Happy 4th Birthday Baby!!

Karenza,

Happy 4th Birthday sweetheart! My oh my how time seems to be flying by! I guess when you are having so much fun that is what happens. I just can't believe my beautiful baby is turing 4! I went through quite an ordeal to have you (breaking my nose, 22 hours of labor) but look at you now! You make me laugh everyday. I have been watching you when you play with other little kids at Daddy's football games and you are such a sweet little girl to the other kids. I hope you know that Mommy loves you so much, and that I hope you always keep a care-free attitude. You have such a fun-loving spirit. The things you do sometimes just floor me in amazement, like last week when we went to visit Papa Bug's grave to put a pumpkin by his headstone how you leaned down to grabbed the dirt. I asked what you were doing, and you said giving him a hug, and you blew kisses to him. Oh, how I am sure he misses you, and I am sure he is smiling down on you today baby! I know you asked for a baby sister today, and hopefully somedayDaddy and I'll be able to give that to you just not today. :-) I hope you have a wonderful day sweetheart. I love you so much it hurts my heart! :-)

Here is a picture of the day you were born:

And now look at you:

4 Years Ago Tonight

Four years ago tonight, almost to the hour (Pacific Standard Time) Randy, my Mom, and myself went to the hospital to have my very first baby. I can't believe that four years have passed since that very day. I was very ready to have her, as I had been on bed rest for six weeks. I was miserable. Although I absolutely loved being pregnant. In the four years we have had her she has brought so many laughs, her understanding of things, her mispronunciations, her imagination, her vibe for life. She has no idea the state of the world, and she shouldn't. She is so much fun. I have no idea what Randy and I did before we had her or what we ever talked about. She is pure joy! A lot of work, but so well worth it!! Below is a picture my Mom took right before we left for the hospital.
Today Karenza and I watched Addie while it was Holly' first day at her new job. As always, Addie was a peach! She smiled so cute for us all day long. She sat on the counter in her bouncy seat while Karenza and I made cupcakes. Tomorrow is Karenza's party. Her Strawberry Shortcake party. It is at 5:30 at Snoopers and she got to invite 6 kids. She is so excited. Tonight she called Mom and Dad and told them that she thought they probably wanted to talk to her one last night while she is still 3, because tomorrow she will be 4 and never 3 again! I mean she just spent the night with them last night, and she still had to call! Funny kid. Tonight we also let her open one present. She opened the movie UnderDog. She rented it sometime this summer, and has been asking for it for sometime. She was rather excited, and I laid with her in her bed in her room and watched it with her. She cuddled with me and kept giving me hugs and kisses. That is the best ever! She said to me "Mom, can you believe I am going to be 4?" I said "I know baby, can't you stay little forever for me?" She said "Mom, I have already been little, I know you will be sad but it's time for me to be big now!" I just had to giggle. She is definitely getting to be a big girl! I will make another post in the morning dedicating my post to her!

Weekend Update

UPDATE: I also wanted to mention that we put Karenza's picture in the Bismarck Tribune in Sunday's edition in the Celbrate Section. Below is a link to the picture and little saying we put in for her, once you click on the link go to page G-15, and you'll see her: http://celebrate.bismarcktribune.com/edition/edition/?haspdf=1

This has been a busy weekend. Friday we got Karenza's pictures taken. They turned out really good. Can't wait to get them back! On Friday night we had a coaches dinner we went to that they had for all the coaches for BMFL. Karenza had a "kidsitter" and we had a great time out with the other coaches and their wives. Good laughs! Yesterday, Randy played his last game of the season for the Chiefs, and they won their game so they ended up getting 3rd for the season. Below is a picture taken yesterday at the Community Bowl after their win.

After their win they had a pizza party at A&B Pizza, and so we went there. One of the parents, who Karenza has grown too brought a present for her. Her birthday is on Tuesday. She & her family got Karenza a polly pocket, a Strawberry Shortcake Paint by Water book, and she got a "King Burger" gift certificate. Because that is where she likes to eat and that's what she calls it! All the boys on Randy's team are so nice to Karenza. They had one of those machines that you put a quarter in and you have to use a claw to grab a toy. I don't know how many stuffed animals they won for her, but she has lots she brought home! Tonight, Randy and I are going to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets pre-season game at the Bismarck Civic Center. Karenza will be spending the night with Mom and Dad. Tomorrow I start watching Addie as Holly starts her new job in Linton. Can't wait to spend the day with her!

Pictures of Addie

Below are pictures of Addie from when I watched her yesterday. Holly got a new job in Linton working for Social Services, and they were prepping their house for sale. Which they sold in one day without a realtor, how awesome is that?!! She starts work on Monday, and I volunteered to watch Addie for her until they can get settled or find a daycare. How fun for me, huh? So yesterday Holly was trying to clean and prep her house before the potential buyers came and she said Addie was crying everytime she walked out of the room. So Auntie to the rescue! I went and got her about 11:30, and we ran errands and then we came home. I had a little bouncy/vibrating seat that Karenza loved when she was a baby and I got it out for Addie. She loved it too. I love it when I pick her up and she arches her back and stretches and her little butt sticks out! Although you see three pictures of her below sitting in the bouncy seat she didn't sit in it much! I can't seem to put her down, when she is so cute and cuddly!! Below are some pictures of her sleeping, and stretching!!

Of course the picture below is not of Addie, that is of Karenza using it at probably about the same age as Addie.

My Little Cheerleader!!!

Here is a video of Karenza cheering this morning right before we are leaving for daycare. She is trying to spell Celebrate (you'll here a G and some other letters that aren't in Celebrate in her cheer). This is a cheer the cheerleaders say at Randy's football games he coaches. The first cheer is suppose to be C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E, Celebrate or something like that. And she has her hands going the same way the cheerleaders really do. The second cheer is exactly how they do that too. My little cheerleader in training. Shhhhh!!! Don't tell her Dad!! ;o) Maybe she will take after her Mother after all??!!

What's New

This past week seems to just have flown by! Karenza has been home with me all week because daycare is closed due to one of her girls being sick and contagious. So we have been doing really fun things all week. One day we went shopping, and I took her to Party of America and we went up and down every aisle for her to pick out her b-day party invitations. She decided on Strawberry Shortcake. We went and booked her party at Snoopers and they have five decorated rooms that the kids can pick from and she picked the Clown room. One day we watched Addie while Holly had run errands. Another day we went and got our nails done, and she loved it! She is getting so big, and being so good when we go out places. We were so busy all week she never did have a nap all week. She is getting to the age where some days she needs one and some days she doesn't.

On Tuesday Randy had a football game at Horizon Middle School and Mom and Dad came and got Karenza to take her to the pumpkin patch because they weren't able to go last weekend because it was raining. She picked out a big pumpkin for Randy and me and a little one for her! They sure are cute. I will have to take pictures of them. Last weekend on Sunday when she was originally suppose to go to the pumpkin patch Mom and Dad took her and Cassidy to the mall and they picked out their winter coats. I told her anything but purple because that is what she had last year. I like her to have a different color every year, I don't know why I just do. So she did pick out a really cute one. It's pink and black with fur around the hood. She also picked out her Halloween costume too. I have been trying to talk her into something else and Mom said she tried really hard too and almost had her talked into being The Little Mermaid when she told my Mom that she kinda had one like Little Mermaid at home. So she is going to be a Cop! That is what she has been asking to be for over a month. She looks really cute in it, and I promise Dad I will get a picture on here soon!! She also came home with this tombstone that is motion censored that fake blood comes dripping down the tombstone and the skulls on the tombstone lite up and have red eyes and talk in a scary voice. I said to my Mom, "What am I suppose to do with this?" She said "I don't know, but she wanted it!" I said "So!" But it is sitting by the door and she loves it. Grandparents!!!

With her being home all week I have been able to give her her bath in the morning and been able to do her hair and leave it down. I love it when her hair is down, here is a picture of it:

And here she is drying her nails at the nail salon with me.

I just can't believe my baby is going to be 4 in a little over a week. She is so funny, and makes me laugh every day. I always wonder what she is going to say next. This past week she informed me that she doesn't need a "baby"sitter any more now that she is big, she now needs a "kid"sitter! I mean seriously I can't even think this stuff up! She is so special and I love her so much and just want to squeeze her all the time!

A Conversation between Karenza and a Waitress

Below is a conversation between Karenza and our waitress Friday night.

Waitress: "Hi I am Lacy, and I will be taking care of you tonight. Is there anything I can bring for you to drink?"

Karenza: "Hi Lacy, I will have a um chocolate milk, please."

Waitress: "Okay, I will be right back with your drinks" (after Randy and I ordered ours too.)

After about 5 minutes...

Waitress: "Here is your chocolate milk"

Karenza: "Thank you"

Waitress: "You sure are a polite and pretty little girl"

Karenza: Smiling and kind of a look like I know "Thank you"

Waitress: "Are we ready to order or do we need a few more minutes to look over the menu"

Karenza: "I am ready to order"

Waitress: "Okay, what can I get for you?"

Karenza: "I will have the macaroni and cheese please"

Waitress: "Okay, would you like fries, carrots, or mashed potatoes?"

Karenza: "Well, actually I don't really like mashed potatoes, but I will try the fries!"

Waitress: with a little giggle, said "Sounds good! You are too cute!"

I of course started laughing and Randy was shaking his head. I mean, like she has never had french fries before! What a kid. Every time we have gone out to eat lately she has to be the one to order and tell the "Order Lady" (is what she calls her) what she wants. I sometimes tell the waitress or waiter what she'll be having and I'll get a "MOM! I can do it!" So I immediately bite my tongue and tell her I am sorry. We play restaurant at home and I bought her a little apron and she loves to play! I realize she is about to be 4 in two week and she is growing up and getting to be so independent! She makes me laugh everyday! Today she is going to the pumpkin patch with her Papa and Grandma. I have a house to clean and clothes to wash. It's amazing that I find so much other stuff to do during the week than those two things! Ha!