The Heideman Family

New House

2011-07-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

So the New Year's resolution didn't quite work out...

Here's to hoping I find time to update the blog with posts on

the new house, job, town, and all of our adventures!

New Year, New Blog

2011-01-01T09:17:00.000-06:00

My New Year’s resolution? To make time to start blogging again. I know I won’t just magically find time, so I sincerely hope to make time. I have almost seven months of pictures and videos that have gone unedited, untouched, unenjoyed…that’s just no good.

So—here we go!

We had a (relatively) quiet New Year’s Eve with the girls at home. They helped us make all kinds of appetizers earlier in the day, and we munched through the night while playing games like Zingo, Sequence for Kids, Pengoloo, KerPlunk, and Disney Scene It. We made Mint Madness ice cream sundaes—peppermint ice cream topped with hot fudge, a mini candy cane and a peppermint patty. YUM. We changed the clocks so that Lucy and Ella thought they stayed up until midnight, and made sure to tell them that the noisemakers were only for after midnight!

Kids!

2010-06-29T10:33:00.010-05:00

Jaeden and Audrey...they were so cute together!

Ella, Lucy, Cole

Jorie, Jaeden, Ava

Audrey

My godsons, Jaeden and Charlie!

T-Ball All-Star

2010-06-28T08:16:00.010-05:00

Brewers Game

2010-06-27T10:26:00.033-05:00

To wrap up what felt like the busiest weekend ever, Mark and Ellen took Julie, Patrick, Paul, Greg, the girls, and I to a Brewers Game--Audrey's first! The weather was very confusing...on the way in, I was nervous that the girls were going to be cold. A few innings into the game, the clouds broke and the sun came out. If you ask Lucy, she'll tell you that we were "so hot we were melting," and I couldn't agree more. It was fun to be at Miller Park and to take in the excitement of the game, but as expected, I watched very little of the actual game. Lucy and Ella loved their kids' meal and the Brewers coloring book I made, and Audrey and I had fun walking around the (air conditioned) Team Shop. We left before the game ended, but we also managed to leave before anyone had a breakdown...success! All three girls were asleep before we got out of the parking lot, and we took the long way home to let them snooze.

Greg's Dinner

2010-06-26T08:30:00.065-05:00

To celebrate Greg's completion of residency, his parents planned a dinner with the two of us, Julie, Patrick, and Paul. Greg picked the restaurant--Hinterland--and knew we were getting a babysitter (thanks, again, Auntie Chris...). What he didn't know was that Mark and Ellen were surprising him with a limo ride to the restaurant! I managed to have Greg ready on time, and then suggested we get our picture taken out front. As we were waiting for my aunt to come out, the limo pulled up. Greg said (in his most sarcastic voice), "Look, our limo's here." I said, "Yeah, it is!" and the look on his face was priceless! All he could say was, "Shut. Up."

We had enough time to take the girls (along with Lainy, my Aunt Chris' granddaughter) on a ride around the neighborhood. Lucy and Ella thought it was Oma and Opa's new car...

The limo ended up being not only fun, but very convenient. During the planning of this dinner, I had somehow overlooked that Summerfest would be going on--traffic and parking were crazy! It was great to start the evening completely relaxed...we felt so spoiled.

We sat at the Chef's Table, where they brought us course after course of yummy food and wine. We had the opportunity to have lots of uninterrupted adult conversation...it was the perfect evening, and a great way to celebrate Greg's accomplishment!

Audrey's New Trick

2010-06-26T08:14:00.007-05:00

My Birthday

2010-06-25T16:47:00.077-05:00

The night before my birthday, Greg told me he was sending me to get a massage the next morning (woo-hoo!). While I was gone, he and the girls were going to be setting up something for me. Lucy and Ella really wanted to surprise me, so the plan was to tell them that I was running errands. When I got downstairs in the morning, they said "Good morning, Mommy," with these grins on their faces that completely gave them away...it was adorable. Then this:

Me: "It feels like a special day today."

Lucy: "Yep, it's half way until Christmas!"

Ella: "It's the fourth day of summer!"

Me: "Oh, I thought it was my birthday."

Lucy: "Mommy, you must be getting old. Your birthday is tomorrow!"

Ella: "Yeah, Mommy you forgot! You're silly!"

They were pretending it wasn't my birthday at all, snickering and giggling the entire conversation. It was impossible to keep a straight face. As I was leaving for my massage, I heard Lucy say, "Now can we set up the party?!?" She was literally busting with excitement, and it was soooo sweet.

My massage was fabulous. When I got home, everyone was hiding behind Audrey, who was sitting in her high chair. They jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" and had the biggest smiles I've ever seen. They had a Toy Story themed party set up for me....there were decorations and T-shirts:

...and cupcakes made to look like characters from the movie. Here's my favorite one:

For lunch they made Pizza Planet calzones and pea pods, which looked exactly like my favorite little guys from TS3. Lunch was served on TS plates.

Here you can see cupcakes with the green Army Men, the Potato Heads, Hamm the pig, and Jessie's cowgirl hats:

The cupcakes were totally impressive.

To go with the movie theme, the girls got me a popcorn maker and some popcorn seasonings. Greg went all out and got me a Le Creuset dutch oven, which has been on my wish list for a long time. I was completely spoiled! Seeing the girls faces when they surprised me was the best!

That night we continued the celebration with my mom, dad, and Bill at Charro...we had a yummy meal and a great time! Thanks to everyone for making my day so much fun!

Lucy's T-Ball

2010-06-21T09:34:00.013-05:00

Lucy had some fans at her T-Ball game tonight...Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Bill, Auntie Gail, Christy, and Simon came to cheer her on! She was proud to have such an audience!

Our 7th Anniversary

2010-06-21T09:33:00.037-05:00

Here we are with our Wedding Tree--a tree Mark and Ellen planted the year we were married. Every year we get our picture taken with it on or near our anniversary date.

This year, we started off our anniversary with a romantic dental check-up with Opa the Dentist. Then, we went back to Mark and Ellen's house, picked up Lucy and Ella, and went back to Opa's office so the girls could get their check-ups. This was Ella's first time in the chair, Lucy's first time getting X-rays, and both girls' first time getting fluoride. It was a big day, but they did great and were especially pleased with the huge bag of goodies--Princess toothbrushes, toothpaste, flossers, rings, bracelets, balls, and a sticky hand thing--that Opa and his staff spoiled them with.

Lunch was served in the camper that Mark and Ellen had set up for the girls to play in, then it was time to pack up and drive home. Lucy had a T-Ball game that night, and afterwards, we went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary and Greg's completion of residency with my mom, dad, and Bill. Earlier in the week, we had our date night--Greg's graduation dinner at Westmoor Country Club. Greg is continuing as a Musculoskeletal (MSK) Radiology Fellow--basically, it's another year of training that's more focused on one area of radiology.

It's unbelievable that this year marks knowing one another for 10 years and being married for 7! Baby, look at all we have accomplished together--we are two very lucky people. I love you!

Father's Day Weekend in Shawano

2010-06-20T09:14:00.029-05:00

After the movie in Green Bay, we continued on to Shawano for the weekend. We had a yummy dinner and just hung out on Friday night. Saturday morning we got up and drove to Glendale Farms, near Clintonville, to pick strawberries. It was a gorgeous day, and the girls had fun picking and sampling the berries. Sunday was the Father's Day party at the farm...we spent the day in the pool and had a great time celebrating our dads!

Toy Story 3

2010-06-18T09:11:00.030-05:00

A long time ago, when we first saw that there was going to be a Toy Story 3, I told the girls that the movie was coming out right around my birthday. They never forgot that and talked about it all the time. As we started to see TS3 merchandise in the stores, they would say, "Mahhhhmeeee...I see Toy Story Threeeeee! It's for your birrrthdaaaay!" and it became a thing.

We were heading to Shawano for Father's Day weekend, and Greg and the girls "surprised" me with a stop in Green Bay to see Toy Story 3 in 3D. We all loved the movie and had a great time...thanks so much to Oma for taking Audrey for us!

Eat, Play, Love

2010-06-15T08:12:00.016-05:00

Lucy's 1st T-Ball Game

2010-06-14T07:33:00.033-05:00

Lucy has officially started her T-Ball season! She's in a league through St. Dominic's in Brookfield, and it's really well organized...Greg and I were amazed at how literally hundreds of kids all ended up in their place, doing what their coaches wanted them to be doing. The first few games will consist of some practice time and then a game situation at the end. They will progress throughout the season and end up with longer game scenarios. Lucy really enjoyed herself, but was completely fascinated by the dirt on the field. She liked batting the best, and reported that her favorite part of the night was getting a juice box and snack after the game! We loved watching the kids in the field--whenever a ball was hit, every single player took off running for the ball...hilarious. Lucy was funny during the high-five line-up at the end of the game...she didn't quite understand that you give high-fives to the other team and keep walking at the same time--she caused a bit of a traffic jam.

Upper Lip Hickey

2010-06-13T07:32:00.017-05:00

How gross is this?

We were eating lunch outside, and Greg had a bottle of water. Ella asked for a sip and put the entire mouth of the bottle into her mouth to drink, so Greg showed her how to sip from a bottle with her upper lip tucked inside. After she was done with her huge drink, we couldn't figure out what was on her face...turns out all the suction gave her a hickey on her upper lip!

T-Ball Practice

2010-06-13T07:27:00.010-05:00

We have been spending quite a bit of time in the backyard and at the park practicing for Lucy's T-Ball...she's so excited! Ella keeps saying that her job is to cheer Lucy on and that she wil be able to play when she's four years old. I'm hoping it's not too tough for her to see Lucy play and not be able to join in.

Summer To-Do List

2010-06-12T09:08:00.007-05:00

The girls and I came up with some goals for the summer...

10 Months

2010-06-11T16:17:00.052-05:00

Audrey is 10 months old! She has 4 teeth, and puts everything in her mouth. She's an expert crawler, and has learned to go from crawling to sitting up on her own, and has no problem pulling up to standing on furniture and kneeling by her toy bin. Audrey figured out how to put the balls into her ball popper and took her baby doll's hands in hers and made the baby clap! She loves to dance...she sits up and rocks her body back and forth and does this arm dance while holding her hands together--it's super cute. Audrey had added "Ella" and "ball" to her list of words. She attempts to say "Lucy" but so far hasn't been successful. She loves to imitate Greg and I when we say, "I'm gonna get you!" by saying "Git you!" When Audrey is headed toward something she knows isn't for her, she says her version of "no, no!" before we even have a chance to say it to her. She now signs "eat," "please," and "thank you." Audrey still gets jarred baby food, but is eating a lot of table food as well...she loves strawberries, Kix, Cheerios, and cooked carrots and is doing really well with water in her sippy cup. Audrey is loving the warm weather and would spend all day in her swing if we let her. She's so content to just hang out and watch her big sisters--she's the sweetest little thing!

Mishawaka

2010-06-10T07:12:00.049-05:00

Afew days after our trip to Madison, we packed up and drove to Mishawaka, Indiana to visit my dear friend Jennie and her husband, Brian, and to meet their new baby girl, Nola! Nola was 3 weeks old already, and I was dying to meet her! She's beautiful and so very sweet--Lucy and Ella loved her and wanted to touch and kiss her cheeks the entire time.

We spent most of our time just hanging out, catching up, and eating, which was perfectly fine with me! We took a walk by the river near Jennie and Brian's home, and Lucy and Ella got to play on a great little playground at the park. The next day, they went back and had a blast at the splashpad! It was wonderful to get away as a family, and so so good to see the Quinns!

I am happy to report that since our visit, Jennie, Brian, and Nola have moved back to Milwaukee! YAY!

Madison with Grandma & Grandpa

2010-06-06T08:41:00.037-05:00

To celebrate Greg's completion of residency with my parents, we spent a weekend in Madison! We started off at the Farmer's Market, had a yummy lunch at The Old Fashioned, and then checked into the Madison Concourse Hotel. Everyone went for a swim while I let Audrey take a much-needed nap. A huge storm came through, so we decided to stay in, order pizza, and play games. Lucy and Ella absolutely love hotels, so they were in heaven. Sunday was a gorgeous day! We had breakfast at Cooper's Tavern and walked State Street and some of the Lakeshore Path, then ended up at the Terrace. After a relaxing afternoon of people watching, coloring, eating, and drinking, it was time to head home. We had a wonderful time--it was the perfect way to celebrate!

Trying Ice Cream

2010-06-01T09:55:00.006-05:00

Audrey made the most hilarious faces when trying ice cream for the first time. She balked at the cold, and then gave a huge smile for the taste...she loved it!

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T10:12:00.018-05:00

We spent Memorial Day at GG's lake--what a fun day! Lucy and Ella spent the entire day in the sandbox and then ended up catching some lunkers while fishing with Daddy. Notice the band-aids near Lucy's eyes...she insisted that she had owies there and the only thing we could do stop her huge fit was to put on a couple of band-aids. She left them on pretty much the entire day.

This relaxing day at the lake was a great way to kick off the summer!

Lucy's Graduation

2010-05-26T17:25:00.072-05:00

As we were headed to Madison for Uncle Paul's graduation, Lucy asked Greg and I, "What's a graduation?" We said it was a ceremony where you celebrated the ending of something, like school. She said, "I'm finishing 3K...will I have a graduation?" We hadn't heard anything at that point about a graduation, so we told her she probably wouldn't have one. She was SO disappointed.

One day shortly after that, I picked her up from school and she was absolutely beaming. It turns out Lucy and her classmates were having a graduation ceremony after all! She talked about it the whole way home, planning to make phone calls and send out invitations. I wish I would have video taped the calls she made--she had a script all figured out and was completely adorable. She worked really hard on her invitations and helped me make cookies for her class.

Here she is making her entrance...

Lucy's 3K class

Singing "Let There Always Be"

The lyrics are

Let there always be sunshine

Let there always be blue skies

Let there always be mommies/daddies/families/friends

Let there always be me

So cute!

Lucy receiving her diploma

Our graduate

Singing "It's Time to Say Goodbye to My Friends"

A celebration lunch at Noodles

Thanks for the yummy cake, Auntie Julie!

Lucy, we are so proud of you!

Boards Breakfast

2010-05-23T17:17:00.018-05:00

The day that Greg was leaving for Louisville to take his oral boards, the girls and I surprised him with a special Good Luck Breakfast. The girls decorated his chair and we made an egg scrambler, OJ, coffee, and Daddy's favorite--yogurt, fruit, and granola parfaits.

To welcome him home the next day, we hung high-fives all over the house.

We found out a few days later that he passed...we are SO proud of him and all he has accomplished! We love you, Dr. Daddy!

Do Not Eat the Grass

2010-05-22T17:15:00.002-05:00

Uncle Bill & Lindsey

2010-05-22T17:05:00.006-05:00

Uncle Bill and Lindsey brought Juno over to play in the backyard...there was lots of swinging and side walk chalk. Thanks for a fun visit, guys!

Wilinski Boys' Baseball

2010-05-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

We had a great time watching the boys play ball, playing on the playground, and having a picnic lunch complete with baseball cupcakes. We are proud of you, boys!

Christopher

Andrew

Alex

Ella and her godmother, Peg

Charlie!

Swings

2010-05-20T08:09:00.016-05:00

Audrey absolutely loves her swing.

She would stay in there all day...

Snacktime!

2010-05-20T08:06:00.002-05:00

Friends Forever

2010-05-18T08:03:00.004-05:00

Maya, Lucy, Ella, and Jordan

Menomonee Falls

2010-05-15T08:06:00.015-05:00

Today was a study day for Greg (he's preparing for his oral boards), so the girls and I kept busy with Grandpa. We went to visit my grandparents, and on the way we drove past the Menomonee River. Ella asked, "Is there a waterfall in the Menomonee River?" I told her there was a waterfall--in Menomonee Falls! She knew that's where my parents live, so she asked if we could see the falls someday. Dad and I took them after our visit and did some exploring around the river--so fun! Thanks for a great day, Daddy!

Paul's Graduation

2010-05-14T07:58:00.055-05:00

Greg and I were very happy to pack up the kids and head to Madison for the day--his brother Paul graduated from medical school! We are very proud of him, as we know exactly how much hard work goes into such an accomplishment. We arrived early so that we could take the girls to the University Bookstore to look around and get Bucky Badger hats. After a delicious (and nostalgic) lunch at the Great Dane, we met up with the rest of the gang for a party!

That evening, the graduation was held at the Kohl Center.

Mark walked Paul across the stage to receive his diploma, just as he did for Greg. I love this--it makes graduation that much more meaningful.

Yay, Uncle Pauly!

Paul with his proud parents

Bike Puzzle

2010-05-10T08:06:00.013-05:00

Lucy and Ella have been earning puzzle pieces when they have a good day. They didn't know what the puzzle would make...until today! They put all their hard-earned pieces together and made a bike! This was our way of telling the girls that we are going to take them bike shopping...they are super excited!

Mother's Day Gifts

2010-05-09T11:30:00.059-05:00

Ella made me a "Mom" visor and colored a wooden stand-up princess (unfortunately not pictured). At the store, she picked a little girl statue candle holder, a bird, and Caramel Kiss coffee especially for me.

Lucy made me a "Mom" can cozy and a bookmark, and chose to buy me a star candle holder, a chili pepper sponge dish, and Like Eating Candy coffee. Anyone who knows Lucy's love affair with anything sweet will understand how her coffee flavor choice couldn't be more perfect.

Greg spoiled me with this Lionel Richie coloring page...he had it hanging on the fridge for me in the morning. Isn't he amazing?!?

Greg also gave me a beautiful necklace from The Vintage Pearl.

It says, "Choice made you my daughter, love made you my friend."

So pretty!

My real gift on Mother's Day, though, is having the privilage of raising my three sweet girls. Every day they bring me smiles and laughter, make me feel loved and appreciated, and shower me with hugs, kisses, and snuggles. They give me purpose, an overwhelming sense of pride, and continually fill me with awe and wonderment. I am blessed.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T10:30:00.026-05:00

We had a lovely brunch at the Hubbard Park Lodge on the Milwaukee River...

Oma with her grandkids

Grandma with her grandkids

Mom with her kids

GG and Great Grandma Kawf with 3 of their great-grandchildren...

GG has 21 great-grandkids total, and Grandma K has 7!!!

Jane with 2 of her 6 kids

Ellen with 2 of her 3 kids

4 generations--Audrey Louise, Audrey Mae, Lianne Marie, and Sarah Ann

Carpet Sweeper Chase

2010-05-08T23:55:00.000-05:00

Zoo Classes

2010-05-08T23:45:00.001-05:00

Grandpa took Ella to "Seals and Sea Lions."

Grandma took Lucy to "Animal Babies."

As always, the girls had a blast and loved their time with Grandma and Grandpa!

9 Months

2010-05-08T20:20:00.049-05:00

Audrey is 9 months! She's weighing in at 19 pounds 13 ounces, is 28.5 inches, and has her second tooth!. She's learned to army crawl and is just starting to pull herself up on furniture and get on all fours. She's so good at army crawling, we aren't sure if she will ever crawl the conventional way--we'll see! She's doing lots of waving, says "mama" and "dada" and uses sign language to say "more" and "all done." Audrey loves playing Patty Cake, her ball popper toy, her nubby blue ball (all balls, really), books (especially when they have different textures to feel), and baby dolls. She rolls around with them and gives them kisses...it's hilarious. A typical meal is still jarred baby food and baby cereal, but she has just started trying out bananas, cheerios broken in half, and Gerber Graduate Puffs and Crunchies. She is absolutely loving her finger foods, but is still pretty lukewarm on her sippy cup. Audrey knows when Daddy comes home by the sounds of the door and the gate...she gets really excited and yells at him until he comes to pick her up...it's adorable. After each meal, we use our carpet sweeper to clean up the crumbs. Audrey is fascinated by it and chases it around the room, which is hysterical to watch. Her smile and laughter certainly keep us smiling and laughing each and every day!

Stay Tuned

2010-05-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

May was a very crazy month at our house...I am hoping to sit down, edit my pictures, and catch up on blogging very soon.

Going for a Walk

2010-04-28T07:08:00.014-05:00

If You're Having a Bad Day...

2010-04-21T09:45:00.002-05:00

...I guarantee this will put a smile on your face!

Jordan's Birthday

2010-04-20T08:18:00.038-05:00

I took the girls to Madison to celebrate our good friend Jordan's 5th birthday. The party was at Pump It Up--a place I have been wanting to take the girls but haven't been brave enough to take all three of them myself. Adding a drive to Madison upped the challenge a bit, but we all had so much fun and it turned out to be a great day! We will definitely be returning to Pump It Up--Lucy and Ella loved it!

in line with the cutest birthday boy ever

fun on the bouncers

buddies

group picture!

The Giant Slide was a hit...here are clips of Jordan, Nate & Maya, Tina & Ella, and Lucy going down.

Happy Birthday, Jordan! We are so glad we were able to celebrate with you!

Charlie's Baptism

2010-04-18T17:32:00.052-05:00

This sweet little boy has found his way into my heart. I feel so lucky to be his Godmother!

Charlie gave the crowd the best smile after he was baptized!

pretty Kaylee

Charlie and big brother Christopher

Charlie and bigger brother Andrew

Charlie and biggest brother Alex

sweet Simon

Lucy and Ella checking out Uncle Bob and Auntie Dee's Harley

Fun in Shawano

2010-04-17T23:45:00.001-05:00

While Greg was away for his Boards Review, Lucy and Ella spent a few fun-filled days in Shawano with Oma and Opa. Auntie Julie and Jones came up for a surprise visit, too! They had a blast going on nature walks, playing at the playground, doing arts and crafts, and having campfires and smores. The visit ended with a birthday party for Opa...thanks for the wonderful memories, Oma and Opa!

Buzzing Babbler!

2010-04-17T08:10:00.000-05:00

Audrey's new babble is hilarious!

Crawling!

2010-04-16T19:44:00.001-05:00

While Greg was away in North Carolina for a Boards review course, Audrey learned to crawl! Surprise, Daddy!

Biter Biscuit & 2 Teeth

2010-04-14T10:31:00.001-05:00

Audrey loving her biscuit...she also let me have a rare shot of her teeth!

Sweet Baby Girl

2010-04-10T17:28:00.002-05:00

mmmm...I love her.

Yay!

2010-04-10T08:34:00.001-05:00

Silly Ella

2010-04-09T08:12:00.000-05:00

8 Months

2010-04-08T07:36:00.041-05:00

Audrey is 8 months old! She is sitting up on her own, saying "so big," clapping her hands, and has her first two teeth! She has stopped sucking her thumb...she has been doing it less and less for a while and seems to be done with it. Audrey loves to sit and roll a ball back and forth with anyone who is willing--she gets so excited! Audrey likes to have conversations with us...if we mimic her noises, she will echo back and try to keep us going. She's practicing with a sippy cup and is loving biter biscuits. We are in love with her smile and her giggles...we can't get enough! Lucy and Ella love to keep Audrey happy for me and they feel so good when she laughs for them. Audrey, of course, adores her big sisters and wants to be wherever they are.

Messy Breakfast

2010-04-07T22:08:00.002-05:00

Audrey Bunny

2010-04-04T22:04:00.001-05:00

Easter

2010-04-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

treats Lucy and Ella helped me make to give as gifts

with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Kawf

how did my babies get so big?

my funny Easter bunny

Portrait Innovations

2010-04-02T23:07:00.041-05:00

Sitting Up!

2010-04-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

Audrey just started sitting up on her own!

Swiper No Swiping

2010-03-29T11:54:00.001-05:00

Audrey was loving the theme song from Dora!

Shawano Visit

2010-03-27T09:10:00.073-05:00

Our visit to Shawano was tons of fun!

Opa took the girls on four-wheeler rides and brought back some pussy willows for Oma.

Mark, Ellen, Greg, Lucy, and Ella went to the maple syrup farm and explored the woods, saw the sap dripping out, and learned how syrup is made. They also had a maple sucker, which of course was the highlight.

We celebrated Greg's cousin Emily's birthday with some yummy cake and ice cream.

Ellen had lots of fun Easter projects planned...the girls made chocolate bird nests and fruit skewers on pinwheel sticks. For our morning bagels, they colored cream cheese the colors of Easter eggs, and we had Bunny Salad, where the bunnies made of pears, raisins, almonds, and cottage cheese sat on a bed of lettuce.

Sunday morning Lucy and Ella went on an egg hunt all over the yard...they had a BLAST. My favorite part was when Lucy found the first set of eggs and wanted to call Ella over--without whistling, she made the sound of a very loud whistle and said "I found eggs!"

After finding all the eggs, the girls got to open them up and see what treasures were inside...here's Ella checking out her new ring. Lucy's favorites were the chocolate chips and bunny marshmallows.

Next came the hunt for Easter baskets...each girl had to follow a piece of yarn that was strung through the whole house. Opa assisted Ella, and Daddy helped Lucy gather her yarn.

Lucy got a Lambie Loofah that was named...LUCY!

We ended the weekend playing with their new bubble guns and doing lots of running around before the drive home.

Thanks for a great weekend, Oma and Opa!

First Tooth!

2010-03-24T08:50:00.007-05:00

Audrey has her first tooth! She was very tight lipped and wouldn't let us get a picture of it...we'll post one when we get one!

Clothes

2010-03-23T07:58:00.003-05:00

This has been my life for weeks...clothes, clothes, and more clothes. There's so much to be done--Audrey moved into her 9 month clothes, which was the last batch I had washed and stored in her room right after she was born. So now I am putting the 9 month stuff into her dresser, and getting out the 12 month, 12-18 month, and 18 month sizes from the attic, then washing and sorting everything. This move also means that we are done with all clothes up to the 6 month size, so those clothes all need to be sorted and we have to figure out what we are going to do with them. With the change of seasons right around the corner, I have to have Lucy and Ella try on a million things from last year to see what (if anything) still fits, and then take inventory of what we have so that I can fill in the blanks. It would be so much easier if sizes were standard, but it seems like every piece of clothing fits the girls differently. Unfortunately, the girls' dressers are too small to hold clothes for different seasons, so we end up with piles and laundry baskets and lots of clutter until the weather commits to changing and I can officially put away the winter clothes. AHHHH!!!

Sweetest Strawberry

2010-03-22T07:51:00.001-05:00

I want to eat her up!

Badgers & Basketball

2010-03-21T16:36:00.000-05:00

Lucy, Ella, and Audrey wore their Wisconsin gear to cheer on the Badgers in the tournament. This happened to be the same day that we went to watch Greg play basketball in his league, and it was all very confusing for the girls. Ella kept saying, "I'm so excited to go see Daddy play basketball. I've never been to a Badger game before." They brought their pom-pons and were the best little cheerleaders! We heard lots of "Go, Daddy, go!" and "D, D, D...De-fense!" All the cheering wasn't enough, though...both the Badgers and Daddy's team lost their games--grrrrrr!

Jump Around

2010-03-21T11:36:00.002-05:00

Audrey LOVES her Johnny Jump Up. She goes crazy every time we put her in it...except when we have her wear her "Jump Around" onesie, play the song "Jump Around" and take a video of her.

We have 8 more videos just like this one. She just wouldn't move!

Until finally...

All together now!

Sleepy Lucy

2010-03-20T11:35:00.002-05:00

My little girl is getting so big...

Ella's Language

2010-03-18T11:24:00.002-05:00

Ella made up her own language and it. is. hilarious.

Crazy Babble

2010-03-17T23:45:00.002-05:00

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T18:14:00.041-05:00

The leprechans showed up at our house again this year! They made a HUGE mess in our playroom...

...they left footprints on our table, turned our milk green, and gave us Lucky Charms for breakfast! They also left us some Lucky Charms lip balm, green M&Ms, some crazy headbands,

and some hilarious hats!

Oma was sleeping in our living room, and those silly leprechauns walked all over her! We can't believe she slept though it!

We think Audrey makes an adorable leprechaun...

Last year, Uncle Bill came over on St. Patrick's Day wearing a red shirt. When the girls asked him why he wasn't wearing green, he told us the leprechauns stole all of his green shirts! This year, while Uncle Bill was sleeping, the leprechauns dressed him up like one of them! He had to come over to show us what happened...

We had a rainbow lunch that ended with a Pot of Gold (lemon pudding) and corned beef and cabbage for dinner--it was such a fun day!

Zoo Classes with Oma

2010-03-16T15:04:00.038-05:00

Oma spent a few days with us and took Lucy and Ella to zoo classes! Lucy's was called "Junior Vet" and was all about taking care of the animals at the zoo. They heard a story about some penguins who swallowed coins that people had thrown into the habitat and needed surgery to have the coins removed. Oma set up an OR in the playroom and Lucy and Ella did surgery on some stuffed penguins who had also swallowed some coins! The girls felt very official, wearing their surgeons' caps and saying things like "stat!" and "we need to order a CT!" I'm happy to say that after an afternoon of recovery, both penguins are doing just fine.

Ella's class was called "Chameleons and Snakes." Here she is in her chameleon costume, complete with a super long tongue for catching bugs.

Thanks for all the fun, Oma!

Grandma's 80th Birthday

2010-03-13T08:34:00.124-06:00

My Grandma Werner--the girls call her "GG" for Great Grandma--turned 80 this year! She is a very special lady who has taught us all the importance of family. She is very talented behind the sewing machine and is very generous with her time...we all have worn many things and have decorated our rooms/houses/offices/stores/restaurants with many things handmade by Grandma. Grandma's talents extend into the kitchen...her food is instant comfort for the family, and her desserts are legendary. We can all say with absolute certainty that she is always thinking of us and is in tune with all of our crazy lives. Her dedication to family is inspiring!

We celebrated Grandma's 80 years with a party at my parents' clubhouse. The day started with the family gathering for lunch and cake. The great-grandchildren colored in coloring books filled with pages dedicated to Grandma, and she received an amazing gift from her 7 kids--they had her wedding ring re-done so that she could wear it again. The rest of the day was filled with surprise guests that Grandma would have never expected to see--extended family, old friends and former coworkers. It was so sweet to see her emotion and disbelief each time another guest walked in!

Grandma, we love you and thank you for all the ways you have touched our lives!

Lucy and Ella with GG

Opening her ring

Grandma's wedding ring

Happy Birthday dear Grandma...

Lainy, Ella, and Lucy helping with the candles

Four generations of Werner women

Me, Audrey, Simon, and Christy

Kaylee, Ella, Lucy, Lainy, and Ava

Audrey and Grandpa

Uncle Tom and Bill

yum...

Auntie Donna and Ava

Ken and Daniel

Joey, Grace, Ava, Lucy, Ella, Kaylee, Lainy, Max, Daniel, Simon, Sam, Marc, and Audrey

Grandma with the youngest of her 16 grandchildren (Joey) and 12 of her 21 great-grandchildren

The kids singing to Grandma

Grandma with her kids: Tom, Chris, Gail, Annie, Bob, Donna, and Mary

Grandma and her dear friend Myrtle

Lindsey, Ella, and Bill

Bob, Gail, Dave, and Tracy

The birthday girl!

Nicknames

2010-03-12T07:21:00.001-06:00

Greg, Lucy, Ella, and I are responsible for creating quite a few (very silly) nicknames for our sweet little baby...

Hunchker Bunchkers

Schnoogers

Stinky Baby

Chubbington

Cootser Bootser

Cutes Patoots

Chubber Bubbers

Smile Machine

Chunk-a-dunk

Pile of Smiles

Sugar Boogs

Baby Booskers

7 Months

2010-03-08T23:45:00.001-06:00

Audrey is 7 months old! She has been trying new foods all month, and we have yet to find one she doesn't love. She seems to get particularly excited about green beans and apricots, though. Audrey's hair is cracking us up...she has a little fuzzhead mohawk thing going on. She absolutely loves her toys--shaking rattles and putting everything in her mouth is how she spends a majority of the day. She can roll pretty much anywhere, and is working on sitting up. You can't hold Audrey without her grabbing for anything within reach, especially things that crinkle and crunch. She loves her Johnny Jump Up and finds peek-a-boo hilarious. Bathtime has gotten interesting--she figured out how to splash and can't get enough! Audrey absolutely loves her voice and continues to talk and sing all day long. Her favorite thing is when we babble her lips while she sings...she brings our fingers to her mouth to make us do it--hysterical!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2010-03-08T07:57:00.015-06:00

My parents and the Simek family joined us to celebrate Greg's birthday with a yummy dinner at the Silver Spur Texas Smokehouse in Elm Grove.

The way Ella says the name of the restaurant is hilarious...

Here's Lucy telling all about Daddy's birthday...

Blue Harbor Resort & Daddy's Birthday

2010-03-07T07:01:00.049-06:00

Mark and Ellen treated us to a fantastic time at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan on Greg's birthday weekend. The girls loved the waterpark, and kept giggling over the idea of swimming inside during the winter. I loved getting away and being able to focus on just having fun with my kids--they had permanent smiles on their faces the entire time. I also loved that the resort had Starbucks coffee, and that my sweet husband surprised me with a box of the most amazing chocolate croissants from a chocolatier in Kohler on Saturday morning!!! Yum!

All of us enjoyed the Lazy River...

There were 2 slides that were just right for Lucy and Ella--so fun!

These Lily Pads were definitely a favorite...the girls could hop or jump across them or use the overhead rope to walk across.

Audrey had some fun splashing in the pool, too...unfortunately, we failed to catch it on camera.

Lucy and Ella worked very hard on decorations for Greg's birthday. This year, they went with a gardening theme, making bugs and vegetables and a huge banner for Daddy.

Ellen made an amazing birthday cake for Greg...we all look pretty happy in this picture, but you should have seen our faces after the first bite of cake!

Blue Harbor Resort is on the shore of Lake Michigan...we took a walk on a gorgeous Sunday morning and appreciated the view.

Thanks again, Mark and Ellen, for a relaxing and fun weekend together. Happy 31st Birthday, Greg...I couldn't love you more, baby!

Bowling

2010-02-27T22:30:00.009-06:00

Lucy and Ella kicked some butt playing Wii Bowling with Daddy and Grandpa. Lucy's high score was a 171 and Ella consistently scored well over 100! Looks like their Milwaukee upbringing could pay off...

Jennie's Baby Shower

2010-02-27T08:17:00.030-06:00

My dear friend Jennie and her handsome husband Brian are expecting their first baby, a girl, on May 8th. A few of us threw her a shower to celebrate! We are so excited for Jennie and Brian and can't wait to meet their little girl...she is loved already!

Parents-to-be, Jennie and Brian

Liz, Lissa, Renee, and Jess

Jennie and her mom, Kitty

Jennie and Anne

Roommates! Kristi, Jen, and me

Jennie with my parents, Mike and Annie

Ice Skating Show

2010-02-26T10:41:00.001-06:00

Lucy and Ella spent the morning preparing to put on an ice skating show. They contemplated over costumes, rehearsed the routine, and read the audience (me, Audrey, and a bunch of stuffed animals) a lengthly list of rules. My favorite rules were: "Stay in your seat, unless you need to get up, then you can. And if you need to go potty, that's ok, too," and "Be quiet. Except if Audrey wants to coo, that's ok. But she can't cry." I know this video is long, but there are some quality moves in here. Watch for the jumps and the lifts. The girls are ice skating to music from the movie Up.

Splish Splash

2010-02-25T10:32:00.005-06:00

This was the first time Audrey really got into splashing and playing with the water--so fun!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

2010-02-21T17:03:00.018-06:00

To celebrate Grandpa's birthday, we had a yummy brunch at The Wicked Hop. Lucy and Ella thought the word 'brunch' was hilarious.

He got a Wii from all of us!

Afterwards, we went to the Public Market for coffee and dessert.

We spent the afternoon having tons of fun at the Betty Brinn Children's museum...it's been forever since we've been there!

The girls loved the Sendik's Market play area. They took turns shopping and checking out, and then restocked the shelves. They thought the news area was pretty cool, too. Here they are pretending to be on the news.

We had a great day...thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

Playing in the Snow with Chloe Jo

2010-02-20T16:55:00.008-06:00

The girls FINALLY got to play in the snow! Things just haven't worked out too often this winter to have them get outside. They had a blast, and Chloe was able to join them for a bit!

Ella's Stitches

2010-02-19T16:51:00.029-06:00

The day before Valentine's Day, Ella was taking her coat off in the kitchen and somehow slipped and fell, landing right on her chin. She was bleeding from her chin and inside her mouth...once we cleaned her up, we saw that she had bitten both cheeks and had a big gash on her chin that needed to be stitched up. Lucy was so sweet--she immediately went to get toys and tried to make Ella happy. My mom and dad came right over to stay with Lucy and Audrey, and Greg and I took Ella (with lollipop in hand) to the hospital. Greg decided to do the stitches himself, so we got ourselves set up in an ultrasound room. Ella was pretty calm after the initial shock, but you could tell she was nervous and definitely in pain. We brought our portable DVD player and put on a movie while Greg set everything up. I unfortunately had the job of holding her down while he did the stitches--it was awful! After Greg was done, Ella stoped crying pretty quickly...she was such a trooper. She told Greg, "That was a good check up, Daddy," and then on the way out of the hospital she told him, "You did a good job, Daddy." What a sweetheart! These pictures were taken 6 days after the stitches were put in...they didn't bother her too much, and she loved picking out the band-aids to cover them up each day. You can see in the bottom picture that her scar will most likely not be visible from face-on. We were so proud of her, and I was very thankful for Greg's steady hands!

Talker

2010-02-15T16:01:00.000-06:00

Audrey has a old-man-sounding babble that completely cracks us up...here's a pretty good taste of it.

We Love Grandma and Grandpa

2010-02-14T22:30:00.008-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa came over to bring the girls some Valentine's Day treats and gifts...thanks for a fun night!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T08:56:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day from the Heideman girls!

XOXO

I Love Daddy

2010-02-12T09:03:00.001-06:00

6 Months

2010-02-08T07:23:00.054-06:00

Audrey is 6 months old! She weighed in at 16 pounds, 8 ounces, and is 26 1/4 inches. She is putting everything into her mouth, including her toes! This past month, Audrey has gotten much stronger in her exersaucer, and has fun playing with the toys that are attached. She also likes her Bumbo seat since she can't quite sit on her own yet. She shakes toys that rattle and sometimes moves her arm like crazy even when she isn't holding a toy! Audrey is starting to roll from her tummy to her back more often (she's already very good at going from her back to her tummy), and really enjoys tummy time. She's blowing raspberries and has huge laughs and giggles, especially when Lucy and Ella entertain her. She can't get enough of her own voice...she sings and talks constantly. She won't have a problem getting in on the conversation with her chatty sisters! Audrey has recently tried rice cereal and apples, and absolutely LOVES eating! We moved her into her own room, and sleeping has improved...we still can't count on her sleeping through the night, but we are hopefully getting there. When Audrey is tired, she sucks her thumb, rests her cheek on mine, and holds my face with her other hand...it's the sweetest thing! I stop whatever I'm doing and try to soak in the moment--I'm sure she won't do this for long. She also give the best hugs with those tiny little arms--she's such a lovey little baby!

Ella is 3 Years Old!

2010-02-07T07:05:00.024-06:00

To celebrate Ella's birthday at home, we started the day with Lucy and Ella's favorite, Daddy's chocolate chip pancakes.

We had a few gifts to open...here's Ella giving Lucy a thank you hug--she really means it!

It's hard to believe our Ella Bella is 3 years old already! She has grown into such a sweet little girl who cracks us up every single day. I feel so lucky to have her in my life! I love you, Belly Boo!

Ella's 3rd Birthday

2010-02-06T18:52:00.001-06:00

Our Ella Bella is 3 years old! We celebrated with a party at a preschool that has a huge indoor jungle gym. Despite Lucy just finishing up with a cold, Ella being in the middle of a cold, and Audrey just getting a cold, it was tons of fun! They were all in great spirits and Lucy and Ella had a blast climbing and exploring the gym with all the other kids (as well as Oma, Uncle Pauly, and Uncle Billy...). Everyone loved the ball pit--it brought back memories of Chuck E Cheese's for me! We ate pizza, salad, grapes and apples, and finished up with some yummy cake, cupcakes, and ice cream. Thanks to everyone who was able to join us and to everyone who pitched in to make the party so successful, relaxing, and fun!

Uncle Bill and Lindsey

Chloe Jo

Jordan

Tavis and Simon

Auntie Julie and Ella

Uncle Patrick and Audrey

Oma and Opa

It might look like Lucy is just giving Ella some sisterly birthday love, but there's definitely a few ulterior motives behind this hug: to get closer to the cake, and to ham it up in front of everyone a bit. Ella's shy side, on the other hand, came out while we sang to her.

She looooves blowing out birthday candles!

The way Jordan is looking at Evie is completely adorable.

We had a snowman coloring contest--Ella was the judge. Congrats to the winners, Lindsey and Nate!

The birthday girl.

Taking after Mommy.

Oma and Audrey

Ava May

Charlie...love his fuzz head!

Playing with Uncle Bill

My sweet girls.

Andrew, Ava, Lucy, and Christopher

Sleepy baby...

Do You Want More?

2010-02-05T09:13:00.000-06:00

So funny!

Audrey's Bath

2010-02-04T07:33:00.001-06:00

Ella's 1st Day of School

2010-02-03T07:18:00.001-06:00

Ella has been waiting so long for this day--her first day of school! Every time we drop Lucy off at school she tells me, "When I'm three I can go to school just like Lucy!" Since her 3K program doesn't start until fall, we signed her up for a preschool class that's once per week for 8 weeks. It's a combination of classroom and gym activites, and Lucy will join her! The class starts in the afternoon, so Ella was talking about school all morning. She must have said, "Mommy, it's going to be fun going to school," at least 100 times! We are so excited for her!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Bill!

2010-02-01T17:26:00.002-06:00

Uncle Bill is 28! To celebrate, we went out for dinner at Cafe Hollander...yum!

We love you, Uncle Billy!

Wilinski Wigs

2010-01-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

We spent an afternoon visiting my cousin Peg, her husband Dewy, and their kids...we had so much fun! The highlight was the bag of wigs Dewy had just bought for the Blue and Gold Boy Scout dinner--the kids were hilarious!

Christopher, Andrew, Alex, Ella, and Lucy

Audrey and Charlie got in on the fun, too!