Pre wedding festivities!!

Well- this is a blog post from about 3 months ago that never got published...but here is a recap of pre-wedding festivities before Charity's wedding!

Nick and Keira jamming out to the music on Olley the Trolley. We rode that around the Old Market on our way from rehearsal to dinner.

Aren't they the cutest?

Mani's and Pedi's!!! She LOVED it...and I know need to work more hours to support her habits. ;)

She loves Nick!

One of the Big Girls for the Pampering Night. :)

10:00 pm dinner= a late night for kiddos

My two princesses in there adorable outfits for rehearsal

Lainey was 7 months old when Charity got married!

My girly girl :)

Enjoying a ride on Ollie the Trollie with my honey!

All the girls at the pedicure salon- THANKS SO MUCH Lori!

A Week of Firsts!

This past week was a BUSY week, and I admit...as I was cruising around in my sweet Honda Odyssey, I had visions of the title "Soccer Mom" running through my head.

Keira is just at the age we are starting to get her in some activities- I have no idea how people with numerous children have their kids in more than one activity at the same time, one child in one activity seems busy to me! I told Austin that we will adjust, and just will need to realize there is no such thing as "time for ourselves". It's the end of life as we know it!!!

So- what were we busy with?

DANCE! Tuesday night Keira started her first dance class. She has been BEGGING to get into dance for at least a year, and we told her she had to be potty trained. The name of her academy is the Princess Academy of Dance (how cute is that?!) and is run by a Christian lady.

I went to pick Keira up after work, and she was all dressed for dance with her hair pulled back, her leotard on, and her pink tights and shoes poking out the bottom.  (Grandma Jane did a great job having her ready!). We drove to class, with Keira talking the whole way about how excited she was to be a ballerina. We got out of the van and she bounced up and down, while saying, "I am so excited to do dance with my friends!". After class she told me that she "danced to music about rainbows, and that she and her friend Lauren made lots of new friends." She also told me that "she didn't need tap shoes, because tap was hard...and she would be happy to just do ballet".

CUBBIES! Keira started cubbies for the 2nd year on Wednesday night. She seems to have grown up so much since last year, and was much more excited to wear her vest, and follow the "rules" of the classroom. Afterwards this is what she had to say, "James and Henry (two of the boys in her class) don't like princesses or castles! They only like trains, dragons, and kings. UGH" So- I am not sure what Biblical principles she learned, but she is definitely learning about gender differences. :)  Austin and I are teaching Sparkies this year, and the first night we had all girls! It was so calm and structured, we hardly knew what to do with ourselves. We are really looking forward to a good year, as we have a little more time to invest this year (with Austin being done with school, and me not being pregnant/ have a newborn).

MOPS! On Thursday morning I had my first Mops meeting for the year, and Keira went to "Moppets" or as she calls it "Little People School". She loved doing the craft, and told me about the Bible Story when I picked her up. I had told her that might be in class with Lauren, and she made a point to tell me "Mom, you were wrong. Lauren was NOT in my class". However, despite that, she seemed to have a great time, and enjoy the structured activities. I am looking forward to having some Mom time every other week, and getting to know the new moms in my group.

LAINEY! ....started crawling yesterday, and by today she is all over the house.(ust over 8 months old). As I predicted, she is much more "inquisitive" than Keira, and is already getting into all the cords, tiny Barbie shoes, etc. She will keep me on my toes! However- she is SO much happier now that she has finally figured out how to move.I can give her a bucket full of toys and she will be completely happy for at least an hour.

HOUSE!- We signed our loan lock in yesterday, so we will be in within 60 days or less for sure! It exciting to finally have an end date. Right now they are getting ready to stain and paint...trim got finished this week. I got to go pick out all the tile and flooring this week, by MYSELF as Austin was at work. I actually enjoyed it more, as I just worked with the interior designer and we came up with some really nice combos! Austin LOVED everything, so he decided it might work better for me to just go alone in the future :)

We finished the night last night by a MIDNIGHT run through downtown Omaha. It was the FIRST actual time I have ran since HS (it was a 5K). I was happy to 1) not walk and 2) finished in less than 30 minutes. I have decided I still don't think running is my thing...as I recover today. :) However- it was a fun atmosphere to be running the streets of downtown in the middle of the night!

Thanks for reading friends. :)

Good Night, Sleep Tight

TIRED....

Unfortunately folks, this magical stuff is no longer cutting it.

After my exasperated post on facebook last week about the fact that my 7 month old still is up 3-4 times a night I got LOTS of suggestions on what to do.  Being as this is my second as not first child, most of it was stuff I had already heard/ tried.  However, one friend brilliantly suggested this book: http://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Ladys-Good-Night-Tight/dp/1593155581/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344885036&sr=8-1&keywords=good+night+sleep+tight+by+kim+west

It came last night, and I am looking forward to reading it, and hoping it would help. It is for people who refuse to listen to their kid scream for hours, but want to get them to sleep. PERFECT!!! :)  From the one chapter I skimmed over my lunch, it seems like an easy fix. We just need a SCHEDULE! I had not even realized that with Lainey I have been horrible at having a schedule. With Keira, I worked full time (versus 3 days a week), we were living in our own home, and had ONE child, not two. I know by this point you are saying "Yes- and your point is?!" Well the point is that until today, in my sleep deprived existence, it did not even dawn on me that this is what life for Lainey is like:

• 1 day a week she goes to a babysitters and has a routine there
• 2 days a week she goes to Grandma's and has her routine there
• 2 days a week she is "home" with mom and big sister- which means that she is on the go, lugged from playdate, to grocery shopping, to the office to catch up on stuff not done in the 3 previous days, etc. On top of that "Home" could be one of 2-3 different places, as it is Grandma Leas/ Janes/ or a friends house.
• 2 days a week it is the weekend- which means there is absolutely NO schedule as we may or may not be in town, and usually have a booked agenda. 

AND I WONDER WHY MY CHILD DOESN"T SLEEP?!

I love being home Part time, but did not realize until today, that this is probably exasperating the whole "not having a schedule" thing, as Lainey has a different schedule almost every day of the week. On top of that, Keira was such an easy baby who just slept anywhere, I am not used to this whole idea of "catering to naptime". (Btw- I really despise that whole philosophy of catering to naptime, as Keira just slept on the go, and her routine fit into my routine. For some reason the idea that we have to ALL stop what we are doing for a child to nap is irritating to me. What do they think?....that the world revolves around them?! Well, apparently it does. ***Sigh***)

With that being said: I have drawn up a FLEXIBLE schedule that I am going to try and get Lainey on. This will include a bedtime at around the same time each day, a wake up time each day, and nap times at the same time (roughly) each day. Does this mean I will be cancelling playdates so my child can nap? ABSOLUTELY not. What it does mean is that I am going to be more cognizant of keeping to a schedule, and if we are on the go, putting Lainey in her seat and putting her to sleep around the same time everyday. 

Praying that this will help both Lainey and the rest of the Diehm household to be a happier more productive member of society. :) 

Living the Dream

Living the Homeless Life....

Well Friends, we are 2 months into this whole process of not having a house! It has gone really well so far, but I am getting super grumpy  anxious to have our own house! There is just nothing like living in your own home, with your kids and hubby...having the freedom to do things the way you like. :) I honestly feel a lot like  I do when I am pregnant and the due date is getting close. I am so anxious and ready for the wait to be over that I can't focus on ANYTHING!

What I am looking forward to:

1. COOKING AGAIN! - I don't cook much at my in-laws, just because it is more work, as it isn't my kitchen,  they have things set up differently than I do, and it is cramped with two families sharing one kitchen. I love to cook, so I am looking forward to getting  back into the routine of meal planning, cooking with Austin and the girls after work, and trying new recipes.

2. HOSTING!- Austin and I both realized awhile ago that God has given us the gift of hospitality. We love to host people for dinner, events, and be a blessing to others in that way. We love to get to know new people in our church and neighborhood by having them over. That was one of the determining factors when we looked at houses- it had to have PLENTY of room to host. We are definitely looking forward to being able to do that again. We are hoping to be in our house in time to have our annual harvest party. :)

3. Decorating- I finally got my old house decorated the way I liked (of course...right before you move out!). At first I was glad that we had a break before decorating a whole new house. But now after trips to NFM, hours on Pinterest, and brainstorming I am ready to test out some of the cute ideas I have found!

What is AWESOME about living with my in-laws

1. No Mortgage!...wouldn't it be nice if that was permanent?! ;) We are trying to stay on our same budget to save, save, SAVE, as we know there will be lots of expenses once we get into our house (appliances anyone?!)

2. Late Night Date Walks/Runs- Austin and I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed having a bit more freedom. We have gotten in the habit of putting the girls to bed, and then taking a walk, run, or bike ride together as his parents are home in bed as well. It is something we always loved to do, and have missed once we had kids. It is so peaceful late at night and we love having that couple time!

3. Laundry- Did I mention that my MIL is a laundry washing machine? The brand is Diehm, and it is WAY better than Maytag.  I absolutely DESPISE doing laundry...and she likes it. So, that has created quite a nice combo. I will definitely miss her help around the house when we move out. :)

What No One Tells You About Building...

1. You turn into a psychotic personality who doubts every decision  (or at least I do). It is horrible! There are so many choices, and once you finally make a decision, you see the neighbors house/ a new idea, and want to do it that way...but then it is too late. So then, you have to re-convince yourself that you like what you picked out, and it won't be outdated in 5 years, and it is the best deal for the money, blah, blah, blah. Seriously folks, it is an emotional roller coaster! (or I am just in need of medication- which my husband might argue is the case!). I am definitely learning that I need to just be content once I make a decision and be THANKFUL for the fact that GOD has blessed us. I don't have to have EVERYTHING in this house, nor does it have to be like the neighbors. I know that sounds spoiled and trivial, but for me it is a definitely a lesson in leaning on God and knowing that he is control and I will be content, even when the builder doesn't match my dreams. :)

Below is a sneak peak of what the house currently looks like. They have made TONS of progress in the past month! They are getting ready to start dry walling, and hope to be done with that before End of Month. I am hoping to be in the house by beginning of October. :)



Ok Mom friends- I love this couch...but do you think it will be DESTROYED by kids in the first week?!


Thanks for reading and going on this journey called life with me!

Lainey 6 months

6 month Statistics:

Lainey is:
---just noticed yesterday (July 22nd) that her first tooth finally popped through! ---

• Wearing Size 1 Diapers
• Wearing 3-6 month clothing. 
• Weighs 12.5 lbs and is in the 25% for height, and 5% for weight- but looks like a chunker! :) 

• She is sitting up great, and bounces like crazy. She REALLY wants to crawl, and will flip onto her hands and knees but won't move. 

• She loves to TALK. She will babble like crazy, and says, "Da-da-da"
• She LOVES her paci, and can hold her bottle and feed herself
• She just last week decided she LOVES food, and she will devour it! She grabs the spoon between her chubby fingers and thrusts it into her mouth.
• She had her first ice cream on vacation- and loved it!

• She LOVES attention and will smile and kick like crazy when you give her attention. 

• She thought the beach sand was awesome to play with! She is an outdoors girl and loves walk and to be outside in general

• She STILL gets up at least once, if not twice in the night (usually at midnight, and then 4 am, and then 7 am.)

WE LOVE YOU LAINEY LOU!!!

Our June Update....6 weeks late!

Whew! This is an a blog post that I Started in June....and then never finished, as our lives got CRAZYYY (with the move, etc.). However- I had put all these fun pics up, so here it is completed, 6 weeks later. ;)

VBS week was crazy as I worked the first half of the  week, and then taught Vacation Bible School at our church every evening. I taught the 5 year olds, and we had so much fun! I had taught VBS two years ago to the 3 year olds, so it was fun to have some of the  same kiddos two years later- and see how much they changed!
We learned alot about bugs as that was the theme- and also how God transforms us! I absolutely loved the week but was glad when it was over as well- kids wear you out, haha!

We are also counting down the days until we move out of our house. :( We will be moving out all of our stuff a week from today! I have not really packed at all since what we packed from before we sold the house. I have been putting it off, as I am not looking forward to moving out. I know I will be excited to move into our new house, but that won't be until September. So- in the meantime...I am wishing I could stay in mine! However I know this will be a time to look on the positive side, and be flexible! ;) (That is my pep talk to myself). We will be living with Austin's parents in the interim.

They broke ground on our new house this week, so it is fun to see that progress is happening!! We are tempted to drive by everyday and look, haha! Who knew a piece of ground could be so exciting?!

Last week I did the devotional for Charity's bridal shower. It was a special time, as I can remember being so little. I remember her eating all the ice cream in the fridge (she STILL loves ice cream!!), and wearing her big 80's style tennis shoes to bed every night. I can't believe she is all grown up! She has turned into such a great woman, and I am so happy that her and Levi were brought together by GOD. They will be great together! I love this picture of us four sisters together.

We have also been enjoying the SUN! Keira is turning BLACK, as I turn RED. Hmmm... something is wrong with this picture! She loves to play with her pool on the deck, and I have been letting her every spare moment we have, as I want us to get use out of our new deck while it is still ours. :)

Keira updates:

1) We were driving the other day, and Keira says, "Mom are we going to O-MA-MA?  Did you know that is where you work lives?!" As I chuckled, I told her that I work in Bellevue, but go through Omaha to get there. So now she says, "Mom goes through O-MA-MA to get to BELL-VIEW, cause that is where her work lives." If you ask her where I work she says, "My mom works at Tony".

2) She has also started blowing kisses. Grandma Lea taught her this, and it is just TOO Adorable! She will have you blow her a kiss, and then will reach up and grab it. She will then place her hand on her heart and say, "I got it! I put it on my heart for later."

3) She is just so grown up lately! She went to her own VBS class each day his week and had so much fun. Her usual reportings were on what stickers she got each night. She also used her bug binoculars as a camera. She made us all pose for a family picture, then she would position her camera as if it was on a timer and we all had to stand still and say, "Cheese!". She would then pick it up, look, and say, "That was a great one! Thanks!"

Lainey updates:

1) She is SO hungry! Lately she has been eating every 3 hours, particularly overnight. I am really not a fan of that- so we are heavily encouraging food again. She is NOT a fan of rice cereal- so today I cheated and added apple baby food to it. She loved it! (imagine that). She ate the whole bowl, and then a bottle on top of it. She has huge rolls and cheeks that almost touch her chest. She looks like a little chunker, but is only in the 25% for height, and 5% for weight. At 6 months old she weighed 12.5 lbs. She is still in size 1 diapers, and wearing 3-6 month clothes.

2) I entered the bad mom club this week. Yes- I decided to wean her, and put her on formula. I kept debating back and forth, but had multiple reasons for doing it. 1) She is eating way too much for me to keep up, and I was having trouble anyway since I am work half the week and not on the same schedule as her those days. 2) We will be living with my inlaws, and I felt like it would be as if I was nursing/pumping in public all the time (STRESSFUL!!). So- I took the plunge and decided to switch her to formula. She is doing GREAT on it, which I was relieved about. I am happy that  we made it to 5 months exclusively nursing...my goal was 6, but she did great, and it was a much more enjoyable thing than it was with Keira. I still have alot of milk stored too, so that should help supplement for a good couple months. I know some people probably think I am a horrible mom for doing this, but I honestly have decided I am done with judgmental opinions of people (whether it be nursing, schooling, working, etc). I have decided that I am going to do what is best for our family, (as long as it lines up with the Bible), and be a POSITIVE person. If others want to be judgmental or complain, that is fine- however, I will just choose not to spend my time with you. Life is too short to spend our time tearing others down! (Sorry for the bunny trail...I have just felt lately that so many people, particulary moms, spend their time comparing and tearing each other down. As CHRISTians God calls us to LOVE, and to encourage one another. And that is what I will do! Who is with me?

3) Lainey has started fake coughing. When she feels like she is not getting enough attention she will cough a pitiful little, "uhem, uhem". Once you look at her, she stops and cracks a HUGE smile. What a little stinker! She is a complete ham! Austin and I have decided that she is going to be our handful. She just loves approval, and LOTS of attention ( I can just imagine her at 16!)

4) She sleeps best in the middle of the action. Lately I have been dragging her bassinet into the kitchen, as she falls right to sleep with lots of noise. However- if she is in a quiet room she will SCREAM!.

Thanks for reading my outdated update! ;)

OAK-SHA-BOW-GEE!!

The Keira and Lainey Daily: July 12, 2012

1. Keira is looking forward to going to Oak-SHA-BOW-GEE  (I just LOVE how she says Okoboji!) this weekend with her friend Hayden, and our good friends Kyle and Leighanne. She has grand plans of  building sandcastles, sitting on the beach, and playing noodles (water noodles) with Hayden.

2. Funny quotes of the day....
Austin dropped his knife during dinner and Keira gasped and says, "Daddy! I wasn't 'specting' that!"

Grandpa Steve then chuckled and said, "Keira, if it was a cloudy day, you could make the sun shine!" She turned to him and with her eyes wide adamantly says, "No Grandpa, Jesus makes the sun shine!" He then laughed again, to which she said, "Grandpa! JESUS makes the sun shine, not me!" How adorable, she is our little evangelist. :) We are praying that she comes to know Jesus for herself at an early age, and continues to be an evangelist throughout her entire life! 

3. Lainey is sitting like a PRO! She loves to sit, and is working really hard at scooting/trying to crawl. She is just dying to move! She has recently sucking her lip in, and sticking her tongue out to get attention. It is the funniest face! She will also wrinkle her little nose up now when she laughs. HILARIOUS!

4. Lainey just this week started loving food! Until now, she has not done well with it. We are introducing fruits and veggies mixed with rice, and she is doing great! I am hoping that the food will help her start sleeping longer at night, as she has still been getting up 3-4 times per night, and it is KILLING me! ;)  

Keira is turning out to be alot like Austin. She looks like his miniature in body stature, and has a pretty chill personality like his. She frequently says, "I suppose that will be fine" as she shrugs her shoulders. Lately she has been so well behaved (thank you LORD!) and is so fun to be with as she helps with chores,and listens when you asks her to do something.

Lainey seems to be much more like me, as she is short and petite. She LOVES attention, to be held, and will let you know with a whine if she isn't being played with enough. She is very determined and smart as well! She cries the second you put a bow on her head, and will instantly yank it off. (Little stinker!). She seems to know when sissy is in bed, and thinks that is her prime time to entertain mom and dad. ;)


I just love these two little girls so much! I can't believe God has blessed us with BOTH of them. They are so different, but both hold a special place in our hearts!