"I don't know how you do this all day," he said

It is nice when you have a spouse that notices all the things you do in a day. It is even nicer when that comment does not come during the middle of a scream-fest, but I'll take it either way.

Abby has been a little cranky since lunch time - I am not really sure why, but she's been in hysterics several times. I think she must be growing or something. Steve came home for lunch and was telling Abby how much he loved her right before he left. That caused big crocodile tears and 40 plus minutes of uncontrolled crying. I walked her, I rocked her, I tried a bottle, I tried a pacifier, I tried singing, I tried laying down together, and finally after swaying until my sides ached she fell asleep. I am hoping this is a one day phenomenon.

Tomorrow Abby and I are going to the park for a mothers with preschoolers group. Abby probably won't appreciate the park much, but it will be nice to meet a few mothers with young children. Hopefully the weather remains nice. So, it's back to doing "this all day" - changing diaper after diaper, washing bottles, comforting Abby when she cries, letting the dog out and in and out and in and so on, and trying to remain sane in the process. And, since they are doing road work on the main road to Steve's office, he won't be able to come home for lunch anymore this week, so I can't use that time to get a shower. But, only 3 days until we go "downstate" and I can enjoy some "me" time while Abby gets attention from her aunties and grandmas and the "greats". I can't wait :-)

And... congratulations to our friends the Zirks from Ann Arbor on their new baby, Paige. We are really excited for them and their second little girl!

First Laugh

Abby laughed in response to something for the first time today. While Steve was trying to get her into her carseat and ready for church, he started playing with her toy pink poodle. Abby laughed a real laugh and repeated that 3 or 4 times before we had to leave and go to church. She's been very chatty this afternoon, so we caught a bit of that on video, but we couldn't get another laugh.

Boat Racing and Movie Watching

It was a not so glorious day for boat racing in Sault Sainte Marie today. In fact, our weather has been down right crummy today. But, we did manage to catch the first race, the 0 to 200 horsepower division). After that we decided it was a great day to stay inside and catch up on a few new movies, so we went down to the local Family Video and rented some movies. Abby slept through our first feature for the day - hopefully she will wake up enough this evening that she will sleep all night tonight.

We did get some great boat photos. The rest are going to be loaded up on our flickr photo page for you to see.

Abby wanted to tell you a story today

Abby was telling stories this morning. We decided to share one of them with you. She is a very good story teller in the mornings and at night when the rest of her family is trying to sleep. Tonight we are taking Abby to her first parade ever, the Great Tugboat Race Parade. Tomorrow we are going to watch the boats racing in the St. Mary's River. It should be a very interesting afternoon. I'm sure we'll have lots of pictures to share.

Today we are finishing the laundry so we can start thinking about what we want to take with us when we go "downstate" to visit all our family for the 4th of July. We also have to make a list of things we need to buy while we are down there that we can't get up here or can't get in the same quantities or at the better prices. I hope Sam's Club and Target are well stocked, because Abby is coming for supplies. It's kind of like being a pioneer and having to plan and purchase everything you'll need before you reach the next stop on the trail. Maize is requesting pig's ears and Abby is hoping to get stocked up on the Sam's Club brand wet wipes, since they are the best to carry in a diaper bag. I am thinking a nice big box of laundry detergent would beat having to keep buying the small boxes at the local WalMart.

Hopefully we will be seeing many of you soon!

Welcome Summer

It is finally warm up here. It's the 5th beautiful day in a row and we are enjoying our lovely summer weather. Abby has been able to wear her really cute summer outfits and sun suits and we have been enjoying walking outside.

Abby and her dad got a new toy last night - a Coleman roadtrip grill. We still need to put it together and get a propane tank, so we probably won't be grilling until Friday. Those yummy porkchops from Hannah and Emily's 4-H hogs will be meeting our new grill soon :)

This weekend there is The Great Tugboat Races here in Sault Sainte Marie. We are going to try to catch the racing action from one of the local parks. We also found out that one of Steve's co-workers has some connections with Mackinac Island, so we should be able to explore the island's historical sites without having to pay the extra fees. Of course, there is still the pesky ferry boats and that extra expense. But, we are so excited to have another great Upper Peninsula attraction to explore.

It is a working day today. So far I've got one basket of laundry to fold and a sink full of dishes to wash. I am really missing the dishwasher. Abby is having her mid-morning nap, so I better get to those dishes.

A Typical Day with Abby

Today Abby and I thought we'd share with you what our typical day is like, just in case you were wondering what I do all day.

5 am - Abby wakes me up with her noise making. Sometimes she wakes herself up, but normally she finds her thumb and goes back to sleep all by herself. It normally takes me about 30 minutes to get back to sleep. Maize normally wants let out too.

6:20 - Steve's first alarm goes off. If Abby hasn't had her early morning snack yet, she normally is up around this time to eat, get clean diapers, and then go back to sleep.

6:30 - Steve's second alarm goes off. He gets up. Some days Abby gets to take her dad's spot in the bed (if she and mom are both awake when dad gets up).

7:30 - This is the latest that Abby will sleep in the morning before her first morning snack. She usually goes back to sleep after her snacking.

9:30 - Abby wakes up for the morning (after she takes her first early morning nap from 6 or 7 am). Every other morning or so Abby takes a warm bath and gets dressed up. She always wakes up smiling in the mornings.

10:00 - After Abby gets washed up and dressed (and I get dressed, but not showered) we have some playtime. Abby loves reading books and currently is a big fan of standing up on me, or Steve, or the couch. We have to let Maize out if Abby is going to play on the floor. After playtime Abby is ready for a snack and has vitamins in her bottle so the milk is cherry flavored.

10:30 ish - Abby takes a nap for 2 or so hours. If I am not to exhausted, I try to sneak in a shower, do dishes, and get lunch.

1:00 - Abby is awake again by 1 and wants some more food. After she eats we try to run any errands that we have so we are home before her next napping period. I often have to go do errands without a shower, I usually remember to at least put on deodorant and my glasses or contacts.

4:00 - It is Abby's naptime again. She is cranky by the time she gets to her afternoon nap, so we usually have a little bit of crying or whining before Abby falls asleep. This is usually a time when we read books again. Especially Junior's Colors. We are espeically grateful for Abby's many pacifiers at this time. She highly recommends the Soothie pacifiers. While Abby naps I may be able to get a shower, I have to start dinner, and Maize normally is feeling left out by now and needs to play a round or two of fetch. If I have time I try to read a little or check my email. This is also laundry time, pick up time, and bill paying time.

5:10 ish - Abby's dad gets home and she plays with him while they wait for dinner to get ready. She likes to stand on her dad and stomp her feet on him. She gets another bottle before dinner and then sits in her high chair at the table while we eat.

5:30 ish - Abby and her dad watch SportsCenter or some other ESPN program while her mom does the dishes.

6:00 ish - Either we take a family hike around the neighborhood, or if needed we head out to do our weekly shopping. Sometimes I go out by myself and sometimes Abby and Steve go too. I try to do all of the grocery shopping and other trips where we will have more than one bag when Steve is home, since it is too much work wrangling a baby carrier, tons of bags, and unlocking and opening a door with an excited dog behind it.

8:00 - We start the calm down routine with Abby. She eats again and gets snuggled by her dad. We read books or work on a puzzle.

9:00 - Our family heads up to bed for an hour of reading time before bedtime. Steve is currently reading The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel. I am reading the collected short stories of Dostoevsky and the biography of John Adams.

10:00 - Abby gets a clean diaper, gets a snack, and gets laid down for bed. Sometimes she goes right to sleep and sometimes she talks until 10:30 or 11.

1:00 or 2:00 am - Maize thinks she needs to go outside. I assess the situation and either tell her to get back to bed or let her out (based on the urgency of the whining).

Our Library Adventure

Abby and I went to the library today. We checked out Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See and some books for big people. Abby really likes the pictures. She also is a big fan of Junior's Colors (a veggie tales book). Besides the library we had to go to K-mart to stock up on wet wipes. Abby slipped a new bathing suit and hat into the cart to wear at Grandma Mary's pool when she goes to visit.

Just Another Monday

First off, thank you again Sharon & Neighbor Dave for the beautiful pink afghan Abby is sitting on in the photos. We love it!

It's just another regular old Monday around the Obreiter household. Steve is off at the clinic working on teeth. Apparently when they pull teeth the technical term is "delivering" teeth. Some of the dental assistants that work with Steve give the newly delivered teeth a gender just for fun. Apparently if the roots flare out the tooth is a boy and if the roots flare in it is a girl. You learn something new everyday.

Abby and I have just been resting today after our big weekend. After Saturday's day trip, we took Abby on a long walk around our neighborhood. We wanted to see what our new neighborhood was like and enjoy the 2nd day of wonderful weather in a row. Even Maize got to go along for the walk. So today we've been resting, napping, and reading. Tomorrow we are planning a trip down to the library to trade in our old books for new ones. One of the books I checked out last time was a biography of Katharine Wright, sister to the Wright brothers of aeronautical fame. It was a great read if you are a lover of history, like I am.

Our Daytrip

Today we took Abby on a big adventure around the Northeastern UP. We drove out along Lake Superior to Paradise and from there went to both the upper and lower falls on the Tahquamenon River. We enjoyed walking the short hike back to each set of falls and letting both Steve and Abby see the falls for the first time. We took lots of pictures, and even got a nice lady to take our family's photo. We also enjoyed a Jilbert's ice cream root beer float (thanks Aunt Julie for the suggestion). We also had lunch at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery and Pub. Abby really enjoyed looking around at the ceiling fans, lights, and stuffed animals during lunch.

After the big falls we headed out to Whitefish Point to visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and the beach. Abby was pretty impressed with the old lighthouse lens on display at the museum, but she cried through the rest of the museum (basically). We had a good look around and then took Abby down to the beach for her very first ever beach experience. It was way too cold to get near the water, it is Lake Superior after all, but it was still beautiful.

On the way home we stopped by Monocle Lake to see if it would be a good campground for our camping friends and family. It is only about 20 miles from our house, so it was nice and close and Steve could camp and still head to work in the morning. We need to investigate the fishing in the lake a little more before we decide if it would be a good alternative to our normal campsite.

So... look below to enjoy some photos from our day trip. More of the photos will be uploaded to our flickr photo page.

A photo diary of our daytrip (Tahquamenon Falls & Whitefish Point)

Going to a Party

Abby and I are going to a party at Steve's office this afternoon. Unfortunately, we only found out about the party last night at dinner and we have to make an appetizer for the party (and all the easy ones were already taken on the sign up sheet). To make up for not letting us girls know about our kitchen duty sooner, Steve brought us some pretty flowers last night. And then we had to go out and get ingredients for our contribution to the retirement party.

This afternoon Abby is going to have her first experience making a fruit pizza. Since we weren't really sure whether it was just plain cream cheese or something else that Aunt Ruth adds to her sugar cookie crust, we picked out some ready to eat cheesecake filling to use as our "sauce". I will think it is yummy even if no one else does :)

Now we are just waiting for Steve to call and tell us girls what we have to wear to this party. Abby hates to show up in the wrong attire - not that she doesn't look incredibly cute in anything she wears. But since she is now officially a doctor's child, she needs to make sure she is keeping up with appearances.

Practicing Yoga

The other day Abby figured out that she can hold her entire torso up using only her arms. She has accomplished this great feet of physical strength both while on her mini boppy pillow and on top of her Dad's chest. She can also do a lot more moving and throwing her self around when being carried, which makes carrying a little more difficult, especially up our 18 stairs to our bedrooms. Abby is getting very strong and wants to spend more and more time using her muscles.

Yesterday Abby and I went to visit our local Bookworld bookstore. Abby loved the store, mostly because of the great overhead lighting (Abby is fascinated by overhead lights of all sorts). We picked up a super detailed Michigan atlas so we can start exploring the local campgrounds and fishing holes. We are hoping for some better weather this weekend so we can have a grand adventure.

And... on day 3 I still have a terrible headache. I am beginning to think it is something environmental, so when Steve gets home this evening we will have to give the house a once over. I need his assistance because I am too chicken to go into the basement - I am sure there are spiders there (not that I am scared of them, but I have a severe reaction to spider bites) and maybe other wild animals.

Two ways to accomplish the same goal

A Good Day for Feeling Bad

Well, Abby has completely recovered from yesterday's trauma, but somehow I woke up with a terrible migraine. At least today is barely 50 degrees and rainy, so that I am not wasting a beautiful day laying on the couch and feeling yucky. I only have to make it 3 and a half hours or so, until Steve gets off work, before I can get some real medication. Since Steve never gets headaches and I couldn't take ibuprofen while pregnant, the only pain killer we have in the house is Tylenol, which in my opinion is about as effective as M&M's. So, Steve drives by the pharmacy on the way home and I'm sure I can get him to pick up some Excedrin or ibuprofen or something effective. Until then, Abby and I will continue taking naps and laying on the couch with Maize. Maybe we will read some books.

I realize that we haven't made a video of Abby in a whole week, so when Steve gets home we will let him try his hand at making a video and posting it. I will be calling it a night rather early I think.

Not a Pincushion

Poor Abby thought the doctor and nurses at our new family practice must have had her confused with a pincushion today. The poor little lady had to get her first set of shots and she was as unimpressed with them as her mother. I'm sure she's inherited my abhorrence of needles when used to give shots (I love sewing and other uses of needles). But, she's now immunized and on her way to what we hope will be a long and healthy life. And, our new family doctor graduated high school with Uncle Jeff Mansfield, so he fits the category of old enough to be experienced but young enough to avoid any potential memory or coordination problems. Pretty much the perfect age when it comes to someone treating your ills and caring for your most precious possession.

We had a very nice Father's Day yesterday for Steve's first year as a dad. We tried out the Wesleyan Church and will probably begin attending, but the regular minister was out of town, so we'll have to hear him before we make the final decision. The only thing we were disappointed with was the lack of friendliness in the congregation (only one person out of about 100 introduced herself to us) and some older people behind us who were definitely not supporting the missions trips that the church was planning. It's unfortunate when there is a group of people in a church who do not understand the Great Commission enough to know that we are called to go beyond our towns to spread the good news of the Gospel. But, besides those few dissenters and the not so friendly reception, we though it was the best fit we've found so far. And since we are generally stuck with "best available" and not a perfect fit here, it will probably become our new church home.

After church we had a relaxing afternoon and went to the Soo Locks in the evening, just in time to see the largest ship that sails on the Great Lakes make its way through the locks. It never gets old seeing such gigantic ships fitting into such a small space and then dropping the 20 or so feet so they can go from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. I must be a mechanical engineering junkie or something - most normal people probably would not be so impressed with the locks, but since I have never professed normalcy, I don't mind being one of the few who are easily impressed by big boats raising and lowering in a tight space.

And... I have all of my gardening done (I hope). As long as all the seeds I've sown come up, we should have quite an array of flowers this summer to enjoy. Now all we need is to get a grill and set up our patio furniture (and a lot of citronella candles) and we can start enjoying our beautiful Northern Michigan nights.

And so, while Abby has been sleeping all day from wearing herself out screaming during her shots, I have gotten to quite a few things I was hoping to get done. Hopefully she will not have any adverse reactions to the injections - so far we are fever free and just a bit grouchy.

O Canada

Abigail is an international traveler. Today she made her first border crossing on a trip into Canada to explore the neighboring town of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. We found both malls and had lunch at A&W (can you say root beer float). On the way back we got stopped for a while on the International Bridge, so we took a minute to give Abby her bottle. She created an amazing milk goatee with the snack.

In the Money

Abby is now the official owner of a bank account. She even has money in it. Probably more money than her mom or dad had at 60 days old. Since it is sunny out today she is going out to enjoy the nice weather, so we are not going to spend any more time blogging today - sorry.

The Story of the Exer-saucer, as told by Abigail Obreiter

First, I started crying after I woke up, so my dad had to pick me up instead of making strawberry shortcake for him and mom to eat. Then we watched some golf. After a while, my dad decided I should try out my exer-saucer while he and mom watched me play. Mom didn't see him put me in, so I ended up backwards in the seat (my mom says the warning label is supposed to go in the back).



























Then my dad and I played with all the toys on my exer-saucer. Some of the toys make fun noises. One toy barked at me, just like Maize does. And there is a dragon that was trying to lick me on the head.


















Then my dad left me in the exer-saucer with mom and he went to the kitchen to make strawberry shortcake for him and mom. I watched him leave. I hope he lets me try some of the big people food. Then my mom rescued me and put me in the chair the right way (with the warning label in the back).


















After a little bit I got tired and very hungry, so I cried for mom to rescue me. She came and got me and gave me a big bottle and I ate a whole lot of food. Then I wrote my blog with my mom while the food cooked. It smelled really good.

Can it be warm already???

Abby and I spent another day at home today. And... not only were we at home, we were in sweaters because of yet another cold, wet day. Someone told Steve that summer up here lasts from the 4th of July to mid-August. We just aren't too sure about such a short summer season. Tonight I did some major gardening after Steve got home. The results are on the other blog, which you can get to by clicking this link. It was a very dirty undertaking.


















Abby slept all night last night. But then she decided not to nap today, so she is already sleeping and has been since 7 p.m. It is going to be a long night...

Today Abby got her social security number, so we can officially put her to work. Before we get her started on her career, we need to get her a passport so that we can travel into Canada, which is just minutes away. Tomorrow she and I will be heading to the post office to pick up a passport application for her and to find out what we need to do to get a passport for a baby. I'm sure there are some hoops we are going to need to jump through.

The weatherman says we will have sun tomorrow - I will believe it when I see it. If we do get some sun, Abby and I may be enjoying our day outside. Hopefully that will keep her more entertained - she is busy trying out all her muscles, especially the leg muscles for kicking and the neck muscles for head butting mothers and the belly muscles for throwing herself around when I am trying to carry her up the stairs. If she could only get outside there would be much more to look at and she wouldn't have to abuse me.

Just One of Those Days

Abby and I are having one of those days where nothing seems to be getting done. First off, after sleeping seven straight hours the night before last, Abby went back to 3 to 4 hour spurts of sleeping last night, so I was back to getting 2 to 3 hours (by the time I got her fed, changed her diaper, and got myself back to sleep it was an hour after she first woke me up). And, unlike normal mornings, when we sleep to around 9 or 9:30, Abby wanted to be up and at it before 8, so it was a very short night for me. It was a short night for Abby too, but that has made her hard to get down for naps today, so I'm sure she'll be very charming when her dad gets home in an hour. Hopefully when he gets home from work I will finally be able to get a shower in today, but the way today is going I wouldn't be surprised if I never make it into the shower.

I tried to plant some more flowers in my flower bed this afternoon. It was sunny when I decided to get Abby and I ready to go out for some yard work, but by the time we got outside it was back to cloudy and cool (it is 59.4 degrees as I type this). So, I only got half of my lilies planted and didn't get any of my edging fence up, so Maize can still get into my flower bed and lay on the new plants. So far I have cosmos, columbine, lupine, foxglove, elephant ear plants, annual vinca, petunias, verbena, Asiatic lilies, and giant pumpkins. We will see how many of those seeds actually come up.

So, now that it is 4 p.m., I should probably do the domestic thing and think about starting dinner. But since I just got Abby to sleep, I may have some screaming going on if I try to sneak away and she wakes up while I am in the kitchen. She's been keeping her eye cracked while she sleeps and won't let me get away from her for long. Her yawning picture is today's special, the nice smile pictures below are yesterday's sweet baby.

This weekend's big plans are visiting Paradise and Whitefish Point. We are hoping that the weather is nice so we can enjoy the big lake and see part of our beautiful new neighborhood.

Sleeping Seven Straight

Last night was a great first in the Obreiter household. It was the first time Abby slept 7 straight hours. Unfortunately, she didn't start the sleeping until after 11 p.m. last night. And, since I am feeing Abby breast milk from a bottle, I still had to get up in the middle of the night. But, sleeping all night means Abby may soon be ready to move out of her bassinet and into her very own room. We are very hopeful that she can make that transition so that I can get some better sleep, since I am a very light sleeper and all her wiggling and snoring wakes me up.

Yesterday Abby and I went to the children's only consignment store. We got a heavy duty hiking baby carrier and some new blue jeans for Abigail. Steve and I are very excited to try out the backpack this fall, but for now we will continue to use the Snugli carrier that keeps Abby right on our belly and within sight. She is starting to really enjoy walking outside and is constantly looking all around while we walk.

We tried out the First Baptist Church last Sunday. Unfortunately there were no children at that church and only one other couple who looked to be close to our age. They are also in the process of searching for a new pastor, so it seems like it's not quite the right place for us right now. We really want Abby to be in a church that has some programs for her to supplement what we are teaching her at home.

Rainy Days and Sundays

Little Miss Abigail didn't quite know what to do with her rainy Sunday, so she's been rather out of sorts today. She napped for over 3 hours this afternoon and woke up happy and played with Steve and I for a while. But then, somebody called the "wha-mbulance" and we could not get little Abby to calm down for quite a while. Finally a rocking chair, bottle, and Yupper radio got her to stop screaming and settle down a bit. I'm hoping this show was just a momentary fluke and not a new habit.

Abby got a new afghan from Steve's Uncle Terry and Aunt Rita, along with an embroidered bib, crocheted pacifier holder, and purple booties. We really love the fun new afghan and other homemade goodies. Abby has been very spoiled by our families - not that we are going to complain about that kind of spoiling.

Tomorrow Abby and I are going to explore the 4 thrift shops we haven't visited yet to see if we can find any treasures. If you have any special requests for items we should check for, just let me know. We hope you all have a wonderful week!!!