Fall Already?

Turns out that the higher you are in latitude, the sooner fall comes around. The leaves here in Milwaukee (or Mileewakay) have been changing color since the end of July. I love the fall. A ton. I love cider, apple picking, Halloweener, pumkin patches and fall clothes (well, my boots, anyways). But as much as I love fall, I fear the winter that follows. I will cross that bridge when I get there. For now I will live in the ... now? For those of you that don't know, I have referenced the movie "Wayne's World" two times. Awesome!

Freaking Dozers

Driving home from church a few weeks ago Brian and I see a sign that said "Dozer Day" and a gigantic Dozer on it. From the back seat we hear "tractor, tractor, tractor". This is no different from any other day, really. Konrad's favorite word, toy, topic of convo is tractors. Plus, here in Milwaukee, every single street is being repaired and has tractors, dozers and diggers all over them. So the fact that we hear "tractor, tractor, tractor" coming from the peanut gallery is really insignificant. That is until I turn around and see him pointing at the sign and the "tractor" gets louder and louder. I told Brian to keep his schedule open for Sept. 12 or Dozer Day.

Brian and Aunt April took Konrad to Dozer Day in Sussex, WI at a huge quarry. I could not go b/c its probably not the best place for a five day old baby. I was really sad I could not go. Seriously, tractors are the center of Konrad's world. The important thing is that he got to go.

He saw a helicopter land and take off, he rode on a school bus (while doing the "wheels on the bus" song and hand motion), rode on a dozer, sat in a fire truck, played in the sand and whatever else it was that was there.

I just can't wait for next year... two boys and their tractors. If Rad is still in to tractors. I have a feeling he will be. That is one happy boy.

Things I Am Grateful For

1. Modern pain management technology, ie, Epidurals.
2. Not being pregnant.
3. Sleep.
4. Brian; he is such a good daddie. He is so kind and gentle with Rad and Rodney. He wants so badly to help me and do whatever he can to make my life easier.
5. Good family. My mom and sister April were a heaven send. They stayed for a week and helped with Rad while I was in the hospital with Rodney and Brian. Cherryl came to help out when Brian was in the hospital and recovering from his surgery.
6. Awesome neighbors. When we moved here in May, I had never been to Milwaukee, nor did I know a soul within 1500 miles of Milwaukee. Since Brian's surgery, we have received so much kindness and service by our neighbors and the members of our ward. We are so incredibly blessed to have such kind people looking out for us.
7. See's chocolates.
8. Cable TV at 3 am. Seriously. And VH1 TV shows such as My Antonio and Tool Academy. Sweet balls of fire, I don't know what I'd do without my stories.
9. The $1.50 Popcorn Combo at Target.

This, of course, is a partial list of the things I am grateful for. I don't know what it is, but sleep deprivation and unimaginable pain remind us of the things that are good. They are usually the simple things in life, but it is good once in a while to take inventory and be grateful.

The True Meaning of Labor Day

Rodney Jones Kleinman was born Monday September 7, 2009 at 3:11pm 7 lbs 6 oz and 19 inches long. While everybody was bbq-ing and enjoying the last holiday of summer, I was doing my own kind of labor. I went in Sunday night and they started inducing labor at 8:00 pm. Labor really started at about 7:30 am Monday morning. By 3:11 in the pm, Rodney Jones was the newest Kleinman. We got home from the hospital today and we are doing well. Konrad really doesn't care if he has a baby brother and Buddy barely moved off the couch to greet me. So far, so good!



This is the best pic of the babe that I have. He is still really bruised from being borned, but I am sure he is an Eskimo Mexican Chinaman just like Konrad was under that black and blue. Thanks to my mom and Aunt Apy who took care of the house and old baby while I was at the hospital!

Appendicks

Who needs an appendix anyways? Well, not Brian, I guess. On Saturday Aug. 14, Brian woke up with a strange feeling in his belly. I said that he was probably just having sympathy pain and wishes he could be pregnant too. I knew something was funny when he did not even mention going for a bike ride that day. He goes come hell or high water. But I didn't worry too much because we were also busy writing our talks for the following day at church.

The next day we went to church and spoke. He was still having some pain but nothing extraordinary or the typical appendix pain that people talk about. He did not move from the couch Sunday afternoon, which was a little bit weird, but not too much.

Monday morning I went for my OB appointment and the Urgent Care told him to get to the ER. We both kinda said, "whatever" thinking they were just being dramatic, so he went, driving himself to the ER.

An hour later he was in CT with a diagnosis of Appendicitis.

He had surgery later that night. The surgeon called me about three hours later than I expected and told me it was a more extensive surgery than they thought. Not only did they have to take the appendix, they had to take some of his bowel and reconstruct his bowel.

He ended up being in the hosp for three days.

All of this a week before I was scheduled to be induced. Nice way to steal the spotlight, Brian.

I took Rad to see Daddy. These pics are funny b/c the only snack I had in my purse for the boy were Operation fruit snacks. Awesome.