Goodbye 2008......Hello 2009!

Wow has this year flown by! I feel like it was just a year ago that I was expecting our first baby and now he is 10.5 months and I am pregnant with our 2nd! It's been a crazy year for us....having a baby, moving and expecting another....I feel blessed and thankful for this past year but more excited for 2009. It was sad for me to have to say goodbye to my daycare and I'm just glad we are past it now and moving forward.

We had a wonderful Christmas. We spent the morning and afternoon at my parents with my family and then spent the rest of the night with the Harrison's. It's always such a great time being with family and we definitely enjoyed having Ethan this Christmas. He brings a lot of joy to us and I just love being his mom.

This is the first year we won't be out of town for New Years and that is a weird feeling. My fun Petke family is still getting together as always in Columbus, Ohio but in one house with many Petke's equals no good naps for Ethan! We all know no naps for a baby isn't a fun time so we just decided this year it would be best for us to stay home....and I'm sure it will be the same for next year :( That's ok, we always get together for Thanksgiving so it's all good :)

Our little man Ethan has been sick since Christmas night. He came down with croup again and we ended up making a trip to the ER one night as nothing else was open and he was so miserable and not himself and we wanted to get him checked out. He's ok and they gave him a saline breathing treatment and a dose of steroids to help with the croup but nothing serious....the croup is now gone and now he is getting over a bad cough and cold. My new years resolution for 2009 is not to make a trip to the ER....well, except for delivering the baby of course. Ethan has had 3 trips to the ER in 2008 not including his birth and I have decided hospitals and harrisons aren't a good mix:)

Our other little miracle is kicking now....not a lot and not real strong yet but definitely feel some movements....so fun! I'm 18 weeks today and that means it's time to start my belly pictures :) I take them every 2 weeks and like to scrapbook my growing belly so you will get to share in this journey with me :) A week from tomorrow we will know if we are having a boy or girl...I can't wait and cannot believe how fast it's gone by. We are taking Ethan with us so he will be the first to know if he's going to have a brother or sister :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a fun and safe New Years and a blessed 2009!

Love,
K

The Eve before Christmas

It's Christmas Eve and I couldn't be more excited! Going to Grandpa and Grandma's has always been one of my very favorite things about Christmas. We have been going there on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember and so there are many years full of memories and traditions in their house.

I was just thinking to myself how much I have to be thankful for this year....new things to be thankful for that were not the same last year. Of course the first one being that Jeremy and I have a beautiful 10 month old son and also that we have another one on the way. I am also thankful that this year my mom is not in the hospital and that she will get to spend Christmas Eve with us. She was very sick last year. I am thankful my good friends Adam and Brooke have a home this Christmas. Not that they were homeless, lol but it took many months of prayer for their old home to sell and their new home to be official! I am thankful that I am pregnant with my girlfriend who lost a baby just months before. I am thankful that my grandparents and grandparents in law are still here this Christmas. I am thankful that Jeremy and I have moved on from the worst of the financial struggle we had ever been in and thankful God has always provided for us like I knew He always would. I am thankful for a little baby girl that is now here who had a small abdomen and that the doctors said they might have to deliver at 28 weeks. She was more than a week overdue! Ha! How do you like that devil?! My God is so big and so great and we have so much to thank Him for. I feel so grateful for everything He's given my family and friends this past year and just wanted to make a public announcement about it :)

Well, I am now 17 weeks along and we find out 2 weeks from today if it's a boy or girl! I am SO excited and know that whatever God has given us we will love and be so happy to love.

Our child out of the womb, Ethan....well he sure is the most adorable thing with 2 legs! He is really getting good at walking and he is so happy and laughs with us all the time. I'm so glad he is a happy baby. I have some really exciting news about Ethan....he is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! To make a long story short, he's been waking up multiple times in the night becauses he misses mommy and then I would have to lay down with him to get him back to sleep...it was not a good cycle and was becoming very tiring. Saturday night we decided it was time to let him cry it out. He screamed for an hour and it was breaking out hearts so much but we felt peace about it. Finally. We've had 3 nights since then and he is doing great. He will still wake up once or twice but will cry for only 5-15 minutes and go back to sleep. This is HUGE and to us this is considered sleeping through. I am very excited and have been enjoying my sleep very much :)

My sissy and I had our annual Christmas cookie baking day on Sunday and that is always fun. We couldn't believe how easy and organized everything was going this year (something always seems to happen on this day) and low and behold my mom was on her way over and got in a car accident. Thankfully she is ok, just has a few bruises and pains but she could have gotten killed. Their car was totaled and if she would have gotten hit on the other side she most likely would have been spending Christmas Eve in the hospital two years in a row! So thanks God for protecting her!

Well, my little peanut just went down for a nap. That means shower for mom and laundry to fold. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a year full of God's goodness in 2009!

Love,
The Harrison's

Walking at 10 months!

Umm...can you believe this video? We can't!! He just started taking steps on Saturday (the 13th of Dec) and now two days later is taking 10 steps! He wants to run....and I think it's because he is used to going so fast in his walker. Anyhow, we were able to capture it on video and just had to post it.....we are so proud! I can't believe he's growing up....guess it's time to have another baby ;)

Enjoy!

Ethan is growing up!

My little boy is going to be 10 months old tomorrow. I really cannot believe it. Where has the time gone? He has hit some big milestones the past couple days. He waves bye now, it might possibly be the cutest thing I have ever seen. We've been doing it with him for awhile and he finally caught on....we wave bye to daddy every morning as he goes to work and we also do it randomly during the day because we think it's so cute!

He also took a couple steps today! That's right, a couple steps! He wants to go so fast and I think it's because he is used to walking fast in his walker. We couldn't believe it...we walk with him a lot and then sometimes he stands for a few seconds and then today he took a few steps. I will laugh if he never crawls because we both thought he would skip crawling and go right to walking and I think he just might. He scoots all the time but he loves to stand and walk....he's always loved standing...even since he was real little.

Ethan has been sick the past couple days. Not sure with what exactly but a mixture of maybe a cold, teething...he had 102 fever for a day or so but today he has been pretty happy and seems to be feeling better praise God. Pray for Jeremy though if you think of it....he is feeling under the weather. We've just been laying around the house today vegging out.

I can't believe Christmas is only 12 days away! It sure is coming up fast this year. I am excited for it...it's always so fun being with family and I am excited for Ethan's 1st Christmas.

Well, only 25 more days until we find out what we're having! Can't wait :)

Love,
The Harrison's

Oh the joy of my little boy's laughter!

So Jeremy was playing with Ethan on the floor with this little train toy of his....Jeremy would push it and then every time Jeremy went after the train Ethan would start to laugh hysterically. It cracks me up the things he laughs at....so random! I managed to grab my camera real fast and get a video of him doing it so I could share it with all of you. Enjoy! :)

I'm 15 weeks today! How exciting! Only 29 more days until we find out the sex of the baby....not that I'm counting or anything :) Ethan was fussy yesterday and real fussy last night....we figured he was probably cutting another tooth...sure enough I just looked and there's another tooth popping through! It wasn't there yesterday so that explains the crying and extra need of mommy holding him yesterday. He sure is getting teeth in fast....this makes 7!

Ethan's Photo Contest

Hi Guys!

I found this really cute website that does birth announcements and more and they have a photo contest each week. The photo that gets the most votes gets $50 off their next order. I know what you're thinking, "Keri, you're not due until June." Yeah well I am a planner, you should know that by now...and I really love these announcements but they are expensive. I would be so grateful if you took a minute to vote for him. It would be awesome if some of you forwarded it on to other people you know, I need all the votes I can get!

Ok, here is what you need to do to vote.

Go to: www.simplytoimpress.com and then go to simply cute photo contest. It is in small writing at the top. Find Ethan's picture, click on it and then vote for him! You will then get an email to confirm your vote. You HAVE to open it and click on the link (or whatever it tells you to do to confirm) or your vote WILL NOT count. Thank you so much to all of you that will vote for him, I really appreciate it and so does Ethan's baby brother or sister :)

Love,
Keri, E & Baby

Let the countdown begin!!!

I just got back from my doctor's appt for the baby. I got to hear the heartbeat again and all is well with our little peanut, thank you Jesus! I am SO excited that we have a "date" for when we will find out what we are having....a baby or a monkey....I mean a boy or a girl :)

January 7th @ 2:00 is the ultrasound. Yippi!!!! So it will be about 2 weeks after Christmas that we will find out....that's good, Christmas will be here before we know it and then only 13 days until we find out. SO excited.....can you tell? :)

Jeremy couldn't make it to the appt. today which was totally no big deal so it was just me and e...he did pretty good but he was ready for a nap so he wasn't content in his car seat. I held him and he sat with me on the table when I laid down to hear the baby's heartbeat. He was smiling and thought it was so cool! It was so cute and I just thought to myself, "Ethan! That is your baby brother or sister in there that you are going to get to play with soon." So amazing pregnancy and birth is. I can't wait to see what this little one looks like and have a newborn again. They are so precious.

The heartbeat was 152....which was what Ethan was pretty much the whole time when I was pregnant with him. Ok mom, I know you think a high heartbeat means girl but just remember only 55% of the time it is accurate, lol! Plus, my midwife said in the beginning when the baby is still this little it's typically between 150-160....so mom, don't start thinking girl yet....it's just a myth ;)

Well, that is about all for now. Hope everyone is doing well and I can't wait to find out what we're having!!!! Ahhh!!!

Love,
Keri and Baby Boy or Girl....

Hooray for me!

I just had to post and say I figured out the problem with my background...now I can sleep tonight:)

I'm 14 weeks along with our precious baby boy or girl today...I can't believe how fast the weeks are going by. The baby is 4" long, weighs 2.5 oz. and the baby's little heart is pumping 25 quarts of blood a day! Isn't it amazing? Another little piece of Jeremy and I is going to develop into a human being!! Man, that puts my mind at awe all the time.

Ethan is getting another tooth! We thought he was over the Thanksgiving holiday because he wasn't eating his baby food like he usually does, he was crying at times and sleeping a ton. Sure enough on the way home I saw another little white tooth poking through...that means he's up to 5 teeth now!

Ethan and I went to Meijer today to get groceries for the week....and as I was watching him in the cart as I was going down the aisles and watching others look at him and smile I just felt so blessed that he is mine. I've always wanted to be a mom and I just can't believe I finally am a mom and expecting another one at that! Thank you Jesus for making this easy for us!

Well, I am getting ready to make a delicious roasted chicken, au gratin potatoes and some type of vegetable. We are going to eat good tonight!!

Keri Michelle

It's Christmas time! :)

Ok so I have been trying to change my layout to a Christmasy theme....but I am having issues and cannot figure out the problem. I put the Christmas layout up but the middle part is not what it's supposed to look like...I have the old template in the middle and can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it. It's driving me crazy. If you are a fellow blogger and know how I can fix this please let me know....until then I'm sorry that it is a little messed up.

We got back last night from our Thanksgiving trip to Bair Lake. It was such a great time with the family. We had lots of good food, great talks by the fire, a sharing time where most of us shared something we are thankful for that we learned from my grandparents that are now gone. We played games, had a skit night and simply are the most fun family out there. I really believe that!

Being at Bair Lake is always so special to me. Even though my memories there are in the summer months I love to walk the grounds and remember all the memories I had there. I made some of my best friends at Bair Lake and it will always be so special to me. I would say my times at Bair Lake were the best times, highlights and memories of my life. I love being there and it's such the perfect place for our family to be for Thanksgiving.

Ethan enjoyed it also. He handled all the family quite well actually and had a really fun time exploring in his walker. He especially loved the couple nights that mommy let him sleep with him in bed, he slept good those nights! I love snuggling up with him and watching him sleep. The days of him being a little baby will be gone soon and I want to treasure all those moments with him.

My next baby appt. is this Thursday. I will get to hear the heartbeat again which is always so great and we will also find out the date of our next appt....and our next appt. will be when we find out what we're having! Yippi, I can't wait to have a date so I can start the countdown! :)

So normally it takes 2.5 hours to get home from camp and yesterday it took 5.5 hours! I-94 was a mess, complete ice and a snowstorm and there were accidents everywhere! It was a long trip but I was just thankful that we got home safe and weren't one of the cars in the ditch!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with their families and it's now time to start thinking CHRISTMAS! :)

Love to all,
Keri