The Kecks

We got our first look at Lauren’s little brother or sister last Friday. We’re happy to report that the baby looked healthy and appears to be right on track for 20 weeks, weighing in at a whopping 13 ounces. For those of you looking to get the inside track on guessing the baby’s gender, the heart rate was 133 BPM.  Unfortunately just like it’s big sister the baby was a bit stubborn so we didn’t get many great views and there wasn’t a detailed 4d image to print so we’ll just have to settle for these B/W images and be thankful that the baby is healthy. We were told by the ultrasound technician that even if we had wanted to determine the sex of the baby she would have been unable to given the position of the baby. However she looked pretty proficient at her job and I think she was just trying to help us not go back on our decision to keep it a surprise.

• 444Comments(5)http://www.keckweb.com/blog/2009/11/16/ultrasound/Ultrasound2009-11-16+21%3A03%3A51Josh

If you haven’t heard by now, we’re expecting again! Baby #2 is due March 28th and so far it has been an uneventful pregnancy. I’ve been feeling good, just tired, and this past week I’ve been feeling definite kicks and movement of the baby. The ultrasound is Friday so we are looking forward to seeing the little one and we’ve decided to keep the gender a surprise again. Lauren will occasionally ask if there is a baby in my tummy and pat my growing belly, but she has no clue what she is in for- hopefully she loves a brother or sister as much as she loves her baby dolls!

Lauren had a fun Halloween- although she told her daycare teachers that she was going to be a dinosaur, she didn’t seem to mind her Snow White dress. She was very excited about all the candy but has mostly forgotten about her stash… we’ve found that a couple peanut butter cups before bedtime does not help her settle down to go to sleep!

• 438Comments(3)http://www.keckweb.com/blog/2009/11/08/baby-2/Baby+%2322009-11-08+19%3A18%3A06Steph

We spent the 4th of July in Park River, ND, and had a great day with the Halls. My cousin Bjorn, his wife Sveta and their daughter, Bianca, made the trip from the east coast and we got to celebrate Bianca’s 2nd birthday with her! Lauren loved being one of the gang- my cousins’ kids kept her entertained and she was in love with baby Liam. All she wanted to do was hold him, kiss him, and rock him- what a little mother.

Jeff was able to come home for the week, too, and Jonny arrived a few days later. Josh and I headed back home with one less passenger in the car- Lauren stayed back in Grafton with Grandma, Grandpa and her uncles while Josh and I worked and enjoyed a few nights out in the Cities. All I can say is that when we met up with them the following weekend, Grandma was pretty worn out and Lauren didn’t want to take naps anymore! They had a great time together and it was good for them to experience her personality and get to know her better without us there.

We also had a fun gathering with the Fedje’s this past weekend in Detroit Lakes. The annual golf scramble was fun as always and we had the perfect weather to enjoy time at the lake together.

Erin’s condition is slowly improving and she has moved to a rehab facility to start the therapy needed for her to regain her strength and mobility. Her strong faith and sense of humor through this whole ordeal just amazes me- we continue to pray for a full recovery and her return home to Joe and Anne.

• 251Comments(0)http://www.keckweb.com/blog/2009/07/13/4th-of-july-2/4th+of+July2009-07-14+03%3A28%3A09Steph

Lauren says “I do it!” only about a hundred times a day.  And when she wants to do it, whatever it is, she does not want our help!  This usually means whatever we are doing will take 10 times as long, which can be a problem as we try to rush out of the house in the morning.  Most of the time, her growing independence is fun for Josh and I to watch, especially when a task is followed by a very proud “I did it”!

Grandma and Grandpa Hall were down for another visit- they can’t seem to stay away for very long :)  Lauren had fun making cookies with Grandma and probably ate a cup of frosting, which was followed by a major sugar rush!

Lauren is also very into her babies… she is currently obsessed with her baby stroller and she takes them on several walks around the house every night.

We took Lauren to her second Wild game on St. Patty’s Day.  She really wasn’t interested in the game very much, but she loved the gift shop and Charlie Brown.  I guess she needs to be a little older before she appreciates a professional hockey game!

We’re thinking of all of our family and friends in North Dakota right now as they fight to keep dry.  Our prayers are with you during this unsettling time.

• 205Comments(4)http://www.keckweb.com/blog/2009/03/26/miss-independent/Miss+Independent2009-03-27+02%3A44%3A03Steph

Wow, I just realized we haven’t posted in a month! The last few weeks have been busy, starting with Josh and I traveling to Boulder, CO, for a family friend’s wedding. The weekend was great- Boulder is a cool city and the weather was perfect for walking around Pearl Street. Josh was their photographer for the weekend and kept busy by capturing all the great shots of the wedding festivities. I did my best to assist him, but mostly enjoyed spending the weekend with my good friends.

Lauren spent the weekend at home with Grandma and Grandpa Hall and I’m sure she really wore them out! She has been really into dolls lately so they went out to the new American Girl doll store… Grandma said Lauren had lots of fun taking the dolls in and out of the baby highchair.

Lauren also loves her baby cousin, Annie- we all spent Thanksgiving together and every time Annie made a peep, Lauren said, “Baby?”  She gave her numerous kisses and loved when she got to hold her for pictures. We went on an adventure to pick out Opa and Nana’s Christmas tree; the tree farm had wagon rides and buffalo. Lauren wasn’t too sure about the buffalo, but I had fun feeding them!

I can’t believe it’s December already.  We put up our Christmas tree the other night and Lauren wasn’t as interested as I thought she’d be… she was more entertained with the box that the ornaments were stored in, although she does like to remove the ornaments from the tree now!

• 184Comments(6)http://www.keckweb.com/blog/2008/12/05/december-already/December+already%212008-12-05+12%3A00%3A48Steph