I hinted at new videos of Karsten in my last post and I have come to deliver!
This first video is Karsten just being himself and talking to his food.
The second video shows you all where his favorite hiding spot is.
The last one is the most exciting. In the past couple of weeks we have finally seen Karsten making his first really good attempts at walking. Last night was the best one so far with him walking from kitchen to living room and vice versa over and over again.
and I have many pictures to share! On Brice's birthday we took a family trip to the Children's Museum in St. Paul and had a really fun time. That night we went to a church service in Lakeville before finally retiring for the night. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy from that trip.
Yesterday, of course, was Thanksgiving and Karsten got to devour his very first Thanksgiving dinner. After church, we stopped at Caribou Coffee before heading to Brice's dad's for dinner. Karsten had a lot of play time with his 2nd cousins which completely wore him out! He was in bed last night by 7:20....he didn't have anything to eat either because he was so tired! 
I also have a really funny video to share - once I get that uploaded I'll post that as well. Hopefully I'll also have some walking vido of him pretty soon because he's getting close to finally figuring it out!
Karsten had his first Halloween and birthday all in one weekend. I've created slideshows of all of the pictures for you to enjoy.
After going through a pregnancy and giving birth to a wonderful, beautiful child I just don't understand how some women can be so heartless and evil to murder their own flesh and blood who is defenseless and helpless. I believe this evil practice should be outlawed and be considered a punishable crime for the both the woman murderer and the doctor as an accomplice.
This is one of the many reasons, but probably the most important reason why I'm voting the McCain/Palin ticket next week. Both of these great people believe that life begins at conception. Sarah Palin gladly brought her youngest child into this world knowing he would be born with Down Syndrome.
Please be forewarned, this video might be difficult to watch.
Since I finally ran out of memory on card in the camera and was forced to finally transfer pictures to the computer I felt it was about time to update the blog with the latest Karsten pictures.
These first pictures of my little ham were taken on a lazy Saturday morning. He must have been all over his bed that night because he woke up with a great big alfalfa sprout! Usually he's cranky in the morning before eating breakfast but this day, he decided to do a show for the camera!
This next picture has quite a story with it. It was getting late but not quite to Karsten's bedtime yet and he was looking like he wasn't planning on going to sleep at any time.....he was crawling all over the house, getting into trouble....you know, what babies do best! All of a sudden, I realize that Karsten stopped right in front of the couch where I was sitting and hadn't moved in a while. He decided to curl up right there on the floor along with his bunny and went to sleep.
On Sunday it was getting to that time in the afternoon where I go searching for a snack and Karsten has snack time as well. I happened to find a couple of pickles in the fridge so I curled up on the couch with my find. Well, Karsten was pretty intrigued by the pickles so I decided to give him a lick and a bite. He didn't make any funny faces so I just decided to give him one of mine for a snack. He ate the WHOLE THING!!!!! I didn't even have to cut it up into pieces for him - he took small bites and chewed really well all by himself!
One other thing that I LOVE is that Karsten is really starting to enjoy cartoons.....I can plop him in front of Blues Clues in the morning while I make his breakfast and he is so enthralled that he doesn't even realize that he's hungry yet. Right now, he's sitting on the couch like a good little boy watching A Bugs Life!
One thing I hate about Karsten right now is his ability to loose shoes. I happened to buy him 2 pairs of tennis shoes at the beginning of fall to wear outside at daycare. Well, he lost one shoe one night when we all went for a walk.....we backtracked the same way on the way home and never found it. I thought at the time that it's a good thing that he has another pair of shoes! Well, last week at daycare he happened to loose another shoe the exact same way! I was hoping we could at least bring the lone shoe home to have a mismatched pair that he could at least wear outside but no luck with that - they are both for the same feet! I found a pair of high tops on the Target website and I might just have to look for those in the store the next time I go.....maybe they'll stay on his feet better!
Brice and I got to go on a date night last Friday thanks to Melanie. We had dinner at Wolley's Steakhouse which is inside the Embassy Suites in Bloomington. We then took a trip to the new Cinemagic Theatre in Burnsville and were finally able to see Fireproof. It really was a great movie and I think it will really inspire all married couples to persevere through the tough times. Marriage is, afterall, a permanent covenant with God and not "just" a piece of paper as I have heard so many people say.
We still haven't decided what to do for Karsten's birthday.....I think we might just end up at Perkins because he loves pancakes and their grilled cheese sandwiches! I made a list of the kind of things Karsten still needs for the winter at Target if anybody is interested in looking at that.
Of course, birthday season starts at our house next Monday. I get to "celebrate" the last joyous year of my twentys.....I'm not quite sure how I feel about that yet! Brice wanted to do something special for me but there really isn't anything going on at any venue that I'm even remotely interested in (except The Producers out at Chanhassen but I'd rather not spend $100+ to see a show when I'm going to see a different show in just a few weeks). I think we'll just go for dinner and a movie.
Are you a handbag junkie? Handbag Planet is giving away 24 handbags in 24 hours. Just visit the site to register - there's no catch!
Good luck!
Fireproof opens tomorrow - this movie stars Kirk Cameron and is from the makers of Facing the Giants. Plan on seeing it!
Now that I finally have a little time on my hands (little man is upstairs napping as I type this) I decided to catch up a little by getting all the pictures uploaded to the computer and finally posting so all of you can see how big our little guy is getting.
Karsten is turning out to be a lot like his dad and is very impatient sometimes about eating. We have started to give him more and more finger foods so he can feed himself because he'll get mad when we try to feed him with a spoon. He'll tend to grab on while trying to get the spoon into his mouth and we try to hang on so he doesn't make a huge mess. Well, needless to say, most of the time he will get the spoon away from us and he'll end up looking like this:
He will be quite the little musician someday. He enjoys sitting at the keyboard, pounding away. 
On labor day we made another trip out to the zoo. Karsten is really starting to enjoy animals (he always plays with the dogs and cats that all of our neighbors have). This was while we were waiting for the bird show to start.....it was about the only time throughout the show that Karsten wasn't being a squirm worm.
Remember how I said that we are feeding Karsten more real food? This is before and after spaghetti night. He was such a huge mess that he got a bath right after dinner and I had to wash all of his clothes right away because he had it everywhere!
Last night, since I had the day off today and Brice didn't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn this morning, we decided to take a trip out to one of the numerous apple orchards that are just south of here. Karsten had his first tractor ride,
and picked and ate his first apple right off of the tree.
After we got off of the tractor after picking, Karsten was still working on his apple. Notice how he looks like a little chipmunk.....
Karsten also managed to make a new friend while we were at the orchard.
After we got home, there were a couple of huge toads that were on our porch. I let Karsten chase them around for a while - that was pretty entertaining! I put him down to show him the toad and he stood up all by himself for almost 10 seconds. He could have stood for longer but once he realizes that he's by himself, he'll plop on his butt and refuse to stand anymore. Anyway, after Karsten went to bed, Brice and I actually got to sit down together and watch a movie in I don't know how long. We watched 27 Dresses which I highly recommend - Brice even admitted that he liked it!
Hopefully we will have some walking stories here pretty soon. Karsten LOVES to walk his high chair (it has wheels on it) around the house but he just won't let go of anything for long. We'll see how much longer it takes him. I thought for sure that he would be walking by now but I think he is one of those kids that's just not interested.
Well, that's all for now. Enjoy the pictures and the beautiful weather we have had lately!
Why is it that some adults refuse to actually become adults? Why is it that doing your best is too good? Why in the world do we have to have discussions about what work is worth doing and what is worth ignoring? Isn't doing the best work always the best policy?
These are the questions I've been pondering lately because of what has been going on at work. Maybe it's because of what I was raised with and what I always believed that doing your best work was always the best policy. Not doing your best means copping out, being lazy and not working to your full potential. What I have been learning lately is that doing the best work is not what is important although that is what all the big-wig clients are expecting and it is what makes everyone elses job easier. Picking and choosing what is "worth" the best work is what is now wanted. Am I the only one that sees this as completely backwards or is this how corporations actually work?
As if life in the "real world" isn't hard enough, why do we constantly need to be wondering what the real purpose is? I've come to the conclusion lately that I don't think I'm really cut out for working.....anywhere. I've always known that my real purpose in life was to be a wife and a mother and I really wish I could focus just on that and only that. I really WISH I didn't have to work because I would never go back there again if I didn't have to.
Maybe I need to start playing the lottery.....
Yup, you read it right folks - my all time favorite boy band from when I was a crazed pre-teen were right here at MOA today. When I heard on the radio this morning on the way to work I seriously wanted to "accidentally" go the wrong way on 494 and end up at MOA for hours just so I could see the men that caused me to plaster my walls, my bed, and most importantly, my school supplies and all-important jean jacket. Ah, those were the days! Seriously though, they will be here Oct. 21 (that's the day after my birthday) for a concert.....how AWESOME would that be?????
They can still draw a crowd: The 'New Kids' rock the MOA
They're still 'hangin tough.'
Nearly 20 years after they first hit the big time, the New Kids on the Block rocked the Mall of America Friday night.
Nearly 10,000 screaming fans filled the Mall's Rotunda. The scene very similar to the craze the New Kids created in the early 90's
The big difference now, they're older and they're fans are too.
The ladies that were girls almost 20 years ago when the NKOTB were the heartthrobs of America, waited, in some cases for an entire day, to see them again.
When The Kids, now men, took the stage, these 30 somethings dialed it back two decades and screamed like 6th grade girls.
The idea of meeting a New Kid... well, some things just can't be put into words.
The Kids were in town promoting their new album 'The Block', which hits stores next month.
If you missed them Friday, don't fret, they'll be back at the Xcel Energy Center on October 21st.
A short recap of last month:
1. Went to ND for the 4th of July and attended Holzemer family reunion and 10th high school reunion
2. My parents came to visit us a couple of weeks later so they could attend the Neil Diamond concert. While they were here, we took them and Karsten to Underwater Adventures in MOA and we FINALLY got Karsten baptized.
3. Last week Brice's dad came over to help install the new a/c. Of course, we didn't realize that the plug that is on it's own circuit that the a/c should be using is a 210 volt plug but we bought a 110 volt a/c. So now, we have to call an electrician to change it out. For now, we have it plugged into another outlet.
4. Last week I finally started training for the new position I was supposed to start in months ago. So far that is going well.
5. 3 days after having the new a/c installed upstairs, the fan in the a/c downstairs decides it is going to die. Now we have to start the whole process over again!
New Karsten-isms:
1. unrolling toilet paper
2. flusing the toilet
3. cruising (he really likes pushing his high chair around)
4. 8 teeth means he can be more independant at meal times
5. He LOVES Gerber Puffs - He can go through a whole container of those in a few days.
6. falls asleep by himself when he gets put down for the night
7. starting to wake up in the morning without screaming bloody murder
8. he finally likes playing with his ball - he chases it all over the house
9. He'll have conversation with you either by slurburt or by buh buh buh
10. he loves going on the baby swing at the park. He also likes to play in the sand and grass.
Well, that's all for now. I will be back soon for a better update on our lives and hopefully some pictures. I will leave you with a picture of a visitor we had a couple of weeks ago.
Yes, I know I have been TERRIBLE at keeping this blog up to date with the latest Karsten-isms. That's what happens when he finally realizes that the entire house is his playground and he can get into trouble almost anywhere! His latest discoveries include the kitchen cabinets, the doorstop on the front door, the first floor bathroom and peering over the top of his crib waiting to be rescued because he wants out. We have actually had somewhat of a life lately which is kind of nice for once. A couple of weeks ago Karsten and I met some friends for lunch on Saturday and then went on a shopping spree at the mall. We had a great time together and I went shopping at the perfect time because a lot of the summer stuff is on sale and I got quite a few items for very little money. I have discovered though that I need to watch him when we are in Gymboree. For some odd reason, every Gymboree I have been in is very cramped and it is hard to get around. Imagine then, trying to get a stroller through the tight fitting spaces and being so close to the clothing hanging on racks that a very smart 7 month old decides to grab whatever items he can so he can throw them on the floor. That was hilarious for about 10 seconds after which I had to clean up the mess that he left. The next day we went graduation party hopping, the first being for one of my co-workers daughter and the second was for my cousin Aaron. We saw lots of family that was there and Karsten wasn't sick and throwing up all over their house like he was the last time he was there. My aunt Janet graciously gave her watch to Karsten to drool all over and he was pretty excited over that item for quite a while. Last week found the entire family getting sick starting with Brice who ended up not going to work that Sunday. Next in line was Karsten who had to stay home from daycare on Wednesday because his fever was too high (partly because of the cold, the other part being more teeth coming in) and then I finally got it over the weekend. I don't seem to have gotten it as bad as the boys did but it has already been a week and I don't seem to be getting better very quickly. Sunday was Brice's first father's day and he decided to have his dad and wife over for dinner and he requested that I make him one of those giant chocolate chip cookies that you can get at the mall so I made it and it turned out very well (I frosted it all fancy and everything). That's something I'll have to keep in my repertoire. Monday night was church, tuesday night I had Karsten since Brice went to work, yesterday we had a very hyper kiddo until about 9pm so he went to bed late and this afternoon we had an appointment to get pictures taken. Of course Karsten decided not to smile for any of the pictures but we did get a few funny faces so a few of them did turn out. This weekend I might have to take Karsten out to do something fun because there are a million things going on. Dan Patch days are this weekend and we could go to festivities on Saturday (lots of kids stuff including a petting zoo) and/or go to the parade on Sunday. There is also a baby fair going on at St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee and the MN Landscape Arboretum has free admission this weekend. I don't know how I'm going to make that decision! In another 2 weeks we will be taking off for good ol ND to attend the Holzemer family reunion and the DHS class of 1998 reunion. A couple of weeks after that the Koppinger grandparents will be coming to visit because they have tickets for Neil Diamond. We'll be busy, that's for sure.
This is kind of a side note. I've been wanting to go see the musical Wicked for the longest time. The last time it was here the show sold out pretty much even before tickets went on sale to the general public. Well, it is coming back for an entire month in November and tickets went on sale today. I got online right at 10am and tried 2 different show times before I finally found available tickets which just happened to be the $80.00 ones. Since there was no way I was going to miss this again I decided not to be frugal and spent the $200.00 so my friend Melanie and I can have a fun day on the town. That wait until November is going to be a tough one!
As always, here are some pictures of my funny little man!
Being a ham
Why do I have to make dinner?
But I don't have any money to pay for the reunion! 
Mom, Dad, I have to get up to my room!
Why, yes, I am the happiest baby on the block!
Get that camera out of my face - can't you see I'm sleeping?
Daddy, that flour was fun to play in! Should we wait for mommy to come home to give me a bath?
Yea, so, I'm obsessed with doors....get over it!
Ok mom, I'm ready to help make cookies!
My carseat strap is my favorite treat!
Duh, I'm looking for crumbs to eat off the floor!
This is my bad boy face - is it believable?
In celebration of finally having a nice day I took Friday off and Brice and I took Karsten to his first trip to the zoo. He seems to enjoy the fish the best because he can see them swimming by in the great big aquariums but he doesn't seem to get the bigger animals yet, probably because they are too far away for him to really see. The best part about the MN Zoo is the farm because they have a whole barn full of sheep and goats and you can feed and pet them. We took Karsten out of the stroller so he could enjoy his first encounter with a farm animal. Of course, the first thing he does is reach out to grab at something which grabbed the attention of this mamma goat. She then stuck her head through the fence and proceeded to lick Karsten's hand - it was pretty cute. On our way to to the sink to wash up Karsten got licked by a great big goat - he must really taste good that the goats like to lick him! Here are some pictures from our day.
Dad, why is the goat licking me?
Dad, the turtles are swimming right in front of me!
Why are we leaving the turtles?
I don't like the moose, mom - they aren't doing anything!
Wait, the tigers are sleeping too? How come all the animals are asleep?
I also need to share these pictures because they are so funny. Brice gave his stethoscope to Karsten to play with. Do I have another paramedic in the house?
I will be working on getting some more videos posted. The newest one is of Karsten scooting across our bed. Now that he has figured out how to get from point a to point b he gets into a ton of trouble which means I still get nothing done around the house because I have to constantly watch him. He doesn't like being still for long so sitting him in his Bumbo for longer than about 15 minutes is impossible. We really need to take a trip to Babies R Us to get the baby proofing supplies. I'm thinking about getting a little fenced in area that we can set up in the living room and I don't have to worry about constantly watching him. We'll see what we can find.
