Christmas- 2008- Owens 1st Christmas!

Trying out his new exersaucer, he didn't get this for Christmas but thought we would try it out, he loved it!


The Gergens

Sportin' their new JD sweatshirts, feel the brotherly love?

Owen trying out his new seat!

Opening the family gift from Santa, Wii!!!

Our 3 sons christmas morning

Erika and Brady on Christmas Eve

The boys' second cousin, Lillyanna, she is 4 days older than Owen

Rodney and Lilly, teaching her young!

Kiley and Owen

Grandmas Chris and the gang

My beautiful niece Olivia and I being silly

I had too.....

It was a good Christmas, but it went so fast! I loved spending time with my family, eating, laughing and just hanging out. Owen did really well, he was alittle tired with all the activities, but was a trooper! The boys haven't shut the Wii off since we got it, wonder if they will ever let me play it!!??

Merry Christmas from all of us!

May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~ Love, Rodney, Stacy, Bailey, Brady & Owen ~

Random

So how about an update! I am alittle behind, but what do you espect, I have alot of kids and responsibilities these days!

So last Tuesday Rodney has knee surgery to fix his ACL that was damamged back in June, so he is off of work until February. Everything went well with that and he is getting along pretty good at home. He is not driving me nuts totally yet, but I feel for the boys who are stuck with him over Christmas break, they will be ready to go back to school early! LOL

This past weekend my tribe and my brothers tribe went to my dads to help cut down and decorate a tree for him. We took 5 of the 6 kids to Hampton Hills and picked out a tree for grandpa, it was a perfect day for it! We then brought it back to grandpas and they kids got to decorate it while us adults knocked back a few! It was such a fun day, I just love spending time with my family and I know the kids love playing with each other, it was a great day!
Here are the little darlings!

The boys are both doing good, Bailey is having fun being in wrestling and Brady just isn't so sure anymore about it. I took them lastnight and Brady was getting thrown around pretty good by an older kid and he told me he didnt want to wrestle anymore, I am not going to push him playing, but encourage him to stick with it. We will see how he feels after the holidays, he might change his mind. Brady is getting over being sick last week too, he had strep throat and was out of comission for a few days, I just pray no one else catches it, he seems to be doing better this week.

Owen is just Owen, he is so perfect it is scary! He is just the happiest little guy ever and so strong. He loves to stand and be pulled up and screams in excitement all the time, he smiles all the time, it just makes my heart melt! Makes me so sad that he is getting so big, I just cleaned out his closet and put away the clothes and jammies that are too small for him already, there was alot!! Looks like Santa is going to have to do alittle shopping for Owen! Anyway, here is my little peanut just being cute! He loves to suck on his fists, usually all 4 fingers at one time!

And then theres me........ boring ole me! I work, tend to kids, give baths, I am the taxi driver, cook, maid, nurse, handywoman... that basically is my life in a nut shell and then some! But am loving every minute of it, I honestly think I would be bored if my life wasnt go,go,go. I am trying to get our shopping done for the holidays, I am usually done by now, but been alittle busy, I am hoping to finish it up on Saturday - I hate waiting until the last minute!! UGGHHH Especially since we have our first Christmas this Sunday already!

So there you are, an update on the Braatz family!

Decorating the tree

We decided to hold off on decorating the tree until after baptism, so we did it Sunday night. They boys had fun, of course they faught alot, but I guess that is what brothers do! Owen even got into the spirit as well as the cat! LOL

Baptism

Owen and his new toy he got

With his cake

Godfather- "Whiteye"

Our darling family

Godmother- Jennifer

Owen in his monkey suit, he didnt care for it at all!

3 months old!

My precious baby is 3 months old today... Happy Birthday buddy!!

Owen is growing much too fast, I am trying to savior every minute I am with him and his brothers! It is just so wierd to me how much the birth of Owen has changed me, I appreciate the smaller things so much more and I am not such a freak about everything being perfect or having a spotless house or even having "me" time which is very scarce these days! LOL I have become more of sap after having Owen, I cry at anything and tear up at the silliest things, I even have found myself asking people for help, which is something I never did!! But I feel that even with all the mad chiaos at our home 7 days a week, I am one of the luckiest woman alive to have what I have!

Ok enough of that, Owen is doing GREAT!! He had a great 1st week at his daycare, Janet just loves him and he seems to love it there too. I am guessing that Owen weighs in at or around 15lb if not more, he is a pig! He smiles and coos all of the time and when he gets really excited, he lets out these screams, it is too cute! Even when he is starving he manages to smile! Yesterday we baptised Owen, he was a perfect little angel. Everything went well and we had a nice time spending the day with family and friends.

I am off, but hope to post some pictures really soon, I am little behind on everything, imagine that!!

Back to work!

So here I am back to the grind. Yesterday was my first day back and it actually went pretty good, I was only 15 minutes late to work, nothing a little fine tuning couldnt fix. I had to revamp my schedule alittle bit this morning and was on time with no time to spare! LOL
I actually did fairly well yesterday considering, I think I had my day on Sunday, no one was allowed to hold Owen but me, and Rodney only got to hold him while I went to the bathroom, baby hog I know. I had a few "moments" on Sunday about coming back to work and leaving Owen, but nothing to major. I did think about him alot yesterday when I had the time. My daycare provider, Janet Stein said I could call, but I didn't want to be a pest, so I didn't. He is going to a home daycare, and I couldn't be more pleased with it and plus we have know her for awhile and know she will give him lots of hugs and kisses throughout the day, very glad to be done with a daycare center!!

Anyway my mornings are nuts with trying to get myself ready and 3 boys ready and fed. The boys need to be ready by 7:15 to catch the bus and Owen and I need to leave the house by 7:30, today it was 7:39,but we still made it on time. It may take a week or so to get in a routine, but I think we will manage. Anyway, I left work and picked up the boys at home and all 3 of us went to pick up Owen. Janet said he was such a good baby, very talkative, hardley cried and when he did he cried very soft, and she said he loves to snuggle! ( I made him a snuggler), I was really happy to hear he did well. He did cling to my alot lastnight though, which of course I didnt mind at all!

I do have to say that I enjoyed every minute of my time off, there is nothing I would change about my time off with Owen, even the days that Brady was home and drove me nuts!! LOL I am very thankful that my job allowed me to take that much time off and that we could scrape by witout my income for a few months. I do already miss being in my jammies all day though, those days were the best, plus not much fits me just yet, so the old comfies look pretty good when I get home!!! LOL

I just thank god everyday that I have the life that I do, I may be busy, non stop go, but I wouldn't have it any other way and I will cherish every moment I have with my boys, because they grow up way too fast!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! We hope your day is filled with love, laughter and family!

Happy 9th Birthday Bailey!

It is so hard to believe that Bailey is 9 today. Gosh 9 years ago he was born to 2 people who didn't know what the heck they were doing. I remember taking him home from the hospital and lying him on the fold out couch in his Vikings outfit and looking at each other and asking one another, "what do we do with him now"? LOL We have come a long way since then!

I took the boys to school this morning because Bailey wanted to bring cupcakes as a treat to his class and didnt want to risk taking them on the bus. When he gets home we will let him open his gifts from us and per Bailey's request we will have tacos for dinner and Owen and I made him a cake for afterwards!

Happy Birhtday Bailey, I love you!!! XXXOOOXXXOOOXXX

Santa and the boys

I know, I know it is kind of early to be posting pictures of santa, but when you have 3, I mean 4 boys who keep you going nonstop, you have to get things like this done when you have the time. I also wanted to get it done before the mad mob of people start their holiday shopping, I just cant handle that plus we only waited for 5 minutes! Anyways here they are, click on the picture to see it close up!

Bailey asked for some RC car that runs on gas- dreaming!! Brady asked for a trampoline, also dreaming and Santa told me that Owen asked for Thomas the Train, which sounds more reasonable, his 2 brothers better take lesson from him! I told the boys not to hold their breathe on getting these things! I mean really cant they ask for a tractor or something that doesnt cost a fortune! At least Bailey gave up on asking for the dirtbike! I wonder if he still believes in Santa, I know he doesnt believe in the toothfairy anymore!

Random pictures

I have been kind of neglecting the other 2 boys, oppps, thought I should post some pictures of them too and give you an update on them. Of course I have to post some of Owen too just because he is too cute!!

Getting ready for his bath, which he doesn't scream anymore when we get him nakid!

Grandma and Owen, I love this picture

Bailey and his Knex roller coaster, he loves doing these things!

Brady and the 1st snow. Keep in mind it was only 7:45am and I think he went outside 3 more times after that all before 12!

Bailey is doing great, it is hard to think that in 2 weeks he will be 9. He has grown up so much and is such a good boy! He managed to get 8 A's, 3 B's and 1 C on his report card this quarter, we are working on that C! Bailey will start wrestling next week and is very excited to get started. Brady is also going to wrestle this year, we didnt actually sign him up, but he will go to the practices and we will see how he does. I just cant imagine him wrestling, he seems too little, but I guess they start them out young!! Brady is eager to start going to school everyday once I return to work, he begs me to go everyday now. He is learning how to write his name, he has the B and the Y down so we are getting there!

Other than that the boys are doing very well, it is nonstop around here and it is hard to catch our breath sometimes, but I think if it were anyother way I would get bored.

2 Months Old

So my little peanut is already 2 months old, that is alot to deal with I will have you know! It just floors me that this time has gone by so fast and he is not so tiny anymore!

Well anyways I will stop crying and update you on Owen. We had his 2 month checkup on Monday, we actually had mine too (ooops I was alittle late-oh well) Owen now weighs in at 12lbs, 11 ounces and is 23.5" long, both being in the 70th% for his age. I think Owen has alot of Gergen blood in him and is going to be big, probably even kick both his brothers asses someday! He had 2 shots which he wasn't very fond of and I really got to hear him scream, he is kind of loud! LOL He also got the oral vac of the Rotovirus, which is great because Brady came down with it when he was about 1 and it was 2 weeks of hell for all of us. All in all Owen is doing great and growing much more than his mommy wants him too!
Until next time!

Little smiles

I am trying so hard to get a picture of Owen smiling, little stinker will not cooperate with me! I did get a few smirks, but not the full gummy smile he does!!





GO VIKINGS!!

Little bit about me

Since my mom is so busy all of the time and only post pictures of me, I thought I would sneak away and tell you alittle bit about myself! LOL

Hi, my name is Owen Stanley Braatz, I was born on my mom and dads 7th anniversary, mom says that is perfect this way her and dad dont have to buy each other gifts since I am gift enuf and it is all about me you know! My mom went into labor Sunday night and tried to wait it out as long as she could, but felt it was time to head to United. We arrived there about 3:00 am and I arrived 9 hours later. I sure made my apperance, I peed all over everything when I came out, it was so funny!! It was really cool to see my mom for the first time, she doesnt look at mean as she sounded while I was inside. Dad was pretty cool, although he has alot of hair on his face and now I can actually grab ahold of it and pull, dad loves it! My godmother Jennifer was there too, she thought I was pretty cute as well, I love to snuggle with her even though she will not burp me and makes mom do it for her!
I am a pretty mellow little guy, but then again you honestly have to be with my brothers around, they are alittle loud and crazy sometimes, it is kind of fun watching them though, hopefully some day they will play with me! I hate to be nakid, I used to cry when given a bath or when mom changes my clothes, but I gave that up since she does it anyways. I love to eat, since being born I have developed this jiggly thing under my chin and my cheeks are rather "poofy", but hey I am a growing boy and a growing boy needs his milk! I love to snuggle with my mom when I get tired, she knows that she has to snuggle me really tight before I fall asleep then she will put me in my crib and I wake up and cry just to see if she is on her toes! LOL I only do that a few times and then finally go to sleep, poor mom! But hey I do sleep all night and have since I was 3 weeks old, my mom is pretty lucky, but some how she manages to get crabby when I wake up at 5, I mean come on, what more does she want from me, 8 hours is plenty for a growing boy, I am starving at 5!!

Lets see here.... I love to go for walks, I do admit though that I get alittle dizzy when my mom keeps going around and around our developement, she says she is trying to get alittle exercise, but overall I love being outside and going for strolls with her.

Hey, I am 2 months old today.. Happy Birthday to me........ I am starting to smile and coo more and more, mom thinks it is so cute, but I think it is cute of me to not smile when she runs to get her camera... LOL someday I will let her take a picture of me smiling! I like to scream too, I love hearing my little voice, it is kind of cool!!

I think about sums it up, life is good and I am so glad to be here and have the family that I do, especially my mom!!!

Carving pumpkins

We always have fun carving pumpkins as a family and of course Rodney thought his was the best!! Bailey carved his own then carved a pumpkin for Owen.

My 3 goblins!

Finally, but just for a moment! LOL Here are the boys on Halloween! Bailey's mask was the best, he was pretty scary! They all had a fun filled day of parties and trick or treating!