Maria's first musical - Sunday School Christmas concert 2009

Just a short clip of one of the songs from this year's pageant. Maria is only in bits and pieces are we were creating a video to be shared with all Sunday School parents, but this was one song that showed her a bit more often. Enjoy.

Christmas is approaching...

The baking, shopping and decorating are finished. Or as finished as they are going to be. So I thought it was high time I updated this blog. Christmas is going to be a lot different this year, as Maria is really getting the concept this year. She understands that there will be no opening of presents until the "24" on the advent calendar is covered, that "Santa Ho-Ho" brings presents to good little girls (thanks TV), and that Christmas is baby Jesus' birthday (thanks Sunday School), just like Maria's "March-March" (picture her marching around the house as she says this) birthday. However, she is a smart cookie and is looking for ways around the 24th limitation on gift opening. She has asked a few times if she can cover the "24th" on the advent calendar so that she can open "just one present". She even went so far as to try convincing the babysitter on Friday that she should be allowed to open a present. And here I thought I had at least one more year before that started happening.

This year also marked another first in Maria's life: her first Sunday School concert. She made a very cute mouse, and while I would love to post the video of the entire concert on here, 45 minutes is just too long. Once I am able to edit a few clips of just Maria out of the larger program I will be sure to get them up on here. For now, you will have to settle for a picture.

William, as always, continues to be a happy and content little boy. He is trying so hard to become mobile and can move a few inches when sitting (I have a feeling he will "butt skooch" instead of crawling). He laughs and giggles anytime someone interacts with him, and has started clapping his hands, but is still not babbling (and his mom's a speech therapist for pete's sake). For now, I try not to worry, but it's hard when you work in my field not to be a bit concerned. One area he is not behind in is eating though. The kid eats a variety of finger foods already and prefers to feed himself (and the dog, who is loving this new era of finger foods). He's up to a very solid 21 lbs now.

As for the two of us...Aaron continues to work away from home while I continue to hold down the fort. Not the most pleasant arrangement and certainly not the first choice for either of us, but for now we make do. I am certain that this, like many things, shall pass in it's own time.

For now I will leave you with a Merry Christmas and a great many blessings for the new year.

Happy Halloween!

Just thought that I would get a couple of pictures of the kids in their costumes up (I coordinated them this year based on Maria's favorite movie). We had a good night. Maria really started getting the hang of things by the 4th or 5th house. It was hard to limit her to just friends and neighbors this year (but she was willing to go home when William started getting cranky). She managed a good haul anyway. I have a feeling we will have to do the whole block with her next year. Ran out of candy early (after 75 kids) so we turned out the lights and I put the kids to bed. Both of them seemed quite tired after all that fresh air. Now I will be heading to bed too. Here's hoping daylight savings doesn't have them up too early tomorrow.

So I may have officially lost my mind...

Gosh what a month, and what a week. Could I have possibly made my life any busier than it is at this moment? And when exactly am I going to give us a break from the craziness? Not anytime soon it seems, so it is no wonder that on Friday morning we got a call that Aaron was once again needed in Colorado, starting Monday, for another 7 to 10 days. He offered to say no, he couldn't leave us, but I don't feel we are in much of a position to test the waters in the current economy despite assurances that the company and owner's motto seem to be "whatever makes Aaron happy". So away to Colorado Aaron went. What do I do then? Look for ways to make life busier of course!

After an already busy previous week, William's 6-month immunizations one day, doctor appointment the next (he was a whopping 19lbs, 14oz, healthy and happy), Maria's swimming lessons Monday and Wednesday and gymnastics Thursday, I decided that this week too should be just as crazy. So, in the spirit of being medically responsible, I decided that we would get our H1N1 shots on the first day they rolled out. I braved the cold, with two kids, woefully unprepared for the 5 hour wait! Amazingly we survived sanity intact! And so, today, I am thanking God for wonderful, kind and generous people. When it was obvious we would be out in the cold for a long time, two complete strangers offered to hold my place in line so that I could take the kids in out of the cold. When Maria needed to run to the bathroom, those same people again held our spot. When it was obvious that I had forgotten to bring a stroller for my 20lb son (like I said, woefully unprepared), another stranger offered us the extra from her car. When Maria became bored with our toys, another mom offered her crayons and coloring books she had brought for her own children, and one family invited her to join them at their portal DVD player to watch the Lion King. Thank goodness I brought snacks and food - although I am now sure that someone would have offered us that as well. And guess what! We likely get to do this all again for the booster both kids need in 3 weeks. Isn't life grand?!

Thankfully our November should be a little less crazy. Maria will be continuing swimming lessons (as highly recommended by her instructor), but only one evening a week instead of 2 afternoons, and gymnastics continues until December too. We will be beginning private dog training sessions soon too, which will do wonders in reducing my stress level where the dog is concerned (we were to start those sessions last night, but the trainer's daughter came down with sudden "flu-like symptoms" and she was kind enough to think of my two little ones and what she might be carrying into our house). We are also having William baptized on the 15th of November, having finally secured a date that worked for Aaron to be present. And then, of course, December will hit and there will be Christmas preparations to think about. In some ways I think my life will be simpler when I return to work. Maybe then I will stop looking for ways to fill up my time, and just be glad to have down time at home.

Long time, No post

Okay, so I know I promised to keep the updates a bit more frequent on here, but I have a good excuse...really, I do! (Ask me how much I love PCs right now!)

Summer has come, and gone, but we did finally manage to make it out to see family in Manitoba. Well, the kids and I made it out with my Mom for company. It was great to see family again, especially those we seem to see only once every two years. William and Maria were very well-behaved and really seemed to enjoy themselves. Maria especially enjoyed her time with Mia and Izzy...it's a shame they don't live closer, Maria doesn't get the chance to play with other little girls much.

Second plane ride for Maria; first time flying for William

Meeting Great Grandma Epler; Five generations: William (and Maria), Mom, Grandma Epler, Great Grandma Klassen, and Great Great Grandma Wiens

September flew by with Aaron away for much of the month again. However, he is home now and should be working close to home for the time being. I am really looking forward to that. This, of course, also means that the "honey do list" is being pulled out again in an attempt to get more done around the home before guests descend upon us. Maybe there will be a functioning bathroom in the basement when some of you next visit us (fingers crossed). I have also decided that it is time for Maria to get involved in some activities outside of the home. She is currently enrolled in both swimming and gymnastics leaving us busy 3 of 5 weekdays. But to see how much she enjoys this time and looks forward to these activities makes it worth it. I have also taken up running 3 days a week, and if that wasn't enough to keep us busy, we decided to add a four-legged animal to our family this weekend. Okay, we have been discussing this addition for months now, it just came into being this weekend. He is a lab/retriever/border collie cross puppy (and as of right now, he is the best listener in the house). Maria is absolutely in love with him, and he is quickly settling in as one of the family (pictures to follow soon, I'm sure). Thankfully, he was already partially housetrained prior to us getting him, so initial training hasn't been that difficult. And once leash trained, I am sure he will love to accompany me on our walk/runs.

Oh yes, William updates. William has now sampled solid foods and loves it! He has shown no dislike for anything he has tried yet, and is most upset if we don't give him food at our regular meal times. He is able to maintain a sitting position now, and detests lying down. He'll be getting his official 6 month weigh in next Monday - we are currently accepting wagers on whether or not he has crossed the 20lb mark.

He is starting getting up every 3 hours to eat at night again, which has me quite tired, and his naps are short, and few and far between during the day, making it difficult to get things done around here, but he is almost always happy. He only really cries when he is REALLY hungry. So as much as I would love more sleep, I'm not complaining (too much).

Guess who?

Family resemblance prehaps??

My Dad - 8 months; William - 4 months

We miss you too babe!

Postings are becoming much more frequent these days. This one is especially for you, Aaron. We all miss you terribly, and I am quickly coming to realize just how much I lean on you and your support. Hope you enjoy the pictures. William is changing so much. He can now keep himself completely upright in the exersaucer, he's starting to sit unassisted for short periods of time, and is learning all the "ins" and "outs" of the jolly jumper (he gets quite a bit of air on his jumps now and squeals and giggles with delight when he's in there). Maria says she misses you and that when you get home she's "just gonna hug" you. Love ya, can't wait for you to get home.

At least they keep me entertained

It has finally happened. The job in Colorado that we've been hearing about since March (or possibly earlier) has finally begun. That means Aaron is now in Parachute, CO and I am here with the two kidlets, single parenting. During the last few days I have discovered the following things:


1. Jolly Jumpers are great and are a source of great entertainment for little ones (at 4 months and 2 years)




2. I now know all the words to "Under the Sea" and "Part of Your World", whether I wanted to or not, and I don't even mind it that much.



It's the little things like this that get me through the times when I am wondering just how I will find the energy to make it through to bedtime, and how I will do it all over again tomorrow.

Where has the time gone??

I can't believe it has been 2 months since I last updated! We have been quite busy these past two months, taking advantage of what little good weather there has been and continuing to settle into a household routine with two kids.

We were lucky enough to be able to take some vacation time this summer before Aaron got busy at work again. During that time, we headed to BC, camping in Revelstoke with some of the Betke clan and then heading to Lunby to introduce William to his Great Grandma Hinz. It was great to get away for a bit, and to experience a bit of warmth, even if it was a bit excessive in the mid-to-high 30s.



William is growing like a weed. The time is going by far too fast as far as I'm concerned. He is likely over 17 lbs now (he'll be weighed on Thursday this week) and is measuring around 26" tall. That makes him 4 1/2 lbs heavier and 2" taller than his sister was at this age. He has finally started to sleep a bit better, giving me 5 hour stretches at a time, but this is much different from the 8 to 9 hours his sister was giving us at this age. He also learned to roll over from his back to tummy in the last two weeks, and is trying desperately to learn how to sit up unassisted. Like I said...growing up way too fast.


Maria continues to grow too. She is looking more and more grown up all the time. Her hair has grown to the point that she can now wear single ponytails and french braids, and when she does she looks so much older! Her speech is becoming increasingly more clear and she spends most of her time running, climbing, jumping or dancing. She has also taken a recent interest in movies, and is even starting to sing some of the songs from her favorite Disney pictures. Potty training continues, and although we have been encountering some setbacks from time to time, things are getting back on track, and we continue to be proud of our little "big" girl. She also enjoyed our time in BC, especially when we were able to find a pool just her size. Next year we are thinking that camping near a lake will be a must for this little girl. She also got the opportunity to pet a baby pig (thanks again Lacey and Steve), goats and a horse while on holidays. We were also able to stop at the Enchanted Forest outside Revelstoke, and she enjoyed that quite a bit too.


We are still hoping to have the opportunity to visit with more family in the future, but it is looking like Aaron's work schedule is going to have him out on the road for a bit. Right now he is on the road in Alberta, but the job in Colorado (that was continually being pushed back) is at the moment scheduled to begin on the 26th of August, taking Aaron away for potentially 6 weeks. If we are heading out in your directions in the future we will be sure to let family know.


Here's hoping the remainder of "summer" is treating you well, and I will try to make sure the next update is not two months from now.

2 months and counting

Here we are, 2 months in already! Where does the time go anyway. The little man is definitely not so little anymore and his sister is becoming more and more independent every day. William seems determined to set some sort of record for weight gain - weighing in at a whopping 13lbs 8oz at his two month check. For those of you keeping track, that's 5 lbs in 2 months. Of course, that's no surprise with how often this kid eats. At this rate he will catch and pass his sister in weight in no time. He is really starting to smile and coo now too.

As a family we are starting to enjoy the nice weather at last. Aaron and Maria spend almost every afternoon and evening out in the yard tending the garden. Maria is always trying to be a big help and has no problem getting a little dirty in the process. She is also enjoying the opportunity to visit the park on an almost daily basis. She is in the process of mastering the balance beam and ladder climbing this summer and is proving to be quite the daredevil - much to her mother's dismay. She is definitely her father's daughter! (Note the many bruises on the shins).

I'm thinking of enroling her in gymnastics this fall.

We are still hoping to get out to visit many of you this summer/fall. However, plans continue to be up in the air as we await to hear when Aaron will be making his work trip south of the border. He was supposed to be in Colorado for the month of June, but now it looks like that may not happen until August. As it stands, no one has told him he can't have his holiday time at the end of July, but until that could still change making it difficult for us to make firm plans. Once we know more we will be sure to let everyone know when they can expect us in their neck of the woods.

6 weeks in...

Well we are 6 weeks into the life of parents with 2 children, and it is going well:

William: still growing like mad and on his way to being my little "chubster". I love it! Those fat, little cheeks are just so kissable. He is now 12lbs and 22 1/2" long. He is starting to hold his head up more and just last week began to smile, especially at his big sister.

Maria: Big news on this front...Maria is, as of this post, is almost completely daytime potty trained! We still have the occasional small accident, mostly around naptime (she's such a heavy sleeper she forgets to wake up to pee) or when watching TV, but we have achieved enough success that we can now leave the house for stretches of time with less worry about needing lots of extra clothes. We are still a ways off from night trained - see above comment regarding naps - but we couldn't be more proud of our big girl! At least we are back to buying diapers for only one child again.

Otherwise, Aaron continues to work, locally for now, but possibly in the states (Colorado) come June/July. I continue to enjoy my time off, although I still head to the Health Unit for a visit from time to time (I just can't seem to totally detach myself from work) to keep abreast of what the restructuring of the health system in Alberta might mean in relation to my job.

Hopefully we'll get a chance to see some of you this summer. Take care, and enjoy the spring weather that seems to be here at last.

Happy Mother's Day 2009

So it seems that it is already time to put up more pictures, as the little one continues to grow and change at an alarming rate. William is now 3 weeks old, and has managed not only to make it back to birth weight, but pile on a couple extra pounds as well. I have not weighed him recently (will be doing so this Friday when he reaches 4 weeks), but I would hazard a guess that he is approaching (if not surpassed) the 10 lb mark. He is a champion "eater" and is well on his way to becoming my "chubby" baby.

Maria continues to adjust to having a sibling. Most of the time she seems to be adjusting well, although she is fighting some of her normal routines (naps and meals mostly). We are sure this will sort itself out, and are just grateful that any resentment or jealousy hasn't been taken out on William.

He's here!

So after a bit of waiting (but still a few days early), we were very excited to meet the newest edition to our family. William Aaron Betke made his appearance at 10:34pm, weighing a very healthy 8lbs, 7 3/4oz, and measuring 19 1/2". He has, so far, been a very content baby making our adjustment to 2 children relatively smooth to date.

Maria is trying very hard to be a big help, wanting to participate in many diaper changes and offering to hold Will throughout the day. We'll have to keep an eye on her just to make sure she doesn't try to "help" too much without our assistance. So far, she has been a bit clingy and whiney (she hasn't really napped since the baby's arrival), but isn't showing any really unpleasant displays of jealousy and we hope things continue this way.

Someone is 2!

It has been a long time since I last updated, but now that the craziness of March is over I thought I should get at least one update in before the new baby arrives.

Maria is now two years old! Can you believe it?? She is still tall and thin (35" and 25lbs), full of energy and the gift of gab. Thus far the "terrible twos" have been pretty temperate, meaning that most of the time Maria is pretty easy to handle. Maybe she's saving up for those "trying threes". Of course all that could change with the arrival of a younger sibling, when Maria realizes that she is no longer the center of attention.

We celebrated her 2nd birthday on two different occasions. On the day of her birthday, March 14th, we had Grandma and Grandpa Epler over for dinner and cake, and Maria was able to open her first few gifts. For as big of a "tomboy" she seems at times, our little girl is definitely still a "girly girl" too. She loved her princess clothes.

Then on the 21st (when Aaron could be home), we had a second party with just a few people (for my sanity). Maria celebrated that afternoon with her friend Mayah and cousin Benjamin. We also got in a good visit with Auntie Donna, Uncle Jason (Aaron's brother and his wife), and Uncle Matt and Auntie Erin (my brother and his wife), as well as Mayah's parents Trevor and Joyce. Maria seemed to really enjoy herself, and with cousin Benjamin staying the night she got a lot more time to get to know her cousin. They seemed to be getting along really well by the end of the weekend. All in all it was a great time, perhaps a little tiring for me, but a good time.

Hopefully we will be updating again in the near future with news of Baby Betke.

Winter Fun with Daddy

This entertainment was courtesy of Grandpa Betke. Thanks for building the snow slide in the backyard. Maria loved it!

22 months old

The holiday season is over, and already another month has come and gone. Maria is now less than two months from her 2nd birthday! Where does the time go. She is speaking in short sentences now mostly 2 words, but occasionally 3 words. She is becoming quite easy to understand now too, at least to me, Grandma Epler, and Shannon (her dayhome provider), although I would hazard a guess that other people would now understand quite a bit of what she says. She is also getting a lot of use out of her new toys (the kitchen and table were quite a hit), and as soon as I get the "art" center set up I'm sure she will love painting too (thanks again Grandma and Grandpa Betke). She has also discovered the joys of playdough, which has actually been a sanity savior for Mom some days - and she has yet to decide that it looks like food....maybe it's because of it's unnatural blue color.


(Tea time with Grandma; Playing ball with Cousin Ben; Learning to play with playdough)

As for the two of us, well Aaron continues to be busy. He's currently on a job in Fort McMurray and away a lot, which would be tough at the best of times, but with only 3 months to go until baby two arrives, it has me more exhausted than normal. However, we are coping, and Maria and I have a really good raport and routine going right now. I wonder if it will all go out the window when Aaron returns home though....guess we'll see.


(My first pigtails; Winter fun with Daddy)