tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78327444554242530692024-02-20T09:19:12.751-06:00The Gatzke FamilyThe Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comBlogger622125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-70919026078428429042014-03-15T10:53:00.002-05:002014-03-15T10:53:20.328-05:00Disinfecting...Clorox Wipes - Check. Lysol - Check. Bleach - Check. We're disinfecting the house this weekend!<br />
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Someone in our family has been sick every day this week and it's been a VERY long week.<br />
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Weston started it off on Sunday morning with a fever.... Now he's got a residual cough and a whole lot of snot. Yuck!<br />
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Monday afternoon, I had a fever, was lightheaded and weak, and had a very tender breast... I even had Amaya call in reinforcements (thank you Mom for watching the kiddos)... I missed work on Tuesday. I still had a fever Wednesday morning, so I went in to get evaluated and as I suspected I had mastitis. I've been weaning Weston slowly for the last 2 months and thought we were at a point where I could stop nursing him before bedtime. I was put on antibiotics and was encouraged to continue to nurse Weston until the infection cleared. Ouch!! I'm feeling much better now after a lot of rest and a lot of prayers and was able to go back to work on Thursday and Friday.<br />
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On Wednesday, Amaya started with a little scratchy throat and cough. It has now progressed to a "barky" cough and cold, but fortunately no fever. She's still her normal chipper self despite the cough, but hasn't been sleeping very well. Today she plans to pick up cough medicine and cough drops that "taste like candy - like the ones Grandma has!" <br />
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So far, (cross your fingers, knock on wood, say a prayer) Steve has been healthy. He thought that maybe he was getting a fever last evening, but when he checked his temperature it was normal. He's had a sore throat in the middle of the night, but by the time he wakes up for the day, it's not sore. Hmmm... Hopefully, he'll avoid this all....<br />
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We've infected my parents and I feel horrible about that... They have been so wonderful this week taking care of the kiddos, giving Weston extra snuggles, chiseling the ice off our driveway, taking Amaya to Hobby Lobby and buying her "stick-on" earrings... You guys are the best! We are so grateful for you!The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-88601118147985730632014-03-08T15:37:00.000-06:002014-03-08T15:37:19.857-06:00Look How We've Grown!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A lot happens when you haven't blogged in a year... There are no guarantees of getting caught up... but I'd like to think that I can at least try to stay current. Here are just a few highlights of our last year... </div>
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<br />The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-88057741591523085442013-03-24T11:23:00.001-05:002013-03-24T11:25:11.181-05:00Back to WorkIt's been a little quiet on the blog because last Friday the 15th was my first day back at work. I had every good intention of doing a "dry run" like what I did with Amaya, but sleeping in was a much higher priority.<br />
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I had mixed feelings returning to work. While I would miss Amaya and Weston tremendously, I was more anxious about catching up at work than I was leaving them with my parents. I was put on bedrest in the beginning of November, so it had been nearly 5 months since I had given an allergy shot... done a skin test... performed a breathing test... administered peanut butter to an allergic kiddo with the hopes of outgrowing an allergy. I was terrified of opening up my e-mail - I ended up having 893 e-mails to weed through, delete, sort, mark as high priority, and add things to my "to-do" list. I was behind on my online and paper competencies (12 tests!!) I was delinquent on my TB test and at risk of suspension without pay (my supervisor handled that one!). My yearly evaluation with my supervisor was 3 months past due. Oye... plus all the meeting minutes that needed to be read, policy changes, etc...<br />
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My supervisor is absolutely phenomenal and decided to just spend my first day back catching up on e-mail and competencies. And she even made scrumptious Special K Bars to welcome me back and get me through the day! This past week, I worked Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and was able to get everything done on my list and my supervisor's list. It is wonderful being back with my "work sisters," but I still haven't quite caught up with everything going on in their personal lives. A lot happens in 5 months! And I was surprised that I missed my patients a lot more than I thought I would. I had forgotten several passwords, but most everything feels like second nature now. Overall, it's great to be back!<br />
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Of course, I miss Amaya and Weston... I had gotten into a nice little routine at home dropping Amaya off at preschool, going out to coffee with Jen, cuddling with Weston, playing Barbies, Polly Pockets, or babies with Amaya. Now we're all settling into a different routine. It's very different, but good.<br />
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Working part-time has been a good balance for me... While I would still LOVE to be home full-time... being away from Amaya and Weston makes me a better mom when I am with them. Our time together is much more special and I cherish every moment with them. The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-83824645498172207112013-03-04T10:38:00.001-06:002013-03-04T10:38:24.546-06:00Transition to the CribSince having Weston, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive is: " Are you getting any sleep?" Yes, we are getting sleep. Enough sleep? Absolutely not!<br />
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Weston has been a much better sleeper than Amaya was at this age, although Amaya was sleeping through the night by now with the exception of a feeding at 3am. Steve paced and paced with Amaya to soothe her and she took a lot of her naps in the car seat until she'd wake up 30 minutes later, then I'd rock her back to sleep. Aside from some gas pain that makes him a little fussy, Weston typically will go right to sleep, wake up to eat and then go right back to sleep. No pacing and no rocking. Of course, he rather be sleeping in someone's arms and on his tummy! He's been usually going to sleep between 9-10pm and we can usually get anywhere from 4-6 hours from him. Then he's ready to eat anywhere from 5-7:30am. It's not the best schedule, but at least he's content falling back asleep in the bassinet. Just as Steve and I were beginning to get some better sleep, we changed things up with little Wes and unfortunately, it's been a little bit of a challenge getting our good little sleeper to sleep. <br />
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Saturday night, we decided since he was quickly outgrowing the bassinet, we should transition him to the crib. Plus, with me going back to work in 2 weeks, we figured it would be best to transition him now. We were hoping the transition would be as smooth with Amaya (that's when she started sleeping through the night), but as we are quickly learning, every child is different. The first night, he had difficulty settling down because he had a big gas bubble - unfortunately, we didn't realize that until a half an hour later when he<i> finally</i> burped. Once he got that gas bubble out, he was able to sleep. Then he was awake from 2-4am. I fed him right away at 2am and thought he was done... surely after 40 minutes, he <i>should</i> be full! But after crying for another half an hour (us thinking it was gas pain), he wanted to eat AGAIN! (And I'm still nursing on demand and not on a schedule...yet) So... another 40 minutes or so... he was finally in a deep "milk induced coma." He slept until about 7:30am. Overall, an ok night - we all survived and managed through Sunday with some caffeine and a cat nap. <br />
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Last night, I thought for sure he would be exhausted from all the activity at my parent's house. He had only slept an hour or so in my brother's arms in the evening, so surely he would eat one more time and then conk out. WRONG! Little man was WIDE awake after eating at 9pm, so we watched Iron Chef - he got drowsy - we put him to bed - he woke up mad - I held him and we watched the news - he got drowsy - we put him to bed - he woke up mad and wanted to eat AGAIN! Then around 11:15pm, he was<i> finally</i> ready to sleep. He woke up around 2:30am to eat, took a little bit for him to settle down when he was done at 3:10am and woke up again to eat at 6:30am. Fortunately, I was able to get him to sleep a little longer in bed with me... I know, I know... I should have put him back in the crib, but I'll admit, I kinda like snuggling with him! I got up at 7:30am to get ready and get Amaya off to school. We got some snow last night, so my parent's graciously offered to take her to school so I wouldn't have to deal with the snow and bring Weston out in it. Little Wes, slept until 8:40am to say hello to my parents when they picked up Amaya. And now, after a bath and his breakfast... he's sleeping in the crib...<br />
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So... are we getting any sleep? Yes... is it enough... no. But, we're making progress (I hope!). It would be so much easier to hold him all the time and rock him to sleep... but little man needs to learn to fall asleep on his own without help from Mom and Dad. It'll make our life a lot easier in the long run. Short term pain for long term gain, right? So next time you see us, you may offer us a cup of coffee - the stronger the better!The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-64754172830506164092013-03-01T10:16:00.000-06:002013-03-01T10:16:04.346-06:00Valentine's Day<div style="text-align: center;">
It felt more like Valentine's WEEK more than Valentine's DAY, which was ok with me because I love Valentine's Day.</div>
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Amaya celebrated Valentine's Day in preschool on Wednesday. They made bags in class and then passed out valentines to everyone in the class. Amaya chose to pass out NERDs valentines. Wonder where she got that idea? (Her daddy LOVES Nerds!)</div>
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Amaya and all her loot!</div>
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On Valentine's Day, I woke Amaya up and served her a special Valentine's Day breakfast.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5xyFfAnYpUNq-j1i4vMRY-RBxHe4ylpNYIli_hWCqUgYfsHtHTt3ghCHMbpmnaZ8D-EgY8GHPj-BexqeyEPRwWuj7ljJBEgtKaxUf5RYB_o7eF3spuSUCs4nTHsBQcoCerwFP01QVNqF/s1600/DSCF1059.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5xyFfAnYpUNq-j1i4vMRY-RBxHe4ylpNYIli_hWCqUgYfsHtHTt3ghCHMbpmnaZ8D-EgY8GHPj-BexqeyEPRwWuj7ljJBEgtKaxUf5RYB_o7eF3spuSUCs4nTHsBQcoCerwFP01QVNqF/s320/DSCF1059.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Pink heart shaped toast, pink milk, and strawberries</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9y_ZeKdsNLbu-EBAT1emHBcw3tnl1WkqbHtgaSS2ojucoFZG1AN2nzDNwKI4FH3ZItXZLeV9wbFxewWApJ9OZsLDuNw21OcGkRWzxEKUXyFDFVGeBcDkVy6iWi3cq_PHIeNYwtfrTSBB/s1600/DSCF1058.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9y_ZeKdsNLbu-EBAT1emHBcw3tnl1WkqbHtgaSS2ojucoFZG1AN2nzDNwKI4FH3ZItXZLeV9wbFxewWApJ9OZsLDuNw21OcGkRWzxEKUXyFDFVGeBcDkVy6iWi3cq_PHIeNYwtfrTSBB/s320/DSCF1058.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Pinterest, I saw this super cute idea of putting on bright lipstick and kissing your baby and posting a sign next to him saying, "Kisses 25 cents." Normally, I have great success with my Pinterest projects, but this was a epic fail... it just looks like Weston has a bad rash. Oh, well... we made memories!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvONH4vc5Xtaha-zPRT-ec3_FZMyRBZZc3jlZ_ifcx6_7HvTK95zd4o1Mw0C1FC7bbwcFjyAEQZLZ9t90IGCdb4_pEg9R36DDj_hGa-e-FDfeI0OP6NR7tt7tJTZ-wZKjrFcoAC9-ZWEA/s1600/DSCF1063.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvONH4vc5Xtaha-zPRT-ec3_FZMyRBZZc3jlZ_ifcx6_7HvTK95zd4o1Mw0C1FC7bbwcFjyAEQZLZ9t90IGCdb4_pEg9R36DDj_hGa-e-FDfeI0OP6NR7tt7tJTZ-wZKjrFcoAC9-ZWEA/s320/DSCF1063.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Amaya and I had grand plans of doing a Valentine's Day craft, making cupcakes, and making a special Valentine's Day lunch, but we ran out of time. I had to run in to work to drop off a baby gift for a coworker, and we ended up staying for 2 hours. So, we ended up going through drive through at Burger King and spent the rest of the afternoon playing. </div>
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That evening when Steve got home, we opened up cards and presents.</div>
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Amaya got some Hello Kitty bracelets and Hello Kitty jelly beans.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIHLh5Is155LXpSadGJAuYQrPdiFsz6DVGcF0FhyFZZT5CILNgbn3nBoSVHRD6J9P327dcq_xrz1e0VYn_h3LMwm7oEw_dzLfbl0KzFdHDFXgfC01XHzNoYJG6ii2xV-FvBZv1bDNJWld/s1600/DSCF1075.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIHLh5Is155LXpSadGJAuYQrPdiFsz6DVGcF0FhyFZZT5CILNgbn3nBoSVHRD6J9P327dcq_xrz1e0VYn_h3LMwm7oEw_dzLfbl0KzFdHDFXgfC01XHzNoYJG6ii2xV-FvBZv1bDNJWld/s320/DSCF1075.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Weston got a Valentine's Day Book - he's thrilled about it, can't you tell?!?</div>
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Steve and I exchanged cards too and were planning a date night once we knew Weston would take a bottle. (We ended up celebrating last Friday night! We went to AppleBee's and then to a movie. It was wonderful to reconnect and spend some time together without the kiddos. And Weston did wonderful at Grandma's house!) </div>
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On Friday the 15th, Weston took a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, so Amaya and I made cupcakes and brownies. I also made some Baked Potato Soup and rolls to bring to our friend Nancy. </div>
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It had been awhile since Amaya and I had baked together, so we had a blast as she frosted and put sprinkles on the cupcakes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gPaCaLbXMAQNC4_ffdodVarcRqQWzyFXfOTzvNswhPkjVaOUcw4z227QjveYtoq7rAt4FTiKravziAVSfyRkazIF6_cUN_kIMLYlAR3tk6UIFYijiL7wxqY6DBtos7KasD3awxLV2TPL/s1600/DSCF1089.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gPaCaLbXMAQNC4_ffdodVarcRqQWzyFXfOTzvNswhPkjVaOUcw4z227QjveYtoq7rAt4FTiKravziAVSfyRkazIF6_cUN_kIMLYlAR3tk6UIFYijiL7wxqY6DBtos7KasD3awxLV2TPL/s320/DSCF1089.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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We saved a few cupcakes and brownies to keep at home, but brought most over to Nancy's house later that afternoon.</div>
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One of my favorite things about Amaya is her generous spirit. As we brought the meal and treats over to Nancy's house, she said, "We need to help more people like they helped us out. Jesus would like that." I agree Amaya... you catch on fast, sweet girl. Jesus does like that.</div>
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The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-30453858539787930042013-02-28T15:28:00.002-06:002013-02-28T15:29:57.139-06:005 Year Well Child Check UpToday was Amaya's turn for a check up with the doctor and she was very excited for bandaids and stickers! She weighed in at 48 pounds - ranking in the 88th percentile and was 44 inches tall - the 72nd percentile! Amaya has just a little bit of a tummy on her, so Dr. Horn encouraged her to eat more vegetables and a little less candy. Amaya has been very healthy, so it had been awhile since she had seen Dr. Horn. She was very pleased with how Amaya has grown and developed into "such a precocious young lady." Amaya was on the receiving end of 4 vaccinations and I was shocked that she didn't cry! Not one little tear - just a lot of "owie, owie, is she done yet?" The nurse was incredibly fast (she was the same one that did Weston's shots on Tuesday) and put on Tweety Bird bandaids which Amaya loved! Dr. Horn also gave her a book and the nurse told her to pick out four stickers - one for each shot. Amaya was thrilled and left the room skipping - yes, skipping down the hall. Such a brave girl! As long as you explain exactly what's going to happen, what it will feel like, etc. she can handle just about anything and today was no exception. She's feeling good this afternoon, although she said her legs were a little sore. I gave her some tylenol and we're snuggling this afternoon while Weston naps. Next week, I have an appointment with her and then we're done with appointments until the the end of April. Whew!The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-49226655298217212592013-02-27T10:39:00.002-06:002013-02-27T10:41:46.430-06:002 Month Check UpWeston continues to grow by leaps and bounds! He had his 2 month check up today and weighed in at 10 pounds!!! Way to go little man! He is also 22 inches long - a gain of 3 inches since birth! No wonder his clothes don't fit for very long. On the growth chart, Weston is at the 16th percentile for weight and 22nd percentile for length. Our family doctor was very pleased with how well he's doing. She expected Weston to be a little behind developmentally, but I showed her how he could roll over from his tummy to his back and she was impressed! So far, he's right on track for everything developmentally!! Huge answers to prayers! He ended up getting 3 shots in his "chubby" legs and one vaccine orally. So far, he's only felt a little warm and the tylenol seems to help.<br />
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Interestingly enough, I found Amaya's old growth charts and Weston is following in his sister's footsteps. At Amaya's 2 month check up, she was also exactly 10 pounds and just a few centimeters longer. I'll be curious to see how they continue to match up. <br />
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On Thursday, I'm bringing Amaya in for her 5 year well child check up. Rumor has it, she get 4 shots... Amaya is excited because she gets stickers and bandaids... She didn't cry when she got the flu shot, but we'll see... The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-74306316048360227112013-02-26T11:03:00.000-06:002013-02-26T11:03:45.483-06:00Pet Sitting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvLLTOBQZNyyNz4662Gr_rARGDDQBcRIkudS3ouA0vqqOwNni-aL7RGW2J5xPxsxs8I-Fa4kwtYLUyTC1RMFP00Ltn8_rF0bCCN1QsEZELwmESgQyBsu85D4TJuETe4pt3ju1vzi6ZdFl/s1600/DSCF1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>This past week, Amaya has been babysitting our neighbor's pet fish, Sweeper, while they were on vacation in sunny Florida! (No envy here at all...NOT!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0ki3SIMfWxvrX89qbLhH9bE2PQL58wZ7wx7vIhKQhY2b0JnpdsuMyaNmuuOvHLjptwO_MAtwDROOplru8vKeW13RRs9SrSkkleVq3EfKGCdMX4vKnyW3lIlb5PhWAmiU6f_-Pjg9YcK7/s1600/DSCF1095.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0ki3SIMfWxvrX89qbLhH9bE2PQL58wZ7wx7vIhKQhY2b0JnpdsuMyaNmuuOvHLjptwO_MAtwDROOplru8vKeW13RRs9SrSkkleVq3EfKGCdMX4vKnyW3lIlb5PhWAmiU6f_-Pjg9YcK7/s320/DSCF1095.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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She was so excited and when they brought him over, she wanted him to sleep with her in her bed. Amaya settled for him being on her nightstand. We didn't need to clean the tank, but she was responsible for feeding him. He wasn't the most active fish, but Amaya loved him just the same. After a week of taking care of Sweeper, I asked Amaya if she wanted a pet fish. She said, "Umm... sure... but they don't do too much." <br />
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What a wonderful experience for Amaya, but I think we can hold off from getting a pet fish for awhile!</div>
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The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-87241269607924656242013-02-26T10:54:00.002-06:002013-02-26T10:54:55.389-06:00Great Grandma's Birthday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijBtW1qZpp5_5nfn57jTLW6Bxh_0mcuAvAvOE1WfFv2vBzyGUkF4m_F2yXQ3lx_eCcU8m-755m65oAsmoDAVTV3ogj8x1pSOzW7s7EJWsw1xUZGZ57-bInuTwRHBns65BSzFj2CUhq5ljH/s1600/DSCF1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>On February 11th, we celebrated Great Grandma's 94th Birthday!!! We hadn't seen Great Grandma in awhile - it was definitely before I got put on bed rest - maybe Halloween when we dropped by her house?<br />
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First things first though, Great Grandma wanted to hold Weston. So sweet...</div>
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Steve's aunt Janet was visiting from Arkansas, so while Gerry was grilling steaks for dinner, we visited for a bit. (And the steaks were delicious!!! As was the rest of the meal - Janet experimented with a couple of Great Grandma's old recipes and they were scrumptious too!)</div>
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Great Grandma's Cake </div>
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Lighting of the candles - it was a team effort!</div>
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Happy 94th Birthday!</div>
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Make a wish!</div>
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Opening presents. We gave Great Grandma a puzzle (she got several of these!)</div>
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It was different celebrating without Great Grandpa... I got a little weepy when Great Grandma talked about him... The ache of missing him has gotten better as time has gone by... but we still miss him a lot. It makes me appreciate family that much more and I'm thankful we were able to celebrate with Great Grandma!<br />
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The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-19932208739226761772013-02-21T10:12:00.001-06:002013-02-21T10:20:00.699-06:00Grandpa Gustafson's BirthdayJanuary is a crazy busy month, so even though I wanted Weston to be born full term, there was a little part of me that was glad that Weston was born in December and not on his original due date of January 23rd. Arwen's birthday is the 5th, my aunt Rose, Uncle Jerry, and cousin Jay have birthdays on the 18th, Debbie's birthday is the 19th, Amaya's birthday is the 20th, Lowell and Ruth Ann's anniversary is the 21st, my dad and cousin Brenda's birthday are the 25th. Wow! We have a lot to celebrate!<br />
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It gets a little challenging trying to coordinate everyone's schedule, so we ended up celebrating my dad's birthday on Super Bowl Sunday. <br />
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Here he is getting a little help opening presents.</div>
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My dad likes popcorn... so we got him 7 gallons of a mixture of butter, cheddar, and caramel popcorn! We were glad he shared some of it too!</div>
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66! or 99? </div>
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Dad with the grandkids (missed you Joshua, Jordan, Hannah, and Hope!)</div>
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Mom makes the most delicious peanut butter balls and we end inhaling them - sometimes within minutes! The kids were being silly and decided to pose with their peanut butter balls. Love Ben's expression here!</div>
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Some random pictures of the evening...</div>
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Weston is all partied out!</div>
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Happy Birthday Dad! We love you so much and hope for many, many more years to celebrate YOU! </div>
The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-51687992179550389512013-02-21T09:53:00.001-06:002013-02-21T09:53:05.562-06:00Weston's RoomAs most everyone knows, I was a wee bit stressed out that Weston's room wasn't finished before he arrived. I just wanted everything to be ready to go, but it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things since he was going to camped out in our bedroom in the bassinet.<br />
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But now... it might be my favorite room in our house! Steve did a phenomenal job and it was a lot of work. We used the fourth bedroom primarily for storage and I'll admit - it was a disaster - especially when I started sorting Amaya's baby things and garage sale stuff. Oye... Anyway, the room was in need of some major work. I'm not exactly sure what the previous owners were thinking, but there were nail holes everywhere and in places that just really didn't make sense. (And unfortunately, this has been the case with the entire house). And the closet wasn't finished - no carpet, no baseboards, and just a simple board across for storage. We needed a new light fixture and I also wanted the outlets changed from beige to white. So, my wonderful husband - aka. electrician, painter, carpenter, and carpet layer - went to work!<br />
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When Weston was in the ISCN, the staff put his name up on his door and so Amaya wanted to do the same at home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQNwWGsfocKnfHkWPHNRNPUPGs_7qRk-tiLewpgDQBHIBgoqUknLghiLk5CgvwLxkcMyY0Gs87DQKTX_oKK6zt_J8HhvfO8ajC5gC8azF2sqeych6X48tBCnbci7okttdt68muODA_TcW/s1600/DSCF0993.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQNwWGsfocKnfHkWPHNRNPUPGs_7qRk-tiLewpgDQBHIBgoqUknLghiLk5CgvwLxkcMyY0Gs87DQKTX_oKK6zt_J8HhvfO8ajC5gC8azF2sqeych6X48tBCnbci7okttdt68muODA_TcW/s320/DSCF0993.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Initially, I wanted to paint the room a cheerful yellow color, but Steve vetoed that idea and we chose a light blue. Caribbean Mist (I think). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJXCGXTvL8oxo_aIpT6Gz-JKxrrl4WBdGPA06oXH-BqZ-HO_Eq2msMIFAYV_AfYQxq2L_LX2g5_rw18oZhOBdCdNH7KJuq46fMvPZUWgFfysNc8LGzjD4IiQFG9inqIUHyRdETYHfjnFd/s1600/DSCF0994.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJXCGXTvL8oxo_aIpT6Gz-JKxrrl4WBdGPA06oXH-BqZ-HO_Eq2msMIFAYV_AfYQxq2L_LX2g5_rw18oZhOBdCdNH7KJuq46fMvPZUWgFfysNc8LGzjD4IiQFG9inqIUHyRdETYHfjnFd/s320/DSCF0994.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I found an incredible deal on bedding and accessories off of facebook. Included were the quilt, bumper pad, dust ruffle, garbage can, mobile, window valance, 5 wall hangings, nighlight, and outlet cover. </div>
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Here's the mobile...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQd8YxWSBN_EV9uDX3sWLSv-RzOZreiJ8WSjCwmnUOxmESvw_1h4B46F3l6kHTKpg-IpTOZ0r1pa1ZbPfkQRPuZuL-zs6Y5FrMIDJpDj4wc78ehVYbF1zN9LqkE6AKrPPOigsVYMLAoa4/s1600/DSCF0995.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQd8YxWSBN_EV9uDX3sWLSv-RzOZreiJ8WSjCwmnUOxmESvw_1h4B46F3l6kHTKpg-IpTOZ0r1pa1ZbPfkQRPuZuL-zs6Y5FrMIDJpDj4wc78ehVYbF1zN9LqkE6AKrPPOigsVYMLAoa4/s320/DSCF0995.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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And one of the wall hangings... so cute!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92KYIsc4LrHeuCoaMDhDaG2rzg7Z2UnPxxLUdzHCe_yD33iRMThTGyoK9wFsqIrFHkvQw_uBOJPhufTOccRDllZpA2qd3Fthz6yQGIC9kMTcq-eN9xlOKow0qNNtxK0Sq06FhAzo8dE98/s1600/DSCF1001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92KYIsc4LrHeuCoaMDhDaG2rzg7Z2UnPxxLUdzHCe_yD33iRMThTGyoK9wFsqIrFHkvQw_uBOJPhufTOccRDllZpA2qd3Fthz6yQGIC9kMTcq-eN9xlOKow0qNNtxK0Sq06FhAzo8dE98/s320/DSCF1001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sorry this picture is a little dark... but this is where Weston and I spend a lot of time! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimt-iy586XRDVH5AUNb3mKh2AYFlw6F9jUhKIr5kYMdvJgQltIAjg-r6ef_iTb_bBkd-DaAFqn_-f7h2dRozLSSf8d342QolNXWNe0HEDOgCIYgyVXfwlg88TQmmMO98lPy1VOoCHli6Cc/s1600/DSCF0996.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimt-iy586XRDVH5AUNb3mKh2AYFlw6F9jUhKIr5kYMdvJgQltIAjg-r6ef_iTb_bBkd-DaAFqn_-f7h2dRozLSSf8d342QolNXWNe0HEDOgCIYgyVXfwlg88TQmmMO98lPy1VOoCHli6Cc/s320/DSCF0996.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Amaya went through her books to give to Weston - he's got a good start to his own little library!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGyVYcT_F2ofFKRuJCg2FbGSKO5DUwOqCbxjp2uRFINzjtVVAC8nTqYmeKuYe_d2koN3-U1VL42fslQuhBmuG6zr097NrbK-8Xj43uEvWZY9Hw9xvACKcF2E0N6bHNJbLUZM51mdEmZx1/s1600/DSCF0997.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGyVYcT_F2ofFKRuJCg2FbGSKO5DUwOqCbxjp2uRFINzjtVVAC8nTqYmeKuYe_d2koN3-U1VL42fslQuhBmuG6zr097NrbK-8Xj43uEvWZY9Hw9xvACKcF2E0N6bHNJbLUZM51mdEmZx1/s320/DSCF0997.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Pardon the disorganization of little Weston's clothes - that's one of the projects I'm still in the middle of! Steve installed the closet system, put in new carpet, and did the baseboard trim. Still not sure why the previous owners didn't just finish it off, but it looks great now!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEni_F3M3c5xxyQ3xu39zll10_UdeC3H_kXcDYihMsIfQRQ3I9jfnGMwLA88Iqtkbh20TddHB6eRvSoZig7TuxysZ2cDLQftIjTIi90S8RRNoDD6embH2AEWL0NEKjlh5Tsc14iqxQaQgA/s1600/DSCF0998.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEni_F3M3c5xxyQ3xu39zll10_UdeC3H_kXcDYihMsIfQRQ3I9jfnGMwLA88Iqtkbh20TddHB6eRvSoZig7TuxysZ2cDLQftIjTIi90S8RRNoDD6embH2AEWL0NEKjlh5Tsc14iqxQaQgA/s320/DSCF0998.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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And lastly, the changing table.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWTlQNJnra7pokoO-wB_3m1Fw3ERKdG-8RcUx5AwlWe1JX-R-jhp_NYE4Tq1zw08F4V9mq4nC4yuNPb_6Y_UaLmr5ECPpXTkHvhd7HbUDADDz2WbOTDL6hHd5LtYwAOziQZdjiV3AIaGL/s1600/DSCF0999.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWTlQNJnra7pokoO-wB_3m1Fw3ERKdG-8RcUx5AwlWe1JX-R-jhp_NYE4Tq1zw08F4V9mq4nC4yuNPb_6Y_UaLmr5ECPpXTkHvhd7HbUDADDz2WbOTDL6hHd5LtYwAOziQZdjiV3AIaGL/s320/DSCF0999.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Weston is still in the bassinet... Steve kicked Amaya out of the bassinet when she was 8 weeks old because she was banging the edges of the bassinet and keeping him awake. She was sleeping through the night with the exception of me feeding her around 3am. Weston is still waking up every 2-3 hours to eat, so until he's doing longer stretches, we won't transition him to the crib quite yet. I'll admit, I'm a little nervous with him on a different level of the house, but Steve is such a light sleeper - he will wake up to anything he hears on the baby monitor. </div>
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Thanks for touring Weston's room! And a bigger thank you to Steve for doing a wonderful job for our little guy! He continually amazes me with his home improvement skills!</div>
The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-80473573952216875482013-02-20T10:09:00.001-06:002013-02-20T10:10:13.917-06:00Random Pictures<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V-bmyQFQbnbdHS23naIGgHWb9ouPsK9gBZd1jWwimpRmuhga5Q9SFCBSAFMvJ9H4xVqk_y8ypjbTBJXO2k0BUKPXeQN4pg15P7sUd7jIcyUBhyphenhyphenPfdUFreihO1_9uIJhCkwrKTBoqXKFR/s1600/DSCF0989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>I know when I'm behind blogging when Weston has outgrown his outfits before I get a chance to blog about the pictures of him wearing them. So my goal is to get caught up before I go back to work on the 15th of March! (EEK - We'll save that for another blog post!)</div>
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Here is little Weston in the bassinet - for the most part he sleeps pretty well in it, but he'd much rather be held and snuggled or laying on his stomach. While he was in the ISCN, they had him on his stomach and his side quite a bit, but they had him on a heart monitor and pulse oximetry, so no worries about him stopping breathing. The challenge at home is that we can't put him to sleep in his preferred position for a couple more months. Oh, well...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V-bmyQFQbnbdHS23naIGgHWb9ouPsK9gBZd1jWwimpRmuhga5Q9SFCBSAFMvJ9H4xVqk_y8ypjbTBJXO2k0BUKPXeQN4pg15P7sUd7jIcyUBhyphenhyphenPfdUFreihO1_9uIJhCkwrKTBoqXKFR/s1600/DSCF0989.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V-bmyQFQbnbdHS23naIGgHWb9ouPsK9gBZd1jWwimpRmuhga5Q9SFCBSAFMvJ9H4xVqk_y8ypjbTBJXO2k0BUKPXeQN4pg15P7sUd7jIcyUBhyphenhyphenPfdUFreihO1_9uIJhCkwrKTBoqXKFR/s320/DSCF0989.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Amaya continues to amaze me even though I know she's a great kid. She is so helpful and thoughtful - she's been a lifesaver and has made taking care of Weston a little easier. </div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nYza3Wchw2NejLYUgtgO_VlWYLvWF6q7eFQjsxGl8pHCbPJiItu-RPzNvh_CgAv208zu9x5PLPUTPYIN-91DNeAOR1en04WM6rwBKsJQxZXdfx7clbXYFVQKgEmR_gtUMPj_A0dlS1k8/s1600/DSCF0991.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nYza3Wchw2NejLYUgtgO_VlWYLvWF6q7eFQjsxGl8pHCbPJiItu-RPzNvh_CgAv208zu9x5PLPUTPYIN-91DNeAOR1en04WM6rwBKsJQxZXdfx7clbXYFVQKgEmR_gtUMPj_A0dlS1k8/s320/DSCF0991.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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One day I hope Weston realizes how blessed he is to have a wonderful big sister who loves him tremendously! And it's my hope and prayer that they not only get along well, but become good friends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0D3rilJZPsClaVzZ7GgLH8RYbtxYZ0jnl1yLFz5GXzGN435rY6CEMK54u0qEJk2y7zcdCzeTAf8yCCMMUpN8jT83rMbtZViswGbzY98u_RFCSsWTAkZTOs_Gmh2qAcuMWjRTfvkXMuVE/s1600/DSCF0992.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0D3rilJZPsClaVzZ7GgLH8RYbtxYZ0jnl1yLFz5GXzGN435rY6CEMK54u0qEJk2y7zcdCzeTAf8yCCMMUpN8jT83rMbtZViswGbzY98u_RFCSsWTAkZTOs_Gmh2qAcuMWjRTfvkXMuVE/s320/DSCF0992.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
<br />The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-37905242027938727232013-02-20T09:54:00.000-06:002013-02-20T09:56:08.935-06:00Amaya's 5th BirthdayIt's unusual for us to celebrate a birthday on the ACTUAL day, but this year it worked out to celebrate Amaya's 5th birthday on the 20th of January. She invited her grandparents, Mike and Arwen and family, and our friends, the Hulls. Unfortunately, her Grandpa Horning had the flu, so he and Grandma Horning weren't able to come and we celebrated a different day.<br />
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The birthday girl wanted to have pizza, cheetos, cake, and Grandma's mints. Here are the younger kids - Tess, Cooper, Miles, and Amaya.</div>
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After dinner, the kiddos played for a bit and then Amaya opened up her presents.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8xv2_E9wKCO-fsjgqWq2hgLL1GZg3kxM-PXJY6B4ZdTMxfJQSjjUqm-vLONDRIxbSXnwlVm3SXMeQlcwJ0DRT1qS5XmZcx34zbvVIz-NF2SmRacjIri72zqmzzCMFzKDSr0-Pn6nfVTr/s1600/DSCF0965.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8xv2_E9wKCO-fsjgqWq2hgLL1GZg3kxM-PXJY6B4ZdTMxfJQSjjUqm-vLONDRIxbSXnwlVm3SXMeQlcwJ0DRT1qS5XmZcx34zbvVIz-NF2SmRacjIri72zqmzzCMFzKDSr0-Pn6nfVTr/s320/DSCF0965.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Weston got passed around quite a bit and he didn't seem to mind too much. Lydia does such a wonderful job with little kids and is going to make an awesome babysitter some day!</div>
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Poor Annika... this picture was taken right before Weston spit up all over her and the couch. </div>
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Family picture! </div>
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Amaya's cake - Decided to forgo making a cake this year and I just may order one every year because it was so easy and NO STRESS! (I love the no stress part!)</div>
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Ben lighting the candles</div>
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Make a wish!</div>
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Grandma's famous mints! </div>
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Steve bought me this gorgeous bouquet of flowers, "Just Because." <span style="color: #0000ee;">It was so thoughtful to be remembered on Amaya's birthday. </span></div>
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It's hard to believe our 5 pound, 10 ounce little baby that we took home during a blizzard is now an energetic, creative, thoughtful, and smart 5 year old. I thank God daily for the joy she brings to our lives!The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-65439868565187978942013-02-19T11:20:00.000-06:002013-02-20T09:25:36.069-06:00Christmas Celebration A huge thank you to my dad for taking pictures and sharing them with us. We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on the 29th of December. Weston was still in the ISCN, so it was hard celebrating without him. Our nurse worked with us to time his feedings so that I could have a couple of hours away to spend with family.<br />
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Mom made a wonderful meal - Steve and I had been primarily eating hospital food, so we enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal! After dinner, we took family pictures.<br />
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Miles, Mike, Ben, Arwen, Annika, and Lydia</div>
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Dan, Hope, Carol, Joshua, Hannah, and Jordan<br />
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Me, Amaya, and Steve </div>
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All the grandkids with the exception of Weston</div>
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Our entire family - minus Weston</div>
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After pictures, we opened the mountain of presents! When there are 18 people in the family - there are A LOT of presents!</div>
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The Springer's gave us this cute outfit for Weston - which he has already outgrown!<br />
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Hope </div>
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Amaya</div>
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The kids drew names and Amaya picked Miles, We gave him this NOISY game - similar to Hungry, Hungry, Hippos! (Sorry Mike and Arwen!)<br />
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Lydia</div>
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Hannah </div>
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Annika - There were a lot of American Girl boxes for all the girls!<br />
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Jordan</div>
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Ben<br />
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Joshua</div>
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Miles, Mike, and Arwen with his new felt board!</div>
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This was one of the favorite gifts - a POINTER to play school. Although, the adults came up with a bunch of other ideas for the use of this! Haven't laughed that hard in a long time!</div>
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Amaya</div>
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Mike and Arwen </div>
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Carol </div>
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Dan</div>
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Amaya and Hope - best buddies!</div>
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Even though we didn't get to spend as much time with my sister and family as we would have liked, I was so glad that Amaya got to spend a lot of time playing with her cousins - especially Hope.<br />
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<br />The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-35053090774851045352013-02-19T10:51:00.004-06:002013-02-19T10:51:39.560-06:00Choir Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally, I was able to participate in our church's choir this past weekend! The choir only sings 5-6 times a year, so each weekend that we sing is very special. The first weekend - I went to 2 of the rehearsals and then got shingles. The second weekend - I was put on bedrest. Grrr... So this time, nothing was going to stop me from singing.<br />
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We practice two evenings prior to weekend services and then rehearse again Saturday afternoon before the 5:30pm service and then again on Sunday morning before the 9:00am and 10:30am services. With limited rehearsals, there is an expectation that we do quite a bit of practicing at home. A package is mailed out about 2 weeks in advance with the music and a CD with our vocal part. I generally, just pop the CD in the car or at home and sing away. Amaya knows some of the songs now too! In fact, she recently said her favorite song was, "Where I Belong."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwMf6sMDUhkzCWHjTvYGEIzow732yRLfSTBbpgSWvWUbi3P30ShDdyQDhMFpIRclVWzpCJ5xFKvxEznXSW2bWGgR9h7YWewrpA5TuDQjvOp0UBXCuoJWEVz7J63WNC8c2d8ssChdrhJEq/s1600/DSCF1034.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwMf6sMDUhkzCWHjTvYGEIzow732yRLfSTBbpgSWvWUbi3P30ShDdyQDhMFpIRclVWzpCJ5xFKvxEznXSW2bWGgR9h7YWewrpA5TuDQjvOp0UBXCuoJWEVz7J63WNC8c2d8ssChdrhJEq/s320/DSCF1034.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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We sang five songs: Where I Belong, Open Up the Heavens, O For A Thousand (Hallelujah), The Stand, and Need You Here. And by the end of the 10:30am service, my voice was pretty shot. But it was absolutely incredible to be part of the choir again and worship our Lord! It brought me back to my North Park days singing in the Gospel Choir. </div>
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Our next performance is in April, and I can't wait! Come and join us for a wonderful time of worship!</div>
The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-8354741262830228642013-02-12T10:05:00.003-06:002013-02-12T10:05:58.219-06:00An Interview with AmayaI saw this idea on Pinterest about interviewing your kids every year and since Amaya just turned FIVE, I thought it would be fun to ask her these questions on every birthday. Here are here unedited answers: <br />
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1. What is your name?<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Amaya</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">2. How old are you?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Five</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">3. Where do you go to school?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Kingdom Kids</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">4. What is your favorite thing to do in school?</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"> Color</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">5. What is your best friend's name?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Teagan</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">6. What is your favorite color?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Pink, Blue, Green, and Yellow</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">7. What is your favorite food?</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Cheese Tortellini</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">8. What is your least favorite food?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Chicken Pot Pie</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">9. What is your favorite TV show?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Dinosaur Train</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">10. What is your favorite toy?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Babies</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">11. What is your favorite book?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Dora</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">12. What is your favorite song?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Where I Belong <span style="color: black;">(one of my choir songs)</span></span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">13. What do you want to be when you grow up?<span style="background-color: magenta;"><span><span style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span></span></span> </span> </span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">A Cheerleader</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">14. How much money will you make when you grow up?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">500 cents</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">15. How old will you be when you get married?</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">29</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">16. How many kids will you have?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">3</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">17. What kind of car will you drive?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">A slug bug with blue and pink stripes</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">18. What does your daddy do all day?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Work</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">19. What does your mommy do all day?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Work with Weston</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">20. What is the best thing about being five?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;">Playing with Weston</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"> </span> </span> </span> </span></div>
The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-41682369726179586602013-02-11T10:51:00.000-06:002013-02-11T10:51:09.204-06:00My Little Helper<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZFvhT5n8AzTldar4vssXNqd4zr2hkpmWSJVA9s0V9Gyxci_WGYiC7Aii0V23Aiwo8zC4q8FKWT7S4hlF35XVtCy4CyAPtDa_QlYHTAmqpbBeXzHb8f-LQfzhe-7WEc0pKF-Z3f-TxtSk/s1600/DSCF0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Everyone asks, "Does Amaya enjoy being a big sister?" "Is she a good helper?" "Does she envy all the attention Weston gets?"<br />
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So... to answer these.... Yes - Amaya LOVES being a big sister. She is a WONDERFUL helper. And yes she does envy all the attention Weston gets, but understands that his needs are often times more pressing and urgent than hers. Steve and I have both been more intentional about spending quality alone time with her, but some days it's just never enough.<br />
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Amaya helps get out the diapers, pick out his outfits, retrieves basically anything we need - pacifier, burp cloth, rattle, etc. But one of her favorite things to do is help give Weston a bath. She evens gets upset if I give him a bath without her!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZFvhT5n8AzTldar4vssXNqd4zr2hkpmWSJVA9s0V9Gyxci_WGYiC7Aii0V23Aiwo8zC4q8FKWT7S4hlF35XVtCy4CyAPtDa_QlYHTAmqpbBeXzHb8f-LQfzhe-7WEc0pKF-Z3f-TxtSk/s1600/DSCF0924.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZFvhT5n8AzTldar4vssXNqd4zr2hkpmWSJVA9s0V9Gyxci_WGYiC7Aii0V23Aiwo8zC4q8FKWT7S4hlF35XVtCy4CyAPtDa_QlYHTAmqpbBeXzHb8f-LQfzhe-7WEc0pKF-Z3f-TxtSk/s320/DSCF0924.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I let her take the lead on most everything and finish up what she doesn't want to do or can't do very well - ie. washing his tush and privates and washing his hair.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxVSeJqvtDF5GR2hRGfWtbLdg9zrbxdsCu6-1n7MmyGvkS8vzsZWnnhU5EHN6HI14xMKxn8b9FIBiUP8HylT7oxBk1CdibfWVQfB4Wx9K6uDKZMpgrjsFc_Jo1P0zSJ7s4khyphenhyphen2w1CEtWD/s1600/DSCF0925.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxVSeJqvtDF5GR2hRGfWtbLdg9zrbxdsCu6-1n7MmyGvkS8vzsZWnnhU5EHN6HI14xMKxn8b9FIBiUP8HylT7oxBk1CdibfWVQfB4Wx9K6uDKZMpgrjsFc_Jo1P0zSJ7s4khyphenhyphen2w1CEtWD/s320/DSCF0925.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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And for the most part, Weston loves his bath and is very patient with Amaya. Unfortunately, once he gets chilly, it's all over from there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY59yEvM3gdjahkcbOJtnThaRR7KGooUF8xVXrq7M7qJrtlg_WlHr2XXYD1BrnAmmAbFGERiBF8Wj6Ob38UYWNNJjJLjKk3C6BKXZPUT4yRribOQZR967iyWqMrhw-Thm8msP7_MCIX7TX/s1600/DSCF0926.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY59yEvM3gdjahkcbOJtnThaRR7KGooUF8xVXrq7M7qJrtlg_WlHr2XXYD1BrnAmmAbFGERiBF8Wj6Ob38UYWNNJjJLjKk3C6BKXZPUT4yRribOQZR967iyWqMrhw-Thm8msP7_MCIX7TX/s320/DSCF0926.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A close up of our handsome boy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KpuGxlcv8VnzfRs_zf2IeLFG4NAYMO71rb-H03kHwDNFAbT67_Dt5qcAy_LdjoGsv16DL79EHDrBRtdObbfnRh0F0pMYff_1dOrWHrpPKZUoVWJTh_RDbTAL1bm814gzkVoFxXOQnlD4/s1600/DSCF0928.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KpuGxlcv8VnzfRs_zf2IeLFG4NAYMO71rb-H03kHwDNFAbT67_Dt5qcAy_LdjoGsv16DL79EHDrBRtdObbfnRh0F0pMYff_1dOrWHrpPKZUoVWJTh_RDbTAL1bm814gzkVoFxXOQnlD4/s320/DSCF0928.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Amaya also loves to comb his hair - what little there is of it. There's quite a bit of hair in the back, but not so much on the top - with the exception of his little "mohawk".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEaCvRP3jvmu2SjbSVqNq_x76qGhMQBxVVlOSdpth_238QgVR9ko-LNJ1apVytjqebr1D9f9WA-EqaIb4YE8gQrenkIUQw0OMo3qHAsnR1RjaajuNnlElW0S8OzZ_YWvl1pF7PXiYVwpG/s1600/DSCF0935.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEaCvRP3jvmu2SjbSVqNq_x76qGhMQBxVVlOSdpth_238QgVR9ko-LNJ1apVytjqebr1D9f9WA-EqaIb4YE8gQrenkIUQw0OMo3qHAsnR1RjaajuNnlElW0S8OzZ_YWvl1pF7PXiYVwpG/s320/DSCF0935.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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All clean and ready to snuggle with Amaya!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTHIpbGIWWgr5WQy5m7ayDeTMH8l_HeN0omiOttlCELajw6oX5VFtqK56pFUX0aPavEpTnb2Jknby5zk5QE_-WOPOMUzsQgsYSv0nBzBHPNkyEALXehmh2kEbAHFXkdNXt2W7G_1H_NMI/s1600/DSCF0973.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTHIpbGIWWgr5WQy5m7ayDeTMH8l_HeN0omiOttlCELajw6oX5VFtqK56pFUX0aPavEpTnb2Jknby5zk5QE_-WOPOMUzsQgsYSv0nBzBHPNkyEALXehmh2kEbAHFXkdNXt2W7G_1H_NMI/s320/DSCF0973.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-42782406986450874462013-02-09T13:22:00.003-06:002013-02-10T17:25:48.189-06:00Visit from the Schibillas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSClsOyVksWSPNVhHD45ST0piqv2zVrlvx3oPK9DECVOipCtM-9-1yhghljKIsG5jD80HnDGW9fDZb0Vk4wnMzA6iOVsXd1NEiuImZPL1WhWntVZMfR4BbPVGurmANvG1rEV2Yqp0-NwQ/s1600/DSCF0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>We were thrilled that Weston was home from the hospital just in time to meet Jen visiting from sunny California. Jen is getting her master's degree in family and marriage counseling and is graduating in May. We don't get to see her very often and we miss her tremendously, but California seems to suit her well! Amaya wants Jen to take her to Disneyland... just not sure when we would get out that way. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSClsOyVksWSPNVhHD45ST0piqv2zVrlvx3oPK9DECVOipCtM-9-1yhghljKIsG5jD80HnDGW9fDZb0Vk4wnMzA6iOVsXd1NEiuImZPL1WhWntVZMfR4BbPVGurmANvG1rEV2Yqp0-NwQ/s1600/DSCF0908.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSClsOyVksWSPNVhHD45ST0piqv2zVrlvx3oPK9DECVOipCtM-9-1yhghljKIsG5jD80HnDGW9fDZb0Vk4wnMzA6iOVsXd1NEiuImZPL1WhWntVZMfR4BbPVGurmANvG1rEV2Yqp0-NwQ/s320/DSCF0908.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Brenda and Jen drove down from the cities to visit with us and Weston slept the entire time while Amaya chatted the entire time! It was wonderful to catch up with them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfY3N5D5_u81jn7fjLn_CZwBBv2amxHk9XloxoyOvgv2q8shO7addxvZATxUTw8SQm6xGG4JQDC8lYs011TAW-xE0riSD0AwcQI7aD0UZv7v_d_C1dh2wBNWlQYtms_Db4c_VxIELVBTf/s1600/DSCF0910.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfY3N5D5_u81jn7fjLn_CZwBBv2amxHk9XloxoyOvgv2q8shO7addxvZATxUTw8SQm6xGG4JQDC8lYs011TAW-xE0riSD0AwcQI7aD0UZv7v_d_C1dh2wBNWlQYtms_Db4c_VxIELVBTf/s320/DSCF0910.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Brenda stopped by for a quick visit on Thursday on her way to Lacrosse. He's changed a lot since she last saw him. Once again, he slept the entire time. One of these visits, he will show them his beautiful blue eyes! Thanks for visiting us - we LOVE to see you!<br />
<br />The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-30213422100315686152013-02-06T09:48:00.001-06:002013-02-06T10:01:07.053-06:006 Week Check-UpI still can't believe that Weston is 6 weeks old! In some instances, it feels like it was yesterday when we went to triage, and in others (like when it's 3am and Weston is grunting and crying) it seems like forever! <br />
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I met with Dr. Harms yesterday for my 6 week check up. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about my blood pressure. They took me off labetalol on the 16th of January, so I was hoping that my blood pressure had normalized for good on it's own. Praise God! It was 110/64! Whew - HUGE sigh of relief. I'm at a higher risk for developing high blood pressure down the road because of the preeclampsia and my family history, so my family medicine physician will be monitoring it every year. <br />
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Dr. Harms, the nurses, and the clinical assistants all "ooohed" and "ahhhed" over Weston. I've gotten to know the staff over there very well because of all my appointments, so they were very excited to see him. It was sad saying good-bye to Dr. Harms because he's seen me through a lot and he's been a wonderful physician with so much expertise and knowledge. Plus, he's just a nice guy with special quirks and mannerisms that I will miss!<br />
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But, I'm relieved that this chapter - trekking up to Charlton 3B - is over and that Weston and I are happy and healthy. The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-54615593348350176532013-02-04T14:00:00.003-06:002013-02-04T14:00:54.270-06:00Christmas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ULenunByGg-DXZtdn5AC86OGNTf_9BVtNzutTDN8WB6lYbcrLsLF4yRvIvRv1TLZ7wT5RL51g7lazeL-CjI-coR3-3F-ukdm4FcxrLl2jpYxj4nrhRHFw4FhAkiBGXVbSpIUHatVC0TK/s1600/DSCF0915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>We celebrated Christmas as a family on the 27th while Weston was still in the hospital. Unfortunately, I left my camera at the hospital, so no pictures were taken. All we have are the precious memories of Amaya diving into a big pile of presents - lots of new stuff for her Bitty Baby!<br />
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Amaya and Steve were responsible for getting our Christmas tree AND decorating it since I was on bed rest. The picture is a little blurry, but the tree was beautiful. Steve did the lights in about 15 minutes - normally it takes me at least 2 hours since I like a lot of lights. And Amaya did most of the decorating (Steve decorated the tree where she couldn't reach) and both did a fantastic job! I only had to move a few ornaments to get the tree evened out a little. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ULenunByGg-DXZtdn5AC86OGNTf_9BVtNzutTDN8WB6lYbcrLsLF4yRvIvRv1TLZ7wT5RL51g7lazeL-CjI-coR3-3F-ukdm4FcxrLl2jpYxj4nrhRHFw4FhAkiBGXVbSpIUHatVC0TK/s1600/DSCF0915.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ULenunByGg-DXZtdn5AC86OGNTf_9BVtNzutTDN8WB6lYbcrLsLF4yRvIvRv1TLZ7wT5RL51g7lazeL-CjI-coR3-3F-ukdm4FcxrLl2jpYxj4nrhRHFw4FhAkiBGXVbSpIUHatVC0TK/s320/DSCF0915.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi7MLYBwoYwlDA895KbIN0NAxNzzY_VQytIvc8p1K0xOEYK6DrAwYzGQhWPmm3afsJnrIdkOT-9w_WUvEQ3ETwGdgKB4qRnY2zOFjDYd4AnkNf2d-rk5NBFqRQpwjRi1todXGmyrm9xFF/s1600/DSCF0917.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi7MLYBwoYwlDA895KbIN0NAxNzzY_VQytIvc8p1K0xOEYK6DrAwYzGQhWPmm3afsJnrIdkOT-9w_WUvEQ3ETwGdgKB4qRnY2zOFjDYd4AnkNf2d-rk5NBFqRQpwjRi1todXGmyrm9xFF/s320/DSCF0917.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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With my sister and her family visiting from Nebraska, we celebrated Christmas with everyone on the 29th. I brought my camera, but my dad ended up taking pictures, so I'll have to arrange to get them from him to post here at a later date. </div>
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And finally, after getting Weston home from the hospital, we were able to celebrate with Steve's parents. </div>
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Here's a picture of their tree!</div>
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Doing a little snooping before the delicious dinner Ruth Ann prepared.</div>
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Grandma is a natural snuggling with Weston.</div>
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Opening presents...</div>
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Weston getting a little snack....</div>
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The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-68794163588332863722013-01-31T13:31:00.000-06:002013-02-21T10:22:24.080-06:00Remainder of Weston's HospitalizationOver the next several days - December 28th - 31st, Weston's only goals were to eat and grow. I ended up spending all my time at the hospital including overnights so that we could get him off formula supplementation and strictly on breastmilk. In order for him to be dismissed, he needed to nurse exclusively for 24 hours and increase his weight. Fortunately, I had amazing nurses that helped me out tremendously with the nursing thing. Nursing a preemie is A LOT different than a full term baby, so I'm glad I had experts to help me out. Also, the lactation consultant happened to be a friend of my mother-in-law and had been praying for our family for several weeks, so we had a special connection. She was an absolute blessing and a huge encouragement to not give up. Weston would get pretty tuckered out from nursing - it was a whole lot easier for him to receive the tube feedings, but now he needed to work at being fed. He was an absolute champ and surprised all the staff in the ISCN. The difficulty was trying to keep him awake to make sure he was getting enough nourishment.<br />
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I grew very attached to our nurses because they were so understanding and compassionate. All of the nurses work 12 hour shifts and several days in a row, so we had 3 consistent nurses during the day shifts and 1 consistent nurse during the night shifts. The ISCN can have 22 babies, but over the holidays it was unusually slow, and there were only 4 babies there including Weston. Because it was slow, Weston got a lot of special care and two of our nurses were on orientation, so most days there were two nurses caring for Weston - the orientee and the preceptor. As our time in the ISCN was coming to an end, I was thrilled to be able to go home with Weston and be together as a family of four, but, I was also nervous taking Weston home and caring for him without the expertise of our nurses. My favorite nurse, R'Lou was going to be off work the 30th and 31st and it was so hard for me to say goodbye. She was so supportive and encouraging - I honestly wanted to take her home with us. I have never been more impressed with the care these nurses gave us - they truly are phenomenal.<br />
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On the 31st, our nurse woke me up and said that we had a lot to do to get ready to be discharged. Discharged?!? I thought we would be staying until January 2nd when he would be 37 weeks. Our little overachiever had done so well nursing, that he was gaining weight well. He weighed in at 5lbs 1oz and even though it wasn't back up to his birth weight, the staff was pleased with his progress. Our agenda for the day included more education, a hearing test, car seat test, and eek - circumcision! I gave him a bath and shortly thereafter an audiologist came to the room and checked his hearing. He passed with flying colors! Then one of the pediatric physicians came in to have me consent for Weston's circumcision. Unforunately, when they brought him back to do the procedure, they decided to hold off until he was a little - ahem - "bigger." (He's now scheduled for February 8th, but don't tell him!)<br />
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Last thing was the car seat test. Amaya had this done because she was below the recommended weight and did well, so I was hopeful that Weston would do just as well. Unfortunately, I didn't remember that we needed the car seat base, so after a frantic call to Steve, he brought it up on his lunch hour. The nurse was struggling to get the straps tight enough on Weston to be considered safe, and I freaked out again. She recommended borrowing someone else's car seat that was a little smaller or purchasing a preemie car seat. He was being discharged today! Where on earth are we going to find a smaller car seat or a preemie car seat this late!?!? Plus, if the car seat worked for Amaya, surely it would work for Weston!!! Fortunately, another nurse came in to check on us, and was able to make some adjustments and got Weston all snuggled in tight.<br />
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After 90 minutes in the car seat, he passed the test wonderfully. They just wanted to make sure he didn't stop breathing, oxygen level stayed within normal limits, and his heart rate remained stable while in the car seat. <br />
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I packed up our room and Steve picked us up after work and we were headed HOME! Praise GOD!! We made a quick stop at my parents to pick up Amaya and went home. My sister and her family were visiting from Nebraska to celebrate Christmas and New Year's and we missed quite a bit of time with them while in the hospital. So, when we got home and settled, Joshua, Jordan, Carol, and my dad came over for a little bit.<br />
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It was a different New Year's Eve for us... Instead of our usual party with family, we stayed up to midnight watching a movie and rang in the New Year with our new addition! Even though it was different, it was the best New Year's Eve ever! So glad to be HOME!!! <br />
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The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-70879316270298943422013-01-26T16:35:00.001-06:002013-01-31T12:49:40.689-06:00VisitorsFor Weston's baby book, I wanted to make a list of all the visitors that came to see him in the ISCN, so this post is more for my memory, than anything else...<br />
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Patricia Markus - RN in allergy<br />
Rebecca Partridge - RN in allergy<br />
Tricia Stevens - RN in allergy<br />
Danielle Connor - RN in allergy<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa Gustafson<br />
Grandma and Grandpa Horning<br />
Mike, Arwen, Ben, Annika, Lydia, and Miles Gustafson<br />
Dan, Carol, Hannah, and Hope Springer (Joshua and Jordan saw Weston when he was home)<br />
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Nancy Anderson (our beloved friend from Wal-Mart)<br />
Brad, Angie, and Josh Hansen (Nancy's son-in-law, daughter, and grandson)<br />
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Jen Hull (wonderful friend)<br />
Susie O'Connell (Jen's mom)<br />
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Pastor Steve and Lori EckertThe Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-20133017468805350282013-01-26T16:29:00.000-06:002013-01-31T12:49:59.479-06:00Weight and Blood Pressure UpdatesWeston has had three weight checks since he came home from the hospital and so I thought I better get updates out and on "paper" so I can remember when I get around to his baby book. (I still haven't done Amaya's yet... but most of the important stuff is already on our blog, so it should be easy. Finding time, on the other hand, is another story.)<br />
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Weston was discharged on December 31st (more about his last few days in the ISCN in another upcoming post) and his doctors wanted him to get a weight check within a few days of dismissal. His last weight in the hospital was 5lbs 1oz. On January 3rd, we met with Dr. Wade and he weighed in at 5lbs 5oz - almost back up to his birth weight of 5lbs 6oz. On January 11th, we met with out primary doctor - Dr. Horn and he weighed in at 5lbs, 15oz! While Weston was in the hospital, the dietician met with us and wanted me to supplement his feedings with formula with a little extra calories and I was hesitant because I worked so hard to get him to nurse well and some of it was my own pride. Dr. Horn reassured me that we were on the right track and as long as his growth curve was on the up and up, there was no need for me to supplement feedings with formula. Weston had another weight check on January 25th and he was 7lbs 9oz!!! All my worrying about whether he was getting enough milk, was completely unnecessary! Some of his preemie clothes were starting to get a little snug and when I put him in his carseat, he was definitely getting bigger. However, for him to gain a little over 2 pounds in his short little life far surpassed my expectations! Way to go Weston!<br />
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I also had a couple appointments this month for a blood pressure check. On January 2nd, I met with Dr. Hokenstead (I thought it was going to be the doctor who delivered Weston, but it was her husband!) My blood pressure was still a little elevated, so I was supposed to continue the Labetalol until I returned to see him. I was disappointed because the medication made me so tired, and I was afraid my blood pressure wouldn't normalize (even though they told me it could take up to 6 weeks for it to go back to normal.) A few days prior to this appointment on the 16th, I began feeling lightheaded (a sign that my blood pressure was lowering) and sure enough, my blood pressure was 100/64. Typically, they would taper the dose of my medication, but because I was having symptoms of lightheadedness, they discontinued the medication completely. Praise God! I have my 6 week follow up appointment the beginning of February with Dr. Harms, so they will recheck my blood pressure again, but I should be just fine.<br />
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Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Weston's and my health! Overall, we are doing wonderful!The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-10867361450946048022013-01-22T12:42:00.003-06:002013-01-22T12:42:35.315-06:00First Bath<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tXEo0G5_ZGZ58-gJ80cLGgcMmF12OFC4D7RCtPG5cgmuHGuj_yGxO2zLDVEs4J-Kqzrj97bF13Q5lM0SH70aO_7utaBRnxxl39RtEntBeuprBSuXCybshk7FAy47EwTrUBzSWNhS206G/s1600/DSCF0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Weston was tolerating tube feedings and nursing really well, so on December 27th, the nurses were able to remove his IV from his hand and he was now able to have a BATH! My nurse, Erica suggested I call my parents and have them bring Amaya to help out with the bath. All of my nurses were outstanding, but Erica was special in that she really made Amaya feel special and involved.<br />
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Amaya was anxious to help out! </div>
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Here's our little man getting ready for a swaddle bath. The blanket was kept on him during the entire process so that he would keep warm. So... will he like his first bath? Scream and cry?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tXEo0G5_ZGZ58-gJ80cLGgcMmF12OFC4D7RCtPG5cgmuHGuj_yGxO2zLDVEs4J-Kqzrj97bF13Q5lM0SH70aO_7utaBRnxxl39RtEntBeuprBSuXCybshk7FAy47EwTrUBzSWNhS206G/s1600/DSCF0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tXEo0G5_ZGZ58-gJ80cLGgcMmF12OFC4D7RCtPG5cgmuHGuj_yGxO2zLDVEs4J-Kqzrj97bF13Q5lM0SH70aO_7utaBRnxxl39RtEntBeuprBSuXCybshk7FAy47EwTrUBzSWNhS206G/s320/DSCF0877.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the most part, he enjoyed his bath... and several baths later here at home, he really likes it and sleeps great afterwards! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QhBflZmOA1TP8pylbJsI7QT_HeK0YqkSGVqlgKj0XjDfHgYdsuvCntAW8In0aj42qq3XeRkYhuVOExWHx2C0YJftk2kIq1gii638ijHRu2khJDNDvCnhb3fC49njULZ4B1nphjnpi6B4/s1600/DSCF0883.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QhBflZmOA1TP8pylbJsI7QT_HeK0YqkSGVqlgKj0XjDfHgYdsuvCntAW8In0aj42qq3XeRkYhuVOExWHx2C0YJftk2kIq1gii638ijHRu2khJDNDvCnhb3fC49njULZ4B1nphjnpi6B4/s320/DSCF0883.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here Erica is showing Amaya how to wash his arms.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rZtyXFUF8vytRGuB6NVA4lFdbN9g8_nAeqMjfWWjD5i1IbEyXX38sowJFPpG6_xTtZsExtpJKB4cQ-TXA4KoE-_-rvRcp0Jc0YoGtDLw7AADuJK3wf2rvnXFFZYeDrHIziFhaoXv5Vlv/s1600/DSCF0886.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rZtyXFUF8vytRGuB6NVA4lFdbN9g8_nAeqMjfWWjD5i1IbEyXX38sowJFPpG6_xTtZsExtpJKB4cQ-TXA4KoE-_-rvRcp0Jc0YoGtDLw7AADuJK3wf2rvnXFFZYeDrHIziFhaoXv5Vlv/s320/DSCF0886.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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All nice and clean!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-T-_aGVt1_Q9-DB41BF6AaBUufOZV7tvufwq-k6ipeEehAvoVnGqnnjec2M9_Zv2pIDbVdybvn990P7-gxAZlwl7XinwLSjzvysgKTB0X5Sj_OdJF2Gb_XLRssXSUUqLt3rT4QYmrb2K/s1600/DSCF0893.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-T-_aGVt1_Q9-DB41BF6AaBUufOZV7tvufwq-k6ipeEehAvoVnGqnnjec2M9_Zv2pIDbVdybvn990P7-gxAZlwl7XinwLSjzvysgKTB0X5Sj_OdJF2Gb_XLRssXSUUqLt3rT4QYmrb2K/s320/DSCF0893.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Our little man got into a little bit of mischief after his bath... he ended up pulling out his NG tube! Maybe he figured since he got his IV out, his NG tube should come out too! Since I wasn't nursing exclusively yet, Erica had to put the NG tube back in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0nCRT-6Aamp8racIsn90jIKCSTWbqhexgHLKv0Edz5k8MeB-FROl-6kRY1TLQn9_8qD-sUnWyXIi4v6-dTgI9Lh25KkE6SlIqOhAieUD4-j-U36NBc1NvdwB7_F287q10aMCtqAiA_As/s1600/DSCF0896.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0nCRT-6Aamp8racIsn90jIKCSTWbqhexgHLKv0Edz5k8MeB-FROl-6kRY1TLQn9_8qD-sUnWyXIi4v6-dTgI9Lh25KkE6SlIqOhAieUD4-j-U36NBc1NvdwB7_F287q10aMCtqAiA_As/s320/DSCF0896.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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I apologize for the pictures being so dark. We weren't able to use our flash while in the ISCN because they didn't want to startle or overly stimulate him.</div>
The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832744455424253069.post-67825959009375776422013-01-16T10:44:00.001-06:002013-01-16T10:44:28.056-06:00Discharge and Sun Tanning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJLxQkosGCjKZD7QNx40xd9ofIJwOM6HpCehw7veLQRP3D-ZRPvqgNVHOup5MqbSE86Vfq9Lnxp81OXZyItHYzlz76Z7EfXSagHbNmw3BIq8inhhmDIlkZtVJcEPhhu9iaBnVLpVK4EHc/s1600/DSCF0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>On December 26th, I was finally going to be discharged. The plan was for me to continue to take medication and monitor my blood pressure for a few weeks. It takes FOREVER to get discharged - waiting on prescriptions, physician rounds, and discharge instructions. It was so frustrating for me to go back and forth between my room and Weston's - I just wanted to be with my little man! I felt like I was ignoring him and granted, all of his cares were being done by highly trained and experienced nurses, but I wanted to be the one taking care of him! After lunch, we got everything squared away and I was free to spend all my time with Weston.<br />
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The great thing about the ICSN is that I truly could spend 24 hours a day there. He had his own private room and there was a couch that pulled out to be a bed. Initially, I thought I would be staying overnight with Weston, but the nurses explained that until he was showing cues that he wanted to nurse overnight, I should go home to my own bed and get as much rest as I could. And I honestly think that my recovery was so quick because the nurses encouraged me to rest as much as possible. Sleep is a wonderful thing, however, I felt guilty for leaving Weston at night... even though he was in very capable hands. I also felt guilty because I knew that Amaya needed time with me... I really struggled trying to find a balance - I was pulled in so many directions and any choice I made, I felt like I was letting someone down. In the end, Weston's needs came first while Steve and my parents took care of Amaya's needs.<br />
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Steve returned back to work on December 27th. My parents took care of Amaya while I spent the day at the hospital. On rounds that morning, the physician said his bilirubin levels were creeping up and that since he was in the hospital, we might as well treat him with phototherapy. His color was a little yellow, but nothing too terribly bad. He had quite the set up and fortunately tolerated all the equipment well. Here's a picture of him sun tanning! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJLxQkosGCjKZD7QNx40xd9ofIJwOM6HpCehw7veLQRP3D-ZRPvqgNVHOup5MqbSE86Vfq9Lnxp81OXZyItHYzlz76Z7EfXSagHbNmw3BIq8inhhmDIlkZtVJcEPhhu9iaBnVLpVK4EHc/s1600/DSCF0873.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJLxQkosGCjKZD7QNx40xd9ofIJwOM6HpCehw7veLQRP3D-ZRPvqgNVHOup5MqbSE86Vfq9Lnxp81OXZyItHYzlz76Z7EfXSagHbNmw3BIq8inhhmDIlkZtVJcEPhhu9iaBnVLpVK4EHc/s320/DSCF0873.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The nurses really stressed the importance of holding him skin to skin (kangaroo care) to help reduce stress, increase his ability to nurse, and of course, to share that bond with him. But because Weston needed to spend most of his time under the lights for the next 48
hours, so I wasn't going to be able to hold him as much. Even though I couldn't hold him, my day was busy enough meeting with the physicians, the lactation consultant (who is a good friend of my mother-in-laws and had been praying for our family), a social worker, and dietician. We also had a very large binder full of information that we needed to read about taking care of a preemie and it's amazing how much I learned about the difference between a preemie and a full term baby. And in between visitors, I was either nursing or pumping every 2 hours. The day seemed to fly by!<br />
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What was most encouraging was that all Weston needed to be doing was eating and growing and once he got the nursing thing mastered, he would be discharged. We thank and praise God daily that he is one healthy and strong little boy! The Gatzke Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15233252510768644992noreply@blogger.com