used our time to carve pumpkins and spend time with aunts, uncles, and cousins. By 2:00pm on Saturday, it was time to head out again. This time we were meeting up with some friends and their kids in New Ulm for the Schell's Brewery tour. The kids did a good job considering it wasn't probably the most exciting thing for them, and the adults certainly liked the beer tasting section of the tour so overall it was a success! After the tour we all packed up and headed to Springfield to check out the Kreft's new home. It was a beautiful home and as always, Abby did a great job of decorating the place. After our Saturday night sleepover, we got back on the road again Sunday morning to make the two hour drive back home. The ride was not a pleasant one as the kids were tired and ready to be back home but we made it and were able to see lots of people over the long weekend. Here are a couple of random pictures from the past couple of days. Check out Ryan's eyes in the first picture. He put some little plastic globes over his eyes for "professor glasses" - such a creative little nerd!Lauren got into the Halloween spirit by putting on her Batgirl costume - and a cute little Batgirl she was!