Christmas with the Theis'

The Whole Theis crew

The Theis Girls

What a great time having all of the Theis crew together.  

We had a our traditional Prime Rib dinner, Poker game, and Family game night.

We had a great visit, and I wish we could do it more often.

I need to get a new camera so I can start enjoying my new gift from Josh.  

A years membership to picnik.

Bo turns 11 months

Bo turned 11 months on Christmas this year.

Bo has started to:

Add finger foods only, don't try to feed her because she won't let you,

Walk
Follow Pistol and Wrigley around

Blows kisses

Some of Bo's favorite things so far are:
DANCE

Playing downstairs

Mommy & Daddy (she has become a little clingy lately)
Manufacture tags on any item
Puzzles
Books, but she doesn't want you to read them, she wants to do that on her own
Feeding herself her own bottle & food, don't try to help, she's very independent
Walking
Throwing anything out of containers (clothes, toys, paper, etc.)

Things Bo doesn't like:

Taking things away from her
Sippy Cups (this is going to be a challenge)

Waiting for her bottle, she knows what she wants and don't try to slow her down.

Being away from mom and dad

Teeth and RSV

Bo 4th and 5th teeth finally broke through

Bo has also been really sick these last couple of weeks.  She continued to have the double ear infection even with the antibiotics, and she started having a very raspy breathing.  We ended up taking her in and finding out that she had RSV, and we had to keep her out of daycare for several day's because it was contagious.  Luckily her oxygen levels were in the normal range (93%),so we got to take her home.  If she would have been any lower though we would have had to admit her to the hospital.  However, with the nebulizer treatment (this experience was so sad because Bo cried the whole time), she seemed to get better.  We ended up keeping her home until my Christmas break.

She has been feeling so much better lately, she has even been walking all over the place.  I think her equilibrium is finally normal again, making it so much easier to keep her balance. 

On another note I will leave you with a couple fun pictures.
Check out her new play area floor in the basement (she got to open her Christmas present early this year.)

 She loves to put her head on your head

And some art work from daycare!

My 200th Post

I can't believe that I have had so much to write about that I have 200 posts.

Christmas with the Porth's & Cleveland's

I'm a little behind on this one...

2 weeks ago we headed down to Ames to enjoy the family time with Josh's family.

We are started early on Friday afternoon, and headed to Jess and Mitch's for some long awaited quality time with them.  

Quality time with Aunt Jess

Saturday we headed over to the Porth's for my very first Porth Christmas.

Can I have some?

Enjoying quality time with Great Aunt Christine

Sunday we had the Cleveland Christmas were we exchanged gifts for the kids, and the adults had an exchange as well.  

I didn't take many pictures, since my camera has been acting up.  

So Jess took a lot of pictures for me, Thanks Jess, can't wait to see them all.

When we got home we finally put our Christmas lights on the tree.

Enjoying her first Christmas tree

9 month Dr. appoitment a month late

After cookie baking day, Bo woke up the next morning with bloody a bloody ear.  So I watched her and she seemed fine, but I figured I better take her in.  So Monday we stayed home, and Bo got a lot of sleep and I got some work done from home.  I decided to take her in, and figured I would finally get her 9 month check up in while I got her ears checked. 
(I have been really bad since I went back to work trying to get her check-ups in.)

She has a double ear infection and a little bit of a cold, more Amoxicillin grrr.

She also got her last dose of the Hep B.

Here are her stats:

Length

7 month apt.: 27 in

Today: 27 3/4 in

Going from the 77.90%ile to the 33.47%ile
She was worried about her growth, but I think she's fine.

Weight

7 month apt.: 16lbs 13.8oz.

 Today: 19lbs 9oz

Going from the 52.65%ile to the 45.28%ile

Head diameter

7 month apt.: 43.5cm

Today: 44.6cm

Going from the 68.55%ile to the 53.84%ile

Annual Theis Cookie Baking Day!

I wish I knew how many years we have been doing this (maybe 20+ years), but it is defiantly a tradition I don't want to stop anytime soon. Because this tradition means so much to me; I organized it this year.  I also want to make sure that this tradition lives on so this year I also wanted to make sure we included the next generation too.   Eden, Hailey, Audrey, Ella, and Bo were able to be a part of the tradition as well.  (Obadiah was there too he's 2m. younger then Bo)

Here is what was planned:

Date: Dec 3, 2011

Location: Sauk Centre Theis household
Time: 11:00am-when you want to go home

Please bring a snack to share

Love that the little girls are starting to join in on the tradition

Look at all that food, Yum

BYOB

Check out those cute girls, and the wine in the back LOL

Number of dozen needed: 11 including yourself

Russian Teacakes & Caramels -Kathy
Almond Bark Pretzels-Lisa
Molasas Cookies with a kick- Angela
Oreo cookie balls-Becky
Sugar cookies-Holly (to frost together)

Frosting cookies

More cookie frosting

Palmier's- Nancy
Rolo Cookies- Heather
Cake Pops - Chrissy

Snowman ( I made reindeer too, but forgot to take pictures of them)

Peanut Butter Cups & Peanut Butter Blossoms - Mary Lynn (Marilyn)

Toffy Bars - Steph

Hug pretzels-Missy (we missed you, but we are glad you were still able to participate in the exchange)

Check out all of my mom and I's cookies

We also made Moose Turds (or as my mom calls them bon bons)

Getting the ingredients ready

Dipping them in Chocolate

Time to divide them for everyone

 What cookie baking day consists of:

Family, Fun, Food, Cookies, Catching up, Games, and Traditions.  

Thanks 

Kathy, Mary-Lynn, Mom, Steph, Angela, Becky, Lisa, Heather, Holly, Eden, Ella, Hailey, & Audrey

for making this another great cookie baking day.  

(Thanks Missy for sending the cookies, we missed you).  

We missed the rest of you that could not make it this year.
Hopefully we will see you all again next year.

Last year's cookie baking day 

Bo's 10 months

Bo turned 10 months

Bo has started to:

Add turkey, potatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese, bread,

Walk 5-8 steps at a time
Walks everywhere on her knees
Throw the ball for Pistol

Waves Hello and Good-Bye to who ever we ask her to.

Is trying really hard to get her teeth, you can see them.

Feeding herself, she wants nothing to do with you trying to help her

Some of Bo's favorite things so far are:

Anything beyond her reach

Mommy & Daddy
Stuffed animal tags (she would rather hold the tags on their butts)
Puzzles
Books, but she doesn't want you to read them, she wants to do that on her own
Finger foods
Feeding herself her own bottle & food, don't try to help, she's very independent
Practicing walking

Check out these tails mom

Things Bo doesn't like:

Coughing
Wet diapers, we had a break from that, but she hates her wet diaper again. 
(I think this is a good thing, maybe potty training will be easier)

Waiting for her bottle, she knows what she wants and don't try to slow her down.

When we try to stop walking with her, she could go for hours.

Reading with my Monkey

Thanksgiving Part 2

Thursday night Chad, Stevi and Van got in around 10pm, and we headed out to do a little black Friday shopping, while Josh stayed home to watch the kids.

This was my first Black Friday experience, we dropped Chad off at Best Buy to wait in line and Stevi and I headed to Walmart.  That was a big mistake, Walmart was awful.  It was so unorganized, I think it took as a half hour to get out any we didn't even buy anything.  We headed back to give Chad his wallet, and he decided to come join us at Target.  What a much better experience, and Stevi got everything she wanted.

Hanging with my cousin Van

Friday Stevi and I headed over to hang out with Emily and Avery and make some pies and appetizers for Saturday's feast.  While Josh and Chad stayed home with Van and Bo.  Mark and Chris got there around 3 and they spend some quality time with them.  We headed over around 7 and waited for Jamie to get there, so they could watch the taped Iowa vs Nebraska game.  

Some grandma time

Saturday we headed over to Jamie and Emily's for a delicious turkey dinner, and some Quality time with the Cleveland's (minus Jess, Mitch and the boys).

Avery time

Auntie Stevi

He is getting so big =)

Hi Van

Playing with Van

My cousin Avery and Me

What a little ham

All three of them playing together

Lets ride

Grandpa time

Sunday morning we headed back, and enjoyed more quality time with everyone.

Mrs. Potato head

Hanging with Uncle Chad and Aunt Stevi

What a great Thanksgiving weekend, we're so glad the Cleveland's and King's were able to come up.  Thanks Jamie and Emily for hosting, we appropriate it.

Thanksgiving Part 1

I had most of Thanksgiving week off, so I headed to my parents, so they could have some quality time with Bo, oh and me too.

A little haircut after bath time (we had to fix mom's hack job)

A little dancing with Grandma

Some lunch with grandpa

While I was home, and mom and dad were able to help me watch Bo, I was able to decorate my cookies for the Theis cookie backing day.  (5 dozen reindeer, and 3 dozen snowman, I still have 3 dozen more to make, I will post pics of those next week).  I also made 3 dozen turkey's for Thanksgiving.

Cake ball Turkey

Josh headed up after work Wednesday night, and Bo waited up for him.  It was so cute, and kind sad too because when she saw him she started crying until he came up the stairs to pick her up.  I think she was just so happy to see him, it was the longest time she has been away from him.  Then she wouldn't stop looking at him, so he got to put her to bed. 

Charlie, Jody and the kids arrived shortly after, and we spend the rest of the night playing games.

The next morning Bo got to spend some quality time with them too.

Some Sophia time

Picture time with my cousins

I even taught Sophia how to change my diaper

Thanksgiving at the Sills' (My mom's side)

Some Great-Grandma time

My first Thanksgiving feast, with more cousins (sorry for the fuzzy pic, but its the only one I had of them)

And even some time with my third cousins

 We had a great time with my family, and we headed back home to wait for the King's. (more about that in my next post)

We did a little cuddling, and Bo headed to bed.  She'll have to wait until morning to see her Aunt, Uncle and cousin Van.

All that fun wore me out.