I know you’ve not heard from us, but we’ve been been moving from California to Wisconsin. I’ll share more about our marathon journey later, but I just had to check in to let you know that we’re having a beautiful – but cold! – white Christmas here in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Analise is having a great time enjoying her Aunts Anna and Kat and Uncle Hal. She’s getting more interactive by the day – smiling, babbling, grabbing, sitting, rolling, reaching, and eating everything. She loved her Christmas gifts… well, actually she loved the paper:) I’ll post a few pictures later today.

Today the most amazing thing happened. Brian got a roll of quarters from Safeway to do laundry. As he opened them, he noticed that the first was the beautiful, shining new Wisconsin state quarter, highlighting the cow and cheese. But then, as we unwrapped the roll, we found the whole roll was Wisconsin quarters! Amazing that such a thing would happen in the unfairly cheese biased state of California! It was a slightly redeeming act after all the “Happy cheese, happy cows” commercials that rip on the wonderful cows of Wisconsin.

I tried to save the quarters, but Brian insisted we needed them for laundry.

I just had to blog this… We spent Thanksgiving with our friends Steve & Corrie and Steve’s family. I spent this morning baking an apple pie from scratch. I love homemade apple pie, classic Betty Crocker recipe. First tasted it in Nicaragua for Thanksgiving 2001, when Lori Thompson made it. MMMMMmmmmm… No other apple pie compares.

Anyway, I brought homemade apple pie, and of course Analise came with us. Steve’s family loved having a baby to snuggle with and love on, and Analise was in prime smiley form:) Later in the day as we were leaving, someone told me I make great apple pie and cute babies. I love that…

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. If you’re a friend of mine checking in… I miss you. I’m so thankful for the amazing blessings God’s showered upon me – us – this year. And you, my friends, are among them. May God richly bless you, as well.

Read on only if you want a glimpse of “real life” as a working/pumping mom:)

Before I dive into the adventure, here’s a glimpse of Analise “Puppy” Toone on her belly. She’s now rolling over and she’s pretty pleased with her new talent! The hat is one we just got on sale at Baby Gap:)

Last Thursday, (after a rough start to the day, which you’ll hear about soon) I realized that I’d forgotten to bring empty bottles to bring the milk I pump at work home. Grr… Anyone that’s breastfed will realize that milk is like “gold”… and you hate to dump it and you can’t just NOT pump. I thought I would have to dump the milk since I had no way to carry it home, but then I found a solution;) So here’s a conversation I had with Brian on Instant Messenger just before going to pump.

(To break up the reading, here’s another glimpse of my smiley girl in her bouncy seat. She prefers to use her hands on the toys instead of kicking at them, so she’s learned to slouch way down until she can reach them. She’ll sit here as Brian’s working at his computer on his almost-complete dissertation.

Then a funny conversation with my sister, Kat, just as I’m leaving to pump:

So there you have it! Real life with the Toone family! No boredom here – we wouldn’t want it any other way!

Yes, every baby should be dressed up as a pumpkin at least once:) And here’s my little one! I have this picture as the background on my computer at work, and I just grin every time I see it. Jenni was babysitting so she got Analise all dressed in her halloween/fall outfit and arranged the pumpkins. Corrie – who’s taken the BEST pictures of all the BEST moments of our life:) – took the picture. She looks so little next to the pumpkin!! I’m not sure anyone checks in here, but I’ll keep posting just the same:)

Analise has become quite vocal. Here’s another Instant Messenger conversation between Brian (at home with Analise) and I (at work).

Brian : my goodness
Brian: there’s a cat in our bedroom
Kristine: lol
Kristine: a cat, huh?

Note:If you’d like to hear the “cat” in the bedroom, check out this video… Analise is a VERY vocal baby, and she loves to gurgle, squeal and lately, she particularly enjoys making a howling-squaling cat-like noise when she’s entertaining herself in her crib. It’s VERY comical.
(conversation continues)
Kristine: did you just put the baby to bed?
Brian: yep, she was yawning
Brian: i said “young lady, one more yawn and it’s straight to bed for you”
Brian: she said “ok daddy, i won’t yawn, i’m not tired” followed of course by a big yawn

I have to say, yet again, Brian’s such a great stay-at-home daddy. He’s working hard on his dissertation, making definite progress, and getting to spend quality time with his sweet little girl. I’m jealous! My time will come soon enough…

Well, in case you can’t make it out from this photo, Analise voted yesterday! She and Brian did their civic duty together before the babysitter arrived. When they came home, she started chewing on the 164 page California Voter’s Guide. Here’s what Brian told me on Instant Messenger while I was at work:

Brian (typing with Analise on his lap): heyn were goping to vote
Kristine: lol
Kristine: have fun sweeties!
Brian: k, be back in a little bit
(time lapse)

Brian: we voted!
Brian: analise has an “i voted” sticker on her outfit
Brian: she looks so proud of it
Brian: she also was so overcome with excitement, she tried to eat the voter’s guide when we got back
Brian: guess she didn’t know how else to express her love of democracy and freedom!

That’s my girl! We’re raising her to be proud to be an American! If you’d like to see a cute live video of Analise voting, you can click here…
Lastly, here’s one more picture of my little American girl – if you click on the photo, you’ll see the bigger image of her proudly wearing her “I voted!” sticker:)

Just hanging onto the craziness of life here! Analise is GREAT – growing every day. I’ll post again tomorrow and include a couple pictures. If you’re really bored, though you can check the video album.

I love my daughter and husband! 😀

First, before I get to the fun adventure story, here’s a picture from my dad’s recent visit.

As I was on my way to work last Friday, my cell phone rang. It was Brian calling to relate the latest moment in his adventure as a Stay-at-Home-Dissertating-Daddy. Analise had been happily gurgling at her fish mobile, sitting in her swing. From up the stairs, Brian heard “mild explosive noises”, that almost always indicate a Blowout In Progress. [Note – Once you’ve changed a Blowout, you would understand why it’s Capitalized!]

As he gently extricated her from the swing, he noticed that the diaper hadn’t YET leaked onto her sleeper. With luck, he might not having to change her clothes. Carefully, he managed to get the diaper off Analise without incident. Throughout any Blowout event, Analise always has the sweetest, most innocent smile on her face. So as Brian’s getting the diaper ready, Analise proceeds to “fountain” [Note: Aptly named because when she pees without a diaper it makes an amazingly high little fountain, quite a feat that initially impressed us, but now it’s more annoying than impressive]. So the sleeper and changing pad are now wet. Unfortunately, now he needs to change her.

So as Brian gets a clean sleeper under Analise and is wiping her off – for the 2nd time – she sneezed and squirted poop [Note: Another thing we’re amazed our little girl can do!], requiring yet another sleeper change! So finally, Analise is clean, in a new sleeper, and Brian puts her on his shoulder, wanting to call me to relate the adventure.

But the fun is not over…. As he’s picking up the phone, Analise unloads breakfast all over his shirt. Poor girl… she’s got tummy issues so no one is safe within an hour of her eating. Here’s the after picture…

All that to say, Brian’s a SUPER DAD🙂 He’s definitely dealt with more Blowouts than I have. There are frustrating moments for both of us when I’m wanting to be the one at home managing all the moments and issues and blowouts and seeing all the fun little things Analise is doing, and Brian would rather I was to be the one at home full-time. But, honestly, we’re really lucky to have some great people watching Analise part-time, and Brian’s loving the special time he’s got watching Analise grow in these early months.

Check back soon for more Adventures of the Super Dissertating Daddy!

Hello world! Hahahahaha. If you have ever taught yourself a computer programming language, you probably chuckle every now and then at such a greeting because of its perennial usage in the first program you are instructed to write.

I have been thinking a lot about the subject of this blog — organizing my life. From papers and books and mementos on my desk at school to papers everywhere in my office area at home, I am surrounded by physical clutter most of the day. This is not too mention the countless files that I have replicated, duplicated, and distributed on five computers that I use regularly. Similarly, my mind is also full of clutter as hundreds or maybe even thousands of things vie for my attention every day.

In short, it’s right about time for some good organizing in my life. What better place to begin could there be than with my spiritual life. Jesus commands us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) even before the seeking the things we deem vital necessities. Paul sets the example of a focused life:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ^{Philippians 3:12-14}

This then is the substance of what I am writing about tonight. I want to organize my life, but I must set my focus above on Christ Jesus, lest I get lost in all the clutter and the noise.

I don’t know about you, but I have to say, my daughter has the MOST BEAUTIFUL smile I’ve ever seen:) I’m sure every mother thinks so. But when Brian sends me a picture at work or I look at this great website with pics of my smiley little girl, my heart honestly just melts. She’s such a cutie!

This picture is one Brian sent me at work. She kind of looks like a little stuffed doll sitting in the glider rockers. She’s still a bit droopy when we sit her up:)

Not much new here. Grandpa Dale is here for a visit – he’s amazed at how big and interactive Analise has gotten. She’s started sucking her thumb, but she’ll also suck her middle two fingers to put herself to sleep. Last Wednesday, she was 3 months old, and she’s already 24″ long and 13pounds, 2 ounces! That’s quite an improvement over her tiny 19.5″ and 6pounds, 15 oz when she was born.