They grow so fast...

Well, we've pretty much been holding steady here in Iowa. John stays busy at work, and the boys keep me busy here. Timothy loves to go out. Outside, to the park, the library, the play area at the mall... Wherever we go, his joy of life is a constant joy to me. I love watching him learn and grow through his experiences.

He loves to imitate us, especially John. Last week, we stopped by work to see John, and Timothy was completely fascinated, especially by the tool crib. The sets didn't seem to make much of an impression, but the tools! We went home, and he got all his tools out and for an hour was "working like Daddy." So cute!

He also adores his little brother, and loves to talk to him, and help. When we've given Andrew a bottle (to get him used to it should I leave), Timothy has loved to help. He's pretty good at it actually. As long as Andrew doesn't move.. =)

Andrew is 2 months old today. The time has just flown by! Already he wants to see the world, and is rarely happy facing me when in his baby carrier. He LOVES to watch Timothy, and they can coo at each other happily for quite a while.


We've thankfully got him sleeping pretty well too. Mornings are anyone's guess, but he usually takes a nice long nap in the afternoon, and then most nights he falls asleep fairly easily and sleeps from 8pm to 1am before I have to get up and feed him. Then only once or twice the rest of the night. Peaceful evenings are so nice! They make for a much saner Mommy. =)

So much has happened in the last two months though. It's hard to believe all the changes that have taken place. We feel so blessed with this new place, a new job, and our sweet wonderful boys. (Even if the older one is too smart for Mommy's peace of mind... )

Oh, for more pictures, check out our flickr page =)

Us again..

Well, I figured I should post some new pictures and at least a short update on our lives here in Iowa. John has been 3 weeks on the job now, and loving it. He got a bike, and rides it to and from work almost every day (with the exception of the downpour we had last week. For that, we picked him up. I'm suffering from the normal sleep deprivation of having an infant and keeping up with a toddler, so nothing new there. But enough about us..

Timothy LOVES our new house. He loves the stairs, the neighbors, the park, and the new friends he's making (of all species). One of our neighbors has a parrot, and there's a dauschund, and some large brown pony-size dog as well. We've also found the local duck pond, and he and his new friend Tyler chased them all over yesterday (Sorry, I forgot the camera). Here's some fun shots of our little adventurer:

Andrew (the real reason you're reading this of course) had changed so much in the last few weeks. It's crazy how fast they change! He smiles and coos at us now, and while we desperately wish he would sleep more, we love to cuddle him and marvel at the miracle he is. Timothy loves his little brother, and is a great help. He rushes to comfort him when he cries with an "Okay Andew", and the only jealousy he seems to have is that he wants his diaper changed before I change the baby's. I'm glad that transition has been made so smoothly. It's certainly made my life easier... =)

Anyway, here's some shots of Andrew so you can see how he's changed too:

Home Again...

So, the last few weeks have been busy, to say the least. After a nice relaxing stay in the hospital, Andrew and I came home, and John and I spent the next five days finishing the packing of all our worldly possessions. Well, mainly John. I was under orders not to lift anything heavier than Andrew, and I... was pretty good about that... Sort of... I probably did more than I was supposed to, but I didn't feel it until after we loaded the truck. Then I collapsed and watched John and a few friends clean the apartment. This has been a humbling experience for me, but in a good way. I've had to accept a lot of help with packing and cleaning, things that normally I would take care of. But in this case, accepting help was needed, and much appreciated.
Anyway, after we loaded the truck, and cleaned the apartment, we lit up the barbeque, and had a few friends by to say goodbye, and to celebrate Timothy's birthday. (We pulled out for Iowa on his actual birthday, but he seemed happy with celebrating a few days early. =) Here's some shots from loading, and the party.

Sunday, my Mom flew in, and Monday we pulled out at 5:30am. John drove the truck with the cats, and Mom drove our car while I kept the boys happy. Thankfully, everyone traveled well, even the cats. I was a little worried about John losing patience, and tossing them out somewhere in W VA, but they were pretty calm once they figured out they weren't going to the vet. Timothy was fine, and since he got to get out and run around every couple hours while I fed the baby, I didn't even have to pull out the DVD player until an hour or so before we stopped for the night. Andrew, thankfully, slept most of the trip, and only really protested the carseat about and hour from our final destination.

Our new home is great! I will post pictures soon, once we get unpacked. In the meantime, here's a few key points: Two floors (which Timothy and the cats love), a washer and dryer (my favorite part), and our own mini backyard to let small boys loose in when they get antsy. Oh, and John's favorite part: remote control ceiling fans. =) It's the little things. =)















My Dad came out this past weekend, to see our new hometown, and of course, to see his newest grandchild.

While he was here, we explored the university area, and a few tourist destinations nearby. I was surprised to find so much here. I knew it would be bigger than where I grew up, but this is much more than I expected. There's plenty to do here. While it may not be DC for tourism, I'm okay with that. This is going to be a great place to raise our family.













P.S. While my parents were here, we also went and got Timothy's birthday present from all his grandparents: a red wagon. Here's some shots of our excited little boy in his new toy. =)

Andrew Joel Keisling

Andrew Joel Keisling was born at 4:05 am Friday July 31st. He weighed 7 lbs 15 ozs and measured 21 1/2 inches long. Mommy and Baby are doing fine. Also, Timothy loved getting to meet his new brother.

Now for Pictures

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

So, still no baby. We're starting to get more than a little anxious, since we've hit the final 2 week countdown before we move. We've packed everything but Timothy's toys, the kitchen, and the clothes we need until the move. That will help when we get down to the wire and I'm managing 2 kids, but for now, it's only making us stir crazy. There's not enough to do... We have been enjoying the beautiful summer weather, and taking many opportunities to get Timothy out of the house. Storytime at the library, playgroup, the pool, and the park on our own.

Timothy is loving it, and it will be hard this week when John's away this week. He was offered some work for the week, and took it -- provided I don't give birth first -- so that will keep him busy, but keep Timothy and I semi-confined. We'll be okay though. The bus can take us where our feet can't. And, if we're lucky, it will only be a few days before small one makes his appearance anyway.

We're trying to figure out what this kid is waiting on. We've packed everything we can pack, the house is clean, I've packed and repacked the hospital bag, and I've finished his blanket (a week ago!). See? Timothy didn't get his until he was almost 3 months old...
I've tried almost every recommended self-inducing method to bring on labor (I draw the line at castor oil), and still no baby. The contractions even seemed to have pretty much stopped since last weekend when we thought he was coming and even went to the hospital. I get a few here and there, but nothing regular... Someone at church today even commented they'd never seen anyone carry a baby so low, and she'd seen a lot of pregnant women... Oh well, We know the Lord has his time in this, just like everything else about this move. I'd just like time to recover before we leave!

I do want to thank you all for your continued prayers and support. It's made it much easier knowing we're not alone in this. And your good wishes have helped us through so much these last few months. Now we're in the home stretch, and we're very excited! (Well, when we're not tring to get the baby to show up....) =)

Oh, one more fun bonus pic. We realized we didn't have a belly pic for this one, and Timothy decided to get in the picture. =)