travel by train

In my last post I gave a little summary of our two week venture up north. What I didn't share is HOW we got up north! Britta and I shared a sleeper room on the upper level of a train! Us girls had the best time together. I'm hoping this early travel experience will give Britta a sense of adventure and exploration! :) 

Now even though I say we had the best time together, that doesn't mean it was seamless (for this momma at least - Britta did great!) Traveling with Britta for the first time came with some anxiety. Traveling with Britta for the first time without Matt came with LOTS of anxiety and a few tears (again, the tears were from momma, Britta did great).

 On top of that I had never travelled by train before so I had no idea what to expect. The amount of packing necessary with an little one is unbelievable! Whew did we ever bring a lot of stuff. Thankfully there was a train attendant who was very helpful. Even he got out of breath carrying all of our things up the narrow steps of the train. Needless to say once Britta and I got settled in it was actually a pretty ideal way to travel.  Our room was private and the door even locked with a curtain that closed. There was a bathroom, an upright seat, a couch that folded down into a bed, and a top bunk. No, Britta and I did not sleep on the top bunk. Hehehe. The attendant even brought me dinner and breakfast - what service! 

Britta slept better than she ever had before. The swaying of the train really put her into a deep sleep. I got worried and even woke her up to eat - twice. Despite the door locking, I was a bit  very nervous that someone would take Britta if I fell asleep and did not keep an eye on her constantly. Therefore I only slept when I accidentally nodded off, one hand on her car seat at all times. 

When we arrived in Chicago Matt's family picked us up so we could soak up as much family time as possible! 

Baptism and Visits with Family

We just returned from the BEST trip back to Illinois in the history of trips back to Illinois! I am so thankful for the time we had to go up north to introduce Britta to family and friends. Watching each person smile at her, hold her, squeeze her, kiss her, talk to her in a little baby voice, and just simply love on her was just so great. It was something that was important to me, and I will always remember the feeling of pride I had during those two weeks.

Britta with her grandpas!

In addition meeting all the special people in Illinois, Britta was baptized. We had a private service at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Wednesday evening - 9/9/15. Family was invited, and I was overwhelmed with how many came! The fact that so many actively chose to witness Britta's baptism into God's family was amazing! Pastor Buss added some really nice personal touches to the baptism which made it extra special. He let me share that the gown Britta wore was worn by my mom, Abby, Jackson, and me. The men's choir was also practicing prior to the baptism, so they joined us in the pews. At the end of the service they lead us in singing Jesus Loves Me and I Am Jesus Little Lamb. It was precious! I loved looking at Abby as she held sleeping Britta in her arms as the water was poured over her. I loved looking at Matt as he held the candle that we will burn on each baptismal birthday. And I loved looking out at our family as they clapped and celebrated God's grace as Britta was introduced as a member of God's flock.

  

The whole time we were away, Britta worked so hard to grow and develop! She kept shuffling her little fist near her mouth trying and trying to get her thumb in to suck it. Yesterday, she FINALLY did it (for about 3 minutes!). She looked so proud of herself I had to snap a picture. She also has started to smile a little bit more intentionally and in response to seeing me, getting kisses, and being picked up from her crib. It is the sweetest little smile and makes me feel so good. It is one of my favorite things right next to the feeling of her little hand going 'pat pat pat' as she lays up against my shoulder. Rolling is also a new skill she is getting down. She rolled from her back to her belly in her crib two nights ago. I was so surprised to wake up to her crying and laying on her belly. I think she surprised herself too! She has been kicking so much and wiggling around though neither of us should really be that surprised. A lot of this wiggling is during her time in her crib or laying on her back or tummy on a blanket on the floor. She is much more content to do this rather than being constantly held now.

Unfortunately Britta has also run into some tummy troubles. Bowel movements are pretty infrequent and this causes her to have gas pains which make her cry. It is the saddest little cry because it is obvious she is experiencing a lot of discomfort. I'm hoping to get some suggestions at her pediatrician appointment this morning. 

I will always treasure all of these moments. 

Britta met her Great Grandma and Grandpa Zierke

 We had fun with friends! 

 Britta loves her cousins Giancarlo and Jackson - and they love her right back! 

 

 Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Verken made a special trip down from Door County to be at Britta's baptism.

Snuggles with Grandma are the best. 

the sun is shining for you today

Somehow this little one is already over one month old. 

We took this montage of pictures on 8.17.15

She makes me happier than I could have imagined possible.

She makes the silliest faces.

She is growing so quickly. 

She loves to spend her days snuggling.

She is beautiful. 

A good one.

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, but there are a million ways to be a good one."

Britta Grace is a happy baby with a forgiving heart. I make mistakes and will never be perfect, but in her eyes I think I'm doing pretty good. She is a snuggle bug who loves to be held. I can do that. She is a good listener who loves to be talked to and sung to. I can do that. She is a growing girl who loves to nurse. I can do that. Her eyes are bigger than her stomach, and she needs spit up cleaned up from out of her neck creases. I can do that.

I can be a good mommy. There are a million ways.  

 “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”

Proverbs 22:6

Now that Britta has safely arrived, my prayers are focused on this verse.  

MLK

Today I am thankful for MLK. Not only for my own selfish reasons, (a day off of school, slow mornings with 2 cups of coffee, time to bake cookies(!), etc.) but also because of the change he inspired.

Living in an area where this part of history truly affected people brings a new perspective. I work with a woman who went to school here when the schools were segregated. The history is more real to me now. Reading "Martin's Big Words" to my students felt special this year. It felt important to teach them about his life, the changes that have been made, and to talk about how more change needs to happen. I am thankful for the opportunity to have these discussions with children. I hope that I can be a positive influence for them everyday.

"We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character –- that is the goal of true education." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Highs and Lows

High for the week: Matt and I enjoyed a dinner out at Restaurant Tyler, an "Eat Local" place here in town. We went all out and ordered wine, appetizers, our meal, and dessert. It was the perfect way to relax after my first week back to school after Christmas break.

Low for the week: Falling asleep at 7:15 Thursday night! I love my job, but it is SO hard to get back into routine after 2 1/2 weeks off.

On another note, I have been keeping up with some of my goals. I've cooked quite a few meals here at home. Some favorites:

- Mushroom Sliders
- Tangy Tomato Brisket
- BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

Although our tummies are happy, our waistlines are not. All the recipes I've been making have come out of the Pioneer Woman cookbooks I received for Christmas. Butter is an essential ingredient to all her recipes...

I've also been keeping up with my devotional time. Here is a favorite quote:

"A home filled with love provides the ideal atmosphere for people to bloom."

I love the imagery/comparison of flowers in a greenhouse and a loving home. We can flourish when we live in a home with love.
I also love all the connections I've been making to the scripture, the devotional book, and things I hear people say. It has been a blessing to make time to reflect and grow spiritually.

- Katie

Happy New Year!

In an effort to accomplish some goals this year, I thought there isn't really any better way to lay a good foundation than writing them down. Accountability and support is important in finding success.

Last night Matt and I stayed in for New Years Eve. It seemed like a normal night at home, but as we were watching Game of Thrones, I reflected on the year and thought about what I had already achieved. I realized that I need to flip a few priorities. I wrote out a list of things on my Kindle and then asked Matt to share some things with me to write down too. I felt reassured as he mentioned some of the same goals as I had already documented. It is easier to do things together than alone.

I know that when creating goals it is recommended to only create a few achievable goals to focus on. Despite this knowledge, my list is quite lengthy. Like I mentioned above, it is more of a reflection of where I'd like to focus my attention. While in 2013 Facebook, Netflix, and the couch too often were what I turned to. I'd like to turn to the following list BEFORE going to Facebook, Netflix, or the couch. (It's just SO comfortable!) I know I won't be able to do ALL of these things everyday, but they are positive options for me to focus on.

1. Make dinner 3 nights a week.
2. Get active 4 nights a week.
3. Read 12 books this year.
4. Read the Bible and keep a prayer journal.
5. Read 2 news articles a day.
6. Take the GRE.
7. Sign up for a graduate class.
8. Blog 1 time a week.
9. Travel somewhere new.
10. Date night once a week.

Cheers!