1/13/08 All is well here... Andy is finally home and block leave started yesterday. He will be off work for 30 days!!! We are so excited to have him with us and are enjoying every minute! Oakley turned 2 on December 20, 2007! Such a big boy! He is a lot of fun and went potty in his potty chair a couple days ago. He still loves his blanket and pacifier and we haven't the heart to try to say good bye to them yet. Andy and I will be going to a Brad Paisley concert next week and then our real vacation will be on February 2 when we head to Jamaica for 5 days! Grandpa and Grandma Koontz will travel down to Colorado to spend some time with us and stay with Oakley and Thor during our tropical getaway!
3/27/07 Finally some more pictures of Oakley! He is so much fun. We have been enjoying the nice weather and spending a lot of time outside. I have spring fever and have already bought some flowers. My tulips are starting to come up. So much fun! I bought Oakley some of his own gardening tools, but he only wants to use the big, heavy shovels and rakes. He also spends a lot of time in the wagon that Andy and I bought him during R and R. Oakley loves to play with cars and trucks. He almost always has a car or truck in one hand and his blanket in the other. He is very attached to his "blankie"!
Speaking of R and R, we had a wonderful time! It was amazing! The first week went at a good pace and we just spent time at home together. Oakley had so much fun with his Daddy. They had a fun ritual together each night where Andy bathed Oakley and then read him stories. Then we both put him to bed together. The second week seemed to fly by. we went to the zoo and had a fun, but expensive trip to Toys R Us. Oakley got his wagon, a new Tonka toybox, a Cars table and chairs. It was fun to pick things out together. Andy and I watched tons of movies! A nice surprise was that Andy's parents came to visit and we had so much fun. Andy and I got to spend a night out with our friends Chris and Jill while Grandpa and Grandma babysat. We also did some fun home improvement projects. Rita brought her sewing machine and we did a lot of beautiful projects in the kitchen. I'll have to post some pics. We had such an amazing time together and of course the goodbye was tough.
Andy is going to be taking command of his company in a couple days. On April 1, he will take command of Destroyer. company. This is a significant event in his career and he is really excited. I am so proud of him and know he will do an amazing job. I only wish I was there to share in his special day. They will video tape the ceremony and take pictures, so hopefully I can share some on here. He is also having his birthday March 30. It will be an exciting couple days for him!
I will try to post some pictures from R and R. I was having trouble getting them to upload because they are too big. So keep your fingers crossed that I can add some!
2/8/07 Things have been busy here. We are preparing for Andy to come home for R and R at the end of next week. Lots of home improvement projects happening... can't say too much because they are a surprise for Andy! I recently took on the role of FRG (Family Readiness Group) leader of the company Andy is going to take command of in April. This has been quite time consuming. It will definitely keep me busy while Andy is gone.
Oakley continues to grow and do new things all the time. He is 32 inches tall. He is still in the 95% for height. He is 22lb 9oz which is in the 50% for weight... so he is tall and thin for the time being. He is walking all over and quite good at going up and down the stairs. He is sleeping good; up about once a night. His eating habits vary; one week he eats just about anything and the next he is shaking his head "no" to me for just about every food (except fruit)! He has learned to be gentle with Thor and pets him very nicely. He was at child care while I was in class the other day and one of the caregivers said he was patting the girl next to him and rubbing her back. He is being sweet to the girls already! Oakley loves to read and brings books to me constantly to read to him. He especially likes seeing animals (especially dogs), trucks, tractors, and pictures of other babies. He is so much fun! Oakley likes to dance, but won't do it for an audience yet. I have tried to videotape him for Andy, but he won't perform for the camera. Hope you are all well! Leave me a comment so I know I actually have visitors :)
2/2/07 My first blog of the new year... it has been too long! I am working hard to update the pictures page from the past three months including Oakley's first birthday (he had 4 parties) and Christmas.
So we had a wonderful visit while in Idaho! It was so much fun to spend time with family and friends. Oakley became very acquainted and comfortable with both sets of grandparents. I know they enjoyed spending so much time with him as well! Time passed so quickly while we were there and we seemed to be very busy all the time. It was hard to leave!
Once we got back to Colorado, it was nice to be in our house with all of our things again. It was especially nice to get Oakley back to a regular sleep schedule again. He got quite off track while we were in Idaho!
Oakley has changed so much over the past few months! He is walking! He took his first steps on December 1. He didn't take many steps for a couple weeks after that and then he just took off. He really enjoys chasing Thor!
11/15/06 Hello! We are now in Idaho for a long visit. We have been having a great time visiting family and friends. Oakley has had fun playing with his cousins and getting a lot of attention from his Grandmas and Grandpas! Thor is having a great time with my brother Justin! He is definitely right at home at my parent's house. Oakley celebrated his first Halloween as a fierce lion. We didn't go trick or treating; we just visited Great Grandma Betty, Great Aunt Doreen, and Great Aunt Debbie. Oakley got to play with his second cousin Emily, who was a pretty princess for Halloween. Oakley is doing a lot of "talking" and I know he is going to say his first word any day now. He says "da da da da da da" all the time, but I don't think he relates it to Andy yet. We look at pictures of Andy everyday and talk about him all the time, so I think "Da Da" will be his first word. Oakley is also getting more balance and starting to stand using just one hand for balance. Walking is definitely in the near future!!! I will have my hands full then!
10/22/06 Oakley turned just turned 10 months old. I can't believe how quickly time passes. He is such a sweet baby. I felt awful yesterday; I think I had flu bug or something. He played and played all day while I rested on the couch. Today he actually crawled; not his usual "low" crawl, he crawled up on his hands and knees. It really surprised me because I thought he would just go straight from his "low" crawl to walking. We have been keeping busy. On Wednesday, we went to dinner at Christina and Katie's house. It was a delicious home cooked meal! I haven't had too many of those since Andy left. On Friday, we had an FRG meet and greet. It was nice to meet some of the wives of those Andy is in Iraq with. Oakley had a good time!
10/15/06 Oakley and I went to church with Jill this morning. It is a very large church. Oakley did really well; I came prepared with snacks and toys. The family sitting behind us helped entertain Oakley as well. Then we came home for a nap and lunch. We ran some errands with Jill and then went to Panera Bread with Jill for a late lunch/ early dinner. Broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl... yum! Then we came home and took Thor for a long walk. Oakley went to bed about 7:15pm. He was a tired boy! I have a busy night of The Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives, and Without a Trace. Sundays are a good TV night !
I finally talked to Andy last night. He sounds pretty good. His schedule has been pretty laid back, but should pick up now as the rest of his battalion has arrived.
10/14/06 Today Oakley and I went to Babies R Us to get our car seat checked out. Did you know that 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly? Those are the stats that were presented to me. So they helped me move our seat to the middle of the back seat and now it is super tight and safe! I don't plan on moving it until Oakley is ready to be forward facing. So that took a couple of hours... thank goodness, my friend Jill met us there and she helped entertain Oakley. They took a walk and hung out together. Then the three of us went to lunch at a yummy Mexican restaurant. After lunch, Oakley and I did a bit of shopping. We are trying to decide on his Halloween costume... dinosaur, lion, Winnie the Pooh??? We already have the Winnie the Pooh costume as it was given to us, so that is why that one is in the running. So we wandered the mall a bit and then came home, had dinner and a bath, and now Oakley is sleeping. He goes to bed so good; if only he would stay there. He has been waking up 3-4 times a night. No fun for me or for him!
On Wednesday, we had our second weekly dinner here at our house. Jill, Christina, Brycen, and Aubrey came over for fajitas and tacos. We had a good time and Christina brought over a delicious brownie dessert! YUM!
Tomorrow we are going to church with Jill and I am not sure what else we are going to do. The Nascar race is on tonight, so we won't be watching that tomorrow (it is usually on on Sunday afternoons).
Andy is still in Kuwait waiting to go into Baghdad. He should be in Kuwait at least another week or so. He is hanging in there. We email often, although we haven't been able to talk for about a week as the phones have been down. Please keep him in your prayers.
10/09/06 Today Oakley and I went to visit our friends Matt, Christine, Jacob, and Hannah. They used to be our neighbors, but recently moved to a town about 30 minutes away. Oakley got to play with Jacob (2 years old) and Hannah (6 months old). We had fondue and had a great time visiting. Their new house is beautiful and huge! Christine and I also looked at the amazing scrapbook she made for Jacob and she got me motivated to work on Oakley's tonight! I would like to have it up to date before I leave for Idaho...
Speaking of Idaho, I bought our tickets today! We will be leaving October 28 (in time for Halloween) and returning January 8. Yes, it is a long time, but we wanted to be home for all of the holidays. It was quite a task finding the best situation for Thor. It will be his first flight, as well as Oakley's. We will have several people watch the house for us, so I don't feel worried about leaving it. I am excited!
Andy is still in Kuwait and will be going to Baghdad within a week or two. He is just beginning to get busy. I am happy he had a few days to relax before the work began! Again, please keep him in your prayers.
10/ 7 / 06 Oakley is now 9 1/2 months old. He is so big! He is about 31 inches long and 20 lbs. He keeps growing taller, but his weight has stayed the same for the past couple of months. Oakley likes to eat (wonder where he gets that from) and his favorites are yogurt, bagels, pears, and cheese. He will eat almost anything, except peas. He does not like those at all!
Oakley is now pulling himself up and will cruise along the edge of the couch, especially if he sees his pacifier or blanket at the other end. He continues to do the "low crawl" and I think he will skip regular crawling. He likes to climb stairs and usually only does it if we are right there with him. He got a new riding toy and has discovered how to ride it backwards by himself. The funny part is sometimes he only uses one leg to push and kind of goes in circles!
Oakley continues to be a very happy little guy. He likes to go outside and go for walks. Thor is also a great source of entertainment for him. He likes to get "Eskimo kisses" from Daddy and Mommy. His cars are his favorite toy of the moment. Some of Oakley's dislikes are getting his diaper changed and naps. He falls asleep great in our arms; it is getting him into his crib that is the hard part. He still doesn't sleep through the night. He is usually up about 1am and then again around 5am. Someday... :)
We are trying to decide what Oakley should be for Halloween!?! So many choices! He did try on a cute chicken costume, but it was too furry! What do you think?
10/ 7 /06 Hi! I've finally made it back to update this site. I hope all of the new pictures will encourage lots of visitors. We've been busy the past couple months travelling and preparing for Andy's second deployment to Iraq. He left October 3 for at least one year. I've talked to him a couple times and he seems to be doing well. We sure do miss him here at home! The house seems empty without him. We have been trying to keep busy! I am attending a class once a week called "Nuturing Baby". I am really enjoying it, especially conversing with the 20 or so other parents in the class. Oakley is getting some social interaction during this time as they have onsite childcare. He does have some trouble with separation anxiety. We have also been spending some time with friends here. We plan to have a weekly or biweekly dinner date with Jill ( a close friend/roomie from college) and Christina ( the wife of a great friend of Andy's), as well as whoever else wants to join us. It is at my house next week, so I will actually have to cook!!! I haven't done much of that since Andy left. We also plan to make a long trip home to Idaho for the holidays!
Before Andy left we were able to spend about 18 days in Idaho with family and friends. We had so much fun! During this trip, we had a special Dedication ceremony for Oakley. The pastor who wed Andy and I performed the ceremony. We were also able to take family pictures with all of Andy's family. We spent time with Andy's high school friends and their families. We also made a trip over to Vancouver, WA to visit with Andy's two sisters, Laura and Kendra, and their families. Oakley had fun playing with all of his cousins, Breann, Emma, and Jeydan!
Before Andy left we also went to Oktoberfest in Woodland Park, Colorado. It was very chilly that weekend and the town even had snow on the ground. Unfortunately, this small town's celebration didn't compare to the real thing! We spent time working on the house. Andy installed two storm doors, including one on the back door with a built in doggie door. It took Thor a little while to get used to it and now he LOVES it! Andy also installed extra locks on all the windows and we activated our security system. We feel very safe and secure! We did some updating in our kitchen as Andy put hardware on all of our cupboards. Oakley's room got some new paint and window treatments. We kept Andy VERY BUSY before he left. Thanks for all for all of your hard work honey!!!
Another exciting event... we bought a new car. We got a 2006 Land Rover LR3. It is larger than the Volvo and has 3rd row seating. The back is a lot bigger, which Thor will enjoy! We knew we would eventually grow out of the Volvo and we wanted to get rid of the Jeep while Andy was gone, so we traded them both in! It was a fun distraction to go car shopping before Andy left. I am really enjoying the new car!
Well, I am once again going to try really hard to keep this site updated, especially so Andy can check it! Keep Andy in your thoughts and prayers. Leave us a comment on the comment page as we love to hear from you!
7/7/06 Well, it has been a month since I updated this page again! We have had a busy month... we had family visit for over a week. The Burnham family (Andy's aunt, uncle, and cousins) traveled down for a wedding in Denver and stayed with us for a few days. During this time, the Logsdon's ( Andy's uncle and cousins) came up from Texas. Oakley got to meet his Uncle Tony for whom he is named for (middle name). We had a full house and it was a lot of fun! We traveled up Pike's Peak, Garden of the Gods, the Cheyenne Mtn. Zoo, etc. It was great to see all of them. Oakley got to meet his cousins, Cameron and Eli. They are 20 months and 10 months. It was fun to see them interact together. As Andy's family headed out, my grandparents (Dad's parents) came for a visit. They live in Arizona for the winter and Idaho for the summer. They stopped by as they headed to South Dakota and then onto Idaho. It was their first time seeing Oakley. We had a very relaxing time together!
After the family left, we spent time together before Andy headed off to the field. We went to the drive in and saw Superman (great movie). We went up to Denver and did some shopping. We also went to a race up Pikes Peak. There were cars, trucks, semis, motorcycles, quads, etc. It was really neat! We were on the straightest stretch of the road. The fastest car went 127mph right by us. It was a bit loud. We fashioned some earplugs for Oakley that worked like a charm ( he even slept during part of the race).
Speaking of Oakley, he is now 6 months old! He is enjoying a variety of solid foods including squash, carrots, sweet potatoes (favorite so far), and green beans. He seems to like them all! He is still eating his cereal as well. He sits up perfectly now and is working on crawling. He is such a sweet little boy! We will be traveling to Idaho next week and I can't wait for everyone to see him!
6/5/06 Well, we have been busy organizing and finishing up painting. Andy has been in the field, so I've been motivated to get some things done to surprise him. Oakley and Thor have been good little helpers... we have been painting the deck in the evenings when it is cooler. Oakley sits in his Exersaucer and keeps me company while I paint. Andy comes home tomorrow for a few days and then he is back out to the field for a few more days. We all definitely miss him! Thor turned 1 year old on May 27. He is still a puppy though! I have been talking to my friend Jenna about Thor and some of his bad habits (jumping up, barking, etc). She read the book by Caesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer). I think I need to read that book!
We went to the Royal Gorge for Memorial Day before Andy went into the field. There are lots of pictures on the picture page. Well, time for bed! Good night!
5/23 I can't believe how long it has been since I have written a message on this page! Oakley just turned 5 months. He is 18 1/2 pounds according to our scale. He is getting so big! He rolls over all the time now, both from back to tummy and vice versa. He is working on sitting up, but he doesn't quite have his balance yet. Oakley has discovered his feet and puts them in his mouth along with everything else he gets his hands on. We have given him a sippy cup with water a few times and he seems to enjoy it.
Andy is busy with work, although he did have a long weekend last weekend and he has a 4 day weekend this coming weekend. We went to a Colorado Springs Sky Sox game last weekend. They are a Triple A team for the Denver Rockies. Oakley had a great time. I think we may go down to Pueblo (45 min?) this weekend to go to a drive-in movie theater. We definitely miss going to the movies. Well, Oakley says it is time for me to go! Bye for now!
4/24 We hope everyone had a nice weekend. The weather was gorgeous, so we spent a lot of time outside. On Saturday, Andy cleaned and organized the garage while I replanted some tulips in the front and planted some perrenials in the back. I also planted some sunflowers, but Thor decided to run all over the area where I planted them so we will see how they do. Oakley enjoys being outside. We put his "Exersaucer" in the garage and he sits in there and plays while we work. A little neighbor boy befriended Thor and Oakley and kept coming over to visit. Finally, we had to tell him it was time to go inside. On Saturday night, we decided to feed Oakley cereal for the first time. He seemed to like it. We made a big mess and I'm not sure how much he actually ate. Unfortunately it didn't help him sleep better. Hopefully when he is getting more cereal in his tummy, it will help him sleep better. We tried it again on Sunday before bedtime and he ate a little bit better. I put a couple pictures on the pictures page.
4/21/06 Happy 4 months old to Oakley! He is growing up so fast! Oakley had his 4 month old checkup on Wednesday. He weighs 16 lbs, 40z and is in the 80th percentile for weight. He is 27 in long and is off the charts for his percentile in height. So he is a big boy. The doctor said he should definitely be taller than 6 feet. Which really isn't a surprise... look at his parents! The dr. was very pleased with Oakley's progress. He was such a good baby for the doctor and cooperated throughout the appointment. We discussed introducing Oakley to solids (cereal). It may be a bit early, but it might help fill Oakley up so he sleeps better at night. He is still waking up twice a night. The dr. said it is our decision. We are still deciding...
Along with his 4 month checkup, Oakley had to get 3 shots. He did really well and cried only after he got the 3rd shot. This set of shots seemed to bother him a bit more. More big news... Oakley has 2 teeth now! Both of his bottom teeth have broken through! He got a new teething ring from the Easter Bunny and seems to enjoy biting on it. We have to help him keep it in his mouth. The dr. recommended whiskey or any hard alcohol has a pain reliever for his gums. We aren't sure about that???
On Tuesday night, we went to Chili's for dinner with some of Andy's ROTC friends who are stationed at Fort Carson. Steve, Christina, Bryson, and baby to be just moved here from Alabama. Ben has been stationed here for the past couple of years. It was fun to have dinner with them and catch up. I am sure we will hang out with them often.
4/17/06 Happy Easter! We hope everyone had a wonderful day. Andy had a 4 day weekend so we were able to spend some time together. We spent most of the weekend working in the yard. We planted some flowers and a peach tree. It has been beautiful and warm here. We are definitely enjoying the weather!
Today we got Oakley's pictures taken. He is so handsome. He was very cooperative, although by the end he was ready for a nap. I posted some of the pictures on the pictures page.
BIG NEWS! Oakley rolled over from his back to his stomach today... twice! I got the video camera out, but he wasn't ready to do it for the camera yet. I will keep trying! The other big news is that Oakley is cutting his first tooth! It is his bottom right one. You can see just a little bit of it breaking through the gums. It doesn't seem to be bothering him. He loves to chew on his hands, pacifier, toys blankets. etc. He has also begun to drool alot more. One last exciting thing for me is that I cut my hair! It is about shoulder length. I have always had long hair, except for a couple of occasions so it is a pretty big deal to me. I love it! It is easy and feels so light! I will post pics soon.
4/11/06 Today Oakley and I are going to run errands on post and around Colorado Springs. This morning we were up early as Thor wasn't feeling well. I stayed up and did some cleaning around the house. I finished updating the pictures and put two new videos on the website. Hope everyone has a great day!
4/10/06
Today we brought Grandpa and Grandma Podrabsky, Uncle Justin, and Great Grandma Betty to the airport. We had such a wonderful visit with them and were sad to see them go. I'm never good at saying good bye. You would think with all of our traveling with the Army I would be used to it by now, but I'm not. Some of the highlights of their visit were our trip to Denver to see an NBA basketball game (Denver Nuggets vs LA Lakers), visiting the Garden of the Gods nature area, eating at Texas Roadhouse, and just relaxing at our house. It was fun to share our new home with them. We will post pictures of the house soon!
Andy has been VERY busy with work. I hope his schedule slows down. Oakley and I will be busy running errands this week. He does really well in the car. He either sleeps or looks at various toys hooked to his car seat. I try to plan errands around his naps and it usually works out well. Oakley has begun to be much more interested in toys. He grabs onto toys now and enjoys looking at bright colors and shapes. He got a new "Exersaucer" from Grandpa and Grandma Podrabsky that he really enjoys. He sits in it and it has many toys for him to explore. I will post pics of it. We also got him a new mobile that he likes to watch. Oakley is sleeping in his crib now. It is still in our room. He is still adjusting to it. He doesn't seem to sleep as soundly in his crib as he did in his bassinett. It will just take some time. Well our lives will be settling into a routine now so I should update this more regularly!
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